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1.c4e52.g3Nf63.Bg2h6This waiting move is not unknown. Black is waiting for White to define the positions of some of his pieces before defining his own.4.Nc3Bb45.e4Nc65...Bxc3right away is far more popular, and has been the choice of several top-GMs. Magnus has a completely different idea.6.bxc36.dxc3d66...d66.Nge2Bc5The bishop returns to c5 now that the dark squares have been weakened.7.d3d68.h38.0-0Bg4might be uncomfortable as another defender of the dark squares will be traded off.8...Nh7!? Already quite original play. Black is targeting the weakness left on h3 after an eventual 0-0, gaining a tempo in a long but useful manoeuvre. He also prepares a potential f5, though it does not happen in this game.8...0-09.0-0Be6was also perfectly possible.9.a3a610.0-0Ng511.Kh2Ne6The N lands in e6, cementing the control over d4 and becoming quite useful overall.12.f4Bd713.b4Ba714.Nd5Ned415.Nec3The position is very messy. White has more space everywhere but has a glaring weakness in d4. His king is safe for now, but the more he expands on the kingside the more vulnerable he becomes. Magnus tries to lure him into doing precisely that.Be616.f5Bd717.Rb1Nb8!?with the simple idea of playing c6. Black's pieces do seem awkward, but he has great control over the dark squares since he provoked f5.18.c518.Qg4Kf8!is very unclear. Notice how it is difficult for White to develop any sort of kingside initiative.18...dxc519.bxc5Bc8It seems like Black is playing completely aimlessly, but it's actually not so simple. If White's initiative doesn't take off NOW he will be pushed back in a few moves. The c5-pawn is quite vulnerable, his B on g2 is not participating in the game just yet and his structure is not great, not to mention he still has no control over d4. Kramnik MUST use these next few moves.20.Qh520.Qg4!Kf8 and again it is unclear why the Q is on g4, however there is a subtle point this time around.20...g5is a much stronger move.21.Qh5c6!22.Bxg5Qxg523.Nc7+!23.Qxg5hxg524.Nc7+Kd825.Nxa8Bxc526.Nb6Bxb627.Rxb6Nb5!traps the rook on b6.23...Ke7!23...Kd8?24.Qxf7Rg825.g4and the presence of the queens clearly favours White.24.Qxg5+hxg525.Nxa8Bxc526.Na4is plenty of compensation for Black because of his strong hold on the dark squares, but White is up the exchange.20...g6?21.Rxb7h522.Qg5Qxg522...Bxb723.Nf6+Ke724.fxg6+-23.Nxc7+Kd724.Nxa8+Bxb725.Bxg5Bxa826.fxg6+-21.Qh5Nd7?21...f622.Nxf6!+-Qxf622...gxf623.Bxh6+Rxh624.Qxh6+Kg825.Nd5Nd726.Qg6+Kh827.Qh5+Kg828.g4The idea of g5 is unstoppable, and the attack irresistible.c629.g5!A great piece sacrifice to finish Black off quickly.cxd530.exd5Qf831.d6+-and the passive bishop jumps into action with deadly consequences.23.Nd5Qf723...Qd824.f6is clearly crushing.24.Qxf7+Kxf725.Nxc7Bxc526.Nxa8+-and the N should make it back. Black still has some dark square control but an exchange and a pawn is an exchange and a pawn.21...Nbc622.f6g623.Bxh6+Ke824.Qxg6Anyways!fxg625.f7+Kd726.f8QRxf827.Rxf8Qxf828.Bxf8Ne629.Rf1!±and White has an extra pawn; although his bishop on g2 is relatively out of play, Black's pieces aren't that great either. Black might have some compensation but White holds the advantage.21...Bxc522.f6g623.Qxe5 is a big disadvantage of not being developed. With the centre being ripped open like this (Black will soon lose control over d4) his position becomes hopeless.22.f6and now g6 is not possible since Bxh6 is check.g623.Bxh6+Ke8and now Black would be ok after Qg5 Nxc5, but the bombshell is...24.Qxg6!and White should be just winning.20...Nd721.Na421.f6?g6is just pointless now.21.Bg5Qxg522.Qxg5hxg523.Nxc7+Kd824.Nxa8Bxc5gives Black a fantastic position for the sacrificed material. That is assuming that the N on a8 ever gets out without too many losses.21...c6!? The start of fantastic complications.21...Nf622.Qh4Nxd523.Qxd8+Kxd824.exd5Bd7∞looks quite good for Black, though White is not without chances in this position. Maybe a strange dynamic equality.22.Ndb622.Bg5was another possibility, but Black should come out on top after barely sacrificing the exchange.22...Nxc5You could say this is the critical point: if White takes on a8 Magnus will take the N on a4 and it is hard to believe the a8-N will ever be retrieved. Kramnik proves it is not as easy as that.23.f6g5Forced.24.Bxg5!?24.Nxc8Qxc825.Nxc5Bxc526.h4!?is very messy, but was probably better than