Mondiale di scacchi: partita 3, patta 3

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...

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Move	N	Result	Elo

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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!? 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!? 10.Nbd2 Nf6 11.b4 Ng4 12.Bg5 12.bxc5 Nxe3 13.Rxe3 b5!? with decent chances 12...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!? 13.axb4 Rxa1 14.Qxa1 cxb4 15.Qa4 0-0 16.Qxb4 c5 17.Qb2 f6 18.Bh4 Be6∞ and Black can regroup his forces easily, while White's pieces on the kingside are stuck 10.b4 10.Nbd2!? 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∞ 10...c4 11.Nbd2 cxd3 12.cxd3 0-0 13.Rc1 with easier play for White 8.b4? is not working: cxb4 9.a3 bxa3 10.Bxa3 Ne7 11.Nbd2 0-0 12.Nc4 c5 with clear pawn up for Black 8...Nf6 9.b4 0-0 10.Nbd2 10.bxc5!? 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 10...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! 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 and White has pressure 15...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! b5 18.Qb3 Rfb8 19.Ra2 Rxa2 20.Qxa2 was probably the only way to play for 'something' 17...Rfe8 18.Bc3 b5 19.Rxa8 Rxa8 20.Ra1 Rxa1+ 21.Bxa1 Qa7 22.Bc3 Qa2 23.Qb2 Qxb2 24.Bxb2 f6= 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= 29...Ng5! 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! 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! 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. ½–½

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White	EloW	Black	EloB	Res

Caruana,F

2832

Carlsen,M

2835

½–½

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