For another perspective, featuring more on the history of the Winawer, see the supplemental chapter annotated by IM John Watson.1.d4e62.e4d53.Nc3Bb44.e5c55.a3Bxc3+6.bxc3Qc77.h4...7.Qg4This is the most popular move by a mile, but White's choice is far from a novelty.7....Ne7Rapport has now transposed to another line of the Winawer, typically beginning 6. ...Ne7.8.h5h69.Nf3b610.Bb5+Bd711.Bd3c411...Ba4The most common move, played as recently as April of last year by Fedoseev.12.Be2Ba413.Bf4Na614.Qd2O-O-O15.Nh2Kb716.Nf1...The game is now in uncharted territory, with the two sides using the closed center to patiently maneuver their forces.16....Qd717.Ne3Nc718.Kf1Nc619.g3Qe820.Kg2Qg821.Rab1Qh722.Bf3Kb823.Qe2Rc824.Rb2Nb525.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....exd5It 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!!Bxb527.Bxd5∞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....Kb727.exf7...27.Rxb5?It is also instructive to see why the move order mattered.Bxb528.Bxd5Qf5!and the e6-pawn falls.27....Qf528.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....Nxb428...Nxc3This was also winning, as after29.Qe3Nxb430.Qxc3Black is in no danger.29.Qe7+Ka6?29...Nc730.axb4Rhf831.Ra1Bd7-+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.axb4White could cause even more problems after opening the a-file.Rhf8Black should be able to keep a material plus, and there will be no concrete way for White to exploit the king's position.31.Ra1Nxc332.Qe1Qxc233.Rc1Qf534.Rxc3Rxf735.Ra3Kb5∓30....Bxc231.a4Nc731...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.Qxc3Be4!33.Bxe4Qxe4+34.f3(34.Kh2Qe7)32.Bxc7Be432...Rxc7?33.Rh4!Qd7(33...Qxf7??34.Qb5+Kb735.Bxd5++−)34.Rf4Qxa435.f8=QRxf836.Qxf8Qd7=33.Bf4Bxf3+34.Kxf3Qe4+35.Kg4Qxh1?!35...Qe6+36.Kf3Kb737.a5g5!?∓An interesting idea, luring the white pawn off of covering the g6-square.38.hxg6Qe4+39.Kg4Qxg6+36.Qb5+Kb737.a5Rhd8??37...g6!!The only move to preserve equality.38.hxg6Qe4With the same idea that Black now controls enough squares to force repetition, for instance after:39.Qd7+Ka640.Qd6Rhg8!41.fxg8=QRxg842.Kh5Qh1+43.Kg4Qe444.Kh5=38.a6+Ka8White 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.g6A nice desperado, as40.hxg6Unfortunately, even though Black regains the diagonal covering the d5-pawn, the cost was too great after(40.f8=Q??loses instantly toQxh5#)h5+41.Kf5Qxf342.g7Qe4+43.Kf6+−39....Rxf8-+40.Qd7...White overestimates the threat of mate on the b7-square.40.f3The same move is too slow once Black's rook is on the f-file.Rxf4+!41.gxf4Qg2+42.Kh4(42.Kf5Qxf3This is even worse, as threats of ...Qf3-e4+ and ...Rc8-f8+ create an intimidating mating net.)Qxf3Black 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.Kh4Qxf2+43.Kg4Qg2+44.Kh4g5+45.hxg6...45.fxg5??would lead to a pretty mate afterhxg5#45....Qh2+46.Kg4h5+47.Kf3...47.Kf5Qh3+48.Kf6Qxd7-+47.Kg5Qg3+48.Kxh5Rh8+-+47....Qh1+48.Kf2Qh4+49.Kf3Qg4+50.Qxg4hxg4+51.Kxg4b5!Rapport correctly evaluated the resulting position as winning. He even correctly identified this as the only winning plan!51...Rg8??52.f5b553.Kh5b454.f6Two connected passed pawns can dominate a rook, and Black's passed b-pawn is only good enough to hold a draw.Rh8+55.Kg4b356.f7b257.g7Rb858.f8=Qb1=Q59.Qf7=(59.g8=Q??Comically, promoting a second pawn manages to lose to an X-ray attack.Qg1+60.Kf5Qxg8-+)52.f5b453.f6bxc354.f7c255.g7c1=Q56.f8=QQg1+57.Kh5Qh2+58.Kg6Qg3+59.Kh6Qh4+60.Kg6Qg4+61.Kh6c362.Qf7Qh4+63.Kg6Qe4+?!Objectively, Black is still winning. But the path has narrowed significantly.63...Rc6+Black had a more forcing win after64.Kf5Qf2+65.Ke5Qxf7White 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-+64.Kg5Qe3+??64...Rb8!Covering mate. Now, White has no time for65.g8=Qdue to the familiar theme of(65.Qc7and after any other move,Qe8Black has maintained a defense!)Qg2+-+65.Kh5Qe8??65...Qh3+would keep a perpetual check alive.66.g8=QQe2+66...Qxg8Did Black forget about this wrinkle?67.Qb7#67.Qg4Rh8+68.Kg5...In this variation, Black's pieces are unable to use any skewer tactics. White is simply winning.68....Qe3+69.Kf6Qh6+70.Ke7Qc671.Qgg8+1-0 White wins.1-0