7/18/2019 – In the first game of the semi-finals at the FIDE Grand Prix in Riga we saw a couple of elite chess battles, as Shakhriyar Mamedyarov surprised Wesley So to get a quick win and Alexander Grischuk got himself in trouble out of a Berlin Defence against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Grischuk and So will have the white pieces in Friday's rematch encounters. | Photo: World Chess
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A Catalan and a Berlin
At the end of the twentieth century, when Garry Kasparov was dominating the chess elite, the best players in the world were looking for theoretical ways to 'solve the game'. To find surprising novelties was a huge commodity, with certain openings more prone to be explored by those following this 'scientific approach' — the Berlin and the Catalan were among these systems (in fact, one of the biggest advocates to this approach, Vladimir Kramnik, studied both of them deeply).
On day one of the semi-finals, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov uncorked a nice novelty in the Catalan to get a comfortable win over Wesley So, while Alexander Grischuk got himself in trouble from the black side of a Berlin Defence against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, but managed to save a draw in the end.
Match results
Click or tap any result to open the game via Live.ChessBase.com
Alexander Grischuk looking on his potential contenders | Photo: Niki Riga / World Chess
Mamedyarov 1:0 So
The Azerbaijani went for a sharp line of the Catalan, in which White is a pawn down but gets the pair of bishops and cripples Black's pawn structure. As so often happens in this opening, the theoretical lines are lengthy and specific. This time, Mamedyarov was the first one to deviate:
This DVD allows you to learn from the example of one of the best players in the history of chess and from the explanations of the authors (Pelletier, Marin, Müller and Reeh) how to successfully organise your games strategically, consequently how to keep y
Mamedyarov vs. So
Position after 13...Qd6
The novelty was the quiet 14.a3, which nonetheless prompted So to invest around fifteen minutes on 14...♜fb8. Later on, Mamedyarov mentioned that the American had told him in the post-mortem discussion that he considered his fourteenth move to have been a mistake, but the Azeri — who remembered this line completely — clarified that So's move was actually the best one in the position.
The mistake came after 15.e4:
Position after 15.e4
So now spent twenty minutes on 15...c3, the crucial mistake. Mamedyarov seemed worried, as he thought he had every line analysed in full, except this one. But, in fact, he had not memorized it because it gave White too much of an advantage.
After explaining that this will probably be a 'one-off novelty', Mamedyarov noted that after e4 Black has the strong 15...♞xe4 — the point of this move is that after the long sequence 16.♗xe4 ♛xd4 17.♗e3 ♛xe4 18.♗xb6 ♜xb6 19.♖fe1 Black has the unexpected 19...♛g6.
Analysis diagram
Position after 19.Rfe1
We certainly cannot blame So for not having seen this line from afar, as the more natural-looking 19...♛c2 or 19...♛f3, for example, are bad for Black.
After the text, it did not take long before the queens left the board. From that point on, Mamedyarov showed fine technique to prove his pair of bishops was stronger than Black's rook. Resignation came on move 34.
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1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nf3d54.g3Be75.Bg20-06.0-0dxc47.Ne5Nc68.Nxc6bxc69.Na3Bxa310.bxa3Ba611.Qd2E05: Open Catalan: 5 Nf3 Be7Rb812.Qa5Rb613.a4!The position is equal.Qd6
14.a3NPredecessor:14.e4Qb415.Qxb4Rxb416.Ba3Rxa417.Bxf8Kxf818.Rfc1Ra30-1 (42) Lenderman,A
(2637)-Safarli,E (2681) chess.com INT 201914...Rfb815.e4And now e5
would win.c3?15...Qf8=and Black has nothing to worry.16.e5+-
Double Attack16...Qd817.exf6aiming for Re1.Bxf118.Bxf1c218...Qxd419.Be319.Qxa7c2=19...Qxf620.Qxa7Rb319.Ra2Qd520.Qxd5cxd521.Rxc2gxf622.Rxc7R8b723.Rc5Kg724.Kg2Rb125.Bb5Ra126.Rc3Rb627.Bf4Rb728.Kf3Rd129.Be3Rb130.Kg4Rh131.h4Kg632.Bd3+f5+33.Kf3Rd133...h534.Bb5Rd134.g4Accuracy: White = 90%,
Black = 60%.1–0
On this DVD Grandmaster Daniel King offers you a repertoire for Black against the Catalan, based around maintaining the rock of a pawn on d5. Keeping central control ultimately gives Black good chances to launch an attack against the enemy king.
It is tough to be an elite chess player — Wesley So knows it all too well | Photo: World Chess
Game analysis with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Vachier-Lagrave ½:½ Grischuk
Two well-established members of the elite explored the notorious Berlin Defence and followed a Vachier-Lagrave v Aronian game from the 2018 London Chess Classic until move 12. Grischuk himself spent some time — as usual — before going for the novelty of the game:
Vachier-Lagrave vs. Grischuk
Position after 12.Re1
The players started figuring things out over the board after 12...a5, and things seemed to be going well for Black until Vachier-Lagrave's 21st move:
Position after 20...fxe6
The problem with 21.♖d3 is that Grischuk had not foreseen it, while he already thought it was only a matter of time before a draw would be agreed. The Russian, in fact, spent over half an hour before finding the correct plan to defend against White's initiative — to advance on the queenside with 21...b5, 22...b4, 23...a4.
