Magnus Carlsen Breaks Kasparov's Record at the London Chess Classic
By GM Lubomir Kavalek
Looking down from his new stratospheric heights, he must feel like the Swiss
balloonist Auguste Piccard who on May 27, 1931 flew nearly ten miles above the
Earth, the first man to see the planet as a round ball. Carlsen can see his
nearest rating rival, the former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, looking up.
Carlsen's rating of 2861 will officially appear in the FIDE January rating
list. It is not just the number – inflation takes its toll – but
the gap he opened on the other players. Vladimir Kramnik is 51 points behind.
In 1972, Bobby Fischer was 125 points ahead of Boris Spassky, his nearest contender.
Adding inflation, Fischer's rating would hover around 2880 today. Garry Kasparov
rose to his record rating of 2851 in 1999, 80 points above Vishy Anand.
The traditional crosstable from the London Chess Classic will be used in the
annals of rating history, sealing Carlsen's extraordinary achievement.
Malcolm Pein, the organizer of this wonderful event, loves the soccer system
– 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw. He believes it encourages the
fighting spirit, but inviting players who produce exciting chess works for him
as well. Carlsen certainly does not need any incentives to play for a win.
The victory in London must be Carlsen's career best. Kramnik matched his own
performance from the last year, but it was not enough to outpace Carlsen this
time. Nevertheless, Kramnik moved to second place on the FIDE rating list. For
the last 20 years, he has been rated among the world's top ten. Michael Adams
and Hikaru Nakamura played well and could have scored more points had the breaks
gone their way. The world champion Anand, 43, can't get going lately.
Carlsen considered the game against Judit Polgar his best. The legendary Hungarian
grandmaster Lajos Portisch once remarked that openings should be played to reach
a playable middlegame and Magnus seems to agree. He got a small edge against
the Hedgehog system by using a 40-year-old set-up, invented by the highly talented
Serbian grandmaster Ljubomir Ljubojevic. Carlsen loves the middlegame and plays
endgames with deadly accuracy. His active pieces and a distant passed pawn clinched
the victory.
Polgar and Carlsen posing at the London Eye. It was more serious in the
tournament hall.
[Event "4th London Chess Classic"] [Site "London ENG"] [Date "2012.12.07"] [Round
"6.2"] [White "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Black "Polgar, Judit"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO
"A33"] [WhiteElo "2848"] [BlackElo "2705"] [Annotator "GM Lubomir Kavalek/The
Huffington Post"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR
w KQkq - 0 1"] [PlyCount "105"] [EventDate "2012.12.01"] 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6
3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. a3 {Preventing the pin Bf8-b4, the pawn
move seems like a loss of time, but that's what profilactic chess looks like:
you don't let your opponent do what he usually likes to do.} Bc5 7. Nb3 {A preferred
square for the dark bishop, but Polgar does it only after kicking the white
knight from the center.} Be7 {A preferred square for the dark bishop, but Polgar
does it only after kicking the white knight from the center.} 8. e4 O-O 9. Be2
b6 10. O-O Bb7 11. Bf4 ({Bringing pieces into the game first is Ljubojevic's
idea from the Sicilian in a similar position (see the game below). The more
straightforward} 11. f4 {is a good option.}) 11... d6 {The Hedgehog formation
in which the black pieces crawl in a small space, getting the prickles ready
against an anticipated attack. Patience is virtue for white.} 12. Rc1 Rc8 13.
Re1 Ne5 14. Nd2 {The knight assumes a defensive role. Magnus is now fully developed
and can think about pawn expansion.} Nfd7 15. Be3 ({Carlsen drops his bishop
back, contemplating f2-f4. The game Van Wely-Gashimov, Wijk aan Zee 2012, showed
some important ideas for both sides despite being quickly drawn:} 15. b4 Kh8
16. Bg3 g5 17. Nb3 a6 18. Bf1 Rg8 19. Na4 Bc6 20. Nd4 Bb7 21. Nb3 Bc6 22. Nd4
Bb7 23. Nb3 {1/2-1/2}) 15... Qc7 16. b4 Qb8 17. f4 {And just like that Carlsen
grabs space on both wings. He also denies the black knights the squares in the
center. Polgar has to live on the last three rows.} Ng6 18. g3 Rfe8 19. Bf3
Qa8 20. Bf2 Ngf8 21. Qe2 Qb8 22. Red1 g6 $6 ({Weakening the dark squares. If
Polgar wanted to move a pawn in front of her king, she should have chosen} 22...
