Ng4

Howell, David W L
Carlsen, Magnus
Chess Classic (3)
London ENG
2009.12.10
1/2-1/2
Annotations by Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition
Auto-Annotator. 10 seconds per move. White
Black Book Move 5 5 Leave Book 1 0 CMX
Agrees 68 68 CMX Disagrees 6 5 Agreement Pct.
92% 93% Total Error 6.89 6.04 Relevant Error 6.89
6.04 Missed Mate 0 0 Moved Into Mate 0 0

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10. b3 = Toga II 1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder,

with score change from/to: +0.43 / +0.04
10.Ne4 Nxe3+ 11.fxe3 a5 12.Bb5
Na6 13.Bxa6 Rxa6 14.Kc2 f5
15.Nd6
Bxd6 16.cxd6 Rxd6
17.Rad1 Rfd8 18.c4 b6 =
10...Nxe3+ Checks Whites king. 11.fxe3 Removes the threat on Whites king. White wins
a knight for a bishop. 11...Nd7 12.c6 Threat-

1.e4 B00 Kings Pawn Opening. The Kings Pawn

opening move is both popular and logical. It controls the center, opens lines for both the Queen and
the Bishop, and usually leads to an open game in
which tactics, rather than slow maneuvering, predominates. 1...c5 B20 Sicilian Defense. The Sicilian Defense has an ancient lineage. It creates an
unbalanced position in which both sides have full
rein for play, and allows Black to call the shots at
least to some extent. 2.c3 B20 Sicilian Defense /
Alapin Variation. The Alapin Variation, sometimes
called the c3-Sicilian. Unlike Open Sicilian positions, White wants to maintain two center pawns,
playing d2-d4 and recapturing with the c-pawn after c5xd4. 2...d5 B20 Sicilian Defense / Alapin
Variation. 3.exd5 B20 Sicilian Defense / Alapin
Variation. 3... xd5 B20 Sicilian Defense / Alapin
Variation. 4.d4 B20 Sicilian Defense / Alapin Variation. 4... f6 B20 Sicilian Defense / Alapin Variation. 5. f3 B20 Sicilian Defense / Alapin Variation. 5...e6 B20 Sicilian Defense / Alapin Variation
(transposed). 6. e3 Out of Opening Book. Na3
would have been in the Sicilian Defense / Alapin
Variation opening line. 6... e7 Clears the way for
a kingside castle. Last book move 7.dxc5 xd1+
Pins Whites knight at b1 and checks Whites king.
8. xd1 Forced. Frees the pin on Whites knight
at b1. White wins a queen and a pawn for a
queen. White is up a pawn. 8...OO 9. bd2

N
N

ens Blacks knight. 12...bxc6 Removes the threat

on Blacks knight. Black wins a pawn. Material is even. 13. a5 Threatens Blacks pawn
at c6. 13... c5 Attacks Whites pawn at e3.
14. d4 Protects Whites pawn at e3. 14... f6
15. c4 g4 Attacks Whites pawn at e3. 16. e2
Removes the threat on Whites pawn at e3.
16...e5

N
B N

N
K

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Attacks Whites knight at d4. 17. c2 = Moves it

to safety. Toga II 1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder,
with score change from/to: -0.16 / -0.40

17.Ndxc6 Nxe3 18.b4 Nxc4 19.Nxc4

Ba6 20.bxc5 Bxc4+ 21.Ke3 Rfe8
22.Rhd1 Rac8 23.Rd6 Bb5 24.Nxa7
Rxc5 25.Nxb5 Rxb5 =
17...Bf5 Threatens Whites knight at c2. 18.h3
Threatens Blacks knight. 18...Nf6 Moves it to
safety and frees Blacks pawn at f7 from the pin.
19.Nb4

Slightly better is Rac8.

