Armageddon breaks deadlock

WE’RE back into the archives this week to look at a game current world champion Magnus Carlsen played in 2015. He’d been notching up a string of victories at the time, but in the elite Grenke Chess Classic in Baden Baden, he had faltered in the third round, losing to the No1 GM Arkadij Naiditsch (Germany). However, he won his next two games to rejoin Naiditsch in the lead. The two finished the eightplayer round robin tied for

first on 41⁄2/7. In the playoff to decide the tournament winner, Carlsen and Naiditsch exchanged wins in the rapid games, followed by two draws in the blitz. But Carlsen broke the deadlock in the ‘‘Armageddon’’ tiebreak game to clinch victory. Today’s game is from the fourth round at Baden Baden. Carlsen is Black against his adversary from Vishy Anand (India).

1 d4f5

2 g3 Nf6

3 Bg2 e6

4 c4c6

5 Nf3 d5

The Stonewall Dutch Defence is rarely seen at the highest level these days, though it was part of the repertoire of world champion Mikhail Botvinnik in the 1950s. 6 OO Bd6

7 b3 Qe7

8 Ne5 OO

9 Nd2 a5

10 Bb2 Nbd7

11 Qc2 a4

Activating the a8 rook, otherwise restricted by the bishop on c8. 12 Ndf3 Ne4

13 e3—

A previous game, Goganov-Sandipan 2013, continued 13 bxa3, eliminating the apawn, but after 13 — Bxe5, 14 dxe5?! Nb6 Black infiltrated on the queenside and won.

13 — a3!?

The advanced pawn could become a liability. Carlsen is playing to unbalance the position. 14 Bc3 Nxe5

15 Nxe5 Bd7

16 Nxd7! —

A paradoxical exchange of a strong knight for weak bishop, but with a concrete plan in mind.

16 — Qxd7

17 c5 Bc7

18 b4 h5

Black needs to generate kingside counterplay.

19 Be1 e5

20 dxe5 Bxe5

21 Rd1 Qe6

22 f3 Nf6

23 Bh3!? —

Taking up the challenge to win the fpawn.

23 —g6 24 e4 dxe4

25 fxe4 Bb2!

Black will win the a2 pawn, making the position very sharp, as his own apawn becomes a monster in any ending.

26 exf5 Qxa2

27 Bf2 —

Crucially, there is no time for 27 fxg6?? Bd4+ winning the queen. 27 —g5

28 Rfe1 Qf7

29 Re6 Ng4!

The best defence, playing to eliminate the dangerous fpawn. 30 Bxg4 hxg4

31 Rg6+ Kh7

32 Rd7? —

Having to choose between many alternatives each move has eventually exhausted Anand and he makes a fatal mistake. 32 Re6! was the only move to keep the balance (32 Rxg5?! Bf6,

33 Rxg4 Rfd8! and Black is winning, e.g.: 34 Rxd8 Rxd8,

35 Rc4 a2!, 36 Qxa2 Rd1+,

37 Kg2 Qd5+, 38 Kh3 Rd2 etc),

32 — Bf6 (32 — Kg8, 33 Rg6+ and 32 — Qxf5, 33 Rd7+ Kh8, 34 Rh6+ lead to perpetual check),

33 Rxf6! Qxf6, 34 Rd7+ Rf7,

35 Bd4 Qxd4+, 36 Rxd4 a2,

37 Rd1 a1=Q, 38 Rxa1 Rxa1+ and the Q v 2R endgame is equal.

32 — Qxd7

33 f6 Qd1+!

Ruthlessly ending White’s attack. 34 Qxd1 Kxg6

35 Qd3+ Kh6

36 h4 gxh3

White resigned, as Black will capture on f6 and then promote his apawn. 01

Solution: 1 — Qa2+!, 2 Kc2

(2 Kxa2 b1=Q+, 3 Ka3 Qb3#),

2 — b1=Q+, 3 Kc3 Qbb3+,

4 Kd4 Qe3#.