Magnus Carlsen – Richard Rapport
Grenke Chess Classic, 6. Runde, Karlsruhe, March 28, 2024, Modern Benoni
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.Sc3 exd5 6.cxd5 g6 (Modern Benoni was popularized by former world champion Michail Tal in the late 1950s. Ben-Oni is a Hebrew name that means “son of sorrow/suffering.” Black suffers from his unsound pawn structure, for which he often receives tactical counter-opportunities. ) 7.h3 Lg7 8.e4 OO 9.Le3!? (9.Bd3 is the main continuation.) 9…Te8 (At the zonal tournament in Dresden in 1998, Benoni specialist Lew Psachis won against Rustem Dautow with 9…Qe7!? After 10.Nd2 Nxe4 11.Ndxe4 f5 12.Nxd6 Qxd6, the black royal rook supported the advance of the f-pawn.) 10.Nd2 a6 11.a4 Nxe4! 12.Nxe4 f5 (The punch line: Black regains the piece and has eliminated the central e4 pawn.) 13.Le2! (The most accurate, because 13.Nc3? is answered with 13…f4!, after which Black is clearly better. However, after 13.Nxd6 Qxd6 14.Nc4 Qf6!, White can no longer prevent 15…f4.) 13…fxe4 14.Sc4 a5 15.Lf4 Lf8 16.Ta3! (This striking tower maneuver is also preferred by the computer engine.) 16…Sa6! 17.O-O Sb4 18.Dd2 b6! (Rapport also finds the strongest continuations.) 19.Tg3! (Carlsen’s idea culminates in this turn to the kingside. He wants to attack the king with 20.h4!) 19…Ta7! (The tower is needed to defend the monarch.) 20.h4 Rf7 21.Lg5 Le7 22.Lxe7 Qxe7 23.h5 (Carlsen had little desire for the double-edged sequence 23.Nxb6 Qxh4 24.Nxc8 e3! 25.Rxe3 Rxc8.) 23…Lf5 (23…Tg7) 24.Lg4 Lxg4 25.Txg4 Tg7? (This single mistake by Rapport has serious consequences. Instead, Black was able to defend himself with 25…Rf6 26.Re1 Qf7 27.hxg6 hxg6 28.Qh6 Rf8 29.Texe4 Nxd5.) 26.Te1! gxh5 27.Tgxe4 Dxe4 28.Txe4 Txe4 29.Sxd6 Te5 30.f4 Txd5 (Materially, Black is in a good position with two rooks for the queen, and now White also seems to lose the d6 knight, but…) 31.De2! +- (With this sidestep Carlsen threatens 32.Qe8#.) 31…h6 (The incorporated knight would get stuck in Rapport’s throat after 31…Rxd6?? 32.Qe8#…) 32.De6+ (32…Kh7 is followed by 33.Nf5!, and Black has to give up the rook to the knight with 33…Rxf5 34.Qxf5, because 33…Rg6 34.Qf7+ Kh8 35.Qxg6 with the loss of the rook would be even worse.) 1:0.
