5/26/2019 – Yes, you read that right! The two crucial factors that will make Carlsen's task difficult of winning the Lindores Abbey Chess Stars 2019 are Ding Liren, who has fared excellently against Carlsen in recent times and the other being cold. The tournament is being played in a distillery and Magnus is feeling quite cold in there. After three rounds Carlsen and Ding Liren are leading with 2.0/3, Karjakin is on 1½/3 while Vishy is on the last spot with ½/3. A detailed day one report by IM Sagar Shah from the venue.
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Ding and Carlsen in the lead
When the Lindores Abbey Chess Stars 2019 tournament was announced the first question on everyone's mind was — is this tournament going to be serious? The event was announced at a short notice, it was being organized inside a distillery, and there were only six rounds of rapid chess. But as I stood in the playing hall on day one and the proceedings began, I realized that when you get players like Carlsen, Anand, Ding Liren and Karjakin together, you cannot have light-hearted chess!
Scarcely any world champion has managed to captivate chess lovers to the extent Carlsen has. The enormously talented Norwegian hasn't been systematically trained within the structures of a major chess-playing nation such as Russia, the Ukraine or China.
The settings inside the distillery, where the players are just a meter away from the washbacks
First of all, all four of them prepare extremely hard in the first phase of the game. Hence, when they begin a duel, it is always a battle that spans across some previous game played, or some new ideas that are home-cooked.
When Powerplay chess and ChessBase India come together! IM Sagar Shah and Daniel King recap day one of the Lindores Abbey Chess Stars 2019
The first DVD with videos from Anand's chess career reflects the very beginning of that career and goes as far as 1999. It starts with his memories of how he first learned chess and shows his first great games (including those from the 1984 WCh for juniors). The high point of his early developmental phase was the winning of the 1987 WCh for juniors. After that, things continue in quick succession: the first victories over Kasparov, WCh candidate in both the FIDE and PCA cycles and the high point of the WCh match against Kasparov in 1995. Running time: 3:48 hours
Let's take for example the first round game between Sergey Karjakin and Vishy Anand. Vishy is a now a well-known expert of the Queen's Gambit Declined. He goes for classical lines and in those classical lines which have been played for hundreds of years, he has a modern wrinkle up his sleeve. You cannot just expect to go to the game with no novelty and surprise Anand. But Karjakin is your man for new opening ideas! When the duo sat opposite each other, they literally blitzed out their first 20 moves.
Karjakin vs Anand, Round 1
White to move
This was the same position that was reached in Mamedyarov - Anand at Wijk Aan Zee in 2018. The Azeri GM had moved his bishop back to h4. Sergey decided to test Anand's sacrifice. Instead of Bh4, he played the move Nxe4. Vishy thought for a while, most certainly trying to recollect his analysis, and played ...♛a6! After 0-0 ♛xc4 ♕d5 ♛xd5 ♖xd5 ♝f8, Karjakin surprised Anand with ♗f6!
22.Bf6! by Karjakin put Vishy in a difficult situation
Anand now had a difficult choice to make. His e5 pawn is hanging. He could take on f6 and then after ♘xf6+ ♚g7 ♘xe8 ♜xe8 ♖xe5, play this position where White has a rook and two pawns for two minor pieces. Objectively Black should be able to hold this, but in a practical game, White's play is much easier. Vishy decided to avoid this variation and instead went for ♜ac8. Karjakin consolidated his position and was cruising towards victory. But just when it seemed all over, he made an error, which allowed Anand back into the game.
Black to play
With seconds ticking down Vishy had to find the move ...♜e7. This would have pinned the knight and would have given Black excellent drawing chances. But when you are low on time, there could be nothing more natural than taking the pawn with ...♜xh3. Karjakin replied with 51.♘e5 and White was back again in the driver's seat.
