[Event "World Championship Match"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/RoBvWqfx/vtpn9gsf"]
[Date "2021.11.30"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Abasov"]
[BlackElo "2782"]
[ECO "C42"]
[Opening "Russian Game: Classical Attack, Staunton Variation"]
[UTCDate "2021.11.30"]
[UTCTime "19:28:01"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[WhiteElo "2855"]

{ Today is the first game after the first rest day. I'm curious how players spent their free time! Considering Magnus' posts on social media, he had a good time playing some football, basketball and pingpong! How did the challenger, who plays with the black pieces today, spend his free time? } 1. e4 e5 { Another game that starts with 1.e4-e5. This time Magnus conducts the White pieces. } 2. Nf3 Nf6 { Oh... Again deja vu stikes me. This time I remembered the match Carlsen - Caruana where the challenger successfully neutralized Magnus' 1.e4 with the Petroff Defence. Generally, it seems like Nepo thoroughly went over the previous World Championship matches played by Carlsen and tried to combine the best of the challengers in his arsenal. } ( 2... Nc6 { was already twice the choice of Magnus } ) 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 ( 5. Nc3 { is another challenging line } ) 5... d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 { a move that became popular lately } 7. O-O ( 7. c4 { can be met by } 7... Bb4+ $5 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. O-O Bf5 { happened in a Caruana - Giri game, a solid decade (!) ago } ) 7... O-O 8. c4 ( 8. Re1 Bf5 9. c4 ( 9. Nbd2 Re8 { is more than OK for Black } ) 9... c6 { leads only to transposition of the game } ) 8... c6 9. Re1 Bf5 10. Qb3 { the most popular follow up nowadays } ( 10. Qc2 Na6 { threatening ...-Nb4 } 11. a3 { is rather a must move } 11... Bg6 { taking the Bishop to a safe square and preparing ...-f5 } 12. c5 Bb8 13. Nc3 f5 14. Ne2 Bh5 { is an illustration of how the game could have continue in the case of 10.Qc2 } ) 10... Qd7 { modern variation } ( 10... Na6 { used to be the old main line } 11. cxd5 cxd5 ( 11... Nac5 $6 12. dxc5 Nxc5 { leads to the same position as after 11...-Nec5 } ) ( 11... Nec5 $6 12. dxc5 Nxc5 13. Bxf5 Nxb3 14. axb3 cxd5 15. Nc3 $16 { and here three pieces are considered to be superior to the Queen } ) 12. Nc3 Nb4 ( 12... Be6 13. a3 Nc7 14. Be3 f5 15. Rad1 $132 ) 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14. Bg5 Qd7 15. Nxe4 Be6 { and Black has some compensation for a pawn } ) 11. Nc3 ( 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. Qxd5 $4 { doesn't win a pawn due to } 12... Bxh2+ $19 { and with the next move Black takes the Queen } ) 11... Nxc3 12. Bxf5 ( 12. Qxc3 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 dxc4 14. Qxc4 Na6 $15 { later ...-Nc7-d5 leads to a better position for Black } ) 12... Qxf5 13. bxc3 ( 13. Qxb7 { could be an option too } 13... Qd7 ( 13... Ne4 { is another choice for Black that Caruana tried in his game against Karjakin back in 2017 } 14. Qxa8 Qd7 15. cxd5 Nf6 16. Re3 Nxd5 17. Rb3 Nb4 18. Rxb4 Bxb4 19. Be3 Bd6 20. d5 c5 21. b4 cxb4 22. Rc1 Rd8 23. Qxa7 Qxa7 24. Bxa7 Nd7 25. Bd4 Ra8 26. Kf1 Ra5 27. Rc8+ Bf8 28. d6 Rd5 29. Ne5 Nxe5 30. Bxe5 f6 31. Bg3 Kf7 32. Rb8 Bxd6 33. Bxd6 Rxd6 34. Rxb4 Rd2 35. a4 Ra2 36. h4 h5 37. g3 Kg6 38. Rf4 Kf7 39. Ke1 Ke6 40. Rb4 Kf5 41. Kd1 Ke5 42. Ke1 Kf5 43. Kf1 Kg6 44. Rc4 Kh6 45. Rf4 Kg6 46. Ke1 Kf7 47. Kf1 Kg6 48. Kg2 Ra3 49. Kh3 Ra2 50. g4 Ra3+ 51. f3 hxg4+ 52. Kxg4 Ra1 53. Rc4 Ra2 54. h5+ Kh6 55. f4 Rg2+ 56. Kf5 Rh2 57. Ke6 Rxh5 58. f5 Rh1 59. Rc5 Kg5 60. Kf7 Rh7 61. a5 g6+ 62. Ke6 Rh1 63. a6 Ra1 64. fxg6+ Kxg6 65. Rc6 f5 66. Kd6 Kg5 67. Kc7 f4 68. Kb7 f3 69. Rc2 Kf4 70. a7 Kg3 71. a8=Q Rxa8 72. Kxa8 f2 73. Rxf2 Kxf2 { 1/2-1/2 (73) Karjakin, S (2781) - Caruana, F (2808) Stavanger 2017 } ) 14. Qxd7 Nxd7 15. c5 Bxh2+ 16. Nxh2 Ne4 { I have 10 games played in this position in my database, and all 10 ended in a draw! } ) 13... b6 14. cxd5 cxd5 15. Qb5 { White tries to prevent the Knight development } ( 15. Ba3 Bxa3 16. Qxa3 Nc6 { happened in Svidler - Kramnik game, 14 (!) years ago. } ) 