[Event "US Championship"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/iLDop9iy/BSxEbutH"]
[Date "2021.10.07"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Dominguez Perez, Leinier"]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2760"]
[BlackElo "2800"]
[Annotator "King"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[ECO "C82"]
[Opening "Ruy Lopez: Open, St. Petersburg Variation"]
[Source "https://lichess.org/study/iLDop9iy/BSxEbutH"]
[Orientation "white"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4!? { The Open Spanish is
relatively unusual for Caruana, who more often plays the Closed or Arkhangelsk
variations. } 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. c3 Bc5 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. Bc2 Bf5!? { An alternative to the sharp 11...Nxf2. } 12. Nb3 Bg6 13. Nfd4 Bxd4 14. Nxd4!? { The historical main line is 14.cxd4 a5, but the text may be a better try
for an advantage. Caruana continues to play quickly, clearly still in his
preparation. } 14... Nxd4!? 15. cxd4 c5 16. f3 { After some thought, Dominguez plays
it solid. } (16. f4!? Qc8 17. g4!? f5 18. Bxe4! dxe4 19. d5! fxg4 { with a very unbalanced position. }) 16... cxd4! { Offering a piece, which White is wise to decline. } 17. Qxd4! (17. fxe4 dxe4 { would give Black full compensation, e.g. } 18. Re1 e3! 19. Bxg6 hxg6 20. b3 Qh4! 21. Ba3 Rfe8 22. Bd6 Rac8 { and White even has to tread carefully. }) 17... Rc8 18. Bb3 Nc5 19. Be3 { So far Caruana had been playing all his moves
immediately, amassing a 40 (!)-minute advantage on the clock, but here he had
his first small think, perhaps somewhat disappointed by Dominguez' calm
neutralization of his prepared line. } 19... Bd3 20. Rfd1 Nxb3 21. axb3 Bc2 22. Rdc1 { In fact this is the first new move of the game! } (22. Rd2 Bxb3 23. Qb4 Ba4 { was unclear in 0-1 (58) Berg,E (2533)-Sulskis,S (2537) Germany 2014 }) 22... Bxb3 23. Rxa6 Rxc1+ 24. Bxc1 Qc8 25. Ra1 { The dust has settled and White has
retained a small but stable advantage while managing to catch up somewhat on
the clock. } 25... Qc4 26. Be3 Bc2 27. e6! { Dominguez seizes the initiative,
opening the long diagonal for the dark-squared bishop. } 27... f6? { A bad decision,
putting Black in critical difficulties without increasing his counterchances. } (27... Qxd4 28. exf7+ Rxf7 29. Bxd4 g5 { Black still has
reasonable hope of holding a draw. }) 28. Qa7! { Here Caruana finally realized
his predicament, tanking for over twenty minutes even though his next move is
forced. } 28... Bg6! 29. Rc1 Qe2 30. h3 d4!? { Buying Black time to defend against
the deadly threat of Rc7. } 31. Qxd4 Re8 32. Rc6 Qd3 33. Qa7 Kh8 34. Kh1?! { In the hurry to reach the time control on move 40, both sides commit important
errors. } (34. Bd4! { defending the b2-pawn. }) 34... Bh5? { Returning the favor, and then some. } (34... Qb3! { wins a pawn due to the
double attack on b2 and e6, making matters much less clear. }) 35. Qc5 Bg6 36. Rc8 h6 37. Rxe8+ Bxe8 38. Bxh6?! { Probably overlooking Caruana's reply. } (38. Qf8+! Kh7 39. Qxe8 Qxe3 40. Qxb5 { was completely winning,
either after } 40... Qc1+ (40... Qxe6 41. b4) 41. Kh2 Qf4+ 42. Kg1 Qe3+ 43. Kf1 Qc1+ 44. Kf2 Qd2+ 45. Qe2) 38... Kh7! { Despite White's two extra pawns, the
