Norway 08: Missed Chances

by Alejandro Ramirez
6/12/2014 – Many missed chances in this round! Grischuk could not convert an extra pawn against Giri, likewise Aronian couldn't do it against Caruana. More shockingly Carlsen has one of those positions where "every move wins", but he somehow was unable to do so and Svidler salvaged a draw. Karjakin, however, did finish Kramnik off and now he is the solo leader with a round to go.
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The Unibet Norway Chess Tournament will take place in Stavanger, Norway from June 2nd to June 13th. The tournament features some of the best players in the world and has a massive rating average of 2774.

Round Seven

Round 08 – June 12 2014, 15:30h
Simen Agdestein 2628
0-1
 Veselin Topalov 2772
Levon Aronian 2815
½-½
 Fabiano Caruana 2791
Sergey Karjakin 2771
1-0
 Vladimir Kramnik 2783
Alexander Grischuk 2792
½-½
 Anish Giri 2752
Peter Svidler 2753
½-½
 Magnus Carlsen 2881

Norwegian Star Linni Meister was a guest today at the commentary

Daniel King shows the highlights of round 8

Agdestein, Simen 0-1 Topalov, Veselin
A complex position out of an English. A dubious exchange sacrifice left Agdestein with some compensation, but when it dissipated it was clear that Topalov was simply winning.

This is Agdestein's first decisive result of the tournament

Aronian, Levon ½-½ Caruana, Fabiano
A bizarre game. The opening was certainly not the usual theoretical duel that Caruana likes, instead many interesting decisions led to a very unbalanced position. Aronian found himself with the initiative and applying pressure on all of Black's pawns. He eventually won one of them and he had good chances to consolidate, but one bad move allowed Caruana's queen to cause enough trouble to force a perpetual.

Caruana defended resourcefully in a difficult position

Karjakin, Sergey 1-0 Kramnik, Vladimir
After obtaining nothing from the opening Karjakin was able to put the smallest amount of pressure on Black's position. Kramnik somehow cracked little by little. Eventually Karjakin's advantage was very significant and the endgame was hard to hold for Kramnik. White's technique was not the precise, but eventually it was good enough to win the game.

Svidler, Peter ½-½ Carlsen, Magnus

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1.e41,166,62354%2421---
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1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 f5 4.d3 Nf6 5.g3 Bb4 6.Bg2 Bxc3+ 7.bxc3 d6 8.0-0 0-0 9.Rb1 Qe8 9...Rb8 was played in Wang-Vitiugov last year, but that ended in a White victory. 10.Qb3 White has tried several other moves but not this one. It is rather strange. b6 11.Nh4 Na5 12.Qa3 Rb8 Svidler's erratic queen maneuve has left her somewhat stranded on a3. Black has a clear plan of attacking on the kingside and it is unclear how White will proceed in the opposite flank. 13.Be3?! Inviting what clearly has to be a powerful sacrifice. f4 14.gxf4 Qh5 15.Nf3 Bh3! 16.Bxh3 Qxh3 17.Kh1 Rbe8! 18.Qb2 e4! Carlsen precisely strikes at his opponent's position. This last move shatters the position in the center and allows all of black pieces, including the knight on a5, to jump in to the fray. 19.Ng5 Qh5 20.dxe4 Ng4 21.Nf3 Nxc4 22.Qb3 Rxe4 Black has recovered his material and it is obvious that his attack and positional advantage should be sufficient for the victory. 23.Rg1 d5 23...Rfxf4! was immediately winning. 24.Bxf4 Nxf2+ 25.Kg2 Nh3! A hard move to find, but absolutely decisive. White cannot defend against both Nxf4 and Rxe2. 24.Qb5 Rfxf4? This surprisingly does not work! 24...Ncxe3 Simple and effective. 25.fxe3 Nf2+! 25...Rxe3-+ 26.Kg2 Nh3-+ 25.Bxf4 Nxf2+ 26.Kg2 Rxe2 27.Kf1! Forced but sufficient! Ne4! 27...Qxf3 28.Rg3! Qe4 28...Qxf4 29.Qxd5+ Kf8 30.Kxe2-+ 29.Qd7= and Black has nothing better than a perpetual. 28.Rxg7+! Kf8 28...Kxg7 29.Qd7+ Qf7 30.Qg4+ Qg6 31.Qd7+ Kh8 32.Qd8+ Qg8 33.Qxg8+ Kxg8 34.Kxe2 Nxc3+ 35.Kd3 Nxb1 36.Bxc7 is hard to win, since Black's knights are stranded, but it was the only chance. 29.Kxe2 Nxc3+ 30.Kf2 Nxb5 31.Rbg1 Black is technically up material, but his king is too weak. Nc3?! 32.Rxc7?! 32.Rg8+ Ke7 33.R1g7+ Kf6 34.Rxc7 Black's king is dangerously placed. White's on the other hand will be totally safe on g2. 32...Ne4+ 33.Ke1 Nc5 34.Rc8+ Kf7 35.Rc7+ Kf8 36.Rc8+ Kf7 37.Rc7+ Kf8 A perpetual before anything bad happens. A very wild game. 38.Kf2 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Svidler,P2753Carlsen,M2881½–½2014A25Norway Chess 20148.4

