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Fabiano Caruana vs Alireza Firouzja
Tata Steel Masters (2020), Wijk aan Zee NED, rd 10, Jan-22
King's Indian Defense: Makagonov Variation (E71)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 7 OF 7 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-22-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <dernier loup de T: Maybe time for resignation?...>

I find it helpful when they play the finale out. :-) Congrats to both of them, and a reminder from Fabi just how strong he really is.

Jan-22-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  dernier loup de T: Hold the draw or offer a mate in two?
Jan-22-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  dernier loup de T: <keypusher>: I agree!!
Jan-22-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: Fabi must recognise something of himself in Firouzja.....the same bumfluff moustache, for instance.
Jan-22-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: 2020 match prediction.

Chess Viking vs Chess Einstein.

Jan-22-20  Pedro Fernandez: Chess Einstein was not born yet, <Chancho>.
Jan-22-20  cormier: 23...Rac8 is possibly the not the right move
Jan-22-20  sudoplatov: Quick analysis at a chess analysis site shows that 30....Kf8 was bad. Other moves leave White up about a Pawn but this makes it two Pawns or so. Someone suggested 30....h5 would have been better, the computer agreed. (Good suggestion.)

I think White had the better game, at least from when I tuned in (around 20.Bd4). White always has good attacking chances because of the extra Piece. Computers still have trouble evaluating positions with asymmetric material balances that last many moves. Black's sacrifice seems very speculative. White has better development and the extra piece.

Jan-22-20  Pedro Fernandez: <<MissScarlett>: Fabi must recognise something of himself in Firouzja.....the same bumfluff moustache, for instance.> Moustache? If they are hairless my dear!

PS. With the exception of their "afros", only the tiniest amount of bumfluff grew on their chin.

Jan-22-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: Hi jphamlore,

It's possible Ali decided that is twice he has had his teeth drawn and outplayed without a sniff at any complications or imbalance in the position.

So today it was 'if you want me come and get me.' and we had Fabiano practically being forced to throwing forward the k-side pawns and castling Q-side.

The lad played a piece for the central pawns sac.

My old coach, Vladimir Smith use to call this: 'The Jekyll and Hyde Sacrifice" sometimes it's good - sometimes it's bad.

I bet he was happier playing this one than the other two v Wes So and Carlsen.

Three losses v (on paper) the three strongest players. Hope he has a pop at Vishy, these two could produce a tactical crackerjack.

***

Jan-22-20  ndg2: I knew round 9 and 10 would be very hard for Alireza, still hoped for half a point out of these round ds, alas.

Today's loss was different from yesterday where Carlsen just crushed him. Against Caru he went deliberately into a very asymmetric variation with mutual chances to shine (and blunder).

Jan-22-20  wordfunph: my down under still intact.

sigh of relief..

Jan-22-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: Looks as though Black blundered. Easy to miscalculate in Chess...
Jan-22-20  Kurakotsaba: <my down under still intact.

sigh of relief>

Har har har har...TAAL's wrath n fury will lahar-ize your down there with ashfall.

Who you think will snatch this Tata 2020?

Jan-22-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  PawnSac: < ..Kb8?! > black can resign

Here Stockfish 10 chose to allow the pin with ..Qc7 Rc6 Rd7 since the alternative Kb8 is mate in 14


click for larger view

Stockfish_10_x64:
58/28 27:13 1,054,633k 645k +M14 43.Nc5 f6 44.Rh7 Re8 45.Nd7+ Kb7 46.Nxf6 d3 47.Qxd3 Kc6 48.Qc4+ Kb7 49.Qb5+ Kc8 50.Qc6+ Kd8 51.Qa8+ Kc7 52.Nxe8+ Kb6 53.Rxe7 a4 54.Rc7 g4 55.Qb7+ Ka5 56.Rc5+

< 48. ..? black to move >


click for larger view

Stockfish_10_x64 shows mate in 13:
75/27 4:51:18 6,170,954k 353k -M13 48. ... Ke6 49.Nxg5+ Kd6 50.Nf7+ Ke6 51.Nxd8+ Qxd8 52.Qe4+ Kd7 53.Rh7+ Kd6 54.Qxd4+ Ke6 55.Qxd8 a4 56.Rh6 Ke5 57.Rxf6 a3 58.Qd6+ Ke4 59.Rf4+ Ke3 60.Qe5+ Kd2 61.Rd4+

..but the details don't really matter. It's a bust. Maybe Fab didn't follow the prog evals, but what's important is he didn't let Ali loose. He brought it to closure in clean enough fashion. Nice win.

