Norway Chess Rd. 6: Harikrishna and Eljanov win

by André Schulz
4/25/2016 – In round six of the Altibox Norway Chess tournament Magnus Carlsen played with Black against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and had to fight for a draw. He was a piece down in the endgame but finally managed to draw. But Anish Giri lost against Pentala Harikrishna - his second loss in the tournament. Pavel Eljanov won against Nils Grandelius. Kramnik and Aronian drew, as did Li and Topalov. Mehr...
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Before the sixth round Maxime Vachier-Lagrave was only half a point behind tournament leader Magnus Carlsen. With a win in round six the French grandmaster could have taken the lead himself. However, winning against Carlsen is not that easy, even if you play with White.

Vachier-Lagrave and Carlsen once again discussed the intricacies of the Berlin Defense and with 12. f3 Vachier-Lagrave chose a less popular move which more or less forced White to sacrifice a pawn. This material investment gave "MVL" a certain initiative but then Carlsen gave a piece to liquidate into a drawn endgame. However, the World Champion still had to work a bit before Vachier-Lagrave finally agreed to split the point.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.h3 Ke8 10.Nc3 h5 11.Bf4 Be7 12.Rad1 Be6 13.Ng5 Rh6 14.Rfe1 Bb4 15.g4 hxg4 16.hxg4 Ne7 17.f3 The most popular move here is 17.Nxe6 17...Bxc3 18.bxc3 Bxa2 19.Ne4 Rh8 20.e6 Bxe6 21.Bxc7 Nd5 One wonders how Vachier-Lagrave wanted to improve a game between Anish Giri and Sergey Karjakin which continued with 21...b5 22.Be5 Rg8 23.Nc5 Nd5 24.f4 Bxg4 25.c4 f6 26.Rb1 Nb6 27.Bxf6+ Kf7 28.Bg5 Nxc4 29.Re7+ Kg6 30.Rbe1 Bf5 31.Kf2 Rad8 32.Nd3 a5 33.Rg1 Rd7 34.Bh4+ Kh7 35.Rxd7 Bxd7 36.Ne5 Nxe5 37.fxe5 Re8 38.Re1 a4 39.Kf3 a3 40.Bf2 Rf8+ 41.Kg3 Be6 42.Bc5 Ra8 0-1 (42) Giri,A (2734)-Karjakin,S (2776) Beijing 2013 22.Be5 Kf8 23.Nc5 b5 24.c4 bxc4 25.Rd4 Re8 26.Rxc4 Rh6 27.Ra4 Kg8 27...Ra8 28.Rea1 28.Rxa7 Bc8 29.Bg3 Rxe1+ 30.Bxe1 Rd6 Black has to take measures against the threat of Ra8. 31.Ba5
31...Bxg4!? Carlsen liquidates into an endgame which he knows from his World Championship match against Vishy Anand. 31...Be6 32.Ne4 Rd7 33.Ra8+ Kh7 apparently was not to his liking. 32.fxg4 Rg6 33.Kf2 Rxg4 34.Bd2 Another attempt was 34.Nd3 Rc4 35.Ne1 Ra4 36.Ke2 g5 34...Rc4 35.Ra8+ Kh7 36.Nd7 Rxc2 The last remaining white pawn vanished from the board. 37.Ke2 f6 38.Kd3 Rb2 39.Nf8+ Kg8 40.Ne6+ Kh7 41.Ra7 Rb3+ 42.Kd4 Rg3 43.Kc5 Rg2 44.Ba5 Ne3 45.Kxc6 Nf5 46.Bb4 Re2 47.Kd7 Re4 48.Bc5 Kg6 49.Ra1 Re5 50.Bd6 Nxd6 51.Kxd6 Rb5 52.Rg1+ Kh6 53.Nf4 Kh7 54.Nd5 g5 55.Ke6 Kg7 56.Rf1 Ra5 57.Nxf6 Kg6 58.Nd5 Ra6+ 59.Ke5 Ra8 60.Ne7+ Kh5 61.Rh1+ Kg4 62.Rg1+ Kh5 63.Rh1+ Kg4 64.Rg1+ Kh5 65.Rh1+ ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Vachier Lagrave,M2788Carlsen,M2851½–½2016C674th Norway Chess 20166

Qualifier Nils Grandelius had Black against Pavel Eljanov and for a long time managed to keep the balance in the Fianchetto-Variation of the Grünfeld but close to the time control the Swedish grandmaster lost control and Eljanov could win.

