[Event "World Championship Match"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/GnRCQlP4/ZDc3TfOJ"]
[Date "2021.12.08"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Abasov"]
[BlackElo "2782"]
[ECO "C42"]
[Opening "Russian Game: Karklins-Martinovsky Variation"]
[UTCDate "2021.12.08"]
[UTCTime "21:13:31"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[WhiteElo "2855"]

{ In the press conference after game 9 Magnus was asked, when he had just a 1 game lead, if he picked solid and sound continuations (Like move 10 Qe1 in Game 8). Now, when he has a 3 games lead, what shall we expect in the following 5 games in terms of the style of play? On this, Magnus replied it's more up to Ian. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 { Petroff Defense. } 3. Nxe5 ( 3. d4 { is what Magnus opted in his winning Game 8. } 3... Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Nd7 6. Nxd7 Bxd7 7. Nd2 $5 { -see Game 8 } ) 3... d6 4. Nd3 $5 { Deviation from classic variations. Perhaps, not many of you have seen this move before. Clearly, 4.Nf3 is the main move but starting from 2018 the other two Knight retreats (4.Nc4 and 4.Nd3) gained significant popularity. } ( 4. Nc4 { is the second option } 4... Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. Ne3 { and this setup has some similarities with Carlsen's choice } ) 4... Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. Nf4 { This position also occurred in Game 6 of the match Carlsen - Caruana back in 2018. } 6... Nf6 ( 6... Nc6 { was the choice of the challenger in the previous match. } 7. Nd5 { positions looks to be lost for Black, since White has numerous threats, yet after counter-tactical strike Black is perfectly fine. } ( 7. c3 Nf6 8. d4 { would transpose to the text game. } ) 7... Nd4 $1 { both Queens are hanging now } 8. Nxe7 Nxe2 9. Nd5 { Again White has attacked into two points, but Black keeps the balance attacking symmetrical squares. } ( 9. Bxe2 Bxe7 ) 9... Nd4 $1 10. Na3 $5 ( 10. Bd3 { a try of defending c2-pawn with a tempo doesn't lead to a win for White due to } 10... Nc5 11. Nxc7+ Kd8 12. Nxa8 Nxd3+ 13. cxd3 Nc2+ 14. Kd1 Nxa1 { and despite the fact that White has an extra pawn on d2, the position is equal. } ) 10... Ne6 11. f3 N4c5 12. d4 Nd7 13. c3 c6 14. Nf4 Nb6 { You rarely see by move 14 both sides to play in total 19 times with the Knights. What a horse race! } 15. Bd3 d5 16. Nc2 Bd6 17. Nxe6 Bxe6 18. Kf2 h5 { is how the game proceeded in Game 6 of the London match. Later, this relatively calm and sound position turned to be one of the dramatic games of the 2018 World Championship Match. Caruana - with the Black pieces was extremely close to winning the game,vhaving an extra piece for only a pawn in the endgame. Yet, the game ended in a draw on move 80. } ) 7. d4 ( 7. Nc3 { is what happened once in my game } 7... c6 8. f3 $5 { White tries to seize the kingside by playing g4 later. } 8... g5 $5 { was what I played. Perhaps, it was over-ambitious. } ( 8... h5 $5 { was a better try } 9. h4 Bf5 ) 9. Nd3 Be6 10. b3 Bg7 11. Bb2 Nbd7 