Nothing But Net

Magnus Carlsen – Vladislav Mikhailovich Artemiev

Champions Chess Tour 2021; Grand Finale Tournament; match game 2; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com/Oslo, September 28, 2021

Sicilian Defence B40

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. b3. A sideline variation named after Finnish Grandmaster Heikki Westerinen. 3. ... a6 4. Bb2 Nc6 5. d4. Usually White first plays 5. c4 aiming at a Maroczy Bind with a subsequent d2-d4. 5. ... cxd4 6. Nxd4 Qf6 7. Be2 Bc5 8. c3 e5 9. Nf3. Or 9. b4 Ba7 10. Nf5? (better is 10. Nf3 Nge7 similarly to the game) 10. ... d5!∓ Böhnisch – L. Portisch, 15th Berliner Sommer, Berlin 1997. 9. ... Nge7 10. 0-0 0-0 11. b4TN (11. c4 ½ : ½ Pérez García – Borges Mateos, 71st Cuban Chess Championship, Santa Clara 2008) 11. ... Ba7 12. a4 Ng6 13. Bc1 h6 14. Na3 Rd8 15. Be3 d5 16. exd5 e4 17. Nd2 Rxd5

18. b5. Here (maybe) White misses his best chance for a better future: 18. Bxa7! Nxa7 19. Nxe4 Qe5 20. Qb3 Be6 (20. ... Qxe4?? 21. Bf3+−) 21. f3 b5 22. Rfe1⩲ with a small edge. 18. ... Bxe3 19. fxe3 Qxc3. And now a strange thing happens or maybe it is not so strange — Artemiev has only a few seconds left, but it is Carlsen who begins to get nervous! 20. Nac4 Nce5 21. Nxe4. Or 21. Rc1 Qb4 22. Rb1 Qc5 23. Nxe4 Rxd1 24. Nxc5 Rxb1 25. Rxb1 Nxc4 26. Bxc4 axb5 27. Rxb5 Ne7 with near equality. 21. ... Rxd1 22. Nxc3 Rxa1 23. Rxa1 Nxc4 24. Bxc4 Ne5 25. Bd5 axb5 26. Nxb5 Ra6 27. Rc1 Bd7 28. Bb3 Be6

29. Nc7?? An inexplicable act of harakiri which must mean something too important to be asked. White had to play 29. Bxe6 first and now if 29. ... fxe6 then 30. Nc7 is good enough for a draw — which is also the most probable outcome after 29. ... Rxe6 30. Rc8+ Kh7 31. Rc7. 29. ... Bxb3 30. Nxa6 bxa6 31. Rc8+ Kh7 32. a5. For what it is worth, 32. Ra8 might make things more difficult for Black in case of 32. ... Bxa4 33. Rxa6 — but of course 32. ... Bc4 is always possible. 32. ... Bc4 33. Kf2 Bb5 34. Rc2 Nc4 35. Ra2 Kg6 36. Kf3 Kf5 37. g4+ Ke5 38. h3 g5 39. Kf2 f5 40. gxf5 Kxf5 41. Ra1 Ke5 42. h4 g4 43. Rc1 h5 44. Rd1 Nd6 45. Rc1 Bc4 46. Rb1 Nf5 47. Rb7 g3+ 48. Kg1 Nxh4 49. Rh7 Be2 50. Rg7 0 : 1. And Carlsen gives up without waiting for 50. ... Nf5.