Jan-22-20  MordimerChess: Of course it's all about 30... Kf8, from that point all of complicated lines don't give black any chances to win or draw. Even it looks like black try to play something.

The King is Naked! And badly punished after.

Interesting that Caruana could finish the game much faster with: <34. Rgh1 f2 35. Nxf2 Rxf2 36. Rh8+ Ke7 37. Qb4+ Nc5 38. Re1+ Kd6 39. Rxd8+ Qxd8 40. Qxd4+ Kc7 41. Qxf2>

But what should be discussed is the plan for black, or for white - what to play after 30… h5 31. Bc4 Ng7 That line could be insane. Bad that we had no chances to see it!

My analysis of the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBF...

Enjoy and thank you for the great support so far! Love you all!

Jan-23-20  wordfunph: <Kurakot> Caruana has the inside track but i wish Magnus sweeps his last 3 games.

my bookie bet :)

<Tata Steel Masters: WINNER : Carlsen [info] 10000 LIVE BET 2:5 1.40 14,000 Jan-26-20>

Jan-23-20  Ulhumbrus: One of the star moves of the game is Caruana's move 19 0-0-0!! after which Firouzja is unable to use his extra pawns on the king side pawns as a weapon against White's king whereas White's extra piece can and does become a weapon.

This suggests that White's king side pawn advance cannot be met with the piece sacrifice if White can castle safely on the queen side.

This suggests that the right answer to White's king side advance is for Black to find a way to make it less healthy for White to castle on the queenside so that he cannot defuse a piece sacrifice in this way.

One example of this is to prepare the pawn advance ..b5 so as to open the b file.

It might have been less safe for White to answer the piece sacrifice by castling on the queen side if Firouzja had opened the b file earlier by the advance ...b5.

This suggests that one answer to g4 is for Black to prepare the advance ...b5.

Jan-23-20  WorstPlayerEver: Black should've played 27... h5, now 28. Nd3 is answered by Rc4


click for larger view

---------

So 27. a4 h5 28. Qf2 d4 29. Nd3 Rf5=


click for larger view

Jan-23-20  Atking: <sudoplatov: Quick analysis at a chess analysis site shows that 30....Kf8 was bad. Other moves leave White up about a Pawn but this makes it two Pawns or so. Someone suggested 30....h5 would have been better, the computer agreed. (Good suggestion.) I think White had the better game, at least from when I tuned in (around 20.Bd4). White always has good attacking chances because of the extra Piece. Computers still have trouble evaluating positions with asymmetric material balances that last many moves. Black's sacrifice seems very speculative. White has better development and the extra piece.>

I agree. I don't know what are saying comps here and there. I think such position is difficult to evaluate even for comps. During the live, yes I criticized Firouzja' choice 30...Kf8? and suggested 30...h5 someone said 31.Bc4 gives a serious advantage but how much serious it is ? I mean it's piece vs 3 pawns. Pawn going only one square ahead and I suspect that evaluation could change radically. Really difficult. Firouzja's idea was a crazy genius one. He wanted to put his king on b7. With Queens on the board it is dubious but shows a courageous and imaginative mind.

The last post of <WorstPlayerEver> shows that the sacrifice on the opening was a deep one.

Jan-23-20  sudoplatov: I did a little more looking on an analysis site (I don't know which computer or how strong it is). After 30....h5, that computer suggested 31.Bc4 followed by Rf2, and Qd1 in some order. (I tried various moves and let the computer play.) The point of Qd1 seems to be to force (or entice) ...h4 cripples the Black Kingside Majority. I think without the Pawn phalanx, White still has enough time to mount a mating attack.

Also,24.Bb5 isn't seen as best (I don't remember what.) 23.Ba6 is also preferred to Kb1; I guess to deny Black the QB file (of which not much was made.)

Generally, White is evaluated with about a .7 Plus all through. Note that a simple material count shows Black with 1.0 Pawn plus so White must have a big positional advantage.

Jan-24-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: The Fabster! Active piece play! Unfortunately, he's not able to get these Positions against Magnus Carlsen.
Feb-01-20  NGambit: The new KID in town
Feb-01-20  NGambit: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pa5n...
Feb-01-20  Jambow: Normally to have that many extra pawns strewn across the board is easily better than a knight, but alas with an artful dance Fabiano coordinates his pieces dynamically to snare the king...
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