[Event "Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge"] [Site "Weissenhaus, Germany"] [Date "2024.02.12"] [Round "2.4"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Firouzja, Alireza"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2830"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteFideId "1503014"] [BlackElo "2760"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [BlackFideId "12573981"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/AAArmstark"] [FEN "rqnkrnbb/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RQNKRNBB w EAea - 0 1"] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [SetUp "1"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/FO3zez69/3y57u2TG"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%eval 0.16] [%clk 1:29:57] } 1... e5 { [%eval 0.26] [%clk 1:28:44] } 2. g3 { [%eval 0.31] [%clk 1:28:56] } 2... c6 { [%eval 0.14] [%clk 1:27:05] } 3. c3 { [%eval 0.17] [%clk 1:22:25] } 3... g6 { [%eval 0.32] [%clk 1:25:40] } 4. Ne3 { [%eval 0.17] [%clk 1:18:00] } 4... Ne6 { [%eval 0.25] [%clk 1:24:23] } 5. Ne2 { [%eval 0.19] [%clk 1:14:53] } 5... Ne7 { [%eval 0.21] [%clk 1:14:16] } 6. Rf1 { [%eval 0.14] [%clk 1:09:09] } 6... Rf8 { [%eval 0.26] [%clk 1:09:57] } 7. f4 { [%eval 0.1] [%clk 1:02:50] } 7... f5 { [%eval 0.16] [%clk 0:58:51] } 8. fxe5 { [%eval 0.32] [%clk 1:02:36] } 8... fxe4 { [%eval 0.54] [%clk 0:58:25] } 9. Rxf8+ { [%eval 0.39] [%clk 1:02:32] } 9... Nxf8 { [%eval 0.42] [%clk 0:58:18] } 10. Qxe4 { [%eval 0.58] [%clk 1:01:58] } 10... Qxe5 { [%eval 0.52] [%clk 0:52:48] } 11. Qb4 { [%eval 0.17] [%clk 1:01:39] } 11... b6 { [%eval 0.92] [%clk 0:41:34] } 12. d4 { [%eval 0.86] [%clk 0:54:36] } 12... Qa5 { [%eval 0.76] [%clk 0:38:20] } 13. Qxa5 { [%eval 0.87] [%clk 0:53:41] } 13... bxa5 { [%eval 0.78] } { White must be happy with this position. He is no worse in development with a better structure. } { [%clk 0:38:19] } 14. d5 { [%eval 0.85] } { Clarifying the center reinforces his advantage on the queenside, and also creates new central squares for his knights. } { [%clk 0:53:20] } 14... cxd5 { [%eval 0.89] [%clk 0:33:51] } 15. O-O-O { [%eval 0.96] } { A lovely temporary pawn sac, showing how space begets more space, and then the material sorts itself out. } { [%clk 0:52:23] } 15... Rc8?! { [%eval 1.5] [%clk 0:32:18] } (15... O-O-O { was far better, primarily because the rook is more of a player on e8 than it ever is on c8. } 16. Nxd5 Re8 17. Nef4 Nc6 18. Bg2 Ne6 $14) 16. Nxd5 { [%eval 1.46] [%clk 0:51:01] } 16... Nc6 { [%eval 1.56] [%clk 0:32:11] } 17. Be3 { [%eval 1.47] [%clk 0:43:56] } 17... Ne6 { [%eval 1.4] [%clk 0:31:02] } 18. Bg2 { [%eval 1.29] [%clk 0:42:12] } 18... Ke8 { [%eval 1.5] [%clk 0:29:21] } 19. a3 { [%eval 1.42] [%clk 0:39:26] } 19... Bf7 { [%eval 1.55] [%clk 0:23:21] } 20. Nef4 { [%eval 1.61] [%clk 0:35:49] } 20... g5 { [%eval 1.84] [%clk 0:22:16] } 21. Nh3 { [%eval 1.83] [%clk 0:34:14] } 21... h6 { [%eval 1.92] [%clk 0:15:41] } 22. Nf2 { [%eval 1.85] } { Even when his pieces go backwards, they go forward! The same cannot be said for Black's h8-bishop or c8-rook. } { [%clk 0:34:07] } 22... d6 { [%eval 2.25] [%clk 0:14:39] } 23. Ne4 { [%eval 2.21] [%clk 0:29:26] } 23... Be5 { [%eval 2.28] [%clk 0:14:31] } 24. Nef6+ { [%eval 1.86] [%clk 0:27:20] } 24... Kf8 { [%eval 1.88] [%clk 0:09:25] } 25. Nd7+ { [%eval 1.98] [%clk 0:25:39] } 25... Kg7 { [%eval 1.85] [%clk 0:09:24] } 26. Nxe5 { [%eval 1.83] [%clk 0:24:51] } 26... dxe5 { [%eval 1.79] [%clk 0:09:21] } 27. b4 { [%eval 1.9] [%clk 0:22:56] } 27... axb4 { [%eval 1.87] [%clk 0:08:09] } 28. axb4 { [%eval 1.89] [%clk 0:22:54] } 28... g4?! { [%eval 2.6] } { This further improves the scope of White's bishops. } { [%clk 0:07:22] } (28... Nc7 29. Nxc7 Rxc7 30. Kb2 Ne7 31. Bc5 Nc8 $16 { is promising for White, still, however. }) 29. Kb2 { [%eval 2.56] [%clk 0:20:28] } 29... Rb8 { [%eval 2.53] [%clk 0:03:35] } 30. Nc7! { [%eval 2.52] } { A nice simplification. } { [%clk 0:17:35] } 30... Nxc7 { [%eval 3.12] [%clk 0:03:34] } 31. Bxc6 { [%eval 2.9] [%clk 0:17:21] } 31... Nb5 { [%eval 3.28] [%clk 0:03:32] } 32. Rd7 { [%eval 3.16] } { The bishops clearly dominate here. } { [%clk 0:14:00] } 32... Kf6 { [%eval 3.17] [%clk 0:03:30] } 33. Bxa7 { [%eval 2.97] [%clk 0:13:23] } 33... Nxa7 { [%eval 3.02] [%clk 0:03:28] } 34. Rxa7 { [%eval 3.12] [%clk 0:13:13] } 34... Bg6 { [%eval 3.91] [%clk 0:03:27] } 35. Ra6 { [%eval 3.87] [%clk 0:10:42] } 35... Kg5 { [%eval 3.94] [%clk 0:03:26] } 36. Ra8 { [%eval 3.37] [%clk 0:09:22] } 36... Rb6 { [%eval 3.54] [%clk 0:02:50] } 37. b5 { [%eval 3.32] [%clk 0:06:44] } 37... Bd3 { [%eval 3.28] [%clk 0:02:35] } 38. Ra5 { [%eval 3.15] [%clk 0:06:37] } 38... e4 { [%eval 3.39] [%clk 0:02:17] } 39. Kb3 { [%eval 4.32] [%clk 0:05:42] } 39... e3 { [%eval 4.24] [%clk 0:01:33] } 40. c4 { [%eval 3.81] [%clk 0:36:06] } 40... Kf5 { [%eval 5.43] [%clk 0:31:03] } 41. Ra8 { [%eval 5.51] [%clk 0:27:18] } 1-0