11/17/2016 – Game five ended in a draw bringing the match-score to 2.5-2.5. In an Italian game Sergey Karjakin equalized easily with Black and seized the initiative. But his activity soon came to a halt and Carlsen was in control again. Which he lost once more after the first time-control. But then it was Karjakin who missed good chances. More...
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World Chess Championship News - 2016-11-17
Game No. 5 - Notes by John Nunn
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Notes by John Nunn - Carlsen had pressed strongly in Games 3 and 4 so now,
with the white pieces in front of him, would this be the game for the
champion's breakthrough in the match?1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4So far
Carlsen has adopted three different openings in his three games with White.
Gone are the days of Alekhine-Capablanca when they played the Queen's Gambit
Declined in almost every one of the 34 games.Bc54.0-0Nf65.d3The quiet
form of the Giuoco Piano, often called the Giuoco Pianissimo. White aims for a
slow build-up, sometimes trying to gain space on the queenside with c3 and b4,
or playing for a delayed action in the centre after transferring the knight
from b1 to d2, f1 and g3, much as in the Spanish. It's tempting to just
comment that such quiet methods are unlikely to bring White much of an
objective advantage, but that isn't the way Carlsen plays. Like another world
champion, Emanuel Lasker, he is often not so concerned with playing the most
critical lines, but more in reaching a position in which he can show his
strengths. Quiet methods have secured Carlsen many victories from positions
that initially didn't appear to offer many winning chances.0-06.a4
But this is really unusual.White generally prefers to prepare central
expansion by6.c3or to pin the knight by6.Bg5The ChessBase online
database gives a mere 22 games with this move, with White scoring a
respectable 66%.6...d67.c3Now we have transposed into a more standard
line. Black has to take action against the threat to trap his bishop.a68.b4Ba79.Re1Ne7A standard plan in such positions. Black transfers his knight
to the kingside in order to generate play there. With only one minor piece on
that side of the board, White is slightly vulnerable there especially if he
does not undertake the knight transfer to g3.9...Ng4can be met by10.Ra2a benefit of White's early queenside pawn advance.10.Nbd2Ng611.d4
I'm not very enthusiastic about this move, even though my computer likes it.
Is White playing on the queenside or in the centre? True, the knight transfer
to g6 has weakened Black's hold on d4, allowing White to push in the centre,
but it is better to wait for this type of move until White is more prepared.
Playing d3 and then d4 involves an inevitable loss of tempo and White's
development is not yet good enough to give a central advance any real bite.c6A good response by Karjakin. Noting the slight fragility in White's position,
he prepares to play actively in the centre himself.12.h3It's unfortunate
that White has to play another non-developing move, but12.Nf1is strongly
met byBg4White has not achieved any advantage from the opening.12...exd4?!Karjakin plans to break apart White's centre, but the results are not
especially favourable. He could have kept the balance by the simple12...Re8or, if he really wanted some central action, by12...d513.cxd4Nxe414.Bxf7+!A somewhat surprising decision, but a good one.14.Nxe4d515.Bd3dxe416.Bxe4Be6doesn't give White anything, so Carlsen prefers to keep his
knights, which are effective despite the relatively open position.14...Rxf715.Nxe4d516.Nc516.Neg5?!Rf6only puts the g5-knight in jeopardy.16...h6Ruling out any possible ideas involving Ng5 followed by Qh5.17.Ra3Thanks to White's earlier queenside advance, White can save time by doubling
rooks without developing the c1-bishop first.Bf518.Ne5This looks
slightly premature. White would have had more chances of an advantage with the
natural18.Rae3Qf619.Ne5Re720.Nxg6Rxe321.Rxe3Bxg622.Qe2
