Norway Chess and Shjarjah Masters 2023: Highlights with analyses by Giri, Erigaisi, Cheparinov, Oparin, Nguyen and others, videos by Rogozenco, "Special" on Hikaru Nakamura, opening videos by Sokolov, King and Ris, 11 repertoire articles and much more.
Sharjah Masters 6th Sharjah (8), 24.05.2023
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.g3 h5
Nowadays with AlphaZero h4/h5 should never be a surprise :)
7.Ndb5 Qb8 8.Bf4 e5 9.Be3 a6 10.Na3
Play is very much in the spirit of Sveshnikov. White made sure the d5 square is available for his knight but Black has his own activity.
10...b5 11.Nd5 Nf6 12.Nxf6+ gxf6 13.h4 My preparation ended with this logical move which aims to target Black's h5 pawn in the long run.
13...f5!
14.exf5 Bb7 15.Rg1 d5 Black's pawn deficit is compensated by the huge pawn centre + White's knight on a3.
16.c3?
A serious concrete error. 16.Qxd5?? gets the queen trapped 16...Nd4–+.
16...d4! 17.cxd4 Bb4+ 18.Ke2 Played not out of choice, but out of desperation. – 18.Bd2 Nxd4 19.Be2 Bxa3 20.bxa3 Qc8 21.Rc1 Qxf5 and Black is better.
18...exd4 19.Bf4 19.Bxd4 Qd6 20.Be3 Qe5 hitting b2 and threatening Rd8.
19...Bd6! 20.Bg5 20.Bxd6 Qxd6 just helps me get out with the queen with tempo.
20...f6!
The point is to deliver a check before White could play Bg2 and his king could slide over to f1. And this move wins that crucial tempo which means the world here!
21.Bxf6 0–0 22.Qd2 22.Qb3+ Kh7 23.Bg5 I thought this was the critical variation while calculating before playing 20...f6 – and then I finally saw 23...d3+ which was convincing enough to me.
22...Rxf6 Now Black is a piece up and it's a matter of technique
23.Qg5+ Kf7 24.Qxh5+ Ke7 25.Bg2
25...Bxa3 The simplest.
26.Qh7+ 26.bxa3 Qe5+ 27.Kd2 Rxf5–+
26...Rf7 27.f6+ Ke8 28.Qg8+ Bf8!
A cute nuance that I had foreseen while taking on a3 - if White doesn't recapture on a3 on the spot, he can never capture.
29.Rge1 Rxf6 And the rest is just to watch :)
30.Kf1+ Ne7 31.Rxe7+ Kxe7 32.Qh7+ Kd8 33.Bxb7 Ra7
34.Qh8 Qe5 35.Bf3 Qf5 This is undoubtedly one of my best games.
0–1
You can find the complete and much more detailed analysis by Arjun Erigaisi in the new ChessBase Magazine #215!
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From Hikaru Nakamura's last-minute win in Stavanger to new repertoire ideas for the Caro-Kann, Sicilian or Nimzo-Indian to Part 5 of Karsten Mueller’s video series "Fundamental Endgame Knowledge":
Over 7 hours of video playing time with Ivan Sokolov, Daniel King, Jan Markos, Mihail Marin, Oliver Reeh and many more! World-class chess explained in video: Dorian Rogozenco shows two wins of Hikaru Nakamura from Norway Chess 2023, including the decisive last-round game against Fabiano Caruana – Sharjah Masters 2023: Analyses by tournament winner Arjun Erigaisi as well as Ivan Cheparinov, Grigoriy Oparin, Thai Dai Van Ngyuen and Samvel Ter-Sahakyan – “Special” on Hikaru Nakamura: exclusive collection of 19 encounters with detailed commentary from 2007 to 2023 – Action in the centre: Christian Braun's Anti-Sicilian recipe 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5!? - "Nakamura's strategy in practice": Mihail Marin sheds light on the US American's skills, incl. two interactive videos and a large collection of exercises – Rossolimo á la Carlsen: Daniel King recommends the cutting-edge 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e5!? for Black. - "Basic Knowledge" Part #5: Karsten Mueller reveals tips and tricks in the endgame with two pawns against one. incl. two interactive training videos and much more!
Top games and master analyses
Norway Chess 2023: With a win in the final round against Fabiano Caruana, who was leading until then, Hikaru Nakamura won the tournament n Stavanger. Analyses by Anish Giri, Michal Krasenkow and Igor Stohl. Dorian Rogozenco shows two of Nakaumura’s wins in video.
