World Championship: Game 3 annotated by David Navara

by ChessBase
11/29/2021 – Game 3 of the World Championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi was full of opening subtleties and refined maneuvering that, however, eventually led to the third draw of the match. David Navara took a closer look at the game and its hidden subtleties.

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Carlsen vs Nepomniachtchi, Game 3

 
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1.e4 7 In the initial game Magnus Carlsen applied a rare pawn sacrifice against the anti-Marshall. The game ended peacefully. Does Black have a sufficient compensation for the pawn? The further practice will definitely show more. Before this game the experts and club players alike were curious, who would deviate from the first game. e5 6 2.Nf3 6 Nc6 4 3.Bb5 0 a6 8 Perhaps we might see 3...Nf6 later in the match, but there is little doubt that White has been ready for it. 4.Ba4 0 Nf6 6 5.0-0 7 Be7 0 6.Re1 7 b5 8 7.Bb3 7 0-0 7 So far we have been following the first game. The classical lines starting with 7...d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 have been less popular recently. True, there is nothing wrong with it and Black even has a wide choice here, but White's position generally remains easier to play. 8.a4 13 The Marshall Attack has transformed throughout a century from a daring innovation to a topical continuation a lot of theory and strong drawing tendencies. Alas, many sharp lines have been analysed till a draw. In is then not surprising that grandmasters are often opting for seemingly less ambitious lines rather than for the most forcing ones. Both 8.h3 and 8.a4 are good moves which avoid the Marshall Attack. Black can still sacrifice a pawn in a similar way, but it is slightly less attractive. The initial game saw 8.h3 Na5!? A rare move. Both 8...Bb7 9.d3 and 8...d6 9.c3 are standard continuations. 9.Nxe5 Nxb3 10.axb3 Bb7 11.d3 d5 . 8...Bb7 0 There is nothing wrong with 8...b4 , but White gets control of the c4-square in such a case. It should not bring him much, but it is at least something to play for. 9.d3 1:07 As GM Vlastimil Jansa has taught me, the bishop is mostly not placed well on b7 in Ruy Lopez when White keeps a pawn on d5 or on d3. (And its neighbour on e4, of course.) In both cases the bishop remains passive. This rule of thumb mostly works. With the pawn still on d3 White's light-squared bishop is really strong, as it controls the d5-square and eyes f7. Similarly to some big guard dogs, the bishop is powerful even without moving and without attracting too much attention. d6 10 While black can play 9...d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 even here, it is not the most attractive version of the pawn sacrifice. White has several promising options there. After 11.axb5 11.Nxe5 Nd4 12.c3!? Nxb3 13.Qxb3 11.Nc3!? 11...axb5 12.Rxa8 Bxa8 13.Nxe5 Nd4 14.Nd2 or 14.c3 Nxb3 15.Qxb3 Black has almost sufficient compensation. 10.Nbd2 38 The steed heads for fresh pastures, the f5-square would be the optimal one. The knight would also stand well on d5, but 10.Nc3 allows Na5! 11.Ba2 After 11.axb5 Nxb3 12.cxb3 axb5 13.Rxa8 Qxa8 14.Nxb5 Rb8!? Black's better bishop pair and better pawn structure fully compensate the pawn deficit. White had better avoid 15.Nxc7? Qa5 . 11...b4 , when White has nothing better than 12.Ne2 . 10...Re8 5:11 Black had many reasonable options here, which makes concrete preparation very difficult. Both players were obviously well acquainted with the theory, but I would still like to remark that understanding plays a big role in such positions, as one cannot remember everything by heart. It is important to know where the pieces belong, which structure transformations are desirable and what are the typical motifs in such positions. The other options do not promise easy equality, either: 10...Na5 11.Ba2 c5 12.Nf1 10...Nd7!? 11.c3 Nc5 12.axb5 axb5 13.Rxa8 Qxa8 14.Bc2 10...Qd7 11.c3!? 11.Nf1 4:26 h6 1:34 A useful prophylactic move. Immediate 11...Bf8?! allows 12.Bg5! h6 13.Bh4 , when Black has to make some concession to release the pin. After Nb8 Stockfish suggests 14.g4!? , g4-g5 with a dangerous attack, but even less radical continuations promise White an edge. 12.Bd2 2:58 White develops a bishop, preventing Nc6-a5. It was not a threat, but ruling out Black's options is a reasonable decision. Bf8 0 13.Ne3 20 Ne7 1:49
