Raymond Keene

Overreach

Game eight of the World Championship in New York broke the deadlock of hard-fought draws in the first seven games. Carlsen employed a closed variation of the queen’s pawn opening which had, in the past, been popularised both by Johannes Zukertort and Akiba Rubinstein. The opening merged into a level but still fertile middlegame. At this point Carlsen overreached and after a sequence of sub-optimal moves on both sides, doubtless occasioned by time trouble, the black defence emerged victorious.

Carlsen-Karjakin: World Championship, New York (Game 8) 2016; Zukertort/Rubinstein

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 d5 3 e3 e6 4 Bd3 c5 5 b3 Be7 6 0-0 0-0 7 Bb2 b6 8 dxc5 A strange choice, relinquishing his full control of e5, which is normally a key plank in the white attack. 8 … Bxc5 More combative is 8 … bxc5. 9 Nbd2 Bb7 10 Qe2 Nbd7 11 c4 I would prefer 11 e4 as in Spielmann-Stoltz, Stockholm, 1932. 11 … dxc4 11 … Ne4 was played here in Uhlmann-Parma, Moscow 1971. The text, however, is fully consistent with Black’s aim of playing for equality by clearing the central pawns. 12 Nxc4 Qe7 13 a3 a5 14 Nd4 Rfd8 15 Rfd1 Rac8 16 Rac1 Nf8 17 Qe1 An indication that White is bereft of a plan. However, the forces remain in balance. 17 … Ng6 18 Bf1 Ng4 19 Nb5 Bc6 20 a4 Bd5 21 Bd4 Bxc4 22 Rxc4 Bxd4 23 Rdxd4 Rxc4 24 bxc4 Carlsen plays to confuse the issue. 24 Rxc4 is equal. 24 … Nf6 25 Qd2 Rb8 26 g3 Ne5 27 Bg2 h6 28 f4 Ned7 29 Na7 Qa3 30 Nc6 Rf8 Carlsen has become active but his queenside pawns are weak.

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