GOTM; February, 2015.   

Welcome to my  "Game of The Month"  feature!  (Game # 55, for February, 2015.)   (A list of all the main games on this website.)   

This is a game, that is annotated - by me - for your enjoyment. Hopefully it is done in a way that is both entertaining and also informative, there are certainly lots of diagrams - and a link to a re-play page as well. The main purpose {and thrust} of this column is to try and educate the general chess public. 

I have deeply annotated this game on my hard drive, you are welcome to contact me if you would like to try and obtain a copy. (Because of copyright violations, I ONLY offer a printed version! I simply cannot afford to "give away" the electronic version any longer ...)

This is a feature where I will try to pick a game that was recently played at the GM level. Then I will annotate it and try to basically explain what happened. ---> While I would not mind if an expert (or even a master!) enjoyed my work here, this column is aimed primarily at lower-rated players.  
(Say 1600 & below.) The main idea is to help lower-rated players learn the game!!! 

I hope that you enjoy this game ... feedback is both encouraged and welcome. (Please respect my copyright.) 
(This means do NOT!!! copy any of my work ... and post it on another website ... unless you get my WRITTEN permission, first.) 

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  GM Magnus Carlsen  

   GM David Baramidze 

  Carlsen's page on the CG website.  

  Carlsen's FIDE profile page.  

    Baramidze's page on the CG website.  

Baramidze's FIDE profile page.  

   GM Magnus Carlsen (2865) - GM David Baramidze (2594)   
  [C95]  
  3rd GRENKE Chess Classic  
   Baden Baden, GER / (R# 5.1)  07,02,2015.  

   [A.J. Goldsby I]   

A key game in this event, it put Carlsen back into contention.   
(I saw this game on the official website, before it was annotated on the ChessBase website.)  

This game was annotated by both the ChessBase commentator and also a titled player on ICC. 
However, both of these players (IMO) glossed over the second half of this game and seemed to be saying two things: 
   A.)  Carlsen's play was perfect and could not be improved;    
   B.)  That Black made no real errors in the endgame.   

I saw this as grossly wrong and wanted to look at this very complicated and highly technical endgame in a more realistic manner.    

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     1.e4 e5;  2.Nf3 Nc6;  3.Bb5 a6;  4.Ba4 Nf6;  5.0-0 Be7;  6.Re1 b5;  7.Bb3 d6;   
      8.c3 0-0;  9.h3 Nb8;    

So far, so book, this is the Breyer System of the Ruy Lopez / Spanish Game. (By transposition.)  [more]     

   rnbq1rk1/2p1bppp/p2p1n2/1p2p3/4P3/1BP2N1P/PP1P1PP1/RNBQR1K1 w - - 0 10   

  [ See MCO-15, page # 87, columns # 19 - 24, and all applicable notes. ]      

     10.d4 Nbd7;  11.Nbd2 Bb7;  12.Bc2 Re8;  13.Nf1 Bf8;  14.Ng3 g6;  15.a4 Bg7;  
      16.Bd3 c6;  17.Bg5 Nf8;  18.Qd2 Ne6;  "="    

This is about the end of the "Power Book," it is still an equal position.   

   r2qr1k1/1b3pbp/p1ppnnp1/1p2p1B1/P2PP3/2PB1NNP/1P1Q1PP1/R3R1K1 w - - 0 19   

Both sides have developed all of their pieces and are situated for a tense middlegame.   

     19.Bh6 Nd7;  20.Bc2 Bxh6;  21.Qxh6 Qf6;  22.Rad1 Rad8;    

An admirable position, it is balanced and a good example of centralization. (By both sides.)   

Now White could build his position (Ne2) ... or force matters with d4-d5. 
(The engines mostly prefer Ne2 over what was played in the game.)   

     23.d5!? cxd5;  24.exd5 Qf4;  25.Qxf4 Nxf4;  26.Ne4 Bxd5;  27.axb5 axb5;   

So far, Black has played pretty well, the game is still within nano-particles of being dead even here.   

