Moscow Grand Prix R05: Six crowd the podium

by Albert Silver
5/17/2017 – For the fans hoping for a top board slugfest between Ding Liren and Mamedyarov, they will leave disappointed as a 15-move non-game was shook upon. However, this is not to say that was the tale of the day. Sharing 2nd and 3rd, Peter Svidler and Teimour Radjabov also drew, allowing Alexander Grischuk and MVL both winners in round five against Hou Yifan and Saleh Salem respectively, to draw level, leaving four players just half a point behind the leaders. Report with analysis by GM Tiger Hillarp Persson.
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Always an interesting matchup, Anish Giri and Hikaru Nakamura forayed into the Giuoco Pianissimo, AKA ‘quiet’ Italian. Whether he had something special up his sleeve or disagreed with the engine and database results is unclear, but Nakamura entered a line that doesn’t have the best record for Black, and was certainly inferior until Giri made a mistake that led to massive exchanges and a logical draw. Investigating where he could have pressed for more led to some entertaining finds that can be found in the notes.

Anish Giri vs Hikaru Nakamura

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1.e4 0 e5 5 2.Nf3 0 Nc6 3 3.Bc4 0 Bc5 15 4.0-0 0 Nf6 11 5.d3 0 d6 33 6.c3 3 a6 1:40 7.Re1 1:16 0-0 17 8.h3 12 Ba7 52 9.Bb3 13 Re8 5:13 10.Nbd2 43 Be6 1:37 11.Bc2 10 h6 1:13 12.Nf1 17 d5 47 13.exd5 22 Bxd5 5:02 14.Ng3 1:00 Qd7 7:12 15.Be3 3:26 15.Nh4 Rad8 16.Nhf5 Kh8 17.d4 exd4 18.Nxg7 Rxe1+ 19.Qxe1 Kxg7 20.Bxh6+ Kh8 21.Qd2 Rg8 22.Qf4 Qd6 23.Qh4 Qxg3 24.fxg3 1-0 (26) Giri,A (2773)-Anand,V (2804) Stavanger 2015 15...Bxe3 3:57 16.Rxe3 47 It should be noted that not only is this all theory, with plenty of grandmaster examples to compare notes with, but White's track record has been stellar. Re7 14:30 17.Nh4 1:42 g6 2:32 18.c4 16 Be6 0 19.Qf3 13:14 Kg7 5:48 20.Ba4 13 Qd4 5:46 21.Bxc6 2:54 bxc6 18 22.Qxc6 16 Rae8 6:06 23.Nf3 5:00 Qxb2 0 24.Rae1 4:43 Qxa2 1:46 25.Nxe5 0 The Playchess PGN shows that Giri spent nearly 14 minutes here, trying to decide the best way to proceed. Still, the engines say this was a mistake, and White went from better to slightly worse. Trying to make sense of the engine's evaluations is not always straightforward. Sometimes the matter is one of clear positional aspects, and other times it spouts a main line based on very deep calculations that have one wondering how this could be forced. This is one such case, though quite interesting. White needed to resist the temptation of grabbing the pawn just yet, and play 25.Qc5! Qb2 and now taking is correct with 26.Nxe5 Bc8 27.Qa5 Ng8 The engine's line showed the unflinching 28.Kh2! which could easily go unnoticed. Qb6 28...Qxf2?
What happens if Black takes the pawn on f2? Can you see how he is punished?
Show Solution
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Giri,A2785Nakamura,H2786½–½2017C54FIDE Moscow Grand Prix 20175

Among the wins of the day, one that struck one as truly bizarre, was Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s win over Saleh Salem. Bizarre because of the opening play by Salem. Consider the position after 15 moves:

MVL vs Saleh Salem

 

 

White’s  pieces are all developed, and he  has castled while the exact opposite is true of Black. And it is White to move. Granted, with the queens off, and no immediate violent attack in sight, the game did not end a few moves later, but nor was it any surprise to see White take the day.

