First at Last

Fabiano Caruana – Richárd Rapport

7th Gashimov Memorial; Blitz stage; Armageddon game; time control: 5 minutes for White, 4 minutes for Black, with a 3 second increment after the 60th move; Baku, December 23, 2021

Queen’s Pawn Game A46

1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bf4 c5 4. e3 Be7 5. Nbd2 cxd4 6. exd4 0-0 7. c3 b6 8. Bd3 Ba6 9. Bxa6 Nxa6 10. 0-0 Nc7 11. a4 a6 12. c4!? Hopefully more enterprising than 12. Re1 Ncd5 13. Bg3 b5 14. Ne5 Qc8 15. Qe2 d6 16. Nd3 Qb7 with equality, Firouzja – Baklan, 1st Official Online French Blitz Championship Qualifier, europe-echecs.com, May 16, 2020 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move). 12. ... d5 13. b3 dxc4 14. bxc4 b5 15. axb5 axb5 16. Rxa8 Nxa8 17. c5. 17. cxb5 Nd5 18. Bg3 Qa5 19. Qb3 Bb4 hardly offers any chances for an advantage. 17. ... Nd5 18. Bg3 Nac7 19. Qb3 Qa8 20. Rb1 Rc8 21. Ne4 b4 22. h4 h6 23. Ne5 Nb5

24. Qf3!? The immediate 24. Qd3 was probably the correct move, but after that Caruana could hardly hope for anything resembling an advantage, which would mean the end of his amazing comeback as in Armageddon draws count as wins for Black. And so he rightly risks his balance to stress his opponent’s responsibility for the game. 24. ... Rf8?! The gamble worked out! Actually, this move does not compromise the result, but shows that Rapport is very focused on playing for a draw, which can encourage Caruana to play for the win. With 24. ... f5 Black would have put to the test his opponent’s talent for calculation. 25. Qd3 Nbc3 26. Nxc3 bxc3

27. Nd7 Rd8? For quite obvious reasons this Rook would have stood better on c8. 28. Nb6 Qa5? Yet this is the losing move. After the comparatively better 28. ... Nxb6 29. cxb6 Qc6 30. Bc7 Rf8 (30. ... Rc8? 31. Qf3!+−) 31. Rc1 Bb4 32. Qc2 Ba5 33. Qb3 somehow the game goes on despite White’s obvious advantage. 29. Nxd5 Rxd5 30. c6 Bd6 31. Bxd6 Rxd6 32. Rb8+ Rd8 33. Rxd8+ Qxd8 34. Qxc3 Qc7 35. Qc5 f6 36. d5 exd5 37. Qxd5+ Kf8 38. Qe6 Qd8 39. g3 Qc7 40. h5 Qd8 41. Kg2 Qc7 42. Kf3 Qd8 43. g4 Qc7 44. Ke4 Qd8

45. Qd7! Qb8 (45. ... Qxd7 46. cxd7 Ke7 47. Kf5+−) 46. c7 Qa8+. The prelude to the end, but also after 46. ... Qb1+ 47. Kf3 Qh1+ 48. Ke2 Qe4+ 49. Kd2 Qb4+ 50. Kd3 Qb1+ 51. Kc4 Qe4+ 52. Kc5 Qc2+ 53. Kb4 White’s King eventually escapes from checks. 47. Kf4 Qa4+. A way as another to resign. 48. Qxa4 1 : 0.

And finally, after a wonderful comeback in the Blitz stage, Fabiano Caruana triumphed in the 7th Gashimov Memorial! Photo: Vugar Gashimov Chess Memorial.

Lunar Blitz

Viswanathan Anand – Fabiano Caruana

7th Gashimov Memorial; Blitz stage; time control: 5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move; Baku, December 22, 2021