h6 {Carlsen now increases the space in the center.}) 23. e5 $1 Bc6 (23... dxe5
24. fxe5 Nxe5 $2 (24... Bxf3 25. Nxf3) 25. Bxb7 {leaves black a piece down.})
24. Bd4 Red8 25. Bxc6 Rxc6 26. Nf3 dxe5 ({Before doubling the rooks on the c-file,
Polgar has to exchange the pawns on e5. The immediate} 26... Rdc8 {runs into}
27. exd6 $1 Bxd6 28. Ne4 Be7 29. Ne5 R6c7 (29... Nxe5 30. Bxe5 Qb7 31. b5 {wins
the exchange.}) 30. Ng4 {threatening 31.Nh6 mate, white wins material.}) 27.
fxe5 { The thorn in black's position, the pawn on e5, is nicely overprotected
and the white pieces can enjoy the space behind it. When Aron Nimzovich's idea
of overprotecting the e5-pawn first came out, Hans Kmoch published a witty parody
in the Wiener Schachzeitung in February 1928. See the game Nimzovich - Systemsson}
Rdc8 ({The undermining} 27... a5 {can be met strongly by} 28. Ne4 $1 axb4 29.
axb4 {and grabbing the pawn} Bxb4 $2 {leads to a disaster on the dark squares:}
30. Qe3 $1 Kg7 (30... Bc5 31. Bxc5 Nxc5 32. Nf6+ Kg7 33. Ng4) 31. Qf4 h6 32.
Be3 {winning.}) 28. Ne4 Qc7 {Piling up the heavy pieces on the c-file gives
the impression that black is going somewhere, but the rook on c6 is vulnerable.
Magnus has to figure out how to attack it.} 29. Nfd2 {There goes the overprotection.
Magnus needs to swing the knight from e4 to g4 to create direct threats.} ({He
even considered the brutal} 29. c5 {but it leads nowhere after} bxc5 30. b5
Rb6 31. a4 (31. Bc3 c4 32. Ba5 Nxe5 $11) 31... a6 $11) 29... a6 (29... Nxe5
30. b5 {wins the exchange.}) 30. Nf2 {Rearranging the pieces.} Bg5 {This is
the first time a black piece crosses the third rank.} 31. Rf1 $1 {Magnus detected
a weakness in black's camp: pawn f7. The white pawns are less important than
the black king.} Bxd2 32. Qxd2 Nxe5 ({After} 32... Rxc4 33. Rxc4 Qxc4 34. Ng4
{threatening 35.Nh6+ or 35.Qf4, black's position collapses.}) ({The computer
line (Houdini Pro 3) trashes the defense} 32... h5 {with} 33. Ne4 {for example}
Rxc4 (33... Nh7 34. Qh6 Nxe5 35. Rxf7 $3 Qxf7 36. Bxe5 Rf8 37. Ng5 $1 {wins.})
34. Rxc4 Qxc4 35. Nd6 Qc2 36. Qf4 {wins.} ) 33. Bxe5 Qxe5 34. Ng4 Rd6 35. Nh6+
Kg7 36. Rxf7+ Kh8 37. Qf2 Qd4 ({Judit has to exchange the queens to avoid immediate
disaster, for example} 37... Rdd8 38. Rb7 {and black can't stop the devastating
fork 39.Nf7+.}) 38. c5 bxc5 ({ Exchanging the queens} 38... Qxf2+ 39. Kxf2 {brings
