Trading Places

Fabiano Caruana – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi
8th Grand Chess Tour; 1st stage; 4th Superbet Chess Classic; Bucharest, May 9, 2023
Tarrasch Defence D32

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c5 5. e3 Nc6 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bb5 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bd7 9. 0-0 Bd6 10. Nf3 Be6 11. b3 a6 12. Bd3 Ne5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Bb2 Rc8 15. Rc1 0-0 16. f4 Bc7 17. Ne2 Bb6 18. Bd4 Bxd4 19. Nxd4 Qa5 20. Qe2 Rfe8 21. h3 Bd7 22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. Qb2 Qc5 24. a4 a5 25. Qd2 b6 26. Rb1 Qa3 27. Kh2 h6 28. Rb2 Qe7 29. Rc2 Rc5 30. Nf3 Rxc2 31. Bxc2 Qc5 32. Bd3 Kf8 33. Nd4 Kg8 34. Kg1 Kf8 35. Kf2 Ke7 36. Qb2 Kf8 37. Nc2 Ne4+ 38. Bxe4 dxe4 39. Nd4 Bc6 40. Qe2 Qc3 41. Qa6 Qd2+ 42. Ne2 Qb4 43. Qc8+ Be8 44. Qc2 Bd7 45. Nd4. White stands better, but Black should be able somehow to hold his own.

Instead, now Nepomniachtchi blitzed out: 45. ... f5? That turned out to be a fatal mistake. He ought to have continued with 45. ... Kg8 46. Qxe4 Be6! with sufficient play for Black.
46. Qc7! Qd2+ 47. Ne2 Be6 48. Qxb6 Kf7 49. Qd4 Qa2 50. Qa7+ Kg8. 50. ... Kf6 may be a little better, but then after 51. Qxa5 Bxb3 52. Qa6+ Be6 53. a5+− the ending is not tenable anyway.
51. Qa8+ Kh7 52. Qxa5 Kh8 53. Qd8+ Kh7 54. Qa5 Kh8 55. b4 Bc4 56. Qd8+ Kh7 57. Qd1

57. ... Bb3. Comparatively better was 57. ... Qb2! 58. b5 Bd3 which, if nothing else, would have required White to give back a Pawn in order to free his Knight: 59. b6! Qxb6 60. Nd4+− with a winning game.
58. Qd7 Be6 59. Qb5 Kh8 60. Qc5 g6 61. Ke1 Kg8 62. Qd6 Kf7 63. Qd2!? 63. Nd4 Bc4 65. b5 was definitely simpler, but White can even afford to give up one of his two formidable passers.
63. ... Qxa4 64. Nd4 Bc4 65. Kf2 h5 66. Kg3 Qa3 67. b5 Qd3

68. Qc1! Bxb5. Self-immolating to the White Queen. However, 68. ... Qf1 69. Qxf1 Bxf1 70. b6 Ba6 71. Kh4+− is hopeless as well.
69. Qc7+ Kf8 70. Qc5+ 1 : 0.

The “Battle of the Challengers” ended with a victory for Caruana. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour.