Berlin GP: So with a foot in the final

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
3/31/2022 – Wesley So beat Amin Tabatabaei in their first semifinal encounter at the FIDE Grand Prix in Berlin, and now only needs a draw on Thursday to reach the final of the two-week event. In the other semi, Hikaru Nakamura could not get much with white against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in a game that was agreed drawn after 30 moves. | Photos: World Chess
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FIDE Grand Prix 2022Qualifying to the Candidates for a second time in his career was certainly a big achievement for Hikaru Nakamura, but that did not have any effect on his busy schedule as a player/streamer. After winning pool A, the US grandmaster played two online events on Tuesday and Wednesday, and won both of them. At chess.com’s Titled Tuesday he finished first ahead of Dmitry Andreikin, while on the Arena Kings tournament, played on the same platform, he won a 16-player knockout featuring streamers.

Amid his online outings, Nakamura drew Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in the first semifinal of the Berlin Grand Prix. Talking to Anastasiya Karlovich, the 5-time US champion explained that it is now difficult for him to decide whether to play sharp openings in this event, since he is already thinking about the Candidates:

What is the value of playing something special and maybe winning if I’m lucky? Versus maybe using it and possibly winning a game in the Candidates. I mean, there is no upside. Winning a match is nice, but of course the Candidates is more important.

Meanwhile, Nakamura’s compatriot Wesley So got the better of Amin Tabatabaei with the white pieces. The Iranian grandmaster noted that his lack of experience had to do with his mishandling of the position arising from an Exchange Variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined. A draw on Thursday is all So needs to reach the final of the tournament in Berlin.

Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura

So 1 - 0 Tabatabaei

In a strategic struggle, Tabatabaei faltered by offering a knight swap on move 23, as both players agreed afterwards.

 
So vs. Tabatabaei

After 23.Nxa4 Rxa4 24.Qd2 Black is already on the back foot. Looking to activate his pieces, the Iranian went for 24...Rc7, when White has 25.Bg3 and Black either returns with his rook to a passive square or simply gives up a pawn — by playing 25...Rc6 Tabatabaei decided on the latter.

 

So grabbed the pawn with 26.Rxb7, and carefully converted his advantage into a 43-move victory in yet another showing of his technical prowess.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 c6 6.Qc2 h6 7.Bh4 D36: Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation: Main line (5 Bg5 c6 6 Qc2). Be6 8.e3 Nbd7 9.f3 The position is equal. Bd6 10.Bd3 c5 11.Nge2 c4 12.Bf5 0-0 13.0-0 Qe8 14.Bxe6 fxe6
15.a4N Predecessor: 15.b3 Rc8 16.Bg3 Bxg3 17.Nxg3 Nb8 18.bxc4 Rxc4 19.Qd2 Qf7 20.Nge2 Ne8 21.Nd1 ½-½ (28) Fekih,B (2296)-Ben Fredj,J (2317) ICCF email 2019 15...a6 16.b3 Rc8 17.Rab1 Bb4 18.Be1 Nb6 19.Qa2 Rf7 20.bxc4 Rxc4 21.a5 Bxc3 22.Nxc3 Na4 23.Nxa4 Rxa4 24.Qd2 Rc7 24...e5 25.Bg3± Rc6 26.Rxb7 Qg6 27.Rc7 White is more active. Rxc7 28.Bxc7 Rc4 Strongly threatening ...Rc2. 29.Rc1 To avoid Rc2 Qe8 30.Bg3 Qb5 31.Rxc4 dxc4 32.e4 To avoid Nd5 Qb3
32...Ne8± 33.Be1!+- Ne8 33...Qa3 is a better defense. 34.Kf2 Qa1 34.d5 exd5 35.Qxd5+ Kh7 36.Qf5+ Kg8 37.Qd5+ Kh7! 38.Qf5+ 38.Kf1 38...Kg8! 39.Qe6+ Kf8 40.h4 Worse is 40.Qxa6 Qe3+ 41.Kf1 Qd3+ 42.Kf2 Qd4+ 43.Kg3 Qe5+ 44.Kf2 Qd4+ 45.Kg3 Qe5+ 46.f4 Qxe4 47.Bb4+ Kg8= Don't play 40.Qf5+ Ke7 41.Qe5+ Kf7 42.Qd5+ Ke7 43.Qc5+ Ke6+- 40...Qd1 41.Kf2 Threatening mate with Bb4+. 41.Qf5+ Kg8 42.Kf2 c3+- 41...Qd4+?
41...c3 was worth a try. 42.Qc4 42.Qxa6 c2 42.Qf5+ Kg8± 42...c2 43.Bb4+ Nd6 44.Bxd6+ Qxd6 45.Qxc2 Qf6 46.Qc5+ Ke8 47.Qc8+ Kf7 42.Kg3! White threatens Bb4+ and mate. c3 42...Qc5 43.Bc3 Qb5 43.Bf2 Weighted Error Value: White=0.23 (precise) /Black=0.15 (very precise) 1–0
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So,W2772Tabatabaei,M26231–02022FIDE Grand Prix-III KO 20221.1

Nakamura ½ - ½ Mamedyarov

Out of a Petroff Defence which saw Mamedyarov deviating from theory on move 10, the semifinalists carefully handled the complex middlegame. By move 29, a rook and bishop endgame appeared on the board.

 
Nakamura vs. Mamedyarov

29...Kg7 30.Re1 Kf7 and a draw was agreed.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Qe2 Qe7 6.d3 Nf6 7.Bg5 Qxe2+ 8.Bxe2 Be7 9.0-0 h6 C42: Petroff Defence: 3 Nxe5 and unusual White 3rd moves. 10.Bd2
10...c5N Predecessor: 10...0-0 11.c4 d5 12.Nc3 Rd8 13.Rfe1 Na6 14.d4 Nb4 15.Rac1 Be6 16.a3 Nc6 17.c5 ½-½ (36) Tabatabaei,M (2509)-Jobava,B (2714) Bandar e Anzali 2017 11.c4 Nc6 12.Nc3 Prevents d5. 0-0 13.Rfe1 Be6 14.Bd1 d5 15.Ba4
cxd5 is the strong threat. 15...Rfd8 16.cxd5 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 Rxd5 18.Bxc6 bxc6 19.Ne5 Bf6 20.Bc3 Bxe5 21.Rxe5 Rxe5 22.Bxe5 Endgame KRB-KRB Rd8 23.f3 Rxd3 24.Bc3 f6 25.a3 Kf7 26.h4 g5 27.hxg5 The position is equal. hxg5 28.Kf2 a6 29.Rh1 Kg7 30.Re1 Kf7 Weighted Error Value: White=0.01 (flawless) /Black=0.02 (flawless) ½–½
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Nakamura,H2736Mamedyarov,S2767½–½2022FIDE Grand Prix-III KO 20221.1

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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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