World Chess Championship
THE 2016 World Chess Championship match has already started! Scheduled to run from Nov. 11 to 30 in the Fulton Market Building on the South Street Seaport in New York ( just a 5-minute walk from Wall Street), it is a 12-game match between defending champion Magnus Carlsen (NOR 2853) and challenger Sergey Karjakin (RUS 2772).
World Chess Championship New York, USA Nov. 11-30, 2016 Current Standings
(3 of 12) Magnus Carlsen — Sergey Karjakin, match is tied, 1.5-1.5
Time Control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, 50 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game plus an additional 30 seconds per move starting from move 1.
The two protagonists are of the same age — both of them were born in 1990 — Karjakin on Jan. 12 and Magnus on Nov. 30.
There is an 81-point ELO rating difference between the two players. Statistically, that means that we can expect Magnus to score 61% and win the match by a score of 7.0-5.0. Both players are mentally tough and get stronger as the game progresses, so I would expect a real battle extending to the endgame in most cases. None of those quick draws coming from the opening “because position is equal” which plagued the 2012 Anand vs Gelfand match — you know, that was really one disgusting affair — both players seem to have forgotten that the starting position is also equal but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try to win! I size up the two players as follows: Carlsen is not known for his opening expertise. Basically, his plan is to get a playable middle game and then to squeeze his opponent all the way to the endgame hoping to get an edge. He can put away anybody in a very efficient manner once he gets this edge. Especially in boring technical endgames where not many tactics can be found, Magnus is clearly superior to Karjakin.
Karjakin’s strong suit is his opening preparedness, extreme resourcefulness and ability to counter-attack. Karjakin’s goal would be to steer the game towards the openings that give him maximum flexibility and dynamic chances. In such positions almost as a rule he plays very creatively, and even when Magnus Carlsen manages to get in the first strike Karjakin would be ready to get in a counter-strike.
I have seen many online comments from GMs and without exception everybody favors Carlsen’s chances, the difference only being the margin of victory. Clearly a crucial element would be his ability to counter Magnus in the quiet positions which the Norwegian plays so well.
As the match time approached there was another factor to consider – Karjakin will have to overcome the nerves which come with playing in the world championship for the first time. In “Tigran Petrosian: His life and games” the opening-round jitters in his match with Botvinnik was explained in detail (and take note that Petrosian in his prime was considered unbeatable):
“Petrosian was white in the first game. He selected a quiet variation of the Nimzo- Indian Defense, where he could set up a very solid position. Tigran did not doubt that he had no possibility of losing such a position. Yet making his first moves he suddenly felt a strange condition, akin to that of a somnambulist, settle over him. He little understood what was happening to him. He saw good moves, yet made bad moves.”
“Tigran considered that he had played this game roughly at first category player strength, not even at candidate master strength.”
So Karjakin’s first goal was to hold the first two games, to steady his feet first so to speak. In this he was successful.
*** Carlsen, Magnus (2857) — Karjakin, Sergey (2769) [D00] WCh 2016 New York (1), 11.11.2016 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5
This is the Trompowsky (or Tromp for short) Opening. Some wags remarked that perhaps Donald Trump winning the US Presidency four days before this game had something to do with Carlsen’s choice of opening. To this Magnus replied “If I’d have known about all the questions I’d get about it, I would have played something else.”
2...d5 3.e3 c5 4.Bxf6 gxf6 5.dxc5 Nc6 6.Bb5 e6 7.c4 dxc4 8.Nd2 Bxc5 9.Ngf3 0–0 10.0–0 Na5
He is going to lose the pawn anyway, so former FIDE World Champion Ponomariov suggested Black play 10...c3 here to at least break White’s pawn structure.
11. Rc1 Be7 12. Qc2 Bd7 13. Bxd7 Qxd7 14. Qc3 Qd5 15. Nxc4 Nxc4 16.Qxc4 Qxc4 17.Rxc4 Rfc8 18.Rfc1 Rxc4 19.Rxc4 Rd8 20.g3 Rd7 21.Kf1 f5 22.Ke2 Bf6 23.b3 Kf8
The position looks completely equal but perhaps Carlsen can get something going?
24.h3 h6 25.Ne1 Ke7 26.Nd3 Kd8 27.f4 h5 28.a4 Rd5 29.Nc5 b6 30.Na6 Be7 31.Nb8 a5 32.Nc6+ Ke8 33.Ne5 Bc5 34.Rc3 Ke7 35.Rd3 Rxd3 36.Kxd3 f6 37.Nc6+ Kd6 38.Nd4 Kd5 39.Nb5 Kc6 40.Nd4+ Kd6 41.Nb5+ Kd7 42.Nd4 Kd6 ½–½
A bit of a snorefest, but the second game was even less inspiring.
Karjakin, Sergey (2772) — Carlsen,Magnus (2853) [C77] WCh 2016 New York (2), 12.11.2016 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.a3 0–0 9.Nc3 Na5 10.Ba2 Be6
Both players are familiar with this position for Black. Carlsen used it to defeat Topalov in Paris earlier this year while Karjakin did likewise against Cuba’s Leinier Dominguez back in Beijing Mind Games 2013.
11.d4 Bxa2 12.Rxa2 Re8 13.Ra1 Nc4 14.Re1 Rc8 15.h3 h6 16.b3 Nb6 17.Bb2 Bf8
Black has effortless equalized from the opening.
