1/26/2017 – There was some high voltage drama in the second round of the Gibraltar Masters 2017. Four super-GMs: Caruana, MVL, Topalov and Svidler were held to a draw. Meanwhile, Vassily Ivanchuk lost in a completely better position against IM Ori Kobo. 37 players including Hikaru Nakamura, Mickey Adams, Yu Yangyi, Nikita Vitiugov and Arkadij Naiditsch are on 2.0/2. In this report we bring to you didactic analysis, Topalov's instructive Masterclass and some lively video interviews by Tania Sachdev.
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Gibraltar R2: Top players face tough resistance
The playing hall in Hotel Caleta
IM Leandro Krysa played a fine game to draw against Fabiano Caruana. It must be said that the Argentinian IM was clearly better at some point in the game.
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1.e4
1,183,387
54%
2421
---
1.d4
958,449
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
286,131
56%
2441
---
1.c4
184,608
56%
2443
---
1.g3
19,877
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,598
54%
2428
---
1.f4
5,953
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,905
50%
2384
---
1.b4
1,790
48%
2378
---
1.a3
1,249
54%
2406
---
1.e3
1,081
49%
2409
---
1.d3
969
50%
2378
---
1.g4
670
46%
2361
---
1.h4
466
54%
2382
---
1.c3
439
51%
2425
---
1.h3
289
56%
2420
---
1.a4
118
60%
2461
---
1.f3
100
47%
2427
---
1.Nh3
92
67%
2511
---
1.Na3
47
62%
2476
---
Please, wait...
1.d4d52.c4c63.Nf3Nf64.Nc3a65.c5g66.g3Bg77.Bg20-08.0-0Bg49.Ne5Bf59...Be6was a better move, because on f5 the bishop can be attacked with h3-g4.10.h3Nfd711.f4Nf612.Qb3Qc812...Ra7!13.g4Be4was better than what happened in the game for Black.13.g4Be414.Nxe4Nxe415.Bxe4dxe416.f5!gxf517.gxf517.Rxf5was a very strong move.e618.Rg518.Rf4Nd7=18...f618...Nd719.Nc4±19.Rxg7+!Kxg720.Nc4!Nd721.Nd6Qd822.Qxe6+-A very interesting variation.17...Nd718.Kh118.Ng4!?Bxd4+19.Kh118...Nxe519.dxe5Bxe520.Bh6Rd821.f6!?Everything would lose for Black except the rook sacrifice that Fabiano now plays!21.Rg1+Kh822.Qxf7was an obvious candidate and it seems that White is just crashing through, until you seeRg8And Black holds on.21...Rd3!21...Bxf622.Rxf6exf623.Qg3++-22.Rg1+Kh823.Bg7+Kg824.Bh6+Kh825.Bg7+Kg826.Bh6+A great result of Leandro Krysa, but somewhere one gets the feeling that he could have beaten the World number two!½–½
Leandro Krysa: I am very happy and it's incredible for me!
World Rapid Champion Vasily Ivanchuk lost on time against his Israeli opponent IM Ori Kobo
It was not one of those moments where Ivanchuk let his time run out on deciding his move. In fact he thought that they had reached the time control on 40th move. But he had missed writing the 24th move and hence, he was one move away from completing 40 moves. The final position was pretty much winning for the Ukrainian.
You know that the game was interesting when each and every pawn in the position is either isolated or doubled!