with a solid control of the open file, although admittedly any advantage is
rather slight.18...Nxe519.dxe519.Rxe5achieves nothing afterBb820.Nxb7Qf621.Re8+Kh7attacking the knight and threatening ...Bh2+.19...Qh4Attacking b4 and taking aim at f2.20.Rf3A good defensive move
maintaining the balance.Bxc5?!The tactical justification for White's
play is20...Qxb4?21.Ba3Qa522.e6Rf623.Nxb7Qb624.e7and wins,
but Karjakin's response is not the best.20...Bg621.Rxf7Bxf7would
have been fine for Black, since the e-pawn is not well enough supported to be
a real danger.21.bxc5The exchange on c5 has altered the structure of the
position. White's queenside pawns are broken, but they are not really
vulnerable, while Black's b-pawn is now permanently backward. Perhaps the main
worry for Black is that White's 4 vs 2 kingside majority is far more mobile
than Black's queenside pawns. The outlines of real problems for Black are
visible in the position and it is surprising that Karjakin went in for a line
which allowed Carlsen to exercise his famous grinding skills when he had a
reasonable alternative which kept some active play.Re822.Rf4Qe723.Qd4
White now a very safe advantage. At the moment it may appear small, but it
could easily increase. The big question is whether White can advance his
kingside pawns without exposing his king too much.Ref824.Rf3Be425.Rxf7Qxf726.f3Bf527.Kh2It might appear that White can start pushing his
pawns at once, but after27.g4Qg628.Kh2Be629.f4Qc2+30.Bd2g631.Rg1Kf7Black sets up a line of defence which is hard to break through. Carlsen
therefore manoeuvres in the hope of finding a more favourable moment to start
his pawn advance. However, the extra time allows Black to improve his position
and it becomes more rather than less difficult to advance the pawns.27...Be628.Re2Qg629.Be3Rf730.Rf2Qb131.Rb2Qf532.a5Kf8An interesting
plan. If White does eventually push on the kingside, it could be that Black's
king will be a tactical weakness. Karjakin therefore decides to transfer his
king to the queenside, where his numerical superiority of pawns offers good
shelter. Additionally, the king can defend the b7-pawn, relieving his other
pieces of a rather menial job.33.Qc3Carlsen cannot see any way to make
progress, and for the moment just moves around without achieving very much.Ke834.Rb4g5!An interesting and highly committal decision. Black could
have set up a light-square blockade with ...g6, aiming to hold onto the
f5-square at all costs, but he decides instead to take pre-emptive action to
prevent White's pawns even getting as far as f4 and g4. The danger is that in
any ending the kingside pawns on dark squares will be vulnerable to attack by
White's bishop, especially if his king is far away on the queenside. In my
view, Karjakin made the right decision and, by taking action himself rather
than simply waiting, he has forced Carlsen to come up with a counterplan.35.Rb2Kd836.Rf2Kc837.Qd4Qg6Black is now even ready to play ...h5
followed by ...g4, which would completely kill any winning prospects for White,
so Carlsen decides to block Black's advance.38.g4h539.Qd2Rg7I don't
see how White can make progress here since any pawn advance of the kingside
would expose the white king too much. If White could swap off the major pieces
the g5-pawn would fall, but there is no way to achieve this.40.Kg3Rg841.Kg2?This move, which blocks the path of White's major pieces to the h-file
is a serious error after which White is even worse. Any normal move, such as41.Rh2would have maintained the balance.41...hxg442.hxg442.fxg4?Qe4+43.Kg1Rh8loses at least a pawn,.42...d4!Karjakin strikes with
a pawn sacrifice allowing him to activate his bishop.This is even stronger
than42...Qh643.Qd4White must block the d-pawn since43.Kf1d444.Bxd4Qh1+45.Ke2Rd8gives Black a very dangerous attack43...Rh844.Kf1Qh1+45.Ke2Qb146.Bxg5when White can at least run with his king to f4.43.Qxd443.Bxd4Qh744.Kg1Qh345.Qe2Rf846.Rh2Qg3+47.Rg2Qxf348.Qxf3Rxf3is an unpleasant ending for White, since all his pawns are weak,
but this might actually have been the lesser evil.43...Bd5?Karjakin
