10 Games from 2014

[Event "Sinquefield Cup"][Site "Saint Louis USA"][Date "2014.08.29"][EventDate "2014.08.27"][Round "3"][Result "0-1"][White "Magnus Carlsen"][Black "Fabiano Caruana"][ECO "C24"][WhiteElo "?"][BlackElo "?"][PlyCount "68"]1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 [{ Magnus is avoiding deep theoretical preparation of Caruana. Such approach broad Topalov nothing but troubles in the first round. 2Bc4 is designed mainly to avoid Petrov Defence 2Nf3 Nf6,but in my opinion Caruana most probably would have try his Berlin defence where he is the Big Guy with white and with black,This simplified way of handling the opening phase is the Magnus main weapon.He used the same path in his WC Match against Anand where he played mainly the non theoretical positions . Most probably Caruana will show if not refutation then just very closed to draw position. I don't believe he will try to punish Carlsen for this out -of -big theory move mainly because he is leading with 2/2 here and just equal would be good enough for him} ( 2.  Nf3   Nc6   3.  Bb5   Nf6   4.  d3   Bc5   5.  Bxc6   dxc6   6.  h3   Nd7   Carlsen,M -Caruana,F /Zuerich 2014/ ) ]  Nf6 3.d3 c6 [ ( 3...  Nc6  { would lead to Italian game where black has many ways to get equality .The latest developments shows that even black has some ideas to play for advantage like}   4.  Nf3   Bc5   5.  O-O   O-O   6.  c3   d5   7.  exd5   Nxd5   8.  Re1   Bg4) { and black may be has already the better game} ] 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb3 Bb4+ [{ as I know this is by far the best move.Off course such theoretical lion like Caruana knows just everything even in the side lines   the normal,  }( 5...  Bd6   6.  exd5   Nxd5   ( 6...  cxd5   7.  Bg5   Be6   8.  Nc3){ with unpleasant pressure against black central pawns} 7.  O-O   O-O   8.  Re1{ gives white slight plus}   8...  Bg4   9.  h3   Bh5   10.  g4   Bg6   11.  Nxe5   Bxe5   12.  Rxe5   Qh4   13.  Qf3   Nd7   14.  Re1   Rae8){ lead to very unclear situation with some compensation for the sacrificed pawn in Alekseev,E -Shirov,A /Germany 2007 The main goal of Caruana 5...Bb4+is to drag off the pawn to c3 and to make impossible the later attack of the center with Nc3 } ] 6.c3 [ ( 6.  Bd2   Bxd2+   7.  Nbxd2   Nbd7   8.  O-O   O-O   9.  Re1   Re8) { gives nothing to white }]  Bd6 7.Bg5 [ ( 7.  exd5   cxd5 { now is good for black as Nc3 is impossible}   8.  Bg5   Be6   9.  O-O   Nbd7 ) ] dxe4 8.dxe4 h6 [{ already black has full equality. White Bg5 is the last chance to break the symmetry but it can also bring troubles as his bishop goes in bad direction - h4-g3 where it can be easy exchanged. }] 9.Bh4 Qe7 10.Nbd2 Nbd7 11.Bg3 [ ( 11.  O-O   Bc7   ( 11...  Nf8  { is big mistake}   12.  Nc4   Bc7   13.  Nfxe5   Bxe5   14.  f4 ) 12.  Re1   Nf8   13.  Nf1   Ng6   14.  Bg3   Be6 ) ] Bc7 12.O-O Nh5 [{  In my opinion black is already much better . In this symmetrical position he would have bishop pair and his Bc7 will be very important }] 13.h3 Nxg3 14.fxg3 Nc5 [{ This move gave Magnus the chance to complicate matters.After}   ( 14...  O-O   15.  Nh4  { black would have to find some good moves like}   15...  Qg5   ( 15...  Nf6   16.  Ng6   Qc5+   17.  Kh2   Re8   18.  Rxf6   gxf6   19.  Qh5 ) 16.  Qe1   ( 16.  Ndf3   Qe3+   17.  Kh2   Qxe4 ) 16...  Nc5   17.  Ndf3   Qd8   18.  