Annotated chess game

I saw the denouement unfold on line at some ungodly hour of the morning New Zealand time. Great watch.

My personal preference of dealing with the 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 is to play 3.Nc3 before advancing the d-pawn to d4, but that is absolutely a matter of style and the text move is perfectly playable.

There have been Grandmasters who viewed this Open Sicilian with some scepticism on account of the Black central pawn majority ceded by White. From memory, GM Bent Larsen was one such, that that didn't stop playing on the White side now and then...

I think you mean the e4 pawn?

Yes,sorry,I correct it

... and an aggressive one. This gets interesting. GM Fabo Caruana needed to win this game; GM Sergei Karjakin a draw (although at this stage of the evening that wasn't so clear: were GM Viswanathan Anand to win his game, then a draw in this one might have seen Caruana take the tournament on countback). Maybe it was that parenthetical possibility that induced White to take this aggressive, double-edged line.

6...e6 also creates space for Black's DSB on e7

Also has in mind a possible expansion on the Q-side.

Black has chosen the Sicilian, so the fight will usually be diagonal: White attacking Black’s kingside, and Black attacking White’s queenside.

Stepping off well-worn paths?

There is nothing for Black in following through with this well known motif: 10...Nxe4!? 11.Nxe4 Qxh4 12.Nf3 Qe7 13.Nxd6ch Qxd6 14.Qxd6 Bxd6 15.Rxd6 Ke7 16.Rd1, as with simplification comes a likely draw.

Here, White takes control of the center, eliminating one of Black’s best pieces.

Black recaptures, doubling his pawns, but keeping his queen available to attack on the queenside.

Ordinarily, one playing for the draw would be the more inclined to head for the ending; who wants the win to maintain the tension. Owing to the choice of opening, Black has a slight edge in the endgame on account of White's central isolated pawn. So White doesn't want an endgame with problematical chances of survival, and would rather stay in the middle game, with a high level of tension and uncertainty as to outcome.

White aims to break open the center, since Black will now most likely not castle queenside. Black’s king now looks airy. White aims to eliminate Black’s defenders and break through with his heavy pieces.

Whte has a solid position, insofar as the isolated e-pawn can allow him one. I'd be worried about Black's central majority, though. If Black can mobilize it, it will become dangerous. That is the trick, of course: getting it mobile.

White hopes to use the e8-h5 diagonal, perhaps penetrating on g6 with the bishop.