Wesley So vs Fabiano Caruana, Petrov’s Defense (Russian Game, Petroff) C42, Millennium Attack
2018 US Chess Championship, Round 8, St. Louis, 04/26/18
Caruana has managed to create the new Berlin. His signature Petroff has become the nightmare of e4 players who face him. He can hardly ever lose a game because he is so well prepared and knows all the lines much more in depth that anyone else.
He was sharing 1st place at the US Championship after 7 rounds and he faced Wesley So in round 8. It’s understandable that he would be satisfied with a draw so it’s not surprising that he chose the Petroff – his strongest drawing (and often winning) weapon.
What’s remarkable about this specific game is that it was obvious he was choosing the lines he knew weren’t the best in order to force Wesley So into a position he is unfamiliar with and thus provoke a weakness. He managed to do that and Wesley’s opening advantage slowly disappeared. Caruana wasn’t much better at any point but his goal was accomplished. He drew comfortably without giving white an opportunity to even think of an attack.
Someone has to do something about the Petroff. Soon every player with black will have it in their repertoire against 1.e4.
Standings after round 8:
Samuel Shankland 5.5/8
Fabiano Caruana 5.5/8
Wesley So 5/8
Aleksandr Lenderman 4.5/8
Zviad Izoria 4/8
Yaroslav Zherebukh 4/8
Hikaru Nakamura 3.5/8
Jeffery Xiong 3.5/8
Varuzhan Eduardovich Akobian 3.5/8
Ray Robson 3.5/8
Awonder Liang 3/8 (+0 -2 =6) [games]
Alexander Vasilyevich Onischuk 2.5/8
Game moves:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Bd3 d5 6. O-O
Be7 7. Re1 Nd6 8. c3 O-O 9. Bc2 c6 10. d4 Bf5 11. Bf4 Bxc2
12. Qxc2 Na6 13. Nbd2 Nc7 14. Re2 Re8 15. Rae1 Bf8 16. Ne5 Qf6
17. Bg3 Qf5 18. Qxf5 Nxf5 19. Nd3 Nxg3 20. hxg3 f6 21. g4 Kf7
22. Nf3 Rxe2 23. Rxe2 Ne6 24. g3 a5 25. Kg2 a4 26. Re1 Re8
27. Rh1 h6 28. Re1 Nc7 29. Rxe8 Kxe8 30. Ng1 b6 31. b3 axb3
32. axb3 g5 33. Ne2 Kd7 34. Kf1 Ke6 35. f3 Nb5 36. Nb2 Bd6
37. Kf2 Bc7 38. Nd1 Nd6 39. Ne3 f5 40. gxf5+ Nxf5 41. Nxf5
Kxf5 42. g4+ Ke6 43. Ke3 b5 44. Kf2 Bd6 45. b4 Bf4 46. Nxf4+
gxf4 1/2-1/2