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1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nf3d54.Nc3Be75.Bf40-06.e3c5Vishy has shown a liking towards
this classical variation in the recent past.7.dxc5Bxc58.Qc2Nc69.Rd1
This is surely one of the most critical lines in the position.Qa510.a3Re811.Nd2e512.Bg5Nd413.Qb1Bf514.Bd3Bxd315.Qxd3Ne416.Ndxe4dxe417.Qd2Ne6This position was already reached between Mamedyarov and Anand at the
Tata Steel Chess 2018. Vishy had managed to hold the game after Shakh played
Bh4. Here Karjakin decides to test his opponent by accepting the pawn.18.Nxe418.Bh4Qa619.Qe2Rac820.0-0Bf821.Qg4Qxc422.Nxe4Kh823.h3Nc524.Nxc5Qxg425.hxg4Rxc526.Rd7Rb527.b4f628.g5fxg529.Bxg5a530.Rfd1Kg831.Bd8axb432.a4Rc533.Rxb7Rc834.Ba5Rc435.Rd5b336.Rxb3Rxa437.Bc3e438.Rb7Ra639.Rdd7Rg640.g3Rc841.Bd4Re842.Kg2Rc843.Kh3Re844.Rf7Rc845.Rf4Re846.Bc3Rge647.Rff7Rg648.Rfc7Rd849.Kg2Re850.Kf1Rd851.Ke2Re852.Kd1Rg553.Kc2Rf554.Bxg7Bd655.Rd7Rxf2+56.Kb3Bxg357.Bd4Be558.Bxe5Rxe559.Rg7+Kf860.Rxh7Kg861.Kc4Rg262.Rhe7Rxe763.Rxe7Kf864.Rxe4Rg565.Kd4Kf766.Re5Rg11/2-1/2 (66)
Mamedyarov,S (2804)-Anand,V (2767) Wijk aan Zee 201818...Qa6!?18...Qxd2+19.Rxd2Rec8!?looks like a computer variation that might equalize
for Black.19.0-019.Bf6Playing Bf6 without castling is possible, but
it gives Black additional options afterQxc420.Qd5Qa6!21.Nxc5Nxc522.Qxc5Qxf6=19...Qxc420.Qd5Qxd521.Rxd5Bf822.Bf6Rac8?!22...gxf623.Nxf6+Kg724.Nxe8+Rxe825.Rxe5Optically for a human this looks like a
bad position for Black. However, if you delve deeper, you will see that things
are not so bad for the second player.Rd826.Rb5b6∞The best part for
Black in this position is that his pieces are active and the chances of rooks
getting exchanged are quite low.23.Bxe5Nc724.Bxc7Rxc725.Nd2Rc226.Rb1White is momentarily passive but the extra pawn is quite solid.Re627.Kf1Rb628.b4a529.Nf3axb430.axb4Be730...Rxb431.Rxb4Bxb432.Rd8+Bf833.Ne5+-31.b5g632.g4h633.Kg2Bf634.Kg3Re635.h3What's
surprising is that Sergey is not going for the natural h4-g5 plans. It seems
like a strategy where he doesn't want to give Anand a clear idea of what he
wants to do.Re736.Ne1Ra237.Nd3Kg738.Kf3Bh439.Rb2Ra140.Rc2Rb141.Rc1Rb342.Rc8Re643.Ke2Ra344.Nc5?!Ra2+45.Kd345.Rd2Rxd2+46.Kxd2Rb645...Re7There is no good way to defend the f2 pawn.46.Rd7Rxd7+47.Nxd7Bxf248.Rc7Ra3+49.Kc4Rxe350.Rxb7Rxh3?50...Re7!
The rook pins the knight and it is not so easy to get out of the pin.51.Kd5f552.gxf5gxf553.Kd6Rf7=51.Ne5!Kf652.Kd5Kg553.Rxf7Be354.Rg7Kf4?!54...Kh455.Rxg6Rh1gives Black much better chances to defend.55.Rxg6Kg356.b6Rh157.b7Rb158.Rg7Bf459.Nc4Rd1+60.Kc5Rc161.Rf7Rb162.Kc6Bb863.Rf8Rb464.Rxb8Rxc4+65.Kb5Rc166.Rg81–0
The video of the complete game between Karjakin and Vishy Anand
Ding Liren vs Karjakin
White has just recaptured dxe5. Where would you move your knight?
Karjakin mixed up some ideas at this point. He remembered the line in the Catalan where black can go to g4 with his knight and sacrifice on f2. In fact this is precisely how Sergey had drawn his game against GM Vidit Gujrathi at Tata Steel Chess India in November 2018. But this was a different position and ...♞g4 was a mistake. Instead Karjakin had to go for the move ...♞h5. What he was afraid is that after ...♞h5 ♗e3 his knight would get trapped with g4. While this is a realistic threat and playing ...f5 is possible. Black has a much stronger move at his disposal.
...f6! a move that is easy to miss
The main point is that after g4 fxe5 gxh5 ♛xh5 Black is a piece down, but has good amount of pawns in return and also excellent coordination. After Sergey missed this, Ding didn't really give his opponent any chances. He found this nice idea of tucking his king back to c1.
White made sure that his victory was secured with the idea Ke3-d2-c1
At this moment Genna Sosonko, one of the commentators, narrated an interesting story of how Steinitz in the year 1867 came to Dundee, quite near to where the tournament is being played in Lindores, and introduced the move ♔e1-e2 in the King's Gambit. Somehow Ding Liren's king manoeuvre was quite reminiscent of Steinitz's idea.
