Between Self and Non-Self

Anton Vladimirovich Smirnov – Magnus Carlsen
44th Chess Olympiad; Mamallapuram, August 3, 2022
Pirc Defence B08

1. e4 Nc6 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 g6 5. h3 Bg7 6. Be3 0-0 7. Qd2 a6 8. Bd3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Nxe5 dxe5 11. 0-0-0 b5 12. g4. Maybe it’s a novelty — who knows? An interesting previous game continued 12. Bc5 Be6 13. Qe3 Nd7 14. Bxf8 Qxf8 15. g4 Nc5 16. Kb1 Rb8 17. Ne2 Na4 18. Qa7 Qc8 19. Qe3 Qf8 20. Nc1 c5 21. c3 c4 22. Bc2 Nc5 23. Rd2 Qe7 24. f4 exf4 25. Qxf4 Rc8 26. e5 a5 27. Bf5 b4 28. Bxe6 Nxe6 29. Qg3 Qb7 30. Re1 Bh6 31. Rf2 Rd8 32. Qf3 Qd7 33. h4 Bd2 34. Ref1 bxc3 35. Qxf7+ Qxf7 36. Rxf7 cxb2 37. Ne2 c3 38. R7f6 Nc5 39. Rc6 Ne4 40. Rc4 Be1 41. Rxe1 Nd2+ 42. Kc2 Nxc4 43. Nxc3 Kf7 44. Ne4 Rb8 45. Nd6+ Nxd6 46. exd6 b1=Q+ 47. Rxb1 Rxb1 48. Kxb1 Ke6 49. Kc2 Kxd6 50. Kb3 Kc5 51. Ka4 Kb6 52. g5 Ka6 53. Ka3 Kb5 54. Kb3 Kc5 55. Kc3 Kd5 56. Kd3 Kc5 57. Kc3 ½ : ½ Smeets – Loxine, 36th German Schach Bundesliga, Dresden 2016. 12. ... c6 13. f3 Be6 14. h4 Qa5 15. a3 Rfb8 16. Bc5 h5 17. Bd6 Rb7 18. Kb1 Rd8 19. Bb4 Qc7 20. Ne2 Rd7 21. Bc5 hxg4

A typical double-edged position with heterogeneous castling, in which the question is about who’ll arrive first. 22. Ng3. Also worth considering is 22. h5 Nxh5 23. Rxh5! gxh5 24. Qg5 with interesting chances. 22. ... gxf3 23. h5 Qd8 24. hxg6 fxg6 25. Qg5 Kf7

Smirnov had managed so far to keep up with his illustrious opponent, and now he might have continued in the same vein with 26. Qe3! b4!? 27. Bxb4 (if 27. axb4 Black replies with 27. ... a5!↑) 27. ... Qb6!∞ with complex play and chances for both sides. Instead, he seems to have gravely overestimated his possibilities: 26. Nf5?? A completely unsound sacrifice, after which Carlsen has only the embarrassment of choice. 26. ... Nxe4. Black could safely take the Knight, but the text also has its points, leaving Black three Pawns to the good! 27. Nh6+ Bxh6 28. Qxh6 Bf5 29. Ka2

29. ... Qg8! Queen the King. 30. Bxe4 Bxe4 31. Rde1 Kf6+ 32. b3 Rh7 33. Qe3 Rxh1 34. Rxh1 Qd5 35. Kb2 Rd7 36. Rh8 Bf5 37. Rf8+ Rf7 38. Re8 Qe4 39. Qd2 Kg7 40. Bf2 Qe2 0 : 1.

To quote Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “To be, or not to be, that is the question, / Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outragious fortune, / Or to take Arms against a sea of troubles”. Photo: Stev Bonhage/FIDE.