Living in the Arctic

Aryan Tari – Fabiano Caruana
8th Altibox Norway Chess; Stavanger, October 5, 2020
Sicilian Defence B47

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. g3 a6 7. Bg2 Nf6 8. 0-0 Nxd4 9. Qxd4 Bc5 10. Bf4 d6 11. Qd2 h6 12. Rad1 e5 13. Be3 Bxe3!? Caruana goes for an unclear Pawn sacrifice rather than challenging his greatest predecessor with 13. ... Bg4 14. Bxc5 dxc5 15. f3 Be6 16. f4 Rd8 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. exd5 e4 19. Rfe1 Rxd5 20. Rxe4+ Kd8 21. Qe2 Rxd1+ 22. Qxd1+ Qd7 23. Qxd7+ Kxd7 24. Re5⩲ R. J. Fischer – Taimanov, Vancouver 1971, Candidates Quarterfinal match game 4. On the other hand, the sacrificial idea is not new at all — as Caruana claimed afterwards — it having been originally introduced by Croatian Grandmaster Mato Damjanović fifty years ago! 14. fxe3 Be6 15. Qxd6 Rc8!? A novelty and also an improvement on 15. ... Qxd6 16. Rxd6 Ke7 17. Rb6 Rab8 18. Nd5+ Bxd5 19. exd5 Rhd8 20. c4 Rd6 21. Rb3± which left Black with no compensation for the Pawn in Szmetan – M. Damjanović, 3rd Open Chess Tournament, Mar del Plata 1970. 16. a4 h5 17. h3 Qxd6 18. Rxd6 Nd7

19. h4 Ke7 20. Rd2 Nb6 21. Nd5+ Bxd5 22. exd5 Nc4 23. Re2 Nd6 24. e4 a5 25. Ra1 Rc4 26. c3 f6 27. Re3 Rhc8 28. Kf2 g5 29. Bf3 g4 30. Bg2 R4c5 31. Bf1 f5! 32. exf5 Rxd5 33. Rd3. Black has more than enough for the Pawn. Now the game might have continued 33. Rae1 Kf6= with equality. 33. ... Rcc5 34. Rad1 Rxd3 35. Bxd3 e4 36. Be2? 36. Bb1 Rxf5+ 37. Kg2 b5 seems to keep things much more balanced, if a little easier for Black. Now instead Caruana gets optimal coordination of Knight and Rook: 36. ... Nxf5 37. Bb5

37. ... Nd6! 37. ... e3+? 38. Ke2 Nxg3+ 39. Kxe3 Nf5+ 40. Kf4 Nxh4 41. Rd7+ Ke6 42. Rxb7 would lead to an uncertain but quite drawish ending. 38. Be2 Ke6! 39. Rc1. Now the endgame is quite hopeless for White, whatever he does: if, for instance, 39. Rd4 there may follow 39. ... e3+! 40. Ke1 Nf5 forcing matters. 39. ... Ke5 40. Rd1 Rc7 41. Kg2 b6 42. Ba6 Rf7 43. Be2 Rf8 44. Rb1 Nf5 45. b4 Ne3+ 46. Kg1 Nd5 47. Rb3 Rc8 48. bxa5 bxa5 49. c4 Nb4 50. Rb1 Kd4 51. Bf1 Nd3 52. Rb5 Rc5 53. Bxd3 exd3 54. Kf2 Kxc4 55. Rb1 Re5 0 : 1.

Being flesh and blood, Caruana got the chance to be shooted by a professional photographer. Photo © Lennart Ootes.