[Event "World Blitz 2022"] [Site "Almaty KAZ"] [Date "2022.12.30"] [Round "14.1"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Rapport, Richard"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2859"] [BlackElo "2740"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C18"] [Opening "French Defense: Winawer Variation, Classical Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/TO2we2IV/CTPBiKyz"] [Orientation "white"] { For another perspective, featuring more on the history of the Winawer, see the supplemental chapter annotated by IM John Watson. } 1. d4 e6 2. e4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qc7 7. h4 (7. Qg4 { This is the most popular move by a mile, but White's choice is far from a novelty. }) 7... Ne7 { Rapport has now transposed to another line of the Winawer, typically beginning 6. ...Ne7. } 8. h5 h6 9. Nf3 b6 10. Bb5+ Bd7 11. Bd3 c4 (11... Ba4 { The most common move, played as recently as April of last year by Fedoseev. }) 12. Be2 Ba4 13. Bf4 Na6 14. Qd2 O-O-O 15. Nh2 Kb7 16. Nf1 { The game is now in uncharted territory, with the two sides using the closed center to patiently maneuver their forces. } 16... Qd7 17. Ne3 Nc7 18. Kf1 Nc6 19. g3 Qe8 20. Kg2 Qg8 21. Rab1 Qh7 22. Bf3 Kb8 23. Qe2 Rc8 24. Rb2 Nb5 25. Nxd5 { Necessary? Of course not! But, after passing on the opportunity to push g3-g4 for multiple turns, Carlsen decides to commit to a path forward. } 25... exd5 { It is not surprising that sacrificing a piece for two center pawns, opening the position for the bishop pair pointed against Black's king, provides compensation. What is surprising is that White only earns this compensation after another sacrifice! } 26. e6+? (26. Rxb5!! Bxb5 27. Bxd5 $13 { A beautiful positional sacrifice. Black's light-squared bishop is minimally functional, and with no open files, the extra rook is not a factor. Compared to the game, where Black's b5-knight created pressure on weak pawns as well as the possibility of a counter-sac on d4, Black is tied down. }) 26... Kb7 27. exf7 (27. Rxb5? { It is also instructive to see why the move order mattered. } 27... Bxb5 28. Bxd5 Qf5! { and the e6-pawn falls. }) 27... Qf5 28. Rb4!? { There is no point to capture the knight now that the d5-pawn is defended, and Carlsen chooses an interesting way to continue. } 28... Nxb4 (28... Nxc3 { This was also winning, as after } 29. Qe3 Nxb4 30. Qxc3 { Black is in no danger. }) 29. Qe7+ Ka6? (29... Nc7 30. axb4 Rhf8 31. Ra1 Bd7 $19 { White lacks an attack with the king on b7, but now, to make things worse, Black gains pressure on the h3-square. }) 30. Qxb4 (30. axb4 { White could cause even more problems after opening the a-file. } 30... Rhf8 { Black should be able to keep a material plus, and there will be no concrete way for White to exploit the king's position. } 31. Ra1 Nxc3 32. Qe1 Qxc2 33. Rc1 Qf5 34. Rxc3 Rxf7 35. Ra3 Kb5 $17) 30... Bxc2 31. a4 Nc7 (31... Nxc3! { A simplification tactic! Black will emerge a clear exchange up in a position where the passed c-pawn is dangerous and White's bishop pair is not. } 32. Qxc3 Be4! 33. Bxe4 Qxe4+ 34. f3 (34. Kh2 Qe7)) 32. Bxc7 Be4 (32... Rxc7? 33. Rh4! Qd7 (33... Qxf7?? 