[Event "US Masters 2024"] [Site "Charlotte, NC"] [Date "2024.11.29"] [Round "05"] [White "Burke, John M"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2573"] [BlackElo "2805"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C02"] [Opening "French Defense: Advance Variation, Euwe Variation"] [StudyName "2024 US Masters"] [ChapterName "Burke, John M - Caruana, Fabiano"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/p6WHvngL/Lq1xDNBj"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 1:30:46] } 1... e6 { [%clk 1:29:20] } 2. d4 { [%clk 1:31:11] } 2... d5 { [%clk 1:29:47] } 3. e5 { [%clk 1:31:21] } 3... c5 { [%clk 1:29:46] } 4. c3 { [%clk 1:31:47] } 4... Nc6 { [%clk 1:29:50] } 5. Nf3 { [%clk 1:32:11] } 5... Bd7 { [%clk 1:30:00] } 6. Be2 { [%clk 1:31:53] } 6... Nge7 { [%clk 1:30:01] } 7. O-O { [%clk 1:32:05] } 7... cxd4 { [%clk 1:29:50] } 8. cxd4 { [%clk 1:32:30] } 8... Nf5 { [%clk 1:30:18] } 9. Nc3 { [%clk 1:32:33] } 9... a6 { [%clk 1:24:49] } 10. Kh1 { [%clk 1:29:49] } 10... Rc8 { [%clk 1:25:04] } 11. a3 { [%clk 1:25:58] } 11... Be7 { [%clk 1:15:02] } 12. g4 { [%clk 1:18:46] } 12... Nh4 { [%clk 1:15:13] } 13. Nxh4 { [%clk 1:19:12] } 13... Bxh4 { [%clk 1:15:39] } 14. f4 { [%clk 1:15:12] } 14... Be7 { [%clk 1:05:27] } 15. Rf3 { [%clk 1:04:56] } 15... Qb6 { [%clk 0:53:05] } 16. Be3 { [%clk 1:00:47] } 16... Na5 { [%clk 0:53:18] } 17. Rb1 { [%clk 0:59:49] } 17... Nc4 { [%clk 0:48:27] } 18. Bf2 { [%clk 0:55:05] } 18... Qc6 { [%clk 0:40:08] } 19. Na2 { [%clk 0:41:38] } 19... a5 { [%clk 0:37:27] } 20. Rc3 { [%clk 0:38:30] } 20... a4 { [%clk 0:36:17] } 21. Nc1 { [%clk 0:34:26] } 21... b5 { [%clk 0:34:34] } 22. Bd3 { [%clk 0:32:02] } 22... Qb7 { [%clk 0:32:26] } 23. Ne2 { [%clk 0:31:45] } 23... h5 { [%clk 0:26:59] } 24. gxh5 { [%clk 0:28:47] } 24... Rxh5 { [%clk 0:27:25] } 25. Qg1 { [%clk 0:26:56] } 25... Kf8 { [%clk 0:22:24] } 26. Qg4 { [%clk 0:18:00] } 26... g6 { We pick up here, where Caruana has already managed to create an imbalanced position right out of the opening with his choice of a sharp line in the French Defense. After Burke misses a surprisingly critical way to keep an initiative, Caruana takes a "bend, don't break" approach to conversion. Burke remains well within the drawing margin for a long time, but Caruana's relentless grind gets him in the end. } { [%clk 0:22:20] } 27. Rc2?! { Burke allows play on the h-file by preparing lateral defense. } { [%clk 0:17:26] } (27. Rg1 { More precise, as ... Kf8-g7 is met by Bd3xg6. } 27... Rh6 { The sac was so critical that Black must defend, and yet the engine *still* likes the sac! } 28. Bxg6! Rxg6 29. Qh5 Rxg1+ 30. Kxg1 { White is down a piece but threatening mate in one! } 30... Ke8 31. Rg3 { The attack rages on. } 31... Kd8 32. Qxf7 { White regains a second pawn. } 32... Be8 33. Rg8 Kd7 { But now, Black's king has made significant progress towards an escape, and White does not have material compensation. We're already 14-ply deep into the sequence, too, and White has to find: } 34. Qh7! { to prepare Rg8-g7. } 34... Kc6 35. Rg7 Rc7 36. Qh8! { The point: with ... Be8-d7 losing the e7-bishop, Black has no way to untangle. } 36... Qb8 37. Rg8 Rc8 38. Qh7 $10) 27... Kg7 { [%clk 0:21:19] } (27... b4 { More immediate, but Caruana is not interested in taking risks to win quickly. }) 28. Ng1 { [%clk 0:15:31] } 28... Rch8 { [%clk 0:21:01] } 29. Nf3 { [%clk 0:15:56] } 29... b4 { Caruana makes progress on the queenside only after improving his c8-rook. White has not made tangible gains in those two turns, as the knight is a better defender on the f3-square, sure, but is not doing anything else. } { [%clk 0:21:12] } 30. axb4 { [%clk 0:15:27] } 30... Qxb4 { [%clk 0:21:26] } (30... a3!? { was, again, apparently more precise but also clearly more complicated and