London Chess Classic, Rd. 5: A fine win and an amazing draw

by Johannes Fischer
12/13/2016 – Round 5 of the London Chess Classic brought four draws and one win. The only winner of the round was Michael Adams who defeated Veselin Topalov with an inspired attack - Nadezhda Kosintseva annotates the encounter. The other games ended in a draw but were very exciting. Vishy Anand came up with a novelty, Caruana missed good chances and Vladimir Kramnik showed amazing defensive skills.
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London Chess Classic 2016, Rd. 5

Round 5, Michael Adams - Veselin Topalov / Notes by Nadezhda Kosintseva

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,174,61854%2421---
1.d4952,91955%2434---
1.Nf3283,84956%2440---
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1.g319,80456%2427---
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1.b41,77548%2379---
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1.Na34360%2477---
Notes by Nadezda Kosintseva - Even though both players lost their chances to fight for first places in the tournament, this game was by far the most interesting in this round. Whereas the leaders had mostly theoretical battles that ended in draws, this game is the only one that was sharp and had a result different from draw. Surprising enough, Michael Adams overplayed Veselin Topalov in a very sharp battle, which we usually would not expect. Let's see how it happened. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Adams chooses a very positional system and avoids the theoretical jungles of main Berlin lines. Bc5 Personally, I think this is the better move. The alternative d6 is too passive. 4...d6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.Re1 And as for me, white will always be slightly better in such positions because of the bad dark-squared bishop of black. 5.Bxc6 Again, this move represents not the most popular continuation but at the same time I would say that it is one of the most positional choices for white. White gives up the light-squared bishop on purpose to limit activity of black pieces. Typical play for Adams - get a drawish position, play it for a hundred moves, and get a point betting on his outstanding technique. However, this game developed according to a different scenario. dxc6 6.Nbd2 The pawn on e5 is tabu: 6.Nxe5?? Qd4 7.Be3 Qxe5 8.d4 Qxe4 9.dxc5 Qxg2 10.Rf1 Bh3 11.Nd2 Qg6 12.Rh1 0-0-0-+ with a decisive initiative of black. 6.Be3 This is line is playable, but too many pieces get exchanged after, for example: Bxe3 7.fxe3 Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nd7 1/2-1/2 (59) Nepomniachtchi,I (2656)-Ponomariov,R (2737) Dagomys 2010 6...Be6 7.0-0 Now the pawn e5 hangs. Bd6 As an alternative, 7...Nd7 seems to be more solid, on the one hand, as white has no immediate d4. But on the other hand, white gets at his disposal an additional resource to play 8.Nb3 Bb6 9.Ng5 ,forcing black to trade his light-squared bishop for a white knight. 8.d4 Nd7 Of course not 8...exd4?? in view of 9.e5+- 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bxe5 Normally black should have no problem in this position. Strange enough he got a lot of them... 11.f4 Bd4+ 11...Qd4+!? Seems to be risky from a human point of view as this queen can be easlly attacked by white's pieces. But at the same time with such centralized queen black can provoke white to play too aggressively and then counter attack under favorable conditions.For example: 12.Kh1 Bd6 13.c3 13.f5 Bc4 14.c3 14.e5 Bxf1 15.exd6 Bxg2+! 16.Kxg2 0-0-0 17.dxc7 Rd5 14...Qc5 15.Nxc4 15.e5 Bxf1 16.exd6 Bd3 17.Qe1+ Kf8 18.dxc7 Qxf5∞ 15...Qxc4 16.e5 Bxe5 17.Re1 f6 18.Qd4 Qd5 19.Bf4 0-0 20.Bxe5 fxe5 21.Qxd5+ cxd5 22.Rxe5 Rad8= 13.e5 Bc5 14.f5 Bd5 15.Qe2 b5! 13...Qd3 14.f5 14.Rf3 Bg4! 15.Rxd3 Bxd1 16.Nc4 Bc2 17.Nxd6+ cxd6 18.Rxd6 Bxe4= 14...Bd7 14...Bc4 15.Rf3 Qe2 16.Qg1 15.Rf3 Qb5 16.a4 Qe5 17.Nf1 0-0-0 12.Kh1 f6 Very natural move. Black restricts further advance of white's central pawns. 12...f5!? An interesting alternative. 13.Qe2 13.exf5 Bxf5 14.Re1+ Kf7 And temporary position of the black king in the centre is fully compensated by activity of black's bishop pair. 13.e5 Qd5 13...0-0 14.Nf3 Bc5 15.Ng5 Qe7 And again, the activity of black pieces seems to be a good compensation for a worse pawn configuration: 16.Be3 16.Nxe6 Qxe6 17.e5 Rfd8+- 18.Be3 Bxe3 19.Qxe3 Qc4 16...Bxe3 17.Qxe3 Bc4! 