Karjakin - Carlsen (Game 9)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 {Thankfully yet again no Berlin.} 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 {The Classical Ruy Lopez. Both players have experienced this line before. Karjakin has faced it 11 times and Carlsen has played it as Black 4-5 times.} 7. a4 {The players now bang out 18 moves of opening theory following of all people a game from Nakamura played in 2014} 7... Rb8 8. c3 d6 9. d4 Bb6 {I was expecting dxe5 here with Queens off and a quick draw.} 10. axb5 {This is more ambitious from White, Black now sacs a pawn for a free game and a ruined White pawn structure on the Kingside.} 10... axb5 11. Na3 O-O 12. Nxb5 Bg4 13. Bc2 exd4 14. Nbxd4 Nxd4 15. cxd4 Bxf3 {16.Qxf3 drops the d-pawn} 16. gxf3 Nh5 {With Qh4 and Nf4 ideas.} 17. Kh1 Qf6 {Hitting the d-pawn} 18. Be3 c5 {Black must disrupt the centre before it becomes a wall.} 19. e5 Qe6 20. exd6 c4 21. b3 cxb3 {At last we break from Nakamura - Kasimdzhanov 2014 where 21...c3 was played.} 22. Bxb3 Qxd6 {Stock take. White has the extra pawn, and the two Bishop. Black is pretty solid and has a shattered White Kingside to maybe create chances. Is the open g-file good for White or Black?} 23. Ra6 {The tricks are appearing. 24.Ra8 24.Bxf7+ Kxf7 25,Qb4+ and Rxb6.} 23... Rfd8 {Carlsen does not fall for that one and puts pressure on the lone d-pawn.} 24. Rg1 {White stakes a claim on the g-file declaring it a bonus not a weakness.} 24... Qd7 25. Rg4 {Covers the d-pawn and stops Qh3 ideas} 25... Nf6 26. Rh4 Qb5 27. Ra1 {Offering the d-pawn as tactical bait the ideas is Bxd4 and Qxb3. It does not work (see variation one)} 27... g6 {Carlsen sooner or later will need luft. 27...h6 and White could probably play Bxh6 right away and mate or give a perpetual.} 28. Rb1 {Threat! Bxf7+ winning the Queen. Followers of the RHP blog will know that is a regular and successful tactic on here.} 28... Qd7 {Carlsen avoids it. Obviously an RHP blog reader.} 29. Qd3 Nd5 30. Rg1 {Those Rooks look threatening. All kinds of sac attack are appearing on the board.} 30... Bc7 31. Bg5 {See Variation two.} 31... Re8 32. Qc4 {The storm clouds are gathering over Carlsen's position. That Knight cannot move. 32...Nb6 33.Qxf7+ Qxf7 34.Bxf7+ Kxf7 35.Rxh7+ winning the c7 Bishop} 32... Rb5 {Crazy! Black has a Rook, Queen and Rook all lined up on the a4-e8 diagonal and White has a light squared Bishop.} 33. Qc2 {And White never played 33. Ba4 see variation 3}33... Ra8 34. Bc4 {Again Karjakin does not play the winning pin. - see variation 4} 34... Rba5 35. Bd2 Ra4 {Carlsen was getting short on time (again.) but not too serious. working out he was OK in those last two variations took a while} 36. Qd3 Ra1 37. Kg2 Rxg1+ 38. Kxg1 Ra1+ 39. Kg2 Ne7 {That is a slip just before time control and it could have been fatal, 39....Nf6. was better. Karjakin now spent the rest of his time before playing....} 40. Bxf7+ {A genuine piece sacrifice on f7. You do not see many of those in world championship matches.} 40... Kxf7 41. Qc4+ {Not the way I was expecting see variation 5} 41... Kg7 42. d5 Nf5 {Carlsen gives back the extra piece to go into an ending. Though drawn, he will for once, be put though the grind mangle.} 43. Bc3+ Kf8 44. Bxa1 Nxh4+ 45. Qxh4 Qxd5 {The rest of the game is just Karjakin moving his Queen about and making no progress at all. Skip the rest and jump to the variations.} 45.Qf6+ Qf7 46.Qd4 Ke8 47.Qe4+ Qe7 48.Qd5 Bd8 49.Kf1 Qf7 50.Qe4+ Qe7 51.Be5 Qe6 52.Kg2 Be7 53.Qa8+ Kf7 54.Qh8 h5 55.Qg7+ Ke8 56.Bf4 Qf7 57.Qh8+ Qf8 58.Qd4 Qf5 59.Qc4 Kd7 60.Bd2 Qe6 61.Qa4+ Qc6 62.Qa7+ Qc7 63.Qa2 Qd6 64.Be3 Qe6 65.Qa7+ Ke8 66.Bc5 Bd8 67.h3 Qd5 68.Be3 Be7 69.Qb8+ Kf7 70.Qh8 Qe6 71.Bf4 Qf6 72.Qb8 Qe6 73.Qb7 Kg8 74.Qb5 Bf6

[FEN "1r3rk1/5ppp/1b1q4/7n/3P4/1B2BP2/5P1P/R2Q1R1K w - - 0 23"]
23. Ra6 {If 23.....Ra8 which looks good. Black gets the a-file and Bc7 threatening Qxh2 mate is next. Players become blinded by their own threats and miss things like ...} 23... Ra8 24. Bxf7+ {24...Rxf7 25.Rxa1+} 24... Kxf7 25. Qb3+ Qe6 {Best Not 25...Kf6 26.Rxb6} 26. Qxe6+ Kxe6 27. Rxb6+ Kf7 28. Rc1 {That d-pawn is looking like a winner.}

[FEN "1r1r2k1/2bq1p1p/6p1/3n4/3P3R/1B1QBP2/5P1P/6RK w - - 0 31"]
31. Bg5 {This one contains a lovely idea. If Black ignores the threat to the Rook and hits the White Queen with....} 31... Nb4 {This move wins the White Queen....} 32. Qxg6+ hxg6 33. Bf6 {....but losses the Black King. Mate with Rh8 cannot be prevented.}

[FEN "1r2r1k1/2bq1p1p/6p1/3n2B1/3P3R/1B1Q1P2/5P1P/6RK w - - 0 32"]
32. Qc4 Rb5 {Now why not the very obvious.} 33. Ba4 {Pinning and skewering the Rook, the Queen and another Rook.} 33... Qf5 {The move Carlsen had planned. Which just makes everything so unclear.} 34. Qf1 {34. BxR then 34...Qxf3+ 35.Rg2 Re1+ is good for Black.} 34... Rb1 35. Qxb1 Qxf3+ 36. Rg2 Nc3 {This is must be close to what Karjakin saw in his mind when he declined to play 33.Ba4. It’s messy.}

[FEN "r5k1/2bq1p1p/6p1/1r1n2B1/3P3R/1B3P2/2Q2P1P/6RK w - - 0 34"]
34. Ba4 {Karjakin declined this second pin and win of the b5 Rook because....} 34... Rxa4 35. Qxa4 Qf5 {36.Qxb5 Qxf3+ is a clear perpetual.} 36. Qd1 {This looks good and winning until} 36... Nc3 {Hitting the Queen which can no longer hold f3 and the Knight also covers b1 so Rb1 ideas are on the board.}

[FEN "6k1/2bqnp1p/6p1/8/2BP3R/3Q1P2/3B1PKP/r7 w - - 0 40"]
40. Bxf7+ Kxf7 {In the game Carlsen played Qc4+. I was expecting.} 41. Rxh7+ Kg8 42. Qxg6+ Nxg6 43. Rxd7 {Are the four pawns better than the extra piece. White cannot lose this.}