On the Road Again

Fabiano Caruana – Rinat Atogalievich Jumabayev
9th Chess World Cup; match game 2; Krasnaya Polyana, July 19, 2021
Queen’s Gambit Declined D36

1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. Qc2 Be7 7. e3 Nbd7 8. Bd3 Nh5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nge2 g6 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Rae1 Ndf6 13. Nc1 Be6 14. f3 b6 (14. ... Rfd8 15. a3 b6 16. Qf2 c5 17. Bb1 Rab8 18. g4 Ng7 19. Nd3 c4 20. Ne5 Rbc8 21. Qh4 Re8 22. f4 Nxg4 23. Qxe7 Rxe7 24. Nxg4 Bxg4 25. Nxd5 Re6 26. e4 b5 27. Ne3 h5 28. Kg2 Rd6 29. f5 Rxd4 30. h3 Rd2+ 31. Kg3 Be2 32. Rf2 Rxb2 33. Rfxe2 Rb3 34. a4 b4 35. Kh4 Kh7 36. Kg5 Rc5 37. Kf6 Rc7 38. e5 Kh6 39. fxg6 fxg6 40. e6 Rc6 41. Nd5 Rf3+ 42. Ke7 b3 43. Rg2 g5 44. h4 g4 45. Kd7 Rxe6 46. Rxe6+ Nxe6 47. Kxe6 c3 48. Ne7 Rf1 49. Bd3 Rd1 50. Be4 Re1 51. Kf7 Rxe4 52. Ng8+ Kh7 53. Nf6+ Kh6 54. Nxe4 c2 55. Rd2 c1=Q 56. Rd6+ Kh7 57. Ng5+ Qxg5 58. hxg5 1 : 0 Draško – Legky, 19th Open, Metz 2001) 15. Qf2 c5 16. Qh4!?TN (16. g4 Ng7 17. N1e2 Rad8 18. Nf4 cxd4 19. exd4 Qd6 20. Qd2 Qb4 21. Nfe2 h5 22. h3 Qd6 23. Qf4 Qxf4 24. Nxf4 g5 25. Nfe2 Bc8 26. Ng3 Ne6 27. Nce2 Ng7 28. f4 hxg4 29. fxg5 Nfh5 30. Nxh5 Nxh5 31. hxg4 Bxg4 32. Nf4 Rfe8 33. Rxe8+ Rxe8 34. Nxd5 Rd8 35. Bc4 Be6 36. Ne7+ Kg7 37. d5 Bh3 38. Rf2 f6 39. Be2 Ng3 40. gxf6+ Kf7 41. Bd3 Rd6 42. Rf3 Rxf6 43. Rxg3 Bd7 44. Ng6 1 : 0 Real de Azúa – Valerga, Semifinal of 90th Argentine Chess Championship, Buenos Aires 2015) 16. ... Qd8 17. g4 Ng7 18. N1e2 Rb8 19. a4 c4 20. Bc2 a6 21. Nf4 b5 22. axb5 axb5 23. b4 cxb3 24. Bxb3 b4 25. Nce2. Caruana’s belligerent intentions on the Kingside are barely justified. But he must have thought that the strategic alternative of 25. Na4 Bd7 26. Nc5 Bb5 27. Rf2 Bc4 28. Rb2⩲ did not offer enough advantage to fuel his ambitions. 25. ... Bc8 26. Ng3 Ba6

27. g5?! An unnecessary Exchange sacrifice which, if nothing else, gives rise to wild complications. On the other hand, 27. Rf2 Bc4 is quite comfortable for Black. 27. ... Bxf1. 27. ... Nfe8 28. Nxd5 Bxf1 29. Rxf1 Rb5! transposes to the game. 28. Rxf1. Although by a hair, after 28. gxf6 Bc4 29. Qh6 Ne8 30. Bxc4 bxc4 31. Nf5! gxf5 (31. ... Qxf6?? 32. Nxd5+−) 32. Kh1 Qxf6 33. Rg1+ Qg6 34. Nxg6 hxg6 35. h4 White saves himself: 35. ... b3 36. h5 Rb7 37. hxg6 fxg6 38. Rxg6+ Ng7 39. Rb6 Rxb6 40. Qxb6 Ra8 41. d5 Ra2 42. Qd8+ with perpetual check. 28. ... Nfe8 29. Nxd5 Rb5! 30. Qe4? Caruana is too tempted to speculate on his opponent’s lack of time for maintaining his objectivity. Indeed, after 30. e4 Ne6 White has nothing to be happy for, but at least he can hope to hold on to his faith in himself. 30. ... Qxg5 31. f4 Qd8 32. f5 Nf6? Caruana’s gamble paid off. White would have very little to hope for, and too much to despair about, had Black played 32. ... Nd6! followed by the capture of the f5-Pawn. 33. Nxf6+ Qxf6 34. fxg6 Qxg6

35. Bxf7+! A pretty tactic which saves the day for White. 35. ... Qxf7 (35. ... Rxf7?? 36. Qa8++−) 36. Rxf7 Rxf7 37. Qd3. White could also play 37. Qc2 (with the threat of Qc2-c8+), but then after 37. ... Rb6! 38. Qb3 Rg6 Black should have nothing to fear. 38. ... Rg5 38. Kg2 Nf5 39. e4 Nh4+ 40. Kh3 Ng6 41. Qc4? The losing move, and the end of Caruana’s adventure in the Western Caucasus. White had nothing better than 41. Qd2! Nf4+ 42. Kh4 h6 43. Nf5 (43. Qxb4?? Ng6+ 44. Kh3 h5!−+) 43. ... Ng2+ 44. Kh3 Kh7 45. d5 b3 46. d6 b2! 47. Qxb2 Nf4+ 48. Kh4 Ng6+ with a draw by perpetual check. 41. ... h5! The threat of mate enables Black to win the Knight. 42. Kg2 (42. Qxb4?? Nf4+ 43. Kh4 Rg4#) 42. ... h4 43. Kh3 hxg3 44. hxg3 Kg7 45. Qxb4 Rf3 46. Qb7+ Kh6 47. Qb8 Re3 48. d5 Rxe4 49. d6 Rd4 50. Qb2 Rxd6 51. Qc3 Rdd5 52. Qe3 Ra5 53. Kg2 Re5 54. Qd4 Rd5 55. Qe3

55. ... Rd3! 56. Qe1 Nf4+ 57. Kf2 Rgxg3 58. Qe4 Rg2+ 0 : 1.

After a year living dangerously everywhere and nowhere, Caruana might have thought that finally it was time to pack and go home. Photo © Anastasia Korolkova.