18.Rfe1 fxe4 19.Qh3 19.Qxe4 Qxe4 20.Rxe4 Bd5 21.Rd4 h6 19...h6 20.Rxe4 Qf6 21.Rxc4 hxg5 13.c3 Bb6 If Topalov had a second chance to play this position, he would probably prefer 13...Be3 ,trading his dark-squared bishop for the white knight and betting on the drawish tendency of opposite-colored bishops. 14.f5 Bf7 15.e5! This is the only good idea for white in the position. If he does not play dynamically, he is at risk to get in trouble in a long run since the position became quite open and the pair of black bishops pretty soon can turn into a real power. fxe5 Black had no choice. 16.Qg4 Qd3 The major difference between Qd3 and other queen moves is that white cannot play Ne4 - the rook on f1 hangs. Otherwise, if the knight gets to e4 white has an excellent compensation for the pawn. 16...0-0 seems to be very dangerous, in view of 17.Ne4 But not 17.f6? Bg6 17...Bd5 17...h5 18.Qg3 Bc4 19.Bh6 Rf7 20.Rfd1 And white has very strong initiative for the pawn, for example: Qc8 21.Nf6+ Kh8 21...Kf8 22.Qxe5 gxh6 23.b3! Ba6 24.Rd7‼ Rxd7 25.Nxd7+ Qxd7 26.Qh8+ Ke7 27.Qg7+ Kd6 28.Rd1++- 22.Nxh5 gxh6 23.Qxe5+ Kg8 24.Nf6+ Rxf6 25.Qxf6 Bf7 26.Rd3 Qf8 27.Rg3+ Kh7 28.Rd1 17...Bg6 18.Bg5 Qc8 19.Ng3 18.Ng3! It is very important for white to keep the knight that can participate in an attack against the black king. Kh8 19.b3 Qe7 20.c4 Bf7 21.Bb2 16...Qd5 17.Ne4! 17.Qxg7?? Rg8-+ 17...0-0-0 18.Bg5 Rde8 19.f6+ Be6 20.Qh4 17.Qxg7 Rg8 17...0-0-0 fails due to 18.Qxf7 Be3 19.Qe6+ Kb8 20.Qxe5 Bxd2 21.Bxd2 Qxd2 22.f6± And white's passed pawn should be a decisive factor in this position. 18.Qxe5+ Kd7 19.Qe4 The last moves were more or less forced, but now Topalov had a very important choice and he did not solve the puzzle. The best bet for black was Qd5. Qa6? 19...Qd5! 20.c4 20.Qxd5+? Trades and simplifications are not always good for the side that has a material advantage. So, in this particular position after Bxd5 21.Nf3 Raf8 Black gets the pawn back and his bishops will dominate the position. 20...Qd4! 20...Qxe4 21.Nxe4 Bxc4 22.Nf6+ Ke7 22...Kc8 23.Nxg8 Bxf1 24.Bg5 Bc4 25.Re1+- with a deadly threat of Re8. 22...Kd6 23.Re1! Rgf8 24.Bf4+ Kc5 25.Ne4+ Kb5 26.a4+ Ka6 27.a5 Bd4 28.Ra4+- 23.Nxg8+ Rxg8 24.Rf3 followed by Be3. 21.Rd1 Kc8 22.h3 And in spite of the fact that white keeps an extra pawn, black has good chances to survive in the endgame thanks to his bishop pair. 20.f6 Now black gets in real trouble. Rae8?! A follow-up mistake. It was essential for black to secure his king, even if it means to give up another pawn. 20...Rad8! But also here white has a clear advantage after 21.b3 Kc8 22.Nc4± The reason is that the black queen became so decentralized. Bd5 23.Qf5+ Kb8 24.Bg5 21.Qf5+! The pawn on h7 is poisonious. 21.Qxh7? Qe2! 22.Qxf7+ Kc8 23.g3 Rh8-+ 21...Kd8 21...Be6 22.Qxh7+ Kc8 23.f7 Bxf7 24.Qxf7 Qe2 25.Qf3+- 21...Re6 22.c4! Cutting off the black queen! 22.c4! Adams plays like a machine. I wonder whether he might have analyzed this position at home and we see again another game that actually "was not played on board" as Peter Svidler said it recently... ?! Qa5 22...Bd4 23.Rd1 c5 24.Nf3 Qxc4 25.Bg5+- And black is helpless. 23.Qh3! Again the strongest move. 23.Qxa5 The endgame is not only not better for white, it might be better for black! Bxa5 24.Nb3 Bb4 25.Bd2 Bxd2 26.Rad1 Kc8 27.Nxd2 Re2 23...Qb4 In the case of 23...Be6 White wins material after 24.Qd3+ Kc8 25.f7 Bxf7 26.Rxf7 Re1+ 27.Rf1 Qg5 28.Qh3++- 24.Qxh7?! That looks too greedy. There was a better continuation. 24.Nb3! Here black probably would resign in a couple of moves. Qxc4 24...Re1 25.Bg5! Rxf1+ 26.Rxf1 Rxg5 27.Rd1++- 24...Be6 25.Qd3+ Qd6 26.Qc2+- 25.Rd1+ Bd5 26.f7 Qe2 27.Rxd5+ cxd5 28.fxe8Q+ Kxe8 28...Rxe8 29.Bg5++- 29.Bf4+- 24...Qf8?! Too passive. Perhaps, the best chance was 24...Bg6 25.Qh3 Rh8 26.Qg4 Bh5 27.Qf5 The position is still won for white, but the game goes on and requires some precision. 25.b3 Bd4 25...Re2?? 26.Qd3++- 26.Qd3 Qd6 26...c5 27.Nf3 Bg6 28.Qd1 Qxf6?? 29.Bg5+- 27.Ne4 The game is coming to an end. Qd7 27...Rxe4 28.Qxe4 Bxa1 29.Bf4 Rg4 30.Bxd6 Rxe4 31.Be7+ Ke8 32.Rxa1+- The endgame is bad in itself, but to play such ending against Adams makes absolutely no sense. 28.Rd1 Now black loses by force. Kc8 28...c5 29.Nxc5+- 29.Qxd4 Qg4 30.Bg5! Very strong last trick! Rxe4 30...Rxg5 31.Nxg5 Qxg5 32.Qd7+ Kb8 33.Qd8+ Rxd8 34.Rxd8# 30...Qxe4 31.Qxe4 Rxe4 32.h4+- Again, no chance here for black. 31.Qxa7 The threat on a8 is deadly. Bd5 32.Qa8+ Kd7 33.Rxd5+ After 33....cxd5.34.Qxg8 white wins. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Adams-Topalov-1–02016C65London 2016

