After going 2-0 down the vultures have started circling over the
head of Nepomniachtchi and everyone (me included ) has been
offering him advice on what to do next (I want him to play 1.a3.)
His team must have a few opening twists in their locker to be used
in case their man fell behind. If so then now is the time to open it.
My biggest pre-match concern was not opening innovations, but what do
I call Nepomniachtchi because his name seems to hog a whole sentence
and I’ll lose 50% of the space I use for my one line game comments.
I and everyone else has gone for ‘Nepo’, which he apparently does not mind.
I did toy with using Ian but then I would have to call Carlsen ‘Magnus’ giving
the impression I’m either talking about two personal friends or I am their father.
I’m obviously not their dad, if so then my incredibly handsome gene has not
been picked up by either of them and I select my personal chess friends very
carefully from a pool of players I can beat. I have three chess playing friends.
I. Nepomniachtchi - M. Carlsen. Game 9, World Championship 2021
1. c4 {Needing a win Nepo tries a different opening. The English.} 1... e6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 d4 {This was a surprise, it is Carlsen and not Nepo putting imbalance into the game.} 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. O-O Bc5 6. d3 {The game has reversed Benoni looked, about it.} 6... Nf6 7. Nbd2 {The tempo wasted with 2...d5 is countered by robbing the b1 Knight of it's natural home on c3.} 7... a5 {If allowed that pawn will go to a4 to stop Nb3.} 8. Nb3 Be7 9. e3 {As in the Benoni White must challenge that d5 pawn.} 9... dxe3 10. Bxe3 Ng4 {I now wanted 11.Nfd4 here but it seems that 11...Nce5 holds everything and it is level.} 11. Bc5 O-O 12. d4 {Preventing, for now, e5 and to keep the c8 Bishop out of the game.} 12... a4 {Forcing Black to exchange on e7.} 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Nc5 {Now can 14....e5 be played but then maybe 15.Re1 and as I was pondering that.} 14... a3 {I never saw that coming. I hate it when that happens.} 15. bxa3 {15.b4 Nxb4 Rb1 with hits on b7 was an alternative. Hard to say which is best.} 15... Rd8 16. Nb3 Nf6 {This Knight was loose in g4 and hanging in few lines. Back it comes.} 17. Re1 {When both Queens are being x-rayed by Rooks Things, good things, sometimes happen.} 17... Qxa3 {Nicking the pawn back and ....} 18. Qe2 {...moving out of the x-ray. But this position can still give us a firework display.} 18... h6 {Luft. There were back rank shots starting with d4-d5 in the air.} 19. h4 {Stopping any g5-g4 ideas. White is sitting on Black trying catch him when he untangles} 19... Bd7 {This Bishop is struggling to get into the game.} 20. Ne5 Be8 {The d-pawn is hanging. 21.Red1 looks OK.} 21. Qe3 {I do not like to see Queens involved in defending pawns, but for now it's OK.} 21... Qb4 {Opening the attack on a2 for the Rook and having a tickle on the c4 pawn.} 22. Reb1 {White is in a wee spot of trouble here, needs to be careful.} 22... Nxe5 {Black makes his bid freedom with exchanges.} 23. dxe5 Ng4 {That Knight looks odd there, it has no flight squares.} 24. Qe1 {Nepo has middlegame targets to work on so gets the Queens off.} 24... Qxe1+ 25. Rxe1 h5 {Before f3 wins the Knight.} 26. Bxb7 Ra4 {Wins the pawn but Nepo's passed a-pawn will have a say in this.} 27. c5 {OOPS! Nepo has allowed his Bishop to be trapped behind enemy lines.} 27... c6 {Carlsen seals it's fate. Black has lost piece but is it a lost game.} 28. f3 {Get the Knight off attacking e5.} 28... Nh6 29. Re4 {Nepo sets up slight drawing chances. But they will not work v Carlsen.} 29... Ra7 30. Rb4 Rb8 31. a4 {The Bishop cannot saved.} 31... Raxb7 32. Rb6 {I thought better chances were offered by keep the c6 pawn blocked.} 32... Rxb6 33. cxb6 Rxb6 34. Nc5 Nf5 35. a5 Rb8 36. a6 Nxg3 {Calmly nicking another pawn.} 37. Na4 c5 38. a7 Rd8 {39.Nb6 then 39.Bc6.} 39. Nxc5 Ra8 {And with Carlsen about to make time control on move 40, Nepo resigned.} *
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