Clásico de Londres: otra victoria para Caruana

[Event "9th London Chess Classic 2017"] [Site "London"] [Date "2017.12.06"] [Round "5"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Anand, Viswanathan"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C48"] [WhiteElo "2799"] [BlackElo "2782"] [Annotator "Tiger Hillarp"] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 (3. Bc4 {has never been more popular, but the Ruy Lopez still leads to more complex positions and is the more ambitious option.}) 3... Nf6 {The Berlin Defence is known to be super solid since the time when Kramnik used it to win a World Championship Match against Kasparov. I believe it was Julian Hodgson who pointed out that the downside of playing 1.e4, is that it is not defended.} 4. d3 $1 {My "!" might seem a bit puzzling, but it is the only way to keep a reasonable amount of pieces left on the board while not ending up with a swap of the e-pawns.} ({The old main line} 4. O-O Nxe4 5. d4 (5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 {is another, more popular, line. It seem to me like squeezing water out of a stone. But, let us be clear, I can only get away with such a statement because I'm strong enough to have some inkling of what I am saying, while not being strong enough to actually understand what I am saying. Really, much of what goes on in these games is beyond our understanding; especially how hard it is to actually handle these things over the board without an engine as help. The drawing tendencies in the Berlin are impending and it takes a whole lot of energy, focus and knowledge to be able to win against another strong player here. This is what the game is like today. It is a struggle with the thinnest of margins.}) 5... Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 {is not seen often between the top players. Only Vachier Lagrave seems happy to play this in long games nowadays.}) 4... Bc5 {The bishop is not very well placed here if White takes on c6, but against every other set-up it is optimal.} 5. Nc3 {This move is generally played in tandem with a Bxc6-followed-by-long-castling-strategy.} ({Caruana usually plays} 5. c3 { , when lately} O-O 6. O-O Re8 7. Bg5 {has done very well for White.} h6 8. Bh4 a6 9. Bc4 {leads to a position that can arise from the giuoco piano, minus the rook on e8. Because of this detail, Black should avoid} Na5 {due to} (9... g5 10. Bg3 Ba7 11. Nbd2) 10. Bxf7+ Kxf7 11. b4 $14) (5. O-O Nd4 {gives Black an easy game.}) (5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 {has been popular too, but in the last year Black has done well with} Be6 $5 7. O-O Bd6 8. d4 Nd7 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Nxe5 Bxe5 11. f4 Bd4+ 12. Kh1 f5 {The engine likes the position for White after} 13. Qe2 {, but it could be a superficial evaluation:} O-O 14. Rd1 Qe7 15. Nf3 Bc5 16. Re1 Rae8 17. exf5 $2 (17. e5 h6) 17... Bd5 $1 18. Ne5 Rxf5 $15 {and Black went on to win, in Robson,R (2665)-Nakamura,H (2790) ch-USA 2017.}) 5... O-O 6. Bxc6 dxc6 {Caruana has lost two rapid games against Grischuk from this position, but he seems to have faith in it still.} 7. h3 (7. Ne2 Re8 8. h3 Nd7 9. g4 Bb4+ $5 10. Kf1 {I find it hard to believe that this move fits with White's set-up.} (10. Bd2 Bxd2+ (10... Bf8 $1) 11. Qxd2 c5 12. O-O-O $13) 10... Bf8 11. Ng3 Nc5 12. Be3 f6 13. Nf5 {White's plan looks menacing, but if Black can defend (which should be quite possible) then the bishop pair could become a factor in the latter part of the game.