fails to make the most of his chances. After43...Rh844.Qe4Qh645.Kf1Qh1+46.Ke2Bd5would have been deeply unpleasant for White. His king is
floating around in the middle of the board, while Black's piece press from all
sides. After47.Qd3Qa148.Bxg5Qxe5+49.Be3Qa1it is unlikely that
White will survive in the long run. As is so often the case in
opposite-coloured bishop positions with major pieces, it's the initiative and
attacking chances which count, and not the odd pawn or two.44.e6In an
echo of Karjakin's ...d4, Carlsen returns the pawn in order to gain space for
his pieces. However, it would have been even simpler to play44.Kg3
allowing the rook to switch to h2, after which I can see nothing for Black.44...Qxe6Or44...Qh745.e7Qxe746.Bd2Qh747.Qf6Rh848.Qf5+Qxf549.gxf5g450.Kg3gxf3and with his king active White should have no
trouble holding the ending.45.Kg3The crisis is essentially over and the
game is once more on course for a draw.Qe746.Rh2Qf747.f4Further
activating White's pieces and fully equalising.gxf4+48.Qxf448.Bxf4Qf549.g5was also safe for White.48...Qe749.Rh5Rf850.Rh7Rxf451.Rxe7Re4Forcing the draw. After51...Re452.Rxe4Bxe453.Kf4Bd354.Ke5Kd755.Kf6Ke856.Bh6Bc257.g5Bd358.g6Bc259.g7Bb3Black is not in any
danger.½–½
08.00 Mumbai/ 03.30 Hamburg/ 21.30 New York: IM Sagar Shah analyzes the key positions and the fifth round encounter on the ChessBase India website. According him,Sergey Karjakin played an excellent game and held Magnus with ease.
01.15 / 19.15: Draw agreed. The fifth draw in a row but the first, in which Karjakin had serious chances.
#CarlsenKarjakin A strange game. Throughout it seemed that Carlsen forgot that Karjakin could play for a win. And Karjakin forgot too.
01.00 / 19.00: The opinion among spectators also is that Carlsen was doing fine until he missed Karjakin's ...d4! After this, Karjakin might have been winning, but he returned the favor with ...Bd5 allowing Carlsen's e6! Now it is anyone's game and the opinions even among the GMs diverge on whether White is fine or Black still retains an edge thanks to his pressure against White's weak king.
The tables are crowded with players trying to reach a consensus. Here IM Javier Ochoa, president of the Spanish Federation, partakes in the fun.
Norwegian journalist Kaja Marie Snare tours the Café asking fans their opinions.
00.47 / 18.47: According to the engines Karjakin gave most of his advantage away when he played 43...Bd5?!. Three moves later the engines consider the position as equal but suddenly both sides seem to have chances again.
00.32 / 18.32: For the first time in the match Carlsen is under serious pressure.
00.14 / 18.14: Karjakin seized his chance and played 43...d4!?, an interesting pawn-sacrifice that liberates Black's white-squared bishop and forces Carlsen to play precisely again.
"He’s not messing around here. He’s playing for mate."
00.10 / 18.10: Carlsen's aimless play before the time-control has brought him into trouble: after 42 moves the engines see an advantage for Black and Carlsen is suddenly on the defensive again.
23.55 / 17.55: In the last moves before the time-control Carlsen has not made any progress - and it is difficult to see how he can make progress.
23.30 / 17.30: After stopping Karjakin's initiative Carlsen is in full control again. In a major piece endgame with opposite-colored bishops he runs no real risk of losing but can try to win - for a long time.
Oh boy we are in the trenches again Karjakin seems to have spoiled a comfortable position the Carlsen press is on #worldchess2016
22.59 / 16.59: The main room is quite full today, with fans loving the complicated struggle going on. The organizers are also running a blitz tournament in view of the success of the one two days ago. One can hear the pairings being announced while others debate the game at hand.
Avid chess fan enjoying the blitz tournament.
Tim Hanks from the US Chess Federation analyzes the game with GM Denes Boros
22.51 / 16.51: In this game Karjakin had a promising looking position with active pieces but he found no way to put pressure on White and now has to defend again.
