1/22/2021 – In this Power Play Show, GM Daniel King takes a look at Magnus Carlsen's win against Alireza Firouzja from the first round of the Tata Steel Tournament 2021 in Wijk aan Zee, in which Carlsen brought a typical pawn sacrifice to initiate a dangerous - and finally successful - attack. | Power Play is on air most Fridays at 17:00 UTC (18:00 CET, 13:00 ET). All the usual puzzles, games and instruction will be on offer. | Photo: Jurriaan Hoefsmit
Tata Steel 2023: Analyses by Giri, Van Foreest, Praggnanandhaa, Donchenko and many more. "Special" on Anthony Miles. Kasimdzhanov, Marin and Zwirs show new opening ideas from Wijk in the video. 11 opening articles with repertoire ideas and much more!
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A typical pawn sacrifice
In this show I look at the game M. Carlsen vs A. Firouzja, which features the d5 exd5 e5 positional pawn sacrifice. By examining Polugayevsky-Tal USSR Ch. 1969 and Carlsen-Giri 2020, I chart the evolution of this pawn sacrifice (in similar positions).
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1.e4
1,174,618
54%
2421
---
1.d4
952,919
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
283,849
56%
2440
---
1.c4
183,334
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,804
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,464
54%
2427
---
1.f4
5,926
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,855
50%
2384
---
1.b4
1,775
48%
2379
---
1.a3
1,239
54%
2405
---
1.e3
1,075
49%
2409
---
1.d3
961
50%
2378
---
1.g4
669
46%
2361
---
1.h4
465
54%
2381
---
1.c3
436
51%
2426
---
1.h3
284
56%
2419
---
1.a4
117
59%
2462
---
1.f3
100
47%
2427
---
1.Nh3
92
67%
2511
---
1.Na3
43
60%
2477
---
Please, wait...
1.d40Nf602.c40e603.Nf30d504.Nc30Nbd705.Bg54:04h61:066.Bh43:10Be797.cxd57:13Nxd512:227...exd58.Bxe723Qxe716:309.e45:38Nxc3010.bxc38:110-01:1011.Bd313:09c52411...b612.0-0Bb713.a4a51/2-1/2
(43) Werle,J (2525)-Moradiabadi,E (2587) Vlissingen 201512.0-00cxd427:5313.cxd439b66:2413...e514.d5Nc514.a4N4:0914.Rc1Nf615.Qe2Bb716.Rfd1Rac81-0 (35) Obolentseva,A (2324)-Girya,O (2456) Moscow 201914.Re1Bb7
Black is ahead in development compared to Carlsen-Giri, so it isn't as easy to
effect this pawn sacrifice.15.d515.Re3Rfc816.Qe1Nf617.Rd1Rc718.d518.Bb1Ne819.d5e520.g3Nd618...exd519.e5Ne420.Nd4Qxe515.Qd2Rac816.Rad1Rfd817.d5exd518.e5d415...exd516.e5d417.Nxd4Nxe518.Qh518.f4Qc518...Rae819.Bb5g620.Qxh6Rd814...Bb73:0815.a51:37bxa51916.Rxa52:30Nf62:3117.Re110:1717.e5?Nd517.d5?!exd518.e5Ne417...Rfd81:3118.Qa14:01Qc75:1219.h31:4119.Rxa7Rxa720.Qxa7Ra821.Qc5Qxc522.dxc5Rc8=19...a65:1720.Rc54:13Qf419:2221.Re52:33 The threat isNd71522.Ra51:54Nf67:0323.d55923.g3!?Qc723...Qxf324.Re3Qxe325.fxe3Bxe4- probably a
draw.26.Bxe4Nxe427.Rxa6Rxa628.Qxa6Nf624.Kg223...exd51524.e519Ne41:2025.Qd40Rdc81:1126.Raa12:21a54:5527.Rab11:10Bc67:4127...Ba628.Bxa628.Bxe4dxe429.Rxe4Qf528...Rxa629.Qxd5Nc330.Qd7Qc431.Rb7Qe632.Qd3Qc433.Qd727...Rc728.Rxb7Rxb729.Qxd528.e63:0328.Rb6is okay for White but it is messy:Bd728...a429.Rxc6Rxc630.Qxd5+-29.Qxd5Nc530.g330.Bb530...Be630...Qa431.e6Bxe632.Rbxe6Nxe633.Rxe6fxe633...Rd834.Rd6Qe835.Bc4Rxd636.Qxd6a434.Qxe6+Kh835.Ne531.Qxa8Rxa832.gxf4Nxd328...fxe61029.Ne52:34Qf6030.f31:2530.Bxe4=dxe431.Nxc6Rxc632.Qxe4