 
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1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.d4 Nf6 5.c4 dxc4 6.Na3 c3 7.bxc3 0-0 8.0-0 c5 9.e3 Nc6 10.Bb2 10.Qe2 Bf5 11.Rd1 Qb6 12.Bb2 10...Bf5 11.Nd2 Qc8 11...Bg4 12.f3 Be6 13.Qe2 Rc8 14.Rfd1 Qb6 15.Ndc4 Qa6= 0-1 (55) Lemos, D (2553)-Caruana,F (2721) Caleta 2011 12.e4 Bg4 12...Bh3 13.Rb1 Bxg2 14.Kxg2 13.f3 cxd4 14.cxd4 Bh3 15.Rc1 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Qd8 17.Nb3 Nb4 18.Nc2 Nxc2 18...Nxa2 19.Ra1 Qb6 20.Qd3 Nb4 21.Nxb4 Qxb4 22.Ba3± 19.Rxc2 Rc8 20.Qe2 20.d5!?± 20...Rxc2 21.Qxc2 Qd7 22.Rc1 Bh6 23.f4 23.Rd1?! Rc8= 23...Qa4 23...g5!? 24.f5 g4= 24.Rd1 24.Nd2 24...Qd7 25.Qe2 Rc8 26.d5 Bg7 27.Rd2 Qa4 28.Nd4 Qxa2 28...Rc4!?= threatening Nxd5. 29.Nf5 gxf5 30.Bxf6 Qa3 31.Bxg7 Kxg7 32.e5 Now Black loses control. Rd8 Better was 32...Qc3 33.d6 exd6 34.exd6 Qc6+= 33.d6 Qb4 34.Kh3 exd6 35.Qh5
Threatening to win the rook on d8 with Qg5+. 35...Rd7?? This loses because White's rook can penetrate. 35...Qxd2 36.Qg5+ Kh8 37.Qxd8+ Kg7 38.Qf6+ Kg8 39.exd6+- and the d-pawn queens. 35...h6!? 36.Qxf5 36.Rc2 dxe5 36...Qxd2 37.Qf6+ Kg8 38.Qxd8+ Kh7 39.exd6 39.Qxd6 Qe2= 39...Qe2 40.Qe7 Qh5+ 41.Kg2 Qd5+ 42.Kf2 Qc5+ 43.Kf3 Kg7 and Black keeps drawing chances, e.g. 44.Qe5+ Qxe5 45.fxe5 Kf8 46.Ke4 so a5 47.Kf5 a4 48.Kf6 Ke8 49.d7+ Kxd7 50.Kxf7 a3 51.e6+ Kc7 52.e7 a2 53.e8Q a1Q 36.Qg5+ Kf8 37.Rc2 Re7 38.Qf6 Re8 39.exd6 39.Rc7 was also possible: Kg8 40.Qxf7+ Kh8 41.Qxe8# 39...Kg8 40.d7 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Eljanov,P2765Grandelius,N26491–02016D774th Norway Chess 20166

Pentala Harikrishna played the second decisive game of the round. Against Giri's 1.e4 he opted for the French Defense and 8...b6 in the Classical Variation. Giri tried his luck on the kingside and in the centre but Black's counterplay on the queenside turned out to be stronger.

 
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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Be7 The "modern" line. The main lines start with 6...Nc6 7.Be3 0-0 7...b6 8.Qd2 b6 9.Nd1 After 9.0-0-0 Black could quickly drum up an attack on the queenside: Nc6 10.g4 c4 9...a5 10.c3 a4 11.Bd3 Ba6 12.0-0 Nc6 12...Bxd3 13.Qxd3 Nc6 14.f5 a3 15.b3 cxd4 16.cxd4 Nb4 17.Qe2 exf5 18.Bd2 Nb8 19.Ne3 Qd7 20.Bxb4 Bxb4 21.Nh4 g6 22.Qf3 Be7 23.Nhxf5 gxf5 24.Nxf5 Kh8 25.Qh5 Qe6 26.Rf3 Nc6 27.Raf1 Qg6 28.Qh3 Bg5 29.Nd6 f6 30.Nb5 Qe4 31.e6 Nxd4 32.Nd6 Qxe6 0-1 (32) Baskin,R (2329)-Neef,M (2406) Germany 2016 13.Bxa6 Rxa6 14.f5 b5 15.fxe6 15.f6 yields nothing for White: gxf6 16.exf6 Nxf6 17.dxc5 Ne4 15...fxe6 16.Qe2 Qb6 17.Nf2 a3 18.b3 b4 19.dxc5 Bxc5 20.Bxc5 Nxc5 21.c4 Ne4 22.cxd5 22.Kh1 Nxf2+ 23.Rxf2 Ra5 22...exd5 23.e6 Ne7 24.Kh1 Nc3 25.Qd3 h6 26.Nd1
After 26.Ne5 Qxe6 27.Nd7 Rc8 28.Rae1 Qd6 29.Ng4 Ne4 30.Nde5 Qe6 Black is a pawn up and clearly better. 26...Qb5 27.Qxb5 Nxb5 28.Nf2 28.Re1 Rf6-+ 28...Rxe6-+ Black is a pawn up - a passed pawn on the d-file. And White's pawn on a2 is weak. 29.Nd3 Nc6 30.Rfc1 Nc3 31.Nxb4 Nxb4 32.Rxc3 Re2 33.Rc7 Ra8 34.Nd4 Rxa2 35.Rf1 Rd2 36.h3
The last trick... 36...a2 36...Rxd4?? 37.Rff7 with a perpetual because Black's rook cannot go to g4. 36...a2 37.Rff7 a1Q+ 38.Kh2 Qxd4-+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Giri,A2790Harikrishna,P27630–12016C114th Norway Chess 20166