} Ne6 14. Rg1 Kh8 15. h4 g6 16. Nh6 Qe7 $17 {and White's attack came to a complete halt as g5 is met with Bxh6 and h5 with Bxh6 followed by g5. Caruana,F (2795)-Grischuk,A (2780) Champions Showdown G30 rapid 2017}) 7... Nd7 {Black starts rearranging his minor pieces. The knight is headed for e6 and Bc5 will be solid on d6 or tucked away on f8. It will be difficult for White to open up the position without simultanesly opening a pandoras box of awesome bishop power.} ({Having seen the course the game takes, I went back to this moment to ask myself if there is no way for Black to get the bishop to f8 in one go. Indeed there is:} 7... Re8 8. Be3 Bf8 {, intending a fast Nf6-d7-c5-e6, will win a tempo for Black compared to the game if White continues along the same lines. In a blitz game Caruana made use of a different version of the same plan we will soon see:} 9. a4 a5 10. O-O b6 (10... Nd7) 11. Nd2 Be6 {As I understand it, the bishop should only go here when f6 has been played (so that it can retreat to f7).} (11... Nd7) 12. Ne2 Nh5 13. g4 Nf6 14. Ng3 {The plan is back on track.} Nd7 15. Kh2 g6 16. Rg1 Be7 {Black is drifting.} 17. Nf5 Bg5 18. Nf3 Bxe3 19. fxe3 Kh8 20. Qe1 c5 21. b3 gxf5 $2 22. gxf5 Bxf5 23. exf5 e4 24. Ng5 Ne5 25. Kh1 f6 26. Ne6 {and White went on to win, in Caruana,F (2800)-Nakamura,H (2785) chess.com Speed 3m+2spm 2017. It is a nice illustration of the g4/Nc3-e2-g3-f5 plan.}) 8. Be3 $1 Bd6 9. Ne2 Re8 10. g4 Nc5 ({Grischuk's idea} 10... Bb4+ {is not out of the question here.}) 11. Ng3 Ne6 {White would like to push the pawns forward on the kingside, but as long as Bc8 keeps an eye on g4, it is not possible ot play h4, while g4-g5 doesn't solve the problem as h4 is still (annoyingly) answered with ...Bg4. However, this is why the knight was rerouted to g3. It will act as a plug on f5 and allow White to continue to push the pawns. Ergo, there is no reason for Black to keep the c8-g4-diagonal open anymore.} ({The engine likes} 11... g6 {, but it looks illogical to give White something to bit into on the kingside. I don't trust it.}) 12. Nf5 c5 {Now White's options in the center has been radically diminished. It's a all eggs in one basket situation where the basket is the kingside.} 13. h4 a5 14. h5 Ra6 $5 {A flexible way to get the rook to participate.} (14... Bd7 $6 {is a sorry excuse for a move. Not only is the bishop not fulfilling any function on d7 that it didn't carry out from c8, but also it is more in the way of the other pieces. Never play Bc8-d7 or Bc1-d2 unless you have a clear idea of why you are doing it.}) 15. Qd2 { Black's pieces are in good spots and no further slow improvement is in sight, so it is time for some activity.} Nd4 $1 16. Rh3 Bf8 $1 {It is often good to retreat the bishops to the last rank when the opponent has active knight which lack real outposts. This is such case. The bishops could actually not be more active than they are (while not stepping on the toes of the other pieces); not without a majot change in the pawn structure.} 17. O-O-O Be6 {Finally Anand decides to move the bishop. As I said before; I like the bishop on c8. Both} ( 17... a4 {and}) (17... b5 {, looks promising for Black and more flexible. Still, it is not a bad move, at all.}) 18. Kb1 f6 {Anand has built a convincing case against Caruana's set-up and it is White who has to find equality.} 19. c3 $1 {If you have a chat with the pieces the will all say: "The knight on d4 is too strong. It has to go."} Nxf3 20. Rxf3 c4 $5 {Black is much happier in a position where he gets to play c4, than one in which White gets to do it first.