World Cup: Carlsen wins wild game, Abasov misses huge chance

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
8/20/2023 – Magnus Carlsen took the lead in his semifinal match against Nijat Abasov after winning an absolutely thrilling game with the white pieces. In the other semi, Praggnanandhaa was under pressure throughout the game but managed to hold Fabiano Caruana to a draw. Meanwhile, the first game of the final in the women’s section finished drawn, unlike what happened in the match for third place, where Anna Muzychuk showed great technique to beat Tan Zhongyi with white. | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

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“I started to get pretty nervous”

Magnus Carlsen is one draw away from reaching the final of the FIDE World Cup — but we could be easily telling a whole different story after the start of the semis in Baku, as local hero Nijat Abasov failed to find a winning move amid a double-edged struggle against the world’s highest-rated player.

Talking to Michael Rahal after his win, Carlsen praised his opponent’s performance, especially given the fact that Abasov had not prepared the opening line that was seen in the game:

He was clearly caught out in the opening. You have to play extremely precisely there for Black in order not be considerably worse immediately. He started to fight really well. He was finding a lot of resources and I started to get pretty nervous.

In the Rossolimo Variation of the Sicilian, the contenders entered a line that was made popular at the 2012 World Championship match between Vishy Anand and Boris Gelfand. Peter Heine Nielsen, Carlsen’s main second, had assisted Anand in that match, and helped Carlsen to find a good-looking idea in the system.

Carlsen vs. Abasov

As Robert Ris said in his excellent analysis of the game (see video embedded below), “Welcome to modern chess!”.

Carlsen did mention, however, that this is a line recommended by modern engines, so it should not be considered as “some revolutionary concept”.

Such a dynamic setup led to a sharp, entertaining battle, with both players handling the early middlegame stage of the encounter proficiently. Once a position with queens, rooks and bishops of opposite colours was reached, though, mistakes began to emerge.

Carlsen’s 34.Qh2 was nothing short of a blunder. Fortunately for him, though, Abasov failed to find the refutation, as the Azerbaijani was perhaps too eager to consolidate his position and take the game to what would have been a valuable draw with black — in his first-ever game against one of the strongest chess players in history!

Instead of 34...Qf1, infiltrating with the queen and getting a strong initiative, the underdog went for 34...Rg6 — a move that would have been very strong after 34...Qf1 35.Qd2.

And that was not the last mistake in the rollercoaster game. Carlsen missed a tactical shot when he had a bit over four minutes with two moves to go before the time control.

39.Bxa7, a capture that Carlsen played in the next move, gives White a decisive advantage here. The game’s 39.Rh4, on the other hand, allows 39...Bg4, threatening to push Black’s pawn to h5, somewhat consolidating his position.

White is still in the driver’s seat, though, as after 40.Qg4 h5 41.Rh2 he would still be a pawn up with the better chances. Carlsen’s 40.Bxa7, however, gives Black a golden opportunity to escape with a draw.

While 40...Kxa7 fails to 41.Qg1+, Black does get a chance to give a check along the dark-squared diagonal and restore the balance — playing the precise 40...Qg7+ instead of Abasov’s 40...Qf6+, makes all the difference in the world, though.

Carlsen later confessed that once he returned to the board (the time control had just been reached), he knew he was winning. Elegantly, he demonstrated that all tactical features in the position favour White in this setup.

Three moves later, Abasov resigned.


Full expert analysis by IM Robert Ris


Pragg defends

In the other semifinal, Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu played more of a positional battle, with Caruana showing great preparation and deep understanding to get a stable advantage with the white pieces.

Caruana vs. Praggnanandhaa

The queens left the board a couple of moves before the time control, and the players entered a rook endgame with an extra pawn for White. Caruana tried to prompt a mistake by his young opponent until move 77, when a draw was finally agreed.

FIDE World Cup 2023

Fans following the games as the tournament is coming to an end | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

