A Footnote to a Dialogue

Fabiano Caruana – Magnus Carlsen
11th Norway Chess; Stavanger, May 30, 2023
French Defence C11

1. e4 e6. “I was surprised by it, but I wasn’t surprised that I was surprised”, Caruana then said sibyllinely.
2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 a6 8. Ne2 Qb6 9. Qc1 Be7 10. c3 0-0 11. g3 f6 12. Bg2 cxd4 13. cxd4 Qa5+. “Carlsen’s opening choice as Black, the French Defence 1. e4 e6, was intended as a surprise, but Caruana still recalled that at Black’s 13th Qb5! was the right choice rather than Qa5+, which gave a position where White’s Knights were active”, Leonard Barden will write in his The Guardian column of Friday, June 2, 2023.
14. Nc3. Another decent option is 14. Bd2 Qd8 15. 0-0 Nb6 16. exf6 Rxf6 17. b3 Bd7 18. Ne5⩲ Vallejo Pons – Danielsen, 18th European Team Chess Championship, Porto Carras 2011.
14. ... Nb6 15. exf6 Bxf6 16. b3 Bd7 17. 0-0 Rac8 18. Qd2 Be7 19. Ne2 Qxd2 20. Bxd2 Rc7 21. Rac1 Rfc8. Black is struggling for survival in a typically cramped French Defence.

22. f5! Caruana throws the gauntlet in the face of his illustrious opponent, with the tactical pointe of 22. ... exf5 23. Bf4 winning the Exchange. Hence Carlsen’s reply is more or less forced:
22. ... Ba3 23. Rce1 Bb4 24. Bxb4 Nxb4 25. fxe6 Bxe6 26. Nf4 Bf5 27. Ne5 g6 28. g4 Be4 29. Bxe4 dxe4 30. a3 N4d5. Even better may be 30. ... Nc2 31. Rxe4 Re7! regaining the Pawn and securing a balanced game.
31. Rxe4 Rc3? This allows White to consolidate without any difficulty. 31. ... Nxf4 32. Rexf4 Nd5 33. R4f3 Rc3 would still leave Black with some compensation for the Pawn.

32. Nd7! Rxb3? As Tartakower said, “A second mistake often lacks a predecessor”. Perhaps Black should have exchanged a pair of Rooks while he could.
33. Nxd5 Nxd5

34. Re5! Nc3. If 34. ... Ne3 then 35. Nf6+ Kf7 (35. ... Kg7 36. Re7+ Kh6 37. Rxh7+ Kg5 38. h4#) 36. Rxe3! winning the Knight.
35. Nf6+ 1 : 0.

The time limit has its justification for an “endless” match. Photo: Norway Chess (@NorwayChess).