22.b4 = Toga II
1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change
from/to: +0.09 / -0.30

R
N B R
R
B K R
B N R
B R
R
22...Rac8 23.b5 Bxa5 Partially pins Whites
knight at c6 and threatens Whites pawn at c3.
24.Nxa5 Protects Whites pawn at c3. White
wins a bishop for a knight. White is up a pawn.
24...Rc5 Pins Whites pawn at b5. 25.a4 Rec8
26.Bd3 Bxd3+ Checks Whites king. 27.Kxd3
Protects Whites pawn at c3. 27...Rxc3+ Checks
Whites king. Black wins a bishop and a pawn
for a bishop. Material is even. 28.Ke2 Moves
it out of check. 28...Rc2+ Checks Whites king.
29.Kf3 Moves it out of check. 29...e4+ Checks
Whites king. 30.Kf4 Moves it out of check.
30...R8c5 Pins Whites pawn at b5. 31.Nc6
22.g4 ac8 23.g5 h5 24. b5 e6
25. ad1 a6 26. a4
f8 27. g4
xc6 28. xc6 cxc6 29. xc6 xc6
30. d7 =

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Frees the pin on Whites pawn at b5 and threatens Blacks pawn at a7. 31...g5+ Removes the
threat on Blacks pawn at a7 and checks Whites
king. 32. g3 Forced. Moves it out of check and
threatens Blacks pawn at a7. 32... 5c3 Attacks
Whites pawn at e3. 33. e7+ Removes the threat
on Whites pawn at e3 and checks Blacks king.
33... f8 Moves it out of check and forks Whites
knight and Whites pawn at e3. 34. f5 Moves it
to safety and removes the threat on Whites pawn
at e3. 34... d5

Moves it out of immediate danger. 19... e4 =

Pins Whites pawn at g2, protects Blacks pawn at
c6, attacks Whites pawn at g2, and blocks Whites
pawn at e3. Toga II 1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder,
with score change from/to: -0.60 / -0.30

K R

19... xb4 20.cxb4 e4 21. f2 fb8

22.a3 c5 23.b5 a6 24.a4 axb5 25.axb5
d8 26. c6 d2+ 27. e2 =
+

R N R
B
20.Nbxc6 Attacks Blacks pawn at e5 and creates a passed pawn on c3.
White wins a
pawn. 20...Rfe8 Protects Blacks pawn at e5.
21.Rhg1 Frees Whites pawn at g2 from the pin
and removes the threat on Whites pawn at g2.
21...Bb6

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35. ge1?! Leads to 35...Nf4 36.Kg4 Rxg2+

37.Ng3 Nd3 38.Rg1 Nf2+ 39.Kf5 Rxg1 40.Rxg1
Rxe3 41.Rg2 Rf3+ 42.Kxg5 Nxh3+ 43.Kh4 Nf4
44.Rd2, which wins a rook and a pawn for a
rook and three pawns. Better is a5, leading to
35...Nxe3 36.Nxe3 Rxe3+ 37.Kh2 Ree2 38.Rae1
2

Rf2 39.Rxe4 Ra2 40.a6 f5 41.Re5 Rab2, which

wins a knight and a pawn for a knight and a pawn.
Toga II 1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score
change from/to: -0.45 / -1.88

does not result in any captures. Better is Rf1, leading to 48.Rxe4 Kf7 49.Kg3 Rg1+ 50.Kf3 Rgg2
51.Kf4 Rgf2+ 52.Nf3 Ra5 53.Kg3, which loses a
pawn. 48. c7

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R R K
R R R R
R
R
R R
35...Nf4 Threatens mate (rook at c2 captures
pawn) and pins Whites pawn at e3. 36.Rg1
Ne2+ Forks Whites rook at g1 and Whites
king. 37.Kg4 Moves it out of check, attacks
Blacks pawn at g5, and blocks Blacks pawn at
g5. 37...Nxg1 Threatens Whites pawn at g2.
38.Rxg1 Removes the threat on Whites pawn at
35. ad1 d3 36. g4 f6 37.h4 gxh4
38. c1 a2 39. c4 da3 40. xe4
xa4 41. d4 xd4+ 42.exd4 =

g2. Black wins the exchange (Rook for Knight).

