Chessable Masters: Giri grabs the lead

by Klaus Besenthal
5/22/2022 – On the third day of the Chessable Masters, Anish Giri took the lead in the standings table after scoring three wins and a draw. Wei Yi, who had been leading until Friday, only managed two draws and dropped to fourth place. Magnus Carlsen is one point behind Giri in second place; Ding Liren is third. Sunday’s final three rounds of the preliminaries will decide which eight players move on to the knockout.
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Carlsen’s opening experiments

Anish Giri was somewhat lucky at some points during day 3 of the Chessable Masters. In the very first game against his Dutch compatriot Jorden van Foreest, for example, Van Foreest blundered in an entertaining double-rook ending.

 

Magnus Carlsen, meanwhile, entertained the audience with his opening experiments. Against Vidit, he opened with 1.d3 (Carlsen won this game); against Wei Yi (draw - see Karsten Müller’s analysis below), he tried 1.h4. Is the World Champion completely reinventing himself here? We'll have to wait and see.

The world champion’s kitchen makes a tidy impression

Endgame analyses by Karsten Müller

In the first game of the day, Magnus Carlsen prevailed with his minor pieces - Gawain Jones’ rook was not an equal counterweight.

 
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1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.Be3 a6 5.Qd2 b5 6.h4 Nf6 7.f3 h5 8.0-0-0 b4 9.Nd5 Nxd5 10.exd5 a5 11.Re1 c6 12.dxc6 Nxc6 13.Bb5 Bd7 14.Bg5 Ra7 15.Nh3 a4 16.Nf4 b3 17.a3 bxc2 18.Nd5 Nxd4 19.Bxe7 Nb3+ 20.Kxc2 Qc8+ 21.Kd1 Bxb5 22.Bxd6+ Kd8 23.Be7+ Rxe7 24.Nxe7+ Nxd2 25.Nxc8 Magnus minors Usually two minor pieces are stronger than a rook: Nc4! A good guideline claims that the side fighting against a rook with minor pieces wants to avoid exchanges. It is valid here. But 25...Kxc8?! wins as well, e.g. 26.Kxd2 Rd8+ However, not 26...Bxb2?? 27.Rb1 Rd8+ 28.Kc2 Bd3+ 29.Kxb2 Bxb1 30.Rc1+ Kd7 31.Rd1+ Ke7 32.Rxd8 Kxd8 33.Kxb1= 27.Kc1 Bh6+ 28.Kb1 Rd2-+ 26.Na7 Bd7 27.Re4 Nxb2+ 28.Ke2 28.Kd2 does not defend due to Re8 29.Rxe8+ Kxe8 30.Re1+ Kd8 31.Re4 Bf8-+ 28...f5 29.Rb4 Bc3 30.Rb8+ Kc7 31.Rxh8 Bxh8 32.Rc1+ Kb7 33.Rc2 f4 34.Rd2 Be6 35.Rd8 Bc3 Finally the dominated white knight is lost for good. 36.Rd6 Bc4+ 37.Kf2 Kxa7 38.Rxg6 Nd3+ 39.Kg1 Bb2 40.Rg5 Kb6 41.Rxh5 Bxa3 42.Rh8 Bc5+ 43.Kh2 a3 A real knightmare for White. 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Jones,G2669Carlsen,M28640–12022B06MCCT Chessable Masters 20229.1

All endgame DVDs by Karsten Müller in one package! More than 70 hours of instruction! from "Basic knowledge for beginners" (volume 1) to "Practical Rook Endgames" (volume 8) to the ever-popular "Golden Guidelines of Endgame Play" (volume 14).

Carlsen’s 1.h4 against Wei Yi eventually led to a rook ending which could have been won by the world champion.

 
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1.h4 d5 2.d4 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.c4 e6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.a3 a6 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.b4 Be7 9.Bb2 dxc4 10.Qxd8+ Bxd8 11.Bxc4 b5 12.Bd3 0-0 13.Nbd2 Be7 14.Ke2 Bb7 15.Rhc1 Rfc8 16.Nb3 Nd7 17.Rc2 Bd8 18.Rd1 Rc7 19.Be4 Nf6 20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.g4 Rac8 22.h5 h6 23.Nfd2 Ne5 24.Rxc7 Rxc7 25.Bxb7 Rxb7 26.Nf3 Be7 27.Nxe5 fxe5 28.Rc1 Kg7 29.Rc6 Ra7 30.Kf3 Bd8 31.Ke4 a5 32.Nc5 axb4 33.axb4 Ra2 34.Nd3 Rd2 35.Rc3 Bf6 36.f3 Be7 37.Rc7 Bd6 38.Rb7 Kf6 39.Rxb5 Kg5 40.f4+ Kxg4 41.fxe5 Be7 42.Rb7 Rc2 43.Kd4 Bg5 44.Rxf7 Re2 45.Nf4 Rb2 46.Nxe6 Rxb4+ 47.Kc5 Re4 48.Kd5 Rxe3 49.Nxg5 Kxg5 50.e6 Kxh5 51.Rg7 Kh4 52.e7 h5 53.Kd6 Rd3+ 54.Ke6 Re3+ 55.Kf7 Rf3+ 56.Kg8 Re3 57.Kf8 Rf3+ 58.Rf7 Re3 59.Rg7 Rf3+ 60.Kg8 Re3 61.Kf7 Rf3+ 62.Kg6 Re3 63.Kf5 Re1 64.Kf6 Rf1+ 65.Ke6 Re1+ 66.Kf7 Rf1+ 67.Kg8 Re1 68.Kf8 Rf1+ The cut off Rook endings have a large drawish tendency, but races are different: 69.Rf7?! The first step in the wrong direction. 69.Ke8 is the way to go: Kh3 70.Kd7 70.Rg6? h4 71.Kd7 Rd1+ 72.Rd6 Re1 73.Re6 Rd1+= 70...Rd1+ 71.Ke6 Re1+ 72.Kf7 h4 72...Rf1+ 73.Kg6 Rg1+ 74.Kh6 Re1 75.Kxh5+- 73.Rg6! The point. White wins as Black's king is cut off. Rxe7+ 74.Kxe7 Kh2 75.Kf6 h3 76.Kf5 Kh1 77.Kf4 h2 78.Kg3 Kg1 79.Kh3+ Kh1 80.Ra6 Kg1 81.Ra1+ Kf2 82.Kxh2+- 69...Re1 70.e8R? This finally goes too far. 70.Rg7 still wins. 70...Rxe8+ 71.Kxe8 Kg3 72.Rg7+!? A good try, but insufficient as Black is just quick enough. Kf3 73.Rh7 Kg4 74.Ke7 h4 75.Ke6 h3 76.Ke5 Kg3 77.Ke4 h2 78.Ke3 Kg2 79.Ke2 h1Q 80.Rxh1 Kxh1 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2864Wei,Y2727½–½2022A00MCCT Chessable Masters 202212.1

