[Event "FIDE World Cup 2023"] [Site "Baku"] [Date "2023.08.21"] [Round "7.3"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Praggnanandhaa R"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2782"] [BlackElo "2707"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C54"] [Opening "Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with h6"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/QLPThvQV/w8pdBBGF"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 h6 6. O-O d6 7. Re1 O-O 8. h3 a6 9. a4 Ba7 10. Nbd2 Ne7 11. Bb3 Ng6 12. Nf1 c6 13. Ng3 d5 14. Be3 Bb8 15. Bc2 Re8 16. a5 Bc7 17. b4 Be6 18. Bd2 Qc8 19. Qe2 Bd6 20. c4 dxc4 21. dxc4 Nf4 22. Qf1 c5 23. b5 axb5 24. cxb5 c4 25. Bc3 Bd7 26. Red1 Qc5 27. Rab1 Bf8 28. b6 g6 29. Qe1 Bg7 30. Qd2 Rad8 31. Qd6 { White misses a knockout, but still has a fantastic position. } (31. Bxe5 { was the more direct win: } 31... Rxe5 (31... Nxh3+ 32. gxh3 Bxh3 33. Qc3 $18) 32. Qxf4 Ree8 33. a6 $18) 31... Qxd6 32. Rxd6 N6h5 33. Nxh5 Ne2+ 34. Kf1 Nxc3 35. Nxg7 Kxg7 36. Ra1 Bb5 37. Rxd8 Rxd8 38. Ke1 Ba6 39. Nxe5 Re8 40. Kd2 (40. f4! { was more accurate, but the details are fantastically complex. } 40... f6 41. Kd2 Nxe4+ 42. Bxe4 fxe5 43. Re1! { With a pawn on e5 having captured the knight, instead of a rook, White is free to liberate the rook from guarding the a-pawn. } 43... exf4?? 44. Bxb7 { wins, despite Black's intermezzo: } 44... Rd8+ 45. Kc2 { as the bishop is hanging on b7 after } 45... Bxb7 46. Re7+ $18) 40... Nxe4+ 41. Bxe4 Rxe5 42. Bf3 (42. Re1 Rxa5 { is why the inclusion of f2-f4 and ... f7-f6 mattered, putting a pawn on e5 instead of Black's rook targeting the a-pawn. }) 42... Rb5 43. Kc3 Rb3+ 44. Kd4 Kf6 45. Kc5 c3? (45... Ke7 { As we will see, Black's king needs to guard the queenside. } 46. Bd5 Rb5+ 47. Kd4 f6) 46. Kd6! c2 47. Rc1 Bd3 48. Bxb7! { White calculated that they can part with the rook and promote the pawns in time. } 48... Rb1 49. Rxc2 Bxc2 50. Bf3 Bd3 51. b7 Ba6 52. Kc7 Rc1+ 53. Bc6 (53. Kd6? Bxb7 54. Bxb7 Ra1) 53... Bxb7 54. Kxb7 Rc2 { In mutual time trouble, Caruana makes a natural move that ends up only making Black's king's job easier after the rook sacs itself for the a-pawn. } 55. f4?? (55. a6 Rxf2 (55... Rb2+ 56. Kc7 Ra2 57. Kb6 Rxf2 58. a7 Ra2 59. a8=Q Rxa8 60. Bxa8 Ke5 61. Kc7 $18) 56. a7 Ra2 57. a8=Q Rxa8 58. Kxa8 Ke5 59. Be8!) 55... Kf5 56. a6 Rb2+ 57. Kc7 Ra2 58. Kb6 Kxf4 59. Bd5 Rxa6+ 60. Kxa6 Kg3 { Compared to variations without f2-f4, Black's king has already picked a pawn and, just as importantly, tied White's bishop down to defense of the g2-pawn, preventing the bishop from attacking the f7- and g6-pawns. } 61. Kb5 f5 62. Kc5 g5 63. Kd4 g4 64. hxg4 fxg4 65. Ke5 h5 66. Kf5 h4 67. Kg5 h3 68. gxh3 gxh3 69. Bc6 h2 70. Bd5 h1=Q 71. Bxh1 { 1/2-1/2 The game is a draw. } 1/2-1/2