CBM 170: A symphony on board and unheard melodies

by Nagesh Havanur
4/1/2016 – ChessBase Magazine #170 has 1737 recent games, of which 180 are annotated in depth. Particularly interesting for reviewer Prof. Nagesh Havanur was the encounter between World Champion Magnus Carlsen and Li Chao from the Qatar Open. A game for anthologies! He also makes special mention of a new concept in a Sicilian - on the second move! Review...

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ChessBase Magazine #170

  • Date: February/March 2016
  • Languages: English, German
  • Delivery: Download, Post
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Review by Prof. Nagesh Havanur

When Magnus Carlsen participated in Qatar Open Tournament the chess world rejoiced. For once there was no wall separating the king and the commoner. But then the king needed it too. In his blog Carlsen wrote, his poor form in the second half of 2015 had put a dent in his confidence, and he needed to get back on track. He also mentioned how the combination of lowered confidence and a safety first-approach had contributed to missed opportunities in the events before. In Qatar Open he put those demons to rest and played with gay abandon. He was rewarded with the first prize on a blitz tie-break with Yu Yangyi from China who had won the event in the previous year.

This issue of CBM 170 carries all the games from the tournament with a quite a few of them annotated by experts. The high point of the event was the encounter between the world champion and the other Chinese talent, Li Chao.

