The Half of a Circle

Fabiano Caruana – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi
Candidates Tournament 2022; Madrid, June 27, 2022
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. c4 c6 9. Re1 Bf5 10. Qb3. Another line of play is 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 dxc4 13. Qxc4 b5 14. Qd3 Nd7 15. Bg5 Qc7 16. Be7 Bxe7 17. Rxe7 Qd6 18. Rae1 Nf6 19. c4 bxc4 (⌓ 19. ... Qb4) 20. Qxc4 Nd5 21. Rb7 Rfb8 22. Qb3 Rxb7 (⌓ 22. ... Qc7!!) 23. Qxb7 Nb6 24. Qxa8+! Nxa8 25. Re8+ Qf8 26. Rxf8+ Kxf8 27. Ne5 with a much better ending for White, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Čmilytė, 12th European Women’s Chess Club Cup, Kemer 2007. 10. ... Qd7

11. Nh4!? Caruana is just trying for something, for in the last World Championship White got nothing with 11. Nc3 Nxc3 12. Bxf5 Qxf5 13. bxc3 b6 14. cxd5 cxd5 15. Qb5 Qd7 16. a4 Qxb5 17. axb5 a5 18. Nh4 g6 19. g4 Nd7 20. Ng2 Rfc8 21. Bf4 Bxf4 22. Nxf4 Rxc3 23. Nxd5 Rd3 24. Re7 Nf8 25. Nf6+ Kg7 26. Ne8+ Kg8 27. d5 a4 28. Nf6+ Kg7 29. g5 a3 30. Ne8+ Kg8 31. Nf6+ Kg7 32. Ne8+ Kg8 33. Nf6+ ½ : ½ Carlsen – Nepomniachtchi, Dubai 2021, World Chess Championship match game 4. 11. ... Be6 12. Qc2 Na6 13. a3 f5 14. cxd5 cxd5 15. Nc3 Rac8 16. f3 Be7 17. g3 Nd6. 17. ... Bf6!? 18. fxe4 fxe4∞ gives rise to a wild roller coaster which Nepomniachtchi apparently did not need. 18. Qa4 Bf6 (18. ... Rc6 19. Bxa6 Bxh4 20. gxh4 Rxa6 21. Qxd7 Bxd7 22. Bf4 Nb5 23. Nxb5 Bxb5 24. Rac1 Rc6 25. h5⩲) 19. Qxd7 Bxd7 20. Nxd5 Bxd4+ 21. Kg2 Rce8 22. Bf4 Nc5 23. Ne7+ Kf7

24. Bxf5. The mighty engines prefer White following 24. Bf1! Nc8! 25. Bc4+ Be6 26. Rxe6! Nxe6 27. Nhxf5 Kf6 28. Nd5+ Kg6 (28. ... Kxf5?? 29. Bd3#) 29. Nxd4 Nxd4 30. Rd1 — instead Caruana stuck to the (temporary) gain of a Pawn, but Black’s dynamic compensation made it a Pyrrhic victory at last. 24. ... Nxf5 25. Nhxf5 Bxf5 26. Nxf5 Rxe1 27. Rxe1

27. ... Nd3! 28. Re4. 28. Re7+ Kf6! 29. Bd6 Rd8! 30. Re4 Kxf5 31. Rxd4 Nxb2 is also very drawish. 28. ... Bxb2 29. Be3 Bxa3 30. Bxa7 Ra8 31. Bd4 Bf8 32. Re2 g6 33. Ne3 Rd8 34. Bb6 Rd6 35. Nc4 Rc6 36. Re4 Bg7 37. f4 Re6 38. Kf3 Ne1+ 39. Ke3 Nc2+ 40. Kf3 Ne1+ ½ : ½.

After all, half a point is better than none. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.