King of Hearts

Fabiano Caruana – Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, June 25, 2022
Sicilian Defence B28

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 a6 3. c4 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 e5 6. Nf5 d5. A rare sharp line by which perhaps Radjabov hoped to catch his opponent by surprise, 7. cxd5 Bxf5 8. exf5 Nd4 9. Bd3 Qxd5 10. Nc3 Qd7. White saves one move with respect to 10. ... Bb4 11. 0-0 Qd7, but then after 12. Re1 0-0-0 13. Rxe5 one can hardly appreciate significant differences with the actual game, Sherzer – Polovodin, 19th World Open, Philadelphia 1991. 11. 0-0 Nf6 12. Bg5 Be7 13. Re1

13. ... 0-0-0. Some commentators argued that Black castled on the wrong side, but in any case the leitmotif would remain grossly the same. In the end, an extra Pawn can be enough for White to win, even though it may take all Caruana’s mastery to do it. Alternatively, after 13. ... h6 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. Be4 the control of the key d5-square would also give White a definite advantage. 14. Rxe5 Nc6 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. Rd5 Qe7 17. Bc4 Kb8 18. Qd3 Qb4 19. Bb3 Nd4 20. Qc4 Qxc4 21. Bxc4 Rc8 22. Bd3 Nc6 23. Be4 Rhe8 24. f3 Re7 25. Rad1 h6 26. Kf2 Rcc7 27. R5d2 Bxc3 28. bxc3 Ne5 29. Rc1 f6

30. Kg3! The White King begins its triumphant march to the Kingside. 30. ... Ka7 31. Rd4 Rc5 32. Kh4 Rec7 33. Kh5 b5 34. f4 Nd7 35. Rcd1 Nb6 36. R1d3 Na4 37. Kg6 Nxc3 38. Bf3 Nxa2

39. Rd7! Caruana exhibits an incredible combination of calculation and technique. 39. ... Nc3 40. Kxg7 b4 41. Kxf6 b3 42. Rd2 a5 43. Ke6 Rxd7 44. Rxd7+ Ka6 45. f6 b2 46. f7 b1=Q 47. f8=Q Qg6+ 48. Qf6 Qe8+ 49. Kd6 Rc4 50. Rc7 Kb5 (50. ... Rd4+ 51. Kc5!+−) 51. Qe5+ Qxe5+ 52. fxe5 Rxc7 53. Kxc7 Kc5 54. e6 Nb5+ 55. Kd7 a4 56. e7 1 : 0.

And yet Caruana just followed out Steinitz’s theory that the King is a strong piece. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.