The Same But Different

Magnus Carlsen – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi

2nd World Fischerandom Chess Championship; Seminfinal match game 2; time control: 25 minutes for the first 30 moves, plus 5 minutes for the rest of the game, plus 5 seconds per move starting from move 31; Reykjavík, October 29, 2022

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Position #187

1. f4 f5 2. g4 g6 3. Nab3 Nab6 4. Na5 c6 5. b3 d6 6. c4 Bd7 (6. ... fxg4!? 7. Qxg4 Nd7)
7. g5 Qf7 8. d4 0-0 9. Nd3 Na8 10. Qe3 Nc7 11. Bf2 Qe8 12. Qf3 Qd8 (⌓ 12. ... Ne6 13. e3 Nd8! 14. b4 Nf7 Δ ... e7-e5)
13. b4 e5 14. dxe5 dxe5 15. fxe5 Qxg5 16. h4 Qe7 17. h5 Ne6 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. 0-0-0 Nb6 20. Rg1 Be8 21. Qh3 Nd7? (⌓ 21. ... Bg7 22. c5 Na4)

22. Bxc6! bxc6 23. Nxc6 Qg7 24. Qf3? And not 24. Nxb8?? because of 24. ... Nxe5!−+ turning the tables on Black. White, however, missed here his opportunity of carrying his purpose out by 24. Rh1! (Δ Nc6-e7+) and if 24. ... Kf7 then 25. e4! with a crushing attack.
24. ... Rc8 25. Qd5 Rxc6! 26. Qxc6 Ndc5 27. Qd6 Nxd3+ 28. exd3 Bf7

29. d4!? Now White should have contented himself with 29. Rxg6+! Bxg6 (or also 29. ... Qxg6 30. Rg1 Qxg1+ 31. Bxg1 Rd8) 30. Qxe6+ with a draw in view.
29. ... Rd8 30. Qe7 Qh6+ 31. Rd2? A grave oversight, which in fact loses the game.

31. ... Bxe5!−+ 32. Kc2 Bxd4 33. Re1 Bb6 34. Rxd8+ Bxd8 35. Qd6 Bc7 36. Qd2 Qh3 37. Qd3 Qg2 38. Qd2 g4 39. Qe2 Nd4+ 40. Bxd4 Qxd4 41. Kb3 a5 42. Rd1 Qb6 43. a3 axb4 44. axb4 Bd6 45. Qd2 Bf8 46. Qc3 f4 47. Rd7 Qe6 48. Rd4 Qf5 49. Qd3 Qf6 50. Rd8 f3 51. Qd4 Qf5 52. Qd6 Be6 53. Rxf8+ Qxf8 54. Qxe6+ Qf7 55. Qe1 f2 56. Qf1 Qf3+ 57. Ka4 Qe3 58. Qg2 Kg7 59. b5 Qe1 60. Qb7+ Kh6 0 : 1.