In the Cage

Étienne Bacrot – Magnus Carlsen

9th GRENKE Chess Festival; Freestyle Open; time control: 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move; Karlsruhe, April 19, 2025

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Position #302

1. d4 d5 2. Ng3 0-0-0 3. 0-0-0 f6 4. e4 dxe4 5. Nxe4 Ng6 6. Nbc3 e5 7. dxe5 Rxd1+ 8. Rxd1 Nxe5 9. f4 Nc4. More prudent was to retreat to d7.

10. a4. Much stronger appears to be 10. Be2! (threatening the check at g4), for after 10. ... f5 11. Bc5! fxe4 12. Bxf8 Black cannot safely retake on account of the Bishop checking at g4.
10. ... b6 11. g3 f5 12. Bh3 Rxe4 13. Bxf5+ Re6 14. Qa2 Qc6 15. Nb5 Kb7 16. Nd4 Qd5 17. Bxe6 Bxe6

18. b3?? A sucidal move, which literally buries the White Queen behind its own Pawns. Simply 18. Nxe6 Qxe6 20. Qb3 would leave White with a not too comfortable but sufficiently tenable position.
18. ... Ba3+! 19. Kb1 Qh5! 20. Rd3

20. ... Qh3! 21. Rd1 Nd2+ 22. Ka1 Bb4 23. Qb2 Bg4 24. Rc1 Nf3 25. Nxf3 Bxf3 26. Qxg7 Nc6 27. Kb2 Bd2 28. Ra1 Qg2 29. Bd4 Be4 30. Bc3 Be3 0–1.