1.e4
e5
2.f4
[The King's gambit is one way to avoid the dreaded Petroff defense 2.Nf3
Nf6
]
2...d5
[In 2004, when he was making his first steps toward stardom, Carlsen as Black played against GM Alexei Fedorov in Dubai 2...exf4
3.Nf3
g5
4.h4
g4
5.Ne5
d6
6.Nxg4
Nf6
7.Nxf6+
Qxf6
8.Nc3
Nc6
9.Bb5
Kd8
10.Bxc6
bxc6
11.d3
Rg8
12.Qf3
Bh6
13.Qf2
Rb8
14.Ne2
Rxb2
15.Bxb2
Qxb2
16.0-0
Qxc2
17.Nxf4
Qxf2+
and the players agareed to a draw since the forced variation: 18.Rxf2
Bg7
19.Rc1
Bd4
20.Rxc6
Rg4
21.Nd5
Bb7
22.Rc4
Bxf2+
23.Kxf2
Rxh4
24.Nxc7
Rh5
does not give much to either side.]
3.exd5
exf4
A popular way to defuse the tension in the center.
4.Nf3
Nf6
[In his new book "Starting Out: Open Games," GM Glenn Flear brings back the move 6...Bd6. It was played in the famous game Boris Spassky-David Bronstein, Leningrad 1960, and the final few moves were reproduced in the James Bond movie "From Russia with Love." For years nobody touched it, but Flear is convinced that after 4...Bd6
5.Bb5+
(or 5.Nc3
Ne7
6.d4
0-0
7.Bd3
Ng6!?
(7...Nd7?!
8.0-0
h6?
9.Ne4!
Nxd5
10.c4
Ne3
11.Bxe3
fxe3
12.c5
Be7
13.Bc2!
Re8
14.Qd3
e2?
15.Nd6!?
Nf8?!
16.Nxf7
exf1Q+
17.Rxf1
Bf5
(17...Kxf7
18.Ne5+
Kg8
19.Qh7+!
Nxh7
20.Bb3+
Kh8
21.Ng6#
) 18.Qxf5
Qd7
19.Qf4
Bf6
20.N3e5
Qe7
21.Bb3
Bxe5
22.Nxe5+
Kh7
23.Qe4+
1-0 Spassky,B-Bronstein,D/Leningrad 1960/URS-ch (23.Qe4+
g6
24.Rxf8!
wins. It was one of Spassky's finest achievements and a disaster for Black. ) ) 8.0-0
c6
) 5...c6
6.dxc6
Nxc6
7.d4
Nge7
8.0-0
0-0
9.c4
Bg4
Black has active piece play against White's center.]
5.Bc4!?
The Bishop move is now preferable to 5.Bb5+ or 5.Nc3. [5.Nc3
Nxd5
6.Nxd5
Qxd5
7.d4
Bg4!?
(The game Reti,R-Nyholm,G, Baden 1914, went 7...Bd6
8.c4
Qe6+
9.Kf2
c5
10.Bd3
Qh6
11.Re1+
Kf8
12.Qe2
Bd7
13.b4!
with clear advantage to White. ) 8.Bxf4
Nc6
9.Be2
0-0-0
10.c3
Bd6
11.Bxd6
Qxd6
12.0-0
f6
with equal chances, Chigorin,M-Tarrasch,S,St Petersburg 1893 ; 5.Bb5+
]
5...Nxd5
6.0-0
Be7
[Black can invite an interesting gambit with 6...Be6
7.Bb3
Be7
8.c4
Nb6
9.d4
Nxc4
but White seems to have good compensation for the pawn. The game Shulman-Onischuk, Kansas 2003, continued 10.Nc3
c6
(10...Na5!?
is not bad either 11.Bxe6
fxe6
12.Qe2
Nbc6
13.Bxf4
Nxd4=
) 11.Bxf4
0-0
12.Qe2
b5
13.a4
Qb6
with roughly equal chances.]
7.Bxd5!?
Why would White give up this wonderful Bishop, which did great damage in many King's gambit games? The answer is speed in development. White gets his pieces quickly into play, dominates the center and, in general, enjoys more space.
7...Qxd5
8.Nc3
Qd8
The Queen moves like a yo-yo, but it is the safest retreat. By protecting the pawn on c7, Black will have more time to develop his light pieces. Holding onto the pawn seems dangerous and definitely not in style of the Chinese grandmaster. [It could get wild after 8...Qf5
9.d4
0-0
10.Ne5
g5
11.Nd5
with a possible piece sacrifice on f4.]
9.d4
0-0
10.Bxf4
Bf5
[Wang develops his Bishop and takes the square d3 from the white Queen. But 10...c6
11.Qd3
Na6
12.Rae1
Be6
is a good, playable alternative.]
11.Qe2!?
[Carlsen connects the Rooks and Black has to be aware of a timely 12.Qb5. In the game Fedorov-Svidler, Smolensk 2000, Black was able to secure the light squares after 11.Qd2
c6
12.Kh1
Bb4
13.a3
Bxc3
14.Qxc3
Qd5
15.Qd2
Nd7
16.b3
b5
17.Rac1
Nb6
He later outplayed his opponent and won in 41 moves.]
11...Bd6?!
Exchanging pieces in a worse position is a common ploy of good defenders, but here it leads to more yo-yo moves by the black Queens and helps Carlsen to improve his position. [Wang probably didn't like 11...c6
12.Rae1
Re8
(12...Bd6
13.Bxd6
Qxd6
14.Ne4
) 13.Bg5
with White's edge.]
12.Bxd6
Qxd6
13.Nb5!
Improving the "marriage" between the c-pawn and the white Knight. David Bronstein believed that the Knight behind the pawn is a good marriage and in front of the pawn – a bad one.