Magnus Carlsen vs Li Chao, Qatar Masters 2015

In this issue it is annotated by Peter Heine Nielsen. For reasons of space I have given it in brief, but commented on the opening phase in detail for the sake of readers less familiar with theory. I have also added a couple of comments from Kavalek and Carlsen himself in the interview after the game.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 The aim of this move is to follow up with e2-e4 with a broad pawn centre. In terms of theory White avoids the main lines of Grünfeld and if allowed, can play the Sämisch variation of the King's Indian. The flip side is that it's a non-developing move, denying its own knight the f3 square. 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 leads to Grunfeld Defence often resulting to exchange of knights on c3 as in 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 followed by ...0-0 and c7-c5 undermining White's pawn centre.The system played in the game does not let this happen as there is no knight on c3. 3...d5 3...Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nc3 0-0 leads to Saemisch variation of the King's Indian. Indeed, this was how the 3.f3 system made its debut in the game, Nimzowitsch-Tartakower, Karlsbad 1929! 3...c5 4.d5 d6 5.e4 Bg7 followed by ...0-0 leads to a Benoni. Here Anand won a famous miniature against Gelfand in World Championship Match 2012, though it was not the opening to blame. 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nb6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3 0-0 7...Nc6? 8.d5 was seen way back in Alekhine-Bogoljubow World Championship Match 1929 and Alekhine won. 8.Bb5 is the modern preference. 8.Qd2 Nc6 The older line, 8...e5 9.d5 c6 10.h4 cxd5 11.exd5 N8d7 was seen in Anand-Gelfand, World Championship and played to a draw. It continues to be played. not 11...h5? 12.g4! hxg4 13.h5 9.0-0-0 f5 Has this trendy move outlived its utility? Currently 9...Qd6 preparing...Rd8 with pressure on d-file is in vogue mainly on account of the efforts of Caruana. After 10.Nb5 10.e5?! would be premature on account of Qb4 followed by...Rfd8. Similarly 10.d5?! Ne5 11.Nb5 Qd7 would only help Black. The knight on b5 would be pushed back and Black has good play on account of the control of c4 and the active bishop on g7. 10...Qd7 11.Kb1 a6 12.Nc3 Rd8 13.d5 Qe8 14.Qc1 Na5 14...Ne5!? 15.Bh6 Bxh6 16.Qxh6 e6 we have reached Carlsen-Caruana, Norway 2014 with complex play. If 17.h4 exd5 18.h5 Qe7!? 19.hxg6 fxg6 20.exd5 Bf5+ 21.Kc1 Rd6 it's White who has to be careful. 9...e5?! is under a cloud after several games with 10.d5 Nd4 11.f4± Both the pawn on e5 and the knight on d4 are under pressure. 10.e5 underscoring the problem with Black's last move. For the rest of the game the bishop on g7 does no better than restrain d4-d5 advance and guard against invasion on h-file. Nb4 11.Nh3 Qe8!?N preparing...Na4 exchanging White's defender on c3 or ...Qf7 targeting a2. After this move Carlsen sank into deep thought. The older line 11...Be6 ran into trouble after 12.Kb1 Qd7 (Svidler's idea) 13.Nf4 Bf7 14.a3 a5 15.Bb5! 15.axb4? axb4 is out of question. 15...c6 16.d5! Bxe5 17.Bxb6 cxb5 18.Rhe1± in Bitan-Vokarev,Bhubaneshwar 2010, 1-0, (29 moves) 11...a5 is also not satisfactory. After 12.Kb1 c6 13.Rc1 Be6 14.Nf4 Bc4 15.h4 Qd7 16.Bxc4+ Nxc4 17.Qf2 Nxe3 18.Qxe3± Black won't be able to maintain the blockade on d5 for long. 12.Kb1! a5 12...Qf7? is met by 13.Ng5 as...Nxa2 is no longer a check. 12...Na4 13.Bc4+ Kh8 14.Nxa4 Qxa4 15.Bb3 Qb5 16.Bg5± -Kavalek 13.Be2 13.Nf4? g5! and the knight cannot invade h5 on account of the queen guarding the point. 13...c6 Carlsen said, tongue in cheek, he was happy to see this move, at least he would not be mated. That would have been the case if the queen had found her way to a4. 14.Rc1 Kh8 The immediate 14...Be6 invites 15.Ng5 15.Ka1! Be6 White anticipated this move and moved the king to a "safer" square ensuring that..Bxa2 would not be a check. 16.Nf4 not 16.Ng5? Nc4! If 17.Qe1?? Nxe3 18.Nxe6 Nec2+-+ 16...Qf7 17.h4! Bxa2?! obvious and wrong! 17...Rfd8! threatening 18...Bxe5 is preferable. If 18.Nxe6 18.h5 g5 19.Ng6+ Kg8 leads nowhere. 18...Qxe6 19.f4 h5! and White can hardly make headway in this blocked position. 18.h5 Kg8 18...g5 19.Ng6+ Kg8 20.Nxf8 f4 21.Nxh7!± -Kavalek 19.hxg6 hxg6 20.g4 Bb3! 20...a4 21.gxf5 a3 22.b3! and Black's counterattack comes to a halt. 21.Bd1! After the game Li Chao admitted, he had missed this move contesting light squares round his king and also setting up Qd2-h2. a4 22.Qh2 Rfd8 23.Qh7+ Kf8 24.d5 White had a clinical win with 24.gxf5! gxf5 24...a3 25.Bxb3 Qxb3 26.Ne6+! Ke8 27.Qg8+ Kd7 28.Nc5++- 25.Bxb3! axb3+ 26.Kb1 Ra5 27.Rcg1 Rda8 28.Qh8+!+- 24...Nc4 "This was amazing, I hadn't seen it at all," said Carlsen. 25.Nxg6+ Ke8 not 25...Qxg6 26.Qxg6 a3 27.Rh8+! Bxh8 28.Bh6++- -Kavalek 26.e6 a3‼ 27.exf7+ Kd7 28.Ne5+! "If you are close to being mated and you see a way to avoid it, you don't think much, you just do it,"Carlsen explained. On 28.bxa3?? Black has a stunning combination with Rxa3+ 29.Kb1 Bc2+‼ 30.Bxc2 30.Rxc2 Rb3+ 31.Kc1 Nd3# 30...Ra1+ 31.Kxa1 Bxc3+ 32.Kb1 Na3# Carlsen was tempted by 28.f8N+ Fortunately, he was not inclined to calculate Ke8! 29.bxa3 Rxa3+ 30.Kb1 Rda8-+ a line found by Kavalek. 28...Bxe5 or 28...Kc7 29.Nxc4+- and 28...Nxe5 29.Bxb3+- 29.Qxf5+ Kc7 30.Qxe5+‼ This counter offer of the queen turns the tide. Once the knight on c4 is forced to turn back, Black's attack runs out of steam. Nxe5 30...Kc8 loses to 31.Qe6+ Kc7 32.Nb5+! cxb5 33.Rxc4+! bxc4 34.Bb6+ Kb8 35.Qe5+ Rd6 36.f8Q#+- 31.Bxb3 axb2+ 32.Kxb2 Nbd3+ 33.Kb1 Nxc1 34.Rxc1 Kc8 35.dxc6 bxc6 36.f4! An elegant finale! If Nxg4 or 36...Nd7 37.Nd5+- 37.Be6++- 1–0
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Carlsen,M2834Li,C27501–02015D70Qatar Masters Open 2015

A magnificent display by Carlsen and a bravura performance by Li Chao! The analysis by Peter Heine Nielsen illuminates the whole game. It would have been wonderful if Magnus himself had annotated this encounter. But then he is not so anxious to advise his opponents how to play against him next time!

As for the opening, I think 9…f5 does not solve Black’s problems notwithstanding the brilliant play by the Chinese talent in this game. After10. e5 Black bishop on g7 is reduced to a defensive role and is not able to participate in the attack on the queenside. Peter Svidler, a major exponent of the Grünfeld is also of the same opinion and has given up 9…f5 that he used to play with success.

Apart from Qatar Open Tournament this issue also includes games from London Chess Classic, European Team Chess Championship among other events. As is known, the London Chess Classic was bogged down by draws and the winner, Carlsen was not too happy about his play. The bright spot was the game, Aronian-Topalov (annotated by Sagar Shah). The European Team Championship saw the return of the Russians who scored a deserved victory ahead of Armenia, Hungary and France. An important role was played by the game, Ivanchuk-Svidler.

Detonating a dynamite against the Ukranian powerhouse (Photo: http://ruchess.ru/)

In this issue it is annotated by Milos Pavlovic. Here I shall only mention a resource that was overlooked in his analysis. It was found by Svidler after the game.

