Caruana - Carlsen, Game 5 and I was there.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 {So far Caruana has been playing 4.Bxc6 here, now he tried out his surprise.} 4. O-O Bg7 5. Re1 e5 {This is the set up with Bc6 dxc6 thrown in which had appeared in the games one and three.} 6. b4 {A nice sharp move taking the game into a potential tactical melee which suits Caruana' s style.} 6... Nxb4 {The pawn has to be taken. I'll give a game later showing the pitfalls of 6...cxb4,} 7. Bb2 a6 8. a3 {This is best. Yes it allows exchanges but at the end of them White has a threat and a lead in development.} 8... axb5 9. axb4 Rxa1 10. Bxa1 {Caruana still in his prep is trying to tempt Black to hold onto his extra pawn with 10...Qc7. That is risky, after 11.bxc5 Qxc5 and 12.d4 White gets a lot play.} 10... d6 {Wisely refraining from hanging onto the pawn.} 11. bxc5 Ne7 12. Qe2 {12.cxd6 is an alternative. Caruana obviously thought he could get more from this move.} 12... b4 13. Qc4 Qa5 {Did Caruana miss this when he played 12.Qe2 he was still moving pretty fast so this was (I assume) still preparation.} 14. cxd6 {Now 14...Qxa1 simply losses to 15.Ng5 or 15.dxe7 White could win that without breaking sweat.} 14... Be6 15. Qc7 {And from an opening that promised fireworks we get the Queens off. It cost Black a pawn but he will win it back.} 15... Qxc7 16. dxc7 Nc6 17. c3 {This looks tepid but given the occasion understandable. If it had been a less important game I'm thinking Caruana would have played 17.d4 or 17.Rd1 and then d4} 17... Kd7 18. cxb4 Ra8 {Black is now OK with this developing tempo gain.} 19. Bc3 Kxc7 {Black is still a pawn down but White's pieces are static. Black will win his pawn back due to his active King.} 20. d3 Kb6 21. Bd2 Rd8 22. Be3+ Kb5 23. Nc3+ Kxb4 {The pawns are level. White goes in for more exchanges to activate his Rook,} 24. Nd5+ Bxd5 25. exd5 Rxd5 26. Rb1+ Kc3 27. Rxb7 Nd8 {27...Rxd3 28. Rxf7 Rd1 and mate next move is how it would have gone if this was an RHP game.} 28. Rc7+ Kxd3 {Black is now a pawn up but this sac has allowed White activity and Black's pieces are defending.} 29. Kf1 h5 30. h3 {30.Bg5 Ne6 31.Rxf7 gets the pawn back but 31...e4 and Black pieces are all active again.} 30... Ke4 {Apparently not 30....e4 31.Ne1 checkmate. That is how it would have gone if this was an RHP game} 31. Ng5+ Kf5 32. Nxf7 Nxf7 33. Rxf7+ Bf6 {And here the game was abandoned as a draw. An interesting opening gambit, pity we never saw any of the tricks I am now going to show in this line.}

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. Re1 e5 6. b4 Nd4 {I mentioned the pawn should be taken. This move looks OK but it's time wasting....} 7. Bc4 {...and when Black wastes time in the opening aim things at f7 the perennial Black weak spot.} 7... d6 8. c3 Nxf3+ 9. Qxf3 {Black's developed piece has gone White threatens mate in one.} 9... Nf6 10. bxc5 dxc5 11. Ba3 Qc7 {Black did not like the look of holding the c-pawn with 11...b6 because d4 comes and the White Queen is eyeing the a8 Rook.} 12. d4 {White plays this anyway. Opening up the game against an undeveloped opponents.} 12... cxd4 {Pretty much forced but now Black cannot castle Kingside.} 13. Nd2 {Tempting Black to play 13...dxc3 14.Qxc3 and Black is overrun with too many threats to handle.} 13... Bg4 14. Bb5+ {That looks good but 14.Qg3 was better. Black can make White work harder for his win with 14...Kd8 here because he hits the Queen and when it moves Black can play Qxc3.} 14... Bd7 {Black still dreams of 0-0-0 at some later date. It's not going to happen. 14...Kd8 was the move.} 15. Nc4 {Nd6+ is coming. 15....0-0-0 16.Bd6 wins.} 15... Bxb5 16. Nd6+ Kd8 17. cxd4 {White does not want his piece back, he wants more open lines to get at the Black King.} 17... Be8 {Saves the piece and relieves the Black Queen from defending against Nxf7+.} 18. Rac1 Qd7 19. dxe5 Ng4 20. Red1 {White has a dream position. It is now a matter of taste and mood how he wraps it up.} 20... Rb8 {To prevent Nxb7 Checkmate.} 21. Nxf7+ Bxf7 22. Qxf7 {Be7 mate is just one of the many mates in this position. Black resigned.}

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. Re1 e5 6. b4 cxb4 7. a3 {This is one of the main ideas in this gambit. Giving up a pawn to cramp Black and catch him when they try to unwind.} 7... bxa3 8. Bxa3 Nge7 {Black had to play 8...d6 here to prevent,,,} 9. Bd6 {...this move. The Bishop on d6 induces Black to play all kinds of unnatural looking moves.} 9... O-O 10. Nc3 Re8 11. Bc4 {Again the weak spot f7 is targeted. This move also threatens Nb5.} 11... a6 {As White one should not be tempted to win the exchange here with thoughts of 12. Nb5 axb5 and Rxa8 the a8 Rook is harmless. Always go for the King.} 12. Qb1 {This is an attacking move...read on.} 12... Bf6 {This clumsy looking move by Black is preventing Bxf7+ and Ng5 ideas and hoping to unravel with perhaps Kg7 Ng8 and Be7. See my note after White's move 9.} 13. Qa2 {Hitting f7 Black has to play a move he did not want to play.} 13... Rf8 {Back into the pin on the e7 Knight.} 14. Nd5 {Obvious and good. Black has to give up the exchange.} 14... Nxd5 15. Bxf8 Qxf8 16. Bxd5 b5 {Tougher resistance comes from Nb4 and Nxd5 but Black is reluctant to chop wood an exchange down.} 17. d4 {No use being the exchange up if you do not open the files for the Rooks.} 17... exd4 18. e5 Be7 19. Nxd4 {Now working on the other pinned Knight.} 19... Bb7 20. e6 {I like that 20...dxe6 21.Bxc6 then Nxe6 and Qxe6+ followed by Qxc6 and 20...fxe6. 21.Bxc6 then Nxc6 and Qxe6+ and Qxe7.} 20... Bf6 {20...Nb4 looks OK till you see 21. exf7+ Kh8 22.Qb2 with a Knight discovered check on the board.} 21. exf7+ Kg7 22. Nxc6 dxc6 23. Be6 {It's easy to see winning back the exchange losses quickly. 23...Bxa1 24.Qxa1+ Kh6 25,Re3.} 23... c5 {Opens up the diagonal and planning to shut out the Queen with c5.} 24. Rad1 c4 25. Qa5 Qc5 26. Rd7 Qc6 {It's lost but Black can reflect back and later say he threatened mate in one in this game.} 27. f8=Q+ Kxf8 28. Rf7+ {28.Qb4+ is quicker but White is coasting home, no need to get pedantic.} 28... Kg8 29. Rxf6+ Kg7 {29...Kh6 27. Qd2+ and mate in a few moves.} 30. Rf7+ Kg8 31. Rxb7+ {Both Black Bishops have gone using the same trick. Black has seen enough and resigned.}