Also in round 12, Giri entered a rook ending against Vidit (this time with only one rook), which he won, unlike Carlsen, after a mistake by his opponent.

 
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1.e41,185,00854%2421---
1.d4959,51055%2434---
1.Nf3286,50356%2441---
1.c4184,83456%2442---
1.g319,89256%2427---
1.b314,60054%2428---
1.f45,95448%2377---
1.Nc33,91150%2384---
1.b41,79148%2379---
1.a31,25054%2406---
1.e31,08149%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39366%2506---
1.Na34762%2476---
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 0-0 6.Nbd2 d6 7.c3 a5 8.h3 h6 9.Re1 Be6 10.Bb5 Bb6 11.Nc4 Bc5 12.Ba4 Ne7 13.Ncd2 Ng6 14.d4 Ba7 15.Bc2 Re8 16.Nf1 exd4 17.cxd4 d5 18.e5 Ne4 19.Ng3 Nxg3 20.fxg3 c5 21.Be3 Rc8 22.Kh2 cxd4 23.Bxd4 Bxd4 24.Nxd4 Qb6 25.b3 Bd7 26.e6 Bxe6 27.Bxg6 fxg6 28.Nxe6 Rxe6 29.Qxd5 Rce8 30.Rxe6 Qxe6 31.Qxa5 Qe5 32.Qxe5 Rxe5 33.Rf1 b5 34.a3 Re3 35.Rf3 Re2 36.g4 Ra2 37.b4 g5 38.Kg3 Rc2 39.Re3 Kf7 40.Kf3 Ra2 41.g3 All rook endgames are drawn But over the board they can be very difficult to defend: Kf6? This allows Giri's king to enter the game with decisive effect. 41...Rh2! was forced, e.g. 42.Re2 42.Re5 Ra2 43.Rxb5 Rxa3+ 44.Kf2 Ra2+= 42...Rh1! The point. Of course neither 42...Rxh3?? 43.Kg2+- nor 42...Rxe2 43.Kxe2 Ke6 44.Kd3 Kd5 45.Kc3 Ke4 46.a4 bxa4 47.Kb2 Kf3 48.b5+- 43.Rc2 43.Kg2 Ra1= 43...Kf6 and it seems that Black can defend, e.g. 44.Rc3 Ke6 45.Rc6+ Ke7 46.Rb6 Rb1 47.Rxb5 Rb3+= 42.Ke4 Ke6 43.h4! Giri opens a second front. gxh4 43...Rd2 44.hxg5 hxg5 45.Rc3 Rd1 46.Rc6+ Kf7 47.Rc5 Ra1 48.Rxb5 Rxa3 49.Rxg5 Rxg3 50.b5+- 44.gxh4 g5?! This just weakens the g-pawn, but Black is lost in any case, e.g. 44...g6 45.Rc3 Rg2 46.Rc6+ Kf7 47.Kf4 Rf2+ 48.Ke5 Re2+ 49.Kd5 Rg2 50.Kc5 Rxg4 51.Kxb5+- 45.hxg5 hxg5 46.Rh3 Rf2 47.Kd4 Rc2 47...Rg2 loses as well, e.g. 48.Kc5 Rxg4 49.Kxb5 Rf4 50.a4 Rf5+ 51.Kb6 Rf4 52.Rb3 g4 53.a5 Rf3 54.Rb1 g3 55.a6 g2 56.Rg1 Rf2 57.a7 Ra2 58.Rxg2+- 48.Rh6+ Kd7 49.Ke5 Rc3 50.Kf5 Rxa3 51.Rb6 Ra4 52.Rxb5 Kc6 53.Rc5+ Kd6 54.Rc4 Kd5 55.Rc1 Rxb4 56.Rd1+ Kc6 57.Kxg5 Rb2 58.Kg6 Rg2 59.g5 Rg3 60.Kf6 Rf3+ 61.Kg7 Rg3 62.g6 Rg2 63.Kf7 Rf2+ 64.Kg8 Rg2 65.g7 Rg3 66.Rf1 Kd6 67.Kf7 Rg1 68.Rxg1 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Giri,A2761Vidit,S27231–02022C54MCCT Chessable Masters 202212.2

Crosstable (win = 3 points, draw = 1 point)

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Klaus Besenthal is computer scientist, has followed and still follows the chess scene avidly since 1972 and since then has also regularly played in tournaments.
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