Rd1   Qe8 ) ] 15.Bxf7+ [{ Interesting resource. After any other move black would just enjoy the advantage of bishop pair in open position and better pawn structure.But after 15. Bf7 + black has more than obvious defensive moves:   }] Kxf7 16.Nxe5+ Kg8 17.Ng6 Qg5 [{ after which It is not clear to me what exactly white is achieving in the following lines     }] 18.Rf8+ Kh7 19.Nxh8 [{ In this position Caruana fall into a long meditation about the dilemma - to play first Bg4 or after the preliminary check from e3 .In my opinion in both cases he has excellent chances for a win }  ( 19.  Rxh8+   Kxg6   20.  Nf3   Qxg3   21.  Qe1   Qxe1+   22.  Rxe1   Rb8   23.  Nh4+   Kg5   24.  Nf3+   Kf6   25.  b4   Nd3   26.  Rf1   Nf4   27.  Nd4   Ke7   28.  Rg8   Be5 ) ] Bg4 [ ( 19...  Qe3+   20.  Kh1   Bg4   ( 20...  Qxg3   21.  Nf1 ) 21.  Qxg4   ( 21.  Qf1   Qxg3 ) 21...  Rxf8   22.  Ng6   Rf7   23.  Nf1   Qg5   24.  Nh4   Qxg4   25.  hxg4   Nxe4 ) ] 20.Qf1 Nd3 [{ Much better than the others options available} ( 20...  Qe3+   21.  Qf2 )( 20...  Rxf8   21.  Qxf8   Qxd2   22.  hxg4   Nd7   23.  Qf1   Kxh8   24.  Rd1   Qe3+   25.  Qf2   Qxf2+   26.  Kxf2   Ne5){ It is now time for Magnus to think for a while His future is not at all bright -for example} ] 21.Qxd3 [ { Off course not}( 21.  Rxa8   Qe3+){ black is delivering mate or winning white queen   or }(   21.  Rf7   Qe3+   22.  Kh1   Qxg3   23.  Rxc7   Nf2+   24.  Kg1   Nxh3+   25.  Kh1   Qxc7   26.  gxh3   Be6   27.  Qg2   Kxh8 ) ] Rxf8 22.hxg4 [{ Now black has good chances for a win }] Qxg4 [ ( 22...  Kxh8   23.  Nf3   { now}( 23.  Nb3{ is impossible because of} 23...  Bb6+ ) 23...  Qxg4   24.  e5   Qxg3 ) ] 23.Nf3 [{ ( Magnus got sudden chance to come much closer to equality with}( 23.  Nb3   Bb6+   24.  Nd4   c5   25.  Rf1 ) ] Qxg3 [ { After}( 23...  Kxh8){ The material equity would have been restored but white king position remains quite unsafe. Pawn on e4 needs protection and bishop is much stronger than the knight in such open positions } ] 24.e5+ [ ( 24.  Rf1   Bb6+   25.  Kh1   Rd8   26.  Qe2   Kxh8 ) ] Kxh8 [{ Caruana as usual played perfectly in the opening. Even in the side line 2 Bc4 chosen by Magnus he demonstrated his incredible knowledge ( 5.. Bb4+ in my opinion is black best option which was not that widely known before that game. Now this whole line is bound to be closed on GM level .Later on Carlsen was trying with all his might to complicate matters ( 7Bg5 and especially 15 Bf7 !?His other option was to mark the time in symmetrical position,which is not his style as we know. Thus he was forced to do something unusual to turn the tables. But after 15 Bf7 sudden sacrifice Caruana had simple and easy to find defense ( although 20..Nd3 was far from simple) after which material balance was restored but Carlsen having much worse king position and passive knight against black unpleasant bishop.In addition his e pawn is isolated and can become an easy target in the eventual endgame. As Carlsen is well known with his resourceful defense Caruana should be carefully planning his realization }] 25.e6 Bb6+ 26.Kh1 Qg4 27.Qd6 Rd8 [ { Now after Rd8 black is winning by force}( 27...  Rd8   28.  Qe5   ( 28.  Qe7   Rd2   29.  Rg1   Qh5+   ( 29...  Bxg1   30.  Nxd2 ) 30.  Qh4   Qxh4+   31.  Nxh4   Bxg1 ) 28...  Rd5   29.  Qb8+   Kh7 ) ] 28.Qe5 Rd5 29.Qb8+ Kh7 30.e7 Qh5+ 31.Nh2 Rd1+ 32.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 33.Nf1 Qxf1+ 34.Kh2 Qg1+ {0-1}0-1