Now there are only two possible results - a white win or a draw, with the latter being more likely #CarlsenKarjakin
22.33 / 16.33: After 20 moves a strategically and tactically complicated position is on the board. And Karjakin has a bit less than 30 minutes on the clock, Carlsen has a bit less than 40 minutes to reach the time-control on move 40.
22.19: / 16.19: Chess is demanding:
Espen says the Norwegian PM has texted and hopes for a shorter game, the government is frazzled after so many long nights. #CarlsenKarjakin
21.45 / 15.45: After thinking for more than fifteen minutes, Carlsen finally came up with 18.Ne5, a move Fabiano Caruana had predicted minutes before on twitter.
The position is difficult to evaluate,and just one mistake could turn the evaluation either way. Ne5 will likely come soon #CarlsenKarjakin
21.37 / 15.37: Carlsen played the opening quickly but then slowed down. After 17...Bf5 Carlsen spent a lot of time on his next move and caught up with Karjakin on the clock.
21.06 / 15.07: Carlsen's 14.Bxf7+ made Simon Williams wonder:
#CarlsenKarjakin Not sure why these guys hate their light square bishop so much.
21.00 / 15.00: After a short tactical skirmish (13...Nxe4 14.Bxf7+ Rxf7 15.Nex4) we once again see a fight knight vs bishop. The engines evaluate the position as equal and until now Carlsen has not spent much time on his moves and is 20 minutes ahead on the clock.
20.49 / 14.49: Nigel Short seemed to like Carlsen's opening choice.
21st century homo chessicus has concluded that white should put his bishop on c4, attacking f7 - as they already understood 500 years ago.
20.30 / 14.30: Both sides played the first moves quickly, but after Carlsen's 12.h3 Karjakin took some time to remember his preparation - or think on his own.
20.05 / 14.05: No Ruy Lopez today. Carlsen again started with 1.e4 and after thinking for 30 seconds Karjakin replied 1...e5. But after 2.Nf3 Nc6 Carlsen deviated from game 3 and played 3.Bc4.
20.01 / 14.01: Bennett Miller, chess fan and director of the film "Capote" from 2005, is guest in the AGON studio and played the first move. "Capote" gave the late Philip Seymour Hoffman the Oscar for Best Actor.
19.50 / 13.50: It also works the other way round - as a TNT 2009 NBA playoffs commercial shows. Under the heading "Basketball is like a game of chess" the commercial lists a number of parallels:
"The first move requires no pieces. It is the look into the eyes of your opponent. The iron gaze of a warrior. The frozen stare of a man possessed. The piercing glare of a champion. Feel his years. A lifetime of hunger and hope trifles and triumphs. Search his heart for fear. Show him none in return.
No single piece can win a match. Combine several, move them in constant, and behold a synchronized symphony of force. Push forward. Attack. Retreat. Or is it a trick? A ruse to draw out the opposition. Be watchful as one avenue closes another opens. Employ tactics and advance your aims while perplexing your rival.
Be mindful of time but do not grant a clock authority of your reason. Defend with vigor. A skilled advisory is beatable when his movements are restricted and his patterns are exposed. Tension grinds at the nerves. Emotion can weigh a man down or lift him in the air! ..." and so on.
19.45 / 13.45: Magnus Carlsen's workout on the basketball court might have been a good preparation for game five. To quote Bobby Fischer: "Chess is like basketball. You toss the ball around until you find an opening."
19.30 / 13.30: Game 5 will start in about half an hour. Carlsen plays with White and spectators wonder whether he will open with 1.e4 - as he did in game 3 - or 1.d4 - as he did in game 1. Or maybe he opts for an off-beat line such as 1.b3? Specators also wonder whether the last two games will have a psychological impact on the players - in both games Carlsen outplayed Karjakin and was close to winning but failed to convert.
Fabio Caruana thinks 43...g4 was a clear-cut winning plan for Black in game No 4, and Daniel King had published that before in his commentary for Der Spiegel (in German). Very instructive video!
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