Karjakin - Carlsen (Game 4) - The Fortress

1. e4 {Karjakin rarely plays anything else.} 1... e5 {Carlsen main defence is/was the Sicilian but he can play anything.} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 {Again no Berlin Wall.} 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3 {That is an Anti-Marshall Gambit move. Was Carlsen going to play one....watch this space.} 8... Bb7 9. d3 d6 10. a3 Qd7 11. Nbd2 Rfe8 {12.Ng5 Rf8 13.Nf3 Re8 14,Ng5 Rf8 and we can all go home.} 12. c3 Bf8 13. Nf1 h6 {Pretty much standard Lopez so far.} 14. N3h2 {Is he planning f4 or Qf3 or Ng4} 14... d5 {Black hits the centre, the antidote to a flank attack} 15. Qf3 {It's Qf3. White is threatening Bxh6.} 15... Na5 16. Ba2 {Often this Bishop retreats to c2. On a2 it still eyes the f7 square and is meant to make Black think twice about moving his Queen off d7.} 16... dxe4 17. dxe4 Nc4 {Again a stand Lopez idea. Black does not mind the shattered pawns structure. He gets the Lopez Bishop and a target on b2.} 18. Bxh6 {Why did Magnus allows this?} 18... Qc6 {Because he gets the e-pawn and with the f6 Knight now protected White has nothing better than....} 19. Bxc4 bxc4 20. Be3 Nxe4 21. Ng3 Nd6 {The Queens are coming off. I have to say if this is Karjakin opening prep then it sucks.} 22. Rad1 Rab8 {Hello b2 pawn. That b2 feels a lot of pressure in this game.} 23. Bc1 f6 {Your friendly neighbourhood RHP player would consider 24 Qg4 here. It threatens Nh5 and Nxf6+. Alas 24...Qxg2 mate promptly thwarts that idea.} 24. Qxc6 Bxc6 {Black has the centre, a target on b2 and freer pieces. White is not active and those Knights now look silly.} 25. Ng4 Rb5 26. f3 {I thought this was played to give the g4 Knight a square. Then Both Knight are aiming at e4.} 26... f5 {That’s e4 covered.} 27. Nf2 Be7 28. f4 {White has to disturb those pawns.} 28... Bh4 29. fxe5 Bxg3 30. exd6 Rxe1+ 31. Rxe1 cxd6 {Black has undoubted his pawns, he has the two Bishops and a grip on the White position. This is the type of position Carlsen always wins.} 32. Rd1 {A mistake here would have been the seemingly active 32. Re6 Re5! the Rooks come off, the d6 pawn goes to e5 and the win is looking elementary.} 32... Kf7 {No rush, bring the King into play, there is nothing White can do but wait to see which way the wind blows.} 33. Rd4 Re5 {34.Rxc4 Re1 mate. This move nudges the King to f1.} 34. Kf1 {Now the c-pawn is being held by tactics. If Rxc4 on the next move then Bb5.} 34... Rd5 {Magnus has decided he does not needs the Rooks on the board. His two Bishops and White's awful Knight should be enough....Oh yes and the weak b2 pawn.} 35. Rxd5 Bxd5 36. Bg5 {This move is aimed at trying to get the Knight into the game.} 36... Kg6 37. h4 {It's a pawn sac to activate the Knight.} 37... Kh5 38. Nh3 {See it? 37...Bxh4 38.Nf4+ Kxg5 39.Nxd5 and with light squared Bishop gone the c4 pawn falls.} 38... Bf7 {Carlsen saw it.....probably a lot sooner than I did.} 39. Be7 Bxh4 40. Bxd6 Bd8 41. Ke2 g5 42. Nf2 Kg6 43. g4 {Karjakin starts finding some moves now that makes Black task trickier.} 43... Bb6 44. Be5 a5 {That one is a slight declaration of 'What are you going to do now' but also stops Nc1-e3-c2-b4 ideas. It's all about that poor Knight and of course that pawn on b2.} 45. Nd1 f4 {45....fxg4 appears better but Carlsen was worried that White can block the double pawns on g3. He has, which he considered, a much better plan.} 46. Bd4 Bc7 {Carlsen is keeping the pieces on. He needs them all for his plan to succeed.} 47. Nf2 Be6 48. Kf3 Bd5+ 49. Ke2 Bg2 50. Kd2 {Everything appears to be in place, now Plan A.} 50... Kf7 {Can you see where that King is going?} 51. Kc2 Bd5 52. Kd2 Bd8 53. Kc2 Ke6 54. Kd2 Kd7 55. Kc2 Kc6 56. Kd2 Kb5 57. Kc1 Ka4 {Yes, it's going for the b2 pawn.} 58. Kc2 Bf7 59. Kc1 Bg6 60. Kd2 Kb3 61. Kc1 {That is the White King now tied to the b2 pawn. Now try and place White in Zugzwang.} 61... Bd3 62. Nh3 Ka2 63. Bc5 Be2 64. Nf2 Bf3 65. Kc2 Bc6 66. Bd4 {I was thinking here Carlsen was maybe planning to push the f-pawn if he can get a Bishop to f4 then Ba4+ hammers White.} 66... Bd7 67. Bc5 Bc7 68. Bd4 Be6 69. Bc5 f3 {The is the f3 push I mentioned White cannot allow Bf4.} 70. Be3 Bd7 {That's crafty. 71. Bxg5 Bb6 72 Bh4 Be3 threatening Ba4+ which mates White. The King must go to d1 when the b2 Pawn finally falls, then a3 0-1.} 71. Kc1 {Karjakin is not tempted by the pawn offer.} 71... Bc8 72. Kc2 Bd7 73. Kc1 {The problem for White is that Black has built a fortress. You would think that White could set up a Zugzwang and make headway, but he can't.} 73... Bf4 {The last try. It involves double pawns but the White King cannot get near them as it has to guard the b2 pawn.} 74. Bxf4 gxf4 75. Kc2 Be6 76. Kc1 Bc8 77. Kc2 Be6 78. Kc1 Kb3 {The good news for White is that the Black King is also tied down attacking that b2- pawn. so it now races back to the Kingside.} 79. Kb1 Ka4 80. Kc2 Kb5 81. Kd2 Kc6 82. Ke1 Kd5 83. Kf1 Ke5 84. Kg1 Kf6 85. Ne4+ Kg6 86. Kf2 {This is now drawn. Black has no way of shifting the White King off f2.} 86... Bxg4 87. Nd2 Be6 88. Kxf3 Kf5 89. a4 {White is not worried about offering that pawn as a target for the Bishop, if it chases it then the c4 pawn goes.} 89... Bd5+ 90. Kf2 Kg4 91. Nf1 Kg5 92. Nd2 Kf5 93. Ke2 Kg4 94. Kf2 {There is no way to get through. The game was agreed a draw. Another magnificent defensive display from Karjakin. How long can he keep holding Carlsen at bay?}