Take Two and Pass

Fabiano Caruana – Alireza Firouzja
82nd Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 22, 2020
King’s Indian Defence E71

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. h3 0-0 6. Be3 Nc6 7. d5 Ne5 8. f4 Ned7 9. g4 c6 10. Nf3 cxd5 11. cxd5 b6!? A good novelty by Firouzja instead of 11. ... Nc5 which after 12. Bxc5 bxc5 13. e5 Nd7 14. Qc2 Qa5 15. Nd2 Nb6 16. a3 Nd7 17. 0-0-0 left White with a powerful Kingside initiative, Jones – Pavlidis, 21st European Team Chess Championship, Hersonissos 2017. 12. Nd4 Nc5 13. Qf3 Bb7 14. g5 Nfxe4!? Crazy complications arise after Firouzja’s bold Knight sacrifice. 15. Nxe4 Bxd5 16. Nf6+ exf6 17. Qxd5 Re8 18. Nc2 fxg5 19. 0-0-0 gxf4. Black secures a fourth Pawn for the Knight, as now 20. Bxf4?? Qf6−+ is obviously unplayable. 20. Bd4 Bxd4 21. Qxd4 Ne6 22. Qd2. With 22. Qxd6 Qf6 White wins back a Pawn, but gives Black a little too much compensation. 22. ... Qf6 23. Kb1 Rac8 24. Bb5 Red8 25. Nb4 d5! 26. Rhf1 (26. Nxd5?? Qf5+ 27. Ka1 Rxd5 28. Qxd5 Rc1+−+) 26. ... Rc5 27. a4 d4 28. Nd3 Rf5 29. Rf3 g5

30. Rg1!↑ Kf8? It’s really bad timing for His Majesty. Here both 30. ... h5!? (Δ ... h5-h4) and 30. ... Kh8! would have been rather more recommendable. 31. h4. Now Caruana’s attack spreads its wings. 31. ... h6 32. hxg5 hxg5 33. Rh3 f3 34. Bc4 Ke7 35. Bxe6 Kxe6 36. Qh2! (Δ Rh3-h6) 36. ... f2 37. Rf1 Kd7 38. Rh6 Qe7 39. Rxf2 Rxf2 40. Qxf2 Kc8 41. a5! bxa5. Now Caruana goes for mate: 42. Qc2+ Kb8 43. Nc5 Rd6 44. Rh8+ Rd8 45. Qb3+ Kc7 46. Qb7+ Kd6 47. Rh6+ f6 48. Ne4+ 1 : 0.

Not too soon to tell who’s won and who’s lost today, but it’s not yet time to “guess” who will win in Wijk aan Zee! Photo: Alina l’Ami/Tata Steel Chess.