When rival bishops face off on the same diagonal, it looks like strategy. But there’s a lot of hidden tactics.
Magnus Carlsen White
Fabiano Caruana Black
Bilbao 2012
Sicilian Defense B40
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 e6 3 g3 b6 4 ♗g2 ♗b7 5 ♕e2 d6 6 d4 cxd4 7 ♘xd4 ♘f6 8 0-0
Now on 8...♗e7 White might play 9 e5, with the idea of 9...dxe5? 10 ♗xb7, winning material.
But Black can improve with 9...♗xg2! and then 10 exf6 ♗xf1!.
Material would be roughly equal after 11 fxe7 ♗xe2 12 exd8(♕)+ ♔xd8 13 ♘xe2.
8...♘bd7 9 ♖d1
White seems intent on attacking the d6-pawn with 10 ♘b5.
9...a6?
10 e5! ♗xg2?
Black lasts longer after 10...dxe5 11 ♗xb7 exd4 12 ♗xa8 ♕xa8 13 ♖xd4 but is still lost. Worse is 11...♖b8?? 12 ♘c6!.
11 exf6
White threatens the g2-bishop – but also 12 ♘xe6! fxe6 13 ♕xe6+ ♗e7 14 fxg7!. And 11...♗d5 walks into 12 c4.
11...♗h3 12 ♕h5!
The bishop on h3 is trapped because 12...♗f5 13 ♘xf5 exf5 invites 14 ♖e1+!.
Question 22: How does 13...g6 fail?
12...♕xf6 13 ♕xh3 ♗e7 14 ♘c3 ♕g6 15 ♘c6! ♘e5 16 ♘xe7 ♔xe7 17 ♗f4! resigns.
Vladimir Makarov White
Vladimir Meleshkov Black
Ilyichevsk 2000
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 e6 3 d4 cxd4 4 ♘xd4 a6 5 g3 ♕c7 6 ♗g2 b5 7 0-0 ♗b7 8 ♘c3 ♘f6 9 ♖e1 ♘c6? 10 e5! ♘g8 11 ♗f4 ♗c5 12 ♘b3 ♗b4 13 ♕g4 g6 14 a4 bxa4 15 ♖xa4 ♗f8 16 ♘d2! ♘h6 17 ♕d1 ♗g7 18 ♘de4! ♘f5 19 g4 ♘fe7 20 ♘d6+ ♔f8 and now 21 ♕f3 and the threat of 22 ♗h6 is strong. For example, 21…♘c8 22 ♘d5! exd5 23 ♘xf7 ♔xf7 24 e6+.