CBM 197: Magnus and his rivals

by Nagesh Havanur
10/18/2020 – This issue offers coverage of three major events, Chessable Masters, Legends of Chess and Biel Chess Festival. 733 games, 11 opening surveys, demo lectures and exercises for training. It also includes games annotated by Boris Gelfand, Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Peter Heine Nielsen, just to mention a few. Our columnist Nagesh Havanur takes a look. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

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Carlsen dominates

Chessbase Magazine

Even as I write these lines, Magnus Carlsen has won the Altibox Norway Chess Tournament. With Aronian, Caruana, Duda and Alireza Firouzja in the competition, it was a strong field. Magnus finished with 19.5 points ahead of Firouzja with 18.5 points and Aronian with 17.5 points who finished second and third respectively. It was still a close call for Magnus who lost to Duda and Aronian in the tournament. 

Who else can challenge Magnus in coming years and how well would his predecessors, Anand and Kramnik fare with him? This issue offers a few answers, tentative if not final.

There are games from two major tournaments, Chessable Masters and Legends of Chess, here. Carlsen’s score in these events speaks for itself: +37 -6 =19. He won 20 games with White and 17 games with Black. In other words, he played for a win in every game (well, almost) whether he was White or Black.

One player who did challenge Magnus on his own turf was Anish Giri (seen on the cover of this issue). 

The first challenge for young readers

In the Chessable Masters Final he did set problems for Magnus in a mini-match, scoring +1 -3  = 6. It was pretty close, with Anish losing chances to level scores till the very end. 
Romain Edouard annotates one of them in this issue and perhaps young readers can give a try to the following position. Is there a win for White?

 
White to play

However, ardent Magnus fans would prefer to see a win by him. One of them is annotated by Peter Heine Nielsen in this issue. Here is the second challenge for young readers. How does White win in this position?

The second challenge for young readers

 
White to play

Magnus offers a lesson in sportsmanship

Magnus did manage to lose three games in this tournament, to Giri, Dubov and Ding Liren. The last of them is a “miniature” and for a moment it leaves you baffled and then you remember…

 
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1.c4 e6 2.g3 Qg5 3.Bg2 Qxd2+ 4.Qxd2 1–0
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Ding,L2791Carlsen,M28631–02020A13Chessable Masters Final 82.12

What happened was this: Ding Liren had to abandon their previous game as the internet connection was lost at his end. Magnus was understanding and sympathetic. He had no wish to score over his rival with a mere technicality. But then the result could not be reversed. So he deliberately “lost” this game so that he and his opponent could play on level terms. The chess world applauded the gesture.

Thereafter, Magnus went on to win the blitz play-off with Ding Liren

A daredevil called Daniil Dubov

Magnus Carlsen, Daniil Dubov

Dubov in action against Magnus Carlsen at the World Blitz Championship in 2019

Chess players often tend to overlook the performance of GMs who do not finish first or second in a tournament. Reviewers also skip over the play of “also-rans” who end up a little below the prize list. But when they include a player like Dubov some justice has to be done to the performance.

This young player is a bit of a daredevil and a hit-or-miss player. He beat Magnus with Black and then went down to Nakamura. The game is annotated by Romain Edouard in this issue. I have resisted the temptation to give it here. A brilliant performance by Nakamura. These two players have been going after each other in event after event and the games are uncompromising battles.

Daniil Dubov, Hikaru Nakamura

Dubov in action against Nakamura at the 2018 edition of the Tal Memorial

Nakamura is one player who has drawn level with Carlsen time and again, and we shall see more of him in subsequent CBM reviews.

A clash of generations

Once upon a time it was customary to describe great players of the past as chess legends: Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine and so on. The players of the day were not called legends, for the simple reason that they were still alive and kicking! Not any longer. It is not enough to call older champions as veterans, but as Legends. But then we live in the age of marketing, what matters is hype.

Any way, we had  veterans, Anand, Kramnik, Ivanchuk and Gelfand competing with the younger brigade — Giri, Ding Liren, Nepomniachtchi led by Carlsen. As it happened, among the veterans, only Ivanchuk was able to cope with Carlsen, and he managed to beat him in a long game. Both Anand and Kramnik lost to Carlsen.  

Vlad went down in flames when he sacrificed one piece after another only to meet an iron clad defence by Magnus. 