38...f6 Protects Blacks pawn at g5. 39.h4 gxh4
Isolates Whites pawn at g2. 40. xh4 White
wins a pawn for a pawn. 40... a3 Threatens
Whites pawn at a4. 41.g4 xa4 Isolates Whites
pawn at b5. Black wins a pawn. 42. d1
Seizes the open file. 42... aa2 43. d7 Threatens
Blacks pawn at h7. 43... h2+ Protects Blacks
pawn at h7 and checks Whites king. 44. g3
Forced. Moves it out of check. 44... hg2+
Checks Whites king. 45. h3 Moves it out of
check and threatens Blacks pawn at h7. 45... gf2
46. d4

R
R
R

K
R
R

Leads to 48...Rh2+ 49.Kg3 h5 50.Ne6+ Kg8 51.g5

fxg5 52.Rc8+ Kf7 53.Nxg5+ Kg6 54.Nxe4 Kf5
55.Kf3 h4, which wins two pawns for a pawn. Better is Rd7. This was whites most significant mistake, but white was still able to manage a draw.
48... e8 =
+ Toga II 1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change from/to: -1.77 / -1.44

K
R
R

R K h6 50.Ne6+ Kg8
N R
Kh3 Rh1+ 53.Kg3
R
K Re1 55.Nf5 Kf8
R K Rc7+ Ke6 58.Rc6+
K R
49.Kg3 Rf1 50.Rxh7 White wins a pawn.
50...Ra3
48... f1 49. g3
51. d4 g1+ 52.
f1 54. h3
56. c8+ f7 57.
d5 59. xf6

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46... g8 Slightly better is Ra3. Toga II

1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change
from/to: -1.96 / -1.66

R K R K R
N R
K R
K
R
K
R
N R R R
K
47.Re7 Threatens Blacks pawn at e4. 47...Kf8
46... f1 47. g3 a3 48. g2 fa1
49. f5 3a2+ 50. g3 g1+ 51. h3
h1+ 52. g3 h5 53.gxh5
xh5
54. d4 h1 55. c7 g1+ 56. f4

Attacks Whites pawn at e3. 51. g2?! Slightly

better is Nf5. Toga II 1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change from/to: -1.37 / -2.66

Hangs the pawn at h7. Leads to 48.Rd7, which

3

51.Nf5 Rf3+ 52.Kg2 Ra2+ 53.Kg1

Kd8 54.Rf7 Ra5 55.Rf8+ Kd7
56.Rxf6 Rxb5 57.Rf7+ Ke6
58.Rxa7 Rb1+ 59.Kg2 Rb2+
60.Kg1 =
+
51...Rd1

52... d7?? =
+ Leads to 53.Ng7+ Kf7 54.Nh5+
Ke6 55.Rxd7 Kxd7 56.Nxf6+ Ke6 57.Nxe4 Rxe3
58.Nc5+ Kd6 59.Nb7+ Kd5 60.Na5 Re2+ 61.Kf3
Re7, which wins a rook and a pawn for a rook
and two pawns. Better is Ra2+, leading to 53.Kg3
Rg1+ 54.Kf4 Rf2+ 55.Kxe4 Rxg4+ 56.Kd5 Rxf5+
57.Ke6 Re5+ 58.Kxf6 Rxe3 59.Rxa7 Rb4 60.Rb7
Reb3 61.Ke6 Rxb5 62.Rc7, which wins a knight
and three pawns for three pawns. Black could not
hold on to a won game. This blunder let white
back into the game and eventually draw. Toga II
1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change
from/to: -4.47 / -0.90

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Moves
+

it

to

safety.

R
K R
K
R
K R
K
R
K R
K R
R R R R R
K R K R K

52... a2+ 53. g3

g1+ 54. f4
f2+ 55. xe4
xg4+ 56. d5
xf5+ 57. e6 e5+ 58. xf6 xb5
59. xa7
e4 60. a3
c4 61. a6
d7 62. a7+
d6 63. a6+
d5
+

Nf5?