   3rr1k1/3n1p1p/3p2p1/1p1bp3/4Nn2/2P2N1P/1PB2PP1/3RR1K1 w - - 0 28   

The big question here is: "What is the best move in this position for White?"    

     28.Nxd6,  (Maybe - '!') 

Tricky - and it is hard to find the best line as Black. However, it is not the top move choice of several chess engines.   

   3rr1k1/3n1p1p/3N2p1/1p1bp3/5n2/2P2N1P/1PB2PP1/3RR1K1 b - - 0 28   

Now Black has to find the best move to maintain the balance in this struggle.    

                         [ Deep Fritz, (and several other engines, like Houdini and Stockfish); want to play g3 in this position.  
                            E.g:  (>/=)  RR 28.g3 f5;  29.gxf4 Bxe4;  30.Bxe4 fxe4;  31.Ng5 Nc5;  32.Nxe4 Nxe4;  
                            33.Rxe4 exf4;  34.Rxf4 Re2;  "="  - DF 14 ]    

     28...Re6?!;  (Maybe - '?')    

This is a highly doubtful move, using the Black Bishop (on d5) to capture on f3 was clearly better than the text move.   

                         [ An improvement was:   >/=  28...Bxf3!;  29.gxf3,    

                                          (RR 29.Nxe8 Nxg2;  30.Rxd7 Rxd7;  31.Rxe5 Rd8;      
                                                 32.Kh2 Bc6;  33.Be4 Bxe8;  34.Kxg2 Kf8;  '=' )      

                           29...Re7;  30.Kh2 Rb8;  31.b4 Kg7;  '~'  (unclear)     
                           I think that Black is better - in this position - although several engines indicate     
                           that the current situation is very close to being dead equal. (In a pure K+P endgame,    
                           Black would be better, the only question that remains would be:    
                           "How does Black force such an ending on White?") ]    

Now Carlsen expertly plays with his Knight to gain the upper hand.   

     29.Ne4! f5!?;    

This is probably playable, although  29...Nb6;  was also worthy of investigation.    

     30.Nfg5! Re7;  31.g3! Bxe4;     

This looks right to me, but many of the engines prefer another path for Black.   

                         [ RR  31...fxe4!?; - DF 14. ]    

     32.Bxe4 fxe4;  33.gxf4 Rf8!?;    

This was interesting, but perhaps this was imprecise play for Black.    

                         [ Perhaps the continuation (as follows) of:  
                           RR  33...exf4;  34.Rxe4 Rde8;  35.Rxf4,  "+/="  {w / an edge for White.} 
                           when White - according to the engines - is better.    
                           (But a long computer analysis indicates real drawing chances for the second player here.)    

                                                          ***************************************     

                           Black has to beware of Knight forks hereabouts.    
                           For example:   </=  33...h6?;  34.Nxe4 Rb8??;  35.Rxd7! Rxd7;  
                           36.Nf6+ Kg7;  37.Nxd7, '+-' ]    

     34.Nxe4,  (hmmm)    

This is nice and gives White a fairly good plus. However, most of the engines indicate that White probably had a slightly better way to go.    

                         [ Possibly better was:  (>/=) RR 34.fxe5 Nxe5;  35.Kg2 h6;  36.Nxe4, '±'  ('+/')   
                            with a big advantage here for White. ]    

     34...Rxf4;  (Box?)    

This looked to be forced here for Black.   

Now 35.Rd5, "+/=" looks good for White. 
(35.Rd5 is the first choice of many of the better chess engines.)    

     35.b4!,  (fixes b5)   

This freezes the BP on b5, which now identifies it as a permanent target.  
(Editor's note:  This is the easiest and best way for a human to play this position, carbon-based units can never play like SBU's - not 100% of the time.)  

                         [ RR 35.Rd5 b4!;  '<=>'  (counterplay) ]    

     35...Nf6?!;  (Possibly - '?')   

This was another inaccurate move for Black.    

