Kulfi

Magnus Carlsen – Jerguš Pecháč
44th Chess Olympiad; Mamallapuram, August 6, 2022
English Opening A25

1. c4 e5 2. e3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Qb3 g6 5. d3. Just a flash of memory: 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. d4 exd4 7. exd4 0-0 8. Be2 d6 9. 0-0 Re8 10. h3?! Ne4! 11. Nxe4 (11. Be3 Ng3!) 11. ... Rxe4 12. Be3 Nxd4 (⌓ 12. ... Bxd4) 13. Nxd4 Bxd4 14. Bf3 Rh4 15. Bxd4 Rxd4 16. Bxb7! Bxb7 17. Qxb7 Rxc4 18. Rac1! Rxc1 19. Rxc1 c5 20. Rd1 Rb8 21. Qxa7 Rxb2 22. Qxc5 dxc5 23. Rxd8+ Kg7 24. Rc8 Rxa2 25. Rxc5 ½ : ½ Carlsen – Giri, 82nd Tata Steel Chess Tourmament, Wijk aan Zee 2020. 5. ... Bg7 6. g3 b6 7. Bg2 Bb7 8. Qd1!? (8. Nf3 0-0 9. 0-0 Qe7 10. e4 d6 11. Bg5 Qd7 12. Nd5 Ne8 13. Qa4 a6 14. Rad1 h6 15. Be3 b5 16. Qc2 Nd4 17. Nxd4 exd4 18. Bd2 Kh7 19. Rc1 Nf6 20. Nxf6+ Bxf6 21. c5 dxc5 22. Qxc5 Rfc8 23. Rfe1 Be7 24. Bh3 Bxc5 25. Bxd7 Rd8 26. Bxb5 axb5 27. Rxc5 c6 28. a3 Kg7 29. g4 Re8 30. f3 Re6 31. Kg2 Ba6 32. Bb4 Bc8 33. Kf2 Bd7 34. Rc2 Be8 35. Bc5 Rd8 36. b3 f5 37. a4 fxg4 38. fxg4 bxa4 39. bxa4 Rf6+ 40. Kg3 Rf7 41. a5 h5 42. a6 hxg4 43. Rf2 Rfd7 44. Ra1 1 : 0 Stripunsky – Shetty, 43rd Annual World Open, Arlington 2015) 8. ... Qe7 9. Nge2 h5 10. h3 h4 11. g4 Nd8 12. Bxb7 Nxb7 13. e4 Nc5 14. Be3 Ne6 15. Qd2 c6 16. 0-0-0

16. ... 0-0-0. Black perhaps might have castled on the other wing: 16. ... 0-0 17. f4 exf4 18. Nxf4 Nh7 with interesting play. 17. d4 exd4 18. Nxd4 Nc5 19. Bg5 Ne6 20. Nxe6 dxe6 21. Qe2 e5 22. Rxd8+ Rxd8

23. Bxh4. Maybe, too hasty in taking the Pawn. Better seems the prophylactic move 14. Kb1, depriving Black of the counterplay he gets after the immediate capture of the Pawn. 23. ... Bh6+! 24. g5 Nd7 25. Qg4 Bf8 26. Bg3 Kc7 27. Rd1 Qb4 28. Qe2 Qe7 29. h4 Qe6

30. f4 exf4 31. Bxf4+ Ne5 32. Rxd8 Kxd8 33. b3 Bd6 34. Qd2 Ke7 35. Kc2 Qg4 36. Qf2 Qf3 37. Be3 (37. Qd2 Nxc4!=) 37. ... Ke6 38. Qxf3 Nxf3 39. Bf2 Ke5 40. Bg3+ Ke6 41. Bf2 Ke5 42. Bg3+ ½ : ½.

Like the calm before the storm or after. Photo © Mark Livshitz.