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Cover Story / 2014 Sinquefield Cup 48. ... Bxd4!


“It was very difficult to calculate all the checks,” said Caruana. “I had only about two minutes and I was worried that I would blunder my bishop and lose! But it seems like now I am winning.”


49. Qg6+ Kd8 50. Qxe6 Rxf2+ 51. Kg3 Rc3+ 52. Kxg4 Rg2+ 53. Kf4 Rf2+ 54. Kg4 Kc7


In the ensuing moves, with Caruana


playing on his 30 second increment, Black eschews searching for mates and simply makes sure his king is secure, after which the win will be trivial.


55. Qe7+ Kb6 56. Qd8+ Rc7 57. Qxd5 Bc5 58. Qd8 Kb7 59. f6 Bxa3 60. Qd5+ Kb6 61. Qd8 Bc5 62. Qb8+ Rb7 63. Qd8+ Ka7 64. Qd5 Bb6


Mission accomplished.


65. Kg5 Rc7 66. Kg6 b4 67. Qe6 Bd4, White resigned.


“I don't know if it’s a matter of luck or


I’m playing well,” Caruana said. “I couldn’t imagine I could do something like this ... I wish I knew.” Top American Nakamura (3/10) had the


most dismal event of anyone. He was content with his opening two draws, then missed a complicated tactical win in round three and eventually lost. After that the tournament crumbled further, with two draws and three losses in the next five rounds. He finished winless. “It just seems like I’m not calculating


very well,” Nakamura said, mystified that his longer thinks netted the worst moves. “Sometimes it happens. Sometimes you just don’t have good tournaments.” Now at 5-0 and double the points of


the closest competitor (Carlsen), Topalov explained the only antidote to Caruana: “I'm happy we have a free day tomorrow so he can’t win.” In fact the Bulgarian was right. Vachier-


Lagrave played tennis, Caruana went swimming and Carlsen played golf, then all six players and other chess dignitaries assembled for an evening exhibit at the World Chess Hall of Fame. “Burning Boards” by artist Glenn Kaino used candles as ersatz chess pieces. Grandmasters were paired with artists


and some chose to play variations of the four-move checkmate to end the game quickly. Caruana, however, sportingly muddled through the waxy detritus on the board. Eventually he advanced a melting, misshapen piece and announced stalemate. Although only a footnote in his historic tournament, the intentional act of humility was not repeated by any of the other games I witnessed.


ROUND 6: “MOST OF THE IDEAS I'VE PLAYED I HAVE TO CREDIT TO HIM.”


11. ... Kf8 “I had prepared this line for Peter


Svidler,” said Caruana. “He normally plays 11. ... g6 but we checked 11. ... Kf8 as well. In fact I had a chance to use some of the analysis against Peter in Dubai. That game went 11. ... g6 12. Bh6 Rb8 13. Nd1!? Rb4 14. c4 and White was better, though the result had nothing to do with the opening.”


12. Na4! Qa5 13. Re2!


Caruana’s new idea, which at first seems unplayable because of Topalov’s coming pawn advances. “I was expecting 13. Bg5 with a rather normal position,” said Topalov.


13. ... h5 14. Qf4 g5


“If I don't push my pawns then 12. ... Qa5 makes no sense,” said Topalov. 15. Bd2! Qc7 “My opponent clearly seemed rattled,


which is normal when you are surprised


Play resumed after the rest day and Caruana once again displayed his ware - house of novelties on his second lap through the field. The idea with 13. Re2 to get the bishop to d2 and keep the rook active was shown to him nearly a year ago by his coach, the perpetually-smiling GM Vladimir Chuchelov. The student’s memory proved better than the coach’s— Caruana remembered when he was shown the idea, but Chuchelov forgot who he originally found the idea for (he recalled “some 2300” student who asked a while back about a good response to 12. ... Qa5). Of course the conversion was still on


Caruana’s shoulders, and he finished the attack in style with 24. Bxe6 and later the elegant 28. e6, leaving his rook hanging with check. The move charged the Twitter- sphere, with IM Lawrence Trent posting, “Bxe6. Bang. Fab ain’t missing that on this form. Love the bloke.”


The coach’s novelty


GM Fabiano Caruana (FIDE 2801, ITA) GM Veselin Topalov (FIDE 2772, BUL) 2014 Sinquefield Cup (6), St. Louis, Missouri, 09.02.2014


in the opening, and you are playing against someone who [moves] instantly,” said Caruana. “The computer likes 15. ... gxf4 16. Bxa5 at first but, a few moves later, realizes it is not so easy. White will play f2-f3 and later the f4-pawn can become weak.” “The idea of this line should not be to go for a slightly worse endgame,” added Topalov, “and it looks very easy for White to play.”


16. Qg3! h4 17. Qg4 Rg8? 18. Rae1 c5 19. c4 dxc4 20. Bxc4 Bb7 21. h3 Rd8 22. Bc3 Nb8?! 23. Re3! Nc6? 24. Bxe6! fxe6 25. Rf3+ Ke8 26. Qxe6 Rg7 27. Qh6 Nd4 28. e6! Nxf3+ 29. gxf3 Bf8 30. Qh5+ Ke7 31. Bxg7, Black resigned.


With GMs Alexander Grischuk and


Sergey Karjakin declining invites to play in the event, Chuchelov’s discoveries were the closest thing to a Russian player at the Sinquefield Cup (but even that is tenuous— Chuchelov now represents Belgium!). As the event progressed, he became more and more flabbergasted at explaining the result. “It’s all coming together in one tourna -


ment,” Chuchelov said with childlike amaze ment. “I don't know what to do anymore!” Commentator GM Ian Rogers had an


idea. After Caruana came over to the on- site commentary room, Rogers asked him, “At least equal the chances and give us some hints what you’re going to play [tomorrow]!” “In this tournament we're showing ideas


in nearly every game,” Caruana said. “I think people are trying to avoid their repertoire because they’re afraid of preparation.”


ROUND 7: “PROBABLY THEY'RE A BIT FRUSTRATED THAT THEY CAN'T MAKE


A DRAW AGAINST ME.” “I'm not going to make a draw tomorrow.


As good as he is, I’m still White.” Those were Vachier-Lagrave’s sentiments after round six. The field may have relinquished hope for first place, but there was clearly honor in not “playing for a draw” just to end Caruana’s streak. The problem is naturally that the


French man was playing the hottest player in the history of chess. One small slip was again all it took for Caruana to pounce. “Right now he’s not making a mistake,”


Vachier-Lagrave said afterward. “I’ve never seen this. I’ve never even seen Magnus play so well. It’s frustrating, but it’s frustrating for all of us.” He added, “Il envoie du lourd,” slang for “It blows you away” in French.


Meanwhile Nakamura lost his second game of the tournament to rival Carlsen. He misplayed the opening and dropped his personal mark to 0-11-15 against the


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