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Cover Story / 2014 Sinquefield Cup


champion. “He doesn’t really lose this way to other


people,” Carlsen said. “He has to figure out what his problems are.” Carlsen was now three points back with


only three games to play. He deflected my question about playing Black against Caruana and the possibility of being an underdog for the first time in many years. “I don't think I’m an underdog tomorrow, sorry ... I’m a better player.”


ROUND 8: “ABOVE ALL I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE.” Although that was Caruana’s remark


after the game, you could hardly tell by the way he played. The move 12. b4 was called “very ambitious” by commentator GM Yasser Seirawan, while the decision to play 17. h4 instead of just castling gave the onlooking Chuchelov his first heart - burn of the event. “I think it was actually a good move,” Caruana said. “It seemed like the attack played itself. But it wasn’t so easy and maybe I overestimated my position a bit. In any case I was never worse. I was always better and pressing for a win.” Curiously all three games on this day


featured White playing g2-g4, but all atten - tion was on the top board, which some specu lated could be a future world champi - on ship match.


Sicilian Defense, Maroczy Bind, Gurgenidze System (B36) GM Fabiano Caruana (FIDE 2801, ITA) GM Magnus Carlsen (FIDE 2877, NOR) 2014 Sinquefield Cup (8), St. Louis, Missouri (8), 09.04.2014


1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 It is hard to believe that Carlsen was


so impressed by Vachier-Lagrave’s play with the Accelerated Dragon in round six that he wanted to repeat the variation, but in any case Caruana decides to vary with the solid Maroczy Bind.


5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 d6 7. f3 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 Bg7 9. Be3 0-0 10. Qd2 a5


“A little unusual,” said Carlsen. “I


thought it would make the game interest - ing—but it made it more interesting for him! 10. ... Qa5 is the decent move, with only a very, very slightly worse position.”


11. b3!


After 11. Be2 a4 followed by ... Qa5 should be fine for Black. 11. ... a4 12. b4 Be6 13. Rc1 Nd7 14. Be2 Nb6


(see diagram top of next column) 15. Nb5!


34 November 2014 | Chess Life 17. h4!


“I underestimated [this plan],” said Carlsen. “His knight on b6 is stranded so I decided to go for it,” said Caruana. “Besides, after [17. 0-0 Na4 I wasn’t sure what to do next.”


17. ... h5 18. g4 hxg4 19. fxg4! “I thought if he played h2-h4 and g2-g4


he would have to play for mate,” ex plained Carlsen, “but of course he doesn’t because positionally he is doing quite well.”


19. ... e5 “Not a move you want to play but I didn’t


see anything else for him,” said Caruana. “He has to try to stop the attack because I am just going forward with 20. h5.”


20. Nb3 Bc6 Caruana considered this move to be


forced but Svidler, analyzing the game for Chess24, noted that 20. ... Be6!? 21. h5


15. Nb5! “My first intention was to play 15. Nd5


Nxd5 16. exd5 Bf5 17. c5 when I think I have a very good position,” said Caruana, “but then I became attracted to the idea 15. Nb5!? Rc8 16. Na3 which I thought would be even more unpleasant for him.”


15. ... a3 After 7 minutes thought, Carlsen decides


to deprive the white knight of the a3- square. “After 15. ... Rc8 16. Na3 the only plan I could see for him was 16. ... f5 17. exf5 gxf5 but I just play 18. 0-0 and White is better.”


16. Nd4 Bd7


23. Na5! f4 Not a move Black wants to play but


“after 23. ... Rxa5 24. bxa5 Na4 25. Qg2! I am definitely better,” said Caruana “and 23. ... Bxe4 24. Bxe4 fxe4 25. Nxb7 is just hopeless for him.”


24. Bf2 Na4 25. Nxc6 “I knew I didn’t have to take immediately


but I didn’t want to keep having to calculate ... Rxa5,” admitted Caruana.


25. ... bxc6 26. 0-0?! A move which generated a tweet from


Kasparov; “Did Caruana really castle? Wow. King is great on e2, put rook on g- file, nearly winning.” Later Caruana explained, “I wanted to tuck my king away in the corner and I didn’t want to play Ke2 so much. But maybe 0-0 was a mistake.” Certainly after 26. Rg1 or 26. h5 White has a huge attack.


26. ... c5! “I didn't expect this,” admitted Caruana.


“He gets the b6-square for his knight [without the black queen being tied to it— IR] and also now has ... Ra7.”


27. b5 Bf6 28. Kh1 (see diagram top of next page)


28. ... Nb6?! “I thought that this was very clever,


forcing him to play 29. Rcd1 after which the endgame we reach is very drawish, but it turns out he can use the other rook,” said Carlsen. Taking the h-pawn was fatal, but after 28. ... Kh8! Black would have been back in the game.


Na4! makes continuing the attack tricky because the direct 22. Bh6 Qe7! 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 24. hxg6 allows 24. ... Rh8! with plenty of counterplay for Black.


21. Bf3 f5 “At first I was happy to get in 20. ...


Bc6 and 21. ... f5,” said Carlsen, “but with my weak king and weak pawns he is doing very well.”


22. gxf5 gxf5


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