A Day to Forget

Jan-Krzysztof Duda – Fabiano Caruana
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, June 29, 2022
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. 0-0 a6 7. a4 Ba7 8. Re1 0-0 9. h3 Be6 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. b4 Nh5 12. Nbd2. Most usual is 12. Ra2 Qe8 13. Na3 Nf4 14. Bxf4 Rxf4 15. Nc4 Qg6 16. b5 Raf8! 17. Ncd2 Ne7 18. d4 Qf6! 19. dxe5 dxe5 20. bxa6 bxa6 21. Qe2 a5 22. Rf1 g5 23. Nc4 Ng6 24. Nh2 Qg7 25. Qd3 Nh4 26. Ng4 h5 27. Ngxe5 g4 28. hxg4 hxg4 29. Qg3 Qg5 30. Re2 Kg7 31. Nd3 R4f6 32. Qxc7+ R8f7 33. Qe5? (33. Qg3!) 33. ... Qh6! 34. Qg3 Kh8! 35. Rb2 Nf3+! 36. gxf3 gxf3 37. Rfb1 Rg7 38. Qxg7+ Qxg7+ 39. Kf1 Rh6 40. Ke1 Qxc3+ 0 : 1 Caruana – Grischuk, 5th Grand Chess Tour, 3rd stage, Paris Rapid, Paris 2019 (time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move). 12. ... Nf4 13. Nf1 Qf6 14. Bxf4 Qxf4 15. Qb3 Rf6 16. b5 Na5. As the old saying goes, “Knight on the rim is dim”. 17. Qa2

17. ... g5 18. N1h2 Rg6 19. d4 h5. Caruana, in his urge to attack, is inevitably going to end up crossing the point of no return. 20. g3 Qf6 21. Rad1 Rg7 22. Kh1 Rf8 23. dxe5 dxe5

24. h4! gxh4 25. gxh4 Bc5 26. Rg1 Bd6 27. Ng5 Kh8 28. Qe2 Qg6 29. Rd3 axb5 30. Rdg3 Qe8 31. axb5 Rf6 32. Qf1 b6 33. Qg2 Qf8 34. Qh3 Qg8 35. R1g2 Nb7 36. Nh7 Rfg6 37. Rxg6 Rxg6 38. Ng5 Rf6

39. f4! Nc5 (39. ... exf4 40. e5! Bxe5 41. Qf3+−) 40. fxe5 Bxe5 41. Ngf3 Qa8 42. Nxe5 Nxe4 43. Nhf3 Qa1+ 44. Kh2 Qc1 45. Nd3 Qxc3 46. Ra2 Nf2 47. Rxf2 Qxd3 48. Qg3 Qd6 49. Qxd6 cxd6 50. Kg3 Rf5 51. Rd2 Rxb5 52. Rxd6 Kg7 53. Rxe6 Rb4 54. Re5 Kh6 55. Rd5 Rb1 56. Nd4 Rg1+ 57. Kf4 1 : 0.

Caruana’s nerves betrayed him. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.