Know when to hold 'em

When my chess career started, all I wanted to do was exchange pieces. This had nothing to do with my endgame technique, but simply as away of prolonging the game, and avoiding quick and brutal checkmates. Of course this strategy didn't improve my win ratio, and it took me a number of years to look beyond automatic captures.
At the current Gashimov Memorial event, Magnus Carlsen created a good example of 'exchanging to win'. Against regular opponent Viswanathan Anand he created a target on the queenside, and then exchanged off the pieces that were not needed to exploit it. He was helped by Anand at some crucial points, especially at move 28 and 29, but once the a pawn was captured it was simply a matter of running Black out of moves.


Carlsen,M (2845) - Anand,V (2779) [D37]
Vugar Gashimov Mem 2019 Shamkir AZE (2), 01.04.2019

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. Qc2 Nc6 9. a3 Qa5 10. Rd1 Rd8 11. Be2 Ne4 12. cxd5 Nxc3 13. bxc3 exd5 14. O-O h6 15. a4 Bd6 16. Bxd6 Rxd6 17. c4 Be6 18. c5 Rdd8 19. Rb1 Qc7 20. Qb2 Rab8 21. Nd4 Nxd4 22. Qxd4 b6 23. cxb6 Rxb6 24. h3 Rc8 25. Rfd1 Qc3 26. Qxc3 Rxc3 27. a5 Rxb1 28. Rxb1 Rc5 29. a6 g6 30. Rb7 Rc1+ 31. Kh2 Rc2 32. Bb5 Rb2 33. Kg3 Bc8 34. Rb8 Kg7 35. Rxc8 Rxb5 36. Rc7 Ra5 37. Rxa7 Kf6 38. Ra8 Ra3 39. Kh2 h5 40. a7 Ra2 41. h4 Kf5 42. f3 Ra1 43. g3 1-0