It is not usual for Carlsen not to convert such a winning position

Grischuk, Alexander ½-½ Giri, Anish
White won a pawn early in the game but consolidating it was never easy. Giri kept finding annoying resources and somehow it was not easy for White to convert. Finally a nice tactical strike gave Black a draw:

Grischuk was very upset about not being able to convert,
especially since Carlsen didn't cash in his chances either

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52.Kxc2 Black looks like he is completely lost. The king cannot penetrate and he is down two pawns. However a miracle resource is still available. Nxg4! Proving again how bad knights are at stopping rook pawns. 53.hxg4 Kxg4 54.Ng1 Kg3 55.Kd2 Kf2 56.Nh3+ Kg3 57.Ng1 Kf2 58.Nh3+ Kg3 59.Ng5 Kf4 60.Ne6+ Ke4 The knight still has to come back to defend against the pawn which leaves Black's king free to take all of White's pawns. 61.Ng5+ Kxd4 62.Nf3+ Ke4 63.Nxh4 Ke5 64.Kd3 Kxd5 65.Nf5 Kc5 66.Nxd6 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Grischuk,A2792Giri,A2752½–½2014E61Norway Chess 20148.3

Standings

Replay today's games

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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,166,62354%2421---
1.d4947,29855%2434---
1.Nf3281,60256%2441---
1.c4182,10256%2442---
1.g319,70256%2427---
1.b314,26554%2427---
1.f45,89748%2377---
1.Nc33,80151%2384---
1.b41,75648%2380---
1.a31,20654%2404---
1.e31,06848%2408---
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1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 5.Nd5 Bc5 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d6 8.e3 a6 9.b3 Ba7 10.Bb2 Nxd5 11.cxd5 Ne7 12.Nh4 f5 13.f4 e4 14.g4 Nxd5 15.Nxf5 Bxf5 16.gxf5 Qe7 17.Kh1 Nf6 18.d3 c6 19.dxe4 Nxe4 20.Qc2 Rae8 21.Rg1 Nf6 22.Rae1 Qf7 23.e4 d5 24.Bxf6 Bxg1 25.Be5 Ba7 26.exd5 cxd5 27.Qd3 Rd8 28.Rc1 Rd7 29.Bh3 Re7 30.Qg3 Kh8 31.Rc2 Bb8 32.Bg4 d4 33.Kg1 d3 34.Rd2 Qd5 35.Rxd3 Ba7+ 36.Kf1 Qh1+ 37.Ke2 Qe4+ 38.Kd1 Bb8 39.Qf3 Qxf3+ 40.Bxf3 Bxe5 41.fxe5 Rxe5 42.Bxb7 Rexf5 43.a4 a5 44.h3 Rf2 45.Ba6 g5 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Agdestein,S2628Topalov,V27720–12014A292nd Norway Chess 20148
Aronian,L2815Caruana,F2791½–½2014A042nd Norway Chess 20148
Grischuk,A2792Giri,A2752½–½2014A342nd Norway Chess 20148
Svidler,P2753Carlsen,M2881½–½2014A272nd Norway Chess 20148
Karjakin,S2771Kramnik,V27831–02014D352nd Norway Chess 20148

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Schedule of Events

Date
Time
Event
Venue
Playchess commentary
02.06.2014 17.00 Blitz Flor & Fjære  
03.06.2014 15.30 Round 1 Scandic Stavanger Forus Daniel King
04.06.2014 15.30 Round 2 Scandic Stavanger Forus Simon Williams
05.06.2014 15.30 Round 3 Scandic Stavanger Forus Yasser Seirawan
07.06.2014 15.30 Round 4 Vågen VGS, Sandnes Yasser Seirawan
08.06.2014 15.30 Round 5 Scandic Stavanger Forus Yasser Seirawan
09.06.2014 15.30 Round 6 Aarbakke fabrikkhall, Bryne Chris Ward
10.06.2014 15.30 Round 7 Scandic Stavanger Forus Daniel King
12.06.2014 15.30 Round 8 Scandic Stavanger Forus Simon Williams
13.06.2014 14.30 Round 9 Scandic Stavanger Forus Daniel King

