Berlin GP Final: Following theory

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
4/2/2022 – The final match of the FIDE Grand Prix in Berlin kicked off with a quick draw. Wesley So had the white pieces, but was content with keeping things under control in a game that only left theory on move 27. Hikaru Nakamura happily followed suit, as he will get a chance to get ahead on the scoreboard when he gets white on Sunday. | Photos: World Chess

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“Life is nice at the top, but also quite sad”

Last year’s US Championships returned to the Saint Louis Chess Club after going online amid the pandemic in 2020. Wesley So clinched his third national title by dominating the final tiebreakers against Fabiano Caruana and Sam Sevian.

Hikaru Nakamura did not participate, but apparently followed the games closely, as the line he and So explored on Saturday repeated no fewer than 27 moves from the first-round encounter between Jeffery Xiong and the eventual champion. 

 
So vs. Nakamura

While Xiong had played 27.Rf2 against him, So opted for 27.Qxb7, when Nakamura quickly forced a draw via 27...Rc2 28.Rf2 Rxf2 29.Kxf2 Qxh2+ 30.Qg2 Qh5

 

With major pieces still on the board and his king somewhat weaker than its counterpart, there is no hope for So to create anything from this position without taking unjustifiable risks. In the predecessor game, Xiong got a slight pressure and the game lasted 48 moves, but the position was never away from the realm of equality.

Wesley So, Hikaru Nakamura

Talking to Anastasiya Karlovich after the game, the US grandmasters agreed that it feels somewhat lonely in the playing hall with everybody gone but them. Nakamura pointed out that the only scenario in which they could have found themselves in a similar situation is the World Cup, and none of them ever reached the semifinals of finals in the biannual event. So added:

Life is nice at the top, but also quite sad.

The Filipino-born star wondered how Magnus Carlsen must feel after having played  five 12 or 14-game matches in the last nine years. Perhaps the glory of victory makes up for the sadness, especially for someone as competitive as the world champion. We can only wonder.

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4 d5 6.e5 Ne4 7.Bd3 c5 8.Nf3 E32: Nimzo-Indian: Classical (4 Qc2): 4...0-0. cxd4 9.Nxd4 Nd7 10.Bf4 Qh4 11.g3 Qh5 12.0-0 g5
13.cxd5! Bxc3 14.bxc3 exd5 15.Be3 15.Bxe4 dxe4 16.e6 gxf4 17.exd7 Bxd7 18.Qxe4 fxg3 19.fxg3 b6 20.Nf5 Rae8 21.Qd5 Bxf5 22.Rxf5 Qe2 23.Raf1 Qe3+ 24.R1f2 Qe1+ 25.Rf1 Qe3+ 26.R1f2 Qe1+ 27.Rf1 Qe3+ ½-½ (27) So,W (2770)-Nakamura,H (2736) chess24.com INT 2021 15...Nxe5 Threatens to win with ...Ng4. 16.f3 Prevents Ng4. Of course not 16.Bxe4 dxe4 17.Qxe4 Re8= 16...Nc5 17.Bf5 Ne6! is more profitable than 17...f6 at the moment. 18.Rae1 Nxd4 19.Bxd4 This bishop pair is nice. Nc6 20.f4 Nxd4 20...gxf4 feels hotter. 21.Rxf4 Nxd4 22.cxd4 Bxf5 23.Rxf5 Qg4 21.cxd4 gxf4 22.Rxf4
aiming for Re5. 22...Bxf5 23.Rxf5 Qh6 24.Qc7 Rac8 Not 24...Qd2 25.Qe5 f6 26.Qxd5+ Kh8 27.Re7± 25.Qe5 f6 Against Rg5+ 26.Qxd5+ Kh8
27.Qxb7N Better is 27.Rf2 Predecessor: 27.Rf2 Rc1 28.Qe6 Rd8 29.d5 Rxd5 30.Kg2 Rxe1 31.Qc8+ Kg7 32.Qxb7+ Kg6 33.Qxd5 ½-½ (48) Xiong,J (2700)-So,W (2778) Saint Louis 2021 27...Rc2= The position is equal. 28.Rf2 Active counter play! Rxf2 29.Kxf2 Qxh2+ 30.Qg2 Qh5 Weighted Error Value: White=0.04 (flawless) / Black=0.03 (flawless)
½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
So,W2772Nakamura,H2736½–½2022FIDE Grand Prix-III KO 20222.1

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Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.

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