should be tenable for White.30...Ng5!4:5530...Ng331.Rb6!1:17Be81:0832.Qe30a44632...h533.f4Ne434.Bxe4dxe435.Qxe4a432...Qe733.Ng4!1:32Qd81834.Rxe61:15Nxe6034...a3!35.Rxh6=35.Re7Qd635...gxh636.Nxh6+Kf837.Qd4Nxf3+38.gxf3Qg5+39.Ng4Qg7=35.Qxe6+24Bf7?20 A fatal mistake
The game is still in the balance35...Kh836.Nxh6!?36.Qf5Qb6+37.Kf1Bg6!38.Qxg6Qxg639.Bxg6a336...Bh537.Ng4∞Qf838.Re5Rc1+39.Kf2Qf740.Qd636.Nxh6+!+-1:56gxh61137.Qxh618Qc738.Qh7+43 White mates.Kf8339.Qh8+!14Bg8640.Qh6+740.Qh6+Qg741.Qd6+Qe742.Qxe7#
Magnus won the first "set", but one of the advantages of the system is that
even when ahead, you cannot sit on your lead and cruise to victory:1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nf3d54.Nc3c5!?While its "only" rapid, clearly the players
treat it like a serious event, with opening preparation trying to surprise the
opponent. Giri here chooses the Semi-Tarrasch, an opening having a renaissance
due to Kramnik making it an efficient "blocking" weapon, most recently in the
2018 Candidates where Anish was his second!5.cxd5Nxd56.e4Nxc37.bxc3cxd48.cxd4Bb4+9.Bd2Bxd2+10.Qxd20-011.Bc4Recently Magnus has tried
11 Bd3, but Giri certainly can be trusted to have solved that problem.11.Bd3Nc612.Bc2Qe712...Qa513.Qxa5Nxa514.Bd3Bd715.Ke21/2-1/2
(49) Carlsen,M (2861)-Ding,L (2805) Abidjan 201913.0-0Rd814.Qe3b615.Rfd1Bb716.Rac1Rac817.h4Na518.Bd3h619.g4Nc620.Bb120.g5hxg521.hxg5Nxd422.Nxd4Rxc123.Rxc1Rxd424.Qxd4Qxg5+25.Kh2Qxc126.Qd8+Kh727.e5+g628.Bxg6+fxg629.Qe7+=20...Qd721.Kh221.g5hxg522.hxg5e522...Ne721...Qd6+22.Kg1Na523.Bd3Rxc124.Rxc1Nc625.Bb5Nxd426.Qxd4Qxd427.Nxd4Rxd41/2-1/2 (56) Carlsen,M (2872)-Xiong,J
(2712) Wijk aan Zee 202011...Nd7The modern way. In the old days 11...Nc6
looked more natural, but while at fist it appears more active, the knight
tends to end up at a5 leaving the black king more exposed, illustrated by the
beautiful classic Polugaevsky- Tal from the 1969 Soviet Championship.12.0-0b613.Rad1Bb714.Rfe1Rc815.Bb3Re8While Magnus earlier tried a more
positional plan with a4-a5, all this is pretty standard with Kramnik having
had this position as black several times. Black stays flexible, ready to make
exchanges in the e-line after a possible d5 exd5 exd5. Making a useful more
for White is not trivial, themost popular choice being 16.h3 passing the move
back to Black.16.Re3!?An odd looking move, as arranging an attack via g3
certainly not is possible, but it has a more subtle hidden point.Nf6
The point of the modern Semi-Tarrasch, instead of a5 the knight ends up at f6,
not only attacking the white centre but also providing protection for the
black kingside ( no Bxh7+ sacrifice!)17.d5Technically speaking only this
is the novelty.exd518.e518.exd5Qd618...Ne419.Qe1This is the
point of White's opening concept. At first sight it might look like a pawn
down and a strong black knight at e4, but due to tactics in the e-file White
indirectly protects the pawn on e5, thus having the unstoppable plan of Nd4
and f3, forcing the black knight to retreat.Qc7Giri thought for a while.
