1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5a64.Ba4Nf65.O-OBe76.Re1b57.Bb3O-Oso far players follow the first game of the match8.a4...And Nepo is the
first to deviate with another Anti-Marshall concept. In fact, it shows how
safe the Marshall Attack for Black is, that it's being avoided at any cost!8.h3was played in the first game of the match8....Bb7The main
continuation and Carlsen's favorite choice8...b4is another option to
face 8.a4 move9.d4d610.dxe5dxe511.Nbd2thanks to -c4 square, I like
White a bit more here8...Rb8is the third choice what Magnus played in
the World Cup against the future Winner of the event - Duda Jan-Krzysztof9.c3d510.exd5Nxd511.axb5axb512.Nxe5Nxe513.Rxe5c614.d4Bd615.Re1Qh416.g3Qh317.Re4g518.Qf1Qxf1+19.Kxf1Bf520.Nd2Bxe421.Nxe4Be722.Bxg5Bxg523.Nxg5Ra8and White kept pressing for another good 40 moves
here. Game ended in a draw on move 65.9.d3d610.Nbd2...the main move but
never been tested against Magnus earlier10.Bd2is the move two French
players (MVL and Bacrot) played against MagnusQd711.Nc3Na512.Ba2c513.Ne2Nc614.Ng3d515.exd5Nxd5⇆was later won my Magnus ...0-1, Bacrot,
E (2678)-Carlsen,M (2847) Krasnaya Polyana 202110....Re8only the fourth
most played continuation10...Na5is the top choice of Black11.Ba2c512.Nf1bxa4was Russian GM Evgeny Tomashevsky's favorite move here. Normally,
taking such pawns weaken our pawn structure, however, this time it's based on
concrete play(12...b4!?)13.Ne3Bc8Bishop is being transferred to d7.14.Bd2Bd7⇆11.Nf1...Natural Knight maneuver in Ruy Lopez.11.Ng5could have been an option, on what Magnus would most likely reply withd512.exd5Nd4!(12...Nxd5??surely not, due to13.Nxf7!Kxf714.Qf3+Just like in Fried Liver Attack. white gets strong initiative!Ke615.c4bxc416.dxc4Nf617.c5+Nd5(17...Kd718.Qf5#is a beautiful checkmate!)18.Qe4Black is pretty much paralyzed here. Next, White's going to play Nf3 and put more pressure!)13.Rxe5Qd7!?threatening ...-Ng4 and many other active moves, Black compensates the material deficit.11....h6covers the -g5 square11...Bf812.Bg5!?h613.Bxf6!?(13.Bh4↑is another reasonable continuation)Qxf614.Ne3Qd815.h4looks better for White12.Bd2Bf813.Ne3...The e3 Knight is
ready to hop onto active -f5 or -d5 squares13....Ne7covers them both14.c4...is objectively the strongest move according to the engine, however14.g4!?Nis the move I'd really love to see being played on the board!Nh7is nearly the only move to maintain the equality(14...Qd715.g5hxg516.Nxg5d517.Qf3→looks like White's pieces are better concentrated on the
kingside, next Kh1 and Rg1 will also be played. White has strong attack on the
King of Black!)15.h4c5Black needs to come up with a counter-play on the
center against White's k-side attack16.g5c4(16...hxg517.Nxg5Nxg518.hxg5d5can be met by a beautiful19.g6!Nxg620.Bxd5±White has
exchanged flank pawn to a central pawn of Black, got an outpost on d5 and yet
may attack the Black King along the h-file!)17.dxc4Bxe418.gxh6Qd719.Nh2=∞leads to a total mess!14....bxc414...c6is the move that been
played more15.Nxc4Nc6Nofficial novelty15...Rb8was played once
on what White replied with a tactical shot in the center16.Ncxe5!dxe517.Nxe5Kh7?(17...Ned5should have been played18.exd5Bxd5=∞)18.Bxf7Qd619.Bc3+−and eventually White won the gameRed820.Bc4Nc621.Nf7Qe722.d4g623.Nxd8Rxd824.Qb3Ba825.Rad1Bg726.Qc2Nh527.d5Ne528.Bxa6Qd629.Bf1Rf830.h3Bb731.Bd4Rf732.Re3Bc833.Rc3Nf434.Bc5Qf635.d6Qg536.Rg3Qh537.Be3Ne638.Rd5Bb739.Rb5cxd640.f4Nc641.Rxh51-0 (41) Arakhamia Grant,K (2447)-Yildiz Kadioglu,B (2244) Rijeka 201016.Rc1a517.Bc3Bc8Bishop has done it's job on a8-h1 diagonal, now it's being
trasferred to a2-g8, to challenge White's Bishop.18.d4...all White's pieces
are placed well, now they are ready to open up the position in the center.18....exd419.Nxd4Nxd420.Qxd4Be6First impression is, White's pieces are
placed better than Black's. -a5 pawn is looking shaky, however, Black is solid
enough. They might play ...-d5 or ...-c6 followed by ...-d5 what will simplify
position.21.h3...21.Qd3!?d5(21...c622.Bc2looked good for White)22.Bxf6Qxf623.exd5Bd7=∞White is up a pawn, but we have seen already twice
in this match that Carlsen is keen to sac a pawn for the Bishop pair and
strong compensation21.Nxa5?is not good due toc5!22.Qd2White
needs to defend the Knight on a5.(22.Qd1Rxa5-+)Bxb323.Nxb3Nxe4∓21....c6defends the -a5 pawn and prepares ...-d5 breakthrough in the center.22.Bc2d523.e5dxc424.Qxd8...24.exf6Qxd425.Bxd4Bb426.Re2Rad827.Bb6Rb828.Bd4Rbd824....Rexd825.exf6Bb425...g626.Bxg625...g526.h4gxh427.Re426.fxg7Bxc327.bxc3Kxg7After tons of exchanges, the position has simplified drastically.28.Kf1...White brings the King closer to the center in the endgame.28....Rab828...Rd229.Red1Rad830.Rxd2Rxd231.Ke1is one exemplary line of why Nepo's 28th move was good.29.Rb1Kf630.Rxb8Rxb831.Rb1Rxb1+32.Bxb1...Rooks are off the board too.32....Ke5Activity
of Black's King compensate weak pawns. Now game ends in a draw.33.Ke2f534.Bc2f4seizing on the kingside35.Bb1c536.Bc2Bd737.f3Kf638.h4Ke539.Kf2Kf640.Ke2Ke541.Kf2The players are off to the first rest day
with a relatively calm draw. What can we say about the first three games? All
games so far ended in a draw, but we definitely can't tell it's a boring match.
I believe, Carlsen, so far, doesn't play in his usual manner. Especially
yesterday's game felt more like the Rachmaninoff style than Mozart's flowing
melodies:) Nevertheless, he is the one who controls the beat. His playing
style looks more like to neutralize Nepo's sharp play. Well, he manages it
well, so far. It feels like Nepo hasn't yet found his comfort zone. Tomorrow
is the rest day. It's time for players to chill for a bit, analyze the first
three games and of course, think about the match-strategy for next rounds.1/2-1/2