Glaciology

Fabiano Caruana – Jan-Krzystof Duda
8th Altibox Norway Chess; Stavanger, October 6, 2020
Slav Defence D10

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5 4. Bf4 Nc6 5. e3 Nf6 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. Nc3 a6 8. Bd3 Bg4 9. Nge2 e6 10. 0-0 Bxe2 11. Qxe2 Be7 12. a3 0-0 13. Na4 h6!? 13. ... Nd7 14. Rac1⩲ transposes into the games Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn – Grachev, 2nd World Rapid Chess Championship, Khanty-Mansiysk 2013 and Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn – Al-Sayed, 11th Asian Chess Championship, Manila 2013. 14. Bg3 Nd7 15. h3 Qa5 16. Qd1 Rfc8 17. b4 Qd8 18. Rb1 Ra7. Here 18. ... b5 19. Nc5 Nb6 was worth considering, and if 20. Bc2 then 20. ... Qe8, so as to answer 21. Qd3 by 21. ... g6 with a tenable game. 19. Nc5 Ncb8 20. Qe2 a5 21. Rfc1 axb4 22. axb4 Nf6 23. b5

23. ... b6? This very grave mistake gives White absolute domination of the board. 23. ... Nbd7! was mandatory as well as perfectly playable. 24. Na6! Rxc1+. Now 24. ... Nbd7 is met instead by 25. Rc6! with painful consequences for Black. 25. Rxc1 Nbd7 26. Rc6 Qf8 27. Qc2 Ra8 28. Rc7 Bd6 29. Bxd6 Qxd6 30. Qc6 Qf8

31. Rxd7. Finally, White measures his own advantage simply by quantity. What follows is an almost mechanical display of technique by Caruana. 31. ... Nxd7 32. Qxd7 Rc8 33. g3 Rc3 34. Bf1 Qc8 35. Qxc8+ Rxc8 36. h4 g5 37. Nb4 Kf8 38. Nc6 Ra8 39. Be2 Ra2 40. Kf1 Ra1+ 41. Kg2 Ra2 42. Bd3 Rd2 43. Bf1 f6 44. hxg5 hxg5 45. g4 Ke8 46. Kg3 Rd1 47. Be2 Rg1+ 48. Kh2 Re1 49. Bd3 Rd1 50. Nb4 Kd7 51. Kg2 Ra1 52. f4 Ra3 53. fxg5 fxg5 54. Nc6 Kd6 55. Ne5 Ke7 56. Kf3 Ra2 57. e4 Ra1 58. Ke3 Re1+ 59. Be2 Rg1 60. Kf2 Ra1 61. Nf3 Kf6 62. Ke3 Ra8 63. Bd3 Rg8 64. Bb1 Ke7 65. Ne5 Ra8 66. Bd3 Rc8 67. Nc6+ Kd6 68. Ne5 Rf8 69. exd5 exd5 70. Bf5 Re8 71. Kd3 Re7 72. Bg6 Ra7 73. Ke3 Ke6 74. Bf5+ Kd6 75. Kd2 Ra2+ 76. Kc3 Ra3+ 77. Kb4 Ra7 78. Bc2 Ke6 79. Nc6 Ra2 80. Kb3 Ra1 81. Kc3 Rc1 82. Ne5 Rg1 83. Bf5+ Ke7 84. Nd7 Rc1+ 85. Kb3 Rc4 86. Nxb6 Rxd4 87. Kc3 Rd1 88. Nc8+ Kd8 89. b6 d4+ 90. Kc2 Re1 91. Nd6 Re3 92. Nf7+ Ke7 93. b7 d3+ 94. Kd1 1 : 0.

Duda got entangled into Caruana’s deceptively unambitious opening. Photo © Lennart Ootes.