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Mathias Womacka vs Magnus Carlsen
Gausdal Troll Masters (2002), Gausdal NOR, rd 3, Jan-06
Sicilian Defense: Kan. Modern Variation (B42)  ·  1-0

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White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-14-10  carlsen o: 18}//... b4??
18)...b:c !
May-19-18  Sergash: Matthias Womacka is a German player born in 1966. He became FIDE master in 1985, International Master in 1990 and then Grandmaster in 2010.

<2...e6> Carlsen had switched from 2...e6 to 2...d6, before adopting 2...Nc6 for a while. This is a come back to 2...e6.

<4...a6> In a previous game B Kvisvik vs Carlsen, 2001 Carlsen had played here 4...Nf6 5.Bd3 d6 6.Bb5+ and both players had agreed to a draw here!

<5.Bd3> More played has been 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Bd3 Nf6 7.0-0 Nc6 (or 7...d6 8.f4 Be7 9.Kh1 Nbd7 10.Qe2 0-0 11.Bd2 Nc5= Smyslov vs Kan, 1942) 8.Be3 Ne5 9.h3 Nc5 10.Kh1 d6 11.f4 Ng6 12.Qe1 0-0 13.f5 Ne5= Kasparov vs G Milos, 1996

<5...Qc7> Carlsen could have transposed in the line given above by playing 5...Nf6 6.0-0 Qc7 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.Be3 Ne5 etc...

<6.Qe2> A rare line compared with 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Be3 Ne5 9.h3 Bc5 etc. as shown previously.

<6...Nc6 7.Nxc6! dxc6 8.e5!> This appears to be somewhat of an inferior move. The main line here goes like this : 6...d6 7.0-0 (or 7.c4 Nf6 8.0-0 g6 9.Nc3 Bg7 transposing) Nf6 8.c4 g6 9.Nc3 Bg7 10.Rd1 (or 10.Nf3 0-0 11.Rd1 Nc6 12.h3 Nd7 transposing; also 10.Be3 0-0 11.Rac1 Nbd7 ⩲ V Musil vs Karpov, 1975) 0-0 11.Nf3 Nc6 12.h3 Nd7=/ ⩲ Thomas Luther (2435) - Christopher Lutz (2550), Bundesliga 92-93 (league, Germany) 1992, round 1 - Sindelfingen vs. Porz, 0-1.

<8...C5N 9.0-0> The kid seems destabilized and improvises this novelty! Here the theory knows 8...Ne7 9.0-0 Ng6 10.f4 (Axel delorme (1850) - Thimotée Heinz (2053), Under 18 France Team Championship 01-02 2002, round 5 - Sautron I vs Bischwiller I, draw) Be7 ⩲ Komodo 10 - 64 bits. After the game move, Carlsen is seriously behind in his development...

<10...Bd7> Carlsen's strategy seems a little too sophisticated. he should have taken the opportunity to win a couple tempi in order to accelerate his piece development : 10...Nd5! 11.Bg3 b5 ⩲

May-19-18  Sergash: <11.Nd2! Bc6 ⩲ 12.Bg3> Womacka misses the stronger 12.Nc4 Ng6 13.Bxg6 (13.Bg3 b5 14.Nd6+! Bxd6▢ 15.exd6 Qb7! 16.c4! Bxg2 17.Rfc1! ⩲) hxg6 14.Nxd6+! Bxd6▢ 15.exd6 Qd7 16.Rfe1 ⩲ Komodo 10 - 64 bits.

<12...b5?! 13.c4! ±> 12.0-0-0! ⩲/= Komodo 10 - 64 bits.

<13...Qb7?!> 13...h5! 14.h4 g6 ⩲/ ± or ΔBh6. Komodo 10 - 64 bits.

<14.f3?!> Played without thinking, as this move seems obvious. But there was 14.Rad1! Ng6 (not 14...Bxg2?? 15.Ne4!+- winning. Komodo 10 - 64 bits) 15.h4 ± Komodo 10 - 64 bits.

<14...Rd8?! 15.Nb3 Qb6! ⩲> 14...Nf5! 15.Bxf5 (or 15.Bf2 Nd4 16.Bxd4 cxd4 ⩲ Komodo 10 - 64 bits) exf5 16.Nb3 Be7 ⩲ with the idea of 0-0. Komodo 10 - 64 bits.

