BATUMI CHESS OLYMPIAD 2018 ROUND 5 – CARUANA vs GELFAND

This game is from round 5 of the 2018 Batumi Chess Olympiad. It features Fabiano Caruana with White against Boris Gelfand with Black.

Today’s game features a Sicilian Defence.

Caruana,Fabiano (2827) - Gelfand,Boris (2703)

43rd Olympiad Batumi 2018 Open Batumi (5.1), 28.09.2018

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bg7 6.h3 Nf6 7.Nc3 0–0 8.0–0 Ne8 9.Be3 b6 B31: Sicilian: 2...Nc6 3 Bb5 g6 

10.e5 [10.Qd2 Nc7 11.Bh6 Ne6 12.e5 Nd4 13.Nxd4 cxd4 14.Ne4 Bxe5 15.Bxf8 Qxf8 16.Rae1 Bg7 17.Ng5 c5 18.f4 e6 19.g4 1/2–1/2 (45) Tari,A (2584)-Dudukin,I (2396) chess.com INT 2017] 

10...f6 11.Re1 

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11...Nc7 The position is equal. 

12.Qd2N [12.a4 looks sharper. 12...fxe5 13.a5 Rb8 14.axb6 axb6 15.Bd2; 12.exf6 exf6 13.Qd2 g5 14.Nh2 Nd5 15.Nxd5 Qxd5 16.f4 h6 17.Nf1 0–1 (36) Mkrtchian,L (2424) -Ushenina,A (2449) Ekaterinburg 2007] 

12...fxe5 [12...g5=] 

13.Bh6± Rxf3 

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14.Bxg7! Kxg7 15.gxf3 Bxh3 16.Rxe5 e6 17.Rg5 [17.a4±] 

17...Qf6= 18.Rg3 Bf5 19.Kg2 h5 20.Rh1 Rxh5 is the strong threat. 

20...Rh8! 21.Ne4ƒ White has some pressure. 

21...Qxb2 22.Qf4 [22.Qg5² Nd5 23.c3] 

22...Nd5 23.Qd6 And now c4 would win. 

23...e5? [23...h4!= and Black is okay.] 

24.Rh4 [24.Rg1+- and White stays clearly on top. 24...Rg8 25.Kh1 (25.Qxc6 Bxe4 26.Kh1 Kh7=) ] 

24...Qd4? [24...Rf8±] 

25.Kg1+- Rf8 26.Rxh5! Bxe4 27.Qd7+ White mates. [Less strong is 27.dxe4 Nf4²] 

27...Kf6 28.Qxc6+ Kg7 29.Qd7+ [29.dxe4 Nf4±] 

29...Kf6 30.fxe4 Nf4 

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31.Rf5+! gxf5 32.Qxf5+ [Not 32.Qg7+ Ke6=] 

32...Ke7 33.Rg7+  1–0