[Event "US Championship"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/iLDop9iy/wCdsPJJI"] [Date "2021.10.13"] [Round "7"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Robson, Ray"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Yu,Jennifer"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A22"] [Opening "English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation, Smyslov System"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/iLDop9iy/wCdsPJJI"] [Orientation "white"] { After two losses in a row, Caruana turned his luck around against Robson, winning a 90-move positional struggle. } 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Bb4 4. e4 { This formation is quite unusual after Black plays ...Bf8-b4. } (4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nf3 Re8 6. O-O e4 7. Nd4 Nc6) 4... Nc6 (4... Bxc3 5. dxc3 Nxe4?! 6. Qd5) 5. Bg2 d6 6. h3 { Preventing ...Bc8-g4. } (6. Nge2 Bg4 (6... O-O 7. O-O Bc5 8. h3 a6 9. d3 Rb8) 7. h3 Bxe2 8. Nxe2 Bc5 9. b3 Nd4 { can get annoying }) 6... Be6 7. d3 Nd7 { An interesting decision by Robson to prepare the ...f7-f5 push. } (7... a6 8. Ne2 b5) 8. Ne2 f5 9. O-O O-O 10. f4 { Daring Black to initiate an exchange in the center by threatening e4xf5 followed by g3-g4 and a kingside takeover. } 10... Bxc3 { This is an interesting decision to trade off the bishop before capturing the pawn on e4. } (10... fxe4 11. Nxe4 { we arrive at a similar position as in the game. However, the b4-bishop no longer has a purpose and may become the target to future attacks, with a2-a3 and b2-b4. It's hard to say whether or not this is an improvement for Black. }) 11. Nxc3 fxe4 12. Nxe4 h6 { Preventing any Ne4-g5 tricks in the future. } 13. g4 { A huge decision by Caruana, accepting an IQP structure and opening up the center. } 13... exf4 { Otherwise f4-f5 is coming and Black will get rolled off the board. } (13... d5 { before ...e5xf4 doesn't make as much sense because after } 14. cxd5 Bxd5 15. f5 { White is in control on the kingside, and Black will have to worry about a timely pawn break for the rest of the game. }) 14. Bxf4 d5 15. cxd5 Bxd5 { An unique pawn structure. Although White has an isolated pawn, he has active pieces in return. Additionally the pawn won't be a weakness for a while since it'll take Black a good amount of time before being able to get into formation to attack it. Both kingsides have weaknesses, although it feels that it's easier for White to get the initiative and attack Black's king. } 16. Qd2 Nd4 17. Rae1 Ne6 18. Bg3 Rxf1+ 19. Rxf1 Ndc5? 20. Qc3 (20. Nxc5! Nxc5 21. Rf5 Bxg2 (21... c6 { protecting the bishop doesn't change much } 22. Qe3 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 Nxd3 24. Rf3 Nb4 25. Qe6+ Kh8 26. Bd6!) 22. Qxg2 { and surprisingly Black's knight is in trouble in the middle of the board! } 22... Ne6 (22... Nxd3?? 