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1.c4e62.Nc3d53.d4Nf64.cxd5Nxd55.e4Nxc36.bxc3c57.Rb1Be78.Nf30-09.h4!?NAccording to Karjakin, this move was suggested by one of his seconds, Riazantsev, during their training before the tournament. It was not intended specially for Kramnik and he would have used it against anybody if given the occasion. Confronted with the opening surprise, but not under immediate threat, Kramnik reacted logically by increasing the pressure in the centre.cxd4Cs.B.: Let's see the differences if Black doesn't include the pawn exchnage and starts with9...Nc610.h510.d5?exd511.exd5Bf5!Giri started with the somewhat timid-looking10.Be2!?, whenb611.h5 h6 led to the same.One explanation I found for this order is that in case of10...Qa5!?White also has11.0-0!?, and the pawn isn't hanging on h5 after cxd4-cxd4.10...h611.Be2!?This little move has a lot of poison.The time hasn't arrived yet for11.Rh3?!due tocxd412.cxd412.Rg3?!Bd613.e5Nxe514.Bxh6Nd3+!15.Bxd3Bxg316.Bg5f617.Bc1Bd6/12...f5!, see Marin's comments below.11.Bb5is played usually, but followingcxd4=11...a612.cxd4a6!13.Bxc6bxc6The position is similar to Nepomniachtchi - Bacrot from the previous game. Indeed, Black held without any difficulties after14.Ne5Bd6!15.0-0c5=in Yu Yangyi - Radjabov, Batumi 201811...b6Now Black can grab the pawn under better circumstances, but his position remains hazardous.11...cxd412.cxd4Qa5+12...b613.Bd2Qxa214.Bc3!Qa315.Rb3Qd615...Qa2!?16.0-016.d5!exd517.exd5Nb818.0-0One nice point isNd7?!19.Qd4!Bf620.Bb4!±11...Qa512.Bd2!12.0-0Rd8∞and White has too many weak pawns.12...Qxa212...Rd8!?13.Ra1Qb214.d5!exd515.exd5Nb816.0-012.Rh3White's trademark rook lift in this line.12.Kf1!?12...cxd412...f5?!13.Rg3Kh8transposes to Giri - Wei Yi, as after13...fxe4?!14.Bxh6Rf715.Ng5Bxg516.Bxg5±, Black cannot take on d4.12...Bb7?!13.Rg3Kh814.Qd2!Black cannot allow g7 with a deadly outcome, but he is also worse after the uglyRg814...cxd4?!15.Rxg7!Kxg716.Qxh6+Kg817.Rb5!f618.Qg6+Kh819.Rf5‼+-15.d5exd516.exd5Na517.c4±12...Kh813.Rg3Black is already in an unpleasant spot and now he erred withf5?!due to14.Bb5!Bb715.d5exd516.exd5Na517.Ne5Kh718.Ng6Rf7White could have cemented his advantage in Giri - Wei Yi, Chess.com (rapid) 2020 with the already familiar19.Rb2!±The typical freeing break12...e5!?is playable, but not as effective here.13.Rg3Kh814.dxe513.cxd413.Rg3?Bd6!-+13...f5!It was now or never for Black.13...Kh8?14.Bxh6!gxh615.Qc1±13...Bb7?!14.Rg3Lei Tingjie - Zhu Jiner, Shaoxing (rapid) 2022Kh815.Kf1The knight isn't well placed on c6: it blocks the bishop's view and it cannot safeguard the kingside with 7-6.14.Rg314.exf5exf5∞Pantzar - Degenhard, Pardubice 202014...fxe4!14...Kh7?15.d5±15.Bxh6Rf7!15...exf3?16.Rxg7+Kh817.Qc2Rf518.Qxc6+-15...Bf6?16.Bxg7Bxg717.h6+-Black was completely lost in Ayats Llobera - Garcia Ramos, Barcelona 2023, although somehow he turned the game around.16.Ng5!Amazingly, the same position without the inclusion of 2 and b6 would be losing for White, but here Black doesn't have 5! Even though the position remains complicated, Black has to be more careful.Bxg517.Bxg5Qxd418.Be3!10.cxd4Nc6If10...b611.h5h6The most consequent continuation would be12.Rh3White does not seem to have the time to set up the battery along the b1-h7 diagonal:12.Bd3Nc613.Be3Bb712...Bb713.Rg3Kh814.Bd3Nd7Black has to deviate from the most active way of developing14...Nc6as after15.Qd2the threat g7 with a decisive attack more or less forces the passive and unappealingRg815.e5with reasonable attacking chances, while the black knight has no good squares.11.h5In a game played a few weeks later White deviated with11.Bc4e5?!11...b6!?12.d5Na513.Be2Bd6Van Wely,L (2663)-Bindrich,F (2598) Germany 2018 (½-½, 34)14.Bg5!?f615.Bd211...f5?!Karjakin did not expect this premature reaction in the centre, at a moment when Black is incompletely developed and with the threat h5-h6 in the air.11...h6looks safer. If12.Rh3Black could already consider the game plan as in the meanwhile he had stabilised the kingside at least:Cs.B.: Better is12.Be2!, transposing above.12...f512...e5?!allows a promising exchange sacrifice:13.d5Bxh314.dxc6followed by cxb7 soon.13.exf5Cs.B.:13.Rg3?!fxe414.Bxh6Rf715.Ne515.Ng5?Qa5+16.Qd2Qxd2+17.Kxd2gxh618.Nxf7+Kxf7-+15...Nxe516.dxe513...Qa5+14.Bd2Qxf515.Rb5e5with excelent counterplay.Cs.B.: It would be foolish to allow11...b6?12.h6, as White doesn't have to lose a tempo defending the e4 pawn, thanks to Black playing 6 before 7.g613.Bb5Bb714.0-0±Nikolov - Macon, Noisiel 2020Cs.B.: Apart from the natural 11...h6, Black's second-best move is11...Bb4+, but it seems to be a worse version of the 7...cxd4 8.cxd4 6 9.3 4 line, as Black has given the bishop check in two moves, while White has included the useful h5-h6.12.Bd2Even12.Rxb4!?is possibleNxb413.Bd2Nc614.h612...Bxd2+13.Qxd2h614.Bb514.Be212.exf5!The most principled answer.12.e5b6would offer Black chances to stabilise the centre.12...Qa5+13.Bd2Qxf514.Bc3h6It is clear now that Black's plan was premature. If he has to play this move anyway, it would have been better to start with it, of course.Against14...Qg4Karjakin was planning15.Be2!