CARUANA vs NAKAMURA – SINQUEFIELD CUP 2018 ROUND 4

After two days featuring decisive games lasting almost 7 hours, it was a pleasant change to have one that finished in just over four hours. We now have half the field tried for the lead on plus one. Nakamura languished in last place on minus two.

Caruana hasn’t lost a classical game to Nakamura in the last three years. The opening novelty that lead to victory is what Nigel Short referred to during his match against Kasparov as a condom opening – something to use once, then discard. In this instance it was castling queenside out of a Catalan positional structure. Caruana prepared the line a few months back with the view to perhaps use it in a rapid game.

During the post-game interview, Caruana noted that Nakamura had played completely logical moves. They were just not the best moves in the highly unusual position.

Today’s game features a Catalan Opening that includes some Q&A style annotations.

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.

Caruana,Fabiano (2822) - Nakamura,Hikaru (2777)

6th Sinquefield Cup GCT 2018 Saint Louis (4), 21.08.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.g3 dxc4 6.Bg2 0–0 7.Ne5 Nc6 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Nxc6 Qe8 10.Nxe7+ Qxe7 11.Qa4 c5 12.dxc5 E06: Catalan 
12...Qxc5 13.Be3 Qc7 

XABCDEFGHY
8r+l+-trk+(
7zp-wq-+pzpp'
6-+-+psn-+&
5+-+-+-+-%
4Q+p+-+-+$
3+-sN-vL-zP-#
2PzP-+PzP-zP"
1tR-+-mK-+R!
xabcdefghy

14.0–0–0N The position is balanced. [14.0–0 Nd5 15.Bd4 Bd7 16.Qa3 a5 17.Rad1 Nb4 18.Bc5 Qxc5 19.Rxd7 Rab8 1/2–1/2 (46) Svidler,P (2763)-Nakamura,H (2780) Palma de Mallorca 2017] 
14...Ng4 15.Rd2 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Rb8 17.Rhd1 a5 18.Kb1 h6 19.Ka1 Rb4 20.Qc2 Rb8 21.Qe4 Bb7 22.Qd4 Ba8 23.e4 Rfc8 24.Qf2 

XABCDEFGHY
8ltrr+-+k+(
7+-wq-+pzp-'
6-+-+p+-zp&
5zp-+-+-+-%
4-+p+P+-+$
3+-sN-+-zP-#
2PzP-tRPwQ-zP"
1mK-+R+-+-!
xabcdefghy

Black now has to pay attention to Rd7. 
24...Bc6 25.Qc5 Be8 26.Qxc7 Rxc7 27.Rd6 Kf8 28.Ra6 Rc5 29.Ra7 Rbc8 30.Kb1 Rh5 31.h4 Re5 32.Kc2 g5 33.Rf1 Kg7 34.Rb7 Kg6 35.Kd2 f5 36.hxg5 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+r+l+-+(
7+R+-+-+-'
6-+-+p+kzp&
5zp-+-trpzP-%
4-+p+P+-+$
3+-sN-+-zP-#
2PzP-mKP+-+"
1+-+-+R+-!
xabcdefghy

36...fxe4 
Can you find and improvement on what Black played?

00000

[Rather 36...Kxg5² 37.exf5 exf5] 
37.Ke3 
There is a better move available for White. What is it?

00000

[Better is 37.gxh6± e3+ 38.Kc1 Kxh6 39.Rh1+ Rh5 40.Rxh5+ Bxh5 41.Rb6] 
37...Bc6 38.Re7ƒ aiming for gxh6 Black is under heavy pressure. 
38...Rxg5 39.Rxe6+ [39.Nxe4?! Bxe4 40.Rxe6+ (40.Kxe4 Rc6=) 40...Kg7=] 
39...Kg7 40.Re7+ [40.Nxe4?! Bxe4 41.Re7+ (41.Rxe4 Rxg3+ 42.Kd4 c3=; 41.Kxe4 Rb5=) 41...Kg6=] 
40...Kg6 41.Rd1 [41.Nxe4?! Bxe4 42.Re6+ (42.Rxe4 Rxg3+ 43.Kd4 c3=; 42.Kxe4 Rb5=) 42...Kg7=] 
41...Kf6 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+r+-+-+(
7+-+-tR-+-'
6-+l+-mk-zp&
5zp-+-+-tr-%
4-+p+p+-+$
3+-sN-mK-zP-#
2PzP-+P+-+"
1+-+R+-+-!
xabcdefghy

Find the best continuation for White.

00000

42.Ra7! Ke6 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+r+-+-+(
7tR-+-+-+-'
6-+l+k+-zp&
5zp-+-+-tr-%
4-+p+p+-+$
3+-sN-mK-zP-#
2PzP-+P+-+"
1+-+R+-+-!
xabcdefghy

43.Rh1 
What would have been wrong with 43.Nxe4?

00000

[Much worse is 43.Nxe4?! Bxe4 44.Kxe4 Re5+ 45.Kf4 Rf8+ 46.Kg4 h5+ 47.Kh3 Rxe2=] 
43...h5 44.g4! [However not 44.Nxe4?! Re5=] 
44...Be8? [44...Rh8±] 
45.gxh5+- Bxh5 [45...Rxh5 is probably better. 46.Rxh5 Bxh5 47.Rxa5 Be8] 
46.Nxe4 White is clearly winning. [Weaker is 46.Ra6+ Kf7+-] 
46...Rf5 47.Ra6+ Ke7 48.Nd6 Re5+ 49.Kd4  1–0