Norway 02: Caruana 2.0/2

[Event "2nd Norway Chess 2014"] [Site "Stavanger NOR"] [Date "2014.06.04"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Svidler, Peter"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B48"] [WhiteElo "2791"] [BlackElo "2753"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2014.06.03"] [SourceDate "2014.01.04"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be3 a6 7. Qd2 Nf6 8. O-O-O Be7 {The Paulsen's popularity has certainly increased in the past few years. Expect a new ChessBase DVD on this opening coming up in the next few weeks! Bb4 is the other major alternative to the move played in the game.} 9. f3 b5 (9... O-O {is still more commong, but b5 is the fashionable thing to do.} ) 10. Kb1 Ne5 {The typical idea but still unusual in this position.} 11. g4 b4 {No one has played this game before, but Caruana was clearly well prepared.} 12. Na4 h6 13. Rg1 d5 14. Bf4 $5 {This begins a series of complications that are entirely unclear.} dxe4 (14... Bd6 15. exd5 Nxd5 16. Nf5 $1 O-O $5 $13 {is not something I can explain in the word limit of this game.}) 15. g5 $1 {This move crashes through the kingside, but Black retains chances.} hxg5 16. Rxg5 Nfd7 (16... e3 17. Qg2 $16 {does not help black.}) 17. Rxg7 exf3 (17... Qa5 { is also worth looking at.}) 18. Nxe6 $5 fxe6 19. Bd3 {Clearly a position that Caruana had analyzed previously. This is not easy for a human to play. Black is up a piece but the threats are plentiful.} Bf6 (19... Rb8 $3 {leads to a draw. An impossible move to find for a human. The point is that Rb5 will solidify Black's position.} 20. Qe3 $5 Rb5 $1 $11 21. c4 bxc3 22. Bg6+ Kd8 23. Nxc3 Qc5 $1 $11 {Although it is unclear who exactly will find all of this over the board.}) 20. Bg6+ Nxg6 (20... Kf8 21. Rf7+ Kg8 22. Rg1 Nxg6 23. Rxf6 $1 { is devastating.}) 21. Bxc7 Bxg7 22. Qd3 Nge5 23. Bxe5 Bxe5 {The dust has somewhat settled. Black retains some material advantage but his pieces are not developed and his king is unsafe, he will lose at least a piece - but that is not the end of the world.} 24. Qe4 Ra7 $1 (24... Rb8 25. Nc5 Ke7 26. Nxd7 Bxd7 27. Qxe5 {loses immediately as there is no good defense against Qg7+}) 25. Nc5 Ke7 (25... Rh6 $1 {was more resilient.} 26. Qe3 $1 Rg6 27. Qxf3 $1 {Black's position is still very dangerous, but White is also risking by not taking the piece immediately.}) 26. Rf1 $1 {Svidler missed this powerful move.} Rf8 27. Nxd7 Rxd7 28. Qxe5 Rd5 29. Qe3 Rdf5 {Black's only hope in this position is his passed pawn on f3. However his king is too weak to survive. Caruana comes with a good an interesting plan.} 30. Qf2 (30. Qa7+ $1 Bd7 31. Rd1 Rd8 32. Qf2 $1 { Was a better version than what was played in the game; Caruana's continuation is good enough though.}) 30... a5 31. b3 Bd7 32. Rg1 Bc6 33. Kb2 {Nigel Short mentioned in the commentary that White would simply play b3, Kb2, make his position safe and then figure out how to checkmate Black.} R8f7 34. Rg8 Rf8 35. Rg4 R8f7 36. a3 bxa3+ 37. Kxa3 Kd6 38. Rc4 Bd5 $2 {A blunder in a lost position.} (38... Bd7 39. h4 $1 {White can also advance the h-pawn and cause headaches that way.}) 39. Rc8 {Black is now helpless against the threat of c4. A very well played game by Caruana.} 1-0