#1: <1 e4 d6 2 d4 Nf6 3 Nc3 e5> Trying to reach the Philidor Defense by 4 Nf3 Nbd7. <4 Nge2> More challenging is 4 dxe5 dxe5 5 Qxd8+ Kxd8 6 Bc4 or 6 Nf3. <4…Nbd7 5 g3 c6 6 Bg2 b5 7 a3> Carlsen needed to win this last-round game, but he has chosen a harmless formation. <Be7 8 0-0 0-0 9 h3 a5!?> Ambitious. Black could equalize with 9. . . a6 10 Be3 c5. <10 g4!? Ba6 11 Ng3> Also ambitious. Black has no worries after 11 Re1 b4 12 Nb1 c5. <11…b4 12 Nce2 bxa3?!> Both 12. . . d5 and 12. . . c5 are satisfactory. <13 Rxa3!> Welcoming 13. . . exd4 14 Nxd4! Bxf1 15 Nxc6 Qe8 16 Bxf1, with plenty for the exchange. <13…d5 14 Re3 dxe4> Reasonable, as is 14. . . Qc7 15 Re1 Rfe8. But 14. . . exd4? 15 Nxd4 Rc8 16 Rfe1 helps White, who refutes 16. . . dxe4 17 g5 Nd5 18 Rxe4 Bxg5? by 19 Bxg5 Qxg5 20 Rg4 Qd8 21 Ndf5 g6 22 Bxd5 cxd5 23 Ne7+. <15 Re1 Qc7 16 Nf5 Bd8?> Too awkward. Instead, 16. . . Rfe8 17 g5 Nd5 18 Rxe4 Bf8 should hold. <17 g5 Nd5 18 Rxe4 f6> Else White brings a Knight or Queen to h5, with threats against g7 or h7. <19 Neg3 g6> Pick your poison. Black has no chance after 19. . . fxg5 20 dxe5. 20 Nh6+ Kg7 21 dxe5 fxg5 Nor can Black survive 21. . . Nxe5 22 Qd4 Nd7 23 c4 N5b6 24 Bf4 or 21. . . f5 22 Rh4 f4 23 Ne4! Nxe5 24 Qd4. Finally, the plausible 21. . . fxe5 22 Ng4 Be7 runs into 23 c4 N5b6 24 b3, when even 24. . . Bb4 does not prevent 25 Bb2! Bxe1 26 Qxe1, with an unstoppable attack. <22 e6! Kxh6> If 22. . . N7f6, simply 23 Re5 picks up a pawn, as 23. . . Kxh6 24 Bxg5+ Kg7 would lose more to 25 Bxd5 Nxd5 26 e7 Bxe7 27 Rxe7+. <23 e7> Seeing 23. . . Bxe7 24 Rxe7 Nxe7 25 Rxe7 Rad8 26 Qd4!, threatening mate at g7 or h4. <23…Qb6 24 exf8=Q+ Nxf8 25 c4 Nf4 26 Qd6 Kg7> Or 26. . . Bc7 27 Nf5+ Kh5 28 Bf3+. <27 Bxf4 gxf4 28 Re7+!, 1-0.> It's mate after 28. . . Kh6 29 Qxf4+ or 28. . . Kg8 29 Qf6.

#2: <1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Bg5 e6 7 f4 Be7 8 Qf3 Qc7 9 0-0-0 Nbd7 10 g4 b5 11 Bxf6 gxf6> Much less popular than 11…Nxf6, although Fischer used it three times. <12 a3> Theory concentrates on 12 f5 Ne5 13 Qh3 0-0. <12…Bb7 13 h4 h6 14 Rh2 Nc5 15 Rhd2> Possibly threatening 16 Bxb5+ axb5 17 Ndxb5. <15…h5> Tempting is 15…Qa5 16 Kb1 b4 17 axb4 Qxb4 18 Bg2 Rb8, but 16 Nb3!? Nxb3+ 17 cxb3 b4 18 axb4 Qxb4 19 Bc4 sets up f4-f5. <16 g5 f5 17 Bd3 0-0-0 18 Qe3 fxe4 19 Bxe4> Inviting 19…Nxe4 20 Nxe4. White may shake Black's pawn structure by g5-g6 or f4-f5, and Rd2-d3-c3 is in the air. <19…d5> Prudent. <20 Bg2 Bd6 21 Rf2 Kb8 22 Kb1 Rhe8 23 Rff1> To avoid 23 Nce2 Ne4. <23…Nd7 24 Nce2?!> Allowing Black's Knight to reach c4. White's King would be safer after 24 Ka2 Nb6 25 b3 Qc5 26 Nb1, despite his loosening of the dark squares. <24…Nb6 25 Ng3 Nc4 26 Qf3 Rc8 27 Nxh5 Rh8> The Rook contributes to Black's attack by making 28…Nxb2 29 Kxb2 Rxh5 a threat. <28 c3> Now White can parry 28…Nxb2 29 Kxb2 Rxh5 30 Qxh5 Qxc3+ 31 Kb1 Bxa3 by 32 Qe2. Amazingly, Black has no follow up to 32…Rc4 33 Rf3! Rb4+ 35 Ka2 Rb2+ 36 Ka1. <28…Qa5 29 Rd3> Supporting his King, but Black strikes elsewhere. <29…e5! 30 fxe5> Too many pieces hang after 30 Nb3? Qa4 31 Qd1 e4. <30…Nxe5 31 Qf6 Qd8!> White gets more compensation from 31…Qc7 32 Nf4 Nxd3 33 Nxd3. <32 Nf4?!> White should eliminate more pawns by 32 Qxd8 Rcxd8 33 Nf4 Nxd3 34 Nxd3 Rxh4 35 Rxf7. Then 35…Rg4 36 Bf3 Rxg5 37 Ne6 Rg1+ 38 Kc2 Rdg8 39 Nef4 gives him fair prospects of drawing. <32…Qxf6 33 gxf6 Nxd3 34 Nxd3 Rcg8 35 Bf3> Useless is 35 Bh1 Rg6. Rh6 White's pawns are doomed if Black avoids traps like 35…Rxh4?? 36 Nf5. <36 Be2 Kc7 37 h5 Bc8 38 Kc1 Bg4 39 Bxg4> Or 39 Rg1 Bxe2. <39…Rxg4 40 Nb4> Black obtains a passed f-pawn from 40 Rf5 Rh4 41 Rxd5 R4xh5 42 Nf5 Rxf6, and neither 43 Nxd6 Rf1+! nor 43 Ne3 Rh2 will save White. <40…Bxb4 41 axb4 Rxh5 42 Rf2> Only momentarily preventing an invasion on his second rank. But 42 Re1 Re4 is no better. <42…Kd6 43 Kb1 Rhg5 44 Nf5+ Ke6 45 Nd4+ Kd7 46 Nb3 Rg2 47 Rf3 R5g3 48 Rf4 Rh3 49 Nc5+ Kd6 50 Rf1 Rhh2 51 Nd3 Rd2 52 Rf3> All tied up! One nudge will end it. <52…d4!, 0-1.> Every White pawn falls after 53 cxd4 Kd5 54 Kc1 Kxd4.