Campeonato del Mundo, Nueva York 2016
40...axb4 41.cxb4± … Both players have finished the time trouble stage and now have an extra hour of thinking time. Compared to a few moves back, White has now managed to increase his advantage and gain firm control over the position. Black's darksquares are very vulnerable and at the same time he has to think of ways to regain control over the f-file. 41...Cg8 [If 41...Cf5 White simply retreats his knight to b3 or f3, and the pressure becomes untenable in conjunction with a power rook on f6.] 42.Tf3 Ch6 43.a5 … Improving his position slowly but surely. Of course White avoids the repetition of moves! 43...Cf5 44.Cb3 Rc7 45.Cc5?! … Magnus starts to drift, probably because he has such a nice position. [White could have sealed the win with 45.Tc1 threatening b5. And if 45...Rb8 46.a6 if the b7-c6 pawn chain falls then the last of Black's bastions are fallen. 46...Tc7 47.Tfc3 A sample line of how the game can end: 47...bxa6 48.Txc6 Txc6 49.Txc6 Rb7 50.Ca5+ Ra7 51.Tc7+ Rb8 52.Tf7+- Seventh rank, active pieces, later on active king, White has all the Trumps that he needs. Black's position is crumbling.] 45...Rb8 46.Tb1 Ra7 Now there is no clean finish. However White is still clearly ahead. 47.Td3 Tc7 [Trying to counter with a punch is too slow 47...g5 48.hxg5 Txg5 After 49.b5+- Black cannot defend all his weaknesses (b7 and e6); 47...b6 can be met simply by 48.Ca4 (Or even better: 48.axb6+ Rxb6 49.Ta3 Ta7 50.Txa7 Rxa7 51.Rf3± when the White king is really fast.) ] 48.Ta3 Cd4 49.Td1 Cf5 50.Rh3 Ch6 51.f3 White has improved the position of his king in the past few moves and is now introducing the possibility of opening up the kingside with g4. Black can do nothing but sit and wait. 51...Tf7 52.Td4 Cf5 53.Td2 … [I like 53.Tf4 but then 53...Th7! preventing g4, leaves the White rook immobile on f4.] 53...Th7 54.Tb3 Tee7 55.Tdd3 … This is one of Magnus' favorite strategies. He likes to wait patiently for his opponent to crack while slowly improving his own position. This worked well for him today. [But objectively now is the time to strike. 55.b5! cxb5 56.Txb5 Black cannot hold on to his b7 and e6-pawn for long. Perhaps Black can try 56...Ce3 but then 57.Td3 Cc4 58.f4 gives White all the time he needs to improve his position. Black rooks are stuck defending pawns, which is never a good sign. Rooks are made for offense, not defense!] 55...Th8 56.Tb1 … (Again waiting for the right moment. Just wait, just wait... Patience is a virtue) 56...Thh7 57.b5! NOW! 57...cxb5 58.Txb5 … Compared to move 55, the only change is White rook is on d3. Notice the difference? Black does not have Ne3-c4 now and his position crumbles quickly. 58...d4 59.Tb6 Tc7 60.Cxe6 Tc3 61.Cf4 Thc7 62.Cd5! … Simplification makes White's job easier. The rule of thumb is that when you are ahead in material you aim for trades and exchanges. Like in soccer, 11 players vs 10 players is harder than 5 players vs 4 players, and a 3 vs 2 game is a piece of cake. Chess is no different. When you are ahead in material, exchanges usually mean less complications = cleaner win. [62.Txg6 Txd3 (62...Tc1 gives White a choice between five different moves that win.) 63.Cxd3 Tc3 64.Tf6 Ce3 65.Cf4 and White's win should be easy. Contrary to appearances there is never any mate on h1, as White can always free his king with g3-g4. Meanwhile White is two pawns up.] 62...Txd3 63.Cxc7 … Some people didn't understand it at first, however if you put this position in a super computer it just gives +- 5. 36, meaning White is more than five pawns up in a mathematical scale. LaRevista 120
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