34. Qb5+ Kb7 35. Bxd5+ $18) 34. Rf4 Qxa4 35. f8=Q Rxf8 36. Qxf8 Qd7 $10) 33. Bf4 Bxf3+ 34. Kxf3 Qe4+ 35. Kg4 Qxh1?! (35... Qe6+ 36. Kf3 Kb7 37. a5 g5!? $17 { An interesting idea, luring the white pawn off of covering the g6-square. } 38. hxg6 Qe4+ 39. Kg4 Qxg6+) 36. Qb5+ Kb7 37. a5 Rhd8?? (37... g6!! { The only move to preserve equality. } 38. hxg6 Qe4 { With the same idea that Black now controls enough squares to force repetition, for instance after: } 39. Qd7+ Ka6 40. Qd6 Rhg8! 41. fxg8=Q Rxg8 42. Kh5 Qh1+ 43. Kg4 Qe4 44. Kh5 $10) 38. a6+ Ka8 { White now has a forced win. This is the kind of move that is logical once you see it, but finding it in a blitz game, when the other options are so forcing, turned out to be impossible even for the World Champion. } 39. f8=Q?? (39. f3!! { White's threat is pushing the f-pawn followed by capturing on d5 with mate. There is no queen move that reconnects her to defense of the d5-pawn. There is no other way to defend the d5 pawn either. } 39... g6 { A nice desperado, as } 40. hxg6 { Unfortunately, even though Black regains the diagonal covering the d5-pawn, the cost was too great after } (40. f8=Q?? { loses instantly to } 40... Qxh5#) 40... h5+ 41. Kf5 Qxf3 42. g7 Qe4+ 43. Kf6 $18) 39... Rxf8 $19 40. Qd7 { White overestimates the threat of mate on the b7-square. } (40. f3 { The same move is too slow once Black's rook is on the f-file. } 40... Rxf4+! 41. gxf4 Qg2+ 42. Kh4 (42. Kf5 Qxf3 { This is even worse, as threats of ...Qf3-e4+ and ...Rc8-f8+ create an intimidating mating net. }) 42... Qxf3 { Black covers the key square and White has no passed pawns. }) 40... Rxf4+! { The only move! } 41. gxf4 (41. Kxf4?? Qe4# { Another reason apawn on f3 would have been nice. }) 41... Qg2+ 42. Kh4 Qxf2+ 43. Kg4 Qg2+ 44. Kh4 g5+ 45. hxg6 (45. fxg5?? { would lead to a pretty mate after } 45... hxg5#) 45... Qh2+ 46. Kg4 h5+ 47. Kf3 (47. Kf5 Qh3+ 48. Kf6 Qxd7 $19) (47. Kg5 Qg3+ 48. Kxh5 Rh8+ $19) 47... Qh1+ 48. Kf2 Qh4+ 49. Kf3 Qg4+ 50. Qxg4 hxg4+ 51. Kxg4 b5! { Rapport correctly evaluated the resulting position as winning. He even correctly identified this as the only winning plan! } (51... Rg8?? 52. f5 b5 53. Kh5 b4 54. f6 { Two connected passed pawns can dominate a rook, and Black's passed b-pawn is only good enough to hold a draw. } 54... Rh8+ 55. Kg4 b3 56. f7 b2 57. g7 Rb8 58. f8=Q b1=Q 59. Qf7 $10 (59. g8=Q?? { Comically, promoting a second pawn manages to lose to an X-ray attack. } 59... Qg1+ 60. Kf5 Qxg8 $19)) 52. f5 b4 53. f6 bxc3 54. f7 c2 55. g7 c1=Q 56. f8=Q Qg1+ 57. Kh5 Qh2+ 58. Kg6 Qg3+ 59. Kh6 Qh4+ 60. Kg6 Qg4+ 61. Kh6 c3 62. Qf7 Qh4+ 63. Kg6 Qe4+?! { Objectively, Black is still winning. But the path has narrowed significantly. } (63... Rc6+ { Black had a more forcing win after } 64. Kf5 Qf2+ 65. Ke5 Qxf7 { White does not even have a stalemate trick, as the only legal move allows Black to move the queen away from covering the f5- and f4- squares. } 66. g8=Q+ Qxg8 $19) 64. Kg5 Qe3+?? (64... Rb8! { Covering mate. Now, White has no time for } 65. g8=Q { due to the familiar theme of } (65. Qc7 { and after any other move, } 65... Qe8 { Black has maintained a defense! }) 65... Qg2+ $19) 65. Kh5 Qe8?? (65... Qh3+ { would keep a perpetual check alive. }) 66. g8=Q Qe2+ (66... Qxg8 { Did Black forget about this wrinkle? } 67. Qb7#) 67. Qg4 Rh8+ 68. Kg5 { In this variation, Black's pieces are unable to use any skewer tactics. White is simply winning. } 68... Qe3+ 69. Kf6 Qh6+ 70. Ke7 Qc6 71. Qgg8+ { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0