1.d4 d5 2.c4 cxd The accepted queen’s gambit
3.e3
3.e3
3.e4 is possible as well but the text move is more solid protecting d4
3...Nf6 Do you remember back in the days people played 3..e5? Well, I’m too young to remember that but some top players have played this position including Kasparov.( 4.dxe? is simply bad because white lacks in development. 4...Qxd1+ 5.Kxd1 Nc6 6.f4 f6! Sacrifices a pawn for development 7.exf Nxf6 8.Bxc4 Bg4+ 9.Nf3 0-0-0+ 10.Ke2 Bc5 followed by Rhe8 and black has a comfortable game.) After 4.Bxc4 exd 5.exd white has the isolated queen’s pawn (IQP) but easy development will give him a slight edge. 5...Nf6 6.Nf3 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nc3 Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.g4! Bg6 11.Ne5 followed by f4-f5 and Be3.
4.Bxc4 e6 5.Nf3 c5 6.0-0 a6 7.dxc Carlsen decides to go for an quiet ending in which Nisipeanu dosen’t feel at home. His playing style is more middlegame and attacking.
7...Bxc5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8
4.Bxc4 e6 5.Nf3 c5 6.0-0 a6 7.dxc Carlsen decides to go for an quiet ending in which Nisipeanu dosen’t feel at home. His playing style is more middlegame and attacking.
7...Bxc5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8
So we have reached an ending with a slight advantage for white.
9.Be2 At first I wondered: Why not simply get on with the development? Instead Carlsen insists on playing back his bishop to a more passive square! After some research I found that c4 was more useful for a knight and the long diagonal with Bf3 might be interesting.
9...Ke7 10.Nbd2 On d2 the knight stays flexible with both b3, c4 and sometimes e4 to turn to.
10...Bd7 Preparing Bb5
11.Nb3
9...Ke7 10.Nbd2 On d2 the knight stays flexible with both b3, c4 and sometimes e4 to turn to.
10...Bd7 Preparing Bb5
11.Nb3
11...Bd6?! Never been played in my database before and Carlsens reply will explain why. More normal is 11...Ba7 when 12.Na5 is simply meet by Nc6 and b7 can’t be taken.
12.Na5! Small difference versus 11...Ba7 Now 12..Nc6 is meet by 13.Nxb7 and d6 is hanging.
12...Ra7 12...b6 is meet by 13.Nc4 when b6 has turned into a weakness.
13.Nc4 This is why d6 wasn’t a safe place for the bishop.
13...Bb5 14.b3 Protecting c4 and prepares Bb2
14...Rd8 15.Bb2 Bxc4 Why does black give up the bishop pair? Well, Magnus thought after the game that Nisipeanu had to sooner or later.
16.Bxc4 Nc6 17.Rfd1 Of course the other rook belongs on the c-file.
17...Raa8 18.h3 Giving the king some breathing space and to take space on the kingside with g4-g5.
12.Na5! Small difference versus 11...Ba7 Now 12..Nc6 is meet by 13.Nxb7 and d6 is hanging.
12...Ra7 12...b6 is meet by 13.Nc4 when b6 has turned into a weakness.
13.Nc4 This is why d6 wasn’t a safe place for the bishop.
13...Bb5 14.b3 Protecting c4 and prepares Bb2
14...Rd8 15.Bb2 Bxc4 Why does black give up the bishop pair? Well, Magnus thought after the game that Nisipeanu had to sooner or later.
16.Bxc4 Nc6 17.Rfd1 Of course the other rook belongs on the c-file.
17...Raa8 18.h3 Giving the king some breathing space and to take space on the kingside with g4-g5.
18...g6?! Black was preparing Nd5 without allowing Bxg7 but g6 can’t be recommended because of the weakening of black’s kingside. Mabye 18...h5 was better to stop g4
19.g4 h6 Stopping g5 for the moment
20.Bf1 A move that feels good but quite hard to explain why. Sometimes the bishop has a future on g2. To feel which move to make is something many strong players are good at.
20...Rac8 21.Rac1 Getting the last rook into play
21...Nd5 22.h4 Preparing g5 with good control over the black squares!
22...Ke8 Moving out of any tricks involving g5, e4 and Bf6+ losing the exchange.
23.g5
19.g4 h6 Stopping g5 for the moment
20.Bf1 A move that feels good but quite hard to explain why. Sometimes the bishop has a future on g2. To feel which move to make is something many strong players are good at.
20...Rac8 21.Rac1 Getting the last rook into play
21...Nd5 22.h4 Preparing g5 with good control over the black squares!
22...Ke8 Moving out of any tricks involving g5, e4 and Bf6+ losing the exchange.
23.g5
23...hxg? Opening the h- file is a bad idea for black which we will see later
24.hxg Be7 25.Kg2 Preparing for a later Rh1
25...Nb6 Trying to exchange of some heavy pieces and reducing pressure on black’s position
26.Bd3 Nb4 27.Be4 Yes, giving up a pawn but black’s position is simply lost.
27...Nxa2 28.Rxd8+ Kxd8 29.Rh1! The position is now lost as white’s rook while be too much for black to handle.
24.hxg Be7 25.Kg2 Preparing for a later Rh1
25...Nb6 Trying to exchange of some heavy pieces and reducing pressure on black’s position
26.Bd3 Nb4 27.Be4 Yes, giving up a pawn but black’s position is simply lost.
27...Nxa2 28.Rxd8+ Kxd8 29.Rh1! The position is now lost as white’s rook while be too much for black to handle.
29...Nd5 30.Ne5 f5 31.Bxd5 1-0
After 31...exd 32.Rh8+ Kc7 33.Rh7 Black can resign because of 33...Kd8 (Not 33..Kd6 34.Ba3+ Kxe5 35.Rxe7#) 34.Bd4 White’s pieces are simply to active.
