[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament"] [Site "chess24.com"] [Date "2022.06.26"] [Round "8.3"] [White "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2760"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackElo "2783"] [BlackTeam "United States"] [Annotator "John Watson"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C82"] [Opening "Ruy Lopez: Open, Dilworth Variation"] [StudyName "2022 FIDE Candidates - Annotated by IM John Watson"] [ChapterName "Nakamura, Hikaru - Caruana, Fabiano"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/DuOVFWI1/xz4B7m1N"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 { The Open Variation of the Ruy Lopez has a respectable theoretical reputation. } 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Bc5 { This introduces the old Dilworth Variation, about which countless theoretical articles have been written over the years. It has enjoyed a resurgence at the top levels over the past few years. } 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. Bc2 Nxf2 12. Rxf2 Bxf2+ 13. Kxf2 f6 14. Nf1! { This has recently taken over as White's best try for advantage, and naturally both players had studied it before the game. For years, White chose... } (14. exf6 Qxf6 { and now usually } 15. Nf1 { . Black results have been and continue to be satisfactory. }) 14... fxe5 15. Kg1 { [#] } 15... Qd6 { Caruana had played ...Qd8-d7 last year versus Vachier-Lagrave. The text has a good reputation, whereas the traditional } (15... Bg4 { took somewhat of a hit in the line } 16. Ne3 Be6 17. b3 { in Carlsen, M (2855) -Mamedyarov,S (2762), chess24.com 2021. }) 16. Be3 Bf5!? { Somewhat unusual. } (16... Rad8 { has been the most common move. }) 17. Bb3 Rad8 18. Qe1 Na5 19. Qf2 Nb7 { This has been played in three games and was probably just the beginning of Caruana's preparation. } (19... Nxb3? 20. axb3 { leaves Black with a weak a-pawn and shaky center, as in Malicka,M (2329)-Mei,A (2336) San Jose 2022 }) 20. Re1 c5! { [#] } (20... Bg4 21. Qg3 Bxf3 22. gxf3 Na5 23. Bc2 Nc4 24. Bc1 Rde8 25. Ne3 $16 { Roy,R (2184)-Nurtawa,S (2027) ICCF email 2020 }) (20... Bd3 21. Qg3 Bxf1 22. Rxf1 e4 23. Ng5 Rxf1+ 24. Kxf1 Qxg3 25. hxg3 $14 { Squires,M (2366)-Walton,J (2309) ICCF 2021 }) 21. Ng3 (21. Bg5 { looks practically winning, but as Nakamura pointed out after the game, Black has } 21... c4! (21... Rde8? 22. Rxe5! Rxe5 23. Bf4 Be6 24. Nxe5 $16 { with the idea } 24... g5? 25. Qg3) 22. Bxd8 (22. Bc2 Rde8 $15) 22... cxb3 23. Bh4 bxa2 { (threatening . ..Bb1) } 24. Ra1 Bb1 { with very unclear play, a position with which Caruana was doubtless very familiar. }) 21... Bd3 (21... Bg6 { is also possible, although less ambitious. }) 22. Qd2 { [#] } 22... c4?! { Although it's certainly not obvious, White always seems to stand better after this. For once Caruana's preparation wasn't quite deep enough. } (22... e4! { is preferred by Stockfish. Then the most interesting move is } 23. Nh4 (23. Ng5 Qc6! 