the game continuation.Rg826...gxh4?!27.Qxe5+Ne628.Bh3hxg3+29.Kg2and it's hard to find a good move for Black.27.Bh3Ne628.Bb2Bd6and White has a lot of play for his pawn. Notice how important it is to have activated the white squared bishop in these lines. That's why I think this idea of 24. Nxc8 and an eventual h4 is stronger.24...Nxa425.Nxa825.Nxa4?!b526.Nc3Be6looks quite good for Black.25...b526.Be3Bb827.g4...with the idea of g5-g6. There are tons of possibilities for Black, let's look at some of them.Rg8!Personally I think this move is best. It calmly gives away a pawn, but controls the important g6-square, which means Magnus doesn't have to worry about the kingside being blasted open any time soon.27...c5!?28.g5Be629.g6fxg630.Qxg6+Bf731.Qg7Rg832.Qxh6Bd633.Bxd4exd4+34.e5Bxe5+35.Kh1Rxg236.Kxg2Qxa8+37.Kg1=With both kings so exposed, it is impossible to believe one side will win this. A perpetual is the most likely outcome.27...Be6trying to immediately trap the N on a8, quick action must be taken.28.g5Ba729.g6Qxa830.g7Rg831.Qxh6∞ Black will never rid himself of the strong passed pawns, but he dominates the rest of the board. I would prefer to be White but anything can happen.27...Nc5bringing the N back into action!28.g5Be629.g6?29.gxh6!Nd730.Qg5Nf8is again very difficult to asess.29...fxg630.Qxg6+Bf731.Qg7Rg832.Qxh6Nce6!and since the N is so active in this line, Black should be better. The centre is held nicely and the N on a8 is doomed.28.Qxh6Be629.Rbc1Kd7!Protects the rook on g8, the pawn on c6, threatens .. .Bxg4 and puts the K on a safer square!30.Bxd4exd4+31.e5Nc332.Rxc3 Absolutely forced.32.Qf4?Ba7and White is lost, as pointed out by Vlad during the postmortem.32...Bxe5+33.Kh1dxc334.Qe3Again, Black has options. 34...Bd6, Kd6 and the move played in the game all come to mind.Qb834...Bd635.Qa7+35.Nb6+Kc736.Na4!a fantastic resource!bxa4??36...Kb837.Nxc3Bc7and White's square weaknesses are starting to tell, since Black's king is rather safe. The game is still complex though.37.Qa7+Kc838.Qa8+Bb839.Qxa6+Kd740.Qxc6#35...Ke836.Qxa6Kf837.Qxc6Rh8 looks dangerous for White.34...Kd6!?Getting away from potential checks on a7 and defending the bishop. However the king might be a little over exposed.35.d4Bxf636.Qxc3Ke737.Qxc6Bxd438.Nc7Qd739.Qxd7+=35.Qc5?!Easy to attach a ?! when using an engine to analyse, but truth be told this move looks like the most obvious way to a draw.35.d4!?Bd636.d5cxd537.Nb6+Kd837...Kc6?38.Nxd5Bxd539.Qxc3++-38.Nxd5Bxd539.Bxd5∞with a very murky position. Any queen trade will transpose the game into an opposite coloured bishop endgame in which the chances for a draw are high.35...Qd636.Qa7+Kd837.Qxa637.Nb6Rg6 Black is simply threatening Rxf6, with a decisive advantage, so White has to do something quickly. It seems like he doesn't have enough resources.38.Qa8+Qb839.Qxc6Rxf640.Rxf6Bxf641.Nd5Bg7!41...Bd442.Nb4!The only fighting chance.42.Nxc3?Qg3-+and the attack is decisive.42...Qb642...Qg343.Qa8+Ke7?44.Nc6++-43.Qa8+Ke744.Nc6+Kd745.Nxd4Qxd446.Qxa6Qxd3and Black's king is too vulnerable to try to win, but obviously he is the only one with chances.42.Nxc3Qe543.Qb6+Qc7 Forcing the exchange of queens.44.Qxc7+Kxc7and Black is down a pawn, but he has dominating bishops and an active king, not to mention a soon to be passed pawn on the queenside. This looks very difficult to hold for White.37...Bd4!A nice move, which cuts off the coordination between the N and the Q, as well as creating Black's own threats on the K-side.38.Qa5+Kc839.Qa6+Kd840.Qa5+Kc841.Qa6+And... surprise! Magnus claims three-fold repetition in a position computers claim he is winning! A small explanation is required. A wild game and you cannot blame the players for being exhausted after so much calculation.41.Qa6+Kb842.Nb6The problem is that in this situation neither of the players considered the move ...Bc8. It does seem quite strange, but it beautifully prevents all of White's counterplay, leaving Black with a dominating position.Bc8Note that without this move, the game would simply end in a perpetual.43.Qa8+43.Nxc8Rxc844.a4b445.Qc4Qc5and computers think Magnus is winning, but that's not so obvious at a first glance.43...Kc744.Nxc844.Qa7+Bb7is the point45.Nd5+Qxd5 and Black wins.44...Rxc845.Qa5+Kb8White has now exhausted his resources. His position will collapse since he must now shift the focus on to protecting against the c-pawn.½–½