Smartfish starts with a bang

Drammen International Chess Festival 27.12.2004 – 05.01.2005 Official web site

Five hard-fought and exciting games, two decided encounters and one very close call – that's the balance of the first round of the Smartfish Chess Masters in Drammen, Norway. Peter Heine Nielsen defeated his 14-year-old pupil Magnus Carlsen after an opening novelty left the wunderkind stunned. Poland's top GM Bartlomiej Macieja sacrificed a bishop on h6 to beat women's world champion Antoaneta Stefanova. And Luke McShane was lucky to survive an aggressive attacking game by Viktor Korchnoi.

At the press conference: Bartlomiej Macieja (POL), Alexei Shirov (ESP), Viktor Korchnoi (SUI) and Leif Erlend Johannessen (NOR)

Two world champions: reigning FIDE women's champion Antoaneta Stefanova (BUL) and ex FIDE champion Alexander Khalifman (RUS)

Top seed Alexei Shirov, who hails from Latvia but lives in Spain

Round one begins, with Peter Heine Nielsen against his pupil Magnus Carlsen

Nielsen,PH (2663) - Carlsen,M (2581) [D17]
Smartfish Masters Drammen NOR (1), 27.12.2004
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c6 3.d4 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Qc7 8.g3 e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.Bf4 Nfg4

This position has occurred before, with two wins for White (with 11.Nxe5 and 11.Bh3), a loss and a draw (both with 11.Nxe5). Nielsen comes up with something new: 11.f3.

Magnus in trouble – pondering the position after Nielsen's novelty

11...g5 12.fxg4 gxf4 13.Nxe5 Qxe5 14.gxf5 Bc5

White is a full piece up and should be winning. Instead of 15.Qd3+– Nielsen played 15.Qc2, letting the junior back into the game. 15...0-0 16.Qe4 fxg3 17.Bg2 Qd6 18.Qd3 Qf4 19.Qxg3 Qd2+ 20.Kf1

20...Qxb2 21.Rb1 Qxb1+ 22.Nxb1 Rd1+ 23.Qe1 Rhd8 24.Be4 Rxe1+ 25.Kxe1 Rd4 26.Bc2 Kc7 27.e4 a5 28.Ke2 Rc4 29.Kd3 Rd4+ 30.Ke2 Rc4 31.Kd3 Rd4+ 32.Kc3 b5 33.axb5 cxb5 34.Rd1 Rc4+ 35.Kd3 a4 36.Nd2 Rd4+ 37.Ke2 a3 38.Bb3 f6 39.Bd5 Kb6 40.Rc1 Ra4 41.Nb3 Bb4 42.Rc6+ Ka7 43.Nc1 Ra6 44.Rc7+ Kb6 45.Rb7+ Ka5 46.Nb3+ Ka4 47.Nd4 Bc5

48.Kd3? Making the task more difficult. 48.Nxb5 Kb4 49.Nc7+ Rb6 50.Na6+ Kb5 51.Nxc5 Kxc5 52.Rxb6 Kxb6 53.Kd3 would have left Black helpless. 48...Bxd4 49.Kxd4 Kb4 50.Rxh7 a2 51.Bxa2 Rxa2 52.Rh6 Rd2+ 53.Ke3 Rd6 54.e5 Rd5 55.e6 Kc5 [55...Rxf5 56.Rh4+ Kc5 57.e7 Re5+ 58.Re4+-] 56.Rxf6 b4 57.Kf4 Rd4+ 58.Kg5 b3 59.Rf8 Rb4 60.e7 b2 61.e8Q b1Q 62.Qe5+ Kc4 63.Rc8+ Kb3 64.Qc3+ 1-0.

Macieja,B (2613) - Stefanova,A (2523) [C54]
Smartfish Masters Drammen NOR (1), 27.12.2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 a6 6.h3 Ba7 7.Bb3 d6 8.Nbd2 Ne7 9.Nf1 Ng6 10.Ng3 0-0 11.0-0 h6 12.Re1 Be6 13.d4 Re8 14.Be3 Qc8 15.Bc2 c5 16.Qd2 b5 17.Nf5 Bxf5 18.exf5 Ne7

19.Bxh6! Nxf5. After 19...gxh6 20.Qxh6 White wins convincingly, e.g. Ned5 21.Re4 Nxe4 22.Bxe4 exd4 23.Ng5 Qd7 24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Bxd5 Ke7 26.Nxf7 Qc8 27.Re1+ Kd7 28.Ng5+ Kd8 29.Rxe8+ Kxe8 30.f6 Qe6 31.Bxe6 dxc3 32.Qe7#. 20.Bg5 Nh7 21.dxe5 dxe5 22.Nxe5 Nxg5 23.Qxg5 Nh6 24.Be4 Rb8 25.Bd5 Rb6 26.Nxf7 Nxf7 27.Re7 Rxe7 28.Qxe7 Qf5 29.Qxa7 Kh7 30.Qa8 1-0.

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