K R

53. h8+ Slightly better is Ng7+.

53... f7
Forced. Moves it out of check. 54. g3 b3 Attacks Whites pawn at b5. 55. f4 Attacks Blacks
pawn at e4. 55... b1 56. xe4

52.

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Leads to 52...Ra2+ 53.Kg3 Rg1+ 54.Kf4 Rf2+

55.Kxe4 Rxg4+ 56.Kd5 Rxf5+ 57.Ke6 Re5+
58.Kxf6 Rxe3 59.Rxa7 Rb4 60.Rb7 Reb3 61.Ke6
Rxb5 62.Rc7, which wins three pawns for a
knight and three pawns. Better is Nc6, leading
to 52...Rxe3 53.Kf2 Rc3 54.Re7+ Kf8 55.Rxe4
Rd2+ 56.Ke1 Rb2 57.Rd4 Rc1+ 58.Rd1 Rxd1+
59.Kxd1 Rxb5 60.Nxa7 Rc5, which wins a rook
and two pawns for a rook and two pawns. Toga II
1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change
from/to: -2.66 / -4.47

Isolates Blacks pawn at f6. White wins a pawn.

56... f1?! = Slightly better is Kg6. Toga II
1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change
from/to: -0.71 / -0.09

K
R K
R
R
K K R K
R R R R K
K N K R K
57.Rh7+ Skewers Blacks king and checks
56... g6 57. g8+
h7 58. f8
b4+ 59. f3
g6 60. g8+
f7
61. h8
c4 62. h1
c3 63. f4
e6 64. d4+ d5 65. h5+ d6 =
+

52.Nc6 Rxe3 53.Kf2 Rf3+ 54.Ke2

Rd7 55.Rh4 Kf8 56.g5 fxg5 57.Rxe4
Rf6 58.Nd4 Kf7 59.Nc6

59...

Blacks king. 57... e6

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Moves it out of check and attacks Whites rook.

58. h8?! =
+

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Moves
=
+

it

out

of

check.

Rd8+?!

60.

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Slightly better is Ng7+. Toga II 1.2.1: Analysis

reports blunder, with score change from/to: -0.09 /
-0.69
58.Ng7+ Ke7 59.Nf5+ Kd8 60.Rh8+
Kc7 61.Rf8 Rg1 62.Kf4 Kb6
63.Rxf6+ Kxb5 64.g5 a5 65.Nd4+
Kb4 66.Nc6+ Kc3 67.Nxa5 Rd5
68.Nc6 Rdxg5 69.Ne5 =
58...Rc7?! = Seizes the open file. Toga II

Checks Blacks king. Toga II 1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change from/to: -0.06 /
-0.66

1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change

from/to: -0.69 / -0.09

R K K R R
K K N K R
K
R K
K R
R R
59.Nd4+
Checks
Blacks

Kd6

58... g1 59. f4 d5 60. f8 f1+

61. g3 e6 62. d4+ e7 63. h8
d6 64. h6
c5 65. g2
e1
66. xf6 xe3 =
+

R
K K
R
R K
R R
K R R K K
R
R R

60.b6
e7+ 61. d3
c5 62.bxa7
xa7 63. c8+
b6 64. f8
g7
65. e2 g1 66. xf6+ b7 67. d3
1xg4 68. f8 c7 =

king.
5

Rg1 67.Kd3 Rb7 =68.Rc4+ Ka5

69.Rc6 Rf1 70.Kd2 +
62.Rd8+ Removes the threat on Whites
pawn at g4 and checks Blacks king.
62...Rd7

60... d7?! =

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Removes the threat on Blacks king and attacks

Whites rook. Toga II 1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change from/to: -0.66 / -0.12

Ke7 61.Ra8 Rb1 62.Nc6+ Kd6

Rf8 Ke6 64.Ra8 Rc1 65.Nd4+
K 66.=Nc6 Rc4+ 67.Kf3 Ra4
Rh8 +
61.Rc8 =
+
60...
63.
f7
68.