the white king closer to the center} bxc5 40. bxc5 ({Or} 40. Rxc5 Rxc5 41. bxc5
Rc6 42. Rxf8+ Kg7 43. Rf4 Kxh6 44. Rc4 Kg5 45. Ke3 Kf5 46. Kd4 $16) 40... Rdc6
(40... Rd2+ 41. Ke3 Rxh2 42. c6 Rxh6 43. Rcf1 Kg8 (43... Rxc6 44. Rxf8+ Kg7
45. R1f7#) 44. Rxf8+ Rxf8 45. Rxf8+ Kxf8 46. c7 $18) 41. Ke3 g5 (41... Rxc5
42. Rxf8+) 42. Ke4) 39. Qxd4+ Rxd4 40. Rxc5 Rcd8 (40... Rxc5 41. bxc5 Rc4 (41...
Nd7 42. c6 Nb6 43. c7 {black is locked in and the c-pawn will eventually decide
the game.}) 42. Rxf8+ Kg7 43. Rf4 $1 Rc1+ 44. Rf1 $18 {and white is a piece
up.}) (40... Rdd8 41. Rxc8 Rxc8 42. Ng4 Kg8 43. Ra7 {wins}) 41. Rcc7 {The hogs
are on the seventh rank and white can eventually create a distant passed pawn.}
Rd1+ {It is not easy for Judit to untangle her pieces:} (41... R8d7 42. Rxf8+
Kg7 43. Rf7+ $1 { wins}) (41... R4d7 42. Rxf8+ Kg7 43. Rf7+ Rxf7 44. Nxf7 {wins})
42. Kg2 R1d2+ 43. Kh3 R2d5 44. Ng4 Rh5+ (44... Nd7 45. Re7 h6 46. a4 {Carlsen})
45. Kg2 Rd2+ 46. Kf3 Rf5+ 47. Ke3 Rxf7 48. Rxf7 Rd8 49. Nf6 Rb8 50. Kf4 h6 ({Forced,
otherwise the white king charges to h6, for example} 50... a5 51. Kg5 axb4 52.
Kh6 bxa3 53. Rg7 a2 54. Rg8#) 51. Ke5 a5 52. bxa5 Ra8 53. a6 (53. a6 Rxa6 54.
Rxf8+ Kg7 55. Rd8 Ra5+ 56. Kxe6 Ra6+ 57. Rd6 {wins.}) 1-0
The thorn in black's position in the above game, the pawn on e5, is nicely
overprotected and the white pieces can enjoy the space behind it. When Aron
Nimzovich's idea of overprotecting the e5-pawn first came out, Hans Kmoch published
a witty parody in the Wiener Schachzeitung in February 1928.
[Event "Wiener Schachzeitung"] [Site "?"] [Date "1928.02.??"] [Round "?"] [White
"Nimzovich"] [Black "Systemsson"] [Result "*"] [Annotator "Hans Kmoch"] [PlyCount
"47"] [EventDate "2012.??.??"] [SourceDate "2012.12.09"] 1. e4 e6 2. h4 d5 3.
e5 c5 4. d4 cxd4 5. h5 Qb6 6. h6 Nxh6 7. Qh5 g6 8. Qh2 Nf5 9. Bd3 Nc6 10. Nf3
h5 11. b4 Bg7 12. Bf4 Bd7 13. Nbd2 Rc8 14. Ke2 Nxb4 15. Ne1 Nxd3 16. Nxd3 Rxc2
17. Rae1 a5 18. Kd1 Rc6 19. Re2 Ke7 20. Rhe1 Re8 21. Nf3 { Diagram [#] The overprotection
fairy tale has to have a happy ending:} Bf8 ({ In the real world black mates
in four moves:} 21... Qb1+ 22. Nc1 Rxc1+ 23. Bxc1 Ba4+ 24. Kd2 Qc2#) 22. g4
hxg4 23. Qh7 gxf3 24. Bg5# *
Chess games are fluid. They can flow from one opening to another still keeping
the same image as 40 years ago. Ljubojevic and the Swede Ulf Andersson became
the architects of the Hedgehog System in the early 1970s. But Ljubo turned around
and also proposed how to fight against it with the white pieces. It caught on.
[Event "Wijk aan Zee"] [Site "?"] [Date "1975.01.17"] [Round "4"] [White "Kavalek,
Lubomir"] [Black "Langeweg, Kick"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B44"] [Annotator "GM
Lubomir Kavalek/The Huffington Post"] [PlyCount "66"] [EventDate "1975.??.??"]
{Some of the notes are from my book "Wijk aan Zee Grandmaster Chess Tournament
1975" and were written immediately after the game.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4
cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nb5 d6 6. c4 Nf6 7. N5c3 ({I wanted to try an interesting
idea of Ljubojevic's. Ljubo argued that after} 7. N1c3 a6 8. Na3 {the knight
on a3 is misplaced, black's main point in the Lasker-Pelikan-Sveshnikov variation.
Instead, he brings his knights and other pieces closer to the center.}) 7...
b6 8. Be2 Bb7 9. O-O Be7 10. Bf4 O-O 11. Nd2 ({Later, Ljubo tried} 11. Re1 Ne5
12. Nd2 Nfd7 13. Bf1 (13. Be3 g5) 13... Bg5 14. Bxg5 Qxg5 15. Nf3 Qf6 16. Nxe5
Nxe5 17. Qd2 g5 18. Rad1 Rfd8 19. Qe3 Rd7 20. Rd2 Bc6 21. Red1 Rad8 22. f3 h5
23. Be2 h4 24. Rf1 Ng6 25. g3 hxg3 26. hxg3 Qe5 27. Kf2 Re8 28. Qd4 {1/2-1/2
(28) Ljubojevic,L (2590)-Kasparov,G (2630) Tilburg 1981}) 11... a6 12. a3 ({12.a3
is Ljubojevic's improvement. In the game Diez del Corral - Kavalek, Montilla
1973, black was fine after} 12. Rc1 Nd4 13. Bd3 b5 $1) 12... Nd4 ({A harmless
poke. An interesting plan would be} 12... Rc8 { followed by 13...Rc8-c7, 14...Qd8-a8,
