Lumos

Alireza Firouzja – Fabiano Caruana
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, June 23, 2022
Catalan Opening E06

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 0-0 6. Qd3. This is a Gelfand trademark. 6. ... c5 7. 0-0 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nc6 9. cxd5 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Nxd5 11. Rd1 Bf6 12. Qg4?! Firouzja is eager to attack, but Her Majesty does not stand too well here. More scientific seems 12. Qd3 Qb6 13. Na3 Rd8 14. Nc4 Qc7 15. Qb3 Bd7 16. Bd2 Nb6 17. Rdc1 Ba4 18. Qb4 Rd4? (⌓ 18. ... Bc6) 19. Nxb6! Rxb4 20. Nxa8 Qb8 21. Bxb4 Bxb2 22. Rc7! Bxa1 23. Bxb7 Be5 24. Rc8+ Qxc8 25. Bxc8 Bc6 26. Bc5 Bxa8 27. Bxa7 with a won ending, Gelfand – Cyborowski, 29th Czech Team Chess Championship — Extraliga, Brno 2022. 12. ... Bd7 13. Nd2 Qe7 14. Nf3 Rac8 15. e4 e5 16. Qh5 Nb4 17. Bg5 Bxg5 18. Nxg5 h6 19. Nf3 Nc6

Black has already an easier game, which could have pushed Firouzja to “demonstrate” something, thus in fact worsening his situation: 20. Rxd7? Qxd7 21. Bh3

21. ... f5! An unpleasant surprise. 22. exf5?! If 22. Bxf5 then 22. ... Qe8! frustrating all White’s hopes of compensation. But the text is no better. 22. ... Rce8 23. Nh4 e4 24. Rd1 Qf7 25. Qe2 Qxa2 26. Ng6 Rf7 27. Nf4 Qb3 28. Bg4

Caruana concludes with great energy: 28. ... e3! 29. Kg2 Rd8 30. Rxd8+ Nxd8 31. fxe3 Rc7 32. Kh3 Nf7! 33. Bf3 Rc2 34. Qd1 Ng5+ 35. Kg4 Nxf3 36. Qd8+ Kh7 37. Kxf3 Qxb2 38. Qe8 Qf6 39. e4 Rxh2 40. Qd7 Qc3+ 41. Kg4 Qd2 42. Qa4 0 : 1. And White resigned, without waiting for 42. ... h5+! 43. Nxh5 Qe2+ leaving Black a Rook up.

And so the question arises, who will be able to stop Caruana? Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.