An Ocean Between

Wesley So – Magnus Carlsen

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Final match game 5; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 30, 2020

Caro-Kann Defence B12

What is Carlsen doing with So on his thirtieth birthday, playing chess from two separate continents with an ocean between them? 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nd2 e6 5. Nb3 Nd7 6. Nf3 h6 7. Be2 a5 8. a4 Bb4+!? A provocative novelty instead of 8. ... Ne7 which would evoke, by transposition, ties to well-known acquaintances: (a) 9. 0-0 g5 10. Bd2 Qc7 11. Rc1 Bg7 12. c4 0-0 13. h4 g4 14. Ne1 f6 15. exf6 Nxf6 16. g3 dxc4 17. Bxc4 Ned5 18. Qe2 Ne4 19. Ng2 Nxd2 20. Qxd2 Qf7 21. Rfe1 b6 22. Re2 Rad8 23. Rce1 Kh8 24. Ne3 Rd6 25. Nxf5 Qxf5 26. Bd3 Qf7 27. Bb1 Nb4 28. Qe3 Qf3 29. Qxf3 Rxf3 30. Nd2 Rf8 31. Rxe6 Rxd4 32. Ne4 Rfd8 33. Kg2 Kg8 34. Nf6+ Bxf6 35. Rxf6 R4d6 36. Ree6 Rxe6 37. Rxe6 h5 38. Bg6 Rd5 39. b3 Kg7 40. Be4 Rc5 41. Rg6+ Kf7 42. Rh6 Kg7 43. Rh7+ Kf6 44. f4 gxf3+ 45. Bxf3 Kg6 46. Rh8 Rc2+ 47. Kh3 Rc5 48. Be4+ Kg7 49. Rh7+ Kf6 50. Rh6+ Kg7 51. Rg6+ Kf7 52. Rg5 Rxg5 53. hxg5 b5 54. Kh4 bxa4 55. bxa4 c5 56. Kxh5 c4?? (56. ... Kg7) 57. Kh6 Kg8 58. Bh7+ 1 : 0 So – Artemiev, 4th Speed Chess Championship, chess.com, December 5, 2019, Semifinal match game 10 (time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move); (b) 9. Bd2 Bh7 10. 0-0 Ng6 11. Qe1 b6 12. c4 Be7 13. Rc1 dxc4 14. Bxc4 Rc8 15. Ba6 Rc7 16. Nxa5 Qa8 17. Rxc6 Rxc6 18. Bb7 Qa7 19. Bxc6 bxa5 20. d5 0-0 21. d6 Bd8 22. Qe2 Bb6 23. Qb5 Rd8 24. Bxd7 Rxd7 25. Qc6 Nf8 26. Qc8 Rd8 27. Qc6 Nd7 28. h3 Bd3 29. Rc1 Ba6 30. Qc2 Bxf2+ 31. Kh2 Bb6 32. Bc3 Rc8 33. Qd2 Be3 34. Bd4 Qxd4 35. Rxc8+ Bxc8 36. Qxd4 Bxd4 37. Nxd4 Nxe5 38. Nb3 Nc4 39. Kg3 Kf8 40. Kf4 Ke8 41. Ke4 Nxd6+ 0 : 1 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Fedoseev, 6th China–Russia Junior Match of Friendship, 济南 (Jǐnán) 2019, match game 12 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move). 9. c3 Bf8 10. 0-0 Ne7 11. h3 Bh7 12. Bd2 Qb6 13. Ne1 Nf5 14. Bd3 Be7 15. Qc2 Bg6 16. c4?! Maybe — who knows? — So is oblivious to the danger hanging over his Pawn centre, but fortunately for him, that still does not prejudice the possibility of making virtue out of necessity. 16. ... dxc4 17. Qxc4 Nxd4! 18. Qxd4 (18. Nxd4?? Nxe5−+) 18. ... Qxb3 19. Bxg6 fxg6 20. Qe4 0-0 21. Bxh6! Rf5! (21. ... gxh6?? 22. Qxg6+ Kh8 23. Qxh6+ Kh8 24. Qg6+ Kh8 25. f4+− Δ Rf1-f3) 22. Be3 Qd5 23. Qxd5?! So clings on to material equality, but he should have done better to give up a Pawn by 23. Qc2! as after 23. ... Nxe5 (id est 23. ... Qxe5) 24. Rd1 White may still reasonably hope for a compensation. 23. ... exd5 24. f4 g5 25. e6 Nc5 26. g4? No doubt 26. fxg5 Re5 27. Rf7 Bd6 goes easier for Black, but the text allows Carlsen to save the day by a brilliant sacrifice of the Exchange:

26. ... gxf4! 27. gxf5 fxe3 28. Rf4 Bf6 29. Nc2 e2 30. Rf2? This last great error is met by a strong refutation. 30. Rg4 Nb3 31. Ra3 Nd4 32. Ne1 Kf8∓/−+ was apparently the “less worst”.

30. ... d4!−+ 31. Rxe2 d3 32. Rd2 dxc2 33. Rxc2 Rd8 34. Re1 Nxa4 35. Ra1 Nxb2 36. Rxa5 Nd3 37. Kh2 Nb4 38. Rc1 Nd5 39. Ra7 Rb8 40. Kg3 Ne7 41. Kg4 b5 42. Rd1 b4 43. Rad7 b3 44. Rd8+ Rxd8 45. Rxd8+ Kh7 46. Rb8 b2 47. Kf4 Nd5+ 0 : 1.