GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov - GM Fabiano Caruana

11th Norway Chess Tournament, (6)


C65: Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 This timid little move is all the rage now, as everyone avoids the tabyia of the so-called "Berlin Wall" endgame with the early exchange of queens 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 that's notoriously tough for White to breakdown. 4...Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.O-O Bd6 Also a popular option is 6...Qd6. 7.Nbd2 Be6 8.Nb3 The main line is 8.b3 looking to finachetto ther bishop and pressure on e5. But 8.Nb3 has become fashionable of late. 8...b6 9.Ng5!?N A novelty from the Uzbek that must have come as a surprise for Caruana, who himself championed a similar square novelty, though with 9.Bg5, which the US champion played against Levon Aronian at St Louis 2023. 9...Bg4 10.f3 Bh5 11.Kh1 The logical break looks like 11.d4 but this is well answered by 11...Nd7 12.Nh3 O-O 13.Be3 f6 and White has nothing. 11...Nd7 12.Nh3 f6 13.Be3 Qe7 A canny waiting move from Caruana, who keeps his options open for a little longer, just to see what Abdusattorov has in mind. 14.Nd2 And ditto from Abbusattorov - we're in for a patient waiting game here. 14...Nc5 If 14...c5 then 15.Nc4 Bf7 16.Nxd6+ Qxd6 17.f4 and again, not much for either side. But Caruana wisely decides it is better for him to keep the tension in the position for now. 15.Nc4 Ne6 16.Ng1 Also possible is 16.Nxd6+ Qxd6 with White having a little influnce with his control of the light-squares - but nothing to write home about. 16...g5 17.Ne2 Bf7 18.Qe1 h5 19.Nxd6+ cxd6 20.a4 h4 21.a5 b5 Now the game starts to get complex - and that seems to favour the more experienced Caruana, as Abdusattorov burns up too much clock-time and runs into time-trouble. 22.h3 a6 23.d4

Abdusattorov bravely begins the process of breaking the tension in the game. 23...c5 24.c3 Kf8 The strategical manoeuvrings continue, as Caruana prepares the ground for the game breaking open. 25.Rd1 Kg7 26.Qf2

The talking heads on the commentary team thought Abdusattorov missed his best chance with first playing 26.b4!? Rac8 and now 27.Qf2 forcing 27...c4 and the queenside effectively placed in lockdown; which at least would be one less thing for the Uzbek to worry about as he continues to burn his clock time. 26...Rac8 27.Rd2 Qc7 28.Ra1 Rhd8 29.b4 cxd4 30.cxd4 Qe7 31.Rad1 Rh8 32.Qe1?! Now was the time to strike with 32.d5!, but by squandering his chances with an inane move, Caruana seizes the chance to dominate. 32...Rc4 33.dxe5 Now no longer an option is 33.d5 as there comes 33...Nf4! 34.Bxf4 gxf4 35.Rc1 Qc7! and Black is starting to take a firm grip of the game. At least by exchanging on e5, Abdusattorov has some activity for his pieces. 33...dxe5 34.Rd6 Rd8! Managing the potential of White's pieces getting more active than they need to be, as Caruana swiftly exchanges a set of rooks.

