2/27/2020 – A young gun from Azerbaijan caught up with his more experienced compatriot Rauf Mamedov in the lead of the very strong Aeroflot Open. 14-year-old Aydin Suleymanli won three games in a row to reach a 6/8 score and will have the black pieces against the former sole leader in round nine. Eight players are a half point behind the Azerbaijani duo. | Photo: Boris Dolmatovsky
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A 14-year-old from Azerbaijan
In the last World Youth Championship, played in October 2019, Aydin Suleymanli was the only player in the event who won his section (Open U-14) by a full point margin. The International Master is joining a pack of very young players quickly making a name for themselves in the elite circuit, as he is sharing the lead of the famously strong Aeroflot Open in Moscow.
Suleymanli, talking to Sagar Shah a couple of months ago, showed incredible maturity in analysing his game and mentioned that at his young age he already considers himself to be a professional chess player:
The Azerbaijani arrived in the Russian capital as the 71st seed, but we should not forget that last year's winner Kaido Kulaots was only the 62nd highest-rated player of the event. Will we see another unexpected champion at the Aeroflot Open? This time it would not be a 43-year-old making a comeback but a promising talent who did not even get his grandmaster title yet!
After seeing the host of prodigies coming from India, Jonathan Tisdall quipped:
Aydin Suleymanli is showing at the #AeroflotOpen that you don't have to be Indian to be a terrifying teen...
The first of the three consecutive wins by the youngster came in round six, when he got to neutralize Vasif Durabayli's massive pawn centre with the black pieces. Durabayli allowed an unfavourable simplification on move 31:
The Caro Kann is a very tricky opening. Black’s play is based on controlling and fighting for key light squares. It is a line which was very fashionable in late 90s and early 2000s due to the successes of greats like Karpov, Anand, Dreev etc. Recently due to strong engines lot of key developments have been made and some new lines have been introduced, while others have been refuted altogether. I have analyzed the new trends carefully and found some new ideas for Black.
Durabayli vs. Suleymanli
Position after 30...Rb8
White spent nine minutes on 31.e6, a move that Suleymanli had calculated, noticing that 31...f5 (played almost immediately) was good for him. Now the best White has is 32.♖xc2 ♛xc2 33.♕xc2 ♞xc2 34.c6 and Black is in time to defend against the scary-looking connected passers:
Position after 34.c6
Already a rook and a knight up Black can go for 34...♜b5, as he would have no issues giving back material after 35.c7 ♜5xb7. Durabayli went on to miss a chance to get a draw during time trouble, but Suleymanli was the more pragmatic player throughout and was rewarded with a 41-move win.
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1.e4c62.d4d53.e5Bf54.Nf3e65.Be2c56.Be3Qb6! is more profitable than 6...cxd4 at
the moment. Played by Vladislav Artemiev in January 2020.7.Nc3Nc68.Na4
B12: Caro-Kann: Advance Variation.8.0-0!?8...Qa5+9.c3c410.Nh4The position is equal.b511.Nxf5exf512.Nc5Bxc513.dxc5Nge7
14.b4NPredecessor:14.0-0b415.Qc20-016.f4Rab817.Bf3bxc318.Qxc3Qb519.Rf2Rfd820.Rd2h621.Rad1Qa422.Ra1Qb523.Rad1Qa424.Ra11/2-1/2 (24) Bartel,M (2600)-Admiraal,M (2504)
Benasque 201914...Qa315.Qc2d416.cxd416.Bxd4Nxd417.cxd416...Qxb4+16...f417.Qc117.Bxf4Nxd418.Qd2Rd817...Qxc1+18.Bxc1Nxd417.Qd217.Kf1Rd818.Rb117...a517...Qxd2+18.Kxd20-0-018.a4! Black must now prevent axb5.f419.axb5c320.Qd3And now Rb1 would win.fxe321.fxe321.bxc6?c2+22.Kf1Qb2-+21...Qb2!22.0-0Nb423.Qe40-024.Bc4?24.Bd3was forced.g625.Bc424...c2!-+25.Rac1Rad8?Black
should play25...a4!-+26.Bd3g626.Bd3!=g6!next ...Ned5 is good for Black.26...Nxd3?!27.Qxd3Qb428.Rxc2±27.b6!Ned5Black should try27...Qa3!28.Bxc2Ned528.Bc4!Qc329.Bxd5!Rxd530.b7Hoping for e6.Rb8
aiming for ...Qc4.31.e6?31.g4!=and White has
nothing to worry.Rd732.e631...f5-+32.Rxc2Qxc2And not32...fxe433.Rxc3Rxb734.c6±33.Qxc2Nxc234.c6Rb5But not34...Nxe3?35.c7+-35.d5Strongly threatening d6.Kg736.d6
36...Kf6?Avoid the
trap36...Nxe3?37.d7+-36...Nb4!-+37.Rc1
37...Nxc6!38.Rxc6R5xb737.d7?37.e7=R5xb738.cxb737...Rc5Black is clearly winning.38.Rd1Rd839.e4Ke740.exf5gxf541.Rd5Accuracy: White = 57%, Black = 66%.0–1
On Tuesday, Suleymanli had the white pieces against the experienced Israeli grandmaster Ilia Smirin. Brave play by both sides during the opening led to a sharp tactical struggle. Smirin was behind in development and had the weaker king when he decided to grab material on the f-file:
On this DVD Dorian Rogozenco, Mihail Marin, Oliver Reeh and Karsten Müller present the 8. World Chess Champion in video lessons: his openings, his understanding of chess strategy, his artful endgame play, and finally his immortal combinations.
