2016 Shamkir Rd2: From lukewarm to scalding

[Event "Vugar Gashimov Mem 2016"] [Site "Shamkir AZE"] [Date "2016.05.27"] [Round "2.2"] [White "Giri, Anish"] [Black "Karjakin, Sergey"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A36"] [WhiteElo "2790"] [BlackElo "2779"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "135"] [EventDate "2016.05.26"] 1. g3 c5 2. Bg2 Nc6 3. c4 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. a3 d6 6. Rb1 a5 7. d3 e5 8. e4 h5 9. h4 Bh6 10. Bh3 Bxc1 11. Rxc1 Nf6 12. Bxc8 Rxc8 13. Nge2 O-O 14. O-O Qd7 15. Kg2 Kg7 16. f3 Nd4 17. Rf2 b6 18. a4 Rb8 19. b3 Rb7 20. Rb1 Rbb8 21. Qd2 Rbe8 22. Qb2 Qb7 23. Rbf1 Ng8 24. Nd5 Ne7 25. Nxd4 exd4 26. Nf4 Qd7 27. Re2 Nc6 28. Qd2 Nb4 29. Rfe1 Re5 30. Nh3 Re7 31. f4 f6 32. Qd1 Rh8 33. Kh2 Qg4 34. Kg2 { Up to about this point the game had been as uneventful as imaginable. As you can see from the pawn structure, it is extremely locked up and highly unlikely something actually happens. However, Karjakin lets his guard down for just a second, and that turns out to be more than enough.} Rhe8 $4 {The decisive mistake. Karjakin underestimated the problems he was about to get into, or more likely, didn't even see it coming.} 35. f5 $1 {The threat is clear: Nf2 wins the queen.} gxf5 36. Nf2 Qg6 37. exf5 {Black now faces a very unpleasant choice} Rxe2 (37... Qf7 38. Rxe7 Rxe7 39. Rxe7 Qxe7 40. Qxh5 $18 {looks truly hopeless. Black is down a pawn, and in the knight endgames the double pawns on the d-file don't make a good impression. If Black doesn't trade queens, his king is very weak.}) 38. fxg6 Rxe1 39. Qxh5 {From a material point of view Black is ok, but it is clear that his king is not.} Rh8 40. Qf3 Re3 (40... Kxg6 41. Ne4 f5 42. Nxd6 $18) 41. Qg4 Re5 42. Qd7+ Kxg6 43. Ne4 Nxd3 44. Qg4+ Kh6 ( 44... Kf7 45. Nxd6+ Ke7 46. Qg7+ Kxd6 47. Qxf6+ {followed by Qxh8 looks very unappetizing, but it's the computer's top choice to try to defend.}) 45. Nxd6 Rf8 46. Nf5+ Rxf5 47. Qxf5 {Now Black is down material, and the knight and rook cannot hope to compete with the queen.} Ne5 48. Qe6 d3 49. Qxb6 Rf7 50. Qxa5 Rd7 51. Qd2+ Kg7 52. a5 {The white pawns march now that the queen is forced to be in a passive position. That, however, will only be temporary.} Nc6 53. a6 Kf7 54. h5 Nb4 55. h6 Kg6 56. Qf4 (56. Qe3 {seemed way easier. For example} d2 57. Qe8+ Rf7 58. Qg8+ Kxh6 59. Qxf7 $1 (59. Qd8 {also works, for those that don't want to calculate.}) 59... d1=Q 60. Qxf6+ Kh7 61. Qf7+ Kh6 62. a7 Qe2+ 63. Kh3 {and there is no perpetual. Actually there are no more checks.} ) 56... Rd4 57. h7 $1 {It's important to find this move.} Rxf4 58. h8=Q d2 59. Qe8+ Kh6 60. Qh8+ Kg6 61. Qe8+ {Repeat to gain time: always wise.} Kh6 62. Qe2 (62. a7 {is some nonesense computer line. What Giri chose is very easy.}) 62... Rd4 63. a7 d1=Q 64. Qxd1 Rxd1 65. a8=Q {The passed d-pawn has been eliminated, and now Black can't hold on to his c-pawn. The knight is too short range of a piece.} Rd2+ 66. Kf3 Rd3+ 67. Kf4 Rxb3 68. Kf5 {Black's getting mated.} 1-0

