Carlsen,M (2776) - Karjakin,Sergey (2706)
[D11]Corus A Wijk aan Zee NED (6), 23.01.2009
Notes by Sergey Shipov, translation by Steve Giddins
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3. A modest move which has become extremely popular in recent years. The idea is to defend the c4 pawn at once, and keep the knight on b1 for the time being, allowing White a wider choice of plans. 4...a6. In the style of Chebanenko. The formerly most popular reply 4...Bf5 is rather out of fashion. After 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4! White obtains the bishop pair and the chance of some pressure. I can recommend a study of the games of the Kramnik-Topalov match. 5.Bd3. Sezing the important b1–h7 diagonal. 5...Bg4.The bishop cmes out before the move e6 is played, one of the main ideas of the Chebanenko system. The move a7-a6 is useful in defending the queenside; thus, Qb3 can be met by Ra7, defending the b7 pawn, which has been weakened by the bishop's exit. 6.Nbd2. Now we see one of the points of the white system. The knight is very well placed on d2. 6...Nbd7. Black's queenside is already full developed. 7.Qc2. Unpinning the f3 knight, which may later jump to e5. 7...e6. Completing the structure. Both black bishops have excellent prospects. 8.0–0 dxc4. An attempted improvement on his own play - and a fundamental change of character. Sergey opens the centre at once. The game Roiz-Kariakin, Dresden 2008, continued 8...Be7 9.b3 c5 10.Bb2 Rc8 11.Rac1 0–0 12.cxd5 exd5 13.Qb1 Bh5 14.Ne5 Bg6 15.Nxg6 hxg6 16.Nf3 Bd6 17.Rfd1 Qe7 18.Qa1 cxd4 19.Bxd4 and, to my mind, Black had not equalised. Evidently, the Ukrainian GM did not wish to repeat this line against his powerful opponent.; In the C Group at Corus, we have had a game Giri-So, which went 8...Bd6 9.b3 Qe7 10.Bb2 g6?! 11.Rfe1 0–0 12.Ne5 Bf5 13.Nxd7 Qxd7 14.e4 dxe4 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.Bxe4 Qc7 17.g3 Nxe4 18.Rxe4 Be7 19.Rd1 Rad8 20.h4 Bf6 and Black solved his opening problems. But Carlsen could probably expose the seemy side of the suspicious move 10...g6?!
9.Bxc4. Already a novelty! The knight remains on d2, to support its colleague on f3. [The game Eljanov-Gozzoli, Marseille 2003, saw an unequal struggle, and so no real fight occurred: 9.Nxc4 Bxf3 10.gxf3 Nd5 11.Qe2 b5 12.Nd2 Qh4 13.f4 g5 14.Nf3 Qg4+ 15.Kh1 h6 16.Bd2 Bd6 17.a4 Ke7 18.Ne5 Nxe5 19.fxe5 and in view of the loss of a piece, Black resigned. 9...Be7. Black prepares to ecauate his king and then advance his queenside pawns. Concrete play is required from White, if he is to secure an opening advantage. The move 9...c5 also deserved attention, so that the pressure on d4 would hinder White in developing an opening initiative. But clearly, Kariakin is still following his home analysis, and who can argue with that? 10.e4. This is the way of developing the initiative, that I had in mind in my previous note. White achieves a pawn centre, although this is not such a great achievement. As is clear, the knight on d2 obstructs the bishop on c1, and White will have to spend several tempi to support his space advantage. Will he manage it? In the game Danner-Arias, Turin 2006, White obtained the advantage after 10.b3 c5 11.dxc5 Nxc5 12.Bb2 Bf5 13.Qc3 b5 14.Be2 Rc8 15.Rac1 0–0 16.Rfd1 Qb6 17.Nh4 b4 18.Qd4 Rfd8 19.Nxf5 exf5 20.Qe5 but it is very easy to strengthen Black's play.; Another interesting idea is 10.b4!? trying to cramp Black. Whether Black can accept the pawn sacrifice with 10...Bxb4 11.Rb1 is a subject for analysis. 10...0–0 11.Bd3 h6. Now c7-c5 is a threat. As far as I can see, White cannot maintain his central superiority by normal means.White needs to come up with something non-trivial, and well calculated, Carlsen is thinking for a long time, and quite rightly - the ability to sense the critical moments and react accordingly is an essential skill for a top player. Necessary. After 11...c5?! 12.e5 Nd5 13.Bxh7+ Kh8 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Nxf3 and White is ready to sacrifice on g6 is necessary. 12.h3. A useful inclusion, making luft for the king. 12...Bh5. The bishop on h5 is also exposed. Magnus proceeds very directly and straightforwardly, though I am not convinced it is best. 13.e5. I was looking at 13.b3 c5 14.d5 exd5 15.e5 Ne4 (15...Ne8? 16.g4 Bg6 17.Bxg6 fxg6 18.Qxg6) 16.g4 Bg6 (16...Nxd2 17.Qxd2 Bg6 18.Bxg6 fxg6 19.Qxd5+) 17.Nxe4 dxe4 18.Bxe4 Bxe4 19.Qxe4 Qb6 20.Bb2 Rfd8 21.Rad1 Nf8 Black has a solid position, but has not equalized fully.
