[Event "World Championship Match"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/GnRCQlP4/X8jIN4xQ"]
[Date "2021.11.28"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Abasov"]
[BlackElo "2855"]
[ECO "C88"]
[Opening "Ruy Lopez: Closed, Anti-Marshall"]
[UTCDate "2021.11.28"]
[UTCTime "21:40:22"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[WhiteElo "2782"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O { so far players follow the first game of the match } 8. a4 { And Nepo is the
first to deviate with another Anti-Marshall concept. In fact, it shows how
safe the Marshall Attack for Black is, that it's being avoided at any cost! } ( 8. h3 { was played in the first game of the match } ) 8... Bb7 { The main
continuation and Carlsen's favorite choice } ( 8... b4 { is another option to
face 8.a4 move } 9. d4 d6 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Nbd2 { thanks to -c4 square, I like
White a bit more here } ) ( 8... Rb8 { is the third choice what Magnus played in
the World Cup against the future Winner of the event - Duda Jan-Krzysztof } 9. c3 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. axb5 axb5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. Rxe5 c6 14. d4 Bd6 15. Re1 Qh4 16. g3 Qh3 17. Re4 g5 18. Qf1 Qxf1+ 19. Kxf1 Bf5 20. Nd2 Bxe4 21. Nxe4 Be7 22. Bxg5 Bxg5 23. Nxg5 Ra8 { and White kept pressing for another good 40 moves
here. Game ended in a draw on move 65. } ) 9. d3 d6 10. Nbd2 { the main move but
never been tested against Magnus earlier } ( 10. Bd2 { is the move two French
players (MVL and Bacrot) played against Magnus } 10... Qd7 11. Nc3 Na5 12. Ba2 c5 13. Ne2 Nc6 14. Ng3 d5 15. exd5 Nxd5 $132 { was later won my Magnus ...0-1, Bacrot,
E (2678)-Carlsen,M (2847) Krasnaya Polyana 2021 } ) 10... Re8 { only the fourth
most played continuation } ( 10... Na5 { is the top choice of Black } 11. Ba2 c5 12. Nf1 bxa4 { was Russian GM Evgeny Tomashevsky's favorite move here. Normally,
taking such pawns weaken our pawn structure, however, this time it's based on
concrete play } ( 12... b4 $5 ) 13. Ne3 Bc8 { Bishop is being transferred to d7. } 14. Bd2 Bd7 $132 ) 11. Nf1 { Natural Knight maneuver in Ruy Lopez. } ( 11. Ng5 { could have been an option, on what Magnus would most likely reply with } 11... d5 12. exd5 Nd4 $1 ( 12... Nxd5 $4 { surely not, due to } 13. Nxf7 $1 Kxf7 14. Qf3+ { Just like in Fried Liver Attack. white gets strong initiative! } 14... Ke6 15. c4 bxc4 16. dxc4 Nf6 17. c5+ Nd5 ( 17... Kd7 18. Qf5# { is a beautiful checkmate! } ) 18. Qe4 { Black is pretty much paralyzed here. Next, White's going to play Nf3 and put more pressure! [%csl Re6][%cal Gd2f3] } ) 13. Rxe5 Qd7 $5 { threatening ...-Ng4 and many other active moves, Black compensates the material deficit. [%cal Gf6g4] } ) 11... h6 { covers the -g5 square } ( 11... Bf8 12. Bg5 $5 h6 13. Bxf6 $5 ( 13. Bh4 $36 { is another reasonable continuation } ) 13... Qxf6 14. Ne3 Qd8 15. h4 { looks better for White } ) 12. Bd2 Bf8 13. Ne3 { The e3 Knight is
ready to hop onto active -f5 or -d5 squares } 13... Ne7 { covers them both } 14. c4 { is objectively the strongest move according to the engine, however } ( 14. g4 $5 $146 { is the move I'd really love to see being played on the board! } 14... Nh7 { is nearly the only move to maintain the equality } ( 14... Qd7 15. g5 hxg5 16. Nxg5 d5 17. Qf3 $40 { looks like White's pieces are better concentrated on the
kingside, next Kh1 and Rg1 will also be played. White has strong attack on the
King of Black! } ) 15. h4 c5 { Black needs to come up with a counter-play on the