MVL vs Saleh Salem

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1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qe2 Nxe4 6.Qxe4 Qd5 7.Qh4 Qe6+ Frankly, this move just looks like beginner play one might find in online blitz. It does nothing for Black's development or center, plays the queen for yet another move, and forces White to develop another piece. Oh no. A few weeks before, in the Chinese championship, Black played the more logical 7...Bf5 8.Bc4 Qd6 9.d3 e6 10.Bf4 Qb4+ 11.Bd2 Qxb2 12.0-0 b5 13.Rab1 Qa3 14.Nd4 Be7 15.Qg3 0-0 16.Nxf5 exf5 17.Bb3 Qd6 1-0 (40) Lu,S (2620)-Fang,Y (2447) Xinghua 2017 8.Be2 Qg4 9.Qg3 Qxg3 10.hxg3 Bf5 11.b3 a5N 12.Bb2 h6 A strange move. It is certainly not to prevent Ng5, and if the purpose was to abscond the bishop on g6 or h7, he clearly changed his mind shortly after. 13.0-0-0 a4 14.Nd4 Bc8 15.Rde1 axb3 16.axb3 Nd7 17.Nf5 Nf6 18.g4 Be6 19.f4 Rg8 20.Ne3 g6 21.f5 gxf5 22.gxf5 Bd7 23.Bf3 Kd8 24.Bd4 Bg7 25.Kb2 Ne8 26.Bxg7 Nxg7 27.f6 But not 27.Rxh6?! Nxf5 28.Nxf5 Bxf5= 27...exf6 28.Rxh6 Ne8 29.d4 Kc7 30.d5 Rg5 31.Rd1 Ra6 32.b4 Nd6 33.Rxf6 cxd5 34.Rxd5 Rxd5 35.Bxd5 Nc4+?
Black blunders horribly, but he was already possibly lost as it were. 35...Kd8± 36.Bxc4 1–0
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Vachier-Lagrave,M2795Salem,A26331–02017B11FIDE Moscow Grand Prix 20175

Hou Yifan essayed the 6.g3 line against Alexander Grischuk’s Sicilian Najdorf, and had scant more luck with it than Adams in the previous round. She hopefully offered a repetition with 27.Qa7, but the Russian was having none of it, and with his 27…d5! break, seized the advantage and never looked back.

After a strong and brave game in round four, Pentala Harikrishna seemed to have recovered his mojo and won a nice game against Michael Adams.

Pentala Harikrishna vs Michael Adams (annotated by GM Tiger Hillarp Persson)

