Dopo il giorno di riposo è ripreso il Mondiale di scacchi di Londra tra Magnus Carlsen e Fabiano Caruana ma l’esito della terza partita non è stato diverso rispetto a quello delle precedenti: patta. Non cambia nemmeno l’apertura giocata dai due avversari rispetto alla prima partita: il campione col Nero ha risposto all’avanzata del pedone di re di due caselle con la difesa siciliana e lo sfidante col Bianco ha scelto la variante Rossolimo. Fabiano è il primo, alla sesta mossa, a deviare dalla linea della partita d’esordio e ottiene anche un buon vantaggio, ma invece di mantenerlo alla 15a mossa scambiando una coppia di torri e tenendo sotto controllo la spalancata colonna "a" lo dilapida decidendo di scambiare tutte e quattro le torri quattro mosse più tardi. La partita scivola inevitabilmente verso la patta con lo scambio delle regine che porta a un finale di pezzi leggeri (identico materiale per entrambi: re, alfiere delle caselle chiare e cavallo più sei pedoni). La parità viene suggellata alla 49a mossa quando il Bianco sacrifica il cavallo in cambio di un pedone: il campo di forze risultante, re e due pedoni per Caruana e re, alfiere e un pedone per Magnus, a meno di clamorosi errori è insufficiente per entrambi per vincere. Qui sotto la partita coi commenti per ChessBase di Jan-Krzysztof Duda, foto World Chess. Oggi la quarta partita: il numero di patte consecutive iniziali, sette, di due anni fa tra Carlsen e Sergey Karjakin, è tutto sommato ancora lontano...
[Event "World Chess Championship 2018"]
[White "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Site "London"]
[Round "3"]
[Annotator "Duda, Jan-Krzysztof"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Date "2018.11.12"]
[ECO "B31"]
[WhiteElo "2832"]
[BlackElo "2835"]
[PlyCount "97"]
1. e4 c5 {So it turned out that my guess was wrong, and Magnus repeats the
Rossolimo Sicilian once more. After a little reflection, I realised that it's
a perfect opening for Magnus - no theory, no repetitions, no super-sharp
positions and a complex strategic game ahead - everything he needs.} 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 g6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Bg7 6. 0-0 {This time Caruana allows Black to
play Bg4. Magnus instead chooses a sideline, in order to get a non-theoritical
position as quickly as possible} Qc7 $5 (6... Nf6 {is of course main move} )7. Re1 {A useful move, with the intention to see what Black is going to do.} e5 {
An interesting move, played when the White rook is on e1, from where it can't
help achiving f4. On the other hand, this move is strategically risky, because
now a break with b4 is on the agenda.} 8. a3 {A logical push once Black played
e5. The preference of the engine is} (8. Be3 {forcing Black to play b6, and
only then start the minority attack} b6 9. a3 Nf6 (9... a5 $5 10. Nbd2 Nf6 11. b4 Ng4 12. Bg5 (12. bxc5 Nxe3 13. Rxe3 b5 $5 {with decent chances} )axb4 (12... cxb4 13. axb4 a4 14. c4 b5 {looks risky for Black, but the comp holds on
} 15. h3 f6 16. Bh4 Nh6 17. Nb3 $5 )13. axb4 Rxa1 14. Qxa1 cxb4 15. Qa4 0-0 16. Qxb4 c5 17. Qb2 f6 18. Bh4 Be6 $13 {and Black can regroup his forces easily,
while White's pieces on the kingside are stuck} )10. b4 (10. Nbd2 $5 0-0 (10... Ng4 11. Bg5 f6 12. Bh4 )11. b4 cxb4 (11... Ng4 12. Bg5 )12. axb4 Ng4 13. Bg5 h6 14. Bh4 Nf6 $13 )c4 11. Nbd2 cxd3 12. cxd3 0-0 13. Rc1 $36 {with easier
play for White} )(8. b4 $2 {is not working:} cxb4 9. a3 bxa3 10. Bxa3 Ne7 11. Nbd2 0-0 12. Nc4 c5 $17 {with clear pawn up for Black} )Nf6 9. b4 0-0 10. Nbd2 (10. bxc5 $5 {I think this deserves attention. Black can postpone
recapturing the pawn, but then White has chances to expose the d6-square with
one of his knights. Black can also take the pawn by means of:} Nd7 11. Be3 f5 12. a4 f4 13. Bc1 Nxc5 {but White gets the upper hands after} 14. Ba3 b6 15. Nbd2 {with some initiative} )(10. Be3 c4 {is completely toothless for White} )Bg4 {Only now does Magnus decide to part with his light-squared bishop.