[Event "Vugar Gashimov Mem 2016"]
[Site "Shamkir AZE"]
[Date "2016.05.27"]
[Round "2.5"]
[White "Harikrishna, Pentala"]
[Black "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B07"]
[WhiteElo "2763"]
[BlackElo "2748"]
[Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2016.05.26"]

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. Be3 a6 5. a4 Bg7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Qd2 Nbd7 8. h3
e5 9. dxe5 dxe5 10. Bc4 b6 11. O-O Bb7 12. Rfd1 Qe7 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. Bxd5 Bxd5
15. Qxd5 Nf6 16. Qc4 Rfe8 17. c3 a5 18. Rd3 {White's slightly better for many
reasons. His pieces are slightly more active, his queen on c4 is controlling
the entire board, c7 feels unpleasant. Black has a grueling defensive and
passive task ahead of him, not something Mamedyarov is known for.} Qe6 $2 {
Counterplay is not always the solution} 19. Qxc7 Nxe4 20. Rad1 {Black's pieces
are really suffering, b6 is very weak and the rooks are penetrating down the
d-file.} Bf6 21. Nd2 $1 {Nice move, eliminating one of the few black active
pieces.} Nxd2 22. R1xd2 e4 23. Rd6 Be5 24. Rxe6 Bxc7 25. Rc6 Rec8 26. Kf1 {
Always careful - Black was threatening Bh2+.} Bd8 27. Rcd6 Rab8 28. Rd7 $1 Bf6
29. Bf4 Ra8 30. Rb7 Rc6 31. Rdd7 {Black simply can't hold his position
together anymore.} Rd8 (31... Rf8 32. Bc7 {drops the b6 pawn and is completely
hopeless.}) 32. Rxd8+ Bxd8 33. Rb8 {White wins a piece and the game.} 1-0

[Event "Vugar Gashimov Mem 2016"]
[Site "Shamkir AZE"]
[Date "2016.05.27"]
[Round "2.3"]
[White "Eljanov, Pavel"]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D91"]
[WhiteElo "2765"]
[BlackElo "2804"]
[Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"]
[PlyCount "90"]
[EventDate "2016.05.26"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bg5 Ne4 6. Bf4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 8. e3
O-O 9. Be2 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Nd7 11. O-O Nb6 12. Bb3 c4 13. Bc2 Nd5 14. Qd2 Nxf4
15. exf4 Be6 16. a4 Bd5 17. Ne5 e6 18. Rfb1 Rb8 19. Qe3 a6 20. a5 b5 21. axb6
Rxb6 22. g3 Rxb1+ 23. Rxb1 Bxe5 24. Qxe5 Qa8 25. h4 Bh1 26. Kf1 h5 27. Ke1 a5
28. Ra1 Qg2 29. Rxa5 Qg1+ 30. Ke2 Bg2 {Black has just sacrificed a pawn and is
now clearly putting pressure on the weak king on e2. However, there is nothing
clear just yet. White has to be very careful to hang on, but he has his own
resources.} 31. Qe3 {Defending the f2 pawn is natural, but now was the time to
calculate.} (31. Bxg6 $1 fxg6 (31... Qf1+ 32. Kd2 Qxf2+ 33. Kc1 {surprisingly
doesn't change anything. Black still should take on g6 (at the very least Bh7+
with a perpetual is a threat) and it is still a draw.}) 32. Qxe6+ Kh8 33. Qe5+
{leads to a perpetual.}) 31... Rb8 32. Ra2 Bh3 33. Kd2 Bf5 $1 {There is an old
maxim that in heavy piece endgames the only thing that matters is king safety,
and White isn't feeling particularly comfy.} 34. Qe1 Qg2 35. Bxf5 exf5 36. Kc2
$2 {White blunders in time pressure, but Caruana misses the winning idea.} Qb7
(36... Qf3 $1 {threatening Qd3+} 37. Qe3 Qh1 $19) 37. Kd2 Qg2 38. Kc1 (38. Rc2
$1 {tries to hold on.}) 38... Qf3 {Now this is also strong} 39. Rc2 Ra8 40. Qe2
Qh1+ {With time control reached it is now obvious that White is defenseless.}
41. Kd2 Ra1 42. Qe8+ Kg7 43. Qe5+ Kh7 44. Qe2 Rb1 $1 {nice Zugzwang.} 45. f3
Rg1 0-1