23. Rd5 $18) (22... b6 { creates too many weaknesses, notably the a8-rook } 23. Bh4! Qd4+ (23... Qc8 24. d4 { and the black position is falling apart. Spot the difference in activity between white and black's pieces. }) 24. Bf2 Qd8 25. g5 hxg5 26. Rxg5 Ne6 27. Re5 Nf4 28. Qg4 { the knight is trapped in the middle of the board! } 28... Nxd3?? 29. Qe6+ Kf8 30. Rh5 { black is getting mated }) 23. Qxb7 Rb8 24. Qe4 $16) 20... Nxe4 21. dxe4 Bc6 22. Qb3 Qd4+ 23. Kh2 Re8 24. Rd1 (24. Bxc7 Ba4 25. Qg3 Qxb2 { and black gets the pawn back }) 24... Qa4 { Entering an endgame where Caruana pushes his advantage from the bishop pair and passed pawn for many moves. } (24... Qf6 25. Bxc7 Kh8 { . Black will get the pawn back soon with ...Ne6-g5 or ...Ne6-c5, attacking e4. }) 25. Qxa4 Bxa4 26. Rd5 Bc6 (26... c5 27. Bf1 Bc6 28. Re5 b5) (26... a6 27. Re5 c5 28. Bf1) 27. Re5 { The knight on e6 is pinned and it cannot move without leaving the c7-pawn hanging. } 27... g5 28. Bf1 Kg7 29. Kg2 (29. Bc4 Nf4 30. Rxe8 Bxe8) 29... Kf6 30. Kf2 { threatening Bf1-c4 } 30... Nf4 31. Rxe8 (31. Rf5+ Kg7 32. Bxf4 gxf4 33. Rxf4 Bxe4) 31... Bxe8 32. Ke3 Ke5 33. Be1 Ne6 34. Bc4 (34. Bc3+ Kd6 35. Bf6 a5 36. Bc4) 34... Bg6 (34... c5 35. Bc3+ Nd4 36. b4 b6 { is an interesting idea where White can't make progress: } 37. bxc5 bxc5 38. Bb2 Bc6) 35. b4 { preventing Black's ...c7-c5 followed by ... Ne6-d4 blockade idea } 35... a6 36. a4 Nf4 37. Bc3+ Kd6 38. Bg7 h5 39. Bf1 hxg4 40. hxg4 Ne6 41. Bf6 Kd7 42. a5 { Fixing the queenside structure and discouraging any c5-breaks. } (42. Bc4 c5 43. b5 axb5 44. Bxb5+ Kd6 45. a5 Bf7 46. Kd3 Bg6) 42... Kd6 (42... c5 43. b5 axb5 44. Bxb5+ Kd6 45. Bc4 Bf7 46. Bd5 { and the weaknesses of Black's queenside pawns will become a deciding factor in the game. }) 43. Bc4 Kd7 44. Bd5 { Forcing Black to weaken the queenside pawns. This is necessary to make progress later. } 44... c6 45. Bc4 Bh7 46. Bd4 { Here we have both sides manouver around for the next twenty moves, until a great practical sacrifice from Caruana allowed him to take the point home } (46. Bxe6+ Kxe6 47. Bxg5 { opposite colored bishop pawn endgames are :( }) 46... Bg6 47. Bf6 Bh7 48. Bf1 Ke8 49. Bd3 Bg6 50. Bc4 Kd7 51. Bd4 Bh7 52. Ba7 Bg6 53. Bb3 Ke7 54. Bc2 Kd7 55. Kf3 Bh7 56. Be3 Bg6 57. Bd3 Ke7 58. Ke2 Ke8 59. Kd2 Kf8 60. Bc5+ Kg7 61. Ke3 Kg8 62. Bc4 Bf7 63. Be7 Kg7 64. e5 Kg8 65. Kd2 Kg7 66. Bd3 Kg8 67. Bf5 Kg7 68. Kd3 Nf4+ 69. Kd4 Ne6+ 70. Kc4 Kg8 { [#] } 71. Bxg5! { a great practical decision to complicate the game } 71... Nxg5+ 72. Kc5 Bd5 73. Bc8 Ne6+?? (73... Ne4+ 74. Kb6 c5! 75. bxc5 Kf7! 76. g5 (76. Bxb7 Bxb7 77. Kxb7 Nxc5+ 78. Kb6 Nd7+! 79. Kxa6 Ke6 { black is just in time }) 76... Nd2! 77. Bxb7 Nc4+ 78. Kxa6 Bxb7+ 79. Kxb7 Nxa5+ 80. Kc7 Nc4 { it's not everyday you see a knight vs 3 pawns separated by one file! }) 74. Kd6 (74. Kb6 c5 75. bxc5 Kf7 76. g5! { should also take the point home }) 74... Kf7 75. Bxb7 Bc4 76. Bxc6 Nd4 77. Bd5+ Bxd5 78. Kxd5 Nb5 79. g5 Ke7 80. g6 Nc3+ 81. Kc6 Na2 82. b5 axb5 83. Kxb5 Nc3+ 84. Kc4 Na4 85. Kb4 Nb2 86. a6 Nd3+ 87. Kb5 Nf4 88. g7 Kf7 89. a7 Nd5 90. g8=B+ { 1-0 Black resigns. } 1-0