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1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Nf64.Bg5dxe45.Nxe4Be76.Bxf6gxf67.Nf3a68.a4f59.Nc3Bf610.Qd2Qd611.g4!?A very interesting move by Ivachuk.Bd711...fxg412.Ne4Qe713.Nxf6+Qxf614.Ne5And White has excellent compensation.12.Qh6Be713.gxf5exf514.Qxd6Bxd6The endgame is similar to the one we see in Queen's Gambit Declined where Black goes Bf5, Qf3 Bg6, Bxf6 Qxf6, Qxf6 gxf6. We get a structure of doubled f-pawns in return for the bishop pair. Here, it's the same case. Who's better? The player who plays better!15.0-0-0Nc616.Bc4Kf817.Kb1Rg818.Ne5Bxe5!A good decision by Ori.19.dxe5Be620.Bd520.Bxe6fxe621.Rd7Rg7is already better for Black.20...Rg420...Bxd521.Rxd5Rg2!=21.b3Ke722.Kb2Rag823.Rd2Rd824.Rhd1Nxe5?!24...Rh4=25.Bxb7! It seems like Black made a bad trade winning the e5 pawn for the b7 one, but he has a trick up his sleeve.Nc4+!26.bxc4Rb827.Nd5+Bxd528.Rxd5Rxb7+29.Kc3A unique case on the board: each and every pawn is either isolated or doubled!Kf629...Rf4=30.Rc5Rh431.Rc6+Ke731...Kg532.Rxa6Rxh2=32.Re1+Kd733.Rf6Rb634.Rxf5Rc635.Rxf7+Kc836.f4Rh3+37.Kb4Rxh238.Re8+Kb739.Rff8Rch6?After this move White is just winning with Rb8+ Kc6 Ra8. Ivanchuk had missed the move number 24 on his score sheet and hence thought that he had reached the 40th move. In fact they had made only 39. He let his time run out and this resulted in a loss. Quite a heart breaking defeat.39...Rb6+40.Kc3Rh3+41.Kd4Rd6+42.Kc5Rc6+43.Kb4a5+44.Kxa5Ra6+45.Kb4Rb6+46.Kc5Rc6+47.Kd4Rd6+48.Ke5Re3+49.Kf5Ra3The position is still playable for Black, but he has to defend accurately in order to make a draw.39...Rch640.Rb8+Kc641.Ra8+-0–1
Michael Adams played a beautiful endgame to down Indian GM Debashis Das
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1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3d54.cxd5exd55.Bg5c66.Qc2h67.Bh4g68.e3Bf59.Qb3g510.Bg3Qb611.Nf3Nbd712.Nd2Nh513.Be2Nxg314.hxg3Nf615.a3Qxb316.Nxb3a517.Kd2Bd618.Bd3Bg619.Rae1Kd720.Re2h521.Kc2b522.Nd2Rhb823.Ra1b424.Bxg6fxg625.Na4Kc726.axb4axb427.b3g428.Kd3Rf829.Rc1Rf730.e4dxe4+31.Nxe4Nxe432.Kxe4Re8+33.Kd3Rxe234.Kxe2Rf535.Nb2Ra536.Nc4Ra2+37.Kf1g538.Nxd6Kxd6Black has a small edge in this position. Mainly because he can create an outside passer with h4. However, like all rook endgames this position too has a tendency to be drawish.39.Rc4h439...Ra1+40.Ke2h4was perhaps slightly more accurate.41.gxh4gxh442.d5!c543.Rxg4Rb144.Rxh4Rxb3Black pawns are much more advanced, but the white king is near. White should be able to hold this one.40.gxh4?40.Kg1!was the correct move as now Black cannot weave a mating net around the white king like he did in the game.40...gxh441.Kg1g3!42.fxg3hxg343.Kf1Rf2+44.Ke144.Kg1Rb2-+44...Rxg245.Kf145.Rxb4Rf246.Rb8Kd547.Rg8Rf348.b4Kxd449.Ke2Re3+50.Kf1Rb351.Rg6This should end in a draw.45...Rf2+46.Kg1Kd547.Rxb4Rc248.Rb848.Ra4is better and maybe holds.48...Kxd449.b4?49.Rb6Kd550.Rb8Rb251.Rd8+Kc552.Rb8It's not so easy for Black to win.49...Rb250.Rb6Kd551.Rb8Ke652.Rb7Kd653.Kf1Rf2+! Adams find a nice idea to draw.54.Kg1Re255.Kf155.b5c5-+55...g2+!56.Kg1Re7!The rook is transferred behind the pawn with a tempo.57.Rb8Rg758.Rd8+58.b5Kc7-+58...Kc759.Rd4Rg860.Rc4Kb661.Rf4Kb562.Re4Rg363.Rf4Rb364.Kxg2Rxb4The white king is just too far away.65.Rf1Rb2+66.Kf3c567.Ke3Kb468.Rf8c40–1
Hou Yifan played an excellent positional game and got the better of...