opposite-colored bishops make converting the win far from simple. } 39. Be3? { Allowing Black the same resource as before. } (39. Bc1!) 39... Qb1+? (39... Qb3! 40. e7 Qxb2 { would steal a pawn,
greatly increasing Black's drawing chances. }) 40. Bc1! Qa2 { The time control
has been reached and White is still objectively winning, but Caruana puts up
maximum resistance and Dominguez fails to find the right plan. } 41. Qe3 Qd5 42. Bd2 Kg6 43. Bc3 (43. g4!? Kh7 44. Kg2 Bc6 45. h4) 43... Bc6 44. Bd4 Kh7 45. Kg1 Qc4 46. Kh2 Qd5 47. Kg1 Qc4 48. h4 Bd5 49. e7 Bc6 50. h5 Be8 51. h6?! (51. g4! { followed by a gradual general advance on the kingside, e.g. } 51... Qd5 52. Kf2 Qd6 53. Qe4+ Kg8 54. Kg2 Kh8 55. Be3 Kg8 56. Bd4 Kh8 57. Bc3 Kg8 58. Kh3 Kh8 59. Kg2 Kg8 60. Bb4 Qd7 61. g5! fxg5 62. Qe5 Qc6 63. Bc3 Qf6 64. Qd5+ Qf7 65. Qxg5 Kh7 66. Qe5 Kg8 67. Bd4 Bc6 68. Kg1 Be8 69. Kf2 Bc6 70. f4 Kh7 71. Kg3 Qb3+ 72. Bc3 Qg8 73. Kh4 Qf7 74. Qg5 Be8 75. Bd4 Bd7 76. f5 Be8 77. Qg6+ Kg8 78. Qxf7+ Kxf7 { The first of several potential opposite-colored bishop endings
to evaluate in this game; here White wins easily: } 79. Kg5 Bd7 80. f6 gxf6+ 81. Bxf6 Kg8 82. h6 Be8 83. Kf5 Kh7 84. Bg7 Kg8 85. Ke5 Kf7 86. Bf8 Kg6 87. Kd6 Kh7 88. Kc7 Kg6 89. Kd8 { and Black loses his bishop. }) 51... Qc6 52. hxg7 Kxg7 53. b4?! { Making things more difficult, as now White no longer has the c3-square
to anchor his bishop. } (53. Bc3!? { would again head for a winning
opposite-colored bishop ending, e.g. } 53... Kf7 54. Bb4 Qd5 55. Qc3 Qg5 56. Qd4 Qg6 57. Kf2 Qc2+ 58. Kg3 Qg6+ 59. Qg4 Qxg4+ 60. Kxg4 Ke6 61. Kf4 Bc6 62. g4 Be8 63. Ke4 Bc6+ 64. Ke3 Be8 65. Kd4 Bg6 66. f4 Bf7 67. f5+ Kd7 68. Ke3 Be8 69. Kf4 Bf7 70. g5 fxg5+ 71. Kxg5 Be8 72. Kf6 Bh5 73. Ke5 Be8 74. f6 Bh5 75. Kd5 Be8 76. Kc5 Ke6 77. Bc3 Kf7 78. b4 Ke6 79. Kb6 Kd6 80. Bb2 Bd7 81. Be5+! Ke6 82. Kc7 Be8 83. Bb2 Kf7 84. Kd6 Kg6 85. Ke6 Bf7+ 86. Kd7 { and again Black loses his
bishop. }) 53... Qd5 54. Kf2 Kf7 55. Bc5 Kg6 56. Qf4 Qa2+ 57. Kg3 Qe6 58. Qd2 Qe5+ 59. Kf2 Kg7 60. Bd6 Qe6 61. Qf4?! (61. Bc5 Kh7 62. g4!?) 61... Kg6 62. g4 { Finally the
right idea, but too late. } 62... Qa2+ 63. Kg3 Qe2 64. Qc1 Kf7 65. Qh1 Kg7 66. Qc1 Kf7 67. Qc3 Qd1 68. Bc5 Qe2 69. Qb3+ (69. Be3!? Qc4! 70. Qxc4+ bxc4 { the ending is now drawn, e.g. } 71. Bd2 Kxe7 72. f4 Ba4! 73. Kf3 Bd1+! 74. Kg3 Ba4 75. f5 Kf7 76. Kf4 Bb5 77. g5 fxg5+ 78. Kxg5 Ke7! 79. Kg6 Be8+! 80. Kg7 Kd6 81. f6 Ke6 82. Bc3 Bh5 83. Kh6 Be8 84. Kg5 Kd5 { White cannot make
progress. }) 69... Kg7 70. Qd5 { By now both players are back down to a minute
or two each on the clock, and White is soon forced to part with one of his
extra pawns. } 70... Qe1+ 71. Kg2 Qe2+ 72. Kh3 Qf1+ 73. Kh2 Qe2+ 74. Kg3 Qe1+ 75. Bf2 Qxe7 76. Qd2 Qe5+ 77. Kg2 Bc6 78. Bd4 Qe6 79. Kf2 Qd6 80. Qg5+ Kf7 81. Qh5+ Kg7 82. Be3 Qd3! { The final accurate defensive move, after White no longer has
any hope to win. } 83. Bh6+ Kg8 84. Be3 Qc2+ 85. Kg3 Qd3 86. Qh6 Kf7 87. Qf4 Qd1 88. Qc7+ Qd7 89. Qf4 Qd1 90. Bf2 Kg6 91. Qf5+ Kg7 92. Qf4 Kg6 93. Qf5+ Kg7 94. Kg2 Qd5 95. Qf4 Qe5 96. Qd2 Qe6 97. Qd4 Qd5 98. Qc3 Qe6 99. Kf1 Qd5 100. Ke2 Qa2+ 101. Kf1 Qd5 102. g5 Qxf3 103. gxf6+ Qxf6 104. Qxf6+ Kxf6 105. Ke1 Kf7 106. Kf1 Kf6 107. Ke1 Kf7 108. Kf1 { An amazing defensive achievement by
Caruana, even more so than his escape against Bruzon in the previous round. } 1/2-1/2