13...Qd8
(The safest retreat. [13...Qb6?
14.Qe5
Bxc2
15.Nxc7
Nd7
16.Nxa8
and White should win.; 13...Qd7?
14.Ne5
Qc8
15.Rxf5
Qxf5
16.Rf1
Qc8
17.Qc4
with a decisive attack.]
14.c4
a6
[Black doesn't want to engage his c-pawn too soon, but 14...c6!?
15.Nc3
Re8
16.Qd2
Nd7
is a better defensive set-up.]
15.Nc3
Now the knight is behind the pawn and according the legendary GM David Bronstein, it constitutes a good marriage. White controls most squares in the center and can turn it into a space advantage.
15...Nd7
16.Rad1
Bg6
17.Qf2
Re8
18.h3
Rc8
19.Rfe1
Rxe1+
20.Rxe1
c6
Diagram
21.d5!
Crossing the equator, the line that splits the board in half horizontally, dividing both armies. Carlsen intends to advance the passed d-pawn as far as he can.
21...Nf6?!
[(Black should have exchanged the pawn immediately to keep more pieces in play. After 21...cxd5
White has to retake with the pawn 22.cxd5
(22.Nxd5?!
Rxc4!
23.Qa7
Re4
24.Qxb7
Rxe1+
25.Nxe1
Be4=
) 22...Qc7
23.Qd4
Qd6=
]
22.Qd4
cxd5
23.Nxd5!
Threatening 24.Ne7+, White forces the knight exchange, eliminating one blocker.
23...Nxd5
24.cxd5
Qd6
The Queen is usually a poor blocker, but Black doesn't have anything else handy.
25.Ne5
Re8
[The immediate 25...Rd8 was possible, but Black had a reason to lure the white rook on e3. However, Wang should have clarified the position with 25...f6!
26.Nxg6
(26.Nc4?
Qb4!-+
) 26...hxg6
for example 27.Re6
[Otherwise Black plays 27...Rd8.] 27...Rc1+
28.Kf2
Rc2+
29.Kf3
Qd7
(Or 29...Qh2
30.Qg4
Kf7
(30...g5?
31.d6
Qg1
32.Re8+
Kf7
33.Qh5+
g6
34.Qh7+
Kxe8
35.Qe7#
) 31.d6
(31.Rb6
Qc7=
) 31...Qg1
32.Re7+
Kf8
33.Re8+
Kxe8
34.Qxg6+
Kd7
35.Qxc2
Kxd6=
) 30.Kg3=
]
26.Re3
Rd8
27.Nc4
Qf6
28.Re5!?
[Carlsen decides to keep the Queens on the board. After 28.Qxf6
gxf6
the White Rook can't protect the d-pawn since the square d3 is taken and after 29.Re7
Bb1!?
30.a3
(30.a4
b5
31.axb5
axb5
) 30...b5
Black has good drawing chances.]
28...h6
[(The computers want to play 28...b5
29.Na5
h6
30.Nb7
Rb8
31.Nc5
(31.d6?
Rxb7
32.d7
Rxd7
33.Re8+
Kh7
34.Qxd7
Qxb2=
) 31...Qd6
32.b4
the position looks better for White. With the help of tactical tricks Carlsen is now able to march his d-pawn forward.]
29.d6!
Did Black overlook this advance?
29...Bf5
[After 29...b5
30.d7!
bxc4?
31.Re8+
Kh7
32.Qxf6
gxf6
33.Rxd8
wins.]
30.Nb6!
Be6
[Black still can't touch the d-pawn: after 30...Rxd6
31.Nd5!
wins the Exchange or the Bishop after 31...Qg5
32.Rxf5!
Qxf5
33.Ne7+
; Black loses after 30...Qxd6?
31.Re8+!
; Black could have considered to maneuver the Bishop to the diagonal h1-a8: 30...Bd3
31.d7
Bb5
32.a4
Qf1+
33.Kh2
Bc6
with some hope to survive.]
31.d7!
Black is in a terrible squeeze and Carlsen has time to improve his pieces.
31...Kh8
32.a4
g6
33.Qc3
Kg7
34.a5
h5
35.h4
Rxd7?!
[This could be Black's best practical chance to avoid a slow death. After 35...Kg8
36.g3
Kg7
37.Rc5
Qxc3
38.Rxc3
Kf6
39.Rc7
White has excellent winning chances, for example 39...Ke7
40.Rxb7
Bxd7
41.Ra7+-
Ke8
42.Rxa6
Bb5
43.Ra8
Rxa8
44.Nxa8
Kd7
45.Kf2
Kc6
46.Ke3
Bf1
47.Kd4
Kb5
48.Nc7+
Kxa5
49.Kc5
and the b-pawn runs to victory.]
36.Nxd7
Bxd7
37.Qd4
Bc6
38.b4
Bb5
39.Kh2
Ba4
40.Rd5
Bc6
41.Qxf6+
Kxf6
42.Rc5
Ke6
43.Kg3
f6
44.Kf2
Bd5
45.g3
g5?
Allowing a pretty breakthrough. Black should have waited, not allowing the white Rook to penetrate to the back rank. If the white King begins to cross to the square b6, Black can push his g-pawn, hoping to create a passed pawn on the kingside. It could be close.
46.g4!
hxg4
47.h5
Be4
48.Rc7!
Supporting the passed pawn and not allowing the black King to come closer.
48...f5
49.h6
f4
50.h7
g3+
51.Ke1
f3
52.h8Q
f2+
53.Ke2
Bd3+
54.Ke3
Black resigned. [54.Ke3
f1Q
55.Qe8+
Kf5
56.Rf7+
wins.] 1-0