Nadezhda Kosintseva's commentary will also be in the next ChessBase Magazine #176, together with all the games of the London Chess Classic, a lot of them annotated - and much more. ChessBase Magazine #175, the current issue, also contains a wealth of material and annotated games by Vladimir Kramnik, Wesley So, David Navara, Pavel Eljanov, Simon Williams, Daniel King any many other exclusive authors.  Have a look!

Highlights from the 5th round by Daniel King

Photos: Lennart Ootes

Levon Aronian - Anish Giri
Putting in the hours to study the opening might help to save time when you need or want it. Apparently, Levon Aronian and Anish Giri wanted to take it easy on the day before the rest day. They blitzed out the opening of their game and soon a repetition was on the board which led to a quick draw - the first of the round.

 

 

Wesley So - Vishy Anand
Wesley So and Vishy Anand also drew quickly - but this was time enough for Anand to come up with an interesting novelty in a sharp line of the Queen's Gambit Declined with 5.Bf4. 

Wesley So - Vishy Anand, position after 10.Qd2

Here Anand played the surprising novelty 10...Bxa3, deviating from a game Hikaru Nakamura vs Sergey Karjakin, Bilbao 2016, in which Black had tried 10...Nd5 which eventually led to a draw in 34 moves. After Anand's novelty Black soon equalized and the game quickly fizzled out into a dead drawn endgame.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave - Fabiano Caruana
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Fabiano Caruana played the third draw of the round and Vachier-Lagrave is probably happy about this result. Although playing with White he found no convincing concept against Caruana's Petroff and soon Black seized the initiative and advanced his central pawns. But in a crucial moment Caruana missed a good chance and a few moves later the game was over.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave - Fabiano Caruana, position after 24.Bc1

According to the engines Black now could have kept a clear advantage with 24...Re8 or 24...Nb4. But Caruana played 24...Rd2?! and after 25.Bxd2 cxd2 26.Qxd2 Bc3 27.Qc1 Bxe1 28.Qxe1 e3 29.c3 Black had lost most of his advantage and the game soon ended in a draw.

 

Michael Adams - Veselin Topalov
The most spectacular game of the round was the encounter between Michael Adams and Veselin Topalov. In a Berlin with 4.d3 Adams played enterprisingly and weakened his king position to put pressure on Black. He continued this policy when he sacrificed a pawn to open lines against the black king.

