Virtue of Necessity

Fabiano Caruana – Dommaraju Gukesh

Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge; Quarterfinal match game 1; 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 11, 2024

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Position #513

1. c4 e5 2. b4 Nf6 3. Nf3 d6 4. b5 b6 5. 0-0 0-0 6. e3 Ne7 7. d4 e4 8. Nd2 d5 9. a4 c6 10. Ne2 Ng6 11. Ng3 dxc4 12. Nxc4 cxb5 13. axb5 Bc7 14. Nd2 Qe6 15. Bb3 Bd5 16. Bxd5 Qxd5 17. f4 Rbc8 18. Ne2 Ne7 19. Rb3 Qe6

White’s situtation is anything but enviable, for Black intends to sit down with all family Knights on f5 and d5 with a manifest superiority. Caruana is, therefore, compelled to make virtue of necessity, i.e. to sacrifice a Pawn in order to occupy the d4-square with his Knight and to lay claim to the initiative.
20. d5! Nexd5 21. Nd4 Qd7 22. Qg3 Rfe8 23. Nc6 Bd6 24. Nc4 Bc5 25. h3 Kf8?! Unpinning the King. But didn’t Black have anything better to do?
26. Rbb1 Qf5 27. Be5 Re6 28. Rbd1 Qg6? Much more challenging was 28. ... Rcxc6! 29. bxc6 Rxc6 with two Pawns for the Exchange and a sound position.

29. Qf2! Threatening a fork by f4-f5.
29. ... Qh6? Comparatively best was 29. ... Qh5 30. f5 Rxe5! 31. N6xe5 Qg5, although after 32. Nd7+! Kg8 33. Nxf6+ Nxf6 34. Kh1 White must stand better.
30. Nd4! Bxd4. Otherwise the Exchange is lost.
31. Rxd4. Despite the Pawn down, White dominates the board.
31. ... Ne8. The exchange of Knights doesn’t help, as now the end comes very soon.
32. Rxd5 Rxc4 33. Qa2 Rc8 34. Rd7 Qh5 35. Qxa7 Rc2 (35. ... Rg6 36. Qa2+−)
36. Rf2 Rxf2 37. Kxf2 f6? Allowing mate. But Black had no good move.

38. Qa3+ Kg8 39. Qb3 1 : 0. For after 39. ... Qf5 40. g4 it’s all over for Black.

Once again, Caruana gave an impressive demonstration of his strength. Photo: Amruta Mokal/ChessBase India.