7/24/2018 – For the third day in a row, two players left Biel's Congress Centre with a win in their pockets. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov inflicted Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's second consecutive loss and now shares the lead with Magnus Carlsen. The other winner was David Navara, who increased Nico Georgiadis' woes with a Black win in 39 moves. Peter Svidler and Carlsen signed a three-fold repetition draw after exploring a complex line of the Najdorf | Photos: Lennart Ootes / Simon Bohnenblust / Biel International Chess Festival
new: ChessBase 16 - Mega package Edition 2022
Your key to fresh ideas, precise analyses and targeted training!
Everyone uses ChessBase, from the World Champion to the amateur next door. It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more.
Your key to fresh ideas, precise analyses and targeted training! Everyone uses ChessBase, from the World Champion to the amateur next door. It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more.
The new Opening Encyclopaedia offers fast access to all openings. Openings are sorted via the menu by name & ECO Code for fast and easy access to your favorite openings.
€99.90
Shak is sharp
Last year, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov rose to the very top of the chess elite after modifying his style — he started playing quieter openings and going for simplifications when the position called for it. Chess fans never forgot, however, of Shak's "previous version", the one that did not shy away from complications and turned evaluations around whenever he had the chance. So far, in Biel, we have seen some snippets of the old not-as-sophisticated version.
Against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in round three, Shak did not hesitate to launch his kingside pawns forward early in the game:
Williams main teaching method behind this set of two DVDs is to teach you some simple yet effective set ups, without the need to rely on memorising numerous complicated variations.
A fight for the central squares followed and White ended up a pawn for the good in a rook and bishop endgame. On move 23, Mamedyarov fixed his opponent's h-pawn on a light square in order to attack it later:
After 23.h4, White had all the trumps in the position and only needed to be careful, as the presence of the rooks gives Black a slim hope to survive. A few moves later, however, Shak snatched the h-pawn and Vachier-Lagrave decided it was time to stop the clocks and accept his loss.
Their demeanors illustrate how they are doing in Biel | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Biel International Chess Festival
No country for young men
Things did not improve for local player Nico Georgiadis on Tuesday. He lost against David Navara with the white pieces and is yet to score half a point in the tournament. Navara, on the other hand, has had a good performance so far, losing against Carlsen after being slightly better and failing to beat Mamedyarov after getting some chances in the opening.
In the game, Nico followed Magnus' example from round one and gave up his queen for David's rook and bishop. The big difference though is that Carlsen did it voluntarily while Georgiadis did it out of necessity. The white queen was surrounded by enemy pieces and numerous threats, so Nico decided that it was better to give it up in the following position:
Gambit play and the joy of sacrificing is an important part of the improving process. In order to become a strong player you must learn to attack and make combinations. Many continue to play in an aggressive style throughout an entire chess lifetime!
White went for 18.Rxd4, but perhaps 18.Qh4 Nxe2 19.Kf1 Nd6 20.Be3 was a better way to continue. However, Georgiadis still had good practical chances to hold in the complicated struggle that ensued. In the end, Navara's queenside pawns — supported by the queen — were stronger than White's bundle of pieces.
Georgiadis resigned after 39...b3.
Navara respectfully accepts his opponent's resignation | Photo: Simon Bohnenblust / Biel International Chess Festival
Looking for a hat-trick
Magnus Carlsen seems to be in good spirits in Biel. After winning his first two games, he delved into a complicated Najdorf position against Peter Svidler. Evidently, Svidler also was up for a fight, as he usually plays the Kan variation of the Sicilian.
The World Champion used the principled 6.Bg5 and Svidler answered — as he had done last year against Jobava — with the "modern" 6...Nbd7. Soon afterwards, the player from Saint Petersburg improvised with 9...Qc7, instead of e5, and the players already were in unexplored territory.
Scarcely any world champion has managed to captivate chess lovers to the extent Carlsen has. The enormously talented Norwegian hasn't been systematically trained within the structures of a major chess-playing nation such as Russia, the Ukraine or China.
The position proves that Carlsen was ready to fight for his hat-trick. A few moves later, he offered a bishop sacrifice on b5, which Black did not accept as it gave White a direct attack against the king still in the centre.
In case of 15...axb5, White had a nice combination that finished in checkmate: 16.Ncxb5 Qa5 17.Nxe6 fxe6 18.Nxd6#. After this sacrifice was correctly rejected, Carlsen tried another one with his knight on f5, but once again Svidler kept his cool and returned the piece quickly to keep the balance. The excitement was over on move 26, when the players repeated the position three times. It was a short but flashy struggle.
Head-scratching was called for after such a complicated game | Photo: Simon Bohnenblust / Biel International Chess Festival
Live coverage with commentary by Daniel King and Anna Rudolf
Current standings
All games
Translation from German and additional reporting: Antonio Pereira
The new Komodo Dragon 3 engine has gained 100 Elo points in playing strength over its predecessor when using a processor core in blitz. That's a huge improvement for a program that already reached at
an Elo level of over 3500!
The new European champion, Matthias Bluebaum, comments. New video series by Jan Markos: "Practical tips for the tournament player". Opening videos by Sokolov, Rogozenco and Marin. 10 opening articles for your oening repertoire and much more!
These video courses feature a black repertoire against 1.d4, 1.Nf3 and 1.c4. The recommended variations are easy to learn and not difficult to remember, but also pose White serious challenges.
Besides covering all the critical lines after 1.d4 & 2.c4, popular systems such as the Trompovsky, London/Jobava System, Torre Attack, Colle System and Veresov are dealt with as well.
This video course offers you a complete, clear repertoire for Black against the moves 1.Nf3 and 1.c4. The recommended variations are easy to learn and not difficult to remember, but also pose White serious challenges.
This video course is aimed as a tactical guide for Black, featuring the most typical combinations for the French structures.
€29.90
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.
Pop-up for detailed settings
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies, analysis cookies and marketing cookies. You can decide which cookies to use by selecting the appropriate options below. Please note that your selection may affect the functionality of the service. Further information can be found in our privacy policy.
Technically required cookies
Technically required cookies: so that you can navigate and use the basic functions and store preferences.
Analysis Cookies
To help us determine how visitors interact with our website to improve the user experience.
Marketing-Cookies
To help us offer and evaluate relevant content and interesting and appropriate advertisement.