Mirror Mirrored

Magnus Carlsen – Jan-Krzystof Duda
8th Altibox Norway Chess; Stavanger, October 11, 2020
Semi-Slav Defence D31

Referentially speaking, revenge should be a dish best served cold, but Carlsen has no time to wait, as the double round-robin schedule features today a “mirroring” of yesterday’s pairings: just the same foreground but with reversed colours. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. b3 b6 6. Bb2 Bb7 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. Nge2 Bd6 9. 0-0 0-0 10. Ng3 c5 11. cxd5 cxd4 12. Nce4 Bxg3 13. Nxg3 dxe3 14. dxe6 exf2+ 15. Rxf2 fxe6 16. Qe2 Nc5!? This is a providential improvement on 16. ... Rf7? 17. Qxe6 Bd5 18. Qf5 Qe7 19. Qg5 h6 20. Qh4 Ne8 21. Qxe7 Rxe7 22. Nf5 Rf7 23. Re1 Nc5 24. Bc2 Kf8 25. Ne7 Rxf2 26. Ng6+ Kg8 27. Kxf2 Bf7 28. Re7 Rd8 29. Ke3 a5 30. Ra7 Nf6 31. Ne7+ Kf8 32. Ng6+ Kg8 33. Ne7+ Kf8 34. Nf5 Re8+ 35. Kd2 Rd8+ 36. Kc1 Ne8 37. Ba3 Nf6 38. Rb7 Kg8 39. Rxb6 Nd3+ 40. Kb1 Ne1 41. Nxh6+ gxh6 42. Rxf6 Rd2 43. Bg6 Bd5 44. Rd6 Nxg2 45. Kc1 1 : 0 Pashikian – Matlakov, 17th European Individual Chess Championship, Gjakova 2016. 17. Bc2 Ba6 18. Qe1

18. ... Qe8? It’s likely that after this plausible mistake Black’s game may no longer be saved. Best seems 18. ... Nd5 in order to answer 19. Rxf8+ Qxf8 20. b4 by 20. ... Nd3 21. Qxe6+ Qf7 with an apparently tenable position. Now White mounts an irresistible attack on Black’s King: 19. Rd1! Rc8 20. b4! Nb7 21. Ne4 Nd5 22. Rxf8+. 22. Ng5+− was also very strong, but Carlsen wants to retain both his Bishops on the board. 22. ... Qxf8 23. Bb1 Qxb4 (23. ... h6 24. Ng3+−)

24. Nf6+! Kh8 25. Qxe6 Ra8. It is as good a way as another to resign a lost game. If, instead, 25. ... Ne7 then 26. Ne8! winning in all variations. 26. Qxd5 1 : 0.

“Frankly speaking, today I couldn’t content myself with nothing less than a win”, Carlsen finally told TV2. Photo © Lennart Ootes.