Like Never and Ever

Daniele Vocaturo – Magnus Carlsen
44th Chess Olympiad; Mamallapuram, July 31, 2022
Caro-Kann Defence B13

“For Norway, it looked like Magnus (Carlsen) might do one of his usual things but in the end, Daniele Vocaturo held on to a fighting draw. Italy literally broke through on the two lower boards. I wouldn’t call it a big upset, though, as Italy won this match quite comfortably”, 15th World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand wrote in his recap of round three for Sportstar of July 31, 2022.

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c3 e6 6. Bf4 Bd6 7. Bxd6 Qxd6 8. Nf3 Nge7 9. 0-0 Bd7

10. Re1. Or by transposition: 10. Nbd2 Ng6 11. Re1 Nf4 12. Bf1 0-0-0 (“He is more liable to a strong attack on this wing than on the other”) 13. b4 f6 14. Nb3 e5? (“An error that costs a Pawn”) 15. b5 Ne7 16. dxe5 fxe5 17. Nxe5 Rdf8 18. Nxd7 Qxd7 19. g3 Nfg6 20. Qd4 Kb8 21. Nc5 Qc8 22. Bg2 h5 23. h4 Rd8 24. Ne6 Rd6 25. Bh3 Qc4 26. Nxg7 Nxh4? (“Another worse blunder, costing a clear piece, but the game was lost anyhow, as White was two Pawns ahead already, and if 26. ... Qxb5 27. Rxe7 Nxe7 28. Nf5 and wins a piece. The game ceases to be of much interest after this and requires no further comment”) 27. Qxc4 dxc4 28. Rxe7 Nf3+ 29. Kg2 Ng5 30. Rae1 Rd2 31. R1e2 Rd3 32. Ne6 Nxh3 33. Kxh3 h4 34. Re3 hxg3 35. Kxg3 Rd2 36. a4 Rg8+ 37. Rg7 Re8 38. Nc5 Rxe3+ 39. fxe3 Rc2 40. Rxb7+ Ka8 41. Rc7 a6 42. b6 1 : 0 Weiss – Delmar, 6th American Chess Congress, New York 1889. Comments in quotation marks by Wilhelm Steinitz, “The Book of the Sixth American Chess Congress: Containing the Games of the International Chess Tournament Held at New York in 1889”, Committee of the Sixth American Chess Congress, New York, 1891, p. 81. 10. ... 0-0 11. Ne5 Nxe5 12. dxe5 Qb6 13. Qb3 Qxb3 14. axb3 Rfd8 15. Na3 f6 16. Nc2 Nc6 17. exf6 gxf6 18. Bb5 Kf7 19. Bxc6 Bxc6 20. f4 a5 21. Re3 h5 22. Rae1 Bd7 23. Nd4 Ra6

The game is dead equal, but it is not yet time for dinner. 24. Kf2 b5 25. g3 Re8 26. h3 Rh8 27. Kg2 b4 28. Ra1 Re8 29. Rae1 a4 30. bxa4 Rxa4 31. R1e2 Ra2 32. cxb4. Vocaturo eventually won a Pawn, which, however, will prove quite meaningless. 32. ... Ra4 33. Nc2 Raa8. Probably simpler is 33. ... Ra2 34. Nd4 Ra4 repeating moves. 34. Kf2 Reb8 35. Ra3 Ke7 36. Rd2 Kd6 37. Ne3 Bc6 38. Nc4+ Ke7 39. Na5 Bd7 40. Nb3 Kd6 41. Nc5 Bc6 42. Re3 e5 43. Ne4+ Ke7 44. Nc5 e4 45. Rd4 f5 46. Ra3 Rg8 47. Rxa8 Bxa8. Of course Black Black could also retake with the Rook, as White has hardly anything better than 48. Nb3 Ba4 49. Nc5 Bc6 with a likely draw by repetition. But even thus and even so, that is, after retaking with the Bishop, Black’s blockade works perfectly well. 48. Na4 Kd6 49. Nc3 Bc6

50. Nd1 Bd7 51. Ne3 Be6 52. Rd2 Rb8 53. Nc2 Bd7 54. Ne3 Be6 55. Nc2 Bd7 56. Ne3 Ke5 ½ : ½.

As far as one may guess from his first two days at Four Points by Sheraton Mahabalipuram Resort & Convention Centre, Carlsen, newly retired from the World Championship 2023, is in India not to target the 2900 record rating, as most insiders thought, nor to maintain the status quo, as some spin doctors seemed to think. So what is at stake? Photo © Lennart Ootes.