On the Line

David Antón Guijarro – Magnus Carlsen

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Prelims Tournament; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 22, 2020

Semi-Slav Defence D45

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Be2 Bd6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Qc2 b6 9. e4 Nxe4 10. Nxe4 dxe4 11. Qxe4 Bb7 12. Rd1 Qc7 13. c5 bxc5 14. dxc5 Nxc5!?TN (14. ... Bxc5 15. Bf4 Nf6 16. Qxh7+ Kxh7 17. Bxc7 Kg8 18. Nd2 Bb6 19. Be5 Rfd8 20. Bf3 Ba6 21. Rac1 Rac8 22. b3 Bd4= Lékó – Artemiev, 2nd Nutcracker Match of the Generations, Moscow 2015, match game 2) 15. Qc2 Rad8 16. Bg5 Be7 17. Rxd8 Rxd8 18. Rc1 Rd5. Black has already got a very comfortable equality, and it’s astonishing how quickly he breaks the ice and goes in. 19. Be3?! 19. b4 is the move suggested by the engines, forcing conspicuous simplification with “approximate” equality. 19. ... Nd7 20. Nd4 Bc5. Change of the guard. 21. Nb5? A tactical mirage which loses a clear piece. 21. Qc3 Qb6 was anything but pleasant, but it was not so bad as the text. 21. ... cxb5 22. b4

22. ... Qc6! This is the move Antón Guijarro probably overlooked. Now White can’t play 23. bxc5?? because of 23. ... Rd1+ followed by mate on g2. 23. Bf3 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Qb6 25. Bxd5 Qxe3+ 26. Kh1 Bxd5 0 : 1.