Grischuk kept pushing his queenside pawns later on:
Position after 26.Rh8
The game continued 26...b3 27.cxb3 axb3 28.a4 c5 29.a5 c4 30.a6 c3 and the point was split three moves later. Both players were not sure whether White had some study-like win at some point, but certainly Vachier-Lagrave was the one with the chances.
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1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5Nf64.0-0Nxe45.d4Nd66.Bxc6dxc67.dxe5Nf58.Qxd8+Kxd89.h3Be7C67: Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defence: 4 0-0 Nxe410.Nc3Nh4Black wants
to play ...Nxf3+.11.Nxh4Bxh412.Re1a5NPredecessor:12...b613.g4Be714.Be3Bd715.Rad1Kc816.Ne2Re817.Nf41-0 (49) Vachier Lagrave,
M (2781)-Aronian,L (2765) London 201813.Ne2Bd714.Bd2Kc815.Bc3Re816.Rad1g617.Nf4Bg518.e6Bxe619.Nxe6Rxe620.Rxe6fxe6=
Endgame KRB-KRB21.Rd3b5!22.Rf3b4!23.Be5a424.Rf8+Bd825.Bf6Kd726.Rh8b327.cxb3axb3
The position is equal.28.a4!c5!29.a5!
Hoping for a6.Of course not29.Rxh7+Kd629...c4Don't blunder29...Bxf6?30.Rxa8c431.a6±30.a6!
Rxd8+ is the strong threat.c3And not30...Bxf631.Rxa8Bd432.Rb8±31.Rxh7+Kd632.Bxc3And now Rh8 would win.Rxa633.Kf1Accuracy: White
= 56%, Black = 85%.½–½
This DVD gives you the key to start out with the French Defence. GM Yannick Pelletier is a specialist of this opening, and believes that the most efficient way to understand its ideas, plans, and typical structures is to study classical lines.
Commentary by GMs Evgeny Miroshnichenko and Arturs Neikans
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1.c4e52.g3Nf63.Bg2d54.cxd5Nxd55.Nc3Nb66.Nf3Nc67.0-0Be78.d30-09.a3Be610.Be3Nd5A29: English Opening: Four Knights Variation with 4 g311.Nxd5Bxd512.Qa4a6The position is equal.13.Rac1Re814.Rfe1
14...h6NPredecessor:14...Bf815.Ng5h616.Bxd5Qxd517.Qe4Qxe418.Nxe4Rac819.Bc5f520.Nd2Bxc521.Rxc51-0 (48) Tomashevsky,E (2738)-Kramnik,V (2801) Moscow 201215.Nd2Bxg216.Kxg2Qd5+17.Qe4Rad818.Rc2f518...Qe6keeps more tension.19.Rec1Rd520.Qc4Red821.Qb3Qc819.Qxd5+Rxd520.Rec1Bd621.Nc4Kf722.f3h523.Bf2g624.Rc3Be725.e4Rd726.Kf1Bg527.R1c2Red828.Ke2fxe429.fxe4Ke630.b4?
30.h4=and White is okay.Bh631.Rb330...Rf7?30...Nd4+!-+31.Bxd4exd431.Nb2Rdf832.Nd1
32...Rxf2+!33.Nxf2Nd4+ Double Attack34.Ke1Nxc2+35.Rxc2 Endgame KRB-KRNc636.Nd1Ra837.Nc3b538.Ne2Kd639.d4Re840.dxe5+40.d5=cxd541.Nc340...Rxe541.Nc3c5Black should try41...Re642.Ke2Ke542.Ke2c443.a4bxa444.h4White should play44.Nxa4Rxe4+45.Kf344...Bh645.Ra245.Nxa4was worth a try.Rxe4+46.Kf345...a5-+46.Rxa4axb447.Rxb4Kc548.Rb7Kd449.Nb5+49.Nd1might work better.49...Kxe450.Rb8Kd5+51.Kf2Kc551...Be3+-+is more deadly.52.Kf3Bd253.Rd8+Kc552.Na3c3Threatens to win with ...Rd5.53.Rc8+
53...Kb4!54.Nc2+Kb355.Nd4+Kb2And now ...Be3+ would win.56.Rb8+Kc1Hoping for ...Be3+.57.Ne2+Kc2Strongly threatening ...Be3+.58.Rc8Bd259.Rc6g560.hxg5Rxg561.Kf3Kb261...Re5...Re3+ is the strong threat.62.Rc7Re3+63.Kf2Re864.Nxc3Rf8+65.Kg2Bxc362.Rb6+=Ka3Black wants to play ...Rc5.62...Ka2seems wilder.63.Ke4c264.Rc6Kb265.Rb6+Ka363.Nd463.Ke4=remains equal.63...Re564.Nc2+Ka465.Rb4+Ka566.Rh4Rf5+67.Ke4Rg568.Kf3Kb569.g4hxg4+70.Rxg4Rh570...Rxg471.Kxg4Bh671.Ke2Rh2+72.Kd3Rh3+73.Ke273.Kd4=73...Kc574.Nb4Kd674...Be375.Kd1=Rh276.Rc4Ke577.Kc2Rg278.Rxc378.Kb3is interesting.Rg879.Rc5+Kd680.Rc6+Kd781.Rc478...Bxc3+79.Kxc3Ke480.Nc2Rg3+Black has an edge.81.Kc4Rg882.Nb4Rc8+83.Kb5Accuracy: White = 49%, Black = 55%.½–½
Antonio PereiraAntonio is a freelance writer and a philologist. He is mainly interested in the links between chess and culture, primarily literature. In chess games, he skews towards endgames and positional play.
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