The Long Afternoon

Javokhir Sindarov – Fabiano Caruana

1st Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour; first leg; Stage 2: Knockout; Semifinal tie-break game 5 (Armageddon); time control: 5 minutes; Wangels, February 12, 2025

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Position #500

1. c4 d5 2. cxd5 Qxd5 3. Ngf3 c5 4. Nc2 Ngf6 5. Ne3 Qd8 6. 0-0 0-0 7. b3 b6 8. Bb2 Bb7 9. d4 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Nxd4 Nd6 12. Bd3 Nde4 13. Nef5 e6 14. Ne7+ Kh8 15. Rac1 Nc5 16. Bc2 Bd6 17. Nec6 Rfc8

18. Nb4? In an Armageddon White can afford no other outcome than victory, which may justify Sindarov’s off-the-rails conduct. From a purely objective position, however, he should have played 18. b4! Bxc6 19. bxc5 with a possible balance.
18. ... Nxb3! 19. Bxb3 Bxb4 20. Nb5 Bc5 21. Be5 Rd8 22. e3 a6

23. Nc7? Jumping straight into a dead end. If anything, after 23. Rxc5! bxc5 24. Nd6 Rd7 25. Ba4 White regains the Exchange with still a way to go and impossible hopes.
23. ... Rac8 24. Bc4 Nd7 25. Bg3 b5 26. Nxe6!? A desperate gamble.
26. ... fxe6 27. Bxe6 Bb6 28. Rxc8 Bxc8 29. Rd1

30. ... Re8! 30. Rd6. Or 30. Bxd7 Rd8 winning.
30. ... Nf8 31. Bxc8 Rxc8 32. Kf1 Bc5 33. Rxa6 Kg8 34. Ke2 b4 35. Be5 Be7 36. Kd3 Nd7 0–1.