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1.d4 Already this is a surprise. Harikrishna usually plays 1.e4, but I guess he was attracted by Adams's rather narrow black repertoire. Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 c6 6.e3 h6 Adams repeats the line that he lost a game with only three months ago. Perhaps 6...Be7 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.Nge2 h6 9.Bh4 Nh5 is a better move order, although 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Qd2 leads to the same position that Adams got against Mamedyarov (see below.). 7.Bh4 Be7 8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.f3!? There has only been three games with this move, so far, but it is very logical. White aims to meet Nh5 with Bf2. 9.Qc2 In older theory White used to play the queen here, in order to take Nf6-e4 out of the picture. However, if Ne4 is not such a great idea, there are clearly more constructive moves than Qc2!? Nh5!? 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 Compared to the position after 9.Nge2 Nh5 10.Bxe7 etc, this is clearly less critical. The queen would be better placed on d2, so that White can continue with f3, preparing e4. 9.Nge2!? Perhaps Adams was prepared to play the critical Ne4!? 9...Nh5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Qd2! was Mamedyarov-Adams, Sharjah Grand Prix 2017 10.Bxe7 Nxc3 10...Qxe7?! 11.Bxe4 dxe4 12.Ng3 Nf6 13.Qc2± 11.Bxd8 Nxd1 12.Rxd1 Kxd8 13.f3 when, to quote myself, "White has a clear plan in e3-e4 (and possibly g4/h4), whereas Black is somewhat passive. White ought to have a small advantage." After 9.Nf3 Black doesn't have to worry about the f3/ e4-plan and can focus on finding a way to meet b2-b4-b5. 9...0-0 9...Ne4 10.Bxe7 Nxc3 11.Bxd8 Nxd1 12.Rxd1 Kxd8 13.Ne2 10.Nge2 b5 Wesley So mentions 10...Ne4 11.Bxe7 Nxc3 12.Bxd8 12.bxc3 Qxe7 12...Nxd1 13.Rxd1 Rxd8 14.Kf2 , saying that White's play on the kingside, with h4, g4, etc, is promising. Here h6 turns out to be a weakness even though the queens are off the board. The usual plan in these positions is 10...Re8 11.0-0 Nf8 and although h6 is not part of the usual narrative, it is not quite clear how White should prove an advantage. 12.Kh1 Ne6 13.Bc2!? 13.Qc2 13.a3!? 13...Nf8?! 13...b6 14.Qd3 g6 15.e4 13...b5!? 14.Qd3 Nh5 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.e4 dxe4 17.fxe4 Be6 18.e5 Rad8 19.Ne4 Bd5 20.N2c3 Qe6 21.Nxd5 cxd5 22.Nc5 Qc8 23.Qf3 1-0 (23) Sokolov,I (2650)-Kenney,D (2021) Ottawa 2013 11.0-0 I prefer the White side in this structure. Black must , sooner or later, play c6-c5 and be left with an isolated pawn in the center. The alternative is to allow White to play e3-e4 and that looks even worse. White has no similar reason not to play e3-e4. Nb6 Black should seek counterplay in a more dynamic manner. Slow building up will only further White's case. Perhaps 11...b4!? 12.Na4 Nb6 13.Nc5 13.Rc1 Ng4! 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.Nxb6 Nxe3 16.Qa4 Bf5 17.Nxa8 Bxd3 18.Rfe1 Bb5 19.Qa5 Nxg2 , is a long, forced and - if the engine is to be believed - equal line. 13.Bf2!? 13...Nfd7 14.Nxd7 Bxd7 15.Bf2 c5! 16.dxc5 Bxc5 17.Rc1 Nc4 , could be a way to force ones way out of trouble. After 18.Bxc4 dxc4 19.Rxc4 Rc8 20.Nd4 Qg5 Black's activity looks to be enough to make up for the missing pawn. 12.Bf2! a5 12...b4 13.Na4 Nxa4 14.Qxa4 Qb6 15.Rfc1 15.a3!? 15...Bd7 16.Qc2 Rfc8 17.Qd2 17.Bf5!? 17...a5 is only a little better for White. 12...Nc4 13.Qc2 Bd7 14.Rad1 Re8 15.Ng3 and e3-e4 is hanging in the air. 13.Ng3! Now b5-b4 can be met with Nce2. 13.Nc1 makes the back ranks more crowded, but is also possible. 13...b4 14.Nce2 c5 As I mentioned before; Black cannot do without this move in the long run. 15.dxc5 Bxc5 16.Rc1 Nbd7 17.Nd4 17.Nf4!? Qb6 18.Re1 Re8 19.Bf5 Qd6 19...Rxe3?? 20.Rxc5 Rxe1+ 21.Qxe1 Nxc5 22.Nxd5+- 20.Qd2 looks like a more direct and possibly better way to exploit Black's weak points. 17...Qb6 18.Re1 Harikrishna is playing the white side in model style; not hurrying, while guiding the pieces towards the best squares. This move makes Nd4 free to move, while opening up a slot for the knight and bishop on f1. Re8 19.Bb1!? Even more active is 19.Bc2 Nf8 20.Ba4 Bd7 21.Ngf5 , but after h5 , intending g6, it is not clear how White will continue. In the bigger scheme White would prefer to keep the light squared bishops and exchange the dark squared ones... 19.Ngf5 Ba6 20.g4?! Bxd3 21.Qxd3 Ne5 22.Qe2 Bf8 19...a4 Black's advanced queenside pawns are a mixed blessing. On one hand they can create tactical possibilities with b4-b3 or a4-a3 (aiming for the c3-square), but the downside is that they will become (very) weak in the endgame. A similar situation can arise in the Kings Indian, when Black plays the a- and b-pawns forward. 20.Qc2 White wants to provoke g7-g6, but Black should be happy to be provoked. 20.b3!? a3 21.Qd2 Ba6 22.Bd3 Bxd3 23.Qxd3 Rac8 24.Nge2 The b4-pawn looks too weak to my liking, but Black has plenty of activity, so perhaps it is balanced. 20...Ra5!? 20...g6 21.Qd2 Ba6 22.b3 axb3 23.axb3 Rac8 24.Nge2 Ne5 25.Nf4 is possibly balanced, but I keep worrying about the b4-pawn. 21.Nge2 Nf8? This is a part of the old undermine-d4-with-everything-you-have-plan, but at this moment the most important thing is to keep White from pushing the bishop away from c5 with Nf4-d3. It's a small slip, but it has huge implications. It was better to play 21...Ne5 22.Nf4 Bd7 , when after 23.Red1 23.Nd3 Nxd3 24.Qxd3 Raa8 is quite OK for Black, since the bishop on b1 is out of play. 23...g6 24.b3 Rc8 25.Qe2 Re8 Black has no active plan (that doesn't hurt himself), but it's quite possible that White has none either. 22.Nf4 Black has no good way to deal with Nf4-d3. Bd7 23.Nd3 Bd6 24.Bg3! With the dark squared bishops gone d4, c5, e5, c7 and not least b4, all become weak. Now White has a steady advantage. Bxg3 25.hxg3 Rc8 26.Qd2 Rb8 27.g4 Ne6 28.Ne5! Rc5 29.Nxe6 Rxc1 29...Bxe6 30.Qd4 Rxc1 31.Rxc1 Qxd4 32.exd4 Nd7 would almost be OK for Black if the queenside pawns hadn't gone berserk earlier: 33.Nc6 Rb6 34.Kf2± 30.Rxc1 Qxe6 31.Qd4 White has more space on the kingside, a great blockade on d4 and the c-file. Black has two weaknesses in b4 and d5. Qd6 31...Re8 32.Nxd7 Nxd7 33.Bf5 Qd6 34.Bxd7 Qxd7 35.e4 Rd8 36.Rd1± 32.Nd3 Ne8 This makes matter worse, but it is already very hard to defend Black's position. 33.Rc5 Rb5?! 33...Bb5!?± 34.Rxb5 Bxb5 35.Qxb4 Qa6 36.Nc5 Qc6 37.Bf5 Nf6 38.b3 38.Kf2 g6 39.Bc2 h5! 40.gxh5 Nxh5 is less clear than one might expect. For instance: 41.Bxa4? Bxa4 42.Nxa4 Qc2+ 43.Kg1 Qc1+ 44.Kh2 Qxe3= 38...axb3 39.Nxb3 g6 40.Bb1 Nd7 41.Kf2 Bc4 42.Na5! Another line that shows just how many tricks there are in chess: 42.Nd4 Qf6 43.a4 Nc5! 44.Bc2 44.Qxc5 Qh4+ 45.Kg1 Qe1+= 44.a5!? 44...Qh4+ 45.Kg1 Qe7 46.Qc3 Bd3! 47.Qd2! Bxc2 48.Nxc2 Nxa4 49.Qxd5 Nc5 and Black has excellent chances of survival. 42...Qc7 43.Nxc4 dxc4 44.a4 Nb6 45.Bc2 Nd5 46.Qd2 Qc6? I presume Adams was disillusioned with his play. This doesn't seem like him. Now the game is just over. 47.Be4! c3 48.Qd1! Qb7 48...Qc4 49.Bxd5 c2 50.Qc1 Qxd5 51.Qxc2+- 49.Kg1 c2 50.Qxc2 Qb4 51.Qb1 With this win Harikrishna moved up to a 50% score. I believe he will do better than that in the end. 1–0
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Harikrishna,P2750Adams,M27471–02017D35FIDE Grand Prix5