and 15...Rf8-d8.}) 13. Bd3 Nd7 (13... b5 $2 {was bad because of} 14. cxb5 Nxb5
15. Nxb5 axb5 16. b4 $16 {and Black's b-pawn is weak and will eventually fall.})
14. Re1 ({Here goes one of Ljubo's first efforts:} 14. Be3 Bf6 15. Rc1 Ne5 16.
Bb1 Nec6 17. Re1 Rb8 18. b4 b5 19. Ba2 Ba8 20. Nd5 $5 exd5 21. cxd5 a5 22. dxc6
Nxc6 23. Qb3 axb4 24. axb4 Ne5 25. h3 Qe7 26. Qb1 {1/2-1/2 (26) Ljubojevic,L
(2565)-Karpov,A (2660) Madrid 1973}) 14... Ne5 15. Bf1 Bg5 16. Be3 Bxe3 17.
Rxe3 f5 18. exf5 Nxf5 19. Rh3 {Diagram [#] A most difficult position. It looks
very strong for black; however, his pawns are split into three "islands," while
White's pawns are in two groups. An endgame would be food for White but first
he must survive Black's attack. It is interesting to watch chess players make
judgments about different middle game positions. After this game Kick Langeweg
told me that he prayed for only one thing:"To be Mikhail Tal!" When I asked
why, he replied: "Because he would have won the position after 19.Rh3 very quickly
for black." When I showed the same position to the Yugoslav grandmaster Ljubomir
Ljubojevic, he got excited and his voice rose an octave:"You are better! Look
at Black's pawns. They are weak! The rook on h3 prevents everything and once
the endgame is reached Black is dead. -lk75} Qg5 20. Nde4 Bxe4 ({After} 20...
Qf4 21. Qd2 { White can force the exchange of queens, for if} Qg4 22. Be2 Qg6
23. Bh5 Qh6 24. Bf7+ {and White wins the queen. Now, with the exchange of the
bishop for the knight, an important piece in Black's attack is removed. - lk75})
21. Nxe4 Qf4 22. Qe1 {The critical position. White needs one more move -23.Ra1-d1
- to consolidate.} d5 $6 {An aggressive move, giving White the opportunity to
counter-attack.} ({After} 22... Rac8 {White can choose between} 23. b3 ({and
the very complicated line} 23. Rd1 Nxc4 24. Ng5) 23... d5 24. cxd5 exd5 25.
Nc3 {with play proceeding in a similar way as in the game. -lk75}) ({During
the game I thought} 22... Ng4 {posed the most danger. - lk75}) 23. cxd5 exd5
24. Nc3 Rad8 ({After} 24... Rae8 {White replies} 25. Nxd5 {and if then} Nf3+
26. Rxf3 Rxe1 27. Rxe1 Qd2 28. Re5 {White has enough compensation for the queen.
- lk75}) 25. Rd1 d4 ({After} 25... Rfe8 {White calmly plays} 26. Rxd5 {lk75}
(26. Nxd5 {is even stronger with the idea} Nf3+ $6 27. Rxf3 Rxe1 28. Rxf4 Rxd1
29. Rxf5 R8xd5 $2 30. Rxd5 Rxd5 31. Bc4 {and the pin wins.})) 26. Qe4 Ng6 $2
({ Losing at once. Black saw the queen move 26.Qe4 too late. Perhaps the endgame,
after} 26... Qxe4 27. Nxe4 {would not have been lost for him. - lk75}) 27. Qe6+
Rf7 ({Black has no choice. After} 27... Kh8 28. Qxg6 Nh6 29. Qg3 {White wins
a pawn. - lk75}) 28. Rf3 Qg5 ({Black goes for a desperate attack, easily refuted
by accurate moves. After} 28... Qe5 29. Bc4 Nd6 30. Ne4 {White wins easily.
- lk75}) 29. Bc4 Ngh4 30. Qxf7+ Kh8 31. Rg3 $1 {Blunting the attack.} Nxg3 32.
hxg3 dxc3 33. Re1 $1 {The point of White's combination - Black loses a piece.}
Qg6 ({After} 33... Qg6 {Black didn't wait for} 34. gxh4 {and White wins.}) 1-0
Original
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