18. dxe5 dxe5 19. a4 c6 20. Qxd8 Rcxd8 21. axb5 axb5 22. Ne2 Bb4 23.Bc3 Bxc3 24.Nxc3 Nbd7 25.Ra6 Rc8 26.b4 Re6 27.Rb1 c5 28.Rxe6 fxe6 29.Nxb5 cxb4 30.Rxb4 Rxc2 31.Nd6 Rc1+ 32.Kh2 Rc2 33.Kg1 ½–½
After a 1-day break the third game saw the world champion really put the sneeze on his challenger. We do not have enough space to do justice to the complications in this game.
*** Carlsen, Magnus (2853) — Karjakin, Sergey (2772) [C67] WCh 2016 New York (3), 14.11.2016 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6
The Berlin Defence. Both players have it in their repertoire so I thought it unavoidable that we should come across it so long as 1.e4 is played.
4.0– 0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7.Bf1 Nxe5 8.Rxe5 0–0 9.d4 Bf6 10.Re2!?
Why didn’t Carlsen plays his rook to e1 right away? I’m not too sure, but this made Karjakin waste 20 minutes trying to find the best way to exploit the waste of time and the move he played, ..b7–b6, is not so useful.
10... b6 11. Re1 Re8 12. Bf4 Rxe1 13.Qxe1 Qe7
Another puzzle — why not 13...Bxd4? Well, this is not so easy to calculate out. Let us see: 14.Bxd6 cxd6 (14...Bxb2 15.Bxc7! Qf8 16.Nd2 Bxa1 17.Qxa1 Bb7 18.Be5 White’s two pieces is better than his opponent’s rook and pawn.) 15.Qe4 Bxb2 16. Qxa8 Qf8 seems to be winning, but this is not so: (16...Bxa1 17.Ba6 White wins the bishop on c8 and the game) 17.Nc3! Bxa1 18.Nd5 (threatening Qxc8 and Ne7+) 18...Bf6 19.Qxa7 the bishop on c8 will fall. All in all a very interesting refutation!
14.Nc3 Bb7 15.Qxe7 Bxe7 16.a4 a6 17.g3 g5 18.Bxd6 Bxd6 19.Bg2 Bxg2 20.Kxg2 f5 21.Nd5 Kf7 22.Ne3 Kf6 23.Nc4 Bf8 24.Re1 Rd8 25.f4
Carlsen has the better pawns but it is hard to see how he can make progress. We now witness the “Carlsen squeeze.”
25...gxf4 26.gxf4 b5 27.axb5 axb5 28.Ne3 c6 29.Kf3 Ra8 30.Rg1 Ra2 31.b3 c5?
This is a mistake which loses a pawn. The computers point out that the best move here is 31...d5. It loses the pawn on f5, but after 32.Rg5 Bg7! Black has a nice counter against the d4 pawn. This endgame is not boring at all!
32.Rg8 Kf7 33.Rg2 cxd4 34.Nxf5 d3!
The pawn is lost anyway. 35.cxd3 Ra1 36.Nd4 b4 37.Rg5 Rb1 38.Rf5+ Ke8 39.Rb5 Rf1+ 40.Ke4 Re1+ 41.Kf5 Rd1 42.Re5+ Kf7 43.Rd5 Rxd3 44.Rxd7+ Ke8 45.Rd5 Rh3 46.Re5+ Kf7 47.Re2 Bg7 48.Nc6 Rh5+ 49.Kg4 Rc5 50.Nd8+
[50.Nxb4 Rb5 51.Re4 h5+ 52.Kf3 Bf8 wins back the pawn]
50...Kg6 51.Ne6 h5+ 52.Kf3 Rc3+ 53. Ke4 Bf6 54. Re3 h4 55. h3 Rc1 56.Nf8+ Kf7 57.Nd7 Ke6 58.Nb6 Rd1 59.f5+ Kf7 60.Nc4 Rd4+ 61.Kf3 Bg5 62.Re4 Rd3+ 63.Kg4 Rg3+ 64.Kh5 Be7 65.Ne5+ Kf6 66.Ng4+ Kf7 67.Re6! <D>
POSITION AFTER 67.RE6
White is winning the black bishop. Keep in mind though it is still not an easy win — KRN vs KR is a draw, but White must retain at least one pawn to win.
67...Rxh3
Nothing else will do: 67...Rxb3 68.Ne5+ and now if 68...Ke8 69.f3 and if 68...Kf8 Ng6+;
67...Bc5? 68.Ne5+ Kg8 69.f6! Black’s king is caught in a mating net. Just a few sample lines: 69...Kf8 (69...Rxb3 70.Re8+ Kh7 71.Nf7! threatening Rh8 and Ng5, both giving mate) 70.Rc6!
68.Ne5+ Kg7 69.Rxe7+ Kf6 70.Nc6 Kxf5?
[70...Rc3 is correct]
71.Na5 Rh1 72.Rb7?
And now it is Magnus’ turn to slip. The correct move is 72.Rf7+, making possible the win of Black’s h-pawn. I should add though that the line is very difficult to see: 72...Ke4 73.Kg4 h3 (73...Kd3 74.Nc6) 74.Rf4+ Kd3 75.Rf3+ Kd4 76.Rxh3. 72...Ra1!
Only move.
73.Rb5+ Kf4 74.Rxb4+ Kg3 75.Rg4+ Kf2 76.Nc4 h3 77.Rf4+ Kg3 78.Rg4+ ½–½
White cannot protect his b-pawn and at the same time prevent Black’s pawn from queening.
The match is going to be an interesting one!