This took Harikrishna to the 50% mark, while Adams is in a world of pain with 1.0/5. For those wondering whether there will be a rest day, the answer is yes.

Standings after five rounds

Rk SNo Ti. Name FED Rtg Pts rtg+/-
1 4 GM Ding Liren CHN 2773 3,5 6,6
  5 GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar AZE 2772 3,5 6,2
3 1 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime FRA 2795 3,0 -1,3
  6 GM Svidler Peter RUS 2755 3,0 2,1
  8 GM Grischuk Alexander RUS 2750 3,0 1,3
  13 GM Radjabov Teimour AZE 2710 3,0 8,1
7 2 GM Nakamura Hikaru USA 2786 2,5 -4,8
  3 GM Giri Anish NED 2785 2,5 -4,5
  7 GM Nepomniachtchi Ian RUS 2751 2,5 -5,3
  9 GM Harikrishna P. IND 2750 2,5 -2,5
  12 GM Gelfand Boris ISR 2724 2,5 2,5
  15 GM Tomashevsky Evgeny RUS 2696 2,5 2,2
  18 GM Hammer Jon Ludvig NOR 2621 2,5 8,1
14 14 GM Vallejo Pons Francisco ESP 2710 2,0 -2,3
  16 GM Hou Yifan CHN 2652 2,0 3,0
  17 GM Salem A.R. Saleh UAE 2633 2,0 3,9
17 11 GM Inarkiev Ernesto RUS 2727 1,5 -9,9
18 10 GM Adams Michael ENG 2747 1,0 -13,4

Pairings for round six

Bo. No.   Name FED Rtg Pts. Result Pts.   Name FED Rtg No.
1 4 GM Ding Liren CHN 2773 3½   3 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime FRA 2795 1
2 13 GM Radjabov Teimour AZE 2710 3   3½ GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar AZE 2772 5
3 8 GM Grischuk Alexander RUS 2750 3   3 GM Svidler Peter RUS 2755 6
4 2 GM Nakamura Hikaru USA 2786 2½   2½ GM Nepomniachtchi Ian RUS 2751 7
5 15 GM Tomashevsky Evgeny RUS 2696 2½   2½ GM Giri Anish NED 2785 3
6 12 GM Gelfand Boris ISR 2724 2½   2½ GM Harikrishna P. IND 2750 9
7 18 GM Hammer Jon Ludvig NOR 2621 2½   2 GM Vallejo Pons Francisco ESP 2710 14
8 17 GM Salem A.R. Saleh UAE 2633 2   2 GM Hou Yifan CHN 2652 16
9 10 GM Adams Michael ENG 2747 1   1½ GM Inarkiev Ernesto RUS 2727 11

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Born in the US, he grew up in Paris, France, where he completed his Baccalaureat, and after college moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He had a peak rating of 2240 FIDE, and was a key designer of Chess Assistant 6. In 2010 he joined the ChessBase family as an editor and writer at ChessBase News. He is also a passionate photographer with work appearing in numerous publications, and the content creator of the YouTube channel, Chess & Tech.

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