24. Bd1 h6 25. Nf3 (25. Nh3 d4!) 25... Na5! 26. b3 Qd6 $15) 23... Qe5 (23... g6 24. Nh1!? Na5 $13) 24. Bf2 Kh8 { , a position which is hard to assess. }) 23. Bd1! Rd7 24. Bf2 { The engine suggests } (24. b4! { , which indeed looks effective, preventing ... Nb7-c5. }) 24... Rdf7 25. Nh1! { Lovely. White's minor pieces are temporarily passive, but they are about to become active, and Black's central pawn advances will be weakening. For the moment, Nf3xe5 is a threat. } 25... e4 { Virtually forced. } 26. Nd4 Qg6?! (26... Nc5 { is likely better, when a sample line is } 27. Bh5!? (27. h4!?) 27... Rf6 (27... g6 28. Bg4 Rf6 29. h4!) 28. Bg4 $14) 27. h4! { A great move, threatening h5 and at some point h6 with Bg4 as an important idea to activate the bishop. It's important to play this quickly, as slow moves achieve little or nothing. } 27... Nc5?! { Allowing h5 and Bg4, when White has very well-placed pieces and starts to create threats. Black is naturally reluctant to weaken himself with... } (27... h5 { , but probably that's necessary. A few lines: } 28. Qg5 (28. a3!? Nd6 29. Kh2 Nf5 30. Nxf5 Rxf5 31. Bc5 R8f7 32. g3 Qc6 33. Bd4) 28... Qxg5 29. hxg5 g6 30. Nc6! Re8? (30... Nd6 31. Ne5 e3! 32. Rxe3 Re7 33. Nf3 Rxe3 34. Bxe3 Nf5 35. Bf4 d4 $14) 31. Be3 $18) 28. h5 Qd6 29. Bg4 h6 30. Qe3! Qf4 31. Qxf4 (31. Bf5! { is the engine move and even stronger: } 31... Qe5 (31... Qxe3 32. Bxe3 Kh8 33. Ng3 Rf6 34. Bg6) 32. Bg3 Qe7 33. Nc6 Qe8 34. Qxc5 Rxf5 35. Ne7+ Kh7 36. Nxf5 Rxf5 37. Bf2 $18) 31... Rxf4 32. Ne6 Nxe6 (32... Rxg4 33. Nxf8 Na4 34. Ng6 Nxb2 35. Ne7+ Kf7 36. Nxd5) 33. Bxe6+ Kh7 (33... Kh8 34. Bxd5) 34. Bxd5 R8f5 35. Bc6! (35. Be6 Rxh5 36. Be3 Rf6 37. Bc8 { and the bishops should prevail }) 35... Rxh5 36. Bd4!? (36. Be3! Rf8 (36... Rf6 37. Ng3 Rh4 38. Bd7) 37. Ng3 Rh4 38. Bd7!) 36... Rhf5! 37. Nf2 (37. Ng3 Rf8 38. Bxe4+ Bxe4 39. Nxe4 R8f7 40. Nd2 Rg4) 37... Rf7 (37... e3 38. Bxe3 Re5 39. Nxd3 cxd3 40. Bd2 Rxe1+ 41. Bxe1 { should be winning for White. }) 38. b4!? { A surprise which proves effective in Caruana's time pressure. } (38. g3 R4f5 39. Bxe4 Bxe4 40. Rxe4) 38... h5?! { A mistake, played with one and a half minutes left. But things were bad anyway, e.g., } (38... R4f5) (38... e3 39. Bxe3 Re7 40. Nxd3 cxd3 41. Bxf4 Rxe1+ 42. Kf2 Re2+ 43. Kf3 Rxa2 44. Be4+ g6 45. Bxd3 { and the bishops will prevail. }) 39. a4!? { This unnecessarily prolongs the game. Nakamura had an extra half hour and only needed to take a couple of minutes to verify that } (39. Be8! { was immediately decisive: } 39... R7f5 (39... e3 40. Bxe3 Re7 41. Bxh5) 40. Be3 Rf8 41. Bxf4 Rxe8 42. Be3) 39... bxa4 40. Bxa4 h4 41. Be3 R4f5 42. Ra1 h3! { [#] Resourceful. Black threatens ... h2+ and liquidates at the same time. } 43. Ra2!! { A brilliant reply, played relatively quickly. It was easy to go