Semifinals’ games - Open

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1.e4 15 c5 6 2.Nf3 7 Nc6 8 3.Bb5 30 e6 7 4.Bxc6 7 bxc6 5 5.b3 8 d6 6 6.e5 14 B30: Sicilian: 2...Nc6 3 Bb5, lines without ...g6. dxe5 7
7.d3N 9 7.Nxe5!? Qg5 8.Ng4= Predecessor: 7.Nxe5 Qg5 8.Nf3 Qf5 9.0-0 Ne7 10.Re1 Ng6 11.Nc3 Be7 12.Ne4 0-0 13.d3 Rd8 0-1 Fedoseev,V (2686)-Howell,D (2650) Titled Tuesday intern op 26th Jul Late blitz 2022 (10) 7...f6 1:01 8.Nbd2 10 The position is equal. Nh6 2:04 9.Rg1 59 Ba6 9:14 10.g4 4:10       White has compensation. Nf7 16 11.Qe2 10:08 Be7 11:20 12.Bb2 12:20 Qa5 1:53 13.c4 4:42 g5 2:59 Black should try 13...Nd6= 14.h4 1:14 h6 59 15.Rh1 1:57 0-0-0 2:51 16.0-0-0 59 Qc7 21:46 17.Ne4 2:14 gxh4 4:47 18.Nxh4 1:03 Ng6 is the strong threat. A dynamic duo of knights. Rhg8 6
Repels Ng6 19.f4! 9:19 exf4 3:00 19...Kb8 20.f5 20.Nxf6 5:33 Bxf6 19 21.Qxe6+ 50 Kb8 3:37 22.Qxf6 36 Bc8 8 23.Rde1 8:10 Black must now prevent Re7. White is more active. Rd6 6:42 24.Qxf4 24 aiming for Rhf1. Rxg4 6 25.Qe3 4:04 Re6 2:14 26.Qd2 3:22 Ne5 10:21 27.Kc2 3:43 27.Re3!? Nf7 28.Rxe6 Bxe6 29.Re1 Rxh4 30.Rxe6± 27...Kb7 4 28.Re3 3:56 Prevents Rg3. Qe7 1:48 29.Nf5 5:43 Qg5 19 30.Bxe5 32 30.Rxe5!? Rxe5 31.Qxg5 31.Bxe5 Rg2=       Pin 31...Re2+ 32.Qd2 Rxd2+ 33.Kxd2 Rg2+ 34.Ke3 Bxf5 35.Be5± 30...Rg2 2:39 31.Re2 9 Rxe2 6 32.Qxe2 6 Qxf5 28 33.Rh5 11 Qf7 5:22 34.Qh2? 6:18       34.Kc3= and White has nothing to worry. 34...Rg6? 40 34...Qf1-+ Threatens to win with ...Rg6. 35.Qd2 35.Rxh6? Rxh6 36.Qxh6 Qe2+       Skewer, Double Attack 37.Qd2 Qxe5-+ 35...Rg6 35.Bf4 4:14 Better is 35.Rxh6± And now Rh7 would win. Rxh6 36.Qxh6 35...Rf6 28 35...Qg7= 36.Bd2 Qa1 36.Be3± 1:22 36.Bxh6? loses. Bg4 37.Re5 Rf2+-+ 36...Bf5 2:02 37.Bxc5 2:34 Qg6 43 Black is weak on the dark squares 37...Re6± keeps fighting. 38.Kc3+- 2:27 Re6 4 38...Bg4 39.Re5 Re6 39.Rh4? 1:07 39.Bxa7+- and White stays clearly on top. White threatens Qb8+ and mate. Re8 40.a4 40.Rxh6 Qg5+- 39...Bg4± 7:20
40.Bxa7 3:06       Black needs to defend precisely. Qf6+? 1:09      
40...Kxa7? 41.Qg1+ c5 42.Qxg4 42.Rxg4 Qf6+ 43.Kc2 Re2+ 44.Kd1 Rh2+- 42...Qf6+ 43.d4+- 40...Qg7+!= and Black stays safe. 41.Bd4 Qg5 42.Rxg4 Qxg4 41.Kb4!+- 7:12 41.Bd4 Qg5 42.Rxg4 Qxg4= 41...Re5? 1:06 41...Qf8+ was worth a try. 42.Bc5 Qg7 42.d4 3:23 Qe7+ 4:58 42...Re8 43.Rxg4 43.Rxh6 Qe7+ 44.Qd6 Kxa7+- 43...Qe7+ 44.c5 44.Bc5 Qe1+ 45.Ka3 Qc1+ 46.Kb4 Qe1+ 47.Ka3 Qc1+ 48.Kb4 Qe1+= 44...Kxa7 43.c5 26 Weighted Error Value: White=0.34/Black=0.47
1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2835Abasov,N26321–02023B30FIDE World Cup 20237.1
Caruana,F2782Praggnanandhaa R2690½–½2023C54FIDE World Cup 20237.1
Praggnanandhaa R2707Caruana,F2782½–½2023E05FIDE World Cup 20237.2
Abasov,N2646Carlsen,M2835½–½2023D02FIDE World Cup 20237.2
Caruana,F2782Praggnanandhaa R2707½–½2023C54FIDE World Cup 20237.3
Praggnanandhaa R2707Caruana,F2782½–½2023D02FIDE World Cup 20237.4
Praggnanandhaa R2707Caruana,F27821–02023C55FIDE World Cup 20237.5
Caruana,F2782Praggnanandhaa R2707½–½2023C54FIDE World Cup 20237.6

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Women’s: Muzychuk shows wonderful technique

The women’s tournament will end either on Sunday or on Monday, depending on whether the final and/or the match for third place are decided in tiebreaks.

