Random Chance

Fabiano Caruana – Levon Grigori Aronian

Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge; Semifinal match game 2; time control: 90 minutes per 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game plus 30 seconds per move starting on move 41; Wangels, February 14, 2024

rkrqnbbn/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RKRQNBBN w CAca - 0 1

Position #926

1. d4 d5 2. f3 g6 3. Nd3 Nd6 4. g3 f5 5. Nhf2 Bh6 6. f4 Nhf7 7. Ne5 Ne4 8. Nxe4 dxe4 9. Qe1 Nxe5 10. dxe5 c5 11. Rd1 Qe8 12. a4 Rc7. Black could (and maybe should) play 12. ... a5 13. b3 Bf8 with a quasi-symmetrical position.
13. Qa5

13. ... Be6?? A fatal miscalculation. It seems that 13. ... b6 14. Qa6 Be6 15. a5 Qc6 should hold for Black, and even 13. ... Qc8 was probably playable.
14. Bxc5! Qc6. Maybe Aronian thought 14. Bxc5 was impossible in view of 14. ... b6? for suddenly realising that by 15. Bxb6! White would win right off.
15. Rd8+ Bc8 16. Be3 Qxc2+ 17. Ka2 b6 18. Qa6. Now 18. Bxb6? doesn’t work due to 18. ... Rc4! (but not 18. ... axb6? 19. Rxc8+! Kxc8 20. Qxa8+ Kf7 21. e3! with irresistible attack).

18. ... Qc6. Black has probably nothing better than to exchange Queens by 18. ... Qc4+ 19. Qxc4 Rxc4, even though after 20. b3 Rc2+ 21. Kb1 Rc7 22. a5! White still dominates the board.
19. Rad1 Qe6+ 20. Ka3 Rc6 21. a5 g5 22. Re8 gxf4 23. gxf4 Rc4! It’s too late now to exchange Queens, as after 23. ... Qc4? 24. Qxc4 Rxc4 25. a6! Black is hopelessly zugzwanged. The text move hides an astute threat to snatch a draw by 24. ... Ra4+! 25. Kxa4 Qa2+ with perpetual check, but of course Caruana doesn’t fall in it.
24. Qb5 Kc7

25. Rd6!! A delightful finishing touch: White plays for mate!
25. ... exd6 26. Bxb6+ axb6 27. Qxb6+ Kd7 28. Qd8+ Kc6 29. Rxe6 Bf8. Aronian eventually concedes checkmate.
30. Rxd6+ Bxd6+ 31. Qxd6+ 1 : 0. For mate follows after 31. ... Kb7 (idem to say 31. Kb5) 32. Qb6#.

Finally, Caruana relishes a dream final with his lifetime rival, Magnus Carlsen. Photo: Amruta Mokal and Sagar Shah/ChessBase India.