Games
[Event "FIDE World Championship 2016"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "2016.11.12"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C84"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2853"]
[Annotator "Llewellyn,Alan"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2016.11.11"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "12"]
[EventCountry "USA"]
{This was another extremely tight game where both sides were playing for the
accumulation of small advantages. I would not have advised Magnus to choose
that opening, as he played a system almost invented by the Russians, the
Berlin System which Sergey obviously knew well but the position soon
transposed away from a Berlin in a manner reminiscent of many games played
recently-It was a closed Ruy Lopez with d3 played. It was still a poor choice
by Magnus and though he developed well and Sergey barely develops his pieces,
Magnus finds himself under the cosh in the game and is put through the mire.}
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a3 $5
{an interesting alternative to the more common 8.c3.} O-O (8... Bg4 9. c3 O-O
10. h3 Bh5 11. Nbd2 Na5 12. Ba2 c5 $11 {following a game played by two
amatuers in the year 2000.}) 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 Be6 $1 {I often play this move
myself in similar positions. If the Sergey Bishop takes on e6 then Black has
an extra central pawn and an open f-file to attack the opponents King.} 11. d4
(11. Bxe6 fxe6 $11) 11... Bxa2 12. Rxa2 Re8 13. Ra1 $6 {really come off it...}
(13. dxe5 dxe5 14. Nxe5 Bd6 15. Nf3 Nxe4 16. Nxe4 Rxe4 $11) 13... Nc4 $6 {
The Knight is repositioning to the b6 square.} 14. Re1 Rc8 {it is dangerous to
vacate the a-file as this can easily be openned by Sergey.} 15. h3 {ultra
cautious play by Sergey here in that he is preventing any Ng4 threats} h6 16.
b3 $1 Nb6 17. Bb2 Bf8 18. dxe5 dxe5 19. a4 $1 c6 $6 {a cautious if slightly
dubious alternative.} (19... Qxd1 20. Rexd1 b4 21. Nd5 $2 Nfxd5 22. exd5 e4 23.
a5 Nxd5 24. Rxd5 exf3 25. gxf3 $17) 20. Qxd8 $1 Rcxd8 21. axb5 axb5 {now only
White has realistic winning chances due to his more active major pieces in
attack and minor pieces in defence.} (21... cxb5 $4 22. Rxa6 $18) 22. Ne2 $6 (
22. Ra6 $14) 22... Bb4 23. Bc3 $3 (23. c3 Bf8 $11) 23... Bxc3 24. Nxc3 {
it looks like a nearly symmetrical position but their are key advantages to
Sergey here that give him the initiative.} Nbd7 25. Ra6 Rc8 26. b4 Re6 27. Rb1
c5 $3 {this is a conscession to doubling pawns- this time the double of the
pawns is a weakness as they are issolated double pawns and the centre matters
less in the endgame than in the opening.} (27... Ne8 $6 28. Rd1 Nc7 $2 29. Ra7
(29. Rxd7 $4 Nxa6 $19) 29... Nf6 30. Ne1 Nfe8 31. Nd3 Ra8 32. Rxa8 Nxa8 33. Nc5
Rd6 34. Rxd6 Nxd6 35. Nd7 f6 36. Nb8 Nc7 37. Nxc6 $16) 28. Rxe6 fxe6 29. Nxb5
cxb4 30. Rxb4 Rxc2 31. Nd6 Rc1+ 32. Kh2 Rc2 {Magnus has found an important
weakness in Sergeys position namely the f-pawn other than play 33.Rb5 and
target the e5 pawn losing the f2 pawn there is nothing Sergey can do to play
for a win. So Sergey and Magnus repeat the position for a draw.} 33. Kg1 {
Magnus exchanged one of his pieces so he could develop the rest better which
is a well known ploy when you are struggling for space but Sergey didnt
develop hardly any of his pieces and played really slowly, and still had
Magnus in trouble.} 1/2-1/2