±The only move offering an advantage. WHite plans 1 and ifQxg2?16.Rg1Qh317.d5+-14...b6does not improve Black's development too much:15.Bd3Qf416.Qe2±and the weakness on e6 causes Black problems.14...Qe4+15.Be2e5!?15...b616.0-0Bb717.Re1±16.0-0exd417.Nxd4Nxd418.Qxd4Qxd419.Bxd4±The position has simplified but White's advance in development and kingside space advantage offer White the clearly better play.14...e5may still have been best, even though after15.Bc4+15.dxe5Qe4+16.Be2Be6offers Black rapid development and good compensation.15...Kh816.h6Black experiences problems along the long diagonal.15.Bd3Qg416.Kf1e5Not the best moment for this pawn break, but Black's position was difficult already.16...b617.Qe2Bd718.Rh3±17.d5!The best move, refuting Black's whole opening play. But things are turning exciting now.17.dxe5Be6once again offers Black reasonable play for the pawn.17...e417...Nd4?loses to18.Nxe5Qf418...Qxd1+19.Rxd1leaves Black passive, with a pawn less and a hanging knight.19.Bxd4+-Winning a piece and defending f2.Qxd4?!20.Bh7+!18.dxc6exf319.gxf3Rxf3?!Objectively insufficient but for practical reasons the best chance.If19...Qxf320.Qxf3Rxf321.Ke2Rxd322.Kxd3Bf5+23.Ke2bxc623...Bxb1?24.cxb7+-24.Rb7Re825.Kd1Black's weak seventh rank prevents him from proving compensation for the exchange.20.Be2After a basically aggressive plan, Karjakin starts playing defensively after having won material.But objectively20.cxb7could have ended the game quicker, needing just a bit of accurate calculating:Bxb721.Qb3+Kh822.Qxb7Raf823.Qxe7Rxf2+24.Ke1Due to the threat g7+ returning one of the bishops for repelling the attack, Black is left without resources.20...Rxf2+The only way of keeping the game on. Black's problem is that he has invested a lot of material already and his development is incomplete yet. Besides, he has to waste a tempo on ...bxc6. True, White's king is exposed, but with a rook up he should manage to protect His Majesty.After20...Rh3!?Karjakin indicated21.Rg1, the most convincing, but not only winning move.21.Kxf2Bc5+22.Kf1Qf4+23.Bf3bxc624.Be1‼Paradoxically, this seemingly passive move, releasing the pressure on g7, is the only winning continuation. The main idea is to cover the g-file with 3.24.Rb3Ba6+25.Kg2Qg5+26.Bg4Rd827.Qf3Bc4=with a probable draw by perpetual.24...Be6Karjakin called Kramnik's play in time trouble "creative".The idea behind White's last move is obvious after24...Ba6+25.Kg2Qg5+26.Bg3+-25.Bh4!?Defending d8, as Karjakin was not entirely sure about the line25.Kg2Qg5+26.Bg3Rd827.Qxd8+Qxd828.Rb8Bc829.Bg4Qg530.Rxc8+Kh7Actually31.Be6yields White a winning attack with extra material.25...Rf826.Kg2Kh8!?Another original move, preparing ...5. But with a rook down the slow mode is not likely to work.27.Rc127.Bg3was also strong.Qg528.Re1‼Karjakin suggested28.Qc1but Black saves the day withBd529.Rf1Rxf330.Rxf3Bxf3+31.Kxf3Qxh5+with a perpetual.28...Bd529.Re5!Bxf3+30.Qxf3Qd2+31.Qe2+-27...Rf528.Rc3Only not28.Bg3?Rg5-+28...Rd5!?Sacrificing even more material.Karjakin expected28...Bd429.Rxc629.Rd3is simpler from a practical point of view although somewhat passive.29...Rg5+30.Bxg5Qxg5+31.Kf1Bh3+32.Ke1Qg3+33.Kd2Qf4+34.Kc2Bf5+35.Kb3Qe3+36.Ka4and after the king has escaped White can convert his huge material advantage at his leisure.29.Bxd5Bxd5+30.Rf3Qg4+31.Bg3Bd632.Rh3!Another only move but an obvious one. White needs to defend g3.Be7This can be explained by the fact that a neutral move such as32...a5could be answered with33.Kh2!leaving the d6-bishop hanging.33.Qe2Be434.Qf2a535.a4!?In principle White's plan is based on recycling his rook via h1, but Karjakin did not want to check the result of the pawn race after35.Rh1Bc536.Rh4Qxh437.Bxh4Bxf238.Kxf2Bxf339.Kxf3g6(+-) His game move simply gains a tempo for this case.35...c536.Rh1The rest is simple.Bf637.Re1Bc638.Ree3c439.Qe2Qxh540.Qxc4Bd741.Rd31–0