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Annotated Games
Replay tournament games of Magnus Carlsen annotated by himself!
Select a game:
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Biel GM (7), Biel, 2006.07.31
Morozevich, Alexander - Carlsen, Magnus
<< < + > >>
Last move: - Next move: 1. e4
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d3 Nd7

Neither this nor my third move are the most common, but I had taken a look at them and I must say that on the whole I
like Black's position.

6. Bf4

!? This seems like a novelty, but it is also a logical one, preventing e5. Additionally, I guess it serves Moros style well.

6... g6

(6... e5 ? 7. Nxe5 Qf6 8. Nxd7 Qxb2 ? (8... Bxd7 9. Qc1 White has a moderate advantage) 9. Be5 ! White has a decisive
advantage)

7. Qc1

The logical follow-up.

7... Bg7

?! I decided to play a bit unusually as well for a change, but it will give me some problems. It was more in the spirit of the
position to play. (7... h6 {with good chances of obtaining a type of position like in the variation 3.. .g6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 and a
normal game.})

8. Bh6 Qa5

!

9. c3 Ne5

The point of my play. However, I had evaluated the arising type of position mistakenly.

10. Nxe5 Bxe5 11. Nd2 Qa6

Slightly strange and eventually the queen will feel uncomfortable here, but I wanted to avoid. (11... Be6 12. Nb3 Qb5 (12...
Qb6 13. Be3 Bxb3 14. axb3 White has a slight advantage) 13. c4 Qb6 14. Be3 { Probably without reason, as vermeiden.
Vermutlich grundlos, denn} Rd8 { gives me certain play for a pawn, even if probably not enough.})

12. Qc2 Be6 13. f4

(13. Nf3 Bc7 14. Ng5 O-O-O (14... Bd7 15. Qb3 White has a moderate advantage) 15. Nxe6 fxe6 { is ok for Black due to
the pressure on d3.})

13... Bc7 14. O-O f6

I felt that I had to provide my bishop with a square on f7 after a possible f4-f5.


15. c4

!

15... O-O-O 16. a4

! Here I finally realised what my oppenent was up to, but I still felt that the upcoming complications should be ok for me.

16... Rd7

Actually, this seems like the best chance, as (16... Ba5 17. Nb3 Bb4 18. a5 { is fairly cheerless, with the queen totally
out of play.})

17. a5 Rhd8 18. Ra3 Bxa5

!? A terribly risky move, not even the engines prefer this! However, I calculated the variations, and it seemed to me that
Black would eventually be fine.

19. f5

A good move, it is useful to include Bh6 in the game.

19... Bf7 20. fxg6

(20. Nb3 Rxd3 21. Nxc5 (21. Rxa5 {gives nothing:} Qxc4 22. Qxc4 Bxc4 23. Nxc5 Rd1 24. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 25. Kf2 b6 26.
Ra4 Bb5 27. Rxa7 bxc5 28. Rxe7 gxf5 29. exf5 Rf1+ 30. Kg3 Rxf5 31. Rxh7 Rh5 ! equal chances, quiet position) 21...
Bb6 (21... Qxc4 22. Qxc4 Bxc4 23. Nxd3 Bb6+ 24. Nf2 Bxf1 25. Kxf1 White has a moderate advantage) (21... Qb6 22.
Rxa5 (22. Rxd3 Rxd3 23. Qxd3 Qxc5+ White has sufficient compensation for material deficit) 22... R3d4 23. Qb3 (23.
Rfa1 Rxc4 24. Qf2 Qxa5 !)) 22. Rxa6 Bxc5+ 23. Kh1 bxa6 {with play similar to the game, although after} 24. b3 ! { White
probably has a slighlty better version, and he should maybe have gone for it.})

20... hxg6 21. e5 Be6

(21... Qb6 22. Rfa1 Bb4 23. Rxa7 {is not great for Black. Instead, the idea of Be6 is very clear: Put the bishop on f5 and
activity at any cost!})

22. exf6 exf6 23. Nb3

(23. Rxf6 Bf5 unclear position)

23... Rxd3 24. Nxc5 Bb6

(24... Qb6 25. Rxa5 Qxa5 26. Nxe6 White has a decisive advantage) (24... Qxc4 25. Qxc4 Bxc4 26. Nxd3 Bb6+ 27. Nf2
Bxf1 28. Kxf1 White has a decisive advantage)

25. Rxa6

(25. Rxd3 Bxc5+ 26. Kh1 Bd4 !? { I was actually more worried about Rxd3 than the game continuation, but I eventually
found this continuation, and even if I still was not too sure about it, it seemed to me that I would survive.} (26... Rxd3 { Is
the obvious continuation Die offensichtliche Fortsetzung.} 27. Qxd3 Bxc4 28. Qh3+ f5 29. Re1 unclear position {But my
king did not feel too safe here...}) 27. Rxd4 (27. b3 Bf5 Black has a slight advantage) 27... Rxd4 28. Qxg6 Qxc4 29. Qxf6
Rd8 unclear position)

25... Bxc5 26. Kh1 bxa6

During the game I was totally convinced that I was fine here, with my active pieces, however, White probably has a forced
continuation leading to a better game for him even if Black has counterchances.

27. Bg7

?? Too careless, and meeting a surprising refutation. (27. b4 ! Bb6 (27... Bxb4 28. Qa4) 28. Qe2 {I did not see this move,
which turns out to be quite strong, and the only which poses Black any problems.} Bf7 (28... Bf5 29. g4 !) (28... Bxc4 ?
29. Qg4+) 29. Qe4 (29. Bg7 f5 30. c5 Bc7 31. Bf6 R8d7 unclear position) 29... Kb7 30. b5 axb5 31. cxb5 Bd5 32. Qe7+
(32. bxc6+ Bxc6 33. Qxg6 Rd1 White has moderate counterplay) 32... Ka8 33. bxc6 Bxc6 34. Qxf6)

27... Bg4

! Surprisingly enough, after this there is no way to defend against Rd1.

28. b4

(28. h3 Rd1 29. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 30. Kh2 Bd6+ 31. g3 Bf3 ! Black has a decisive advantage) (28. Qa4 Rd1 !? 29. Qxc6+ Kb8
30. Qxf6 Rxf1+ 31. Qxf1 Rd1 Black has a decisive advantage)

28... Be3

(28... Bxb4 29. Qa4 Rd1 30. Qxc6+ Kb8 31. Rg1 {is amazingly enough not so clear.}) (28... Rd1 29. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 30.
Qxd1 Bxd1 31. bxc5 f5 {is probably won too, but more complicated.})

29. h3 Rd1 30. Rxd1 Rxd1 31. Kh2 Bf4 32. g3 Rd2

I had somehow overlooked that I could not play (32... Bf3 ?? 33. gxf4 { and the king gets the g3 square! But the game
continuation wins easily enough.} )

33. Qxd2 Bxd2 34. hxg4 Bxb4

?! Here I played too fast, right after I had made this move, I saw that I could have won much easier: (34... c5 35. bxc5
Bg5 36. Bf8 a5 37. c6 Bc1 { and White will have to give up the bishop for the a-pawn.})

35. Bxf6 a5 36. Kg2 Kd7 37. Kf3 Bd6

!

38. Ke4 Bxg3 39. Kd3 Ke6 40. Bd4 a6 41. Kc2 a4 42. Kb1 Be5 43. Bf2 Kd6 44. Ka2 Bc3 45. Ka3 Ke5 46. Kxa4 Kf4
47. Bb6 Kxg4 48. Ba5 Bxa5 49. Kxa5 Kf4 50. Kb6 a5 0-1
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