Michael Adams - Veselin Topalov, position after 14...Bf7

In this position Adams played 15.e5!?, forcing Black to find a number of difficult defensive moves. Topalov used masses of time but did not find the right defense and finally cracked with only seconds on the clock.

Michael Adams - Veselin Topalov, position after 31...Bf5

Adams now finished the game with 32.Qa8 Kd7 33.Rxd5+ avoiding the last trap 32.Qxg8?? Re1+! 33.Rxe1 Qxg2#. But after 33.Rxd5+ Topalov resigned.

 

 

Hikaru Nakamura - Vladimir Kramnik
The longest and most dramatic game of the round was the encounter between Hikaru Nakamura and Vladimir Kramnik. Kramnik equalized with Black and seemed to seize the initiative but when he could not create concrete threats it was Nakamura who was playing for a win. But in a difficult endgame Kramnik showed his defensive skills and saved half a point by finding amazing stalemate tricks in the endgame.

Hikaru Nakamura - Vladimir Kramnik, position after 58.e6. Black to play and draw.

Here Kramnik did not hesitate and played 58...Nf7!. If White takes the knight, Black is stalemated. Nakamura now played 59.Kg6 but after 59...Nd8 60.Kf6 Nf7 he took the knight with 61.exf7 and the game was drawn.

Results of round 5

Br. Title Name Country ELO Res. Title Name Country ELO
1 GM Levon Aronian
 
 2785 ½ - ½ GM Anish Giri
 
 2771
2 GM Wesley So
 
 2794 ½ - ½ GM Viswanathan Anand
 
 2779
3 GM Michael Adams
 
 2748 1-0 GM Veselin Topalov
 
 2760
4 GM Hikaru Nakamura
 
 2779 ½ - ½ GM Vladimir Kramnik
 
 2809
5 GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave
 
 2804 ½ - ½ GM Fabiano Caruana
 
 2823

Games - rounds 1 to 5

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Be3 c5 8.Rc1 0-0 9.Qd2 e5 10.d5 Nd7 11.c4 f5 12.Bg5 Nf6 13.Ne2 Nxe4 14.Bxd8 Nxd2 15.Be7 Rf7 16.Bxc5 Nxf1 17.Rxf1 b6 18.Bb4 Ba6 19.f4 Rc8 20.fxe5 Bxe5 21.Rf3 Bxc4 22.Re3 Bg7 23.Nf4 Rd7 24.a4 Bh6 25.g3 Bxf4 26.gxf4 Rxd5 27.Re7 Rd4 28.Bd2 Kf8 29.Bb4 Re8 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2779So,W27940–12016D858th London Classic 20161
Caruana,F2823Anand,V2779½–½2016A218th London Classic 20161
Kramnik,V2809Topalov,V27601–02016D778th London Classic 20161
Vachier Lagrave,M2804Giri,A2771½–½2016B908th London Classic 20161
Aronian,L2785Adams,M27481–02016C508th London Classic 20161
Kramnik,V2809Aronian,L2785½–½2016A148th London Classic 20162
Anand,V2779Vachier Lagrave,M28041–02016B908th London Classic 20162
So,W2794Adams,M27481–02016E068th London Classic 20162
Topalov,V2760Caruana,F28230–12016C028th London Classic 20162
Giri,A2771Nakamura,H2779½–½2016A498th London Classic 20162
Aronian,L2785So,W2794½–½2016A348th London Classic 20163
Caruana,F2823Kramnik,V2809½–½2016C538th London Classic 20163
Nakamura,H2779Anand,V27791–02016D378th London Classic 20163
Vachier Lagrave,M2804Topalov,V2760½–½2016C678th London Classic 20163
Adams,M2748Giri,A2771½–½2016B518th London Classic 20163
Giri,A2771So,W2794½–½2016D028th London Classic 20164
Kramnik,V2809Vachier Lagrave,M2804½–½2016A498th London Classic 20164
Caruana,F2823Aronian,L2785½–½2016C778th London Classic 20164
Anand,V2779Adams,M2748½–½2016C538th London Classic 20164
Topalov,V2760Nakamura,H27790–12016B128th London Classic 20164
So,W2794Anand,V2779½–½2016D378th London Classic 20165
Vachier Lagrave,M2804Caruana,F2823½–½2016C428th London Classic 20165
Nakamura,H2779Kramnik,V2809½–½2016D378th London Classic 20165
Aronian,L2785Giri,A2771½–½2016D778th London Classic 20165
Adams,M2748Topalov,V27601–02016C658th London Classic 20165

Standings after round 5

Live video round 5

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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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