Zug GP R10: four wins, three with black

[Event "Renova Group Grand Prix 2013"] [Site "Zug"] [Date "2013.04.29"] [Round "?"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Topalov, Veselin"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "Margvelashvili, Giorgi"] [PlyCount "98"] [EventDate "2013.??.??"] [EventCountry "SUI"] 1. e4 {Before this game, Topalov was leading the tournament and had half point more than Caruana. So it was one of Caruana's last chances to catch Topalov. No wonder he chose a very aggressive set-up with White.} c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 {Topalov chooses the Sicilian Najdorf, one of the most active and well analyzed variations.} 6. Be3 (6. h3 {Has been played by White with success lately.}) (6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 {is another main line.}) 6... e5 (6... e6 {leads to a different type of positions.}) 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 { Defending the e4 pawn and preparing a g4 push.} Be7 9. Qd2 O-O (9... h5 {This move has been played by Topalov previously. The idea is to prevent g4 and develop an attack on the queenside. On the other hand the h5 pawn almost denies Black an opportunity to castle short.}) 10. O-O-O {Caruana and Topalov have castled on opposite sides. Now the question is whose attack will be faster.} a5 $5 {Topalov tries to push pawn to a4 and then possibly to a3, getting rid of the knight from b3 and weakening Caruana's queensside pawns.} 11. a4 {Preventing the above mentioned plan.} Na6 {We will see on the next move why Topalov developes his knight on a6, and not c6.} 12. Bb5 Nc7 $1 { Strong move. Topalov wants to exchange the b5 bishop that defends Caruana's position on the queensside, and also prepares for a possible d5 push.} (12... Nb4 {is more natural, but in many variations this knight is misplaced on b4.}) 13. Bb6 {Caruana cannot afford to give up his b5 bishop, so he decides to exchange the dark-squared bishop for the c7 knight.} (13. Be2 {this retreat is too slow, since after} d5 $1 {Black developes a big initiative in the center.}) 13... Qc8 14. Bxc7 Qxc7 15. g4 {Caruana proceeds with his own plan. He wants to get rid of the f6 knight and occupy the d5 square.} Rfd8 16. g5 Nh5 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. exd5 g6 19. Kb1 {The opening phase of this game is over and we can draw some conclusions. Both kings are defended very well, and neither side can develop an attack. But whereas Black has a clear plan of pushing f6 and attacking the weak f3 pawn, White's plan is less obvious. Probably the best Caruana can do is to bring the b3 knight to e4. Overall, I think Topalov's position is slightly preferable and easier to play.} Rf8 $1 20. Qe3 Qd8 (20... Nf4 21. h4 f6 {was already possible, with a slight advantage for Black.}) 21. h4 Nf4 22. Qg1 h6 $5 {Topalov deviates from his original plan. He wants to exchange the h6 pawn for the g5 pawn, which would allow him to push f5 and dominate in the center.} 23. Nd2 Kg7 24. gxh6+ Kxh6 {The king looks dangerously placed on h6, but Caruana does not have enough resources to cause any troubles.} 25. Nc4 Qc7 26. Qe3 Kh7 27. h5 $1 {A strong move by Caruana: sacrificing a pawn to open files.} g5 $1 {Topalov is correct to decline the pawn sacrifice.} (27... Nxh5 $4 {would just lose a game.} 28. Rdg1 f5 29. f4 $1 {with the following Qf3 and Black has no defense against Rh5.}) (27... gxh5 { is possible, but risky. For example:} 28. Nb6 Rad8 29. Rd3 $1 {preparing Rc3 followed by Nd7.}) 28. h6 f5 29. Qd2 {Freeing the e3 square for the knight, which can attack the f5 pawn from there. This position is very complicated, which means that plan with f6 was better than Topalov's h6 plan.} Rf6 30. Rdg1 Rg6 31. Ne3 Rf8 32. Nc4 $6 {Not a good move.} (32. Ng2 $1 {is the right move, exchanging the f4 knight.} Nxg2 33. Rxg2 Bd8 34. Bd3 {with a slight advantage for Caruana.}) 32... Bd8 $1 33. Rd1 Rff6 34. Qf2 Rxh6 35. Qa7 $2 {In time trouble Caruana makes several inaccurate moves.} (35. Ne3 {is better.