Vladimir Kramnik, Magnus Carlsen

Vladimir Kramnik facing Magnus Carlsen at the 2019 Tata Steel Masters | Photo: Alina l'Ami

A magnificent struggle

The veterans may not have had the best sporting result in this tournament. But time and again they shone in creative play. The following game is a fine example, and in this issue it is annotated in depth by Rustam Kasimdzhanov. I have studied his analysis and cross-checked it with that of others like Evgeny Gleizerov (64 Chess Review) and Aleksandar Colovic (British Chess Magazine):

 
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1.e4 e6 Kramnik has seldom played French Defence. Between them they have only played 1...e5 in recent years. 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Qd2 a6 Kramnik avoids 8...0-0 the Main Line and keeps the option of queenside castling open. 9.Bd3 b5 10.a3 c4 11.Be2 Nb6 The first new move in this position. Only 11...b4 has been seen here before. 12.0-0 Bd7 13.Bd1 Kasimdzhanov explains, White prepares Ne2, c3 and Bc2. g6? He wants to pre-empt f4-f5.However, it could have waited. 13...Qc7 deserves attention. 14.h3 He prepares g4-g5 and the final push, f4-f5. The immediate move 14.Ne2 allows a5 as the b5 pawn is no longer under threat. 14...Qc7 15.Bf2 h6! This move prepares a counterplay with ...g6-g5 if White rushes with an attack on the queenside as shown by Kasimzhdanov. The immediate 15...0-0-0 16.b3 Kb7 would play into White's hands after 17.Be2 with a2-a4 in the offing. 16.Ne2 A change of plans. White is not going to play Be2, b2-b3 and a2-a4 after all. 16.Kh2 0-0-0 17.Be2 Rdg8 18.b3 g5 leads to a position with chances for both sides. 16...a5 17.c3 0-0-0 18.Bh4 Bxh4 19.Nxh4 Kb7 20.Nf3 Ra8 21.Bc2 Qd8 The queen is preparing to go to e7 for supporting the advance, b5-b4. 22.g4 Qe7 23.Ng3 b4 24.axb4 axb4 25.Rxa8 Kasimzhdanov offers 25.Kg2 b3 26.Rxa8 Rxa8 27.Bb1 After Ra1 White's advance f4-f5 coupled by the threat of Qxh6 is balanced by Black's threat of ...Na4 and targeting b2 pawn. 25...Rxa8 26.f5!? rushing headlong into attack 26.Bb1 Ra1 27.f5 gxf5 28.gxf5 bxc3 29.bxc3 Qa3 30.Ne2 Na4 31.f6 Na7= was more circumspect. But then we would have missed the grandiose play that followed in the game. 26...gxf5 27.gxf5 With 27.Qxh6 fxg4 28.hxg4 Ra2 29.Qc1 White can still defend the queenside pawns. 27...Ra2 Here it comes. 