London Classic: A rest before the rest day

[Event "9th London Chess Classic 2017"] [Site "London"] [Date "2017.12.01"] [Round "1"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D27"] [WhiteElo "2837"] [BlackElo "2799"] [Annotator "AlexYermo"] [PlyCount "108"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 {Caruana successfully relied on the Queens Gambit Accepted in his match with Grischuk in the Champions Showdown, St. Louis 2017.} 3. e3 { The quietest line. White makes sure to get his pawn back.} ({Alexander focused on} 3. e4) 3... Nf6 4. Bxc4 e6 5. Nf3 c5 6. O-O a6 7. Be2 $5 {Typical Magnus. This move is way down the list of White's options.} Nbd7 {Caruana is careful to sidestep Carlsen's preparation.} (7... cxd4 8. exd4 Nc6 9. Nc3 Be7 10. Be3 { was seen in Aronian-Caruana, Sinquefield Cup 2017. While the position of Be2 doesn't lend a hand to White's usual attacking ambition on the K-side, he can choose a different plan. Fabiano reacted quickly} Ng4 $5 ({not allowing White to expand after} 10... O-O 11. Ne5) 11. Bf4 Nf6 {defended a slightly worse position very successfully, and later took advantage of Levon's blunder. The whole affair took 110 moves!}) 8. Nc3 {[#]} b6 $5 (8... b5 {seems obvious, but therein lies the point of Carlsen's idea.} 9. e4 b4 10. e5 bxc3 11. exf6 Nxf6 ( {Much worse is} 11... cxb2 $6 12. fxg7 bxa1=Q $2 13. gxh8=Q {Same as in the similar position of the Meran Variation, the four queens on the board make the weak black king the decisive factor in the battle.}) 12. bxc3 {With his bishop on e2, instead of d3, White is much better suited for subsequent play with Ne5 and Bf3.}) 9. e4 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Bb7 11. Be3 $5 {Still in Magnus's preparation. Now he offers a pawn sac.} ({The immediate} 11. f3 {would have pointed Black into the right direction:} Qb8 $1 12. Be3 Bd6 13. g3 h5 $5) 11... Bc5 {With this move Caruana accepts a slightly worse position.} ({One wonders about} 11... Nxe4 12. Nxe4 Bxe4 13. Bf3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Bc5 {Clearly, White has some play, but is it enough to claim an advantage? Practical testing is awaited.}) 12. f3 $14 {[#] There are many classical examples, some from Kramnik's games, of White benefiting from his g2-f3-e4 pawn chain. Black's Nf6 and Bb7 are restricted.} O-O 13. Qe1 ({The more direct} 13. Qd2 Rc8 14. Na4 Be7 15. b4 b5 16. Nb2 {would leave Black searching for a suitable square for his queen, while a2-a4 won't be long in coming.}) 13... Rc8 14. Qf2 b5 15. Rac1 Qe7 { Now possible, as Bc5 can retreat along the other diagonal.} 16. a4 ({I figure Kramnik would have preferred} 16. Nb3 Bxe3 17. Qxe3 {eyeing that a5-square.}) 16... bxa4 17. Nxa4 Bd6 $6 {A surprising choice.} (17... Ba7 {was safe, as} 18. Nf5 $2 exf5 19. Bxa7 fxe4 {loses a pawn for White.}) 18. Nb3 Bc6 19. Nc3 Rb8 20. Na5 Ba8 21. Nc4 Bc5 22. Rfd1 Rfc8 23. Na4 $6 {True to his style of play, Magnus seeks some clarification, but taking his knight to the edge of the board cost him a big chunk of his advantage.} ({The logical choice would have been} 23. Ra1 {to hit the weak pawn. White can also have plans for a central expansion, such as in} Bxe3 24. Qxe3 Nc5 25. Nd6 Rc6 26. e5 Nfd7 27. f4) 23... Bxe3 24. Qxe3 Qb4 $1 {A timely activity to interfere with White's plans.} 25. Qa3 {This was expected from Magnus Carlsen.} (25. Nc3) 25... h6 {[#]} 26. Kf1 ( {White could have accomplished more simplification with the help of a little tactic} 26. Ncb6 $5 Qxa3 27. Rxc8+ Rxc8 28. bxa3 Nxb6 29. Nxb6 Rb8 30. Nxa8 Rxa8 31. Rc1 $14) 26... g5 27. Rc3 a5 28. Qxb4 axb4 {A welcome pawn structure change if you're a Caruana fan. Still, White is a little better, and Magnus is Magnus.} 29. Rcc1 Kf8 30. Na5 Ke7 31. Kf2 Rxc1 32. Rxc1 Ne8 33. Ke3 Nd6 34. Nc5 Rc8 35. Nab3 f5 $6 (35... Ne5 {would have prevented White from trading rooks, which he needs to accomplish if he's serious about hitting that b4-pawn.}) 36. Nxd7 Rxc1 37. Nxc1 Kxd7 38. Nd3 $6 ({It is surprising to see Carlsen neglecting a chance to win a clean pawn after} 38. Bd3 fxe4 39. fxe4 {and there's no stopping the threat of Na2. Truth be told, White would still be a long ways from winning the game.