So far, So good
Wesley So scored an impressive three wins and three draws, and finished with 4.5 points, to remain half a point ahead after the sixth round of the 2017 Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee, Holland.
The secondranked Filipinoborn American, 23, is coming off a convincing yearend victory in last month’s London Chess Classic, the final leg of the grand chess tour.
World champion and topseeded Magnus Carlsen ( Norway), and Pavel Eljanov of Ukraine had 4.0 apiece and shared second and third spots.
Armenian star Levon Aronian, seeded third, made 3.5 points to be among three players to sit one point back. The group also included hometown bet Anish Giri and 17-year-old Chinese prodigy Wei Yi.
Other scores read Kariakin and Andreikin of Russia, Harikrishna (India) and Wojtaszek (Poland) 3.0; Adhiban (India) 2.5; Nepomniachtchi (Russia), 2.0, Raport (Hungary) 1.5 and Van Wely (Holland) 0.5.
The following game displays a wonderful battle between two great talents. A rare opening, which Carlsen must have studied and reappraised, helps him to a fine victory.
2017 Tata Steel Masters W) M. Carlsen (Norway) B) Wei Yi (China) Bishop’s Opening 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 ...
The Bishop’s Opening is one of the oldest recorded in tournament play. Carlsen has lately displayed a knack for this ancient rare bird played by Philidor more than a century ago and later popularized by Larsen in the 60s. Leko also essayed this opening during the 2007 world championship won by Anand. 2.... Nf6
Black’s most popular reply, but there are other alternatives. For instance 2...c6 3. d4 d5 4. exd5 cxd5 5. Bb5ch Bd7 6.Bxd7ch Nxd7 7. dxe5 Nxe5 8. Ne2 Nf6 9. 0-0 Be7 10. Nbc3 and White has the advantage because of Black’s isolated d pawn. Or 2...Bc5 3. c3 Nf6 (3...d5!? 4. Bxd5 Nf6 is unclear) 4. d4 exd4 5. cxd4 d5! and the game is fairly even. 3. d3 ...
3. Nf3 leads to the regular lines of the Giuoco Piano, and 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 d5 5. exd5 Bb4ch 6. c3 Qe7ch 7. Kf1 dxc3 8. Nxc3 0-0 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 Bf5 is about equal. 3... c6!?
Also possible is 3...Nc6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. c3 d5!? 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. Re1 Bg4 9. h3 Bh4 10. Nbd2 (10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 leads to a Marshall type gambit) 10...Nf4! with equal chances. 4. Nf3 d6
More energetic is 4...d5 and after 5. Bb3 (5. exd5 cxd5 6. Bb3 Bb4ch 7. c3 Bd6 8. Bg5 Be6 is even) Bd6 6. Nc3 d4, the game probably hangs in the balance.
5. 0-0 Be7 6. Bb3 0-0 7. c3 Nbd7
The alternative is 7...a5, which leads to even chances after 8. Re1 b5 9. a4 b4 10. d4 Nbd7. 8. Re1 Nc5 9. Bc2 Bg4 10. Nbd2 Ne6 11. h3 Bh5 12. Nf1 Nd7
Black’s position looked cramped, so he aims for exchanges to facilitate restriction. After 12... a5 13. Ng3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 g6 15. Bh6 Re8 16. Rad1 a4 17. d4, White is slightly better=computer. 13. g4 Bg6 14. Ng3 Ng5
Black proceeds with his plan to chop woods. Also possible is 14...h6 with unclear consequences after 15. d4 Re8 16. Nf5 Bxf5 17. gxf5 Ng5. 15. Bxg5 Bxg5 16. d4 Bf4 17. Ne2 Qf6 18. Kg2 exd4?!
Seems premature as it gives White control of the center. Better is 18...Rad8 and after 19. Nxf4 Qxf4 20. Qc1 Qxc1 21. Raxc1 f6, the game still hangs in the balance=computer. 19. Nfxd4 Rfe8 20. Nxf4 Qxf4 21. f3 Nb6
Looks normal, but 21...d5 should have been tried. For instance 22. exd5 Bxc2 23. Qxc2 cxd5 and though White has the advantage, Black is by no means losing. 22. Qc1 Qxc1 23. Raxc1 d5?!
Another untimely move. 23...f6 as the engine suggests, is correct. E.g. 24. Kg3 d5 25. Bb3 c5 26. Nb5 c4 27. Bc2 Rad8, White has a slight edge. 24. e5 Nd7 25. f4 Bxc2 26. Rxc2 Nc5 27. Re3 Rad8 28. Kf3 Ne4 29. b4! ... Closing the Knight’s only exit. 29... g5?! This push leads to a quick collapse, but there is no better move as 29...f6 30. exf6 Nxf6 31. Ne6 Rc8 32. Rce2 is also hopeless for Black. 30. c4! ...
The decisive advance. Now the threat of opening up the c file and Rook invasion leads to an overwhelming positional advantage for White. 30... c5?
This loses outright but other moves only hold on a little longer. 30...Rd7 31. cxd5 and 30... Kf8 31. Nf5 are both winning for White. 31. Nb5 gxf4 32. Kxf4 cxb4 33. cxd5 1:0
After 33...Nc3 34. Nxc3 bxc3 35. Ke4, White’s material advantage decides the issue. Solution to last week’s puzzle: Black to move and win. White=Kh1, Qa6, Rb1, Be6, Pa2, Pd5, Pg2, Ph3 Black=Kh6, Qe3, Ne4, Ne5, Pb6, Pg6, Ph7
1... Nf3! 0:1
The threat is 2... Ng3 mate. If 2. gxf3 Qxf3ch 3. Kg1/ Kh2 Qf2ch 4. Kh1 Ng3 mate. Or 2. g4 Ng3ch 3. Kg2 Nh4ch 4. Kh2 Qf2 mate.