Mondiale di scacchi: altro giro, altra patta

Quarta partita, quarta patta al Mondiale di scacchi di Londra tra Magnus Carlsen e Fabiano Caruana. Il campione, con l’avanzata del pedone di alfiere di regina di due passi, sceglie l’apertura inglese, lo sfidante sceglie di giocare una sorta di siciliana a colori invertiti col sistema dei quattro cavalli, il Bianco infine sceglie alla quarta mossa di aprire il fianchetto di re. L’apertura sembra promettente, in realtà la partita non ha minimamente storia e finisce dopo "sole" due ore e mezza con una posizione mortalmente patta alla 34a mossa e con sulla scacchiera re, due torri, alfiere delle caselle scure e cinque pedoni per parte. I due sembrano condizionati dalla maratona della prima partita anche se in modo opposto: Caruana, a parte il mancato scambio delle torri di ieri che poteva assicurargli un vantaggio seppure non trascendentale uscendo dall’apertura, non ha più commesso la minima imprecisione, mentre Carlsen, che pure quella prima partita poteva vincerla, continua a non rischiare assolutamente nulla aspettando un nuovo errore dell’avversario che da tre partite non arriva. Oggi secondo giorno di riposo: vedremo se Magnus e Fabiano studieranno qualche novità in vista della quinta partita di domani, nella quale sarà l’italostatunitense a giocare coi pezzi bianchi. Di seguito lo svolgimento della quarta partita coi commenti per ChessBase del Grande Maestro inglese Michael Adams. Foto: World Chess.

[Event "World Chess Championship 2018"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Site "London"] [Round "4"] [Annotator "Adams, Michael"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "2018.11.13"] [ECO "A29"] [WhiteElo "2835"] [BlackElo "2832"] [PlyCount "67"] {After the second game Carlsen would have been very keen to avoid Caruana demonstrating how good his preparation is again, but despite a slightly unexpected first move, he had another frustrating day with the White pieces.} 1. c4 e5 (1... e6 {would be an option to try to steer the game back towards the QGD of game 2.} )2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 {Although we haven't seen an Open Sicilian when Caruana is White (yet), here we get one with reversed colours.} 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Bc5 7. 0-0 0-0 8. d3 Re8 (8... Bb6 $5 {was played by Alexander Grischuk against Pavel Eljanov in the Geneva Grand Prix last year which brought this line to prominence. Since then many players have picked up the idea, including myself.} )9. Bd2 ({Fabiano played the White side of this position against me!} 9. Ng5 $5 Nf6 10. Qb3 Qe7 11. Nd5 Nxd5 12. Bxd5 Nd8 {Now it's hard to intensify the pressure and Black is not doing badly.} 13. Qc4 Bd4 $1 {preventing the queen transferring to e4.} (13... Bb6 14. Qe4 )14. Bg2 h6 15. Nf3 Nc6 16. Be3 Bxe3 17. fxe3 e4 18. dxe4 {The Irish pawn centre as Tony Miles dubbed tripled pawns is often not as bad as it looks - here the position is roughly balanced.} a5 19. a3 Ra6 20. Rac1 Rb6 21. Rc2 Be6 22. Qc3 Rb3 23. Qd2 Rd8 24. Qc1 a4 25. Rc5 Rd7 26. h3 Qd8 27. g4 g6 28. Kh1 Kg7 29. e5 Bd5 30. Kg1 Be6 31. Kf2 Qe7 32. Kg1 Rd5 $6 ({After} 32... Qd8 {it's hard for either side to do anything, now things went wrong for me.