Spanish Game C76

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 5. 0-0 Bd7 6. c3 g6 7. d4 Bg7 8. Re1 Nf6 9. h3 0-0 10. Bc2 Re8 11. d5. White closes the centre and prepares to build up a positional attack on the Queenside. It’s interesting to note that, after closing the centre, four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) turned her attention to the Kingside, nevertheless gaining the upper hand (even if Caruana eventually won the game): 11. Nbd2 b6 12. Nf1 h6 13. Ng3 Qe7 14. Be3 Qf8 15. Qd2 Rad8 16. Rad1 Na7 17. Qc1 c5 18. d5 Nh7 19. Nh2 f5 20. exf5 gxf5 21. f4?! (⌓ 21. Qb1!±) 21. ... e4 22. Nh5 Bh8 23. Nf1 Qf7 24. Nfg3 Nc8 25. Rd2 Ne7 26. Qd1 Ng6 27. Nf1 Nf6 28. Nxf6+ Bxf6 29. Qh5 Qg7 30. Ng3? (30. Kh2 Kh8) 30. ... Nh4! 31. Kh2 Kh8 32. Qe2 Rg8 33. Nh5 Qg6? (33. ... Qf7! 34. Nxf6 Qxf6 transposes to the game) 34. Nxf6? (⌓ 34. Bd1! Nf3+ 35. gxf3 Qxh5 36. fxe4 Qh4 37. Qf2=) 34. ... Qxf6 (34. ... Qg3+! 35. Kh1 Nxg2!−+) 35. Qf1 Rg7 36. c4 Rdg8 37. Ree2 Rg3 38. Bd1 Be8 39. Qe1 Qg7 40. Bg1 Rxh3+! 41. Kxh3 (41. gxh3 Qxg1+! 42. Qxg1 Nf3+ 43. Kh1 Rxg1#) 41. ... Qg4+ 42. Kh2 Nf3+! 0 : 1 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Caruana, 2nd Speed Chess Championship, chess.com, August 24, 2017, match game 16 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move). 11. ... Ne7 12. c4 h6 13. Nc3 Nh7 14. b4TN f5 15. c5 f4 16. Nd2 Rf8 17. Ba4 Bc8 18. cxd6 cxd6 19. b5 g5 20. bxa6 Rxa6

21. Bb5 Ra8. The engines suggest the brilliant Exchange sacrifice 21. ... Ng6! as the disappearance of White’s light-squared Bishop would give Black’s Kingside attack even more strength. 22. Be2 Ng6 23. Rb1 Nh4 24. a4 Nf6 25. Ba3 Rf7

26. Nc4. A typically entertaining double-edged game with many complex possibilities and no absolute certainties. An exemplary line: 26. Nb5 Bf8 27. Nxd6!? (27. Nc4 g4! 28. Nbxd6 Rg7 gives Black a promising initiative) 27. ... Bxd6 28. Bxd6 Qxd6 29. Nc4 Qd8 30. Nxe5 Rg7 31. d6 g4∞ with unclear chances for both colours. 26. ... Bf8 (Δ ... g5-g4) 27. Nb6. If 27. Nb5 then 29. ... g4! 28. Nbxd6 Rg7↑ as in the line given above.

27. ... Rg7? A careless move which could prove costly. 27. ... g4! first is the correct move order as 28. Nxa8 (or 28. g3 Rg7!→) 28. ... gxh3→ leaves Black with a probably irresistible attack. 28. Nxa8? Too greedy. 28. g4! was so obviously the only move to prevent immediate catastrophe that Anand should have played it without even thinking a millisecond. 28. ... g4!−+ 29. hxg4 Nxg4 30. Bf3 Qg5. 30. ... Nh2! at once was possible (31. Kxh2 Nxg2!−+). 31. Nb6. Or 31. Kf1 Nxf3 32. gxf3 Nxf2! 33. Qc2 Qg2+ 34. Ke2 Rg3! 35. Kd2 Qxf3 with too many threats to meet. 31. ... Nh2! 32. Kxh2 Nxg2! 0 : 1. If 33. Nxc8 then 33. ... Qh4+ 34. Kg1 Ne3+ followed by mate in three.

Early Winter

Fabiano Caruana – Shakhriyar Hamid oglu Mamedyarov

7th Gashimov Memorial; Rapid stage; match game 1; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Baku, December 21, 2021

English Opening A16

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Nxe5 0-0 6. Nf3 Re8 7. Bd3 (7. d3 d5 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bd2 Bg4 10. Qb3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Na6 12. Be2 Nc5 13. Qc2 Bxf3 14. gxf3 Qh4 15. d4 Ne6 16. Qc1 c6 17. a4 Qh3 18. Rb1 b6 19. Be3 Rac8 20. Qd2 f5 21. Qd3 Kh8 22. e5 c5 23. d5 f4 24. dxe6 Rcd8 25. Qe4 fxe3 26. fxe3 Rxe6 27. Rd1 Rde8 28. Bf1 Qh6 29. Qf4 g5 30. Qg4 Bxe5 31. Bb5 Rf8 32. Rd7 Bf4 33. Bd3 Rxe3+ 34. Kf2 Rfe8 35. h4 R3e7 36. Rxe7 Rxe7 ½ : ½ Giri – Dubov, FIDE Grand Prix 2019, Moscow 2019, match game 1) 7. ... Nxe4 8. Bxe4 Bxc3 9. dxc3 Rxe4+ 10. Be3 d6 11. h3 Nc6 12. 0-0 Qf6!? Formally a novelty. 12. ... Bf5 13. Nd2 Re6 14. Qf3 Qh4 gave Black good play in Jumabayev ̵ Paravyan, PNWCC Online Blitz — Jackpot XVI, lichess.org, June 20, 2020 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move). 13. Re1 Bf5 14. Bg5 Rxe1+ 15. Qxe1 Qe6

