3/14/2018 – The fourth round of the Candidates Tournament in Berlin brought some serious drama. Kramnik vs Caruana was a wild back-and-forth battle. Caruana was much better, then Kramnik was close to winning before finally blundering it all away on move 59. Grischuk missed a killer chance against Ding Liren and played to a draw. Aronian won with Black thanks to good preparation against Karjakin, and Mamedyarov and drew an unspectacular game against So. Caruana is now in the sole lead with 3.0 / 4.
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A bad day for the Russians
Today the cabaret artist Matthias Deutschmann — the voice of Fritz — was allowed to make the ceremonial first move, and he was able to choose the board. He chose the board of Vladimir Kramnik. Kramnik wanted to play 1.e4, whereupon Deutschmann joked: "Not Nf3 to clear the way for the rook to g1?" After that, he asked, "Why 1.e4?" "I am in a fighting mood," Kramnik replied.
And so he was, even if it did not appear so in the opening. The fight was truly baffling at times, but in a stunning reversal of fortune, the game was suddenly over in one move. Kramnik, who was already being spoken of as a challenger, was clearly shaken, and with good reason.
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 played Kramnik 5.Qe2, a move that leads to an early queen trade and seems to flatten any dynamic chances. But Kramnik played the middlegame very aggressively, which actually brought him to the brink of defeat. Yet, in the first critical phase, Caruana did not find the right continuation and so they reached a highly complicated position, with advanced passed pawns on both flanks. Then it was Kramnik's turn to miss the most favourable options, which brought the position back into balance, albeit with opportunities for both sides. Finally, Kramnik lost control of the game and Caruana pounced on a tremendous oversight from the fourteenth World Champion.
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1.e4
1,170,319
54%
2421
---
1.d4
949,867
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
282,628
56%
2440
---
1.c4
182,731
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,745
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,347
54%
2427
---
1.f4
5,917
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,816
51%
2384
---
1.b4
1,759
48%
2379
---
1.a3
1,222
54%
2404
---
1.e3
1,073
49%
2409
---
1.d3
955
50%
2378
---
1.g4
666
46%
2361
---
1.h4
449
53%
2374
---
1.c3
435
51%
2426
---
1.h3
283
56%
2419
---
1.a4
114
60%
2465
---
1.f3
93
46%
2435
---
1.Nh3
90
66%
2505
---
1.Na3
42
62%
2482
---
Please, wait...
1.e4e52.Nf3Nf63.Nxe5d64.Nf3Nxe45.Qe2Qe76.Nc3Nxc37.dxc3Qxe2+8.Bxe2Nc6This position has an extremely high drawing
percentage.9.Be3Be710.0-0-00-011.Rhe1Bf612.Nd2Re813.Bf3Ne514.Bf4Kf815.Bd5c616.Bb3Bf517.h3g518.Bh2Kg719.c4g420.Ne4Bxe421.Rxe4Bg5+22.Kb1gxh3Safer and was better23.c5?!Bold but
dangerous.23.gxh323...f524.Rb4hxg225.Rxb7+Kh826.cxd6Nf327.Ba427.Bg1was Kramnik's original plan, butRe2is winning for black.28.Bf7Rd2or28...Nxg129.Rxg1Rxf230.Bc4Be329.Rxd2Nxd2+30.Ka1Rd8Black collects
the d6-pawn and then forces White to five up a piece for the g-pawn.27...Nxh228.Bxc6Rad828...Re4Caruana burned up several vital minutes trying to make this interesting move
work, e.g.29.Rg129.Bxe4fxe430.Rg1e3!is winning.29...Rae8was
what Caruana considered, but it's only equal.29.d729.Bxe8?Rxd6!30.Rd7Rxd1+31.Rxd1Nf1!and Black wins.29...Re230.Bxg2Rxf231.Bc6Ng432.Rxa7Ne333.Rg1Nachh6?33...Rxc2Black stands well,
