Nanjing 2009: Carlsen vs. Radjabov

[Event "2nd Pearl Spring"]
[Site "Nanjing CHN"]
[Date "2009.10.02"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Carlsen, M."]
[Black "Radjabov, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B30"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2757"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "2009.09.28"]

Partida comentada...

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6

Ready for the Sveshnikov...?

3. Bb5

...preferably not. Every now and then Carlsen turns to this move. Also for instance in his game against the same opponent in Linares this year.

3... e6

Two Carlsen examples against the 3... g6 main line: 4. Bxc6 An earlier game went 4. O-O Bg7 5. Re1 Nf6 6. Nc3 O-O 7. e5 Ne8 8. Bxc6 dxc6 9. d3 Nc7 10. Ne4 b6 11. h3 Ne6 12. Be3 Nd4 13. Nxd4 cxd4 14. Bf4 c5 15. Qf3 Be6 16. Qg3 Qd5 17. Qh4 f6 18. exf6 exf6 19. Bh6 Bf5 20. Bxg7 Kxg7 21. b3 Rae8 22. Ng3 Bd7 23. Qf4 Bc6 24. f3 Re5 25. Rxe5 Qxe5 26. Qxe5 fxe5 27. Re1 Kf6 1/2-1/2 Carlsen,M-Khalifman,A/Drammen 2005 4... dxc6 5. d3 Bg7 6. h3 Nf6 7. Nc3 Nd7 8. Be3 e5 9. Qd2 Qe7 10. Bh6 f6 11. Bxg7 Qxg7 12. a3 Nf8 13. b4 Ne6 14. O-O O-O 15. Ne2 a5 16. bxc5 Nxc5 17. Qc3 Qe7 18. a4 Be6 19. Rfb1 Rfb8 20. Nd2 Nd7 21. Nf1 Qc5 22. Qd2 b5 23. d4 exd4 24. Nxd4 Bc4 25. Ne3 Ne5 26. axb5 Rd8 27. Rxa5 Rxa5 28. Qxa5 Rxd4 29. Qa8+ Qf8 30. Qxf8+ Kxf8 31. b6 Nd7 32. b7 Be6 33. b8=Q+ Nxb8 34. Rxb8+ Ke7 35. f3 Rd7 36. h4 Kd6 37. Kf2 Ke5 38. Re8 Kd6 39. Kg3 Bf7 40. Rh8 Be6 41. Kf4 h5 42. g4 hxg4 43. Nxg4 Bxg4 44. fxg4 Rg7 45. Rh6 Kc5 46. e5 g5+ 47. hxg5 fxe5+ 48. Kxe5 Rxg5+ 49. Kf4 Rg8 50. g5 Kd5 51. g6 Ke6 52. Kg5 1-0 Carlsen,M-Djukic,N/Heraklio 2007

4. O-O Nge7 5. c3 a6 6. Ba4 b5 7. Bc2 Bb7 8. Qe2 d5

Deviating from their previous encounter, which went 8... Ng6 9. d4 cxd4 10. cxd4 Rc8 11. a3 Be7 12. Nc3 O-O 13. Rd1 Na5 14. g3 Nc4 15. h4 Nxa3 16. bxa3 Rxc3 17. h5 Qc7 18. Bd3 Nh8 19. Bb2 Rb3 20. Rac1 Qa5 21. d5 with excellent play for White, Carlsen,M-Radjabov,T/Linares ESP 2009

9. e5 d4 10. Be4 Qb6

10... Ng6 11. cxd4 cxd4 12. d3 Be7 13. Nbd2 Qb6 14. Nb3 O-O 15. h4 Tkachiev,V-Cherniaev,A/Biel 1994

11. d3

11. cxd4 Nxd4 12. Nxd4 cxd4 13. d3 Bxe4 14. Qxe4 Rc8 15. Nd2 Nc6 16. Nf3 Be7 17. Qg4 Kf8 18. Bd2 h5 19. Qf4 Rh6 20. Rac1 += Cabrilo,G-Andrijevic,M/Sozina 2004

11... Rd8

11... Ng6?! can be answered by the thematical 12. h4 but 11... h6!? followed by 20...g5 and 21...Bg7 might be an interesting plan in this position.

12. a4!

A useful (waiting) move, especially since Black is having trouble developing his kingside.

12... Nd5

Perhaps 12... dxc3 13. bxc3 b4

13. axb5 axb5 14. cxd4 cxd4

The problem of 14... Nxd4 15. Nxd4 cxd4 is that White has 16. Bd2! and after 16... Rc8 16... b4 17. Bg5 Be7 18. Bxe7 Nxe7 19. Nd2 +/- 17. Ba5 Qc6 18. Nd2 Be7 19. Qg4 O-O 20. Nb3 White is clearly better.

15. Nbd2 Nf4 16. Qd1 Nb4?!

Officially only this is the first new move, but it is questionable. 16... Nd5 was played once before but Black should probably prefer 16... Ng6! because with the queen on d1, he does actually threaten to take on e5. After 17. Re1 Bb4!? 18. Qb3 Ba5 Black looks fine.

17. Nb3!

Now the d4 pawn cannot be hold.

17... Bxe4

Not better is 17... Ng6 18. Bg5 and White will just eat d4 afterwards.

18. dxe4 Nfd3 19. Bg5 Rc8 20. Nfxd4 Nxb2 21. Qe2 Nc4 22. Rfc1!

Simple but strong, activating the last undeveloped piece.

22... Bc5?!

22... Qb8!? is how the computer tries to defend.

23. Nxb5! O-O?!

23... Qxb5 24. Ra5! is most probably what Radjabov had missed. Now 24... Qxa5 25. Nxa5 Nxa5 doesn't work because of 26. Qb5+ Relatively best was 23... Bxf2+ 24. Qxf2 Qxb5 but White has 25. Nc5! O-O not 25... h6? 26. Nxe6! fxe6 27. Ra7 +- 26. Be7 Rfe8 27. Bd6 Nxd6 28. exd6 and now Black should probably go for 28... Nd3 29. Nxd3 Qxd3 30. e5 which is difficult, but at least not completely lost yet.

24. Nxc5 Nxe5

24... Rxc5 25. Be7 Qxb5 26. Bxc5 Qxc5 27. Qxc4 +-

25. Be7

Winning even more material.
1-0
.