center against White's k-side attack } 16. g5 c4 ( 16... hxg5 17. Nxg5 Nxg5 18. hxg5 d5 { can be met by a beautiful } 19. g6 $1 Nxg6 20. Bxd5 $16 { White has
exchanged flank pawn to a central pawn of Black, got an outpost on d5 and yet
may attack the Black King along the h-file! } ) 17. dxc4 Bxe4 18. gxh6 Qd7 19. Nh2 $44 { leads to a total mess! } ) 14... bxc4 ( 14... c6 { is the move that been
played more } ) 15. Nxc4 Nc6 $146 { official novelty } ( 15... Rb8 { was played once
on what White replied with a tactical shot in the center } 16. Ncxe5 $1 dxe5 17. Nxe5 Kh7 $2 ( 17... Ned5 { should have been played } 18. exd5 Bxd5 $44 ) 18. Bxf7 Qd6 19. Bc3 $18 { and eventually White won the game } 19... Red8 20. Bc4 Nc6 21. Nf7 Qe7 22. d4 g6 23. Nxd8 Rxd8 24. Qb3 Ba8 25. Rad1 Bg7 26. Qc2 Nh5 27. d5 Ne5 28. Bxa6 Qd6 29. Bf1 Rf8 30. h3 Bb7 31. Bd4 Rf7 32. Re3 Bc8 33. Rc3 Nf4 34. Bc5 Qf6 35. d6 Qg5 36. Rg3 Qh5 37. Be3 Ne6 38. Rd5 Bb7 39. Rb5 cxd6 40. f4 Nc6 41. Rxh5 { 1-0 (41) Arakhamia Grant,K (2447)-Yildiz Kadioglu,B (2244) Rijeka 2010 } ) 16. Rc1 a5 17. Bc3 Bc8 { Bishop has done it's job on a8-h1 diagonal, now it's being
trasferred to a2-g8, to challenge White's Bishop. } 18. d4 { all White's pieces
are placed well, now they are ready to open up the position in the center. } 18... exd4 19. Nxd4 Nxd4 20. Qxd4 Be6 { First impression is, White's pieces are
placed better than Black's. -a5 pawn is looking shaky, however, Black is solid
enough. They might play ...-d5 or ...-c6 followed by ...-d5 what will simplify
position. } 21. h3 ( 21. Qd3 $5 d5 ( 21... c6 22. Bc2 { looked good for White } ) 22. Bxf6 Qxf6 23. exd5 Bd7 $44 { White is up a pawn, but we have seen already twice
in this match that Carlsen is keen to sac a pawn for the Bishop pair and
strong compensation } ) ( 21. Nxa5 $2 { is not good due to } 21... c5 $1 22. Qd2 { White
needs to defend the Knight on a5. } ( 22. Qd1 Rxa5 $19 ) 22... Bxb3 23. Nxb3 Nxe4 $17 ) 21... c6 { defends the -a5 pawn and prepares ...-d5 breakthrough in the center. } 22. Bc2 d5 23. e5 dxc4 24. Qxd8 ( 24. exf6 Qxd4 25. Bxd4 Bb4 26. Re2 Rad8 27. Bb6 Rb8 28. Bd4 Rbd8 ) 24... Rexd8 25. exf6 Bb4 ( 25... g6 26. Bxg6 ) ( 25... g5 26. h4 gxh4 27. Re4 ) 26. fxg7 Bxc3 27. bxc3 Kxg7 { After tons of exchanges, the position has simplified drastically. } 28. Kf1 { White brings the King closer to the center in the endgame. } 28... Rab8 ( 28... Rd2 29. Red1 Rad8 30. Rxd2 Rxd2 31. Ke1 { is one exemplary line of why Nepo's 28th move was good. } ) 29. Rb1 Kf6 30. Rxb8 Rxb8 31. Rb1 Rxb1+ 32. Bxb1 { Rooks are off the board too. } 32... Ke5 { Activity
of Black's King compensate weak pawns. Now game ends in a draw. } 33. Ke2 f5 34. Bc2 f4 { seizing on the kingside } 35. Bb1 c5 36. Bc2 Bd7 37. f3 Kf6 38. h4 Ke5 39. Kf2 Kf6 40. Ke2 Ke5 41. Kf2 { The players are off to the first rest day
with a relatively calm draw. What can we say about the first three games? All
games so far ended in a draw, but we definitely can't tell it's a boring match.
I believe, Carlsen, so far, doesn't play in his usual manner. Especially
yesterday's game felt more like the Rachmaninoff style than Mozart's flowing
melodies:) Nevertheless, he is the one who controls the beat. His playing
style looks more like to neutralize Nepo's sharp play. Well, he manages it
well, so far. It feels like Nepo hasn't yet found his comfort zone. Tomorrow
is the rest day. It's time for players to chill for a bit, analyze the first
three games and of course, think about the match-strategy for next rounds. } 1/2-1/2