Sharjah Masters 2023: Arjun Erigaisi took undivided first place with 6.5 out of 9, followed by seven players with 6 out of 9. The tournament winner comments on two of his best games. Plus analyses from Grigoriy Oparin, Ivan Cheparinov, Thai Dai Van Nguyen and Samvel Ter-Sahakyan.
CBM authors (Lubomir Ftacnik, Imre Hera, Igor Stohl, Viktor Moskalenko, Renato Quintiliano and many more) comment on their favourite games of "H-Bomb" - an exclusive collection of 19 encounters from the period 2007 to 2023.
Alvar Alonso Rosell presents an active concept for Black against the Catalan, with which one can put one's stamp on the game early on - and that by a transition to the Dutch!
Ivan Sokolov examines the highly topical variation 11.h4!? in the Semi-Tarrasch, especially Giri's novelty 13.Rh3 against Praggnanandhaa from the Chessable Masters. Robert Ris uses three new games by Richard Rapport to examine what White can hope for in the Vienna Game with 5.Qf3. And Daniel King gives a recommendation for the sideline 3...e5 against the Sicilian Rossolimo Variation - which has already been tested at the highest level!
Ivan Sokolov: Semi-Tarrasch
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 0–0 11.h4!?
Robert Ris: Vienna Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4 5.Qf3
Daniel King: Rossolimo Variation
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e5
From the Alekhine Defence to the Huebner Variation in the Nimzo-Indian - ChessBase Magazine #215 offers 11 opening articles with new ideas for your repertoire!
Grigorians: Alekhine Defence 4.c4 Nb6 5.f4
Postny: Caro-Kann Fantasy Variation 3.f3 Qb6
Braun: Sicilian 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5
Quintiliano: Najdorf Poisoned Pawn Variation II
Papp: French Winawer 5.Bd2 (Part II)
Ris: Two Knights Defence 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 d5!?
Szabo: Vienna Game 3.f4 d5 4.fxe5 Nxe4
Hera: Petroff 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.c4
Kuzmin: Slav Defence 4.e3 Bf5 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4
Schandorff: Tarrasch Defence with 5.e3 and 7.g3
Edouard: Nimzo Indian 4.e3 c5 5.Bd3 Nc6 6.Nf3
"With engine help in Kasparov's footsteps" – Rainer Knaak presents eight traps from tournament practice - from the Caro-Kann to the King's Indian. You can see three of them demonstrated in the video!
The 2023 World Women's Championship between defending champion Ju Wenjun and her challenger Lei Tingjie was decided in the last round. Play through the final game together with Robert Ris!
Dorian Rogozenco presents the sixth game of the 1972 World Championship match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in Reykjavik - a "very impressive game, especially the way Fischer outplayed his opponent!"
In a game of chess, very different emotions can influence decision-making to one's disadvantage. How can this be prevented? Jan Markos gives you a concrete guide and reveals which practical trick has often helped him himself!
Strategy expert Mihail Marin sheds light on the skills of the US American, who is known and feared above all as a very concrete player. Incl. two interactive videos and a large collection of exercises!
37 games peppered with many training questions await you in Oliver Reeh's tactics contribution! Solve his four favourite combinations move by move together with the IM from Hamburg in the interactive video format with feedback function!
In the introductory video, our expert presents the most important techniques. Then it's your turn in two interactive training videos! In addition, Dr Karsten Mueller provides a contribution with endgame highlights by Hikaru Nakamura (video introduction + analyses).
Order now in the ChessBase Shop – Single issue € 21.90!
Try out ChessBase Magazine now! Order the ChessBase Magazine taster package!
Read ChessBase Magazine for 6 months (= 3 issues) for the special price of only € 44.90 € (instead of € 65,70 for buying them individually). As a thank you, you will also receive 3 months ChessBase Premium Membership free of charge.
*Bonus for new subscribers only, i.e. there was no CBM subscription for 12 months!
Save twice with ChessBase Magazine: For the annual subscription to ChessBase Magazine you’ll pay only € 109.90 per year (compared to € 131.40 for the 6 individual issues).
* Bonus only for new subscribers, i.e. there was no CBM subscription for 12 months! As a new subscriber you will receive the original ChessBase USB stick with 128 GB
