A Day at a Time

Wesley So – Alireza Firouzja

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 4th stage; Magnus Carlsen Invitational 2021; Quarterfinal match game 6; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, March 17, 2021

Caro-Kann Defence B12

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Ne7 6. 0-0 h6 7. Nbd2 Nd7 8. Nb3 g5 9. Bd2 a5 10. a4 Qc7 11. c3. In a relatively recent game, So preferred 11. Rc1 Bg7 12. c4 0-0 13. h4 g4 14. Ne1 f6 15. exf6 Nxf6 16. g3 dxc4 17. Bxc4 Ned5 18. Qe2 Ne4 19. Ng2 Nxd2 20. Qxd2 Qf7 21. Rfe1 b6 22. Re2 Rad8 23. Rce1 Kh8 24. Ne3 Rd6 25. Nxf5 Qxf5 26. Bd3 Qf7 27. Bb1 Nb4 28. Qe3 Qf3 29. Qxf3 Rxf3 30. Nd2 Rf8 31. Rxe6 Rxd4 32. Ne4 Rfd8 33. Kg2 Kg8 34. Nf6+ Bxf6 35. Rxf6 R4d6 36. Ree6 Rxe6 37. Rxe6 h5 38. Bg6 Rd5 39. b3 Kg7 40. Be4 Rc5 41. Rg6+ Kf7 42. Rh6 Kg7 43. Rh7+ Kf6 44. f4 gxf3+ 45. Bxf3 Kg6 46. Rh8 Rc2+ 47. Kh3 Rc5 48. Be4+ Kg7 49. Rh7+ Kf6 50. Rh6+ Kg7 51. Rg6+ Kf7 52. Rg5 Rxg5 53. hxg5 b5 54. Kh4 bxa4 55. bxa4 c5 56. Kxh5 c4?? (56. ... Kg7) 57. Kh6 Kg8 58. Bh7+ 1 : 0 So – Artemiev, 4th Speed Chess Championship, chess.com, December 5, 2019, Semifinal match game 10 (time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move). 11. ... f6?! An impromptu novelty which can be hardly regarded as an improvement on 11. ... Bg7 12. Ne1 c5 13. Bb5 Nc6 14. f4 c4 15. Nc1 0-0-0 16. b3 Nb6 17. fxg5 hxg5 18. Bxg5 f6 19. Bf4 fxe5 20. Bg3 Rdg8 21. Bxc6 Qxc6 22. dxe5 Bh6 23. Bf4 Nd7 24. Qd4 Be4 25. Bxh6 Rxh6 26. Ra2 Qc7 27. Raf2 Qxe5 28. Qxe5 Nxe5 29. bxc4 Nxc4 30. Ned3 Rhh8 31. Nc5 Bxg2 32. Rxg2 Rxg2+ 33. Kxg2 Ne3+ 34. Kf2 Nxf1 35. Kxf1 Rxh2 36. Ne2 e5 37. Nd3 Rh5 38. Ng3 Rg5 39. Kf2 Kc7 40. Nf1 Kd6 41. Ne3 Rg8 42. Ke2 Rh8 43. Nf2 Rc8 44. Kd2 e4 45. Nf5+ Ke5 46. Ne3 Rd8 47. Nc2 Rg8 48. Ne3 Rg1 49. Nfg4+ Ke6 50. Kc2 Re1 51. Kb3 Re2 52. Nc2 Rd2 53. Nd4+ Kd6 54. Nc2 Kc5 55. Nd4 Rxd4 56. cxd4+ Kxd4 57. Kc2 e3 58. Kd1 Kd3 59. Ne5+ Kc3 60. Ke2 Kb3 61. Kxe3 Kxa4 62. Kd4 Kb3 63. Kxd5 a4 64. Kc5 b6+ 65. Kb5 a3 66. Nd3 Kc2 67. Nb4+ Kb3 68. Nd3 Kc2 69. Nb4+ Kc3 70. Na2+ Kb2 71. Nb4 a2 72. Nxa2 Kxa2 73. Kxb6 ½ : ½ Najer – Lobanov, 25th Russian Team Chess Championship, Sochi 2018. 12. exf6 Ng6. Only consistent. If 12. ... Nxf6 then 13. Ne5 with great advantage to White. 13. c4 Bd6 14. cxd5 exd5

15. Bd3! White sacrifices the Bishop for two Pawns and a strong attack. 15. ... Bxd3 16. Bxa5 Rxa5 17. Qxd3 Kf7. After 17. ... Nf4 18. Rfe1+ Kf7 19. Qf5 White’s attack continues. 18. Nxa5 Qxa5? An automatic answer that loses the game. Black had to play 18. ... g4! 19. Ne5+ Ndxe5 20. dxe5 Bxe5 21. Nb3 Bxh2+ 22. Kh1 Qe5 (Δ ... Qe5-h5) 23. Nd4 Qh5 25. Qf5 Qxf5 25. Nxf5 Be5 26. Ra2 h5! with good chances for compensation. 19. Qf5 Qd8 20. Rae1. White’s massive centralisation looks quite Morphy-like. 20. ... Ngf8. After 20. ... Ndf8 the same move follows as in the game.

21. Re7+! Bxe7 22. fxe7+ Kxe7 23. Re1+ Kd6 24. Ne5 Rh7 25. Nxd7 Qxd7 26. Qe5# 1 : 0.