e.g.34.Ba434.Rc7Bf6!35.Rc8looks strong, but actually threatens
nothing.Rxb2+36.Kc136.Ka1Rb4#36...Rxa237.Re1f4-+34...Rf235.a3Bf636.Rb7Nc437.Re1Kg7-+After the text the white pawns become very
dangerous.34.Rc7Kg735.a4Kf736.Bb5Ke737.a5Rf438.c3Kd639.Rb739.Rc6+Ke739...Rg440.Re1f441.a6h542.a7Ra8Still stronger was43.b443.c4z.B.Kc544.b4+Kxb445.Bc6+Kc346.Rc1+Kd447.d8Q+Rxd848.Rd7+and White wins.43...h4Here Kramnik misses the strong
possibility44.c4?!44.d8Q+Bxd845.Rd7+Ke646.Bc6with a clear advantage for White.44...h345.c5+Ke5Better was46.Rb8?Now, white gets into
trouble.46.Bc6e.g.h247.Rh1Rg1+48.Kb2Rxh149.Bxh1Nd1+50.Kb3f351.Bxf3Nf252.c6and the white pawns decide.46.c6h247.c7Rg148.Bc6could have led to an amazing draw, e.g.Rxe1+49.Ka2Nd550.Bxd5Kxd551.c8Qh1Q52.Rb5+Kd453.Qc5+Ke454.Qc6+Ke355.Re5+Kf256.Qc5+Kg257.Rxe1Qxe158.Qxg5+46...Rxa747.Rg8Bf648.d8QBxd849.Rxg4Bf6White is an exchange up, but the black pawns are more
dangerous.50.Rg6Rb751.Be2Rxb4+52.Ka2Nc253.Rc1Nd454.Bd3Ra4+55.Kb1Nb356.Re1+Kd557.Kc257.Rxf6Ra1+58.Kb2Rxe159.Kxb3h260.Bc4+Kxc561.Rf5+Kd462.Rxf4+Ke363.Rh4h1Q64.Rxh1Rxh1This ending is also drawn.57...Nd4+58.Kb1Nf359.Rd1a devastating blunder for Kramnik
in time pressure.59.Rxf6Nxe160.Bf1h261.Rh6still offered
drawing chances.59...Ra1+60.Kc2Rxd161.Ba661.Kxd1h2and White can't stop the
pawn from queening.61...Rd2+62.Kc1Bb2+63.Kb1Kxc564.Bb7Ne565.Rf6f366.Rf5f20–1
The great popularity of the Petroff Defence at the highest level has attracted general attention as strong players employ this opening with great success and with both colours. Unfortunately, the opinion of the Petroff as a sterile drawish opening seems to be firmly implanted in many minds. The author tries to dispel these myths and examines the most popular lines and provides a large number of ideas that will enable you to play Petroff successfully, with either colour.
Karjakin 0-1 Aronian
Levon Aronian recovered well from his defeat by Vladimir Kramnik and came well-prepared against Karjakin. On the free day, he visited his parents, who live about 30 minutes to the east of the Berlin city centre, and played Scrabble (in Russian), which he won.
Back at the Kuehlhaus today, in a sharp version of the Ragozin defence, he wheeled off a novelty for which the previous World Championship challenger could find no antidote. The pair initially followed the game So vs. Aronian from round nine of the 2017 Tata Steel Masters, by transposition, through 13...Qb4. Just a few moves later, Aronian was already slightly better.
Levon Aronian vs Sergey Karjakin | Photo: World Chess
S. Karjakin vs L. Aronian, Position after 16.Be2
After 16...Nc5 the engines give Black a slight edge — he has a pawn more and White has to fight for compensation. Karjakin was not up to the task. He found nothing better than to turn to a pawn-down endgame, which he defended well but could not hold.
After the game, Karjakin equated his situation to that Aronian himself was in on Monday. "After Nc5 I felt like Levon in the game against Vladimir after ...Rg8. Instead of fighting for advantage you are clearly worse with white in ten minutes and it's just a terrible feeling."
The Ragozin is being played by every top grandmaster in the world - it is time you also add it to your repertoire to get interesting and dynamic positions against 1. d4! GM Alejandro Ramirez analyses every single move that White can play once the Ragozin is reached, but due to several transpositional possibilities he always emphasises strategic goals to keep in mind.