Ding Liren's defensive play was top-notch after Karjakin's incorrect sacrifice
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1.d4Nf62.c4e63.g3Bb4+4.Bd2Be75.Bg2d56.Nf30-07.0-0Nbd78.Qb3Nb69.c5Nc410.Qc2b611.c6Ding Liren has already played this in
Ding Liren vs Zhou Jianchao.a512.Bf4Ba613.Rd1h614.Ne5Qe815.a4Nxe516.dxe5The critical moment of the game.Ng4?16...Nh5!17.Be3f6!This move doesn't look possible because g4 traps the knight. However, it is
an extremely powerful positional sacrifice.17...f5This is what Ding
Liren had considered. But this doesn't work because of18.Nc3The knight on
h5 is stranded.18.g418.f4!?g5!?18...fxe519.fxe5Rf5
is also interesting.18...fxe5!19.gxh5Qxh5Black is just
crushing through.17.h3Nxf218.Kxf2Bc5+19.Be3Bxe3+20.Kxe3The king
doesn't look the safest on e3 and during the game it did seem like Karjakin
has some compensation, but Ding Liren's plan is extremely strong and
methodical and puts to rest the question of who is better in this position.f621.exf6Rxf622.Bf3Qe723.Kd2Qd624.Kc1Qxg325.Ra3Raf826.Nc3Kh827.Nb5Bxb528.axb5Qh429.Kb1Rf430.Re3R8f631.Bg4Rc432.Qd3Rb433.Bxe61–0
The Catalan is one of the most solid openings for White. It forms part of the large and strong fianchetto family in which White builds his strategy mainly around the bishop on g2. Grandmaster Victor Bologan covers all of Black’s replies to the Catalan, some of which can even transpose to other openings such as the Tarrasch System and the Queen’s Indian. Suffice it to say that the Catalan rules!
Magnus Carlsen had a slow start to his campaign at the tournament. He drew his round one game against Ding Liren after getting a clear opening advantage. Against Karjakin, he was surely worse after the opening, but managed to hold on. One of the reasons why Carlsen was not able to give his best on the board was because of the temperature inside the playing hall. Being a distillery, the first thing that has to be ensured is that the air is flowing. This is a pre-requisite when it comes to a distillery. But when it comes to a chess tournament, this can make the players quite cold and uncomfortable. This is exactly what happened to Carlsen. At the press conference he was clearly dejected and said that he didn't enjoy the cold temperature inside the venue.
"It was very cold" - @MagnusCarlsen, at the press conference after day 1 of the Lindores Abbey Chess Stars 2019. In spite of not being comfortable, Magnus leads the event with 2.0/3. pic.twitter.com/DnvP1PzXau
A personal heater was arranged but Carlsen was not satisfied
In the third round Carlsen was up against Vishy Anand. Encounters between these two are always exciting. Although Magnus has had an upper hand against Vishy lately, you can never discount the Madras Tiger. After a loss in round one to Karjakin, he drew his game against Ding Liren and seemed to be in good frame of mind for his game against Magnus. After the opening Anand clearly had the upper hand.
Carlsen vs Anand, Round 3
Black to move
The way Anand had played the opening was quite exquisite. He had developed his bishop to b4, dropped it back to d6, then to f8 and had given it a nice spot with g6 and ♝g7. All of Carlsen's pieces are developed, but they lack space. The most precise way for Anand increase his advantage would have been to play his pawn to ...c4. Now the pawn on c5 is no longer weak. True, the d4 square is lost, but it is not the most relevant. The e3 pawn remains weak and also the b2 pawn would become a weakness in the future. Vishy instead played the move ...d4? Perhaps, he didn't expect Carlsen's reply.
After ♘a4, White is no longer worse. Vishy can still hold the balance with accurate play, but he was clearly affected by his error and lost the game quite quickly.
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1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3Bb44.e30-05.Bd3d56.cxd5exd57.Nge2Re88.Bd2b69.0-0Bd610.Rc1c511.Nb5Bf812.f3Nc613.Kh1Bb713...a614.Nbc3c415.Bb1b5looked pretty strong and natural. But perhaps Vishy didn't like
that White can play16.e4!?dxe416...b417.Nxd5Nxd518.exd517.fxe4Nxd418.Bg5with interesting compensation. Play could continueNe619.Bxf6Qxd120.Rcxd1gxf6White Black seems to be doing fine.21.Nd5Bg714.a3g615.Bb1Rc816.Ba2a617.Nbc3Bg718.dxc5bxc519.Be1Black has
many ways to fight for an advantage here. The anti-intuitive ...c4 is strong.
It does weaken the d4 square, but that is not the most important thing in the
position. The c5 pawn will no longer be weak and e3 pawn is always in trouble.d4?A big oversight by Vishy who clearly missed Magnus' next move.20.Na4!Now the c5 pawn is falling, Qb3 is coming up, All in all this looks bad
for Black. But objectively the position is just equal. However, the tide has
changed, and that's the reason why even though the position is equal, Magnus'
body language changed and so did Vishy's. It felt from Anand's expressions
that he had almost lost the game.Nd7?!20...Qe7!21.Nxc5dxe3=21.Bxf7+!Magnus is quick to spot such tactics.Kxf722.Qb3+Kf823.Qxb7Rxe323...dxe3±24.Ng3Nce525.Bd2Rd326.Ne4Rb827.Qd5Rxd228.Nxd2Nd329.Rc2Qe730.Ne4Nf431.Qc4White is completely winning and
Vishy had to resign.1–0
Sagar ShahSagar is an International Master from India with two GM norms. He loves to cover chess tournaments, as that helps him understand and improve at the game he loves so much. He is the co-founder and CEO of ChessBase India, the biggest chess news portal in the country. His YouTube channel has over a million subscribers, and to date close to a billion views. ChessBase India is the sole distributor of ChessBase products in India and seven adjoining countries, where the software is available at a 60% discount. compared to International prices.
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