Suleymanli vs. Smirin
Position after 16.Qxc3
White can respond to 16...♜xf4 with 17.♖ad1, threatening to capture the rook and deflect the queen from the defence of d8. At this point, the computer gives 17...♞d7 as the best alternative for Black, but it is difficult for a human to leave the light-squared bishop and the a8-rook stranded like that on the back rank. Thus, Smirin went for 17...♝e6 after over a half hour.
What followed was a strong demonstration by the Azerbaijani, who never let go of the initiative, delaying once and again chances to grab material, preferring to increase the pressure against the opposite king. Smirin saw it necessary to give up his queen, but by then he was already dead lost:
Position after 27...Re4
White opened up lines for his queen and rook tandem with 28.f5 and got the win five moves later.
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1.d4d62.c4e53.e3Nd74.Nc3g65.g3Bg76.Bg2Ne77.Nge20-08.0-0A21: English Opening: 1...e5 2
Nc3.f59.dxe5dxe510.e4The position is equal.c6
11.Be3N
Predecessor:11.Bg5h612.Bxe7Qxe713.b3f414.gxf4exf415.f3Ne516.Qc2g517.Rad1g418.Qd2gxf319.Bxf3Bh320.Rf2Nxf3+0-1 (20) Zubia
Aramburu,M (1726)-Alonso Bouza,J (2385) San Sebastian 201711...Qc7
With the idea ...f4.12.Qd2Nb6Black should try12...Nf6=13.b3! White has good play.f414.gxf4exf415.Nxf4Bxc316.Qxc3Strongly threatening Bc1.Rxf417.Rad1Be6
18.c5!
Hoping for Rd6. White has strong compensation. White now steadily converts the
win.Rh419.Rd6Nd7?19...Nec8±20.f4+-Bh321.Qc4+Kf8Black wants to play ...Rg4.22.Bxh3Rxh323.Qe6
Double Attack23...Rxe324.Rxd7Qxd725.Qxd7Rxe426.Qd3Re627.Qd727.Qh3Nf528.Qxh727...Re4!28.f5White is clearly
winning.gxf529.Rxf5+Kg730.Rg5+Kf631.Rg3aiming for Qd6+.b531...Nf532.Rf3Rg8+33.Kf2Re534.Qxb7Rxc535.Qxh7Rg432.Qd6+Kf733.Qh6Accuracy: White = 84%, Black = 63%.1–0
Rauf Mamedov will need to face an in-form Aydin Suleymanli in the deciding ninth round | Photo: Boris Dolmatovsky
In round eight, the 14-year-old was paired up against Parham Maghsoodloo, already a seasoned grandmaster in these opens at 19! The Iranian star is rated exactly two-hundred points above Suleymanli and, true to his style, decided to challenge his rival by capturing the two pawns Black offered him out of the opening:
On this DVD GM Yannick Pelletier offers Black a repertoire against the London System that you can employ no matter which opening (Systems with d5, systems with g6, Queen's Indian, Queen's Gambit, Benoni, Benko, Dutch) you usually play against 1.d4 followed by 2.c4. Thematic games explain and illustrate the theory and ideas of the repertoire Pelletier proposes.
Maghsoodloo vs. Suleymanli
Position after 7...Nc6
Maghsoodloo was apparently out of book here, as he had spent eight minutes on his previous 7.♕b3 and now needed six minutes to play 8.♕xb7. During the sequence 8...♞b4 9.♖c1 0-0 10.♕xc7 ♛xc7 11.♗xc7 the Iranian continued to invest much more time than Suleymanli, when in fact they were following theory until move 12.