Black has prevented White's knight from entering f5. 14.c4! 20 This advance looks unusual but makes a lot of sense. White is better prepared for queenside play. Anish Giri opined that Magnus might have been ready for 14.g4!? . While that move is not standard in these positions, it requires an accurate reaction, as the threat of g4-g5 spells danger for Black's king. While Nh7 does not look impressive, Wilhelm Steinitz famously remarked that pawns cannot go backwards and it still holds. A sample line 15.h4 c5!? 16.g5 c4!? 17.dxc4 Bxe4 18.gxh6 Qd7 leads to a complex position where both kings are rather unsafe. I would not like to play such a position against a prepared opponent with any colour. 14...bxc4 29 15.Nxc4 2:45 Nc6 1:33 The pieces often need some time to reach good squares. White's knight reached c4 through f1 and e3, but this detour has been compensated by Black's knight oscillating between c6 and e7. White has slightly better chances due to more active minor pieces. 16.Rc1 5:28 White could also play 16.Na5 Nxa5 17.Bxa5 , but it seems that the exchanges favour the defender in this case. Black should gradually equalize after Qd7 . White improves the rook. Now 17.Na5 would be more unpleasant for Black. 16...a5! 13:07 A strong move, preventing Nc4-a5. That said, Black had to weigh its pros and cons carefully, as the Pa5 might become a target. 17.Bc3 7:31
The main threat is 18. Qd2 with subsequent 19.Nxa5, but as we will soon see, White's move pursues more goals. 17...Bc8! 0 The bishop was not doing much on b7, contrary to White's light-squared bishop which was controlling the d5- and f7-squares. The bishop transfer to e6 or even d7 takes the f5-square under control and neutralizes the strength of white's bishop. 17...Qb8 would parry the main threat without allowing d3-d4, but White could then switch his attention to the kingside, trying to install a knight on f5 after 18.Ne3 . Black's king could hardly feel safe then. Black could also play 17...Nd7 , but then 18.d4! exd4 19.Nxd4 Nxd4 20.Qxd4 Qg5! 21.Bd2 Qc5 22.Qd3! again leaves White with initiative, as the pawns a5, c7 and f7 can be vulnerable. 18.d4! 7:14 This move underlines the only drawback of Black's previous move. exd4 1:32 19.Nxd4 1:19 Nxd4 0 20.Qxd4 15 For the present White's queen cannot be expelled from the centre without serious concessions. But Black can live with it and pursue his own plans. Be6 1:29 Black prepares the d6-d5 advance, neutralizing White's spatial advantage and perhaps also exchanging his centralized queen. 21.h3 29:49 White could try 21.Qd3! , when d5! seems to be Black's best reaction anyway. Otherwise White could play 22.Bc2 with some threats agains Black's king or at least target his queenside pawns with 22.Nd2. The pawns advance costs Black a pawn, but a bishop pair should provide reasonable compensation after 22.Bxf6 Qxf6 23.exd5 Bd7!? . I would still prefer to be a pawn up, but it is irrelevant as I cannot choose. Nor could the players, by the way. Less accurate is 23...Bf5 24.Qf3 . The Pa5 was poisoned: 21.Nxa5? c5 22.Qd2 Bxb3 23.Nxb3? White can still limit the damage through 23.e5! . 23...Nxe4 loses a pawn, while 21.Bxa5? Bxc4 22.Qxc4 Rxa5 23.Qxf7+ Kh8-+ loses the game. 21...c6 17:00 Black prepares the d6-d5 advance. White cannot prevent it anyway. Immediate 21...d5 was also possible. White should probably react with 22.exd5 Qxd5 23.Qf4!? with an ephemerous initiative, as 23.Qxd5?! Nxd5 24.Bxa5 Nf4 is dangerous for White in practical terms, with 25... Nd3 being the main threat. 22.Bc2 3:38 d5! 8:15 23.e5 3:48 23.exd5 Nxd5!? 23...Qxd5= 24.Qe4 g6= or even 24...f5!? is good for Black. His king is exposed, but White's pieces are not active enough to start an attack. 23...dxc4 2:02 24.Qxd8 24 Rexd8 1:35 25.exf6 6
At the first sight White's position looks preferable owing to his better pawn structure, but his pieces are not active enough. With his next move Black exchanges White's best placed piece. 25...Bb4! 19 26.fxg7 19 Bxc3 2:01 27.bxc3 5 Kxg7 0 White has a nominally better pawn structure, but his bishop is passive. The Pa4 needs care in bishop endgames, while the Pc4 is less vulnerable and even restricts White's bishop a bit. 28.Kf1 2:09 All the rook endgames are drawn after 28.Be4 Bd5= , unless Black exchanges on e4 at a wrong moment. He can play Rab8 and improve his rook instead. 28...Rab8 5:05 29.Rb1 0 Kf6= 24 30.Rxb8 1:56 After 30.Ke2 Black could play h5! , hoping to fix White's kingside pawns on light squares and attack them at a convenient moment. 30...Rxb8 11 31.Rb1 2 Rxb1+ 35 32.Bxb1 4 Ke5 0 33.Ke2 1:24 White would like to push Black's king back through the f2-f4 advance and then play g2-g4, but it is not going to happen. f5! 6 The pawn advance hinders White's activity. 34.Bc2 1:06 White's kingside majority would not get anywhere after 34.g3 f4 35.g4 c5 36.Bc2 Bd7= . 34...f4 15 35.Bb1 1:08 c5 32 Neither side can make progress. 36.Bc2 21 Bd7 26 37.f3 33 Kf6 0 38.h4 43 Ke5 12 39.Kf2 12 Kf6 19 40.Ke2 0 After 40.g3 Black can play almost anything, including Ke5 and 40...fxg3+ 41.Kxg3 Ke5 42.f4+ Kf6= . White's king is unable to attack Black's pawns. 41.g4 Kf6= 40...Ke5 0 41.Kf2 37 The game was quiet, but not dull, it contained many strong moves and many inconspicuous subtleties. A draw is a logical result, as both grandmasters played it very well and none of them made a mistake. It is very hard to beat an elite grandmaster in a classical game, especially when he is excellently prepared. It is good that both players are looking for fight, I expect that someone will take the lead in this week. We have many interesting games ahead! ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nepomniachtchi,I2782Carlsen,M2855½–½2021C88FIDE World Championship 20213.1

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