Time Before Time

Gillan Bwalya – Magnus Carlsen
44th Chess Olympiad; Mamallapuram, August 2, 2022
Nimzo-Indian Defence E51

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bb4 5. e3 0-0 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 c5 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Qc7 10. Nd2?! This is an old and quite unsound idea, which costed 7th World Chess Champion Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov dearly on his last apparition at an interzonal tournament. 10. Be2 is much more advisable, and apparently even according to Carlsen, who played it with White on at least a major occasion: 10. ... b6 11. Bb2 Bb7 12. 0-0 Nbd7 13. c4 Rac8 14. Rc1 Rfd8 15. Qb3 Ng4 16. g3 Ngf6 17. Rfd1 Ne4 18. Ne1 Nd6 19. d5!? exd5 20. cxd5 c4! 21. Qc2 b5 22. Ng2 Nc5 23. Nf4 Qe7 24. Bg4 Rc7 25. Qc3 f5 26. Bf3 Rcd7 27. Qb4 Nb3 28. Ne6 Nxc1 29. Rxc1 Nc8! 30. Qxb5 Rxd5! 31. Bxd5 Rxd5 32. Qb4 Nd6 33. Nc5?? (33. Nf4! Rb5 34. Qc3 is not worse for White) 33. ... Rxc5! 34. Qxc5 Qe4 0 : 1 Carlsen – Anand, 6th World Rapid Chess Championship, Riyadh 2017. 10. ... Nc6 11. 0-0 Rd8

12. f4? This move, which prevents ... e6-e5 and prepares a further advance of the f-Pawn, seems grossly ill-timed, leaving White with simply too many weaknesses, without offering any prospect of attack as a compensation. And yet, what’s incredible is that Smyslov played just like this! 12. ... Nd5 13. Bxd5 exd5

14. Qh5?! The game in question continued as follows: 14. dxc5 Na5 15. f5 Qxc5 16. f6 Qxe3+ 17. Kh1 Qxc3 18. Rb1 Qd3 19. Qe1 Bf5 20. Rf3 Qc2 21. Rb2 Qc8 22. Nf1 Nc4 23. Rbf2 Bg6 24. fxg7 Re8 25. Qb4 Ne5 26. Rc3 Qd7 27. Qd4 Rac8 28. Rxc8 Qxc8 29. Bd2 Nd3 30. Rf3 Qc4 31. Qf6 Nc5 32. Bh6 Ne4 33. Qb2 b6 34. h3 d4 35. Nd2 Nxd2 36. Qxd2 d3 37. Re3 Be4 38. Kh2 Qc2 39. Rg3 Qxd2 40. Bxd2 Rc8 41. Rg4 f5 42. Rf4 Kxg7 43. Kg3 Rc2 44. Rf2 Kg6 45. Kf4 Ra2 46. g4 Rxa3 47. Ke5 Ra4 48. gxf5+ Kf7 49. Be3 Bb7 50. Rf4 Rxf4 51. Bxf4 Bg2 52. h4 h5 53. Kd4 Bf1 54. Bg5 a5 55. Bd2 Ke7 56. Bc3 Kd6 57. Ke3 Kd5 58. f6 Ke6 59. Kd2 b5 60. Bxa5 Kxf6 61. Bb4 Ke5 62. Kc3 Kf4 63. Kd2 Ke4 64. Kc1 Kd4 65. Kb2 Ke3 66. Kc1 Ke2 67. Ba5 Bg2 68. Bc3 Bd5 69. Bb4 Bc4 70. Bc3 Kf2 71. Kb2 Kg3 72. Be1+ Kg4 73. Kc3 Kf3 74. Kd2 b4 75. Kd1 b3 76. Bc3 Kg4 77. Bf6 b2 78. Bxb2 Kxh4 79. Kd2 Kg4 80. Ke3 h4 81. Be5 Ba6 82. Bc7 h3 83. Bh2 Kf5 84. Bg3 Ke6 0 : 1 Smyslov – van Riemsdijk, Interzonal Tournament, Manila 1990. 14. ... cxd4 15. cxd4 Ne7 16. Nf3 Bf5 17. Bd2 f6 18. Nh4 Be4 19. f5 (19. Qg4 Qc8) 19. ... Rac8 20. Bb4 a5 21. Bxe7 Qxe7 22. Rf4? White’s position is horrible enough to make him wish to get it over with. The Rook goes to war far out from the back-rank, leaving free way to Black’s heavy pieces. 22. ... Rc3 23. Re1 Qxa3 24. Rg4

24. ... Rc1 25. Rxc1 Qxe3+ 26. Kf1 Bd3# 0 : 1.