Nodirbek Abdusattorov – Fabiano Caruana
11th Norway Chess; Stavanger, June 5, 2023
Spanish Game C65
11th Norway Chess; Stavanger, June 5, 2023
Spanish Game C65
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6. Caruana then confessed that he was still shocked by yesterday’s débâcle, so he opted for the inexpugnable Berlin Defence, not disdaining to draw and play it all in the Armageddon. But fortunately for him, Abdusattorov was not interested in any peaceful settlement!
4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. 0-0 Bd6 7. Nbd2 Be6 8. Nb3 b6 9. Ng5!? A challenge to himself as well as to his opponent:
a) 9. Bg5 Qd7 10. Bh4 c5 11. Nbd2 Nh5 12. Ng5 Nf4 13. Nxe6 Nxe6 14. Nc4 f6 15. f3 a5 16. a4 h5⇄ Caruana – Aronian, 2nd American Cup — Elimination Bracket, Saint Louis 2016, tie-break game 2 (time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move);
b) 9. Qe1 Nd7 10. Qc3 c5 11. Ng5 Nf8 12. f4 f6 13. Nxe6 Nxe6 14. Qc4 Qd7 15. f5 Nd4 16. Nxd4 cxd4 17. a4 a5 18. Bd2 Qf7 19. Qc6+ Ke7 20. Rf3 Qe8 21. Qc4 Qf7 22. Qc6 Qe8 23. Qxe8+ Raxe8 24. Kf2 g5 25. fxg6 hxg6 26. Rf1 Ke6 27. h4 f5 28. g3 Ref8 29. Ke2 Be7 30. Kd1 c5 31. b3 Rh7 ½ : ½ Abdusattorov – Aronian, 85th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2023.
9. ... Bg4 10. f3 Bh5 11. Kh1 Nd7 12. Nh3 f6 13. Be3 Qe7 14. Nd2 Nc5 15. Nc4 Ne6 16. Ng1 g5 17. Ne2 Bf7 18. Qe1 h5 19. Nxd6+ cxd6 20. a4 h4 21. a5 b5 22. h3 a6 23. d4 c5 24. c3 Kf8 25. Rd1 Kg7 26. Qf2 Rac8 27. Rd2 Qc7 28. Ra1 Rhd8
4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. 0-0 Bd6 7. Nbd2 Be6 8. Nb3 b6 9. Ng5!? A challenge to himself as well as to his opponent:
a) 9. Bg5 Qd7 10. Bh4 c5 11. Nbd2 Nh5 12. Ng5 Nf4 13. Nxe6 Nxe6 14. Nc4 f6 15. f3 a5 16. a4 h5⇄ Caruana – Aronian, 2nd American Cup — Elimination Bracket, Saint Louis 2016, tie-break game 2 (time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move);
b) 9. Qe1 Nd7 10. Qc3 c5 11. Ng5 Nf8 12. f4 f6 13. Nxe6 Nxe6 14. Qc4 Qd7 15. f5 Nd4 16. Nxd4 cxd4 17. a4 a5 18. Bd2 Qf7 19. Qc6+ Ke7 20. Rf3 Qe8 21. Qc4 Qf7 22. Qc6 Qe8 23. Qxe8+ Raxe8 24. Kf2 g5 25. fxg6 hxg6 26. Rf1 Ke6 27. h4 f5 28. g3 Ref8 29. Ke2 Be7 30. Kd1 c5 31. b3 Rh7 ½ : ½ Abdusattorov – Aronian, 85th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2023.
9. ... Bg4 10. f3 Bh5 11. Kh1 Nd7 12. Nh3 f6 13. Be3 Qe7 14. Nd2 Nc5 15. Nc4 Ne6 16. Ng1 g5 17. Ne2 Bf7 18. Qe1 h5 19. Nxd6+ cxd6 20. a4 h4 21. a5 b5 22. h3 a6 23. d4 c5 24. c3 Kf8 25. Rd1 Kg7 26. Qf2 Rac8 27. Rd2 Qc7 28. Ra1 Rhd8
29. b4 cxd4. Finally, the first exchange of Pawns appeared on the board.
30. cxd4 Qe7 31. Rad1 Rh8 32. Qe1 Rc4 33. dxe5 dxe5 34. Rd6 Rd8 35. Rxd8 Nxd8 36. g3 hxg3 37. Nxg3 Be6 38. Qd2 Nf7 39. Bc5 Qe8 40. h4 Qh8 41. h5 Qh7 42. Kg2 Qh6 43. Kf2 g4 44. Be3 Qh8 45. fxg4 Qc8 46. Bc5 Bxg4
30. cxd4 Qe7 31. Rad1 Rh8 32. Qe1 Rc4 33. dxe5 dxe5 34. Rd6 Rd8 35. Rxd8 Nxd8 36. g3 hxg3 37. Nxg3 Be6 38. Qd2 Nf7 39. Bc5 Qe8 40. h4 Qh8 41. h5 Qh7 42. Kg2 Qh6 43. Kf2 g4 44. Be3 Qh8 45. fxg4 Qc8 46. Bc5 Bxg4
47. Rf1. Here, and at move 49, White would have done better to force the exchange of Rooks along the c-file.
47. ... Bh3 48. Rg1 Kh7 49. h6? Qg4 50. Nf5 Qxe4 51. Rg7+ Kh8 52. Ne3 Nxh6 53. Nxc4 Kxg7 54. Bf8+ Kxf8 55. Qxh6+ Kg8
47. ... Bh3 48. Rg1 Kh7 49. h6? Qg4 50. Nf5 Qxe4 51. Rg7+ Kh8 52. Ne3 Nxh6 53. Nxc4 Kxg7 54. Bf8+ Kxf8 55. Qxh6+ Kg8
56. Ne3? 56. Qxh3 bxc4 57. Qd7 still gave chances to defend, in spite of the two Pawns minus.
56. ... Bf5 57. Qh5 Bg6 58. Qh3 f5 59. Qh6 Kf7 60. Qh8 Qd4 61. Ke2 f4 62. Ng4 f3+ 0 : 1. As Caruana himself candidly said afterwards, “I have no idea what happened in this game. I mean, the position was slightly better for me for a long time, but then I lost control and it became very dangerous. I don’t know if it was bad or not, but we were both low on time, and somehow, I won in the complications, but I feel like I was much worse at some point and, yeah, also with low time it was very dangerous but really good end”.
56. ... Bf5 57. Qh5 Bg6 58. Qh3 f5 59. Qh6 Kf7 60. Qh8 Qd4 61. Ke2 f4 62. Ng4 f3+ 0 : 1. As Caruana himself candidly said afterwards, “I have no idea what happened in this game. I mean, the position was slightly better for me for a long time, but then I lost control and it became very dangerous. I don’t know if it was bad or not, but we were both low on time, and somehow, I won in the complications, but I feel like I was much worse at some point and, yeah, also with low time it was very dangerous but really good end”.
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