Grischuk ½-½ Ding Liren
Alexander Grischuk and Ding Liren delivered a breathtaking exchange of blows. Grischuk chose a sharp variation with an early piece sacrifice, but later missed a favourable tactical opportunity with which he could have won. Instead, a complicated and double-edged position arose with many tactical possibilities, in which black stood objectively better, but which was difficult to play. Grischuk defended himself stubbornly and was able to save the draw in the end.
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1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nf3d54.Nc3c65.Bg5h66.Bh4dxc47.e4g58.Bg3b59.Be2Bb710.0-0Nbd711.Ne5Bg712.Nxf7Kxf713.e5Nd514.Ne4Qb615.Nd6+Ke716.a4Raf817.Bf3a618.Bxd5cxd519.axb5axb520.Kh1Bc621.f4gxf4?Better was21...Kd822.Rxf4?Returns the compliment and
missed the opportunity to turn the game in his favor:22.Bh4+Bf623.Qg4and white is winning. He threatens the devastating 24.Qg7+ and
Black does not have an adequate defence, e.g.Bxh4or23...Rhg824.exf6+Nxf625.Qxf4and White wins the trapped knight on f6 and
retains a material advantage.24.Qxh4+Nf625.Rxf4and white wins.22...Rxf423.Bxf4Kd8The engines prefer here23...Rf8
with a clear edge for Black.24.Qg4Rf825.Bd2Kc726.h326.Ba5??Qxa5!27.Rxa5Rf1#26...b427.Qxg7Qxd428.Bxb4Qxb2Black has one
pawn more and his pawns are strong, but the position is very confusing
- both kings are endangered. In addition, both players were short of time29.Ba5+Kb830.Rg1c331.Qe7c232.Bd2Qxe533.Bxh6Rg834.Nf7Qc335.Qd6+Kb736.Qxe6d437.Nd6+Kb638.Ne4Nc5!39.Qxg8Nxe440.Kh2d3The time control is done, white has an exchange more, but the black pawns are dangerous. In the game
White can save himself in a endgame with bishops of opposite colours.41.Be3+Kb542.Qb8+Kc443.Qc7Qf644.Rf1Qd6+45.Qxd6Nxd646.Rf6Kd547.Rxd6+!Kxd648.Kg3Kd549.Kf2Kc450.Bd2Kb351.Ke3The white king is just in time.Bxg2½–½
On this DVD you will be taken on a journey through what is arguably the sharpest opening line known to men.
Alexander Grischuk vs Ding Liren | Photo: World Chess
I am a bit surprised that Grischuk failed to play 21.Bh4+ winning outright. Computer variations are often very complicated & difficult for humans, but this was not. It was pretty straightforward, in fact. #BerlinCandidates
Rustam Kasimdzhanov, the FIDE World Champion in 2004, has been extremely successful with the Nimzo-Indian with 4.Qc2 with White and with Black. In over 4 hours of video, Rustam Kasimdzhanov explains all the important ideas, strategies and tricks helped by sample games in which the white side is represented, e.g., by Kasparov, Anand, Kramnik and Ivanchuk as well as the author himself.
After two defeats to kick off the tournament, it's understandable that Wesley So tries to play it safe. After a draw against Ding Liren in round three, he came into round four with Black against Mamedyarov and succeeded in making a trouble-free draw. Both sides followed a well-known variation in the Nimzo-Indian, in which black sacrifices a pawn for active play. On the 16th move, Mamedyarov went for 16.Rxd2, a new move — 16.Qxd2 was the choice of Vassily Ivanchuk with black against Evgeny Bareev, in Havana 2006, where he had no problems. Mamedyarov's was aware of this game, and joked that it was before So was born (not quite!) but his novelty didn't get him anywhere.
S. Mamedyarov - W. So, Position after 15...Nxd2
Black soon regained his pawn and the position quickly evened out into a draw.
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Johannes FischerJohannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".
Chess Festival Prague 2025 with analyses by Aravindh, Giri, Gurel, Navara and others. ‘Special’: 27 highly entertaining miniatures. Opening videos by Werle, King and Ris. 10 opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more.
Experts examine the games of Max Euwe. Let them show you which openings Euwe chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were, which tactical abilities he had or how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame.
This interactive video course of over 8 hours, provides an in-depth exploration of the Pirc Defence, a favoured opening for people looking to play for the win with the black pieces.
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