The game between Li Chao and Veselin Topalov was drawn thought the Chinese grandmaster showed enterprising chess. In the Moscow Variation of the Semi-Slav Li Chao sacrificed a pawn with 16.d5 and in return got active play for his pieces. However, he found no way to increase his pressure and White's initiative gradually dwindled until the game finally wound up in a rook endgame that led to a draw. A draw was also the result of the encounter between Vladimir Kramnik and Levon Aronian.

Results of round six

Br. Tit Name Coun ELO Ergebnis Titel Name Coun ELO
1 GM Anish Giri
 
 2793 0 - 1 GM Penteala Harikrishna
 
 2753
2 GM Pavel Eljanov
 
 2760 1 - 0 GM Nils Grandelius
 
 2637
3 GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave
 
 2785 ½ - ½ GM Magnus Carlsen
 
 2844
4 GM Chao B Li
 
 2751 ½ - ½ GM Veselin Topalov
 
 2780
5 GM Vladimir Kramnik
 
 2801 ½ - ½ GM Levon Aronian
 
 2786

Games of rounds 1 to 6

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 d5 3.e3 e6 4.c3 c5 5.Nd2 Nc6 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.Bxd6 Qxd6 8.f4 cxd4 9.cxd4 0-0 10.a3 Ne7 11.Ngf3 Qb6 12.Qb3 Qxb3 13.Nxb3 b6 14.Rc1 Bd7 15.Ke2 Nc8 16.Ne5 Ba4 17.Nd2 Nd6 18.b3 Bb5 19.Bxb5 Nxb5 20.a4 Nd6 21.Rc6 Rfd8 22.Ra1 Nfe8 23.a5 f6 24.axb6 axb6 25.Rxa8 Rxa8 26.Nd7 b5 27.Nc5 Kf7 28.e4 dxe4 29.Ndxe4 Nxe4 30.Nxe4 Ra2+ 31.Kf3 Rb2 32.Nc5 g5 33.Rb6 gxf4 34.Rb7+ Kg6 35.Nxe6 Kf5 36.Nc5 Rc2 37.Ne4 Nc7 38.Rb6 Nd5 39.Rd6 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kramnik,V2801Grandelius,N26491–02016A454th Norway Chess 20161
Carlsen,M2851Harikrishna,P27631–02016E154th Norway Chess 20161
Vachier Lagrave,M2788Li,C2755½–½2016C424th Norway Chess 20161
Giri,A2790Eljanov,P27651–02016C504th Norway Chess 20161
Aronian,L2784Topalov,V2754½–½2016A294th Norway Chess 20161
Grandelius,N2649Aronian,L2784½–½2016C654th Norway Chess 20162
Li,C2755Kramnik,V2801½–½2016C264th Norway Chess 20162
Giri,A2790Vachier Lagrave,M27880–12016B964th Norway Chess 20162
Topalov,V2754Carlsen,M2851½–½2016D374th Norway Chess 20162
Eljanov,P2765Harikrishna,P2763½–½2016E204th Norway Chess 20162
Harikrishna,P2763Topalov,V2754½–½2016E534th Norway Chess 20163
Aronian,L2784Li,C2755½–½2016D154th Norway Chess 20163
Carlsen,M2851Grandelius,N26491–02016B294th Norway Chess 20163
Kramnik,V2801Giri,A2790½–½2016D784th Norway Chess 20163
Vachier Lagrave,M2788Eljanov,P2765½–½2016C674th Norway Chess 20163
Eljanov,P2765Topalov,V2754½–½2016D594th Norway Chess 20164
Li,C2755Carlsen,M2851½–½2016D144th Norway Chess 20164
Giri,A2790Aronian,L2784½–½2016D374th Norway Chess 20164
Vachier Lagrave,M2788Kramnik,V2801½–½2016C654th Norway Chess 20164
Grandelius,N2649Harikrishna,P2763½–½2016C114th Norway Chess 20164
Kramnik,V2801Eljanov,P2765½–½2016C534th Norway Chess 20165
Aronian,L2784Vachier Lagrave,M2788½–½2016D144th Norway Chess 20165
Topalov,V2754Grandelius,N26491–02016C844th Norway Chess 20165
Carlsen,M2851Giri,A2790½–½2016C774th Norway Chess 20165
Harikrishna,P2763Li,C27551–02016E604th Norway Chess 20165
Giri,A2790Harikrishna,P27630–12016C114th Norway Chess 20166
Eljanov,P2765Grandelius,N26491–02016D734th Norway Chess 20166
Vachier Lagrave,M2788Carlsen,M2851½–½2016C674th Norway Chess 20166
Li,C2755Topalov,V2754½–½2016D434th Norway Chess 20166
Kramnik,V2801Aronian,L2784½–½2016C534th Norway Chess 20166