Pairings

Round 01 – June 03 2014, 15:30h
Levon Aronian 2815
½-½
 Simen Agdestein 2628
Sergey Karjakin 2771
½-½
 Veselin Topalov 2772
Alexander Grischuk 2792
0-1
 Fabiano Caruana 2791
Peter Svidler 2753
½-½
 Vladimir Kramnik 2783
Magnus Carlsen 2881
½-½
 Anish Giri 2752
Round 02 – June 04 2014, 15:30h
Simen Agdestein 2628
½-½
 Anish Giri 2752
Vladimir Kramnik 2783
½-½
 Magnus Carlsen 2881
Fabiano Caruana 2791
1-0
 Peter Svidler 2753
Veselin Topalov 2772
0-1
 Alexander Grischuk 2792
Levon Aronian 2815
1-0
 Sergey Karjakin 2771
Round 03 – June 05 2014, 15:30h
Sergey Karjakin 2771
½-½
 Simen Agdestein 2628
Alexander Grischuk 2792
1-0
 Levon Aronian 2815
Peter Svidler 2753
½-½
 Veselin Topalov 2772
Magnus Carlsen 2881
½-½
 Fabiano Caruana 2791
Anish Giri 2752
0-1
 Vladimir Kramnik 2783
Round 04 – June 07 2014, 15:30h
Simen Agdestein 2628
½-½
 Vladimir Kramnik 2783
Fabiano Caruana 2791
½-½
 Anish Giri 2752
Veselin Topalov 2772
½-½
 Magnus Carlsen 2881
Levon Aronian 2815
½-½
 Peter Svidler 2753
Sergey Karjakin 2771
1-0
 Alexander Grischuk 2792
Round 05 – June 08 2014, 15:30h
Alexander Grischuk 2792
½-½
 Simen Agdestein 2628
Peter Svidler 2753
½-½
 Sergey Karjakin 2771
Magnus Carlsen 2881
1-0
 Levon Aronian 2815
Anish Giri 2752
1-0
 Veselin Topalov 2772
Vladimir Kramnik 2783
1-0
 Fabiano Caruana 2791
Round 06 – June 09 2014, 15:30h
Simen Agdestein 2628
½-½
 Fabiano Caruana 2791
Veselin Topalov 2772
1-0
 Vladimir Kramnik 2783
Levon Aronian 2815
½-½
 Anish Giri 2752
Sergey Karjakin 2771
½-½
 Magnus Carlsen 2881
Alexander Grischuk 2792
½-½
 Peter Svidler 2753
Round 07 – June 10 2014, 15:30h
Peter Svidler 2753
½-½
 Simen Agdestein 2628
Magnus Carlsen 2881
½-½
 Alexander Grischuk 2792
Anish Giri 2752
0-1
 Sergey Karjakin 2771
Vladimir Kramnik 2783
½-½
 Levon Aronian 2815
Fabiano Caruana 2791
½-½
 Veselin Topalov 2772
Round 08 – June 12 2014, 15:30h
Simen Agdestein 2628
0-1
 Veselin Topalov 2772
Levon Aronian 2815
½-½
 Fabiano Caruana 2791
Sergey Karjakin 2771
1-0
 Vladimir Kramnik 2783
Alexander Grischuk 2792
½-½
 Anish Giri 2752
Peter Svidler 2753
½-½
 Magnus Carlsen 2881
Round 09 – June 13 2014, 14:30h
Magnus Carlsen 2881   Simen Agdestein 2628
Anish Giri 2752   Peter Svidler 2753
Vladimir Kramnik 2783   Alexander Grischuk 2792
Fabiano Caruana 2791   Sergey Karjakin 2771
Veselin Topalov 2772   Levon Aronian 2815

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess 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 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez has been playing tournament chess since 1998. His accomplishments include qualifying for the 2004 and 2013 World Cups as well as playing for Costa Rica in the 2002, 2004 and 2008 Olympiads. He currently has a rating of 2583 and is author of a number of popular and critically acclaimed ChessBase-DVDs.

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