35.Rxd8 Nxd8 36.g3? Abdusattorov's time-trouble now plays a big part in the outcome of the game, as he's rushed into making some "dodgy" decisions. Best was the more natural 36.Bc5 and 36...Qe8 37.Nc1 Ne6 38.Nd3 Qc6 39.Kh2 Nd4 40.Rd2 Nb3 41.Rb2 Nxc5 42.Nxc5 Rd4 and despite Black having the better rook and the bishop, the Nc5 hitting a6 will effectively stymie Black's chances of winning. 36...hxg3 37.Nxg3 Be6 38.Qd2? Another rushed move made in time-trouble - and with it, the game begins to swing towards Caruana. The best chance that the engine concurs with, was 38.h4! Nf7 39.hxg5 Nxg5 40.Qf2! Kg6 41.Bxg5 fxg5 42.Qb6! and it is hard to see how Black can possibly win from here. 38...Nf7 39.Bc5 Qe8 40.h4 Qh8 41.h5 Qh7 42.Kg2 Qh6 43.Kf2 g4 44.Be3 Safer was 44.Qxh6+ Kxh6 45.Be3+ Kh7 46.Rc1 Rxc1 (No better is 46...Rxb4 47.Rc6! as Black has to seek the bail-out now with 47...Rb2+ 48.Ke1 Rb3 49.Kf2 Rb2+ and a repetition) 47.Bxc1 gxf3 48.Kxf3 Nh6 49.Be3 with a draw on the cards. 44...Qh8 45.fxg4 Qc8 46.Bc5 The young Uzbek continues to sup at the Last Chance Saloon. What was needed, according to all-seeing, all-saving Oracle of the engine, was 46.Rc1 to contest the c-file, where now 46...Bxg4 47.Rxc4 Qxc4 48.Kg2! Qb3 49.Kh2 where apparently Black has no better than 49...Qd1 50.Qxd1 Bxd1 and a likely draw on the horizon. 46...Bxg4 47.Rf1? The final and fatal mistake. It was still not too late to admit that move needed was to contest the c-file with 47.Rc1! where after the more-or-less forced sequence of 47...Rxc1 48.Qxc1 Ng5 49.Be3 Qxc1 50.Bxc1 where it is hard to see how this game is going to end in anything other than a draw after 50...Kh6 51.Bd2 Bxh5 52.Nf5+ Kg6 53.Ne7+ Kf7 54.Bxg5! Kxe7 (Slightly worse is 54...fxg5?! 55.Nc6 and White has the better of the ending despite sans a pawn, but even here, after 55...g4 the game will also peter out to a draw with 56.Nb8 Bg6 57.Nxa6 Bxe4 58.Nc5 Bc6 59.Kg3 Bf3 60.a6 Ke7 61.a7 Kd6 etc.) 55.Be3 Ke6 56.Bc5 and, despite being a pawn down, this is just a technical opposite-coloured bishop ending where White will cement his king on e3 and oscillate his bishop between f8 and c5. 47...Bh3 48.Rg1 Abdusattorov must have been seeing "ghosts" if he thought he had a promising attack against Caruana's king. 48...Kh7 49.h6 Qg4! He who dares wins! And that's just what Caruana does, as White's h6-pawn - for now, at least - making an ideal shield, he demonstrates just how badly Abdusattorov had mis-assesed this position. 50.Nf5

White just has too many loose pawns hanging and his king too exposed. If 50.Be3 Qh4! the pressure just dials up for White. 50...Qxe4 51.Rg7+ Kh8 52.Ne3 Nxh6! 53.Nxc4 Kxg7 54.Bf8+ Kxf8 55.Qxh6+ Kg8 I can only assume that Abdusattorov had a brain freeze of some sort, and thought Black had to play 55...Ke7? 56.Qg7+! Ke6 57.Qg8+ Ke7 58.Qg7+ where it is just a draw by repetion, as the Black king can't escape the queen checks. You live and learn. Well, you live anyway! 56.Ne3 (see diagram) 56...Bf5! The real reason for this move will soon be revealed, because, with no checks now, the only worry Caruana has is the White queen sneaking in the back door, and he squashes this possibility to now comfortably convert with his extra two passed pawns. 57.Qh5 Bg6 And there it is, the White queen is effectively locked out of any "Hail Mary" game-saving possibilities. 58.Qh3 f5 A very imaginative "defence" from Caruana, stopping any possible game-saving repetitions while at the same time mobilising his passed pawns.

59.Qh6 And also note that impossible is 57.Qxf6 as it loses to 57...Qf4+ 58.Ke2 Bd3! picking up the loose queen on f6! 59...Kf7 60.Qh8 Qd4 61.Ke2 f4 62.Ng4 f3+! 0-1 And Abdusattorov resigns as 63.Kxf3 e4+ picks up the loose queen on h8!