Standings after six rounds

Schedule and results of Norway Chess 2016

Round 1 Tuesday 19 April/td>
Vladimir Kramnik
1-0
 Nils Grandelius
Magnus Carlsen
1-0
 Pentala Harikrishna
M Vachier-Lagrave
½-½
 Li Chao
Anish Giri
1-0
 Pavel Eljanov
Levon Aronian
½-½
 Veselin Topalov
 
Round 2 Wednesday. 20 April
Nils Grandelius
½-½
 Levon Aronian
Li Chao
½-½
 Vladimir Kramnik
Anish Giri
0-1
 M Vachier-Lagrave
Veselin Topalov
½-½
 Magnus Carlsen
Pavel Eljanov
½-½
 Pentala Harikrishna
Round 3 Thursday 21 April
Pentala Harikrishna
½-½
 Veselin Topalov
Levon Aronian
½-½
 Li Chao
Magnus Carlsen
1-0
 Nils Grandelius
Vladimir Kramnik
½-½
 Anish Giri
M Vachier-Lagrave 
½-½
 Pavel Eljanov
 
Round 4 Friday 22 April
Nils Grandelius
 ½-½ Pentala Harikrishna
Anish Giri
 ½-½ Levon Aronian
Pavel Eljanov
 ½-½ Veselin Topalov
Li Chao
 ½-½ Magnus Carlsen
M Vachier-Lagrave
 ½-½ Vladimir Kramnik

 
Saturday 23 April – Rest day

School tournament
Science Factory, Sandnes
 
Round 5 Sunday 24 April
Vladimir Kramnik
 ½-½ Pavel Eljanov
Veselin Topalov
1-0
 Nils Grandelius
Magnus Carlsen
 ½-½ Anish Giri
Levon Aronian
 ½-½ M Vachier-Lagrave
Pentala Harikrishna
1-0
 Li Chao
Round 6 Monday 25 April
Anish Giri
 0-1 Pentala Harikrishna
Pavel Eljanov
 1-0 Nils Grandelius
M Vachier-Lagrave
 ½-½ Magnus Carlsen
Li Chao
 ½-½ Veselin Topalov
Vladimir Kramnik
 ½-½ Levon Aronian
 

 
Tuesday 26 April – Rest day
Round 7 Wednesday 27 April
Nils Grandelius
   Li Chao
Magnus Carlsen
   Vladimir Kramnik
Levon Aronian
   Pavel Eljanov
Pentala Harikrishna
   M Vachier-Lagrave
Veselin Topalov
   Anish Giri
 
Round 8 Thursday 28 April
Levon Aronian
   Magnus Carlsen
Pavel Eljanov
   Li Chao
M Vachier-Lagrave
   Veselin Topalov
Vladimir Kramnik
   Pentala Harikrishna
Anish Giri
   Nils Grandelius
Round 9 Friday 29 April
Nils Grandelius
-
 M Vachier-Lagrave
Magnus Carlsen
-
 Pavel Eljanov
Veselin Topalov
-
 Vladimir Kramnik
Li Chao
-
 Anish Giri
Pentala Harikrishna
-
 Levon Aronian
 

 
Friday 29 April – Blitz

There will be a blitz match and rapid chess Friday April 29 after Round 9 if two players share first place. If there are more than 2 players sharing first place a new match will take place Saturday 30.

Live commentary on Playchess

Day and round English German
Round 5 Sunday 24 April Simon Williams Thomas Luther
Round 6 Monday 25 April Yannick Pelletier Thomas Luther
Round 7 Wednesday 27 April Simon Williams Klaus Bischoff
Round 8 Thursday 28 April Yannick Pelletier Klaus Bischoff
Round 9 Friday 29 April Daniel King Klaus Bischoff

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André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.

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