One Saturday Afternoon

Fabiano Caruana – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
83rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament; Wijk aan Zee, January 23, 2021
Sicilian Defence B97

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. Be2 Nc6 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. e5 Nd5. Much worse is 12. ... dxe5? 13. fxe5 Nd5 14. Rb3 Qa5 15. 0-0 Bb4 16. Rxb4! Qc5+ (neither 16. ... Nxb4 17. Ne4 0-0 18. Bf6! h6 19. Rf3+− nor 16. ... Qxb4 17. Nxd5!+− would be of any benefit) 17. Rd4 Qxc3 18. Qxc3! 1 : 0 Pellant – Wong, 84th U.S. Open, Pasadena 1983. 13. Nxd5 exd5? Quite strangely, just two days after the débâcle suffered against Nils Grandelius, Vachier-Lagrave falls into another theoretical black hole. 13. ... cxd5! was called for, with a complex game.

14. e6! f6. Very probably Black’s position is hopeless already. For instance, both 14. ... Bxe6 15. 0-0 and 14. ... fxe6 15. f5! e5 16. 0-0 (Δ f5-f6) would leave White with a crushing attack. 15. Bh5+ Kd8 16. Bh4 d4

17. Bf2. Despite being a Pawn down, Caruana goes for simplification, assessing it as the simplest way to win. 17. Rb3 Qc5 18. Bf7+− was the alternative, and apparently the only one to avoid the exchange of Queens. 17. ... Qc3 18. f5 Qxd2+ 19. Kxd2 c5 20. Bf3 Ra7 21. g4 (21. Rb8+−) 21. ... g6. 21. ... Kc7 may be a little more rocky — but not that much: 22. Kd3 a5 23. Bd5 with a dominating position for White. 22. Bh4 Be7 23. Rb6. Black is paralysed, helpless and absolutely hopeless.

23. ... h5 24. h3 Ke8 25. Bg3 Rc7 26. Kd3 hxg4 27. hxg4 Rxh1 28. Bxh1 gxf5 29. gxf5 Bf8 30. Kc4 Rh7 31. Be4 Be7 32. Bxd6 Bxd6 33. Rxd6 Bb7 34. Bxb7 Rxb7 35. Rxa6 Rb2 36. Kxc5 Rxc2+ 37. Kxd4 1 : 0.

It would seem that Caruana is determined to repeat last year’s experience in Wijk aan Zee. Photo © Jurriaan Hoefsmit/Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021.