KOSTENIUK vs GUKESH – ISLE OF MAN MASTERS 2018 ROUND 6

Alexandra Kosteniuk

This game is from round 6 of the 2018 Isle Of Man Masters. It is between Alexandra Kosteniuk with White against D Hukesh with Black.

This game features a Caro-Kahn. To learn more about the Caro-Kahn, here is the best instruction book I could find on Amazon.

Kosteniuk,Alexandra (2551) - Gukesh D (2456)

IOM chesscom Masters 2018 Douglas (6), 25.10.2018

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 c5 6.Be3 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Ne7 8.Nd2 B12: Caro-Kann: Advance Variation [8.0–0 Nbc6 9.Bb5 a6 10.Bxc6+ Nxc6 11.Nxf5 exf5 12.c3 Qd7 13.Re1 Be7 14.Nd2 0–0 15.Nf3 Qe6 16.Qb3 b5 1–0 (40) Dominguez Perez,L (2739)-So,W (2780) Saint Louis 2018] 

8...Nbc6 9.N2f3 Be4 10.c3 The position is equal. 

10...Bxf3 11.Nxf3 

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11...Nf5N [11...Ng6 12.Bd4 Nf4 13.0–0 Nxe2+ 14.Qxe2 Be7 15.Rfd1 Qa5 0–1 (44) Schoenberger,P (2179)-Diermair,A (2387) Lienz 2011] 

12.Bg5 Be7 13.h4 h6 14.Bxe7 Nfxe7 15.Bd3 Qc7 16.Qe2 0–0–0 17.0–0 

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17...Kb8 [17...g5!?] 

18.b4 g5! 19.b5 [19.hxg5 hxg5] 

19...g4 20.Nd4! 

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20...Nxd4 [Of course not 20...Nxe5?! 21.b6!±; 20...Na5!³] 

21.cxd4² Qc3 22.Qe3 Rc8 23.Rad1 g3 [23...h5²] 

24.Bb1 [24.fxg3± aiming for Rf3. 24...Nf5 25.Qf4 Nxd4 26.Qxf7] 

24...Rhg8= 25.Rd3 Qc4 26.fxg3 

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26...Nf5ƒ Black has some pressure. 

27.Qf2 Rg4 White must now prevent ...Rcg8. 

28.Rfd1 [28.Rf3= keeps the balance. 28...Nxd4 29.Re3] 

28...Rcg8µ [Reject 28...Qxb5?! 29.Rb3²] 

29.Rf3 Nxg3 

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30.Rxf7? [30.Bd3µ Qxd4 31.Qxd4 Rxd4 32.Rxf7] 

30...Nf5!–+ Black is clearly winning. 

31.Bxf5 Rxg2+ 32.Qxg2 Rxg2+ 33.Kxg2 Qe2+ 34.Kg3 Qxd1 35.Bxe6 

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35...Qxd4 Endgame KQ-KRB 

36.Rf5 Qe4 37.b6 [¹37.Kh3 d4 38.a4] 

37...axb6 38.a4 d4 39.Rf8+ Ka7 40.Rf4 Qxe5 41.Bc4 Qe1+ 42.Kg4 Qc3 43.Be2 d3 44.Bd1 Qe1  0–1