Mamedyarov vs Carlsen - Biel - Round 9

For the last time Mamedyarov beat Carlsen in a classical game, we have to go all the way back to the Baku FIDE Grand Prix tournament in 2008, won by Carlsen, Wang Yue and the late Vugar Gashimov.

While playing through the game, scroll slowly so that when you get to the questions you can put some time on the clock (ten to fifteen minutes) and try and find the solution.

Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar (2801) - Carlsen,Magnus (2842)

ACCENTUS Biel GMT 2018 Biel (9), 31.07.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 0–0 5.Nc3 d6 6.Nf3 c5 7.0–0 Nc6 8.e3 d5 E65: King's Indian: Fianchetto: 6...c5 7 0–0 without d5 by White [8...Bd7 9.b3 cxd4 10.exd4 a6 11.a4 Rc8 12.Re1 d5 13.c5 Bg4 14.h3 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 e6 16.Rb1 Nxd4 17.Qxd4 1–0 (48) Nepomniachtchi,I (2721) -Wang,H (2735) Beijing 2013] 

9.cxd5 Nxd5 10.Nxd5 Qxd5 11.Ne5 Qd6 

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12.Nc4N [12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.dxc5 Qxc5 14.Qf3 Ba6 15.Rd1 Rfd8 16.e4 0–1 (39) Mader,L (1880)-Caliebe,N (1427) Erfurt 2017] 

12...Qc7 13.d5 Rd8 14.Bd2 Nb4 15.Bxb4 [15.e4²] 

15...cxb4= 16.Rc1 a5 17.a3 bxa3 18.bxa3 a4 19.Qd3 Bf5 20.e4 Bd7 21.Qe3 Ra6! 22.e5 b5 23.d6 Qb8 24.dxe7 Re8 25.Rfd1ƒ Black is under pressure. 

25...Rxe7 26.Qc5 Qf8 [26...Bf8!= 27.Nd6 Re8] 

27.Ne3± Be6 28.Qxb5 Raa7 29.Nd5 Bxd5 30.Rxd5 Reb7 31.Qd3 Rb8 32.h4 Qe8 33.Qd4 Qe7 34.f4 [Better is 34.Rc4 ] 

34...Bf8 35.Kh2 Rab7 

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[35...Rc7± 36.Rxc7 Qxc7 37.Qxa4 Qc3] 

36.Qxa4 [White should play 36.Rd6!+- ] 

36...Qxa3 37.Qxa3 Bxa3 38.Rcd1 Be7 39.Kh3 Rc7 40.h5 gxh5 41.f5 Hoping for f6. 

41...f6 42.e6 Rb3 43.Rd7 Rbc3 44.Ra1 

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White threatens to win immediately using which move? 

00000 

Threatens to win with Ra8+. 

44...Kg7 45.Ra8 Kh6 46.Re8 Bb4 47.Rb8 Be7 48.Be4 R3c4 49.Bd5 R4c5 aiming for ...Rxd7. 

50.Be4 

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[50.Rb7± Rxd7 51.Rxd7] 

50...Rc4!= 51.Bd5 [51.Rxc7= Rxc7 52.Kg2] 

51...R4c5!± 

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What is the direct threat in this position? 

00000 

Strongly threatening ...Rxd7. 

52.Rb7 Rxd7 53.Rxd7 And now Bb7 would win. 

53...Ra5 [53...Bf8± might work better.] 

54.Bc6 

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Why would 54.Rxe7 be weaker in this position? 

00000 

[Worse is 54.Rxe7 Rxd5 55.g4 Rd3+ 56.Kh4 Rd4=; 54.Bc4+- Ra4 55.Bb5 (55.Rxe7 Rxc4 56.Re8 Kg7±) ] 

54...Ba3 55.Rf7 Black must now prevent e7. 

55...Re5! 56.Kh4 Bc1? [56...Bb4²] 

57.Kh3? 

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[57.e7+- Re2 58.Kh3] 

57...Rxf5? [57...Ba3= and Black is okay.]  

1–0