World Championship (Game Eight)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 {Another Petroff. In game 4 Magnus played 3.Nxe5.} 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 d5 5. Nxe5 Nd7 {We could be heading the four Knightless variation.} 6. Nxd7 Bxd7 7. Nd2 Nxd2 8. Bxd2 {And there it is. No Knights.} 8... Bd6 9. O-O h5 {Not a silly as it looks, White may have, and you can do this, castled too early.} 10. Qe1+ {Carlsen spent a long time on this. The idea is to get that d6 Bishop off the board.} 10... Kf8 {The King was always going to here, even after Re1+} 11. Bb4 {That d6 Bishop hitting h2 was just too big a threat to ignore.} 11... Qe7 12. Bxd6 Qxd6 13. Qd2 Re8 14. Rae1 Rh6 {The Rook sneaks into the game via h6 I was liking this till I saw....} 15. Qg5 {Trust Carlsen to play the one move that makes it look wrong...how lucky is that?} 15... c6 {Setting up a safe pawn structure to offer an OTB draw.} 16. Rxe8+ Bxe8 17. Re1 Qf6 {Not being allowed to offer a verbal draw before move 40 but this is just as good.} 18. Qe3 {Carlsen declines the offer perhaps sensing that with the h5 ideas gone Nepo is not too happy.} 18... Bd7 19. h3 h4 20. c4 {Carlsen is willing to take an IQP for the better piece activity.} 20... dxc4 21. Bxc4 b5 {A bad rushed move. Nepo has not forgotten to 'Check All Checks'...} 22. Qa3+ {...he has simply overlooked this one.} 22... Kg8 {Black could not play 22..Qd6 and bxc4 because 24.Qa8+ mates Black.} 23. Qxa7 {And Carlsen is a safe pawn up still with the better piece position.} 23... Qd8 {Black could not desperado the Bishop with Bxh3 and bxc4. due to 23...Bxh3 24.Qxf7+} 24. Bb3 Rd6 25. Re4 {This looks very grim for Black. He decides, which I too thought was the best plan...} 25... Be6 {...to go into a Queen ending with a very slim chance of a perpetual due to the h4 pawn.} 26. Bxe6 Rxe6 27. Rxe6 fxe6 28. Qc5 Qa5 29. Qxc6 Qe1+ 30. Kh2 Qxf2 31. Qxe6+ Kh7 32. Qe4+ {Of course Magnus is not going to allow the perpetual check} 32... Kg8 33. b3 Qxa2 34. Qe8+ Kh7 35. Qxb5 Qf2 36. Qe5 Qb2 37. Qe4+ Kg8 38. Qd3 Qf2 39. Qc3 {Cover e1 and c1 and getting ready to start pushing the pawns.} 39... Qf4+ 40. Kg1 Kh7 41. Qd3+ g6 42. Qd1 Qe3+ 43. Kh1 g5 {It's quite hopeless for Black but a wee demonstration before resigning is permissible.} 44. d5 g4 45. hxg4 h3 46. Qf3 {Nepo resigned Carlsen leads 2-0 with 6 games left.}