After the match he said he was aware of the white concept, but obviously had
troubles recalling the right antidote. Black's move is logical, but has the
downside that Nb5 wins a tempo aiming for the d6 square, but similar could be
said of 19...Qe7 with a then possible Nf5.20.Nd4a6Stopping Nb5.20...Qxe521.f3f522.fxe4fxe4is 3 pawns for the piece, but while by the
classic scale that is just enough for a knight, then A) modern computers does
give numbers like 3.1 or 3.2 instead of the traditional 3, but more
importantly B) the white knight on d4 makes it intolerable for Black.21.h4!?Magnus later admitted that his preparation ended around here.21.f3
also was logical, but given the chance why not stay on brand and add some
Alphazero flavor.21...Rcd822.f3Nc523.h5Whites position is starting
to make sense. E5 is now well protected and the h-pawn does a great job of
discouraging ...g6 keeping the white knight away from f5, as then apart from
hxg6 and attack down the h-line, the Alphazero h6!? very much becomes an
option. Black really has his hands full already, not to mention this is a 15
minute game and Anish having spent quite some of the precious minutes already.Ne624.Nf524.h6g625.Qh4Qe724.Qh4Nxd425.Rxd4h6=24...d4
Giri said that this move gave him hope, as optically the bishop on b7 springs
to life, and Black appears to have some activity.25.Red3!A "slow"
looking move, but White now threatens the trivial Nd6 followed by Bxe6 and
Rxd4 getting the pawn back, but keeping a dominant position.Nc5
And now it looks like White's e-pawn is en prise, but back rank tactics also
makes that an illusion.25...Bd5should bring relieving exchanges,
but26.Nd6Bxb327.Nxe8works tactically, when despite Black having a pawn
and solidity for the exchange, White's win is just a matter of technique.26.Rxd4Rxd427.Rxd4Nxb328.Qg3Material being
equal (when White recaptures on b3) and all Black's pieces being on seemingly
optinal squares, it is hard to believe that Black is just lost. However,
another Alphazero theme comes to mind: Black's king is confined to g8, while
White's has space around it, making it easily escape the black back rank
threats on the safe haven h2. The black king, however, is caught in a mating
net.28.axb3h629.Nd6is also good for White28...g6If28...f6
then29.Rg4!immediately wins, withQxe530.Rxg7+Kh831.Rxh7+
the principal point mating on g7 next move.29.axb3Rd8?!Allows a very
beautiful finish, making the difference between a great game and a classic.29...Bxf3was better way to muddy the waters, when White has several ways to
keep a winning edge, but by far most convincingly by30.Rc4!when30.gxf3?Qc1+31.Kf2Qc2+30...Bc631.Nd4cynically ends the game.Qxe532.Qxe5Rxe533.Rxc6Rxh534.Rxb630.e6‼Hitting where it hurts the
most.Qc1+Black's queen is overloaded as30...Qxg3is met by31.Rxd8#31.Kh2Rxd432.e7‼The true moment of beauty, it is the least valued
piece that breaks Black's resistance.Qc8The key idea is that32...Bc6
stopping promotions fails to the back rank mate after33.Qb8+33.Qe5!
Threatening mate on g7 as well as queening the pawn. All that is left for
Black is to give a check.Rh4+34.Kg3!A fitting end, illustrating the
difference in king safety, the white monarch safely steps forward, even
attacking the rook on h4, while Black's king is caught on its castling square.
If 34...gxf5 promoting with check and the collecting the rook on h4 wins
trivially. It might still feel like classical chess should produce more
interesting opening concepts, higher quality in games but these "youngsters"
playing Clutch chess or Chessable Masters do a very impressive job of making
that point of view sound old and grumpy. The World Champion plays close to
prefection, and Giri forces him to illustrate both positional sacrifices and
sharp tactics by putting up strong resistance. All in the space of half an
hour.1–0
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