15... Qd7 { must } ( 15... Nd7 $4 { surprisingly loses a piece } 16. Qc6 { and Bishop has no convenient retreat } 16... Bb8 { could be the last try, but White is not forced to take the Rook straightaway. Simple } 17. Kh1 $18 { finishes off the game } ) 16. a4 ( 16. Rb1 { happened in MVL - Fabi game } 16... Rc8 ( 16... Rd8 $5 { is perhaps better } 17. g3 Qxb5 18. Rxb5 Na6 ) 17. g3 Bf8 18. Bd2 Nc6 19. Ne5 Nxe5 20. Rxe5 Rd8 21. Qxd7 Rxd7 22. Rb5 Rad8 23. a4 Be7 24. a5 bxa5 25. Rxa5 f6 26. Re6 Rb8 27. Rea6 { despite the fact that White seems more active, it was not enough to convert the minimal advantage into something more } 27... Rbb7 ) 16... Qxb5 { technically a novelty in human chess, however, this move was met in some correspondence games previously } ( 16... Rd8 17. g3 Bc7 18. Bg5 f6 { Happened in Adams, M (2741) - Morozevich, A (2741) (Wijk aan Zee, 2005) where the player with the "Spider" nickname could have played an elegant move } 19. Bc1 $1 { transferring the Bishop onto -a3 } 19... Nc6 20. Ba3 Re8 21. c4 $18 ) 17. axb5 a5 $1 { Black immediately tries to solve the problem of the backwarded pawn } ( 17... Rc8 { doesn't even threaten to take the -c3 pawn, due to back-rank issues } ) 18. Nh4 $5 { surprising Knight maneuver! Does it go to f5? No! Via g2 to f4! } 18... g6 19. g4 Nd7 20. Ng2 Rfc8 ( 20... Nf6 { could be another option for Nepo } 21. Bh6 Rfc8 22. Ne3 Rxc3 23. g5 Nd7 24. Nxd5 Rc4 ( 24... Rd3 25. Re4 ) 25. Re4 a4 26. Rae1 Rcc8 ) 21. Bf4 Bxf4 22. Nxf4 { Magnus manages the plan he started with 18. Nh4. Where is this adventurous journey gonna bring the Horsey! } 22... Rxc3 23. Nxd5 Rd3 ( 23... Rb3 ) 24. Re7 Nf8 25. Nf6+ Kg7 26. Ne8+ { From f3 all the way via h4-g2-f4-d5-f6-e8! That's quite some horse gallop! } 26... Kg8 27. d5 a4 28. Nf6+ Kg7 29. g5 { White tries to create the mating net. But creating the net is not enough once there's no checkmate delivering piece! } 29... a3 { What will we see first? Black's pawn queening or the king getting checkmated? } 30. Ne8+ ( 30. Re3 Rxe3 31. fxe3 { seems smart as Black's Knight cannot really enter the game currently, but... } 31... h6 32. h4 hxg5 33. hxg5 a2 { and White's Rook is the one paralyzed now and Black with the next move will trade off the Knights with ...-Nh7 } 34. e4 Nh7 35. Nxh7 Kxh7 36. d6 Kg7 37. d7 Rd8 38. Rxa2 Rxd7 39. Ra6 Rd4 40. Rxb6 Rxe4 41. Kf2 Rg4 { leads to a theoretically drawish endgame where White is the side who has to be precise } 42. Ke3 Rxg5 43. Kd4 ) 30... Kg8 31. Nf6+ { After 30-35 minutes of thinking Magnus decides to repeat moves } ( 31. h4 { simple 'position improving' move was possible too } 31... Nd7 $5 { trying to get out with Knight once it's possible! } ( 31... a2 32. Re2 Rda3 33. Nf6+ Kg7 34. d6 { seems to give White some hopes for the initiative } ) ( 31... Rd2 32. Nf6+ Kg7 33. Re8 Rxe8 34. Nxe8+ Kh8 35. Rxa3 Rxd5 ) 32. Rae1 a2 $5 ( 32... Kf8 33. Nc7 Rd8 34. Kg2 { followed by one Rook exchange with Re8 and bringing the Rook behind the a-passed pawn on a8 sounds like a plan for White. } ) 33. Rxd7 a1=Q 34. Nf6+ Kg7 ( 34... Qxf6 $4 35. gxf6 $18 { is just bad for Black } ) 35. Rxa1 Rxa1+ 36. Kg2 { if only White could have played 2 moves in a row, with Rd8 checkmate would be inevitable... } 36... Ra8 $1 { of course, Black parries Rd8 } 37. Rb7 Rd4 38. Kg3 h6 39. Rxb6 Ra3+ 40. f3 Rdd3 41. Kf4 ( 41. Rb8 $4 { with the hope of finally checkmating Black's King fails to work due to } 41... Rxf3+ 42. Kg2 ( 42. Kg4 { loses to } 42... h5+ { and White has to give away their 'precious' f6-Knight } ) 42... hxg5 43. hxg5 Rg3+ 44. Kf2 Rxg5 $19 { and once the g5-pawn is dropped, Knight has no support } ) 41... Rxf3+ 42. Ke5 hxg5 43. hxg5 Rf5+ 44. Kd6 Rxg5 45. Ne8+ Kf8 46. Rb8 Rg1 47. b6 { White's powerful pawns compensate the material deficit. I'd rather pick White here. } ) 31... Kg7 32. Ne8+ Kg8 33. Nf6+ { 4th game also finishes in a draw. Today, Magnus played more in his usual style but the line was solid and his small idea didn't turn out to be anything bigger than just a small idea. Let's see how Nepo is going to handle his first White pieces since the rest day tomorrow! Stay tuned! } 1/2-1/2