12. O-O-O h6 ( 12... O-O-O { loses a pawn due to double-attack after. } 13. Qe3 $16 ) 13. Qf2 { and White was clearly better. I eventually managed to hold the draw against Ganguly. } ) 7... Nc6 8. c3 { both sides seem to be in a peaceful mood today. } ( 8. Be3 $5 { keeping Queens on the board could have been a try to play for the initiative } 8... Bf5 ( 8... g5 9. Nd3 Bg7 10. Nc3 Be6 11. O-O-O h6 12. h4 $36 ) 9. Nc3 O-O-O 10. d5 Ne5 11. Bxa7 ( 11. O-O-O Kb8 $6 ( 11... a6 12. Qd2 g5 13. Nh3 h6 14. Qd4 { looks promising for White } ) 12. Qb5 $18 { looks bad for Black. } ) 11... g5 $5 ( 11... b6 $2 12. Qa6+ $18 ) 12. Nh3 Bxc2 $5 13. Be3 $1 ( 13. Qxc2 $4 { would be fatal for White } 13... Nf3+ 14. Kd1 Qe1# ) 13... Bd3 ( 13... Nd3+ $4 14. Kd2 { and Black loses a piece. } ) 14. Qd1 Bxf1 15. Kxf1 h6 16. Ng1 $36 { bringing the Knight back to life. } ) 8... d5 ( 8... g5 $5 { considering the given situation in the match, this is how Ian should have played I assume. } 9. Nd3 ( 9. Qxe7+ Bxe7 10. Ne2 Nd5 11. Ng3 h5 $36 { ...½,Harikrishna, P - Bai, J (China, 2019) } ) 9... Rg8 $132 { followed by ...-Bd7, long castle and advancing kingside pawns. } ) 9. Nd2 Nd8 { With the b8-c6-d8-e6 zig-zag manoeuvre brings the Knight to -e6, trying to trade off the Knights } ( 9... Bd7 { followed by long castle also looked reasonable } ) 10. Nf3 Qxe2+ 11. Bxe2 Bd6 12. O-O O-O { Now, when Queens are off the board; both sides having castled kingside and have symmetrical pawn structures, the position has a drawing tendency } 13. Bd3 Re8 14. Re1 Rxe1+ 15. Nxe1 Ne6 16. Nxe6 Bxe6 { with last moves and a couple more exchanges position simplified even more. } 17. g3 { thematic move, freeing g2-square for the Knight. } 17... g6 { Black copies White's strategy } 18. Ng2 Re8 19. f3 { controlling -e4 and -g4 squares } 19... Nh5 20. Kf2 ( 20. g4 Ng7 21. Bf4 Bxf4 22. Nxf4 g5 23. Ng2 h5 24. h3 hxg4 25. hxg4 f5 { leads to similar positions as in the game } ) 20... c6 21. g4 Ng7 22. Bf4 Bxf4 23. Nxf4 g5 $1 { important move, otherwise White's spatial advantage on the kingside would give lasting edge for White. } 24. Ne2 f5 { stabilizing position with aggressive approach. } 25. h3 Kf7 26. Rh1 h6 27. f4 { now pawns } 27... fxg4 28. hxg4 Bxg4 29. Rxh6 Bf5 { defending from Bg6 } ( 29... Bxe2 $4 30. Bg6+ $18 ) 30. Bxf5 Nxf5 31. Rh7+ Ng7 ( 31... Kg6 { would also be perfectly fine } 32. Rxb7 Nd6 33. Rxa7 Ne4+ 34. Kg1 ( 34. Kf3 Nd2+ 35. Kf2 Ne4+ ) 34... Nd2 { and again White has nothing better than } 35. Kf2 Ne4+ ) 32. fxg5 Kg6 33. Rh3 Kxg5 { now when all pawns on the kingside are traded, no doubts remain about the outcome of the game. } 34. Rg3+ Kf6 35. Rf3+ Ke7 36. Nf4 Kd6 37. Ng6 Re6 38. Ne5 Ne8 39. Rf7 Rf6+ 40. Rxf6+ Nxf6 41. Ke3 { The game ends in a draw. Magnus is one more step closer to officially retaining the crown. Tomorrow is the rest day in Dubai. In the next game, Ian is having White pieces. Does he plan to go for a 'consolation goal' or we are going to see a relatively sound opening concept by him? We will know about it on Friday. Meanwhile, enjoy chess! } 1/2-1/2