(1) Carlsen,Magnus (2872) - Gelfand,Boris (2777) [D78]
Zuerich Chess Challenge Zuerich (1), 30.01.2014
[Nielsen,Peter Heine]

After his win in Chennai, Magnus took a 2 month break from chess, discounting an indeed effective, yet rather risky attacking victory against Bill Gates. The prolog in Zurich was a 5 round blitz tournament to determine the pairings. Despite his actually winning it did indicate some rustiness in the champion's play, but in his first classical game as World Champion, we saw Magnus from his absolutely best side. 1.c2-c4 g7-g6 2.d2-d4!? Having given it a shot at avoiding the Grьnfeld, Magnus reacts to Gelfand's surprising 1...g6 by actually allowing it! It might seem inconsistent, but one of Magnus' many strengths is huge flexibility and not being dependent on a specific opening choice. 2...Ng8-f6 3.Ng1-f3 Bf8-g7 4.g2-g3 c7-c6 5.Bf1-g2 d7-d5 6.Qd1-a4!? An interesting line, which became popular after Magnus used it to get a decent position against Peter Svidler in Linares 2007. The inspiration then came from leafing through Larsen's book ZOOM (Zero hour opening models). As Gelfand has mentioned it as a book with a huge impact on his chess development, I guess hoping for 6.Qa4 being a surprise is too much, but even objectively it's an interesting line. 6...0-0 7.0-0 Nf6-d7!? [7...Bc8-f5 was what Svidler played, but after: 8.Nb1-c3 Nb8-d7 9.c4xd5 Nd7-b6 10.Qa4-b3 Nf6xd5 11.Rf1-d1 Qd8-d6 12.Bc1-d2 Nd5xc3 13.Bd2xc3 Qd6-e6 14.d4-d5!? Magnus had a pleasant edge, as after exchanging on g7 and Nd4 White gets back the pawn with risk-free pressure.; 7...a7-a6 8.Bc1-f4 Bc8-e6 9.c4xd5 c6xd5 10.Qa4-b3 Ra8-a7 was Aronian's creative way of handling the position im Monaco 2011, but there too Magnus had a pleasant position, despite both games eventually being drawn.; 7...Nb8-d7 8.c4xd5 Nd7-b6 has also been played, but the claim is that after ...cxd5 the knight would rather be on b8, ready to go to c6, than sort of misplaced on b6.] 8.Qa4-c2 Nd7-f6!? A very interesting novelty. [Against Fressinet Gelfand had an unpleasant position after 8...d5xc4 9.Qc2xc4 Nd7-b6 10.Qc4-c2 Nb8-a6 11.Rf1-d1 , but as always had done his homework well and has an very interesting idea in mind, which made Magnus think for more than half an hour.] 9.Bc1-f4!? Probably White's best way to fight for an opening advantage. The position after 8...Nf6 had previously occurred in quite a few games, but always with Black to move! But in some way, White is actually in some kind of zugzwang. The natural 9.Nc3 is answered by 9...dxc4 when its not obvious how White gets his pawn back, and 9.Rd1 Bf5 10.Qb3 Qb6 already threatens 11...Qxb3 followed by 12...Bc2. 9...Bc8-f5 10.Qc2-b3 Qd8-b6 11.Nb1-d2 Nf6-e4!? Nothing seems wrong with 11...Nbd7, but Gelfand tries putting pressure in the centre and keeps the option of putting the knight on c6, should White exchange on d5. 12.e2-e3 [12.c4xd5 Qb6xb3 13.Nd2xb3 c6xd5 illustrates exactly that point, when Black due to the knight coming to c6 is completely fine, so Magnus has to try and keep the tension.] 12...Qb6xb3 13.a2xb3 Nb8-a6 14.c4xd5 c6xd5 Диаграмма