16. Qd2. Caruana offers a Pawn sacrifice for the sake of a volatile Kingside initiative. 16. ... f6. If 16. ... Qxc4?! at once then 17. Bf6 Qe6 18. Qg5 leaves White with the upper hand. 17. Re1 Qf7 18. Bh6 Qxc4 19. Nd4 Nxd4 20. cxd4 Qf7. Of course Black cannot allow White Rook to invade to e7. 21. Qe3 Bd7 22. Qe7 Re8. Forcing liquidation into an ending with Bishops of opposite colour in which Black’s extra Pawn sounds pretty meaningless. 23. Qxf7+ Kxf7 24. Rxe8 Bxe8 25. h4 Ke6 26. Bg7 g5 27. hxg5 fxg5 28. f3 h5 29. Kf2 a5 30. Ke3 h4 31. Bh6 Kf5 32. Bf8 Kf6 33. a3 Bc6 34. Kf2 Bd5 35. Bh6 Kf5 36. Bg7 b5 37. Bf8 Kf6 38. Kg1

38. ... b4 39. axb4 axb4 40. Kf2 b3 41. Bh6 Kf5 42. Bf8 g4 43. Be7 h3!? It is only a last trick, but on the other hand the dual 43. ... g3+ 44. Kg1 h3 45. gxh3 Bxf3 46. Bd8 c5 47. dxc5 dxc5 48. Bb6 c4 49. Bd4 also leads only to a draw.

44. fxg4+?? Playing on inertia, Caruana commits harakiri, thereby in fact losing material and the game. Obviously 44. gxh3 would ensure a draw. 44. ... Ke6−+ 45. Bxd6 Kxd6 46. gxh3 Be4 47. h4 Kd5 48. Ke3 Bc2 49. h5 Bd1 50. h6 Bc2 0 : 1.

The mini-match with Mamedyarov resulted in a heavy defeat for Caruana, which costed him the final first place in the Rapid stage. Photo: Vugar Gashimov Chess Memorial.

Hold Back Yesterday

Fabiano Caruana – Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin

7th Gashimov Memorial; Rapid stage; Armageddon game; time control: 5 minutes for White, 4 minutes for Black, with a 3 second increment after the 60th move; Baku, December 18, 2021

8/4k2p/2B3p1/5p1P/p7/Pb4P1/5P2/6K1 w - - 0 39

Position after 38. ... Kf7xe7

Caruana has liquidated into a clear endgame win which if achieved would have maintained him in the lead even today. However time flies by and he must have realised that all of his advantage would end in nothing after 39. hxg6 hxg6 20. f4 g5!= with a draw coming. Probably upset he then turned himself to a tricky move: 39. h6? Hoping for a happy ending after 39. ... Kd6?? 40. Be8 followed by a raid on g6, but of course Karjakin did not bite the bait. And yet Caruana was very close to the solution, if only he had reversed the order of moves: 39. f4! gxh5 (otherwise White exchanges on g6 and then moves the King to b4) 40. Kf2 Kd6 41. Be8 Kd5 42. Ke3+− with a won ending for White despite his material deficit as all Black’s Pawns — scattered on squares of the wrong colour — are doomed. 39. ... g5= 40. f4 gxf4 41. gxf4 Kf7 42. Kf2 Kg6 43. Bd7 Kxh6 44. Bxf5 Kg7 45. Kg3 h6 46. Be4 Kf6 47. Bf3 Kf5 48. Bg4+ Kf6 49. Kh4 Kg6 50. Bd7 Bd1 51. Kg3 Kf6 52. Kf2 Bb3 53. Kf3 Bd1+ 54. Ke4 Bb3 55. Bg4 Bc2+ 56. Kd4 Bb3 57. Bh3 Bc2 58. Kc3 Bb3 59. Kb4 h5 60. Kc3 Be6 61. Bf1 Kf5 62. Bh3+ Kf6 63. Bf1 ½ : ½.

Kuku

Fabiano Caruana – Richárd Rapport

7th Gashimov Memorial; Rapid stage; match game 1; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Baku, December 19, 2021

French Defence C18

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qc7 7. h4 Ne7 8. Rh3 Nbc6 9. h5 h6 10. Qg4 Rg8. 10. ... Nf5 is more usual; for instance: 11. Qf4 Bd7 12. Bd3 0–0–0 13. Ne2 g5 14. hxg6 fxg6 15. Bxf5 gxf5 16. f3 Rdg8 17. Kf2 Rg6 18. Be3 cxd4 ½ : ½ Golubev – Komarov, 42nd “Soviet Army” Team Chess Championship, Riga 1988. 11. Qf4!?TN (11. Ne2 f6= G. Cappello – Pulieri, 20th Italian Correspondence Chess Championship, by correspondence, 1968–69) 11. ... Bd7 12. Bd2 0-0-0 13. Nf3 Rdf8 14. Bd3 f6

