1. c2c4  1... c7c5  2. g1f3  2... g8f6  3. b1c3  3... b8c6  4. e2e3  4... e7e5 One of the most critical moves, but Black has other popular options. 5. f1e2  5... d7d5  6. c4d5  6... f6d5  7. e1g1 The game begins to drift away from the paths already trodden. But Magnus still had experiences here. 7... f8e7  8. e2b5 Threatening to win the e5-pawn, which can even be sacrificed after 8...0-0, but Abdusattorov prefers to play solidly. 8... d5c3  9. b2c3  9... d8c7  10. d2d4  10... c5d4  11. c3d4  11... e5d4  12. f3d4  12... c8d7 A new move. 13. d4f3 This somewhat strange move is intended to avoid exchanging knights and keep some life in the position. After the most natural 13... e7f6  14. c1a3 [%c_effect a3;square;a3;type;Interesting;persistent;true] A very brave move, changing the character of the game. White sacrifices the exchange to force Black into castling queenside. Objectively he creates more problems than solutions for White, who now has to play very precisely and doesn't have much hope of an advantage. But I understand that Carlsen wanted to complicate the game and that the most normal move doesn't give chances to win. 14... f6a1 Accepting the gift. 15. d1a1  15... e8c8 Black has no choice; the king must go to the queenside. Now White can try to exploit the c-file to create attacking chances, but it's not enough for an advantage. 16. f1c1  16... c8b8  17. a1g7  17... h8g8  18. g7b2 [%c_effect b2;square;b2;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] After this move, Black grabs the initiative. 18... d7g4 [%c_effect g4;square;g4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] 19. f3e1  19... d8d1 [%c_effect d1;square;d1;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] An excellent move. If you are an exchange up, trading your opponent's remaining rook is usually a good strategy. 20. c1d1  20... g4d1  21. b5f1  21... c6e5  22. h2h3  22... d1f3 [%c_effect f3;square;f3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] Not the most accurate. 23. b2d4  23... g8d8  24. d4h4  24... f3d5  25. h4h7  25... d5c4 A solid move, exchanging bishops and creating space for a queen invasion. 26. a3b2  26... c4f1  27. g1f1  27... c7c4  28. f1g1  28... e5c6  29. e1f3  29... c4a2  30. b2f6  30... d8d1  31. g1h2  31... a7a5 The position becomes very sharp. A possible race begins between the a-pawn and the h-pawn. 32. f3d4  32... a2d5 A good move, bringing the queen to both defense and attack. 33. h7c2 [%c_effect c2;square;c2;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] 33... d5d6  34. f2f4  34... d1d4 [%c_effect d4;square;d4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] 35. f6d4  35... c6d4  36. e3d4  36... d6f4  37. g2g3  37... f4d4 Now just two outcomes are possible: either a draw or a Black win. The former seemed far more likely at this point, judging by the world champion's renowned endgame technique. 38. h3h4  38... a5a4  39. c2a2 [%c_effect a2;square;a2;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] A precise move. 39... f7f5  40. h4h5  40... d4h8  41. a2a4  41... h8h5 With seven pieces on the board, I can finally use the tablebase, the tool that saves all commentators from being embarrassed by their analysis. To be honest, nowhere is this tool as useful as it is in a queen endgame, the hardest type of endgame in chess. These endings are so difficult that the variations are often almost unintelligible: you simply need to check in the right square, something only the computer can do. For that reason, I apologize in advance to the reader for not trying to explain the unexplainable in some lines. 42. h2g1  42... h5f3  43. g1h2 [%c_effect h2;square;h2;type;Mistake;persistent;true] This is a losing move. 43... f3e2  44. h2g1  44... e2e5 [%c_effect e5;square;e5;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] An excellent move, centralizing the queen and avoiding White's checks. Abdusattorov shows great endgame technique to convert his advantage. 45. g1f2  45... b7b5  46. a4b4  46... b8b7  47. g3g4  47... f5g4  48. b4g4  48... b7b6 One of the peculiarities of queen and pawn vs. queen endings is the positioning of the king of the defending side. Contrary to conventional logic, it's often best to have the king far away. For example, if you put this position in the tablebase with White's king on h7, you see that the endgame is a draw. This exercise, by the way, can be repeated in other positions: try putting the white king on different squares and see if that changes the evaluation. What's the logic of that, why a king on a farther square might be better $2 In queen endgames, checks are often enough to draw even with the opponent's pawn very advanced. For this to work, it's important that the check is not answered with another check; for this, it's important that the king is far away.