A seemingly dull position with no advantage for White would be the obvious conclusion. Quite similar to Magnus' game against Caruana later in the tournament. And in both games after just a few more moves, almost like by magic, suddenly Carlsen has an overwhelming initiative. 15.g3-g4! An excellent move, with a good mix of objective merits and provocation. Gelfand, being a principled player, of course reacts with the critical continuation, accepting the sacrifice. 15...Bf5xg4 [15...Ne4xd2 16.Nf3xd2 Bf5-e6 was possible, but apart from the natural 17.Rfc1 Rfc8 18.Rc3!? also 17.Nb1!? keeps putting pressure on the black position.] 16.Nd2xe4 d5xe4 17.Nf3-d2 f7-f5 The price Black has to pay for winning the pawn, is that his bishop on g4 now is shut out, and can't help in defending the weak black queenside. 18.f2-f3 e7-e5!? [18...e4xf3 19.Nd2xf3 illustrates well White's idea. He is a pawn down, but his bishops points at the queensinde, and Black seems not to be able to defend b7, when White's knight goes to either e5 or g5. However there seems to be a hidden defence: 19...Ra8-d8! 20.Nf3-e5 (20.Nf3-g5 e7-e5! 21.d4xe5 Rf8-e8 22.Bg2xb7 Na6-b4 is indeed a very computerish line, but Black seems to generate enough counterplay just in time.) 20...Bg7xe5 21.Bf4xe5 Rd8-d7 and allthough White definitely still has sufficient compensation, Black's position does seem very solid keeping the game in balance.] 19.d4xe5 e4xf3 20.Nd2xf3 Ra8-e8 Gelfand's play as always follows a clear logical path, and by sacrificing back the pawn, it seems like he has neutralised the pressure of White's bishops. [20...Rf8-e8 wouldn't be an inprovement, as 21.Nf3-d4 attacking b7, then caused trouble, but now this can be met by 21...Bxe5 22.Bxb7 Nb4 as there is no longer a rook hanging on a8.] 21.Ra1-a5! It almost seems like White goes to great lengths to hang on to his extra pawn, but it's actually equal material, and White developing his initiative! Yes, he does have seemingly weak doubled pawns, but like this Magnus defends the pawn on e5, thus being ready for Nd4 or Ng5 very much making it a tactical battle, and not a quiet positional game. 21...Na6-b4 22.Nf3-d4 b7-b6 23.Ra5xa7 Bg7xe5 Again, Gelfand's play is consistent and logical. Pushing away the white rook, he eliminated the pawn on e5, and the knight on b4 controls the d5-square, keeping White's bishop from checking on d5. A first sight, it would seem Black has solved his problems. 24.Bf4-h6! Rf8-f6 An uncomfortable necessity, allowing White access to g7, but the more obvious looking [24...Rf8-f7 is answered very strongly by 25.Ra7-a4 Be5-d6 26.Rf1-a1! when defending against 27.Ra8! with a white mating attack becomes very difficult, with White already being close to winning.] 25.h2-h3 [25.Ra7-a4!? would also have been very interesting, and maybe even better than the game continuation. It's based on the tactical point 25...Be5-d6 26.Nd4-b5 Bd6-c5 27.Nb5-c7 Re8-d8 28.Ra4xb4! Bc5xb4 29.Nc7-d5 when surprisingly despite being an exchange up, there is no way only to sacrifice it back, as 29...Be7 would just be captured, and 29...Rxd5 30.Bxd5+ Kh8 31.Ra1! wins further material due to the mating threat. 29...Rf6-d6 30.Nd5xb4 Rd6-d1 still do keep some drawing chances for Black though.] 25...Bg4-h5?! Диаграмма

Hard to believe, but this retreat weakens f5! Resolute defence with [25...Be5xd4! 26.e3xd4 Bg4-e2 27.Rf1-c1 g6-g5! would come close to saving the game for Black. The most tempting move looks to be 28.Ra7-g7+ Kg8-h8 29.Rg7-e7! but after 29...Re8-g8 30.Bh6xg5 Rg8xg5 31.Rc1-c8+ Rg5-g8 32.Rc8xg8+ Kh8xg8 33.Re7xe2 although White is still considerably better, I would think Black has as good chances of saving the game, as White has of winning it. The b-pawn is not much of an extra pawn and ...Kf7 and ...Rd6 a solid setup making it very hard for White to break through.] 26.Nd4-c2!! An excellent tactical resource, illustrating that the position despite the exchanged queens in no way resembles an endgame, but that king safety is the dominating factor. By offering Black a chance to take on c2, Magnus wins access to the d5-square for his bishop, and the direct acceptance of the sacrifice leads to: 26...Nxc2 27.Bd5+ Rfe6 (27...Kh8 28.Bg7 is mate!) 28.Rc1 wins the knight, leaving White with an extra exchange, as 28...Nb4 29.Bxe6+ Rxe6 30.Rc8 mates. 26...g6-g5! The only way to fight back, challenging the bishop on h6 just in time as now the black knight still controls the d5-square. 27.Bh6xg5 Rf6-g6 28.Rf1xf5! This was the whole point of 25.h3. The black bishop had to be lured to h5, leaving the f5-pawn unprotected. 28...h7-h6 29.Bg5xh6!? Keeping true to the style of the game, but actually the more modest [29.Nc2xb4! might be objectively better as after 29...Rg6xg5 30.Rf5xg5+ h6xg5 31.Bg2-d5+ Kg8-f8 (31...Kg8-h8 32.Bd5-f7 Bh5xf7 33.Ra7xf7 Be5xb2 34.Nb4-d5 also should win easily as White will just bring up his king with decisive effect) 32.Nb4-c6 Be5xb2 33.Kg1-f2 Despite White being only one pawn up, he here has a dominating grip on the position, and should win rather trivially.] 29...Rg6xh6? [29...Bh5-f3! amazingly prolongs the resistance. The point is that after 30.Rxf3 Nxc2 the bishop on h6 is hanging, and ...Ne1 a threat, so White has to play 30.Rf5-g5 Rg6xg5 31.Bh6xg5 Bf3xg2 32.Nc2xb4 Bg2xh3 33.Nb4-d5 keeping good winning chances, but not as easy a task, as after 29.Nxb4!; 29...Nb4xc2 30.Rf5xh5 Now the bishop on h6 is protected, and 30...Nc2-e1 31.Rh5-g5! Just wins.] 30.Nc2xb4 Be5xb2 31.Nb4-d5 Kg8-h8 32.Ra7-b7 Bh5-d1 33.b3-b4 Re8-g8 34.Nd5-e7 Rg8-d8 35.Bg2-e4 Bb2-f6? In time trouble Gelfand blunders, but even if it would take some time, White's extra pawns would suffice for a win. 36.Rb7xb6 Kh8-g7 37.Rf5-f2! Threatening 38.Nf5+ and if 37...Bxe7 then 38.Rg2+! forces the black king to leave the protection of the rook on h6, so Gelfand resigned. An excellent start for Magnus, and while not exactly without further adventures he kept up the pace and with 4/5 in the classical control improved on his own rating record as well as gaining a huge lead before the final rapids, when even a rather unstable performance sufficed to give him a win in the overall standings too. 1-0