Shamkir Adventures
CHESS PIECE
1. Magnus Carlsen NOR 2863, 7.0/9 2 Viswanathan Anand IND 2791, 6.0/9
3-4 Fabiano Caruana ITA 2802, Wesley So USA 2788, 5.0/9
5-6. Vladimir Kramnik RUS 2783, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE 2756, 4.0/9
7-10. Anish Giri NED 2790, Maxime VachierLagrave FRA 2765, Michael Adams ENG 2745, Rauf Mamedov AZE 2658, 3.5/9
Time Control: 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 60 minutes for the next 20 moves, then 15 minutes play to finish with 30 seconds added after each move starting move 61.
For many years the trio of Teimour Radjabov, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Vugar Gashimov have led the Azerbaijan charge up the FIDE ratings ladder. From a non-entity in the ’80s the Azeris have built up a core group of strong GMs which is always a strong contender for team competitions, including winning the 2009 European Team Championship in Novi Sad.
All three of them were at various times in the top 10 of the world chess elite but last year Gashimov very tragically died of a brain tumor. He was only 27 years of age.
In recognition of all his achievements the Synergy Group, a private investment holdings company is sponsoring the Vugar Gashimov Memorial, of which this year’s tournament is the second edition. They also promised that the tournament “will continue next year and further years.”
This year’s tournament was very exciting. Aside from World Champion Magnus Carlsen winning the event for the second time there are also some pretty interesting sidelights: the resurgence of Viswanathan Anand ( once again!) which brought him back to no. 2 in the live rating list, the newcomer Wesley So and his surprising 3.5/4 start, Kramnik for the first time in his career losing three straight games, etc. etc.
And this is to say nothing about the chess that was played — quite a number of high-quality games! We will tell Anand’s and Wesley’s story in future columns. Today we will concentrate on Magnus Carlsen. He compared his victory to last year’s tournament: “It was a bit of the same: with a good start, a good finish, five wins total but yeah, this time I managed to avoid the collapse in the middle. That was the difference between a good performance and a very good performance.”
This is his best game from the tournament.
*** Carlsen, Magnus (2863) - Vachier Lagrave, Maxime (2765) [A05]
Vugar Gashimov Mem 2015 Shamkir AZE (5.3), 21.04.2015 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 b5 3.Bg2 Bb7 4.Na3 a6 5.c4 b4 6.Nc2 e6 7.d4 a5 8.0–0 Be7 9.d5!?
The motiff is the same as in the Polugaevsky Attack in the Gruenfeld. If Black takes the pawn on d5 then 9…exd5
10.Nh4Nc7 14.Re1c6 11.cxd5 White Nxd5has a strong 12.Nf5 initiative,0–0 13.e4 definitely worth more than a pawn.
9…Na6 10.Nfd4 Nc5
[10…exd5 11.cxd5 Bxd5 12.Bxd5 Nxd5 13. Nf5 attacks the d5– knight and the g7–pawn]
11.Re1
White prepares e2–e4.
11…0–0?!
In the post- game press conference Carlsen expressed his suprise that MVL allowed e2– e4 and instead suggested 11…Nfe4.
12.e4
Clearly White has gotten the better of the opening battle. Black’s bishop on b7 has no scope and White’s center is solid.
12…e5 13.Nf5 d6 14.Bg5 <D>
Isn’t this a mistake? Black will win a pawn with …Nxd5 right?] 14…Nxd5?! The host in the press conference asked Magnus if he had foreseen this move. His answer was “I am capable of missing it, but not today…”
15.Bh6!
The point.
15…gxh6 16.Qg4+ Bg5 17.cxd5
of losingBlack hasa piece won to a h2–h4.pawn but is in danger
17…Kh8 18.h4 Bf6 19.Nce3
Nothing wrong either with 19.Nxh6.
19…Bc8 20.Qf3 Bg7 21.Bh3! Rg8 22.Bg4!
Heading for h5.
22…Qf6 23.Bh5
Now the threat is Ng4.
23…Bxf5 24.Nxf5 c6
Carlsen: “If you do not play this then you will lose at some moment because of the rook coming to f3.”
MVL: “Even rook on the g-file and g3– g4 I thought. And g4–g5 at some moment”
25.dxc6 Rac8 26.Qd1 Rxc6 27.Qd5 Rgc8 28. Rad1 Bf8 29. Qxf7 Qxf7 30. Bxf7 Na4 31. Re2 Rc1 32. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 33.Kg2
Material is equal but White controls the board. It is not yet clear though how he can penetrate Black’s position, especially since the c-pawn is under the enemy rook’s control.
33… Nc5 34. b3 Rc3 35. Kh3 Nd7 36.Be6 Nc5 37.Bd5 Nd7 38.Ne3 Nf6 39.Be6 Rc5
[39…Nxe4? 40.Nd5 wins at least the exchange]
40.Nc4 Kg7 41.f3
Carlsen’s original plan was 41.Kg2 but now he notices that 41…Nxe4! 42.Rxe4 Kf6 43. Bg8 d5 produces unwanted complications, so first he safeguards the pawn. Lesson to be learned: don’t forget that your opponent also knows how to sacrifice and attack!
41…Ne8 42.Rd2 Nc7 43.Bg4 a4
The pawn cannot be held. If 43…Ne8 then 44. Bd7 Nf6 45. Nxd6 Bxd6 ( 45… Nxd7? 46. Nf5+!) 46. Rxd6 wins it just the same.
44.Nxd6 Bxd6 45.Rxd6 a3 46.Bd7!
Precision chess. The threat is Bc6 and Rd7+.
BOBBY ANG
46…Rc2 Trying to get his counterplay by clearing the way for his a3–pawn.
47.Bc6!
It is not too late to throw everything away. After 47.Rc6?? Rxc6 48.Bxc6 Ne6 Black is still a pawn down but is actually winning. Take note that he is threatening …Nd4. So, 49.Kg2 Nd4 50.Bb7 Nxb3! and now you see the sting at the end of the scorpion’s tail.
47… Rxa2 48. Rd7+ Kf6 49. Rxc7 Rc2
White’s bishop is stuck on c6 and MVL’s a3–pawn is threatening to take two steps to queen. But apparently Magnus Carlsen had seen everything to the end. Watch!
50.Rxh7! Kg6
[50…Rxc6 51.Rxh6+ Kg7 52.Rxc6; 50… a2 51.Ra7 Rxc6 52.Rxa2 White is simply up two pawns in a rook-and-pawn endgame]
51.Rc7 Kf6
[ 51… a2 52. Be8+ Kf6 53. Ra7 Ke6 54.Ra6+ Ke7 55.Bh5 White’s king will go up the board the devour Black’s pawns]
52.h5 Rc1 53.Rh7! a2
[ 53… Kg5 54. Rf7 Kxh5 55. Rg7 Rxc6 56.g4#]
54.Bd5 1–0
MVL resigns as he cannot prevent Rf7+ followed by Rf5 checkmate.
We will continue our coverage on Monday.
“It was a bit of the same: with a good start, a good finish, five wins total but yeah, this time I managed to avoid the collapse in the middle. That was the difference between a good performance and a very good performance.” — Magnus Carlsen