[Event "Superbet Chess Classic Romania"] [Site "Bucharest, Romania"] [Date "2023.05.09"] [Round "4.2"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2764"] [BlackElo "2794"] [Annotator "Lang, JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D32"] [Opening "Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/gLTaYxXi/csybZfbM"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 { Caruana elects to test Nepo's prep in one of the main lines of the Queen's Gambit Declined. } 4... c5 5. e3 Nc6 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bb5 cxd4 { This is a topical line in the Tarrasch Defense that has come back into fashion in the last couple of years. } 8. Nxd4 Bd7 9. O-O Bd6 10. Nf3 Be6 11. b3 a6!? (11... O-O { has been played in 28 of the 29 previous games in my database, including once by Nepo himself in a blitz game. }) 12. Bd3 Ne5 13. Nxe5 Bxe5 14. Bb2 Rc8 $146 (14... O-O 15. h3 Rc8 16. Rc1 Qa5 17. Qe1 Rfd8 18. f4 Bd6 19. Ne4 Qxe1 20. Nxf6+ gxf6 21. Rfxe1 Bb4 22. Red1 Rxc1 23. Bxc1 Bc3 24. g4 b5 25. Kf2 b4 26. Be4 $16 { and White won in 67 moves in Niemann – Tari, Chess24.com, 2022. }) 15. Rc1 O-O 16. f4 Bc7 17. Ne2 Bb6 18. Bd4 Bxd4 19. Nxd4 Qa5 20. Qe2 Rfe8 21. h3 Bd7 22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. Qb2 Qc5 24. a4 a5 25. Qd2 b6 26. Rb1 Qa3 { From here, Black should have nothing to worry about. But Caruana manages to ask just enough questions to make Nepomniachtchi drift. } 27. Kh2 h6 28. Rb2 Qe7 29. Rc2 Rc5 30. Nf3 Rxc2 31. Bxc2 Qc5 32. Bd3 Kf8 33. Nd4 Kg8 34. Kg1 Kf8 35. Kf2 Ke7 36. Qb2 Kf8 37. Nc2 Ne4+ 38. Bxe4 dxe4 39. Nd4 Bc6 40. Qe2 Qc3 41. Qa6 Qd2+ 42. Ne2 Qb4 43. Qc8+ Be8 44. Qc2 { Black took a long time here. Even though multiple moves are fine, Caruana has been "putting on the squeeze" for some time, and it is getting harder for Black to find plans to stay active. } 44... Bd7 (44... b5!? { I imagine Nepo spent some time here, attempting to create dynamics. } 45. axb5 Qxb5 46. Nd4 Qd5 { seems nice: Black centralizes his queen, pressures the weak b3-pawn, and shouldn't have to worry much about } 47. g4 { with the idea of preparing Nd4-f5, as simply } 47... Bd7 { holds the position. I'm not sure what Nepo didn't like about this variation. }) 45. Nd4 { White plays the most obvious move, and Black quickly bangs out his response. } 45... f5? { A committal decision that goes against the principle of keeping one's pawns on the opposite squares of their bishop. Of course, Nepo likely spent most of his time before playing 44. ... Bd7 analyzing this, but another scan of the position would have revealed a better try. } (45... Kg8! 46. Qxe4 (46. f5 { is likely more ambitious, but now Black can save the pawn with } 46... Qe7 { and should have nothing to worry about. Even } 47. Qc7 { allows } 47... Qb4! { with a perpetual if White takes the bishop. } 48. Qxd7 Qd2+ 49. Kg1 Qxe3+) 46... Be6! 47. Qd3 (47. Qa8+ { The point is that with Black's king back on the g8-square, he can retreat to h7 and White has nothing more than transposing to the variation after 47. Qd3. } 47... Kh7 48. Qe4+ Kg8 49. Qd3) 47... Bd5 48. h4 (48. e4 Bb7) 48... f5 { and Black has frozen White's position, netting compensation for the pawn. }) 46. Qc7 Qd2+ 47. Ne2 Be6 48. Qxb6 { Now White is just winning. } 48... Kf7 49. Qd4 Qa2 50. Qa7+ Kg8 51. Qa8+ Kh7 52. Qxa5 Kh8 53. Qd8+ Kh7 54. Qa5 Kh8 55. b4 Bc4 56. Qd8+ Kh7 57. Qd1 Bb3 58. Qd7 Be6 59. Qb5 Kh8 60. Qc5 g6 61. Ke1 Kg8 62. Qd6 Kf7 63. Qd2 Qxa4 64. Nd4 Bc4 65. Kf2 h5 66. Kg3 Qa3 67. b5 Qd3 68. Qc1 Bxb5 69. Qc7+ Kf8 70. Qc5+ { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0