double-edged. }) 31. Qg1 { [%clk 0:11:31] } 31... a3!? { This move is less accurate now for the simple reason that b2xa3 comes with tempo on Black's queen (since there's no longer a b4-pawn obstructing the b1-rook's view), so there is no ... Nc4xa3 response. } { [%clk 0:17:17] } (31... Rh3 { More accurate was continuing to slow-play it. }) 32. bxa3 { [%clk 0:11:34] } 32... Qxa3 { [%clk 0:17:44] } 33. Qf1 { White defends the d3-bishop and prepares Rb1-a1 with counterplay along the a-file. } { [%clk 0:09:07] } 33... Ba4 { [%clk 0:16:21] } 34. Ra1 { [%clk 0:09:26] } 34... Qb4 { [%clk 0:15:32] } (34... Bxc2!? { was, once again, the most accurate according to the engine, but also clearly the hardest to calculate and evaluate. } 35. Rxa3 Nxa3 36. Bxc2 Nxc2 37. Kg2 Rb8 $17 { The two rooks are a bit better than the queen here. }) 35. Be1 { [%clk 0:08:31] } (35. Rca2 { The a-file is where the party is. }) 35... Qb3 { [%clk 0:15:44] } 36. Qe2 { [%clk 0:07:50] } (36. Rca2?! { is less effective with } 36... Bb5 37. Bc2 Qe3 $19 { now being possible. }) 36... Bc6 { [%clk 0:09:52] } 37. Kg1 { [%clk 0:07:55] } 37... Qb6 { [%clk 0:09:04] } 38. Rca2?! { [%clk 0:07:40] } 38... Rb8?! { [%clk 0:06:54] } (38... Rxh2! 39. Bf2 (39. Nxh2 Qxd4+ $17 { The f-pawn falls as the d3-bishop is loose. Black's pressure is too great. })) 39. Ra6 { [%clk 0:07:05] } 39... Qb5 { [%clk 0:06:05] } 40. Ra7 { Burke is down to three minutes, with Caruana having twice that. Already, Caruana's initiative is waning, having missed several more promising (but calculated and incredibly risky) paths to an advantage. Now, Burke continues to defend admirably for the next hour, but Caruana never relents. } { [%clk 0:03:04] } 40... Rb7 { [%clk 0:06:28] } 41. Ra8 { [%clk 0:02:52] } 41... Rc7 { [%clk 0:06:06] } 42. R8a2 { [%clk 0:02:49] } 42... Qb8 { [%clk 0:06:29] } 43. Bf2 { [%clk 0:02:16] } 43... Rb7 { [%clk 0:05:48] } 44. Bg3 { [%clk 0:01:47] } 44... Rb3 { [%clk 0:04:38] } 45. Kh1 { [%clk 0:02:13] } 45... Rh8 { [%clk 0:02:52] } 46. Rg1 { [%clk 0:02:26] } 46... Kf8 { [%clk 0:01:25] } 47. Ng5 { [%clk 0:02:07] } 47... Qb6 { [%clk 0:01:15] } 48. Bf2 { [%clk 0:02:06] } 48... Bxg5 { [%clk 0:01:28] } 49. fxg5 { [%clk 0:02:08] } 49... Rh3 { [%clk 0:01:15] } 50. Rg3 { [%clk 0:02:01] } 50... Rxg3 { [%clk 0:00:47] } 51. hxg3 { [%clk 0:02:27] } 51... Qd8 { [%clk 0:00:57] } 52. Bc2 { [%clk 0:01:59] } 52... Rb8 { [%clk 0:00:56] } 53. Qg4 { [%clk 0:01:57] } 53... Kg7 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 54. Qf4 { [%clk 0:02:11] } 54... Kg8 { [%clk 0:00:44] } 55. Ra7 { [%clk 0:01:26] } 55... Rb7 { [%clk 0:00:43] } 56. Rxb7 { [%clk 0:01:29] } 56... Bxb7 { [%clk 0:01:10] } 57. Kg2 { [%clk 0:01:12] } 57... Bc6 { [%clk 0:01:31] } 58. Kh3 { [%clk 0:00:39] } 58... Qe8 { [%clk 0:01:38] } 59. Be1 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 59... Ba4 { [%clk 0:02:02] } 60. Bd3 { [%clk 0:01:04] } 60... Nb2 { [%clk 0:01:04] } 61. Bb1 { [%clk 0:01:19] } 61... Bb5 { [%clk 0:01:32] } 62. Bc3 { [%clk 0:01:08] } 62... Bd3 { [%clk 0:01:04] } 63. Bxb2 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 63... Bxb1 { [%clk 0:01:31] } 64. Qc1 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 64... Be4 { [%clk 0:00:53] } 65. Qc5?? { Finally, Burke misses a fatal shot. } { [%clk 0:00:47] } (65. Qg1 { , or any move that kept the queen on the back rank, was required: } 65... Kg7 66. g4 Qh8+ 67. Kg3 { and, with no ... Qh8-h1, White is fine. }) 65... Kg7! { [%clk 0:01:12] } 66. g4 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 66... Qh8+ { [%clk 0:01:38] } 67. Kg3 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 67... Qh1 { The queen can't get to the c2-square, and 68. Qc3 Qg2+ 69. Kf4 (or 69. Kh4 Bf3!) 69. ... Qf2+ forces mate, so Black resigned. } { [%clk 0:02:05] } 0-1