                          [ Just about all the engines indicate that Black would have done a little better with the following line:    
                             >/=   35...Nb6;  36.Rd8+ Rf8;  37.Rxf8+ Kxf8;  38.Nd6,  "+/="  (with an edge)   
                             White has a solid edge, although proving an absolute win - even with help of the engine -    
                              is extremely hard to accomplish. ]     

Now after 36.Nd6, the button on b5 can no longer be defended. 

     36.Nd6!,  (best)   

It is amazing how quickly Carlsen handles difficult positions.   

Many players, regardless of rating, might have been tempted to exchange Knights first. Yet Black might have been able to eliminate several buttons 
and probably had good chances to make a draw in a R+P endgame.   

                         [ After the following (interesting) continuation:    
                           (</=) RR 36.Nxf6+!? Rxf6;  37.Rd5 Rf3;  38.Re3 Rxe3;  39.fxe3 Kf7;    
                           40.Rxb5 Rc7!;  41.Rxe5 Rxc3;  42.Kf2,  "+/="  (White is slightly better.)   
                           when White definitely has the upper hand. (But Black probably has   
                           better drawing chances than in the actual game.) ]    

     36...Rf3;  37.Nxb5, '±'   37...Rxh3;    

Take a look at this position.   

   6k1/4r2p/5np1/1N2p3/1P6/2P4r/5P2/3RR1K1 w - - 0 38   

Material equality has been re-established, although just about all of the engines (and common sense) will show that most endgames are winning for White ... 
mainly because of the two, outside connected passed Pawns that White has on the Queen-side.    

     38.c4 Rh4?;  (bad)    

Another mistake - and one that is hard to understand. 
(Just about every student has been taught that Rooks belong BEHIND enemy Pawns!)   

After 38... Rh4?; I don't think that Black will be able to put up any effective resistance. 
(All of the programs that I use show 38...Rh4? to be a fairly significant error. Not only this, the Black Rook gets out of play ... and Baramidze never seems to come close to organizing his forces again. Plus, the kinds and types of endgame positions that are reached - according to all of the books that I own - are pretty much a "hands down" win for the first player from here.)   

                         [ Probably better was:  (>/=)  38...Rb3!;  39.Nd4! Rb2;  

                                                   ( Or 39...Rxb4;  40.Nc6, '±' )    

                           40.b5 Rc7;  41.Nc6 e4;  42.Rd6,  '±'  ('+/')  (with a clear edge)    
                           when White is clearly better, yet (again) finding the path    
                           to the absolute forced win (for the first player) is not all that easy to do. ]    

(After 39.Nd6, then 39...Ne8; might have been an improvement over the game.)   

     39.Nd6 Nh5!?;  40.b5 Nf4;  41.b6 Rg4+;  42.Kf1 Rh4;   43.f3! Rh1+;  44.Kf2 Rh2+;   45.Kg1 Rc2;  46.Kh1,    

While this was good enough to win for White, all of the metal monsters indicate that Re3 was (at least) just a little better than the actual game continuation.    
(The difference between the two moves was pretty small, however.)    

                          [ >/=  46.Re3!,  '+-' ]    

     46...Nh3;  47.Ne4! Rxc4!?; ('?')    

The engines indicate that White's advantage nearly doubles after this errant play ... ... ... 
(Although - since Black was already lost here - maybe it does not matter anymore.)    

                         [ >/=  47...Rb7[];  (box)  

                           >/=  47...Kg7;  48.c5, '+-' ]    

     48.Rd8+ Kg7;  49.Rb1,  '+-'      

Black Resigns.  (Even with best play, Black cannot prevent White from promoting his b-Pawn.) 

     3R4/4r1kp/1P4p1/4p3/2r1N3/5P1n/8/1R5K b - - 0 49     

Solid and inventive play by Carlsen - who never had the worst of things. 
(Carlsen - at his best - seems to be able to always find the one series of moves that his opponent has the most trouble with.)   

     Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby, 2015.  All rights reserved.     

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