Wildly

Magnus Carlsen – Shakhriyar Hamid oglu Mamedyarov

Champions Chess Tour 2021; Grand Finale Tournament; match game 2; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com/Oslo, September 26, 2021

Spanish Game C82

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Bc5 10. Nbd2 0-0 11. Bc2 Nxf2. The Dilworth Variation. 12. Rxf2 f6 13. Nf1. The most usual continuation 13. exf6 also gives rise to a critical tabiya of the variation. 13. ... Bxf2+ 14. Kxf2 fxe5 15. Kg1 Bg4. Perhaps 15. ... Qd6 should be regarded as a theoretical mainstream: 16. Ng3 h6 17. Qe1 Bg4 18. Nh4 e4 19. h3 Bd7 20. Be3 Qf6 21. Nh5 Qe5 22. Nf4 Rxf4 23. Ng6 Rf1+ 24. Kxf1 Qf5+ 25. Nf4 g5 26. Qg3 Kh7 27. Ke2 gxf4 28. Qxf4 Qxf4 29. Bxf4 Rg8 30. Kf2 Rf8 31. Ke3 Ne7 32. Bxc7 Nf5+ 33. Ke2 b4 34. Bf4 bxc3 35. bxc3 Nh4 36. g3 Ng2 37. c4 Nxf4+ 38. gxf4 Rc8 39. Rd1 Rxc4 40. Bb3 Ba4 41. Rxd5 Bxb3 42. axb3 Rc3 ½ : ½ Vachier-Lagrave – Mamedyarov, 51st International Chess Festival, Biel/Bienne 2018. 16. Ne3 Be6. Not 16. ... Bxf3? on account of 17. gxf3 Ne7 18. Qd3 g6 19. Ng4!→ with powerful attack, Janošević – Honfi, Hungary – Yugoslavia Match, Budapest 1964. 17. b3 Kh8 18. Ba3 Rf4 19. Bc5. 19. Nxe5 Nxe5 20. Qh5 Qh4 gets nowhere for White.

19. ... d4? A sensible idea, but too hasty. In any case Black would have done well to first play 19. ... Qf6! with reasonable chances for defence. 20. cxd4 exd4 21. Qd3 Bg8 22. Nf5 Qd5 23. Ba3 Re8 24. Rd1 Rfe4 25. Ng3 Re3 26. Qd2 R3e6? ⌓ 26. ... h6 27. Bb2 Bh7 was the way Black should go, but luckily for him his inaccuracy will not have irreparable consequences. 27. Bb2 Rd8 28. Nxd4 Qc5

29. Ne4. Carlsen has not only a pair of peerless Bishops but also a pair of close-knit Knights! Nevertheless it’s just the case to say that the engines do inexorably solve the “spot the winning move” test: 29. Qf2!+− — the detail, however, is of relatively little importance, at least from a practical standpoint. 29. ... Qe7 30. Qe3 Nxd4 31. Rxd4 Rxd4 32. Qxd4 c5 33. Qc3 c4!? Mamedyarov cannot be blamed for overlooking a very subtle resource — that took a few seconds for the engines to spot: 33. ... h5!! (Δ ... Bg8-h7). 34. bxc4 bxc4 35. h3 h6 36. Qxc4 Rb6 37. Qc3 Bxa2? Even at first glance, one cannot but doubt that Black may afford such a luxury. With 37. ... Rb7! Black would put up a tough fight. 38. Ng3 Bg8 39. Nf5 Qf6 40. Qxf6 gxf6 41. Bd4 Rc6 42. Be4 Re6 43. Bd5 Re8. 43. ... Re1+ 44. Kf2 Bxd5 45. Kxe1 Bxg2 46. h4 leaves White with only a Pawn but also with the Bishop of the right colour — Mamedyarov does not bet on it. 44. Bc6 Re6. 44. ... Rf8 would probably make it less easy for White to demonstrate a win, but it would not prevent Carlsen from tormenting his opponent until the “inevitable” breakdown (starting with 45. Nd6 or also 45. Nxh6).

45. Bd7! Re1+ 46. Kf2 Rd1 47. Ke2 Bb3 48. Bxf6+ Kh7 49. Nd4 Kg6 50. Be5 Kf7 51. Be6+! 1 : 0.