[Event "Champions Chess Tour Airthings Masters"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2023.02.03"] [Round "1"] [White "Sarana, Alexey"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2668"] [BlackElo "2766"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E47"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Bishop Attack"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/f5OBDjty/dja8aAJi"] [Orientation "white"] { After losing the first game, Sarana "won on demand" with White in two consecutive games. In both, he is outplayed in the opening, but manages to claw back and add to his list of "slayed giants". } 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 c5 6. Ne2 Nc6 7. O-O d5 8. a3 cxd4 9. axb4 dxc3 10. b5 Ne5 11. c5 Ne4 12. Bxe4 dxe4 13. Nxc3 f5 14. b6 a6 15. Nb5 Bd7 16. Nc7 Rc8 17. Qd4 Qf6?! (17... Nd3 18. f3 Rf6! 19. fxe4 fxe4 20. Bd2 (20. Qxe4?? Rxf1+ 21. Kxf1 Nxc5 22. Qg4 Nb3 $19)) 18. Bd2 $14 Bb5 19. Nxb5 axb5 20. Bc3 Nc6 21. Qd6 e5 22. Qxf6 gxf6 23. f3 Rcd8 24. fxe4 fxe4 25. g4 Rd3 26. Kf2 b4 27. Be1 Rb3 28. Ra2 Rd8? { It's hard to believe such a natural move could flub the advantage. And yet. } (28... Kf7 $19 29. Ke2 Ke6 30. Bh4 Ne7 { The point is Black actually needed to activate his king and knight more than the rook. White's only source of attack is the f6-square, so the rook is actually well-placed. }) 29. Ke2 Rdd3 30. Rxf6 Rxe3+ 31. Kd1 Rbd3+ 32. Bd2 Rf3?? (32... Nd4! { A draw would clinch the match, and this seems like the simplest way to earn it. } 33. Ra8+ Kg7 34. Raf8 { White has nothing better than a perpetual after a number of Black's moves. } 34... Nf3 (34... Rf3 35. R8f7+ Kg8 36. Rf8+) 35. R6f7+ Kg6 36. Rf6+ Kg7) 33. Rxc6! { Now, White can play for the win. } 33... bxc6 34. Ke2 Kg7 (34... Rd7 $14) 35. Ra7+ $16 Kg6 36. b7 Rf8 (36... Rd8 { is more precise, as White's best try is to win the c6-pawn. } 37. Ra6 Rf6 { but after } 38. Rb6 Rb8 39. Ke3 { White is still for choice. }) 37. Bxb4? (37. Ra6 $18 { The point is that now Black cannot play ...Rd3-d6. }) 37... Rb8 { Objectively, Black has managed to lock down the position and it should be equal. } 38. Bc3 Rd7 39. Ra6 Rbxb7?? { Not even Caruana is immune to the curse of "moving the wrong rook". } (39... Rdxb7 40. Rxc6+ Kg5 41. Ke3 Rxb2! 42. Bxb2 Rxb2 43. h3 Rh2 44. Kxe4 Rxh3 45. Rc8 Kxg4 46. Kxe5 Rc3) 40. Rxc6+ Kg5 41. Re6? (41. Ke3 $18 { and without the ...Rb7-xb2 resrouce, Black is doomed to suffer against connected passed pawns. }) 41... Kxg4?? (41... Rbc7 $14) 42. c6! Rdc7 (42... Re7 43. cxb7 Rxe6 44. b8=Q $18) 43. cxb7 Rxb7 44. Rxe5 Kh3 45. Rh5+ { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0