A Matter of Timing

Magnus Carlsen – Alireza Firouzja
83rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 16, 2021
Queen’s Gambit Declined D51

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 Be7 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. e4 Nxc3 10. bxc3 0-0 11. Bd3 c5 12. 0-0 cxd4 13. cxd4 b6 14. a4!? A novelty in place of 14. Rc1 Nf6 15. Qe2 Bb7 16. Rfd1 Rac8 which gave Black quite a comfortable game in Obolentseva – Girya, 9th Blondes vs. Brunettes, Moscow 2019 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move). 14. ... Bb7 15. a5 bxa5 16. Rxa5 Nf6 17. Re1 Rfd8 18. Qa1 Qc7 19. h3 a6 20. Rc5 Qf4 21. Re5. 21. Ne5 Nxe4 22. Bxe4 Bxe4 23. g3 Qf5 24. Nxf7 Qf3 25. Rxe4 Qxe4 26. Nxd8 Rxd8 leads to a drawn endgame. 21. ... Nd7 22. Ra5 Nf6

23. d5! Carlsen refuses to repeat moves and shocks his opponent with a thematic Pawn sacrifice. 23. ... exd5 24. e5 Ne4 25. Qd4 Rdc8 26. Raa1 a5 27. Rab1 Bc6

28. e6! The second Pawn sacrifice comes as a bombshell. 28. ... fxe6 29. Ne5 Qf6 30. f3 Ng5 31. Rb6 Be8 32. Qe3 a4 33. Ng4 Qd8. Firouzja defended cooly, eventually giving back his two extra Pawns in order to secure the gain of the Exchange. 34. Rxe6 Nxe6 35. Qxe6+ Bf7? And finally, Firouzja’s nerves crack. Black ought to play 35. ... Kh8! after which there would equally follow 36. Nxh6! Bh5! 37. Ng4! with full compensation for the Exchange and at least equal chances.

36. Nxh6+! gxh6 37. Qxh6 Qc7 38. Qh7+ Kf8 39. Qh8+ Bg8 40. Qh6+ 1 : 0. For if 40. ... Qg7 then 41. Qd6+ followed by mate, whilst if 40. ... Kf7 then 41. Bg6+ Kf6 42. Bh5+ Kf5 43. g4#.

“It was only a matter of timing, I guess. It was a typical first round game: I just thought too much and aimed at too much. Fortunately, he got terribly nervous, and that saved me”, Carlsen eventually told TV2. Photo © Jurriaan Hoefsmit/Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021.