A smart decision, because this piece has a very high potential to become a bad
piece in the future.} 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Nxf3 cxb4 (12... Nd7 13. Be3 cxb4 14. axb4 a5 {was another way to play} )13. axb4 a5 14. bxa5 Rxa5 15. Bd2 (15. Rxa5 $1 {I think this is stronger, because White gets control of the open a-line} Qxa5 16. Bd2 Qc7 17. Qa1 Nd7 18. Qa7 Rc8 {with the idea to play b5, e.g.:} 19. Ra1 Bf8 20. Be3 b5 21. g4 $36 {and White has pressure} )Raa8 {Of course
Black doesn't allow White to get the a-file for free.} 16. Qb1 Nd7 {At first
sight this position looks nice for White, but there is no obvious way to pose
even slightest challenge for Black. He is going to play b5 and exchange
everything down the a-line.} 17. Qb4 (17. Qb2 b5 18. Rxa8 Rxa8 19. Ra1 Qb7 {
looks drawish} )(17. Qb3 Nc5 18. Qc4 Ne6 {only improves Black's position} )(17. Be3 $1 b5 18. Qb3 Rfb8 19. Ra2 Rxa2 20. Qxa2 {was probably the only way to
play for 'something'} )Rfe8 18. Bc3 b5 19. Rxa8 Rxa8 20. Ra1 Rxa1+ 21. Bxa1 Qa7 22. Bc3 Qa2 23. Qb2 Qxb2 24. Bxb2 f6 $11 {Now Black has easy equality,
and Magnus as usual tries to squeeze his opponent in the endgame. This time
the Challenger was very alert though.} 25. Kf1 Kf7 26. Ke2 Nc5 27. Bc3 Ne6 28. g3 Bf8 29. Nd2 {It looks sensible to bring the knight to b3.} (29. d4 {was
also possible, exchanging knights, but on the other hand Black may get 'the
passer' on the queenside, which is always threating.} exd4 30. Nxd4 Nxd4+ 31. Bxd4 c5 32. Bb2 c4 33. f4 b4 34. g4 Bd6 35. f5 $11 )Ng5 $1 {Forcing
White to play h4, which later might be used as a 'hook'} 30. h4 Ne6 31. Nb3 h5 {Fixing the pawns on the wrong color.} 32. Bd2 Bd6 33. c3 c5 34. Be3 Ke7 35. Kd1 Kd7 36. Kc2 f5 {The top preference of the engine. I also thought about} (36... g5 {but after} 37. f3 gxh4 38. gxh4 {is harmless for White, because
Black can never get to the h4-pawn} )37. Kd1 fxe4 {Objectively it was better
to keep the tension with} (37... Kc6 38. Na5+ Kb6 39. Nb3 Be7 {and now Black
has a choice between f4 and fxe4, depending on circumstances. But of course
the position is still close to equal.} )38. dxe4 c4 39. Nd2 Nc5 40. Bxc5 $1 {
At first to me it felt counter-intuitive, but in fact it is a good move. White
eliminates Black's strong knight, and all his weakness can be protected by his
king.} Bxc5 41. Ke2 Kc6 42. Nf1 b4 {Otherwise White plays Ne3, where the pawn
endgame is dead drawn.} 43. cxb4 Bxb4 44. Ne3 Kc5 45. f4 {exchanging as many
pawns as possible} exf4 46. gxf4 Ba5 47. f5 gxf5 48. Nxc4 $1 {a nice interlude
move, using the classical theme of a wrong corner} Kxc4 49. exf5 {and White
moves his king to h1, from where it can't be chased. Today we have seen yet
another Rossolimo Sicilian, where Magnus gradually equalised, and even tried
to take over in the endgame. Caruana managed to draw with ease though. I am
interested if in case of another 2...Nc6 Sicilian, Caruana will play 3.d4!? Or
perhaps he will switch to another opening? The future will tell, but before
reaching it, tomorrow he has to defend with Black first.} 1/2-1/2
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