CARLSEN vs CARUANA – GAME 13 WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2018

This is game 13 of the World Chess Championship Match 2018, fully annotated. It is between Magnus Carlsen with White against Fabiano Caruana with Black.

This game features an English Opening. To learn more about the English Opening, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Carlsen,Magnus (2835) - Caruana,Fabiano (2832)

World Chess Championship 2018 London (13.1), 28.11.2018

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Bb4 4.e4 0–0 5.Nge2 c6 6.Bg2 A22: English Opening: 1...e5 2 Nc3 Nf6

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6...a6 [6...d5 7.cxd5 cxd5 8.exd5 Bf5 9.d4 e4 10.Bg5 Nbd7 11.Qb3 Qb6 12.0–0 h6 13.Bf4 Rfe8 14.Na4 Qa5 15.a3 Bf8 16.Nec3 g5 17.Be3 Rac8 18.Rfc1 Ng4 19.Qxb7 Rb8 20.Qc6 Rec8 21.b4 Kortschnoj,V (2635)-Taimanov,M (2595)/Leningrad 1973/IZT/1–0 (53); 6...d6 7.h3 Be6 8.d3 d5 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.0–0 dxe4 11.dxe4 Bc4 12.Nd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Nd7 14.b3 Ba6 15.Bb2 Rc8 16.a3 Bd6 17.Re1 Nc5 18.Nc1 f6 19.h4 Nd7 20.Ne2 f5 21.Rc1 Scholes,J-Kinnmark,O (2328)/Dresden 2006/CBM 111 ext/½–½] 

7.0–0 b5 8.d4 d6 

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9.a3 [9.cxb5 axb5 10.h3 Re8 11.Be3 exd4 12.Bxd4 Bxc3 13.Nxc3 b4 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Nb5 Rd8 16.Nd4 Ra7 17.f4 c5 18.Nb3 Nc6 19.Rf2 c4 20.Nd2 c3 21.bxc3 bxc3 22.Nb3 Be6 23.Rc1 Nb4 Zubarev,A (2470)-Vysochin,S (2542)/Ordzhonikidze 2001/CBM 086/0–1 (33)] 

9...Bxc3 10.Nxc3 bxc4 11.dxe5 dxe5 White has the pair of bishops.  

12.Na4 Be6 13.Qxd8 Rxd8 14.Be3 Nbd7 15.f3 Prevents intrusion on g4 

15...Rab8 16.Rac1 

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16...Rb3 Black threatens to win material: Rb3xe3. The rook dominates 

17.Rfe1 Ne8 18.Bf1 Exerts pressure on the isolated pawn 

18...Nd6 19.Rcd1 

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19...Nb5 [¹19...Nb7!?= must definitely be considered] 

20.Nc5± Rxb2 21.Nxe6 fxe6 22.Bxc4 Nd4 23.Bxd4 exd4 24.Bxe6+ Kf8 25.Rxd4 Ke7 26.Rxd7+ Rxd7 27.Bxd7 Kxd7 28.Rd1+ Ke6 29.f4 c5 

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30.Rd5 White intends f5. White threatens to win material: Rd5xc5 

30...Rc2 31.h4 c4 32.f5+ White wins space 

32...Kf6 33.Rc5 h5 34.Kf1 Rc3 Black threatens to win material: Rc3xa3 

35.Kg2 Rxa3 36.Rxc4 Black has a new passed pawn: a6 

36...Ke5 

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37.Rc7 White threatens to win material: Rc7xg7 

37...Kxe4?? gives the opponent new chances.  [¹37...Ra2+!? must be considered 38.Kf3 Ra3+ 39.Kf2 Kxe4 40.Rxg7 Rf3+ 41.Kg2 Rxf5=] 

38.Re7+± Kxf5 39.Rxg7 Kf6? [¹39...Ke4!? 40.Rg5 Ra2+ 41.Kh3 a5±] 

40.Rg5+- a5 41.Rxh5 

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41...a4? [¹41...Kg6 42.Rg5+ Kh6+-] 

42.Ra5 Ra1 43.Kf3 a3 44.Ra6+ Kg7 [44...Ke5 45.h5 a2+-] 

5.Kg2 Ra2+ 46.Kh3 Ra1 47.h5 Kh7 48.g4 

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48...Kg7 [48...a2 49.Kg2 Kg7+-] 

49.Kh4 a2 50.Kg5 White prepares the advance h6 

50...Kf7 51.h6 Rb1 52.Ra7+ Kg8 53.Rxa2 Rb5+ 54.Kg6 Rb6+ 

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55.Kh5 [55.Kh5 Rb5+ 56.g5+-]  1–0