28.Qc1 bxc3 This move creating a weakness on c3 looks obvious. Kasimzhdanov's other line 28...exf5 29.Nxf5 better than 29.Bxf5 Be6 30.Qxh6 Rxb2 31.Ng5 threatening 32.Nxe6 fxe6 33.Rf7 Nd8 29...Bxf5 30.Bxf5 bxc3 31.bxc3 Qa3∞ deserves attention. 29.bxc3 Qa3 30.Bb1? It's hard to believe that this obvious move can be wrong. Correct was 30.Qxa3 Rxa3 31.Ne2 exf5= 30...Qxc1? Returning the compliment. Kasimzhdanov gives 30...Rb2! 31.f6 Na4 32.Ne2 Na7 Now 33.Nd2 Nb5 34.Rf3 Qa1 35.Qe1 Rxd2 36.Qxd2 Qxb1+ 37.Kg2 h5 should be winning for Black in the long run. 31.Rxc1 Rb2 Curiously, the other line 31...Ra3 32.Ne2 Na7 33.Kf2 Nb5 34.Rg1 Nxc3 35.Nxc3 Rxc3 also draws after 36.f6 Rb3 37.Bg6 Rb2+ 38.Ke3 Rb3+ 39.Kf4 Be8 40.Bxf7 Bxf7 41.Rg7 c3 42.Rxf7+ Kc6 43.Ne1= 32.f6 Na4 33.Bh7 Na5? dreaming of entering the battlefield through...Nb3. A shock awaits him. After the correct 33...Be8! Kasimzhdanov offers 34.Kf1 Na7 35.Ne2 Nb5 36.h4 Kc7 37.h5 This looks like a dead end for both sides. 34.Bg6! The first offer! Nb3 Not 34...fxg6?? 35.f7+- Nor 34...Be8? 35.Nf5‼+- Neither piece can be captured. Meanwhile White also threatens 36.Nd6+ winning. 35.Re1 Be8 36.Nf5‼ The second offer! Now both the knight and the bishop are en prise. A picturesque position! fxg6 If 36...exf5?? 37.e6 fxg6 38.f7+- 36...Nxc3!? 37.Nd6+ Kc6 38.Nxe8 Nc1 39.Bh7 39.Bxf7? N1e2+= 39...N1e2+ 40.Kf2 Nxd4+ 41.Ke3 Nxf3 42.Kxf3 d4 43.Nd6 d3 44.Nxc4 d2 45.Nxd2 Rxd2 46.Bg8! Threatening both 47.Bxf7 and 47. Rc1 piining the knight Rd3+ 47.Kg4 Nd1 48.h4 Ne3+ 49.Kh5 Ng2 50.Rg1 Nf4+ 51.Kxh6+- In "64 Chess Review" (08/2020) Evgeny Gleizerov gives 36...Kc6! 37.Nd6 Kd7 38.Bxf7 Bxf7 39.Nxf7 Nxc3 40.Nh8! Re2! Or 40...Nc1 41.Rxc1 Ne2+ 42.Kf1 Nxc1 43.f7 Rb8 44.Ng6+- 41.Rf1 Ra2 42.f7 Ne2+ 43.Kg2 Nexd4+ 44.Rf2 Ra8 45.Ng6 c3 46.Ne1+- 37.Nd6+ Kc7 38.Nxe8+ Kd7 39.Nd6 g5 This move prevents Nh4. However, as there is no pawn on g6, it allows the next move by White. Not 39...Nxc3?? 40.f7 Ke7 41.Nh4+- 40.Nf5‼ The third offer! Ke8 If 40...exf5?? 41.e6+ Ke8 42.e7+- 41.Nxh6 Nxc3 42.Nxg5 42.f7+ Ke7 43.Nxg5 Nxd4 44.Rf1! transposes to the winning line given in the next note. But not 44.Nh7? Nf3+ 45.Kf1 Nh2+= 42...Nxd4 43.f7+ Ke7 44.Ra1? 44.Rf1! Nce2+ 45.Kf2 Nc6 45...Nf4+ 46.Ke3+- 46.Ng8+ Kf8 47.Nf6 Nf4+ 48.Kg3 Ng6 49.Nd7+ Ke7 50.f8Q+ Nxf8 51.Rf7+ Kd8 52.Nxf8 Nxe5 53.Ngxe6+ Kc8 54.Rf5+- 44...Nce2+ 45.Kf2 45.Kf1 Ng3+= is too tame. 45...Nf4+ 46.Kg3 After 46.Ke3? Nc2+ 47.Kxf4 Nxa1 48.Ng8+ Kf8 49.Nh6 Ke7 White takes a draw by repetition according to Aleksandar Colovic in British Chess Magazine (August 2020). 