Zurich Round 3: lucky scape for Carlsen

[Javier]

Round 3 at Zurich.

Nakamura had Carlsen against the ropes today, but Magnus still managed to scape with the full point. A game worthy of study, no doubt! See full annotations below.

Aronian-Gelfand was a draw where not very much happened.

Although longer, not much happened in Caruana-Anand either.

You can view all games by clicking on the menu above the little board.

 

 

[pgn][Event "Zurich Chess Challenge 2014"]
[site "Zurich SUI"]
[Date "2014.02.01"]
[Round "3.2"]
[White "Nakamur a, Hikaru"]
[black "Carlse n, Magnus"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E20"]
[WhiteElo "2789"]
[blackElo "2872"]
[Annotator "I.M. Javier Gil"]
[PlyCount "122"]
[EventDate "2014.01.30"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 {Javier: This is still one of the sharpest
systems against the Nimzo-Indian defence. Unfortunately 4.Qc2 has become so
popular that people have just given up on finding anything else!} d5 5. a3 Be7
6. e4 dxe4 7. fxe4 e5 8. d5 Bc5 9. Bg5 {Javier: This is probably a better move
than 9.Nf3, as it avoids the tricky line with 9.Nf3 Ng4.} (9. Nf3 Ng4 $1 10. b4
Bf2+ 11. Ke2 {Javier: And now 11...c5!? 12.h3 Bd4 is one interesting idea,
although 11...Bh4!? has also been tried.}) 9... O-O $6 {Javier: This and
Carlse n's next few moves seem a little mechanical, as though he wasn't really
aware of the danger.} (9... h6 $1 {Javier: I think this is a better move in
this position.} 10. Bh4 Bd4 11. Nb5 $6 {Javier: This is what GM Malaniuk chose
when he first played this position. It's interesting because he also plays the
Nimzo-Indian defence as black, and he too took up this move a couple of years
later.} (11. Nce2 Nxe4 12. Qxd4 Qxh4+ 13. g3 exd4 14. gxh4 c5 $1 15. dxc6 Nxc6
16. Rd1 Bg4 (16... d3 $1 17. Rxd3 O-O {Javier: With a extremely difficult
position for white.}) 17. Bg2 f5 {And later white was able to draw, but he's
struggling here. 1/2-1/2 Kutuzovic,B (2375)-Malaniuk,V (2505) Pula 1990.}) (11.
Nge2 Nxe4 $1 12. Qa4+ Bd7 13. Bxd8 Bf2+ 14. Kd1 Bxa4+ 15. Nxa4 Kxd8 $17) 11...
Bxb2 12. Rb1 a6 13. Bxf6 {Javier: Exploiting the fact that c7 is hanging.} (13.
Rxb2 axb5 $17 {Javier: And the P on a3 is hanging and white's position is full
of weaknesses.}) 13... gxf6 14. Qa4 (14. Nxc7+ Qxc7 15. Rxb2 Qa5+ 16. Qd2 Qxa3
17. Bd3 $13) 14... axb5 $1 15. Qxa8 Bc3+ 16. Kd1 Na6 17. Kc2 O-O $3 (17... Bd4
{Javier: Nothing wrong with this move, black has excellent compensation for
the exchange.}) 18. Kxc3 Qd6 19. Rxb5 c6 20. Ra5 cxd5 21. Rxa6 (21. exd5 Qb6
$17) (21. cxd5 Qc7+ $19) 21... bxa6 22. Qxd5 Qb6 23. Qd3 Rd8 24. Qg3+ Kh7 25.
Bd3 Qa5+ 26. Kc2 Bd7 27. Ne2 Ba4+ 28. Kc1 Bb3 29. Rf1 Qxa3+ 30. Kd2 Bxc4 $19
31. Nc1 Qb2+ 32. Kd1 Bxd3 {0-1 Malaniuk,V (2515)-Kveinys,A (2345)/Minsk 1988/
EXT 1998}) 10. Nf3 Bg4 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 {Javier: I think white has a clear
advantage here. White's not only got the 2 BB, those PP in the center are very
powerful. White has more space.} Nbd7 13. O-O-O {Javier: As the game goes on,
it becomes clear that white's attacking chances on the Kside are much better
