Make a Way Somehow

Anish Giri – Fabiano Caruana
Candidates Tournament 2020; Yekaterinburg, March 22, 2020
Slav Defence D12

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3 Bg6 8. Bd2 Be7 9. Nxg6 hxg6 10. Qc2 Nbd7 11. 0-0-0 Nb6!? Caruana admitted later he was just improvising, not remembering how to deal with Giri’s unusual 10th move. His novelty, however, fails to show any improvement over 11. ... Qc7 12. h4 dxc4 13. Bxc4 b5 14. Bd3 a6 15. Ne4 Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Rc8 17. Kb1 Nf6 18. Rc1 Nxe4 19. Qxe4 Qd7 20. Be1 f5 21. Qc2 c5 22. Bb4 c4 23. Bxe7 Qxe7 24. Qf2 Kf7 25. g4 b4 26. h5 gxh5 27. gxh5 c3 28. Qg3 Rh6 29. Qe5 Kg8 30. Rh2 Kh7 31. Rg2 Qc7 32. Qxc7 Rxc7 33. Rg5 g6 34. Rxg6 Rxg6 35. hxg6+ Kxg6 36. bxc3 bxc3 37. Kc2 f4 38. e4 Rc4 39. Rd1 Kf7 40. d5 Ra4 41. Kb3 c2 42. Rc1 Rd4 43. Kc3 Ra4 44. Kb3 Rd4 45. dxe6+ Kxe6 46. Kxc2 Rc4+ 47. Kb2 Rb4+ 48. Kc3 a5 49. Kd3 Ra4 50. Rc2 Ra3+ 51. Ke2 a4 52. Kf2 Rd3 53. Kg2 a3 54. Rc5 Re3 55. Rf5 Re2+ 56. Kh3 Rxa2 57. Kg4 Ra1 58. Kxf4 a2 59. Ra5 Kf7 60. Ra7+ Kf6 61. Ra6+ Kf7 62. e5 Ke7 63. Kf5 Rf1 64. Ra7+ Kf8 65. Rxa2 Rxf3+ 66. Ke6 Re3 67. Ra8+ ½ : ½ Lupulescu – 卜祥志 (Bǔ Xiángzhì), 1st FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2019, Santon 2019. 12. c5 Nbd7 13. Kb1 Qb8 14. h4 g5 15. Be1 g4 (15. ... gxh4 16. Rh3±) 16. e4 gxf3 17. gxf3 b6 18. exd5 exd5 19. cxb6 axb6 20. Ne2 Qa7 21. b3 Nh5 22. Ng3 g6 23. Nxh5 Rxh5 24. f4 Kf8 25. Be2 Rh8 26. Bd3. The direct 26. f5 (26. ... g5 27. Bg3) was very strong, but there’s nothing wrong with the text, either. 26. ... c5 27. Bc3

27. ... cxd4? 27. ... c4!? 28. bxc4 Nf6 29. f5 dxc4 30. Bxc4 Rc8 is really on the edge of what can go very wrong, but it was probably the best course for Black to pursue. 28. Bxd4 Bf6 29. Bxf6 (29. Bb5+−) 29. ... Nxf6 30. f5 gxf5 31. Bxf5 b5 32. Rh2 (32. Qb2 Rh5 33. Rdf1+−) 32. ... Rh5 33. Re2?! 33. Rf2 followed by the doubling of the Rooks on the f-file was easy, simple, natural, and nearly winning. 33. ... d4 34. Re5?! 34. Be4 Re8 35. Bd3 was White’s last (and best) try for a substantial advantage.

34. ... Ng4!= 35. Rc5 Ne3 36. Rc8+ Rxc8 37. Qxc8+ Ke7 38. Rc1 Nd5 39. Re1+ Ne3 40. Rc1 Nd5 41. Re1+ Ne3 42. Rc1 ½ : ½.

“Anish surprised me in the opening with 10. Qc2, and I just couldn’t remember how to cope in the best way with it. Obviously, I was quite unsuccessful. Fortunately, I managed to escape the worst”, Caruana eventually said. Photo © Lennart Ootes.