[Event “Corus A”]
[Date “2010.01.21”]
[Round “5”]
[White “Nakamura”] [Black “Carlsen”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “C77”]
[WhiteElo “2708”]
[BlackElo “2810”]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. d3 Bd6 7. Nbd2 Be6 8. O-O O-O 9. b3 Nd7 10. Bb2 b5 11. d4 f6 12. h3 c5 13. d5 Bf7 14. a4 Nb6 15. c4 c6 16. Nh4 Re8 17. Nf5 Bf8 18. Qg4 Kh8 19. f4 exf4 20. Qxf4 bxc4 21. bxc4 cxd5 22. cxd5 Qb8 23. Qh4 Nxd5 24. Rab1 Qb4 25. Bc1 Qxa4 26. exd5 Qxh4 27. Nxh4 Bxd5 28. Ba3 Re3 29. Ra1 Rd3 30. Rfd1 a5 31. Nhf3 a4 32. Rdc1 Kg8 33. Kf2 c4 34. Bxf8 Kxf8 35. Nxc4 Rb3 36. Nfd2 Rb4 37. Ra3 Rc8 38. Rac3 Be6 39. Na3 Rd8 40. Nf3 Rb3 41. Rxb3 axb3 42. Rc6 Bd5 43. Rb6 Rc8 44. Nb5 Rc2+ 45. Kg3 h5 46. Nbd4 Ra2 47. Ne6+ Kf7 48. Nf4 Be4 49. Rb4 h4+ 50. Kg4 b2 51. Nd2 Ba8 52. Nc4 g5 53. Rxb2 Rxb2 54. Nxb2 gxf4 55. Kxf4 Bxg2 56. Kg4 f5+ 57. Kxf5 Bxh3+ 58. Kg5 Be6 59. Kxh4 {Game drawn} 1/2-1/2
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Brilliant Carlsen.
Hard fought draw! Very nice game indeed, of them both!
lol, brilliant?
I came into the game late, after the first set of rooks came off, and I thought Nakamura might have a winning position, but Carlsen found a way to force the exchange of the b-pawn in return for white’s extra piece. I don’t think Nakamura had any other options, either.
Before that end game, though, Nakamura was under heavy pressure. Nice fight from both players.
I saw only Carlsen under severe pressure, but he bailed out very smartly. White was playing for a win almost till the very end.
Fantastic endgame performance from Carlsen here. If he is not the best in this phase of the game already, he can’t be far from the top.
Was Nakamura under time pressure? (around the time of Carlsen’s …Ba8?)
Obviously, Carlsen had ways to create trouble for Nakamura, and he did.
Somehow, I thought white should have won.
I woild like Susan to comment on this game – there seems to be much to say.
Most of the commentary I have seen on this game suggests they thought Nakamura should have won. Most of the commentary thought this before the endgame arose- at the point where Carlsen had three pawns for the piece, so I guess they didn’t think, like I did, that Carlsen had enough material and initiative. I just disagree, but, then I am just an amateur.
I thought Nakamura played brilliantly to liquidate two of Carlsen’s pawns and gain what appeared to me to be a winning edge once the first pair of rooks came off. Most criticism of Nakamura I have seen was his 49. Rb4 allowing Carlsen to play 49…h4.
This forced the white king into a less than optimal position on the fourth rank, and away from the weak g-pawn, and this is what allowed Carlsen to draw- both knights were eventually threatened with pins along the fourth rank followed by loss in every variation I could see where white wins the last passed black pawn.
Read what Carlsen has to say about this game at the Corus site. He admits white had the upper hand all the time, turned down a draw offer at move 29 and just missed a win.