Carlsen grinds down Tata Steel opposition

Problem: White to play and mate in 3 (two solutions).

World number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway further underlined his dominance at the annual Tata Steel tournament at Wijk aan Zee, the Netherlands in January. Carlsen's winning score of 10/13 in the 14 player A section matched the record set by Garry Kasparov in the same event at his peak in 1999. He gained eleven rating points to extend his record highest FIDE rating to 2872.

It was at Wijk aan Zee that the reasons for Carlsen's remarkable results became clearer. His supreme self-confidence means he strives to squeeze the most out of every position, good, bad or equal. His relative youth and fitness at 21 enables him to withstand the sometimes grueling 7-hour plus games needed to nurse a tiny edge into a win. In the age of deep computer-assisted opening preparation, Carlsen does not waste energy trying to work out killer openings. He is content to get to a complex position, and start playing for a win from there - for example his use of the long neglected Ponziani opening in round 4. He was worse from the opening in several games at Wijk ann Zee, but managed to save every one, and even win a 92 move epic against Sergei Karjakin of Russia. That was my pick for game of the tournament, but for space considerations today's game is Carlsen's win from the twelfth round to ensure first place with a round to spare. Carlsen is playing with the white pieces against US number one, Hikaru Nakamura.

1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6
3.d4 cxd4
4.Nxd4 e5
5.Nb5 d6
The Kalashnikov variation of the Loewenthal Sicilian. Until the last couple of decades this move, intead of the traditional 5... a6, was thought to give White the advantage after either 6 c4 or 6 Bc4, locking down the d5 outpost. But practice has shown Black to have dynamic play in return. Typically Carlsen chooses a quieter line.
6.g3 h5!?
Further provocation. Nakamura is spoiling for a fight, though the idea of opening the h-file is valid.
7.N1c3 a6
8.Na3 b5
A previous game Nunn-Short 1990 went 8... h4!? 9 Bg2 h3 10 Bf1 b5, but the advanced h-pawn didn't cause White any problems, as he castled queenside.
9.Nd5 Nge7
10.Bg2 Bg4?!
11.f3 Be6
Black's plan was criticised by Carlsen after the game. Here 11... Bd7 would have preserved the option of Black's knight capturing on d5 without exd5 forking the bishop. On the previous move he thought 10... Nxd5 11 exd5 Ne7 was also better than the game continuation.
12.c3 h4
13.Nc2 Bxd5
14.exd5 Na5
15.f4 Nf5
Looking for kingside attacking chances. Carlsen preferred exchanging on the h-file by 15... hxg3 16 hxg3 Rxh1+ 17 Bxh1 Qd7 18 Bg2 exf4 19 Bxf4 Ng6 to “develop some pieces” but White seems much better here too.
16.g4! h3
17.Be4 Nh4
The check on h4 at least gives Black some practical chances after 17... Qh4+ 18 Kf1 Ne7 (18...Nh6 19 Rg1 leaves the knight nowhere to go).Now White's king is safe on the kingside and his other pieces are better placed than Black's.
18.0-0 g6
19.Kh1 Bg7
The aggressive 19... f5?! 20 Bd3 e4 21 Be2 would only weaken Black's position. White's knight eyes the outposts on d4 and e6, while an attack on Black's queenside with a2-a4 is threatened.
20.f5 gxf5
21.gxf5 Ng2?
Missing White's next. 21...Bf6 was necessary.
22.f6! Bf8
The exchange sacrifice 22... Rh4!? 23 Bg5 Rf4 24 Bxf4 Nxf4 doesn't help, as the white rooks have the g-file to attack down and b2-b3 shuts out the other black knight.
23.Qf3 Qc7
24.Nb4 Nb7
Emphasising Black's paralysis. He embarks on a maneouvre to recycle his knight to a good square as his other pieces have no good moves. Meanwhile White's pieces flood in for the kill.
25.Nc6 Nc5
26.Bf5 Nd7
27.Bg5 Rg8
28.Qh5 Nb6
29.Be6! ---
Threatening 30 Ne7 followed by 31 Qxf7.
29.--- Rxg5
30.Qxg5 fxe6
31.dxe6 Resigns
There is no defence to 32 f7+ winning the black queen.

1-0

Solution: a) 1 Rf7+! Nxf7 (1... Kg8 2 Rg7#) 2 Qxg6+! Kxg6 3 Be4# and b) 1 Qxg6+! Nxg6 (1... Kxg6 2 Be4#) 2 Rf7+ Kg8 3 Rg7#.