 
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After the game Svidler found 24.Qxc6! . At first sight it seems foolhardy as the queen moves far from the kingside just to go pawn hunting. Yet the move creates sufficient counterplay as Svidler demonstrated. Instead Ivanchuk tried 24.a3? and was outplayed. 24...Bxd3 The bishop moves in to remove White's key defender, the knight on f1. 25.Bf3 Re6 26.Qc8+ Kh7 27.Re1 Qf5 28.Rxe6 fxe6 It appears,White cannot guard both the bishop on f3 and the pawn on f2. But he can. 29.Bf4! 29.Nh2 Ne4 30.Be1 Nxg3-+ 29.Qa8 Bxf2+ 30.Kg2 Ne4-+ 29...Bd4 30.Qd8 e5 31.Ne3! right in time Bxe3 32.Bxe3 Bxc4=
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Ivanchuk,V-Svidler,P-2015European Team Championship

Carlsen suffered a loss to Aronian right in the first round.

Magnus Carlsen vs Levon Aronian

In this issue the game is analysed by Baskar Adhiban. As readers may be aware, Aronian has also annotated this encounter elsewhere. Both seem to have missed a point.

 
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Aronian has just played 17...Rd8. According to him now Magnus should have responded with 18.Bd3! Instead he tried 18.Qe1? and was outplayed. 18...Qd6 the move that probably inhibited Magnus from playing 18.Bd3. 18...Be6 followed by doubling of rooks on d-file suggested by Aronian is a better idea to keep tension. 19.Qf3 Qxd3 20.Rad1 Now Aronian writes, "White wins". Not really! Then Black has Bxf2+! 21.Kh1 Bg4 22.Rxd3! better than 22.Qxg4 Qa6 23.Nxb7 Rxd1 24.Qxd1 Bb6 25.a5 Qxb7 26.axb6 Qxb6 22...Bxf3 23.Rxd8+! taking off the pressure on the knight and pawn on a-file Rxd8 24.gxf3 Bb6 25.Nc4 Bc7=
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Carlsen,M-Aronian,L-2015European Team Championship

It all goes to show, modern masters are also human and fallible.

This brings me to other sections of the Magazine. There are 15 opening surveys ranging from Ruy Lopez to Reti. Among them I would single out a remarkable TN in Sicilian right on the second move! The following line offers a glimpse of the analysis.

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Be2!? Nc6 2...d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 followed by Nc3 with a lead in development Curiously, old tactics with 4.Nc3?! Qxg2 5.Bf3 do not work. Qg6 6.Nge2 e5 7.d3 Ne7 and White has insufficient compensation for the pawn. 3.f4! g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.d3 d6 6.0-0 Nf6 7.Qe1 0-0 8.Qh4 and White intends f4-f5, followed by Bh6, BxB and Ng5 with a mating attack.
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-- B21

Apart from these surveys, there are regular exercises in opening traps, middle game tactics and endgame technique.

I have not been able to do justice to Mihail Marin’s lessons in strategy in my past reviews. Marin brings a deep understanding of chess classics and the great chess tradition to his writing on modern praxis. Last but not least, Karsten Müller’s column on the endgame deserves special mention.

In all, this DVD has 1737 recent games of which 180 are annotated in depth.

The Telechess column on correspondence chess is yet to make its appearance.

Hopefully, it would be back soon.

Recommended – Order ChessBase Magazine here

First published in TheChessWorld.com.


Sample video

The editor’s top ten

1. Heine Nielsen annotates the brilliancy of his protégé: Carlsen-Li Chao
2. Play like the world champion: together with GM Williams find the winning moves in Carlsen-Nakamura – "Move by Move“!
3. “Duel of the giants on the Berlin wall”: enjoy Karsten Müller’s video analysis of Anand-Carlsen.
4. Win with “ugly” moves: Vachier Lagrave explains how he outplayed Anand with Black.
5. Wild English Opening! Experience the spectacular Mamedyarov-Ganguly with the analyses of the Indian GM.
6. Who dares, wins! Yu Yangyi presents his fighting game (Nimzo-Indian with 5.g3) against Wesley So.
7. Sicilian with 2.Be2!?: more than a surprise weapon? Opening article by IM Souleidis.
8. This is how to play against the Cambridge-Springs Variation: Tomashevsky annotates his game against Ipatov and allows you some insights into tomorrow’s theory.
9. Mate in 6! Solve Oliver Reeh’s favourite combination with a copy-book attack on the king in interactive video format.
10. Intuitive and uncompromising: Daniel King shows Mamedyarov's straightforward attack against Lenderman (video).

Content overview...


Prof. Nagesh Havanur (otherwise known as "chessbibliophile") is a senior academic and research scholar. He taught English in Mumbai for three decades and has now settled in Bangalore, India. His interests include chess history, biography and opening theory. He has been writing on the Royal Game for more than three decades. His articles and reviews have appeared on several web sites and magazines.

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