[Event "FIDE Olympiad"] [Date "2022.08.06"] [Round "8.1"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Gukesh D"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2783"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackElo "2684"] [BlackTeam "India"] [Annotator "Watson,John"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B31"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Nyezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack, Fianchetto Variation"] [StudyName "2022 FIDE Olympiad - Annotated Games"] [ChapterName "Caruana, Fabiano - Gukesh D"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/cS8lSqW7/B6SrkRCc"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. Bxc6 bxc6 6. Re1 Qc7 7. h3 (7. c3 { is the other main idea, when } 7... d6 8. d4 cxd4 9. cxd4 Nf6 10. h3 O-O 11. Nc3 { can follow. }) 7... d6 8. e5!? { Known but a little unusual. It works out very well. } (8. c3 Nf6 9. d4 cxd4 10. cxd4 O-O { is normal. }) (8. Na3 Rb8 { , and here } 9. e5!? dxe5 10. d3 { gives White pressure for the pawn, e.g., } 10... f6 11. Nd2 Nh6 12. Ne4 Nf5 13. c3 h5 14. Nxc5 { Donchenko,A-Iotov,V (2568) ICCF 2020 }) 8... dxe5 9. d3 c4! { Black is familiar with this type of position. } (9... f6 10. Be3 { is too passive. }) 10. Nc3 (10. Qe2 cxd3 11. cxd3 Nf6 (11... Nh6 { is also fine }) 12. Nxe5 O-O 13. Nc3 { Moser,R (2406)-Rach,J (2405) ICCF 2021; and simplest was } 13... Be6) (10. dxc4? f5 { followed by ...e4 mobilizes Black's center and activates his bishops. }) 10... cxd3 (10... Be6 11. Qe2 cxd3 12. cxd3 Nf6 13. Nxe5 O-O { was played in Dmitriev,V (2463)-Borstnik,A (2612) ICCF 2020 }) 11. cxd3 Nh6?! { A novelty, but it seems to leave White better. Several games have gone } (11... Be6 12. Qa4 Nf6 13. Nxe5 Rc8 14. Bf4 Qb7 15. Qa3 O-O (15... Nd5 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 { with comfortable equality. }) 16. Na4 { 1-0 (44) Vitiugov,N (2718)-Huzman,A (2567) Novi Sad 2016 [Sam Collins] }) 12. Nxe5 Nf5 13. Bf4 Qb7 14. Na4 f6?! (14... O-O 15. Rc1 { puts serious pressure on Black's weak queenside squares. Then } 15... Be6 { can be met by } 16. Nc5! Qxb2 17. Rc2 Qd4 (17... Qb6 18. Nxe6 fxe6 19. Nd7) 18. Re4 Qd5 19. g4! (19. Nxc6 Rac8! 20. Nxe6 fxe6 $14) 19... Nd6 20. Nxc6! Qxc6 21. Nxe6 Qb7 22. Nc5 Qd5 23. Rxe7 $16 { with an extra pawn. I wouldn't be surprised if this variation weren't part of Caruana's always excellent preparation. }) (14... Be6! { looks like Black's best try: } 15. Qd2 Bd5 16. Nc5 Qb6 17. Rac1 (17. b4) 17... Qd8 18. Ne4!? O-O (18... Bxe5 19. Bxe5 O-O 20. Bc3 $14) 19. Nxc6 Qb6 20. Ne5 Rfd8 $14 { , when Black has the bishop pair and some pressure for the pawn. }) 15. Nf3! O-O 16. d4 (16. Nc5! Qxb2 17. Qa4 Qb6 18. d4 $16) 16... g5 17. Bh2 (17. Nc5! { , since } 17... Qxb2? 18. Bc7! { cuts off the queen's retreat and wins material, e.g., } 18... e5 19. Rb1 Qxa2 20. Rb3 e4 21. Re2 $18) 17... h5! { A nice way to stir up counterplay. } 18. Re4 Qd7 19. Qc2 (19. Qe2! { keeps Black under considerable positional pressure. }) 19... Rf7 (19... Nd6) 20. Rae1 Bf8 21. Qe2!? Qd5 (21... Rg7! { with the idea ...g4 is a little awkward for White. Perhaps } 22. Nd2 Qd5 23. Nc3 Qf7 24. Nb3 { could follow }) 22. Nc3 Qd7?! (22... Qa5) 23. Qc4?! { The computer suggests either 23. Rd1 or } (23. Nxg5!? fxg5 24. Qxh5 Ng7 25. Qxg5 Qf5! 26. Qd2 { with three pawns for the piece and pressure against Black's various weaknesses. }) 23... Qb7 24. b4 e6 25. Rb1 Qd7 (25... Qa6!?) 26. Rbe1 Qb7 (26... Ng7) 27. Rb1 Qd7 28. a3 (28. a4 a5 29. bxa5 Ba6 30. Qxe6 Bd3 31. Rb8) 28... a5! 29. Na4 Qd8 30. bxa5 Rxa5 31. Nc5? { A fatal decision, which Gukesh unhesitatingly takes advantage of. Black was achieving an aadvantage but not that much after } (31. Qc2 Rb5 $15 (31... Bxa3 32. Rb8!)) 31... Qd5! { Suddenly White can't defend everything and his position collapses. } 32. Qe2 (32. Qxd5 cxd5 33. Ree1 g4 34. hxg4 hxg4 35. Rb8 Bxc5 36. Rxc8+ Bf8 37. Nd2 Nxd4 { and Black is winning. }) 32... Rxa3 33. Rd1 Rfa7 34. g4 hxg4 (34... Bxc5! 35. dxc5 Ra1 { is even stronger. }) 35. hxg4 Nh6 (35... Bxc5!) 36. Bg3 e5 { Threatening g4. } 37. Nxe5 { What else? } (37. Ne1 exd4 38. Ncd3 Ra2 39. Qf3 Bxg4! { is hopeless. }) 37... fxe5 38. Rxe5 Bxg4 39. Qd2 Qf3! 40. Rxg5+ Rg7 41. Re1 (41. Rb1 Bh3) 41... Bh3 42. Bd6 (42. Be5 Ng4 { and mate on g2 will follow. }) 42... Bxd6 43. Rxg7+ Kxg7 44. Qg5+ (44. Ne6+ Bxe6 45. Qg5+ Kf7 46. Qxh6 Qg4+ 47. Kf1 Bc4+) 44... Kh7 45. Ne4 Qxe4! { A nice finish. } (45... Rxe4 46. Ra1+) 0-1