13...Nd5 14.g4. Weakening f4, a serious drawback. One must also consider the knight jump to b4. Now Sergey is sunk in thought. In such a position, it is not wrong to spend 20–30 minutes. The key thing is to find the best moves. 14...Nb4. I think this was found by a process of elimination. After 14...Bg6 15.Bxg6 fxg6 16.Qxg6 Nf4 17.Qe4 Nxh3+ 18.Kh2 Nf4 19.Nc4! White completes his development, maintaining a space advantage. 15.Bh7+ Kh8 16.Qb1. White's pieces are being scattered to the four corners of the earth... 16...f5! A powerful blow! I suspect that Magnus has underestimated this move. Black has seized the initiative. 17.exf6. The least of the evils. After 17.gxf5 Kxh7! is strong, eg. 18.f6+ Bg6 19.fxe7 Qxe7 and White loses material 20.Ne4 Rxf3; And the visually attractive line 17.Bxf5 exf5 18.gxh5 – which may be what Carlsen intended – is strongly met by 18...Qe8! and the pawn on h5 falls, leaving the white king exposed. 17...Nxf6 18.gxh5. Retreating by 18.Bd3 leaves White on the defensive. After 18...Be8 19.Bc4 Nbd5 the weakness of f4 is sever, and 20.Nb3? loses a pawn after 20...Nxg4. 18...Nxh7 19.Ne5. The Norwegian GM's idea is clear - the knight jump to g6 may bring him an extra exchange. But even if this occurs, will White then be able to defend his weakened kingside? At present, his major pieces are extremely passively placed, and his queenside position is laughable. I would suggest the aggressive 19...Bd6! now, allowing the queen into the kingside. Mind you, the prophylactic 19...Kg8 also needs to be considered, and I would not be too surprised if the Ukrainian GM finds a third way. 19...Kg8. Sergey has worked it all out correctly. Calculation of variations is his strong point. The fanciful continuation 19...Bd6 20.Ng6+ Kg8 21.Nxf8 Qg5+ 22.Kh1 Qf4 (22...Rxf8 23.Qe4!) 23.Qxh7+ Kxf8 24.Kg2 Qg5+ gives White at least a draw, whilst playing for a win by 25.Kf3 Qxh5+ 26.Ke3 leads to crazy and unclear complications after 26...e5!; Even so, one possible third way, which Sergey might have chosen, is 19...Ng5 20.Ng6+ Kg8 21.Nxf8 Bxf8 22.Ne4 Nf3+ 23.Kg2 Nxd4 24.Be3 Ndc2 and Black regains the exchange, retaining the initiative.
20.Qg6. Magnus hurries to get his pieces off the back rank. However, the bishop is still buried on c1, and behind it, the rook on a1 is sleeping peacefully. Objectively speaking, White is fighting to equalize. 20...Rf6. A fully understandable decision, to defend e6 with tempo. Now one must calculate the consequences of the knight entry to c2. Personally, I could not do this accurately at the board, if I took an hour. At home, five minutes is enough. But our heroes, with no electronic help, can calculate unbelievably deeply. 21.Qg4 Ng5. A practical decision. The minimum calculation, the maximum reliability. The knight jump 21...Nc2 poses many questions. After 22.Ne4 Nxa1? (Therefore, stronger is 22...Qd5! 23.Nxf6+ Bxf6 24.Bxh6 Nxd4 and White has to play 25.Bxg7 Bxg7 26.Rfe1 and hope that his activity compensates for the extra piece.) 23.Nxf6+ Nxf6 24.Qxe6+ Kh7 White does not give perpetual, but continues his attack by 25.Bxh6! 22.Ndc4. White's pieces gradually emerge. 22...Nd5. Black consolidates. At the end of the day, he only has one weakness, on e6. White has more, but in the current all-out hand-to-hand battle, this does not carry much wait. For the moment, that is... 23.h4. I think the two players both respect and fear one another. The f4 square would be weakened too much after 23.Bxg5 hxg5 since 24.Qxg5? (Admittedly, after 24.Ng6! Nf4 25.Rad1 the position is about equal.) 24...Rf5 25.Qg3 Bh4 26.Qb3 Nf4 would see the storm clouds gathering over the white king. 23...Nf7. It is hard to fight White for control of e5, but his knights can be ignored. The manoeuvre Nf7-d6-f5 looks better, I think Black stands better here. 24.Kh1. Maybe Carlsen is of a different opinion. He prepares to exert pressure on g7. 24...Bf8. A useful strengthening of the defences. 25.Be3. A striking moment. Only on move 25 does White complete the development of his queenside. 25...Ne7? Another natural move – the d5 square is an attractive post for the black queen., whilst the knight heads for f5. Black had good alternatives in 25...Rf5 ; or 25...Qb6 ; or 25...Nd6.