In the final, Aleksandra Goryachkina chose not to grab a pawn on move 13, perhaps fearing her opponent had something prepared in that line.

Goryachkina vs. Salimova

Nurgyul Salimova later explained that 12...c5 seemed perfectly natural for her, since “there is no way a human [would play]” 13.Qxc5 in response, given White’s lack of development. Engines, however — and Vishy Anand agrees — give White a large advantage after the capture.

Instead, Goryachkina exchanged queens with 13.Qxd8, and defended a slightly inferior position until signing a 33-move draw.

Nurgyul Salimova

Nurgyul Salimova | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

Anna Muzychuk, meanwhile, got the better of Tan Zhongyi in the all-important match for third place — the winner will get a spot in the 2024 Women’s Candidates Tournament. Anand, who has been really active on Twitter lately, was full of praise for Muzychuk’s technique to convert what he considers “an advantage that doesn’t look very big”

This position was reached after White’s 25th move. Muzychuk had to work hard to get the win, as Tan only threw in the towel on move 52.

Anna Muzychuk, Tan Zhongyi

Anna Muzychuk and Tan Zhongyi | Photo: FIDE / Stev Bonhage

Final and match for third place - Women’s

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1.c4 10 e6 12 2.Nc3 23 d5 19 3.d4 27 Nf6 25 4.cxd5 53 exd5 11 5.Bg5 15 Be7 34 6.e3 34 h6 14 7.Bh4 1:43 Bg4! 38       is currently scoring better than 7...0-0. D35: Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation. 8.Qc2 1:26 0-0 3:59 9.h3 43 Bh5 3:41 White has an edge. 10.Bxf6 9:50 Bxf6 1:24 11.Qf5 1:34 Bg6 1:38 12.Qxd5 23
12...c5N 3:49 Predecessor: 12...Nc6 13.0-0-0 Qe7 14.Qc4 Rfd8 15.Nf3 a5 16.a3 a4 17.Nd5 Rxd5 18.Qxd5 Na5 0-1 Malek,J (2378)-Bartel,M (2605) POL-ch 80th Warsaw 2023 (1.1) 13.Qxd8 8:58 13.Qxb7? is the wrong capture. cxd4 14.Nd5 dxe3-+ 13.Qxc5± Strongly threatening Be2. Nc6 14.Nf3 13...Rxd8= 14 14.d5 3:32 Bxc3+ 5:11 15.bxc3 2 Rxd5 26 16.Ne2 2:34 Rd6 28 17.Rd1 10:52 Rxd1+ 1:08 18.Kxd1 2 Nc6 3:05 19.Kc1 4:29 Rd8 1:40 20.Nf4 1:41 Inhibits Rd3. Bf5 1:38 21.Be2 6:36 g5 9:34 22.Nh5 18 Ne5 4:09 23.Rd1 8:14 Rxd1+ 3:18 24.Kxd1 4       Endgame KBN-KBN Be6 10:36 25.a3 26 Nc4 5:02 26.Bxc4 1:48 Bxc4 4 KB-KN 27.Ke1 3:30 Wards off Bf1 Kf8 8:45 28.Nf6 3:16 b6 10:56 29.f4 4:15 The position is equal. Kg7 10:16 30.Ne8+ 32 Kf8 5 31.Nf6 7:29 Kg7 13 32.Ne8+ 7:18 Kf8 5 33.Nf6 46 Weighted Error Value: White=0.14 (very precise) /Black=0.09 (flawless)
½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Goryachkina,A2557Salimova,N2409½–½2023D35FIDE Womens World Cup 20237.1
Muzychuk,A2504Tan,Z25231–02023A23FIDE Womens World Cup 20237.1
Tan,Z2523Muzychuk,A2504½–½2023A48FIDE Womens World Cup 20237.2
Salimova,N2403Goryachkina,A2557½–½2023D35FIDE Womens World Cup 20237.2
Salimova,N2403Goryachkina,A2557½–½2023D02FIDE Womens World Cup 20237.3
Goryachkina,A2557Salimova,N24031–02023E05FIDE Womens World Cup 20237.4

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.

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