[Event "Candidates"] [Site "Toronto"] [Date "2024.04.14"] [Round "9.4"] [White "Abasov, Nijat"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2632"] [WhiteTeam "AZE"] [BlackElo "2803"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Annotator "GM Eugene Perelshteyn"] [FEN "rnbq1rk1/pp3ppp/2p1pn2/3p4/P1PP4/2PBP3/5PPP/R1BQK1NR b KQ - 0 8"] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [SetUp "1"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/Mez4h4WA/PQgN7ehG"] [Orientation "white"] { [Annotations by GM Eugene Perelshteyn] Caruana clearly came with a fighting spirit for this game! } 8... e5! { Played after 16 minutes of thought and the best practical try! The game enters a complicated endgame where Black feels slightly better. } 9. dxe5 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Qxd1+ 11. Kxd1 Ng4! 12. Ke1 { Abasov accepts the worse endgame. } (12. f4!? { is a promising sacrifice, but hard to pull the trigger in a real game as White temporarily sacrifices an entire rook! } 12... Nf2+ 13. Ke2 Nxh1 14. Ba3 Re8 15. Nf3 { White will win the h1-knight with clear compensation for the exchange. }) 12... Nxe5 13. Be2 { Black has the better structure, but with two bishops Abasov was eventually able to steer the game into the drawish territory. } 13... Rd8 14. Nf3 Nd3+ 15. Bxd3 Rxd3 16. Bb2 Be6 17. Ke2 Rd8 18. Nd2 c5 19. c4 Nc6 20. a5 Rd7 21. Bc3 Rad8 22. Rhc1 h6 23. Rab1 Bf5 24. Rb5 Ne5 25. Bxe5 Rxd2+ 26. Kf3 Ra2 27. Rxb7 Rdd2 28. Bg3 a6 29. Rc7 Rxa5 30. h4 h5 31. Kf4 Be6 32. Ke5 Kh7 33. Ke4 Rb2 34. Rc3 Rd2 35. Rc1 Rd8 36. Rc6 Rd7 37. Bd6 Ra4 38. Kf3 f6 39. Kg3 Bxc4 40. Rxc5 Bf7 41. Bf4 Rb4 42. Rc7 Rb7 43. Rxd7 Rxd7 44. Rc7 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2