Fabiano Caruana – Magnus Carlsen
8th Altibox Norway Chess; Stavanger, October 12, 2020
8th Altibox Norway Chess; Stavanger, October 12, 2020
Sicilian Defence B31
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. 0-0 Bg7 5. c3 e5 6. d4 cxd4 7. cxd4 exd4 8. Bf4 a6 9. Ba4 Nge7 10. Bd6 b5 11. Bb3 Bb7 12. Re1 Nc8 13. e5 Nxd6 14. exd6+ Kf8 15. h4!?↑TN (15. Nbd2 f5 ½ : ½ Paszek – Jankowiak, 76th Polish Team Chess Championship 2nd League-2, Poronin 2020) 15. ... Bf6 16. Nbd2 Kg7 17. Bd5 Na5. Of course, 17. ... Bxh4 18. Ne4 would leave White with gratifying compensation. 18. Bxb7 Nxb7 19. Ne4 Re8
20. h5! Rc8 21. Rc1 Rxc1 22. Qxc1 h6 (22. ... gxh5? 23. Qd2±) 23. hxg6 fxg6 24. Qd2 d3! 25. b4 Re6 26. Qxd3 Qb6 27. Rd1 Qc6 28. Nxf6 Rxf6 29. Ne5 Qc8 (29. ... Qxd6?? 30. Qe2+−)
30. Qd5 Re6. Black succeeds in defending the King’s Palace by a hair’s breadth. Of course, the Pawn was taboo: 30. ... Rxd6?? 31. Qf7+ Kh8 32. Rxd6 and the knight cannot retake due to mate on g6. 31. Ng4 Kh7 32. Qd4 Qf8 33. Qa7 Rxd6 34. Re1 Nd8 35. Ne5 Qe7 36. Nf3 Re6 37. Rd1 Rd6 38. Re1 Re6 39. Rd1 Rd6 ½ : ½. “With a bit of luck I managed to hold everything together”, Carlsen eventually told TV2.
Of course in such times of banned touching, Carlsen’s Namaste is worth a handshake. Photo © Lennart Ootes. |
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