From this point on, the Azerbaijani showed great positional understanding and precise calculation to make use of his initiative until getting a 27-move victory. As pointed out by Sagar Shah — see his full analysis below — this game would make Mark Dvoretsky proud!
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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
---
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1.c4e62.Nc3d53.d4Be74.cxd5exd55.Bf4Nf65...c66.e3Bf57.g4
is one of the main ways to play here.6.e3Bf5An ambitious way to develop
your light squared bishop.6...0-07.Bd36...c67.Bd37.Qb3You can
bank on Parham to play in the most uncompromising way.7.Nge20-08.Ng3Be69.Bd3c510.dxc5Bxc511.0-0Nc67...Nc6!The right spirit of the
position. Black needs to give up a few pawns and focus on speedy development.7...Qc8?!8.Nf38.Nxd5Nxd59.Qxd5Bb4+8.Qxb78.g4!
This should have been played by Maghsoodloo.Bxg48...Nxg49.Qxd5!
White should be slightly better here. Kramnik chose9.Nxd5?!was
Topalov's choice, but after0-0!It seems like Black is already doing
quite well. 0-1 (39) Topalov,V (2725)-Kasparov,G (2795) Linares 19979...Qc8!?10.Qg2Aronian retreated the queen and later won the game.9.Qxb7Nb410.Rc1The bishop now is not so well placed on g4 and White can hope for
an opening edge.Rb810...Bf511.a3Rb812.Qxa7Nc2+13.Rxc2Bxc214.Bxc7Ra815.Bb5+Kf816.Qb6Qc817.Nge2±11.Qxc7Qxc712.Bxc78...Nb49.Rc19.Bb5+Kf810.Rc1a611.Be2Ne8The threat is Rb8 Qc8 and
Rb7 trapping the queen.12.a3Rb813.Qa7Ra8=9...0-010.Qxc710.g4now makes no real sense.Nxg410.Bxc7Qc811.Qxc8Rfxc8Just transposes
to the game.10...Qxc711.Bxc7Rfc812.Bf4Ne413.f3?!13.a3!Nxc314.bxc314.Rxc3Na215.Rxc8+Rxc816.Ne2Rc217.b4a514...a5!14...Nd3+15.Bxd3Bxd316.Kd2Bf517.Ne214...Na215.Ra1Nxc316.Ba6±15.axb4axb4And this position is quite unclear. Black with his
active pieces, definitely has excellent chances.16.e4dxe417.Bb5Ra513...Nxc314.bxc3g515.Bg3This is the moment of the game which makes you
understand what a big talent this youngster is. Of course he first began by
checking Nxa2. But he realized that Nxa2 is met with Ra1 and Nxc3 by Ba6 when
White completes his development with Ne2 and is completely fine. The main
problem was the light squared bishop developing with a tempo. and so what does
Aydin do?a5‼A brilliant move aimed against the Ba6 ideas. Such deep
prophylaxis at such an age just shows what a big talent this youngster really
is.15...Nxa216.Ra1Nxc317.Ba6Bb417...Re818.Kf2±18.Kf2Re819.Ne216.a4Na217.Ra1Nxc318.Ne24Bb4?!Perhaps the only move
in the game where Aydin could have improved his play.18...Nxe2!19.Bxe2Rc2The rook swoops in and the other rook will also join in via Rac8, Rb2
and Rc2. It's going to be very difficult for White to hold here.19.Kf2Bc220.Nxc3Bxc3521.Ra2?The final mistake of the game.21.Ra3!
would have led to a draw. The key point is that White shouldn't allow Black to
remove both his bishops and get his rook activated.Bb421...Bb222.Ra2±22.Ra1!22.Ra2?Bb123.Ra1Rc122...Bc323.Ra3Bb4=21.Rc1?Bd222.Ra1Rc321...Bb1!22.Re222.Ra3was better, but
Black is still in the driver's seat.Bb423.Ra123.Be2Bxa324.Rxb123...Rc122...Rc4!If the a4 pawn falls it is game over.23.Rc2!?Maghsoodloo's last trick.23.h4Rxa424.hxg5Ra123...Be1+!23...Bxc2?24.Bxc4dxc425.Rc1Bxa426.Rxc3Bb327.Bd6a428.Ba3=24.Kxe1Rxc225.h4Rac826.Bd6R8c327.hxg5Rb2A tremendous game by Aydin
Suleymanli. Definitely a talent to look forward to.27...Rb228.Kd1Ba2-+0–1
Suleymanli will play Black in the last round against Mamedov, while on boards two to five eight players currently standing on 5½ out of 8 will need the all-Azerbaijani duel to end in a draw if they want to get a chance to end up sharing first place.
Carlos Alberto ColodroCarlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
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