46.Kf1‼ Ng6 Kasimdzhanov gives 46...Nc6 47.Ng8+ Kf8 48.Nf6 Kg7 49.f8Q+‼ Kxf8 50.Ra8+ Rb8 51.Nd7+ Ke7 52.Nxb8 Nxe5 and it should be winning for White after 53.h4 47.Ng8+ Kd7 47...Kf8 48.Ra8+ Kg7 49.Ne7!+- 48.Ra7+ Kd8 49.Ne7 Nf8 50.Ra8+ Kxe7 51.Re8+ Kd7 52.Rxf8+- 46...Ng6 47.Ra7+ Kd8 48.Ra8+ Kc7 49.Rg8 Ne2+! 50.Kf2? 50.Kf3 Nxe5+ 51.Ke3 Nxf7 52.Nhxf7 c3 53.Ne5 c2 54.Nd3 Rb3 55.Kxe2 Rxd3 56.Nxe6+ Kd6 57.Rc8+- 50...Nef4+ 51.Ke3 c3 52.Nxe6+? Obvious and wrong. Now the tide turns. He had to play 52.Rxg6! Nxg6 53.Nxe6+ Kd7 54.Nf4 d4+ 55.Ke4! Not 55.Kxd4?? Rb4+-+ 55...c2 56.e6+ Kc7 If 56...Kd6? 57.Nxg6 c1Q 58.f8Q+ Kc7 59.Qf4+ Qxf4+ 60.Nxf4+- 57.Nd3 Kd6 58.Nf5+ Kxe6 59.Nxd4+ Kxf7 60.Ke3 and White would follow it up with 61. Ke2 winning the pawn and reaching a theoretical draw. 52...Nxe6 53.Rxg6 d4+ The White king has to be moved away before he can play...c2. 53...c2 is easily met by 54.Kd2 54.Ke4 Re2+? Kramnik saw 54...c2! 55.Rxe6 c1Q 56.f8Q and instinctively felt he could mate first. But with seconds left he could hardly calculate to the end. Qe3+ 57.Kd5 Qb3+ 58.Ke4 Re2+ 59.Kf5 Rf2+-+ A line given by Colovic. 55.Kf3 Re3+ 56.Kg4 Nf8 If 56...c2 57.Rxe6 c1Q 58.Re7+ Kb6 59.f8Q Qg1+ 60.Kh4 Qg3+ 61.Kh5+- 57.Rg8 Nd7 Or 57...c2 58.Rxf8 c1Q 59.Rc8+ Kxc8 60.f8Q+ Kb7= 58.Nf5‼ c2 If 58...Rxe5 59.Nxd4 Re4+ 60.Kf3 Rxd4 61.Ke2 c2 62.Rg1= Or 58...Re4+ 59.Kf3 c2 60.Rg1 d3 61.Kxe4 d2 62.e6 d1Q 63.exd7 Qxg1 64.d8Q+ Kxd8 65.f8Q+ Kc7= 59.Nxe3 c1Q A fascinating line is 59...dxe3 60.e6 c1Q 61.exd7= Black has to give perpetual check as one of the two White pawns would queen. A recurring theme in the game. 60.Nd5+ Kb7 61.e6 Qd1+ 62.Kg5 Qd2+?? A terrible blunder. Kramnik missed 62...Qg1+! 63.Kh6 63.Kf5 Qf1+= 63...Qc1+ 64.Rg5 Qc6∞ Engines rate it as equal, though. 63.Kg6?? Mutual blindness. Now follows a traumatic moment for Anand. The valiant knight could have claimed the ultimate glory with 63.Nf4‼ Nc5 Black runs out of checks after 63...Qa5+ 64.Kg6 Ne5+ 65.Kf6+- 64.Rg6!+- A line given by Kasimzhdanov. 63...Qg2+! and Anand resigned. Colovic points out the whole irony of this position. From here the Black queen captures everything in sight as all White pieces are on light squares. She wouldn't have been able to do that from g1. If 64.Kh6 Qxh3+ Not 64...Qxd5? 65.exd7+- and Black has to take a draw with perpetual check. 65.Kg7 Qxe6 and it's curtains. 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Anand,V2753Kramnik,V27530–12020C11

