Harry and the Magic Wallet

Fabiano Caruana – Viswanathan Anand
9th London Chess Classic; London, December 6, 2017
Spanish Game C65

As it was guessable, Caruana also defeated Anand, and remains the only one who challenged the “draw syndrome” that permeated the screenplay of the Grand Chess Tour’s terminal. You don’t need to ask Yeltsin: that’s only means that the big hunt to Rex Sinquifeld’s wallet has just started, and if it should fail, it will be a trouble to Agon Limited, which will have to actually fund the purse of the next World Chess Championship match. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Nc3 0-0 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. h3 Nd7 8. Be3 Bd6 9. Ne2. After 9. Qd2 c5 10. 0-0 Nb8 11. Nh2 Nc6 12. Ne2 Nd4 13. Rae1 Be6 14. b3 a5 Black has no problems at all, M. Adams – Caruana, 2nd Gashimov Memorial, Şəmkir 2015. If, instead, 9. 0-0 there might follow 9. ... Re8 10. a4 a5 11. Nd2 b6 12. Nc4 Ba6 13. Nxd6 cxd6 14. f4 f6 15. Qg4 Nf8 16. Qg3 Ra7 17. Rf3 Rf7 18. Raf1 Ne6 with satisfactory play for Black, Caruana – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), Speed Chess Championship, Chess.com 2017, match game 8 (5’+2” per move). 9. ... Re8. Or 9. ... c5 10. Ng3 Re8 11. Nf5 Nf8 12. Nd2 Qf6 13. Qf3 Bxf5 14. exf5 e4 with wild complications, Karjakin – Malakhov, 67th Moscow Blitz Championship, Moscow 2013. 10. g4!? Nc5 11. Ng3 Ne6 12. Nf5 c5 13. h4 a5 14. h5 Ra6 15. Qd2 Nd4 16. Rh3 Bf8 17. 0-0-0 Be6 18. Kb1 f6 19. c3 Nxf3 20. Rxf3 c4. Black played wonderfully so far, but now there were sound arguments for preferring 20. ... h6! (Stockfish) neutralising any possible attacking challenge. 21. Qc2 cxd3 22. Rxd3 Qc8 23. g5! fxg5 24. Bxg5 Bf7

25. h6! gxh6 26. Bc1 Qe6 27. b3 a4! 28. c4 axb3 29. axb3 Qc6 30. Rg3+ Kh8 31. Rd1 b5 32. c5 b4? Anand’s first serious misstep. Black ought to play 32. ... Qxc5 33. Qxc5 Bxc5 34. Rd7 Bg6 (34. ... Be6 is also possible) 35. Bxh6 Bf8 with rough equality. 33. Bb2. Now the threat of Rd1-d8 may become incumbent on Black; for instance: 33. ... Bxc5?? 34. Rd8! Bd4 35. Rxd4! winning at once. 33. ... Bg6? The last and fatal mistake as it allows White’s next move. 33. ... Qxc5 34. Qxc5 Bxc5 35. Rd7 Bg6 36. f4 was obviously unpleasant for Black, but not that dramatic. 34. Rd5! Qb5 35. Rg1 c6 36. Rxe5 Rxe5 37. Bxe5+ Kg8 38. Bd4 Kf7 39. Nh4 1 : 0.