TAL ROUND 2

Nimzo-Indian again today, Sämisch E25 version, with mixed up order of f3/d5/c5/cxd5.
Carlsen is white, against Morozevich.

Will there be some definite results today?
Fighting draws is all very well, but I would love to see
a Carlsen win.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. dxc5 Qa5 9. e4 Nf6 10. Be3 O-O 11. Qb3
White half a pawn up.
Need to look into the f3-d5 interpolation, Kasparov played it against Llubojevic Linares 1990. Did Carlsen play this earlier? Check.




Moro has already used up 11 minutes on his next move. His choices
are retracting the Queen, e5, or three Knight moves.
He finally opted for 11...Na6, but it cost him 30 minutes.


I would like to see 12.Rd1, but I dare say Carlsen will play something totally different.



He opts for 12.Nh3

1.38 vs 1.30



11. Qb3 Na6 12. Nh3 Nd7 13. Bxa6 Qxa6 14. c4 Ne5 15. Rc1 Bd7 16. Qc3 f6 17. O-O Ba4

They now seem to know where they want to be going.
1.27 54mins




18.Nf4 Rfd8 19.Bd4 Ng6
1.09 vs 49 mins



After 21...f5

19... Ng6 20.Nxg6 hxg6 21.e5 f5 22.h4 Rd7 23.Rf2 Rad8 24.Rd2 Qc6 25.Kh2 Qc7 26.Qe3 Kf7 27.Kg3 Rh8 28.Qf4 Qd8 29.Rb1 Bc6 30.Rbb2



How many times have I seen Carlsen play an inappropriate h4?
For move 22 I would have preferred about seven other moves. Even 22.h3, when things might have turned out more favourably for White.


40 vs 22 mins

30.Rbb2 Qa5 31.Be3 Rxd2 32.Rxd2 Qxa3 33.Qd4 Rc8



27 vs 14 mins

Then a slip-up from Moro:

34. Rd1 Qa5? 35.Ra1 Qd8 36. QxQ ?? RxQ 37. Rxa7 ( too late) Rd3 38. Bg5

The state of equality over the past dozen or so moves, has now tipped into Carlsen's favour. He is not taking his time over the reply, although 35.Ra1 seems obvious.

Still Carlsen does this hasty switching round of moves, forsaking the more efficient move order. Has he been on the O.J. again? He is NOT in Zeitnot, so why the haste.

Moro tried to lure him into an unsafe Queen swap, and he fell for it.

38.Bg5 Rd4 39. Be3 DRAW

I feel slightly cheated here.