} )33. Rc4 Ra5 34. Rc2 Bd5 35. Nd4 Nxd4 36. exd4 Rg3 37. Rf3 Bxf3 38. exf3 c6 39. Kh2 Rxg2+ 40. Kxg2 Rd5 41. Rc4 c5 42. Rxc5 Rxd4 43. Qc3 Qd8 44. Rc8 Qb6 45. Re8 g5 46. Re7 Kg8 47. e6 fxe6 48. Qc2 Kf8 49. Rh7 Qc6 50. Qxc6 bxc6 51. Rxh6 Kf7 52. Kg3 Rd2 53. Rh7+ Kf6 54. Rb7 Ke5 55. h4 gxh4+ 56. Kxh4 Kf4 57. Rf7+ Ke3 58. Kg3 Rd1 59. g5 Rg1+ 60. Kh4 Rg2 61. Rf6 e5 62. g6 Rxb2 63. Kg5 Rg2+ 64. Kh6 Rh2+ 65. Kg7 c5 66. Kf7 c4 67. g7 Rh7 68. Ra6 {1-0 (68) Caruana,F (2799)-Adams,M (2715) London 2017} )Nxc3 10. Bxc3 ({It looks more natural to capture towards the centre} 10. bxc3 {but then White's minor pieces are in each other's way after} h6 $5 (10... e4 $5 11. dxe4 Qe7 {could also be interesting.} ))Nd4 ({Not the only move, but it counters White's threat:} 10... a5 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12. d4 $14 )11. b4 ({Magnus was already thinking a bit here, somewhat surprisingly given Caruana played this only 5 months ago, in almost his last game against the English!} 11. Rc1 Bb6 12. Re1 Bg4 13. Bxd4 exd4 14. a3 c6 15. Nd2 a5 {Black was comfortable here in the blitz game So - Caruana. Magnus chooses a more critical move, gaining some queenside space.} )Bd6 ({This unnatural move was played quickly} 11... Bf8 {allows White the option of} 12. Nxe5 Rxe5 13. e3 )(11... Bb6 12. a4 {is also not straightforward.} )12. Rb1 (12. Nxd4 $5 exd4 13. Bxd4 Bxg3 (13... Bxb4 )14. hxg3 Qxd4 {looks like it could be interesting, but with home analysis no doubt Black survives.} )(12. e3 $5 )Nxf3+ 13. Bxf3 a6 14. a4 c6 15. Re1 $5 (15. Qc2 $5 )({The critical move must be} 15. b5 $1 {Could} cxb5 $5 (15... axb5 16. axb5 Bd7 (16... Bh3 $2 17. bxc6 bxc6 18. Bxc6 $16 )17. bxc6 Bxc6 18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. Qc2 $14 {looks no fun at all for Black. Perhaps Magnus was concerned 15.b5 would still be within his opponent's homework.} )16. axb5 a5 {be Black's idea?} )Bd7 {Preventing the b5 break for now.} 16. e3 Qf6 (16... Qe7 $5 {was also possible.} )17. Be4 Bf5 ({A forcing option} 17... Rad8 $5 {still looks sensible to me.} )18. Qf3 {Magnus is also happy to swap material.} Bxe4 19. Qxf6 gxf6 20. dxe4 {Black's kingside structure is ugly but it won't be easy to get at it.} b5 {fixing the pawn on b4 as a target for the Black bishop.} 21. Red1 ({Another fast move} 21. Rb2 $5 {was another option.} )Bf8 22. axb5 axb5 (22... cxb5 {is met by} 23. Be1 Rec8 24. Rdc1 {preventing the Black rook getting to c4.} )23. Kg2 {White's king would like to get to f5 but that's not going to happen.} Red8 24. Rdc1 Kg7 25. Be1 Rdc8 26. Rc2 Ra4 {It's hard for White to improve as he is tied to the b4 pawn.} 27. Kf3 (27. g4 $5 )h5 {A good move taking some space on the kingside.} 28. Ke2 Kg6 29. h3 f5 {Getting rid of the doubled pawns and improving the Black king position} 30. exf5+ Kxf5 31. f3 Be7 {The position is fairly dead and the players bring proceedings to a swift conclusion.} 32. e4+ Ke6 33. Bd2 (33. Rbc1 {can be met by} Kd7 {or} (33... Bxb4 {as in the next note.} ))Bd6 34. Rbc1 (34. Rbc1 {Draw agreed as} Kd7 ({Even} 34... Bxb4 35. Bxb4 Rxb4 36. Rxc6+ Rxc6 37. Rxc6+ Ke7 38. Rh6 Rb2+ {is fine as there is no way to hide from the checks.} )35. Rb1 {repeats}) 1/2-1/2