than black's ones on the Qside.} Bd4 14. Ne2 c5 15. g4 a5 16. Kb1 Ra6 17. Ng3
g6 18. h4 {Javier: White hasn't done anything out of the ordinary and yet, his
attack progesses smoothly.} a4 19. Rh2 Qa5 20. Bd2 Qc7 21. g5 Ne8 22. h5 Rb6 {
Javier: The first threat, but a very easy one to stop.} 23. Bc1 Rb3 24. Qg4 (
24. Rd3 {There was nothing wrong with this, but Hiraku wants to use this R to
double up along the h-file.}) 24... Nb6 25. Be2 Nd6 26. Rdh1 $6 (26. hxg6 $1 {
Javier: This simple move seems to give white a winning advantage.} fxg6 27.
Qe6+ Qf7 (27... Rf7 28. Nf5 $3 gxf5 29. g6 hxg6 30. Rdh1 $18) 28. Rdh1 $1 h5 (
28... Rxg3 29. Rxh7 Qxe6 30. dxe6 $18) 29. Nxh5 $1 gxh5 30. Rxh5 $18) 26...
Bxb2 {Javier: Carlse n senses that this is his only chance to stay alive.} (
26... Nbxc4 27. Bxc4 Nxc4 28. hxg6 Bxb2 (28... fxg6 29. Qe6+ $18) 29. Bxb2 {
Javier: Transposing into the game.}) 27. Bxb2 Nbxc4 28. Bxc4 Nxc4 29. hxg6 Qb6
(29... fxg6 30. Qe6+ $1 Kh8 31. Qxg6 $18) (29... Nxb2 30. g7 $1 (30. gxh7+ Kh8
31. Rxb2 Qb6 32. Rhh2 c4 {Javier: And no matter what the computers say, this
position is not clear at all!}) 30... Nd3+ 31. Kc2 $1 (31. Ka2 Nb4+ 32. axb4
cxb4 33. gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 {Javier: And black seems to have enough to draw here as
those pawns support the R checks on a3 and b3.}) 31... Rxa3 32. Qh5 $1 $18) 30.
g7 $6 {Javier: Probably not the best, but it shouldn't spoil the win.} (30.
gxf7+ $1 Rxf7 31. Nh5 $3 Rxb2+ 32. Ka1 $18 {Javier: And black's counterattack
has run out of steam, but white's one is unstoppable.}) 30... Rd8 31. Qh4 Rxb2+
32. Ka1 Rxh2 33. Rxh2 Qg6 34. Nf5 Re8 (34... Rd7 $2 35. Qg4 $1 $18) 35. Qg4 Qb6
36. Qh3 Qg6 37. d6 $4 (37. Qf1 $3 $18 {Javier: This was incredibly strong. Not
only is the N threatened, white's preparing Rxh7!! next.} b5 38. Rxh7 $3 Qxh7 (
38... Kxh7 39. Qh3+ $18) 39. Nh6+ Qxh6 40. gxh6 $18) 37... Nxd6 $1 38. Nxd6 Rd8
$1 {Javier: Although white shouldn't lose here, putting oneself together after
having been so close is incredibly difficult.} 39. Nc4 (39. Nf5 $4 Rd1+ 40. Ka2
(40. Kb2 Qb6+ $19) 40... Qe6+ 41. Kb2 Qb6+ $19) (39. Nc8 $1 {Javier: This has
the virtue of not only threaten Ne7, but also cover the b6 square to prevent
the Q check in some variations.} Kxg7 40. Ne7 Rd1+ 41. Ka2 Qe6+ 42. Qxe6 fxe6
43. Rh6 {Javier: And white should definitely not lose this position. In fact,
he might have winning chances...}) 39... Qxe4 {Javier: With white's K so
exposed and with so many PP for the piece, Carlse n has turned the tables.} 40.
Qh5 Rd3 $1 41. Rh4 Qf5 $1 $19 42. Qe2 b5 43. Nd2 Qxg5 $2 (43... Rxa3+ $1 {
Javier: This was stronger.} 44. Kb2 Rg3 45. Ne4 a3+ 46. Ka2 Qe6+ $19) 44. Qxd3
Qxh4 45. Ne4 Kxg7 46. Qf3 Qf4 {"All your ending belong to us". } 47. Qg2+ Kf8
48. Kb2 h5 49. Nd2 h4 50. Kc2 b4 51. axb4 cxb4 52. Qa8+ Kg7 53. Qxa4 h3 54. Qb3
h2 55. Qd5 e4 $1 56. Qh5 e3 57. Nf3 e2 58. Kb3 f6 59. Ne1 Qg3+ 60. Ka4 Qg1 61.
Qxe2 Qa7+ {Javier: A most disappointing game for Nakamur a, but he's getting
closer and closer. He deserved better! This was a terrific fighting gae though.
..} 0-1