wrong: } (43. Nxh3? Rf1+ 44. Rxf1 Rxf1+ 45. Kh2 Re1 46. Ng5+ Kg8 (46... Kg6 47. Bf4 e3 48. Be8+ Kf5 49. Nf3 Rc1 50. Bxe3 Rxc3 51. Bd4 Rb3 52. b5 axb5 53. Bxg7 $14) 47. Bd2 Re2) (43. gxh3?? Rf3 $17 44. Re1 Rg3+ 45. Kh2 Rxe3 46. Rxe3 Rxf2+) (43. Ng4!? Rf1+ 44. Rxf1 Rxf1+ 45. Kh2 Ra1 46. Bc6 hxg2 47. Kxg2 a5 48. bxa5 Rxa5 49. Kg3 $16) 43... hxg2 44. Bd1! { Also played quickly. White's last two moves were necessary to keep a serious advantage. } (44. Kxg2? Rf3) 44... R7f6 (44... Bb1 45. Rb2 Bd3 46. Kxg2 R5f6 47. Bh5 Rf8 48. Ra2 $18) 45. Bg4 Rd5 46. Kxg2 Rg6 (46... Kg8!? 47. Kg3 Kf7 48. Nh3 Rc6 49. Nf4 Rg5 { and there's still work to be done. }) 47. Kg3 Bf1!? 48. Bd4 Bd3 (48... Rxd4 49. cxd4 e3 50. Ra1! (50. Ne4 e2 51. Ra1) 50... exf2 51. Rxf1 Rd6 52. Rxf2 Rxd4 53. Rf4 $18) 49. Kf4 Kg8 50. Bf5 Rh6 (50... Rgd6 51. Nxe4) 51. Ng4 Rhd6 52. Ne3 Rb5 53. Bc5 (53. Bxe4 g5+ 54. Kf3 Bxe4+ 55. Kxe4) 53... Rf6 54. Ke5 (54. Ng4! Rxf5+ 55. Kxf5 e3+ 56. Kf4 e2 57. Ra1 a5 58. Ne5 axb4 59. cxb4 Bc2 60. Re1 Bd1 61. Nxc4 $18) (54. Nd5 Rxf5+ (54... Rh6) 55. Kxf5 e3+ 56. Kf4 e2 57. Ra1 a5 58. Ke3) 54... Kf7 55. Nd5?! (55. Rf2 Ke8 56. Rh2 { wins easily }) 55... Rxf5+! { A last stab, which keeps the game alive. } 56. Kxf5 e3+ 57. Ke5 e2 58. Bf2 Rb8 59. Be1 (59. Rxa6! Re8+ 60. Kd4 Re4+ 61. Kc5 e1=Q 62. Bxe1 Rxe1 63. Ra7+ Kg6 64. b5) 59... Re8+ 60. Kf4? { [#] After this quick move, the win becomes seriously difficult for White. Better } (60. Kd4! { , e.g., } 60... Re4+ 61. Kc5 Re6 62. Nc7 Re5+ 63. Kd4 Rf5 64. Rxa6 Rf1 65. Ra1 Bc2 66. b5 Bd1 67. Bd2) 60... g5+! 61. Kg3 (61. Kxg5? Re5+) 61... Re6 (61... Re5! { was a great try, denying White the retreat back to e3 and g2: } 62. Nc7 Rf5! 63. Nxa6 Rf1 64. Ra1 Ke7 65. b5 Kd6 { and this is not so easy! }) 62. Kf2 (62. Nc7 Rf6 63. Nxa6 Rf1 { transposes to the previous note. }) 62... Rh6 63. Ke3 Re6+ 64. Kf2 { Suddenly White has to play only moves: } (64. Kd2?? Rd6! 65. Ra5 (65. Ne3?? Bb1+) 65... Be4) (64. Kd4 Rh6 { and White has no better than } 65. Ke3 Re6+ { , repeating. }) 64... Rh6 65. Ne3! { Nakamura quickly finds the only way to consolidate. } 65... Rf6+?! { An important juncture. It's amazing that Black still has some chances here, especially in the line } (65... Rh1! 66. Ng2 g4! 67. Kg3 Be4!! 68. Rxe2 Bf3 { is not so easy: [#] } 69. Rf2 Ke6 70. Rxf3! (70. Bd2? Ke5! { is equal , threatening ...Rh3 mate! Then } 71. Nf4 Ke4! 72. Rh2 Rg1+ 73. Kf2 Rd1 74. Kg3 Rg1+ { draws }) (70. Ra2? Kd7 71. Rxa6 { also draws after } 71... Rh3+ 72. Kf2 Rh2) 70... gxf3 71. Kxf3 { and presumably White is winning although there are still tricks: } 71... Kd7!? 72. Bg3 Rf1+ 73. Ke2 Rg1 74. Kf2 Rc1 75. Be5 Ke6 76. Bd4 Kd5 { with the idea } 77. Ne3+ Ke4 78. Nxc4? Rxc3! 79. Bxc3 Kd3) 66. Kg3 Rf1 67. Ng2 Rf6 (67... Rh1 68. Bf2 g4 69. Ne1) 68. Bf2 Kg6 69. Ra5 Re6 70. Ne1 Bf5 71. Nf3 Rd6 72. Nd4 Bd3 73. Re5 Kf6 74. Nf3 { There are no more tricks. } 1-0