Hidden Hitchcock

Magnus Carlsen – Daniil Dmitrievich Dubov

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 3rd stage; Opera Euro Rapid; Quarterfinal match game 6; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, February 10, 2021

Two Knights Defence C55

Although Carlsen did go through to the semifinals, his win over Dubov was not easy at all, and it took him till the Armageddon to shake his opponent off. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 h6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. 0-0 Bxc3 7. bxc3 0-0 8. Bb3 d6 9. Nd2 d5!?TN (9. ... Be6 10. Nc4 a5 11. Ne3 d5 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. Bxd5 Bxd5 14. f4 exf4 15. Rxf4 Be6 16. Ba3 Re8 17. Qf3 Ne7 18. Rd4 ½ : ½ Zvjaginsev – Grischuk, 4th World Rapid Chess Championship, Berlin 2015) 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Ne4 Na5 12. Bxd5 Qxd5

13. Bxh6! f5! 14. c4! Qc6 15. Bd2 fxe4 16. Bxa5 Qg6!? Whatever it takes to win! Dubov hopes to scare his “king-employer” with the double threat of ... Bc8-g4 and ... Bc8-h3. 17. Qe2. Of course 17. f3 at once was also perfectly playable. 17. ... Rf4. With redundant reiteration.

18. Bd2? Seemingly oblivious to the manifest danger, Carlsen leaves his opponent with a free hand to do what he wants. White again ought to play 18. f3, after which the following variation is very likely, if not forced: 18. ... exf3 19. Rxf3 Bg4 20. Rg3 Bxe2 21. Rxg6 Raf8 22. h3 Rf1+ 23. Rxf1 Rxf1+ 24. Kh2 Kf7 25. Rg3 Ra1 26. Bxc7 Rxa2 27. Bxe5 g6 28. c5 Rxc2 29. d4 b6 30. cxb6 axb6 31. d5 Rd2 32. d6 Rd3 with a draw. 18. ... Bg4! 19. f3 Bxf3! 20. Qf2 Rg4 21. g3 Rf8 22. Rae1 Rf6 23. dxe4 (23. Re3 Bh1!!−+) 23. ... Qh5! 24. Re3 Bxe4 25. Qe2? 25. Qe1 Bxc2 is very bad too, leaving White a Pawn down and much the worse game, but at least it would have avoided immediate disaster.

25. ... Rxg3+! 0 : 1. White must surrender either the King or the Queen.