...Natalia Zhukova, in a complicated French Winawer
The position was complicated and within three moves the highest rated woman player in the world was left with a beautiful knight against Zhukova's sick looking bishop. How did the Chinese outwit her strong opponent? Let's see the critical phase of the game:
The position is complicated. However, more often than not top players always get the better minor piece on the board after the complications. This is what happened in this game as well.33...Rg8?A careless move by Zhukova that lets Hou Yifan get what she wanted. Natalia had to ask what her opponent wanted.33...Qe8!This keeps the rook on the f-file.34.Bxe7Rxe735.Bxf5Rxf5Now the position is not so simple anymore as the f4 square is not an outpost. The knight can be kicked anytime with g5.34.Bxe7!Rxe735.Bxf5!gxf536.Kg2±And just like that we see that it is Hou Yifan who is left with a clearly superior minor piece and a weakness on h5 to attack. This was a result of Zhukova not being prophylactic and not understanding what her opponent's threats were.Rh737.Rxh5Rgh838.Rxh7+Rxh739.Re1Qe840.Rh1Qh841.Rh3Kc642.Ng6Qg743.Qg5Kb544.Rxh7Qxh745.Qf6f446.g4f3+47.Kg3a548.g51–0
Hou Yifan: I am playing some sort of a women's tournament!
Riff Jean-Noel drew his game against Veselin Toplalov
The second round game was not the only work that Topalov did on Wednesday!
Veselin gave a Master Class for one hour after the game. He dealt with the topic of mistakes made when certain moves are taken for granted. Don't miss this highly instructive material coming from an ex-FIDE World Champion!
Marc Esserman lost to Yu Yangyi
Italy's number one Daniele Vocaturo drew his game against Yuliya Shvayger
Valentina Gunina drew her game with Omar Noaman and is on 1.5/2
David Howell is on 2.0/2 and takes on Sergey Grigoriants in round three
1.e4!? Maybe I should try that too! Bela Khotenashvili watches Hou Yifan, as the Georgian slumped to a defeat against Iturrizaga
Nitzan Steinberg played a strong game with the black pieces to draw his game against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Peter Svidler drew his game against IM Johan Saloman
Johan Saloman: I was never really thinking about the result
Kateryna Lagno beat Aramkhamia Grant-Ketevan and is on 2.0/2. She now faces Vadim Zviaginsev in round three.
Cecile Haussernot from France
Interview with Sam Shankland: Working with Magnus was an eye opening experience!
An amazing compilation of rapid fire questions to players like Caruana, MVL, Nakamura, Adams, Short, Svidler, Paehtz and many more!
The games will be broadcast live on the official web site and on the server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Sagar ShahSagar is an International Master from India with two GM norms. He loves to cover chess tournaments, as that helps him understand and improve at the game he loves so much. He is the co-founder and CEO of ChessBase India, the biggest chess news portal in the country. His YouTube channel has over a million subscribers, and to date close to a billion views. ChessBase India is the sole distributor of ChessBase products in India and seven adjoining countries, where the software is available at a 60% discount. compared to International prices.
Throughout the video course, Sasikran shows various examples from his career to explain sacrifices for initiative, an attack, a better pawn structure and much more.
In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
The Trompowsky is especially suited for faster time controls as you don‘t have to memorise endless lines of theory, and you push your opponent out of their comfort zone after your second move.
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