[Event "Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge"] [Site "Weissenhaus, Germany"] [Date "2024.02.14"] [Round "11.1"] [White "Aronian, Levon"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2725"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteFideId "13300474"] [BlackElo "2804"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [BlackFideId "2020009"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/AAArmstark"] [FEN "qrnbkrbn/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/QRNBKRBN w FBfb - 0 1"] [Variant "Chess960"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [SetUp "1"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/FO3zez69/euSqItEH"] [Orientation "white"] 1. Ng3 { [%eval 0.11] [%clk 0:04:59] } 1... f6 { [%eval 0.13] [%clk 0:04:11] } 2. f4 { [%eval 0.17] [%clk 0:04:57] } 2... d5 { [%eval 0.19] [%clk 0:04:04] } 3. b4 { [%eval 0.21] [%clk 0:04:46] } 3... b6 { [%eval 0.66] [%clk 0:03:58] } 4. Bd4 { [%eval 0.15] [%clk 0:04:11] } 4... Nd6 { [%eval 0.07] [%clk 0:03:55] } 5. e3 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:04:03] } 5... Be6 { [%eval 0.28] [%clk 0:03:50] } 6. Bh5+ { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:03:34] } 6... Nhf7 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:03:47] } 7. Nce2 { [%eval -0.17] [%clk 0:02:55] } 7... O-O { [%eval -0.19] [%clk 0:03:44] } 8. d3 { [%eval -0.23] [%clk 0:02:47] } 8... Bd7 { [%eval -0.18] [%clk 0:03:41] } 9. O-O { [%eval -0.14] [%clk 0:02:43] } 9... Rc8 { [%eval 0.04] [%clk 0:03:38] } 10. Bf3 { [%eval 0.0] [%clk 0:02:34] } 10... c5 { [%eval -0.04] [%clk 0:03:37] } 11. bxc5 { [%eval -0.08] [%clk 0:02:33] } 11... bxc5 { [%eval 0.0] } 12. Bb2 { [%eval 0.0] } 12... Bb6 { [%eval 0.28] [%clk 0:03:31] } 13. c4 { [%eval -0.28] [%clk 0:02:24] } 13... Bc6 { [%eval -0.25] [%clk 0:03:30] } 14. cxd5 { [%eval -0.26] } 14... Bxd5 { [%eval -0.36] } 15. e4 { [%eval -0.87] } 15... c4+ { [%eval -0.4] [%clk 0:03:24] } 16. Kh1?! { [%eval -1.21] } { An interesting "Freestyle" moment! Looking at this position, I assumed White wanted to keep the dark-squared bishop on the board, thanks to the pressure against Black's king on the long diagonal. But, in deciphering the engine's criticism of this move (compared to 16. Bd4), what becomes clear is that White's queen remains passive without the follow-up of 17. Qc3!, while Black's queen is already exerting pressure from her perch. Queens are seldom this inactive on their starting square in "normal" chess, so the need to activate a queen seldom supersedes decisions about which minor pieces to keep on the board in the early stages of the game. An important nuance, illustrating the rich possibilities of this variant! } { [%clk 0:02:21] } (16. Bd4! Bb7 17. Qc3! Rfd8 18. Bg4!? cxd3 19. Qxd3 Rb8 20. Qe3 $15) 16... Bb7 { [%eval -1.05] [%clk 0:03:10] } 17. e5 { [%eval -1.89] [%clk 0:02:07] } 17... cxd3 { [%eval -1.84] [%clk 0:03:08] } 18. Nd4 { [%eval -1.82] [%clk 0:01:57] } 18... Nc4!? { [%eval -0.6] } { Caruana smells blood, but this is imprecise. That said, with draw odds in the Armageddon game, better safe than sorry! } { [%clk 0:02:57] } (18... fxe5 { was more precise, eliminating possible e5xf6 ideas that are essential to White's ideas after 19. Ndf5. } 19. Ndf5 Nxf5 20. Nxf5 Rfe8 21. Bxe5 Bxf3 22. Rxf3 Qe4 $17 { or }) (18... Bxf3 19. Nxf3 Ne4 $17) 19. Ne6?? { [%eval -2.16] } { Neither the threat of taking on f8 nor on g7 are sufficient. Instead, White had to construct a sort of mating net with hopes of Nd4-f5-xe7+ and e5xf6. } { [%clk 0:01:51] } (19. Ndf5! Rfe8 (19... Bxf3? 20. Nxe7+ Kh8 21. Rxf3 Ne3 $10 (21... Nd2? 22. Rxd3 Nxb1 23. exf6 g6 24. Qxb1 $16)) 20. exf6! Nd2 21. Bxb7 Qxb7 22. Nxe7+ Rxe7 23. fxe7 Nxf1 24. Rxf1 Qxe7 25. Bxg7) 19... Bxf3 { [%eval -2.33] [%clk 0:02:37] } (19... Nd2 { was also effective: } 20. Bxb7 Qxb7 21. Nxf8 Nxf1 22. Rxf1 Rc2 $19) 20. Rxf3 { [%eval -2.33] [%clk 0:01:44] } 20... Nd2 { [%eval -1.94] [%clk 0:02:32] } 21. Rxd3 { [%eval -2.22] [%clk 0:01:40] } 21... Nxb1 { [%eval -2.21] [%clk 0:02:30] } 22. Qxb1 { [%eval -2.0] [%clk 0:01:31] } 22... Rfe8 { [%eval -1.92] [%clk 0:02:27] } 23. exf6 { [%eval -3.3] [%clk 0:00:51] } 23... exf6 { [%eval -3.21] [%clk 0:02:22] } 24. Nxg7 { [%eval -4.42] } { White embarks on one final attempt at a swindle. } { [%clk 0:00:50] } 24... Kxg7 { [%eval -3.1] [%clk 0:01:53] } 25. Nh5+ { [%eval -3.1] [%clk 0:00:50] } 25... Kf8 { [%eval -3.23] [%clk 0:01:52] } 26. Nxf6 { [%eval -3.47] [%clk 0:00:48] } 26... Re2! { [%eval -3.47] } { The mate threat kills any chance of counterplay for White, who is now simply down too much material. } { [%clk 0:01:19] } 27. Rg3 { [%eval -3.96] [%clk 0:00:48] } 27... Ke7 { [%eval -3.75] [%clk 0:01:05] } 28. h4 { [%eval -5.66] [%clk 0:00:36] } 28... Rcc2 { [%eval -5.83] [%clk 0:00:51] } 29. Qd1 { [%eval -6.37] [%clk 0:00:20] } 29... Rxb2 { [%eval -6.51] [%clk 0:00:44] } 30. Ng8+ { [%eval -10.79] [%clk 0:00:08] } 30... Kf8 { [%eval -9.93] [%clk 0:00:41] } 31. Nf6 { [%eval #-7] [%clk 0:00:07] } 31... Ke7 { [%eval -6.53] [%clk 0:00:39] } 32. Nd5+ { [%eval -6.62] [%clk 0:00:06] } 32... Kf8 { [%eval -6.56] [%clk 0:00:35] } 33. Qd3 { [%eval -10.11] [%clk 0:00:03] } 33... Re1+ { [%eval -11.76] [%clk 0:00:28] } 34. Kh2 { [%eval -10.57] [%clk 0:00:03] } 34... Bg1+ { [%eval -11.79] [%clk 0:00:27] } 35. Kh3 { [%eval -11.44] [%clk 0:00:03] } 35... Qc8+ { [%eval -9.79] } 0-1