}) 35... Rxh1 36. Rxh1+ Rh6 37. Qg1 $6 (37. Rxh6+ Kxh6 38. Qg1 {was more accurate, since it would not allow Topalov to place his rook on h4.}) 37... Rh4 $1 38. Ne3 Qf7 39. Ng2 $6 Rxh1 40. Qxh1+ Qh5 41. Qxh5+ Nxh5 42. Ne3 Ng3 43. Kc1 Kg6 44. Kd1 g4 $6 (44... e4 $1 45. fxe4 Nxe4 46. Bd7 Ng3 {and White cannot stop the black pawns from advancing.}) 45. fxg4 f4 46. Nc4 $2 {The final mistake by Caruana.} (46. Nf5 $1 {aiming for an opposite color bishop ending that has huge drawing tendencies.} Nxf5 47. Bd3 f3 48. Kd2 Kg5 49. Bxf5 Kf4 50. Kd3 Kg3 51. Be4 Kxg4 52. c3 {and it is not clear to me how Topalov was going to win this position.}) 46... Bc7 {Now it is over.} 47. Bd7 Kg5 48. Ke1 f3 49. Ne3 Bb6 {Topalov's pawns are unstoppable, so Caruana resigned. A very intense game, where Caruana took a lot of risks, but in the end Topalov just played a better game.} 0-1

[Event "Renova Group Grand Prix 2013"] [Site "Zug"] [Date "2013.04.29"] [Round "?"] [White "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"] [Black "Nakamura, Hikaru"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "Margvelashvili, Giorgi"] [PlyCount "44"] [EventDate "2013.??.??"] [EventCountry "SUI"] 1. d4 {This is one of those tournaments that Mamedyarov will want to forget. Today was clearly not his day.} d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 dxc4 4. e3 b5 5. a4 b4 6. Nce2 (6. Ne4 {is the most popular move, but Mamedyarov has already played 6. Nce2 once and decisively beat his opponent.}) 6... Nf6 (6... Qd5 7. Ng3 Nf6 8. Be2 e5 9. Nf3 Nbd7 10. O-O Bd6 11. Nd2 c3 12. bxc3 bxc3 13. e4 Qe6 14. Nf5 O-O 15. Bc4 Nd5 16. Nf3 N7b6 17. Bb3 Ba6 18. Re1 Bc7 19. dxe5 {1-0 Mamedyarov,S (2733)-Brunello,S (2575)Porto Carras 2011}) 7. Nf3 Ba6 8. Ng3 c5 $1 {A stong improvement by Nakamura. I think this move calls into question Mamedyarov's whole opening plan.} 9. Bd2 (9. Ne5 e6 10. Nh5 $5 {is suggested by chess engines.} Nbd7 11. Bxc4 Bxc4 12. Nxc4 Rc8 {and Black has solved all the opening problems.}) 9... e6 10. Rc1 Qd5 11. Ne5 (11. dxc5 Nbd7 12. Bxb4 Nxc5 13. Bc3 Rb8 {leads to a slightly better endgame for Black.}) 11... cxd4 12. Nxc4 Nbd7 13. Be2 $1 {Good move by Mamedyarov.} Rc8 (13... Qxg2 $4 14. Bf3 {is losing for Black.}) (13... Bxc4 $1 14. Bxc4 (14. Rxc4 {is also possible} d3 15. Qc1 $1 Rd8 (15... dxe2 $2 16. Rc8+ Rxc8 17. Qxc8+ Ke7 18. Bxb4+ $18) 16. Bf3 Qa5 17. Ne4 {with some, but clearly not enough compensation for the sacrificed pawn.}) 14... Qxg2 15. Bb5 Rd8 16. Bc6 Qh3 17. exd4 Bd6 18. Qf3 O-O {with advantage for Black.}) 14. Bf3 Qc5 15. b3 Be7 16. Ne2 $6 {This is an inaccuracy.} (16. O-O $1 {would be a lot stronger, since after} O-O 17. exd4 Qxd4 18. Ne2 Qd3 19. Nf4 Qd4 20. Ne2 {White forces a draw.}) 16... d3 $1 17. Nf4 O-O 18. Nxd3 Qf5 $1 {now Mamedyarov is dangerously behind in development.} 19. e4 $2 {A terrible blunder. Such blunders sometimes happen when player is clearly unsatisfied with his previous play and is psychologically stressed. There is no other way to explain this blunder by Mamedyarov, who is one of the strongest players in the world.} (19. Nxb4 Bxc4 20. Rxc4 Rxc4 21. bxc4 Ne5 22. Nc6 $1 Nxc6 23. Bxc6 {would give Mamedyarov excellent drawing chances.}) 19... Nxe4 20. g4 Qd5 {I do not know what Mamedyarov overlooked, but nothing works here for White.} 21. Qe2 f5 {Nakamura has an extra pawn and a winning position. } 22. O-O Rxc4 $6 {Not the best move, but one which surprisingly led to Mamedyarov's resignation.} (22... Bxc4 $1 23. bxc4 Qb7 24. Rfe1 Ndc5 {would give Black a winning position.}) (22... Rxc4 $6 23. bxc4 Bxc4 24. Nxb4 $1 { Probably both players overlooked this resource that saves White from immediate disaster.} Bxe2 (24... Bxb4 25. Rxc4 Bxd2 26. Bxe4 fxe4 27. Rxe4 {is worse for White, but the position is still playable.}) 25. Nxd5 exd5 26. Bxe2 Nxd2 27. Rc7 Nf6 28. Rxe7 Nxf1 29. Kxf1 Rf7 30. Rxf7 Kxf7 31. gxf5 {This endgame looks winning for Black, but White has some drawing chances. Good win for Nakamura and a game to forget for Mamedyarov.}) 0-1