Removes the threat on Blacks king and attacks

Whites rook. 63. c8 =
+ Moves it to safety. Toga II
1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change
from/to: -0.08 / -0.58

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K
R
N
R K

R R Kf4
K
N Kb4
K N Rd5
N R
Ne5

63. f5+
c7 64. f8
g1 65.
b6 66. xf6+ xb5 67. d4+
68.g5 a5 69. c6+ c3 70. xa5
71. c6+ b4 72. c4 dxg5 73.
g7 =

R
63...Re7+ Checks Whites king. 64.Kd3 Moves
it out of check. 64...Rc7

61.Nf5+ Kc7 62.Rf8 Rg1 63.Kf4

Kb6 64.Rxf6+ Kxb5 65.Nd4+ Kb4
66.g5 a5 67.Nc6+ Kb5 68.Nd4+ Kc4
69.Nc6 Rd5 70.Ne5+ Rxe5 71.Kxe5
Rxg5+ 72.Kf4 Rg7 73.Rc6+ Kd5 =
61...Rg7 = Threatens Whites pawn at g4. Toga II

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R R R R K
R K K R
K

Attacks Whites rook. 65. d8+ =

+ Moves it
to safety and checks Blacks king. Toga II
1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change
from/to: -0.38 / -0.63

Moves it to safety. Toga II 1.2.1: Analysis reports

blunder, with score change from/to: -0.12 / -0.61

1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change

from/to: -0.61 / -0.33
61... c7 62. e8 f7 63. e6+ c5
64. c6+ b4 65. d3 d1+ 66. e2
6

65.Re8 Kd7 66.Rh8 Rd1+ 67.Ke4

Rg1 68.Kf5 Rf1+ 69.Ke4 Rf2
70.Kd5 Rd2 71.e4 Ke7 72.Rh7+
Kd8 =
65...Rd7 Protects Blacks king and threatens
Whites rook.
66.Rg8 Moves it to safety.
66...Rg1 67.Ke2 Kc5 68.Kf2 Threatens Blacks
rook at g1. 68...Rb1 Moves it to safety. 69.Rf8
Attacks Blacks pawn at f6. 69...Rd6 Protects
Blacks pawn at f6. 70.Rf7 Threatens Blacks
pawn at a7. 70...Rb2+ Removes the threat on
Blacks pawn at a7 and checks Whites king.
71.Kf3 Moves it out of check and threatens
Blacks pawn at a7. 71...Ra2

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Protects Blacks pawn at a7. 72. e4 =

+ Toga II
1.2.1: Analysis reports blunder, with score change
from/to: -0.32 / -0.58

72.Nf5 Rb6 73.Nd4 Kd5 74.Rd7+

Ke5 75.Nc6+ Ke6 76.Re7+ Kd6
77.Rf7 Rxb5 78.Rxf6+ Kc5 79.g5
Rb7 80.Ke4 Rd2 =
72...Kb6 Blocks Whites pawn at b5. 73.Rf8
Rg2 Threatens Whites pawn at g4. 74.Kf3 Removes the threat on Whites pawn at g4 and threatens Blacks rook at g2. 74...Rh2 Moves it to
safety. 75.Rb8+ Checks Blacks king. 75...Kc7
Moves it out of check and threatens Whites rook.
76.Ra8 Moves it to safety and attacks Blacks
pawn at a7. 76...Kb7 Protects Blacks pawn at
a7 and attacks Whites rook. 77.Rf8 Moves it to
safety. 77...Rh7 78.Kf4 Rh1 79.Kf3 The game
ends in a draw.
79.Kf3 13:-0.66 79...Rc1 80.Kf4 Rc7
81.Nf5 Rc4+ 82.Nd4 Rc1 83.Ke4
Kb6 84.Kf5 Rc5+ 85.Kf4 Rc4
86.Rh8 Rd7
1/2-1/2