“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
25.Rxf7?! [A carelessness. White should first have undermined Black's queenside pawn structure.]
[25.d6!! c6 (If 25...cxd6? , then 26.Rxf7 e4 27.Qxh5) 26.Rxf7 Nh8 27.Rxb7+ Kxb7 28.Qxh5 Qf6+ 29.Qf3 Rf8 (29...Qxd6?? 30.Qb3+ Kc7 31.Qxg8) 30.Qxf6 Rxf6+ 31.Kg2 Nf7 (31...Rxd6 32.Rxe5+–) 32.Nc4 Nxd6 33.Nxe5+–; 25.Re4 Qxd5 26.Nc4 Nf4 27.Kf1 a6 28.gxf4 Rxh4 29.b3 Qc5 30.Ne3„]
25...Rh6?? [25...Nh8 26.Qxh5 Nxf7 27.Qxh7² (27.Qxf7?? Rf8) ]
26.h5 Ne7 27.Rxe5 Nc8 28.Nc4 Nd6 29.Nxd6 Qxd6 30.Ref5 Qc5+ 31.Kg2 Qxc2+ 32.Kh3 a5 33.Rf8+? [With this exchange, the win becomes harder.]
[33.Qc3! Qxc3 34.bxc3 c6 35.c4 cxd5 36.cxd5+–]
33...Rxf8 34.Rxf8+ Ka7 [and a draw was agreed in this better position for White.]
[34...Ka7 35.Qe3+ Rb6 36.Qc3 Qxc3 37.bxc3±]½–½
[25.d6!! c6 (If 25...cxd6? , then 26.Rxf7 e4 27.Qxh5) 26.Rxf7 Nh8 27.Rxb7+ Kxb7 28.Qxh5 Qf6+ 29.Qf3 Rf8 (29...Qxd6?? 30.Qb3+ Kc7 31.Qxg8) 30.Qxf6 Rxf6+ 31.Kg2 Nf7 (31...Rxd6 32.Rxe5+–) 32.Nc4 Nxd6 33.Nxe5+–; 25.Re4 Qxd5 26.Nc4 Nf4 27.Kf1 a6 28.gxf4 Rxh4 29.b3 Qc5 30.Ne3„]
25...Rh6?? [25...Nh8 26.Qxh5 Nxf7 27.Qxh7² (27.Qxf7?? Rf8) ]
26.h5 Ne7 27.Rxe5 Nc8 28.Nc4 Nd6 29.Nxd6 Qxd6 30.Ref5 Qc5+ 31.Kg2 Qxc2+ 32.Kh3 a5 33.Rf8+? [With this exchange, the win becomes harder.]
[33.Qc3! Qxc3 34.bxc3 c6 35.c4 cxd5 36.cxd5+–]
33...Rxf8 34.Rxf8+ Ka7 [and a draw was agreed in this better position for White.]
[34...Ka7 35.Qe3+ Rb6 36.Qc3 Qxc3 37.bxc3±]½–½