[Event "FIDE World Cup 2023"] [Site "Baku"] [Date "2023.08.22"] [Round "8.1"] [White "Abasov, Nijat"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2646"] [BlackElo "2782"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E05"] [Opening "Catalan Opening: Open Defense, Classical Line"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/QLPThvQV/rxI3Ecjq"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Bg5 Nbd7 11. Nc3 h6 12. Bf4!? { A rare alternative to 12. Bxf6 in one of the main lines of the Catalan. White argues that provoking ... h7-h6 was worth the tempo. But Abasov's novelty is yet to come. } 12... Bd6 13. Qd3 $146 (13. Bxd6 { This position has been reached six times, and there's something to be said for the structural transformation (and trade of bishops rather than bishop-for-knight) injecting fresh life into an otherwise well-known position. }) 13... Bxf4 14. gxf4 { Throughout the World Cup, Abasov's openings have been remarkably precise and full of fresh ideas. This is no exception. Allowing the bishops to trade on f4 is a familiar idea to London System players, albeit with e3xf4 rather than g3xf4. Here, White's plan is rather straightforward: cramp the center and use the g-file. } 14... a5 15. Kh1 Bxf3 { Black worries that the light-square bishop will be short on squares, given that ... e6-e5 is not happening any time soon, and concludes it might be more of a liability in the way of the c-pawn. } (15... Nd5 { might make more sense, however. } 16. e3 Qe7 17. Rg1 Kh8 { and I'd be curious to see how White continues. Notice that it's not as easy to double-up on the g-file. Additionally, with the f4-pawn weak in the event of e3-e4, I'm not sure how White makes progress in the center. Given this, it's not imperative that Black executes a ... c7-c5 break, meaning that the bishop is not a "piece of wood" in the way of the rest of its army. }) 16. Bxf3 c6 17. Rg1 Kh8 18. e4 Qe7 19. Rg3 (19. e5 Ng8 { is Black's best bet, as ... g7-g6 will most likely be played at some point and the knight's defenses on the then-weak h6-pawn will be important. Consider that White will have weak pawns on d4 and f4 to be tied down to, so the g8-knight being otherwise "out of play" is not the "mark of death" it might have appeared to me. I like 19. e5, then, simply because I could see Black finding it difficult to commit to this move, and even if Black does, the position is still comfortable for White. There is something to be said for Abasov's decision to keep things flexible, however. Oh, to have such pleasant choices against Caruana! } (19... Ne8 20. f5 { and the engine is optimistic: } 20... f6 (20... exf5 21. Qxf5 Rg8 22. Be4! g6 23. Qh3 $16 { The way White has provoked a series of weaknesses on Black's kingside feels like something out of Chernev's "Logical Chess: Move by Move." }) 21. fxe6 Qxe6 22. Qg6 $16) 20. Rg2 Rad8 21. Rag1 g6 22. Ne2 Nb6 23. Be4 Nd5 24. Qf3 { when White is for choice, but Black at least has some counterplay on the weak f4-pawn and ideas of ... c6-c5. }) 19... Rad8 20. Rag1 Rg8 21. e5 Nh7 22. Qe3!? { The first inaccuracy (and only a couple of moves out of prep). } 22... Nb6 (22... f5! { Black absolutely had to be looking for the right time to play this move. White has no breaks on the kingside or in the center anymore, and the static pawns on d4 and f4 can prove to be fodder for Black's knight-pair as the game progresses. } 23. d5!? { Might actually be White's best bet, challenging the assumption that White had no breaks, but giving up a pawn. } 23... cxd5 24. Nb5 { White must have compensation for the pawn in the form of the weak dark squares, but not more than that. } 24... Nc5 $13) 23. Be4 Qb4?? { A true blunder. White now has a winning attack by force. } (23... f5 { Again! }) 24. Bxh7 Kxh7 25. Ne4 $18 { Once the knight occupies this square, there are too many mating attacks in the form of f4-f5 and sacrifices on the f6-square. } 25... Qe7 26. f5 { Black resigned. If 26. ... exf5, White mates in an instructive way: } 26... exf5 27. Nf6+! Kh8 (27... gxf6 28. Qxh6+ Kxh6 29. Rh3#) (27... Qxf6 { is "best," but, come on. } 28. exf6 g5 { As a fun note, the engine informs us White still has mate after } 29. Rxg5!) 28. Qxh6+ gxh6 29. Rxg8+ Rxg8 30. Rxg8# { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0