Above and Below

Magnus Carlsen – Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 3rd stage; Opera Euro Rapid; Quarterfinal match game 1; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, February 9, 2021

Two Knights Defence C55

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. 0-0 d6 6. c3 0-0 7. Re1 h6 8. Nbd2 Be6 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10. Nf1 a5!?TN (10. ... Nh5 11. d4 exd4 12. cxd4 d5 13. exd5 Qxd5 14. Ne3 Qd7 15. Nc4 Bb4 16. Nce5 Nxe5 17. Rxe5 Qf7 18. Qb3 Bd6 19. Rxe6 a5 20. Bd2 a4 21. Qc4 Rae8 22. Rae1 b5 23. Qd5 Nf6 24. Qf5 Rxe6 25. Rxe6 Qd7 26. Be3 Nd5 27. Qg6 Qf7 28. Qe4 Qf5 29. Qxf5 Rxf5 30. Re8+ Kf7 31. Rb8 Nb4 32. Kf1 Rd5 33. Ke2 Nxa2 34. Kd3 Nb4+ 35. Ke4 c6 36. Rb7+ Kf6 37. g4 g5 38. h4 gxh4 39. Bxh6 h3 40. Bd2 Nc2 41. g5+ Ke6 42. g6 Bb4 43. Bg5 Bf8 44. g7 Bxg7 45. Re7+ Kd6 46. Rxg7 b4 47. Bf4+ Ke6 48. Be5 1 : 0 Bernášek – Cvek, 28th Czech Team Chess Championship — Extraliga, Brno 2020) 11. Ng3 a4 12. Bd2 d5 13. b4 axb3 14. axb3 Rxa1 15. Qxa1 d4 16. Qb1 dxc3 17. Bxc3 Bc5 18. b4 (18. Nxe5?? Nxe5 20. Bxe5 Ng4−+) 18. ... Bb6 19. b5 Nd4 20. Bxd4 Bxd4 21. Qb3 Qd7 22. Nf5

22. ... Ng4? Black’s Knight takes a bad jump crash. Instead, it had to head for the f4-square with 22. ... Nh5! seeking counterplay against the White King. 23. N5xd4 exd4 24. e5. Threatening to trap the Knight with h2-h3. 24. ... h5 25. Qc4

25. ... Rxf3!? Given the circumstances, that is, if nothing else, tricky. 26. gxf3 Nh6 27. Rc1 Nf5 28. Qxc7 Qd5 29. Qc2 Nh4 30. Qe2 Nxf3+ 31. Kh1 Nxe5+ 32. f3

32. ... Qxb5? That is tantamount to resignation, but it’s very doubtful — not to say impossible — whether 32. ... Nxf3 33. Qe4 Qxe4 34. dxe4 g5 35. Kg2 g4 36. Rc7 b6 37. Rc6 might have saved Black. 33. Re1 Nxd3 34. Rd1 1 : 0.