} e5 40. Na2 Kc7 41. Nxb4 Kb6) 38... fxe4 39. fxe4 Ke7 40. e5 ({Another option was} 40. Bf3 g4 41. Bxg4 Bxe4 42. Bf3 Bxd3 43. Kxd3 e5 $14) 40... Nf5+ 41. Kf2 Nd4 42. Bd1 b3 43. Nb4 Bd5 44. g3 (44. Nxd5+ exd5 45. Ke3 Nf5+ 46. Kd3 Ke6 47. Bxb3 Kxe5 {An outside passer is always useful in B vs N endgames, but here Black is well centralized and therefore should hold.}) 44... Bc4 45. Ke3 Nf5+ 46. Ke4 $6 ({More promising seemed} 46. Kd2 Kd7 47. Bf3 Kc7 48. Kc3) 46... Kd7 47. g4 {This pawn will be a target for Black's counterplay.} Ne7 48. Kd4 Bf1 49. Bxb3 Be2 50. h3 Bf1 51. Nd3 Nc6+ 52. Kc5 $5 {A fancy way to reach a draw that seemed inevitable anyhow.} Bxd3 53. Ba4 Be4 54. Kb6 Bd5 {Of course Black cannot unpin, but he can wait for the White pawn to come to b5, and then his knight can move away.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "9th London Chess Classic 2017"] [Site "London"] [Date "2017.12.01"] [Round "1"] [White "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Black "Anand, Viswanathan"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A08"] [WhiteElo "2781"] [BlackElo "2782"] [Annotator "AlexYermo"] [PlyCount "87"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 {Hikaru wanted a big fight, so he aimed to avoid theory.} d5 3. Bg2 c5 4. O-O g6 $5 {On the black side of the Reti Vishy likes to fianchetto his bishop once he gets his pawns to the center.} 5. d4 $5 { Suddenly, it's White who's playing the Grunfeld!} cxd4 6. Nxd4 Bg7 7. Nb3 ({ Book says} 7. c4 O-O 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 {The Chinese GM Li Chao defended the black side of this at least four times in recent practice.}) 7... Nc6 8. Nc3 e6 9. e4 d4 10. Na4 O-O 11. c3 dxc3 ({It would have been too ambitious for Anand to pretend he was White and continue with} 11... e5 12. cxd4 exd4 {since the extra tempo can be put into a good use, say by playing} 13. Re1) 12. Nxc3 e5 13. Be3 $14 Bg4 14. f3 Be6 15. Nc5 Qe7 16. Nxe6 Qxe6 17. Qd2 {[#] White appears to be slightly better thanks to the bishop pair.} Rfd8 18. Qf2 Bf8 19. h3 Bb4 20. Rac1 Rd3 ({Vishy turned down Hikaru's pawn offer,} 20... Bxc3 21. Rxc3 Qxa2 {likely because he was concerned about} 22. Bg5 Qe6 23. f4 {but then} exf4 24. gxf4 (24. Qxf4 Nh5) 24... Nxe4 25. Bxe4 Qxe4 26. Bxd8 Rxd8 {appears to be playable for Black.}) 21. Rfd1 Rad8 22. Rxd3 Rxd3 23. Bf1 Rd8 24. a3 Be7 {[#] Skillful display by Nakamura. White controls all the key squares while avoiding massive exchanges.} 25. g4 $6 {Oh, I don't know about this. The weakening of the dark squares may come back to bite White.} ( 25. Kh2 a6 26. Nd5 $1 Nxd5 27. Bc4 {and White plays on without any risk.}) 25... Kg7 26. Kh2 h6 27. h4 (27. Nb5 a6 28. Bc4 Qc8 29. Nc3 Nh7 {and now we can see how ...Bg5 becomes an issue.}) 27... Nd4 $1 {In the approach to the time control Anand begins to bother Nakamura with tactical play.} 28. g5 hxg5 29. hxg5 Nh7 30. Bh3 Qb3 31. f4 Nc6 $1 {White's position is grossly overextended. Something is going to give.} 32. Nd5 (32. Rg1 exf4 33. Bxf4 Bxa3) 32... exf4 33. Bxf4 {[#]} Bxg5 $2 {This decision likely cost Anand a nice win in the opening round.} ({Keeping the Be7 on to protect f6 was a must.} 33... Nxg5 $1 {Soon some other trades will be forced and Black will get to keep his extra pawn, e.g.} 34. Rc3 Qd1 35. Qg2 Nxh3 36. Rxh3 Rh8 37. Rxh8 Kxh8 38. Nxe7 Nxe7 39. Be5+ Kg8 40. Bc3 Nc6 41. Qf2 Qg4 42. Qf6 Kf8 $17) 34. Bxg5 Nxg5 35. Qf6+ Kh6 36. Bg2 Nh7 37. Qxf7 Rf8 38. Qc7 Qxb2 39. Rh1 Qf2 40. Kh3 Rf7 41. Qg3 {[#] The time control has been made, and White will soon be looking at a tough defensive task in an endgame down a pawn.} Qb2 $6 {All of a sudden Vishy moved his queen away.} (41... Kg7 42. Qxf2 Rxf2 43. Rb1 Rf7 44. Kg3 Ne5 {was expected.}) 42. Ne3 $1 {It is amazing how quick Hikaru was to pounce on that error.} Nf6 $6 ({Still,} 42... Qd4 43. Rd1 Ng5+ 44. Kh2 Nf3+ 45. Bxf3 Qxe3 46. Bg2 Qxg3+ 47. Kxg3 $15 {was there.}) 43. Bf3 {Suddenly it's the black king that's in danger.} Kh7 44. Nf5 ({Draw was agreed based on the forced line} 44. Nf5 Qxa3 45. Kg2+ Nh5 46. Qg5 Qb2+ 47. Kg1 Qb6+ 48. Kg2 {and Black must keep on checking.}) 1/2-1/2