ODT150804

=**Caruana in top form**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 4.

Top seed Fabiano Caruana (USA) came from behind to win the 43rd Dortmund Sparkassen elite tournament in Germany last month. Caruana lost to compatriot Wesley So in the second round to languish at the bottom of the eight-player event. He then won all five remaining games to finish on 5½/7, a point and a half ahead of So and early leader Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu of Romania, tied for second on 4 points. Today's game is from the final round at Dortmund. Nisipeanu had White and needed a win over Caruana to overtake him. media type="custom" key="27727217" **1.e4 e5** **2.Nf3 Nc6** **3.Bc4 Bc5** **4.b4!?** The sharp Evans Gambit was all the rage 150 years ago. **4... Bxb4** **5.c3 Ba5** **6.d4 d6** **7.Qb3 Qd7** **8.dxe5 Bb6** The modern approach for Black is to quickly give back the pawn to defuse White's initiative and complete his own development. Here the bishop makes way for the knight to exchange off White's aggressively placed bishop. **9.a4 Na5** **10.Qa2 Nxc4** **11.Qxc4 Ne7** **12.Ba3 O-O** **13.O-O Re8** **14.exd6 cxd6** **15.Rd1 Qc6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**16.Nbd2 Be6!** Now it is Black who offers a pawn sacrifice. As compensation he has the two bishops and several weak white pawns to target. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**17.Qxc6 Nxc6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**18.Bxd6 Rad8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**19.Bb4 Rd3** I prefer the pin 19... Bg4! first tying up the white knights. After 20. Re1 Rd3 or 20.h3 Bxf3 21.gxf3 Ne5 Black has full compensation for the pawn. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20.a5?!** After this advance the a-pawn is soon lost, leaving Black with a passed pawn on the queenside to go with his bishop pair. 20.Ne1! ejecting the rook from d3 was essential. White retains his extra pawn for the time being as 20... Rd7 21.Ndf3 Rxd1 22.Rxd1 Bb3 23.Ra1 Rxe4? fails to the fork 24.Nd2. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20... Bc7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**21.Nf1** Further advance of the pawn fails to save it as 21.a6 bxa6 22.Rxa6? Nxb4 23.cxb4 Bf4! will win one of the knights. White instead aims to exchange one of the black bishops. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**21... Rxd1** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22.Rxd1 Nxa5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**23.Nd4 Nc4!** This move only makes sense if Black already had the in mind the game continuation – if true a stunning feat of calculation. Otherwise the sensible alternative was 23... Bd7 retaining the bishop pair after 24.Bxa5 Bxa5 25.Nb3 Bg4 26.f3 Bb6+ 27.Nd4 Be6 with a significant advantage. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**24.Nxe6 Rxe6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**25.Rd7 Rc6!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**26.Ng3 g6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27.Ne2 a5!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**28.Nd4!** Seemingly putting Black in deep trouble as the rook can't move, however, Black has seen further. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**28... axb4!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**29.Nxc6 b3!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**30.Rxc7** Also losing is 30.Nb4 b2 31.Rd1 Na3 winning back the rook for the b-pawn. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**30... Nd6!** A problem-like move forcing the promotion of the b-pawn, so White resigned.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**0-1**


 * Solution:** 1.Rxh6+! Bxh6 2.g7+ Bxg7 3.Qh2+ Bh6 4.Qxh6#