“Away with evil spirits, away with evil losses.” - Wesley So. Happy Diwali everyone from Kolkata.
Karjakin: "I don’t have any personal problems with Magnus, but clearly I want Fabiano to win the match. I just want to see some new faces and I want Magnus to have to win the Candidates tournament, which is actually very difficult. I am not sure if [he] would be able to qualify."
22...a5? [Missing the opportunity. Black could have weakened the enemy's pawn structure with:]
[22...Nxg3! 23.fxg3 a3! 24.bxa3 Ba5 25.Bd2 Bxd2 26.Qxd2 Rb8 27.h6 g6µ]
23.Ra2? [Chinese top GM Ding Liren also doesn't notice the point. He should have exchanged the knights himself.]
23...g6? [23...Nxg3! 24.fxg3 a3 25.bxa3 Be7 26.h6 g6µ]
24.Nh2 Kh8 25.Ne2 Ng7 26.Rh3 Be7? [26...Nxh5 27.f3 Nc5! 28.dxc5? (28.Ng4 Ne6 29.Ng3 f5 30.exf6 Nef4 31.Rh4 Qd6 32.Nxh5 Nxh5 33.Bh6 Rxf6=) 28...d4µ △d3]
27.f3 Nxh5 28.fxe4 dxe4+– 29.Bxa4 f6 30.exf6 Bxf6 31.Bxc6 Qxc6 32.Bh6 Rf7 33.Ng4 c3 34.Rxc3 Qe6 35.Nxf6 Nxf6 36.Rxa5 Ng4 37.Bf4 Rdf8 38.Qc1 e3 39.Rc7 Qe4 40.Rxf7 1–0
[22...Nxg3! 23.fxg3 a3! 24.bxa3 Ba5 25.Bd2 Bxd2 26.Qxd2 Rb8 27.h6 g6µ]
23.Ra2? [Chinese top GM Ding Liren also doesn't notice the point. He should have exchanged the knights himself.]
23...g6? [23...Nxg3! 24.fxg3 a3 25.bxa3 Be7 26.h6 g6µ]
24.Nh2 Kh8 25.Ne2 Ng7 26.Rh3 Be7? [26...Nxh5 27.f3 Nc5! 28.dxc5? (28.Ng4 Ne6 29.Ng3 f5 30.exf6 Nef4 31.Rh4 Qd6 32.Nxh5 Nxh5 33.Bh6 Rxf6=) 28...d4µ △d3]
27.f3 Nxh5 28.fxe4 dxe4+– 29.Bxa4 f6 30.exf6 Bxf6 31.Bxc6 Qxc6 32.Bh6 Rf7 33.Ng4 c3 34.Rxc3 Qe6 35.Nxf6 Nxf6 36.Rxa5 Ng4 37.Bf4 Rdf8 38.Qc1 e3 39.Rc7 Qe4 40.Rxf7 1–0