15. Qh2. The White Queen hides herself behind the curtain, waiting for a better time that is unlikely to come. 15. exf6 e5!?∞ is also very complicated but probably balanced. 15. ... fxe5. Possibly better is 15. ... Qb6! threatening to infiltrate on b2. 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. Qxe5 Qxe5+ 18. dxe5 Nc6 19. f4 c4 20. Be2 Be8 21. Be3 b6 22. Kd2 Kb7 23. g4. White enjoys a distinct spatial advantage which requires urgent countermeasures by Black. 23. ... Rf7 24. Rg1 Rgf8 25. g5

25. ... Ne7!? Rapport relies upon a positional Exchange sacrifice in the style of Petrosian which has its justification in the fact that Caruana is unwilling to accept it. 26. g6 Rf5 27. Bg4 Bd7 28. Ra1

28. ... Rb8? 28. ... d4! 29. cxd4 Nd5 30. Bxf5 c3+! 31. Ke1 exf5 might have been Black’s most hard to crack defence. 29. a4 Rff8 30. a5 Nf5 31. Bxf5 Rxf5 32. axb6 a6? 32. ... axb6 33. Rhh1 is barely more appealing, but at least Black holds on to material equality for a while longer. 33. Rh4 Rc8 34. Bd4 Bb5 35. Ke3 Be8 36. Kf3 Bb5 37. Kg3 Bd7 38. Ra5 Bb5 39. Rh1! Rff8 40. Rha1. Threatening to take on b5 followed by Ra1-a7+. 41. ... Ra8 41. Kg4 Kc6 42. Rb1. White could probably take on b5 at once, but he does not need to hurry as Black is virtually in zugzwang. 42. ... Kb7

43. Raxb5! axb5 44. Rxb5 Rf5 45. Rxd5! Rxf4+ 46. Kxf4 Rf8+ 47. Ke4 exd5+ 48. Kxd5 1 : 0.

So far Caruana leads the 7th Gashimov Memorial, one whole point ahead of Rapport. Photo: Vugar Gashimov Chess Memorial via Instagram.

A Touch Too Much

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin – Richárd Rapport

7th Gashimov Memorial; Rapid stage; match game 1; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Baku, December 18, 2021

French Defence C18

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Nc6 7. Qg4 g6 8. Qd1 Bd7 9. Nf3 Qa5 10. Bd2 c4 11. h4 h6 12. a4 0-0-0 13. Qc1 f6!?TN (13. ... f5 14. Qa3 Nge7 15. g3 Rh7 16. Bg2 Kb8 17. Ke2 Nc8 18. Rhb1 Rg8 19. Rb5 Qd8 20. Rab1 Na5 21. Rc5 Ne7∞ van Werseel – I. Rajlich, 2nd Memorial of Krystyna Hołuj-Radzikowska, Warsaw 2012) 14. Qa3 Rh7 15. Bf4 fxe5 16. Nxe5 Nxd4 17. 0-0-0 Nc6

18. Nxg6. Perhaps White ought first to play 18. Bxc4!? Qc7 (18. ... dxc4?? 19. Nxc4+−) 19. Nxg6 with possibly better chances than in the game. 18. ... b5 19. Ne5 Nge7. Also good seems 19. ... Qxa4 20. Qd6 Nf6! 21. f3 (otherwise ... Nf6-e4 follows, threatening both Queen and mate) 21. ... Ne8= with at least equality. 20. Rh3. 20. Qc5!? has its merits also, although 20. ... Qxc3!? 21. axb5 Qa1+ 22. Kd2 Qd4+ 23. Qxd4 Nxd4 is probably nothing too special for White. 20. ... Nxe5 21. Bxe5 Nc6 22. Bh2 Rf7 23. Rf3 Rxf3 24. gxf3 Qxa4

25. Qd6? This trivial mate-in-one threat paves the way to Black’s powerful counterattack. The lesser evil was to go into the ending a Pawn down: 25. Qxa4 bxa4 26. Bd6 Kb7 where White may still hope for a draw. 25. ... Qa5 26. Bh3? Faithful to the principle that consistent and bad is better than good but inconsistent. Indeed White will never have time to take on e6, but it is arduous to suggest anything constructive — if 26. Kb2 there would equally follow 26. ... Kb7! with great advantage to Black.

26. ... Kb7! This is the key move of Black’s successful defence (and counterattack). If, instead, 26. ... d4? then 27. Bxe6+− dxc3?? 28. Qxc6+ followed by mate. 27. Kb2 d4! 28. Rxd4 Bc8 29. Qg3 Rxd4 0 : 1. For after 30. cxd4 c3+ 31. Kb1 Qb4+ 32. Kc1 Qb2+ 33. Kd1 Qb1+ 34. Ke2 Qxc2+ 35. Kf1 Qh7! the rest is silence.