[Event "FIDE World Cup 2023"] [Site "Baku"] [Date "2023.08.23"] [Round "8.2"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Abasov, Nijat"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2782"] [BlackElo "2646"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B40"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Four Knights Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/QLPThvQV/K6iW9Yzg"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 (5... Qc7 { The Taimanov is the most popular way to go, with 5. ... a6 as an alternative. The text move stops neither Bc1-f4 nor Nd4-b5, so take a wild guess what White's most popular next two moves will be. }) 6. Bf4 Bb4 7. Nb5 Nxe4 { The best way to play this position, but Abasov took five minutes here. This is noteworthy, as he ends up using a third of his initial 90 minutes by move 12. Remember, in the first game he made it to move 19 before using any time. } 8. Qf3! { White chooses the most precise line. } (8. Nc7+ Kf8 9. Nxa8? Qf6 10. Qf3 (10. Bd2?? Qxf2# { is worth noting. }) 10... Nxc3 11. a3 Nd4! $19) 8... d5 9. Nc7+ Kf8 10. O-O-O { White reasons that Black's rook isn't going anywhere. } 10... Bxc3 (10... Rb8? 11. Nxe4 $18) 11. bxc3 Qe7 (11... g5 { is the main, and most forcing, continuation: } 12. Qxe4 Qxc7 13. Bxc7 dxe4 14. Bb5 f6 15. h4 g4 16. Rd6 Kf7 17. Re1 Ne7 18. Rxe4 h5 { with a position that the engine calls equal. This calls to mind Jan Markos's play on Orwell's quote that some equal positions are more equal than others. This surely is not a dead draw, but White's lead in development and bishop pair is compromised by the poor structure. }) (11... Rb8 { has also been tried, when } 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Qxe4! (13. Bxb8? Qe7! { is a very important finesse. }) 13... dxe4 14. Rxd8+ Nxd8 15. Bxb8 Nc6 { gives a small plus to White. }) 12. c4 { Caruana gives the most ambitious reply to Abasov's relatively rare 11th move. } 12... Qf6?! { This has been tried before, but is simply not good. } (12... Nb4 13. a3?! { was a draw on move 73 in Carnicelli – Corvi, Acqui Terme, 2022. } (13. cxd5 Nxa2+ 14. Kb2 Nac3 15. Rd4 e5 16. d6 Qf6 17. Rxe4 Nxe4 18. Bc1!! { is apparently good for White, but otherwise Black is equal if not better. })) 13. c3! { Caruana is now up to 93 minutes on his clock: three minutes more than the start of the game. } 13... g5 $146 { This novelty sends White into a twenty minute think. } (13... Qe7 { is the best move, and has been played between two club players in a 2007 game that is the only modern game in the database from this position. Black's reasonable idea is to prepare ... g7-g5 by avoiding a possible queen trade first. } 14. Kb2 g5 15. Bg3 Nxg3 16. Qxg3 Rb8 17. cxd5 exd5 18. Bb5 Be6?? (18... h5!? 19. Rhe1 h4 { is a cool way to play, where White's only path to an advantage requires } 20. Rxe7! hxg3 21. Re8+ Kg7 22. Rxh8 Kxh8 23. hxg3 $14) 19. Nxe6+ Qxe6 20. Bxc6 { when Black resigned four moves later in Yu – Schulz, Kemer, 2007. }) (13... Rb8 { was played in the only other database game from this position. This was reached in (I swear this is not a typo) 1902! } 14. cxd5 Nxc3 15. dxc6 Nxd1 16. Bd6+ Kg8 17. Qxf6 gxf6 18. Ne8? (18. Kxd1 bxc6 19. Ne8 $18) 18... Nxf2! 19. Bxb8 Nxh1 20. Bxa7?! (20. Nxf6+ Kf8 21. Bd6+ Kg7 22. Be5 Nf2 23. Ne4+ Kg6 24. Nxf2 f6 25. Bd4 $16) 20... bxc6 21. g3 h5 22. Bg2 Nxg3 23. hxg3 Rh6 24. Bxc6 Rg6 25. Bf2 e5 26. a4 f5 27. Bb5 { when a draw was agreed in Loman – Brody, Hannover, 1902. }) 14. Bd6+! { White correctly assesses the alternatives and concludes that this forced queen trade is the best path to an advantage. } 14... Kg7 15. Qxf6+ Kxf6 16. Nxa8 Nxd6 17. cxd5 exd5 18. f3! { A very precise move. } (18. Nc7 Ne4 { is, put simply, annoying to deal with. }) 18... Nf5 19. Nc7 d4 20. Bb5 Ne3 21. Rd2 Bd7 22. Re1 Rc8 23. Rxe3 Rxc7 (23... dxe3? 24. Rxd7 Ne5 25. Nd5+ Ke6 26. Rc7 $16) 24. Re4 dxc3 25. Rd6+ Kg7 26. Re3 a6 27. Ba4 Be6 28. Bxc6 bxc6 29. Rxc3 Bxa2 30. Rcxc6 Re7 31. Rxa6 { White is a pure Exchange ahead, but with all the pawns on the same side of the board, Black retains some drawing chances. White manages to slowly create, and continue to pressure, a weak black pawn until the breakthrough reveals itself. } 31... Re2 32. Rd2 Re1+ 33. Kb2 Be6 34. Ra1 Re5 35. Kc3 h6 36. Kd4 Rb5 37. Ke3 Rb3+ 38. Kf2 Rb4 39. Ra5 Rh4 40. h3 Rb4 41. Kg3 Kf6 42. Re2 Bf5 43. Ree5 Bg6 44. Reb5 Rc4 45. Rb6+ Kg7 46. Rab5 Rc2 47. Rb2 Rc4 48. R2b4 Rc5 49. R6b5 Rc2 50. Rd5 Ra2 51. h4 gxh4+ 52. Rxh4 h5 53. Rb4 Rc2 54. f4 Kf6 55. Rg5 Rc6?? (55... Rc1! { was necessary, stopping Kg3-h4. }) 56. Kh4! { Now, White wins the h-pawn. } 56... Re6 57. f5 Bxf5 58. Rf4 Re5 59. Rxh5 { 1-0 White wins. } (59. Kxh5 { would also be good enough. In either case, the point is that Black must stop g2-g4 with } 59... Ke6 { but after } 60. g4 Bg6+ 61. Kh6 Re1 62. Rxg6+! fxg6 63. Kxg6 $18 { White has reached a theoretically won position with the king firmly in front of the pawn and Black's king cut off by a file. }) 1-0