} (20... Qd7 21. c4 {looks like a strategical improvement from White's point of view. However, it is not easy to neutralize Black's initiative after} Kh8 22. Rg3 Rb8) (20... h6 {is the engines fav move, but it has long reaching negative consequences in that the knight is now safe on f5, while g7 becomes a future weakness. White can put all his resources into the defence for some time and then aim to play d2-d4 at an opportune moment.}) 21. Qc2 $6 (21. g5 $1 {White cannot enter an endgame without taking the g7-g6 option away from Black first. Otherwise the knight will be kicked back. One way to achieve this is} Qxd3+ 22. Qxd3 cxd3 23. gxf6 gxf6 24. Rxd3 {and since Nf5 is as strong an the opponents bishop, this is an equal position.}) 21... cxd3 22. Rxd3 Qc8 {Black has managed to keep the bishop pair and White has little in the way of compensation.} 23. g5 $1 {White must immediately mess things up, before Black gets time to exchange a pair of rooks and run for the ending.} fxg5 24. Bxg5 Bf7 $5 ({Perhaps even better is} 24... h6 25. Bc1 Bf7 { , when the h5-pawn looks weak, while it is unclear that White can pose any real threats to Black's king.} 26. Rg3 Kh8 27. Rd1 a4 $1 {and with Qe6 coming next, White is in trouble.}) 25. h6 $1 gxh6 26. Bc1 {Now, objectively speaking, Black is still better, but White has significantly more ideas to play around with as Black's king has become much more exposed.} Qe6 27. b3 a4 $2 ({This lets Caruana back in the game. It was necessary to forestall c3-c4 with} 27... b5 $1 {when, after} 28. Bb2 a4 29. Rg3+ Bg6 30. f3 axb3 31. axb3 h5 {Black is clearly better.}) 28. c4 $1 {With this move White achieves a state of stability on the queenside. It is a temporary stability, but that is all he needs in order to get in some decent threats of his own.} axb3 29. axb3 Qc6 $1 (29... Rea8 30. Bb2 Ba3 31. Qd1 $1 Bxb2 32. Kxb2 Ra2+ 33. Kc3 $18) 30. Rg3+ Kh8 31. Rd1 b5 $1 32. c5 ({My eye was immediately caught by} 32. Bb2 $5 bxc4 33. Rd8 $1 {, but Black seems to be able to defend in more than one way.} Ra5 34. Nd4 $1 (34. Qc3 $4 Qxe4+) 34... Qb7 35. Ne6 (35. Rxe8 Bxe8 36. f4 {is also "=" according to the engine.}) 35... Be7 36. Rxe8+ Bxe8 37. f4 Bc6 38. Bxe5+ Rxe5 39. Qc3 Bxe4+ 40. Kb2 Ba3+ {is one way. Easy to spot. (Not.)}) 32... b4 $2 { A second mistake and this time there is no coming back.} ({Instead} 32... Qxc5 33. Qxc5 Bxc5 {was right. White has some pressure, but it doesn't really go anywhere. One possible defence is} 34. Rd7 Be6 35. Rxc7 Bxf5 36. exf5 Bd4 37. Rgg7 e4 38. Bb2 Bxb2 39. Kxb2 Rf6 40. Rxh7+ Kg8 41. Rhg7+ Kh8 {with a draw.}) 33. Bb2 {Suddenly Black is in a lot of trouble. The e5-pawn is shaky and the king depends on it for survival.} Bg6 (33... Ra5 $1 {is a better defence, but this time} 34. Rd8 {is stronger:} Qxc5 35. Rxe8 Qxc2+ 36. Kxc2 Bxe8 37. f4 Rc5+ 38. Kd3 Bg6 39. Bxe5+ Kg8 40. Ne3 {and Black has a very difficult time.}) 34. Rd5 $1 Qb5 {A tricky move (the only one) that has a counterattack in mind.} 35. Rg1 c6 $4 {For someone of Anands calibre, this qualifies as chess-blindness. It is quite obvious that one cannot let the e5-pawn fall without, at least, being able to take the bishop out of circulation (sack the exchange).} (35... Rae6 36. f4 {is also much better for White, but Black can fight on.}) 36. Rxe5 Rxe5 37. Bxe5+ Kg8 38. Bd4 Kf7 39. Nh4 {A prosaic move that threatens Nxg6 followed by e4-e5. There is no defence anymore. Although Anands play deserved a better destiny, Caruana had excellent timing in creating his counterplay.} 1-0