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.

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Move	N	Result	Elo

1.e4	1,161,232	54%	2421
1.d4	943,611	55%	2434
1.Nf3	280,295	56%	2441
1.c4	181,395	56%	2442
1.g3	19,649	56%	2427
1.b3	14,142	54%	2427
1.f4	5,868	48%	2376
1.Nc3	3,749	51%	2385
1.b4	1,735	48%	2378
1.a3	1,187	53%	2403
1.e3	1,063	48%	2408
1.d3	940	50%	2378
1.g4	658	46%	2359
1.h4	441	52%	2372
1.c3	419	51%	2423
1.h3	277	56%	2416
1.a4	106	59%	2469
1.Nh3	88	66%	2510
1.f3	87	45%	2429
1.Na3	40	63%	2477

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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!? 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!? 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! 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?! 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 9...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!? 10...e4!? 11.dxe4 Qe7 could also be interesting. 10...Nd4 Not the only move, but it counters White's threat: 10...a5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.d4 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. 11...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!? 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!? 12...Nxf3+ 13.Bxf3 a6 14.a4 c6 15.Re1!? 15.Qc2!? The critical move must be 15.b5! Could cxb5!? 15...axb5 16.axb5 Bd7 16...Bh3? 17.bxc6 bxc6 18.Bxc6± 17.bxc6 Bxc6 18.Bxc6 bxc6 19.Qc2 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? 15...Bd7 Preventing the b5 break for now. 16.e3 Qf6 16...Qe7!? was also possible. 17.Be4 Bf5 A forcing option 17...Rad8!? 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!? was another option. 21...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!? 27...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. 33...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 ½–½

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White	EloW	Black	EloB	Res

Carlsen,M

2835

Caruana,F

2832

½–½

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