“This game is a legend in itself!”, commented Rustam Kasimdzhanov. 

As for Carlsen, he played a different kind of game. The following encounter has a touch of jujitsu: 

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bf4 The London System. Bg7 4.e3 0-0 5.Be2 d6 6.0-0 Nh5 This looks like a serious loss of tempo. He should focus on developing the kingside rather than chasing the bishop. 6...Nbd7 is standard. 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nfd2 Nf6 10.Bg3 Nc6 11.Nc3 At ChessPublishing.com Richard Palliser suggests 11.c4 as of deserving attention leading to an unusual King's Indian formation. 11...e5 12.dxe5 12.d5 Ne7 13.e4 Ng6 with a King's Indian kind of positionlooks good for Black. 12.Nb3 exd4 13.Nxd4 Nxd4 14.exd4 deserves attention. 12...Nxe5 In contrast to White's position Black's looks impressive. However, appearances can be deceptive. 13.f4!? An unusual move. Now the pawn on e3 seems weakened. Neg4 14.Rf3 Re8 15.Nf1 Threatening 16.h3 trapping the knight. Nh5 Making room for the knight on g4 in the event of 16.h3. But this knight also becomes vulnerable. 16.Be1 Now he threatens 17.h3 followed by 18.Rf2. However, Black may have an effective counter as shown in the next note. The immediate 16.h3!? deserves attention. 16...f5? Seeking counterplay. But this is an oversight and the pawn is lost. Engines give 16...gxf4! 17.exf4 Qf6 18.Kh1 Qd4 19.Bd3 19.Rd3 Qf2! 20.Rf3 Qd4 does not help White. 19...Nxf4 20.Nb5 Nxd3 21.Nxd4 Rxe1 22.Qxd3 Rxa1 with an unclear position. 17.Bc4+ Be6 If 17...Kh8? 18.Bf7!+- 18.Bxe6+ Rxe6 19.h3 Ngf6 20.fxg5 hxg5 21.Rxf5 Winning the pawn and the game. Bh6 22.g4 Ng7 23.Rf3 Qd7 24.Ng3 Rae8 25.Bf2 Qc6? Seeking counterplay. However, the queen is exposed on this square. Palliser gives 25...Qd8! 26.e4 Nd7 offering sterner resistance. 26.e4 Nd7 27.Nd5 At this point Nepomniachtchi resigned in view of the threat, Rc3 followed by Rxc7. Palliser comments on the irony of Black's position. The piece on g7 is the knight, not the bishop! That allows the White rook to occupy c3. Any way Black can make one last attempt to save hmself. a5 28.Rc3 Nc5 Now 29.a3 a4 30.b4 axb3 31.cxb3 wins on account of 32.b4. 1–0
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Carlsen,M2863Nepomniachtchi,I27841–02020A48Legends of Chess Final

An intriguing performance!

Tigran Petrosian

Tigran Petrosian | Photo: Netherlands’ National Archives 

Harry Golombek once described the style of late world champion Tigran Petrosian as “the art of doing nothing”. Often it was anything but that. The same may be said of Magnus. He waits like a crouching tiger and pounces on his opponent right when his opponent does not suspect anything and goes ahead with his “attack”. Here it worked.

Note that it does not work every time. In the recent St. Louis Online Rapid and Blitz Tournament, Magnus tried the same “waiting” policy against Nepo, and he was crushed!

Biel Chess Festival : Happy days are here again

The third part of the games’ database in this issue consists of games from the Biel Chess Festival. This was the first major over-the-board tournament in the post-pandemic world.
The organizers took extraordinary precautions to make it safe for participants. The event had three formats: standard, rapid and blitz. Radoslav Wojtaszek won the triathlon ahead of Harikrishna and Michael Adams. Harikrshna, who was placed second, did beat eventual winner Wojtaszek in the main edition of the tournament with standard time control.

Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Pentala Harikrishna

Radoslaw Wojtaszek v Pentala Harikrishna in round 5 | Photo: Simon Bohnenblust

However, he was let down by his poor performance in blitz. Wojtaszek, on the other hand, was better in blitz, sidestepping little traps as in the following position with Michael Adams. 

The third challenge for young readers

 
Black to play

The three prizewinners have annotated two games each in this issue. I would have loved to see Harikrishna’s annotations to his game with Wojtaszek (readers can find them in New in Chess Magazine, 06/2020).

In general Adams did not do himself justice in this tournament. However, this veteran still has much chess left in him and hopefully, he would better next time.

Pentala Harikrishna, Michael Adams, Radoslaw Wojtaszek

Time for a friendly chat | Photo: Simon Bohnenblust

The main database of the issue has 733 recent games of which 25 are deeply annotated. Apart from the GMs I have already mentioned, the commentators include Boris Gelfand and Peter Heine Nielsen, among others.

A major contribution is made by Romain Edouard, who has annotated 11 games. It may be noted that there are more annotated games in the sections on opening theory and training. Well, practice makes perfect.

In the next part of the review I shall deal with the rest of the magazine.

To be continued


ChessBase Magazine 197

Specials: Anish Giri presents his best games with the Italian + Palma de Mallorca 1970 - an extensive retrospect. Analyses from Biel 2020 by Wojtaszek, Harikrishna, Adams, Keymer et al. Videos by Marin, King and Ris. 11 opening articles and much more!


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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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