6/25/2015 – It comes as no big surprise that Topalov, with white, managed to neutralize Anand to take sole first, but there ended the expected. Nakamura and Giri both fought hard to win with black in their games, and while Giri missed a chance to beat Caruana and take second, the American outplayed Aronian for a great finale. Still, the surprise was Hammer-Carlsen, with Carlsen losing again! Round Nine report.
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The third edition of the Norway Chess tournament runs from June 15th to June 26th, and will mostly be played in Stavanger, Norway. As in previous years, the drawing of lots was determined by the blitz tournament taking place the day before the official start. Not only one of the strongest tournaments in the World, Norway 2015 is also part of the 2015 Grand Chess Tour, which includes the Sinquefield Cup and the London Chess Classic later this year.
Round 9 - 25.06.2015
Name
Rtg
Res.
Name
Rtg
Vachier-Lagrave Maxime
2723
½-½
Grischuk Alexander
2781
Aronian Levon
2780
0-1
Nakamura Hikaru
2802
Hammer Jon Ludvig
2677
1-0
Carlsen Magnus
2876
Topalov Veselin
2798
½-½
Anand Viswanathan
2804
Caruana Fabiano
2805
½-½
Giri Anish
2773
Daniel King shows the highlights of the last round
Certainly an anti-climatic end of the tournament, but we still have some interesting games:
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime ½-½ Grischuk, Alexander
MVL perhaps entered a very slightly better rook endgame, but Grischuk defended well and the draw was agreed shortly before time control in a dead drawn situation.
Aronian, Levon 0-1 Nakamura, Hikaru
Nakamura won in fine style in what was certainly the best win of the round.
Nakamura worked hard in the last game for a victory, improving his final standing to third
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1.e4
1,185,008
54%
2421
---
1.d4
959,510
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
286,503
56%
2441
---
1.c4
184,834
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,892
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,600
54%
2428
---
1.f4
5,954
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,911
50%
2384
---
1.b4
1,791
48%
2379
---
1.a3
1,250
54%
2406
---
1.e3
1,081
49%
2409
---
1.d3
969
50%
2378
---
1.g4
670
46%
2361
---
1.h4
466
54%
2382
---
1.c3
439
51%
2425
---
1.h3
289
56%
2420
---
1.a4
118
60%
2461
---
1.f3
100
47%
2427
---
1.Nh3
93
66%
2506
---
1.Na3
47
62%
2476
---
Please, wait...
1.c4e52.Nc3Nc63.g3Bc54.Bg2d65.e3a66.Nge2Ba77.a3h5!? Clear intentions that Nakamura came in a fighting spirit!8.d4h49.b4 Aronian is not one to shy away from a fight. Black starts attacking on the light-squares on the kingside, but Aronian sets up an aggressive pawn structure on the other side of the board.Nge710.c5Bf511.Bb2Qd712.Qb312.d5Nd813.cxd6cxd614.h3is complex, but perhaps the best way to go.12...h313.Bf3exd414.Nxd4Bg4Black keeps weakening White's lightsquares. 15.Bxg4Qxg416.Nxc6Nxc617.Qd117.cxd60-0-0!?17...Qg618.cxd60-0-0!19.Rc1?This move has no point. Aronian had to be much more careful of his position.19.Qb1Qh520.Qd1and perhaps all Black has here is to repeat moves.19...Rxd620.Qc2Qh521.Qe2Ne5!Now this move is too strong.22.Qxh5Nd3+23.Ke223.Kf1Rxh524.Rc2Bxe3!leads to a decisive attack.25.fxe3Rf5+26.Kg1Rdf623...Nxc1+24.Rxc1Rxh5Naka is just up an exchange here. The rest is easy for him.25.g4Re526.Rg1Re827.Rg3Bd428.Na4Bxb229.Nxb2Red830.Nc4Rc631.Ne5Rc2+32.Ke1f633.Nf3Rh834.g5Ra235.Nd4Rxa336.Ne6Ra1+37.Ke2Rh138.gxf6gxf639.Nf4b640.Nxh3Rb10–1
Hammer, Jon Ludvig 1-0 Carlsen, Magnus
It is almost incomprehensible that the World Champion played this way today. Everything was bad about his play: his opening, his strategical comprehension, his tactics. He even got mated in the simplest of ways today:
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1.d4d52.c4e63.Nf3a6Nothing more than a surprise weapon, clearly, though it is hard to prepare against someone that usually prepares your openings!4.Bg5f65.Bd2dxc4hard to believe that playing like this can be good for black.6.e3Nc6?!6...b57.b3cxb38.Qxb37.Bxc4Bd68.e4Nge79.0-00-010.Qb3White is clearly better in this position. He has the central control that we teach beginners you must fight for! Black has no compensation for that.Kh8tactically sound, but not good.11.Bxe6Bxh2+12.Kxh212.Nxh2Nxd412...Qd6+13.Kh1Bxe614.d5Bg815.Qa3Qxa316.Nxa3White is simply better in this position, with some pressure on the c-file and more space.Na717.Bb4Rfe818.Rac1Rac819.Nd4f520.f3fxe421.fxe4Ng622.Nf5?!22.Rfe122...Rxe423.Bc3Bxd5?It's not clear what Carlsen missed. The World Champion usually would be precise enough to find:23...h624.Bxg7+Kh725.Bxh6Bxd5with counterplay.24.Bxg7+Kg825.Bd4of course. Now the knight on a7 is under attack there is a mate threat on h6.Rxd426.Nxd4Bxa227.b3Rd8?27...c528.Rf2cxd429.Rxc8+Nxc830.Rxa2with a better endgame for White, but Black still has chances to draw.28.Ne6Rd228...Rd6!±29.Rc3!Re2?30.Nf430.Rf6!would finish the game off. The threat of Rcf3 and mate on f8 is not easy to parry, it would end up costing Black another exchange.30...Rb231.Nxg631.Rxc7was way more precise.31...hxg632.Rxc7Rxb3??32...Nc633.Rd1Bxb3!34.Rdd7Rf2is better for White, but far from over.33.Rd1Nc634.Rdd7Black is simply getting mated after Rc8.1–0
An absolute disaster for the World Champion. Here he is realizing that he is about to get mated by Hammer's rooks. He lost 23 rating points in this tournament, lost four games, and this is easily the worst tournament ever played by Carlsen after obtaining his GM strength.
It's all over
An elated Hammer giving an interview to Yasser Seirawan
Topalov, Veselin ½-½ Anand, Viswanathan
The disappointment of the round. The players repeated the game between Ivanchuk-Carlsen from Wijk aan Zee. It was clear that Topalov just wanted to clinch with the draw while Anand was happy with a solid result with black in the final round. No fighting spirit here as the players split the point in less than half an hour.
A handshake less than half an hour after the start of the game
Caruana, Fabiano ½-½ Giri, Anish
Giri missed a great opportunity to clinch second (!) on tie break. The prize money is split between the players with the same amount of points, but the Grand Chess Tour points are not!
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28...Rxa129.Rxa1Caruana used up too much time to get to this position. With only minutes left on the clock (around seven or eight after Rxa1) it was Giri's duty to find the precise moves to put pressure on Caruana. Instead the Italian player escaped easily.Qxe5?Simply letting Caruana off the hook.29...Be4!30.Re1Ba831.Qxd3Qc632.f3Nc5!33.Qd1Nxb334.Qxb3Qh6was a winning line. Giri had over an hour to figure this out.34...g5!30.Nxg6hxg631.Bxe6fxe632.Qxd3b433.Rc1Qf434.Rf134.Qe3Qxe335.fxe3Rc836.c4=34...b335.Qxg6Qc436.Re1Rf637.Qe8+Kh738.Qh5+38.Re5=38...Rh639.Qe5Rxh340.Qxe6The endgame is a draw, and with this move Caruana completed the time control.Qxe641.Rxe6Rxc342.Rb6Rc443.Rxb3Rxg4+½–½
We will be bringing you a report on the closing ceremony, the prizes including the Grand Chess Tour standings, as well as what this means for the players and a recap of the event in the next couple of days.
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 13 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Alejandro RamirezGrandmaster 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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