 

[Event "Zurich Chess Challenge 2014"]
[site "Zurich SUI"]
[Date "2014.02.01"]
[Round "3.1"]
[White "Aronia n, Levon"]
[black "Gelfan d, Boris"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[blackTitle "GM"]
[WhiteElo "2812"]
[blackElo "2777"]
[ECO "E60"]
[Opening "King's Indian"]
[Variation "3.g3"]
[WhiteFideId "13300474"]
[blackFideId "2805677"]
[EventDate "2014.01.30"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 c6 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Nf3 Bg7 7. Ne5 Ne4 8. Nd2
Nxd2 9. Bxd2 O-O 10. O-O Nd7 11. Bc3 Nf6 12. Qb3 Ne4 13. Bxe4 dxe4 14. Rfd1 Qb6
15. Qxb6 axb6 16. Nc4 Be6 17. d5 Bg4 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Kf1 b5 20. Ne3 Bd7 21. a3
Rfc8 22. Rac1 Kf6 23. Rxc8 Rxc8 24. d6 e6 25. Ng4+ Kf5 26. Ne3+ Kf6 27. Ng4+ Kf5 1/2-1/2

[Event "Zurich Chess Challenge 2014"]
[site "Zurich SUI"]
[Date "2014.02.01"]
[Round "3.3"]
[White "Caruan a, Fabiano"]
[black "Anan d, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[blackTitle "GM"]
[WhiteElo "2782"]
[blackElo "2773"]
[ECO "D11"]
[Opening "QGD Slav"]
[Variation "4.e3"]
[WhiteFideId "2020009"]
[blackFideId "5000017"]
[EventDate "2014.01.30"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. d4 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 5. Nc3 e6 6. h3 Bh5 7. g4 Bg6 8. cxd5
Nxd5 9. Ne5 Bb4 10. Bd2 Nd7 11. Nxg6 hxg6 12. a3 Ba5 13. Bg2 g5 14. Qc2 Rc8 15.
Rd1 Bc7 16. Ne2 Nf8 17. Qb3 Rb8 18. e4 Nf4 19. Bxf4 Bxf4 20. h4 e5 21. d5 Ng6
22. dxc6 Qa5+ 23. Nc3 O-O 24. cxb7 Qc7 25. Nd5 Qxb7 26. Qxb7 Rxb7 27. b4 gxh4
28. Bf1 Bg5 29. Rh3 Rd8 30. Bc4 Rbb8 31. Rhd3 Rdc8 32. Bb3 Rb7 33. a4 a6 34. Rb1
Nf8 35. Nc3 Ng6 36. Nd5 Nf8 37. Nc3 Ng6 38. Nd5 Nf8 39. Nc3 Ng6 40. Nd5 Nf8 1/2-1/2[/pgn]