Karjakin Defends Accurately and Draws Caruana **NOTE: A “pop-up” analysis board is available by clicking on one of the moves shown in boldface in the game description below. You can then follow the game move-by-move at your pace.
[Event "Candidates 2016"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.03.17"] [Round "6"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Karjakin, Sergey"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A00"] [WhiteElo "2794"] [BlackElo "2760"] [Annotator "Sagar Shah"] [PlyCount "72"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 7. Nc3 d5 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Bg2 O-O 10. O-O Re8 11. a3 $5 {[%cal Ga2a3] While Topalov wanted to enforce b4 with the move Rb1, Caruana went for a3. But this move has a deeper point which is to use the safer square a2 to lift the rook rather than the b2 square.} c5 12. dxc5 bxc5 13. Ne5 Bb7 14. Bf4 Nbd7 (14... Bf8 {was played by Karjakin against Topalov, and when Topalov had responded with Rb2, the bishop came back to d6 as in many lines the rook was hanging on b2. Here Caruana can avoid all of that with the move Ra2!} 15. Ra2 $1 Bd6 $2 16. Nxd5 $1 $18) 15. Nc4 $5 (15. Nxf7 $6 Kxf7 16. Nxd5 Nxd5 17. Bxd5+ Bxd5 18. Qxd5+ Kf8 $15) 15... Nb6 16. Na5 Ba6 17. b4 $5 (17. Nc6 Qd7 18. Nxe7+ Qxe7 $11 {should be around equal.}) 17... cxb4 {This move was not expected by Caruana. It is really not the best, but to prove an advantage against it is not an easy task.} ({Better was} 17... Bd6) ({or} 17... Qd7) 18. axb4 Bxb4 19. Nc6 Bxc3 20. Nxd8 Bxe2 21. Qb3 (21. Qc2 {was also possible.} Bxa1 22. Rxa1 Raxd8 (22... Rexd8 23. Qxe2 $18 ) 23. Rxa7 $16) 21... Bxa1 22. Rxa1 Raxd8 {Karjakin didn’t want to allow the manoeuvre Be5-d4 and hence took with this rook. But this means that the a7 pawn falls.} (22... Rexd8 23. Bc7 Rdc8 24. Bxb6 axb6 25. Rxa8 Rxa8 26. Bxd5 $16 ) 23. Rxa7 Nc4 {This is critical for assessing the quality of Karjakin’s sacrifice. It must be said that over the board this position is not so easy to win for White. Black hardly has any weaknesses. The pawns are all on one side, which greatly reduces White’s chances. Caruana tried hard but couldn’t crack through Karjakin’s defences.} 24. h3 Bh5 25. Bg5 Bg6 26. Bxf6 gxf6 27. g4 Kg7 28. Qc3 d4 $1 {This was truly a study-like finish by Karjakin. His defensive capabilities are truly fantastic.} 29. Qxc4 d3 30. g5 {This looks like the most natural way to force events, but better could have been} (30. Kh2 d2 31. Bf3 d1=Q 32. Bxd1 Rxd1 $16 {when White can keep trying. Whether he can win or not is a different question, but he has some chances.}) 30... d2 (30... fxg5 $2 31. Bd5 $1 d2 32. Qd4+ Kg8 33. Qxd2 $18) 31. gxf6+ Kh8 (31... Kxf6 32. Qc3+ Kg5 33. Bf3 {and the king on g5 doesn’t really feel safe.} d1=Q+ 34. Bxd1 Rxd1+ 35. Kh2 Kh6 36. Qf6 Re6 37. Qf4+ Kg7 38. Rxf7+ Bxf7 39. Qg4+ Kf8 40. Qxd1 {and although White is up a lot of material this might well be a theoretical draw.}) 32. Bf3 {
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} 32... Be4 $1 {A very strong move that had to be accurately calculated.} 33. Kh2 (33. Qxf7 $2 d1=Q+ (33... Rg8+ 34. Qg7+ Rxg7+ 35. fxg7+ Kg8 36. Bd1 $11) 34. Bxd1 Rxd1+ 35. Kh2 Rg8 36. Qxg8+ Kxg8 $19) (33. Bg4 Rg8 34. Ra1 d1=Q+ 35. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 36. Kh2 Bd5 $11) 33... Bd5 $1 34. Qg4 (34. Qh4 Rg8 $1 35. Rxf7 (35. Bxd5 d1=Q) 35... Bxf7 36. Be4 Bg6 37. f7 d1=Q 38. Qf6+ Rg7 39. f8=Q+ Rxf8 40. Qxf8+ Rg8 41. Qf6+ $11) 34... Rg8 35. Bd1 Rxg4 36. hxg4 h6 {A brilliant defensive effort by Sergey.} 1/2-1/2
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