<16.Bf2?!> There was also 16.Rfd1 bxc4! 17.Bxc4 Rxd1+ 18.Rxd1 Nf5 (or 18...Ng6 19.h4 ± Komodo 10 - 64 bits) 19.Bf2 Be7 ⩲ Komodo 10 - 64 bits.

<18...b4?!> As spotted by <carlsen o> above. 18...Rh5!= Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<19.Qe3 Rc8! ⩲/ ±> Also, there was 19.a3!? bxa3 20.Rxa3▢ Be7 ⩲/ ± Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<20.Nxc5?! Bxf3!=> Did Womacka miscalculate the coming tactics? He should have played 20.a3! bxa3 21.Rxa3 Be7 ⩲ Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<21...Qxe6?! 22.Qxf3 ⩲> Carlsen is getting lost here... 21...Qxe3! 22.Bxe3 fxe6! 23.gxf3 Bc5! 24.Bxc5 Rxc5= Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<22...Bc5 ±> It seems better to keep this bishop in play : 22...Be7! ⩲/ ± Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

May-20-18  Sergash: <23...Rh5! 24.Bxc5! Rxc5 ± 25.Qb7?!> White has a big advantage after either A) 25.Re1! Qb6! 26.Qf2 Qc7 27.Qd2 Rcxe5 (or 27...Rhxe5 28.Qxb4 ± Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT; or 27...a5 28.Qd6▢ ± Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT) 28.Qxb4 ± Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT;

or B) 25.Qa8+! Rc8 26.Qb7▢ Rxe5 27.Qxb4 ± Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<25...a5?> Carlsen decides to save the b-pawn. But much better was 25...Qd7! 26.Qa8+ (or 26.Qb8+ Qd8 27.Qxd8+ transposes) Qd8 27.Qxd8+ Kxd8 ⩲ Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<26.Qa8+?! Qc8! 27.Qxc8▢ Rxc8 ±/ ⩲> 26.Rf1! Rf5▢ 27.Rad1! ±/+-

<29...Ra8? 30.Rd5 ±> Time pressure? 29...Rc5! 30.Rd5 Rxd5▢ 31.cxd5 Rh4! ⩲ Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<30...Ra6?+-> Stronger is 30...Rhh8! ± Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<31.Red1?!> 31.h3!+- in order to free the king from the defense of the h2-pawn. Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<31...Ra7?! 32.Rb5!+-> The white e-pawn just lost a defender? Then attack it! 31...Ke6 32.Re1 Rh8! ±/+- Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT; also 31...a4!? 31.Rb5! axb3 32.axb3 Ra2! ±/+- (if 32...Ke6 33.Rxb4! Rxe5 34.Rb8!+- Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT) in the hope of gaining some counterplay. Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

May-20-18  Sergash: <32...Ke6 33.Rd6+ Ke7 34.Rdd5!+-> Better could be 32...Rf5+- still losing though. Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<35.Ra5?! Rxa5▢ 36.Rxa5 ±/+-> Womacka is happy to trade a rook, but this is a mistake possibly caused by the lack of time on the clock, while we are reaching the time control. 35.h3!+- giving some safe room to the king while maintaining the pressure. Now, White might not be winning anymore, though they still have a big advantage... Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<36...a3?! 37.Rb5!▢+-> Better to trade pawns: 36...axb3! 37.axb3 Ke6+-/ ± Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<41.Kg3?? Rxa2▢=> INCREDIBLE! This gives up on the win! Effectively winning a winning game is not always an easy task, even for a player rated at 2500!

White to play


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41.Ke3! Rxa2 (or 41...Rxg2 42.Rxa3 Rxh2 43.Ke4!+- Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT) 42.b4 Ke6 (42...f6 43.Ra7+ Kd8 44.e6! Rxg2 45.b5+- Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT) 43.Kd4! Rb2 44.b5 a2 45.Kc5!+- etc. with an easy and clear win. Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<43...a2? 44.b5!▢ ±> 43.Rc1!▢= Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

<44...Kd7? 45.c5+-> Now Black is toast! The last chance was in 45...f6!▢ 46.Ra7+! Ke6▢ 47.c5!▢ Rb1▢ 48.b6▢ Kd5 ± (note that 48...Rb3+ are also good) still hoping for a draw. Stockfish 9 - 64 bits POPCNT.

This game is far from perfect, with lots of ups and downs, but is instructive still!

Jan-21-23  Messiah: My comments, even years old ones, keep vanishing under mysterious circumstances. Fine game, tho!

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