Shamkir R3: Carlsen, So win

[Event "superturnir"] [Site "?"] [Date "2015.04.19"] [Round "3.1"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Adams, Michael"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D35"] [WhiteElo "2788"] [BlackElo "2746"] [PlyCount "89"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.02.07"] [WhiteClock "0:59:09"] [BlackClock "0:54:32"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 {This move-order is a relatively rare guest at the top level, but it is still very solid.} c6 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 Be7 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. f3 {It's very rare to start with this move, but it cleverly avoids the Nh5 ideas. Here the bishop would simply retreat to f2. The minus side is that White has committed to playing the f3-e4 type plans.} O-O 10. Qc2 b5 11. Nge2 Nb6 12. a3 a5 13. O-O Bd7 14. Nc1 Nc4 15. Re1 Be6 16. Nb3 Nd7 17. Bf2 Rc8 18. Rad1 Qc7 19. h3 Rfd8 20. f4 a4 21. f5 $5 {Ignoring the threat since the bishop on e6 is trapped anyway.} axb3 22. Qxb3 Bxf5 23. Bxf5 { It's hard to evaluate the position. White has some obvious structural problems, but he does have the pair of bishops and good activity whereas Black's pieces are a little awkward.} Rb8 24. Qc2 b4 25. axb4 Bxb4 26. Re2 Qa5 $2 {This seems to be the real start of Black's problems. Adams underestimates the weaknesses that will be left after Bh4.} (26... Bd6 27. Bh4 $2 (27. Rb1 $11) 27... g5 $17) 27. Bh4 f6 28. Na4 (28. Ne4 $5) 28... Nf8 29. Bd3 Nb6 30. Nc3 c5 31. dxc5 Bxc5 32. Kh1 Rbc8 33. Bf5 Rc6 34. e4 $1 {With the liquidation of the central pawns the bishops gain tremendous power. Not only that, Black doesn't have light square bishop to cover his weaknesses.} Bb4 35. e5 Be7 36. Qb3 Qc5 $2 (36... Kh8 $16) 37. exf6 Bxf6 38. Ne4 {Now Black simply loses.} Qc4 39. Nxf6+ gxf6 40. Qg3+ Kf7 41. Rde1 {Re7# is kind of annoying.} Qb4 42. Re7+ (42. Bg4 { immediately was also good enough, as were most moves.}) 42... Qxe7 43. Rxe7+ Kxe7 44. Qg7+ Ke8 45. Bg4 1-0

[Event "superturnir"] [Site "?"] [Date "2015.04.19"] [Round "3.3"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A81"] [WhiteElo "2802"] [BlackElo "2863"] [PlyCount "104"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [SourceDate "2015.02.07"] [WhiteClock "0:43:20"] [BlackClock "1:02:50"] 1. d4 f5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 e6 4. c4 c6 5. Nf3 d5 {Well, since the normal Dutch lines didn't work, the Stonewall is given a go.} 6. O-O Bd6 7. b3 Qe7 {A small details, preventing the immediate Ba3. Here White can still exchange bishops by playing a4 but it is not as useful as Qe7.} 8. Bb2 b6 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. Nd2 O-O 11. Rc1 a5 12. e3 Na6 {This position had been reached many times before, with Qe2 being by far the most common move.} 13. Nb1 {This move surely can't be bad, but to me it is slightly baffling. I am not sure where the knight is intended to go. a4?} Bxe5 14. dxe5 Ne4 15. Qe2 a4 $5 16. Nc3 $6 (16. Ba3 c5 17. cxd5 exd5 18. f3 Ng5 19. bxa4 {with a complex position. It won't be trivial to win the a4 pawn.}) 16... axb3 17. axb3 Qb4 18. Nxe4 dxe4 {Black's obviously happy now. He has pressure against b3 and White's bishops are mediocre. White should still somehow be fine though.} 19. Qc2 Nc5 20. Bc3 Qxb3 21. Qxb3 Nxb3 22. Rb1 Nc5 23. Rxb6 Na4 24. Rxb7 Nxc3 {White's bishop on g2 is pretty bad, but he for now has a powerful rook on b7.} 25. Re7 (25. f3 {was the logical choice, opening the diagonal for the bishop. After...} Ra2 26. fxe4 fxe4 27. Rxf8+ Kxf8 28. Bh3 {the game will probably end in a draw.}) 25... Rfe8 26. Rxe8+ Rxe8 27. Ra1 Rd8 28. Bf1 c5 29. Ra3 $6 {Inviting problems. The knight is forced to relocate to a better square.} Nb1 30. Ra1 $6 (30. Ra5 Rd1 31. Ra8+ Kf7 32. Ra7+ Kg6 33. Kg2 $1 Nd2 34. Rd7 $11) 30... Nd2 31. Be2 Nf3+ $1 32. Bxf3 exf3 $17 { Because of the persistent mating threats and the eventual weakess of the f2 pawn, this is a very unpleasant endgame for White.} 33. h3 h5 34. g4 {A little desperate, but suffering slowly didn't seem like fun either.} (34. Ra5 Rd1+ 35. Kh2 Rf1 36. Rxc5 Rxf2+ 37. Kg1 Rg2+ 38. Kf1 Rxg3 {should be winning for Black.} ) 34... fxg4 35. hxg4 h4 $1 {Passing another pawn that will soon be defended.} 36. Kh2 (36. g5 Kh7 $19) 36... Rd2 37. Kh3 g5 38. e4 Rd4 {Clearly White is lost. His king still has to worry about checkmates and White can't attack g5, which is holding Black's position together.} 39. Ra8+ Kf7 40. Ra3 Rxc4 41. Rxf3+ Ke7 42. Re3 Rd4 43. f3 c4 {The pawn is too far for the king on h3.} 44. Ra3 Rd3 45. Ra7+ Kd8 46. Kg2 c3 47. Ra4 c2 48. Rc4 Rd2+ 49. Kh3 Kd7 50. Rc5 Rf2 51. f4 (51. Rc4 Rxf3+ 52. Kg2 Rg3+ 53. Kf2 Rxg4 $19) 51... Rf3+ 52. Kh2 Rxf4 0-1