Goldmoney Asian Rapid: Five leaders after five rounds

by Klaus Besenthal
6/27/2021 – The first five rounds of the Goldmoney Asian Rapid tournament were played on Saturday. Five players are currently sharing the lead on 3½/5 points: Vladislav Artemiev [pictured], Daniil Dubov, Levon Aronian, Ding Liren and Mangus Carlsen. The 16 participants are fighting to finish the preliminaries in the top half of the standings table, as 8 of them will move on to the knockout stage of the online event. | Photo: Vladimir Barsky
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Preliminaries - Day 1

For Magnus Carlsen the tournament began with a defeat: from a winning position, the world champion did not act energetically enough in a super-sharp endgame against Alireza Firouzja, fell behind and eventually lost. Unlike his opponent, Firouzja acted firmly once he had recognized he had a real chance to win.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 d6 5.f4 Nc6 6.Nf3 a6 7.Bb3 h6 8.Qe2 Bg4 9.fxe5 dxe5 10.Be3 Nd4 11.Qf2 Bxf3 12.gxf3 Nh5 13.0-0-0 Nf4 14.Kb1 Nxb3 15.Bxc5 Nxc5 16.Qxc5 Qd6 17.Qxd6 cxd6 18.d4 0-0-0 19.Rd2 Ne6
20.Ne2?! Up to this point Firouzja had done quite well against the World Champion out of a Vienna. Possibly the black initiative that arises from this point on must be blamed on this move. 20.dxe5 dxe5 21.Nd5 was an option. 20...Rhf8 21.d5 Ng5 22.Rd3 Nh3 23.Rc1 f5 24.c4 fxe4 25.fxe4 Rf2
Black is obviously in control. 26.Nc3? After this move Black gets a tangible advantage. After 26.Rxh3 Rxe2 27.c5 Rxe4 28.c6 White would remain in the game: although he has lost a pawn, he can use his rooks against the black king to get compensation. 26...Rxh2 27.c5 Nf4 28.Rdd1 Kb8 29.c6 Rc8 30.Na4 Re2 31.Nb6 Rc7 32.Nd7+ Ka7 33.Rc4 h5 34.Rg1
White has failed with his approach - for the time being! 34...g6?! A superfluous defensive move, which simply wastes a tempo. The clearest way for Black to win was: 34...h4 35.Rxg7 The same move as in the game 35.a4 could now be responded by a5 and the manoeuvre Rg1-g3-b3-b5 cannot be played here. 35...h3 36.Rh7 h2 37.Rc2 Rxc2 38.Kxc2 bxc6 39.dxc6 Rxc6+ 40.Kd2 Rc7 41.Ke3 h1Q 42.Rxh1 Rxd7 35.a4! White has a majority as well. h4?! To enter this race is probably not the best idea. 35...a5 36.Rg3! h4 37.Rb3 h3 38.Rb5 b6 39.Rxb6 h2 40.Rc1 Rxe4 41.Rb5 Ka6 42.Rb6+ Ka7 43.Rb5 results in a draw. 35...Nd3! was probably even likely to preserve some advantage for Black. 36.b4! b6 36...h3? 37.b5 b6 38.a5! does not work at all. 37.b5 a5 38.Nxe5! Black is worse. He doesn't really threaten anything himself anymore, but has to worry about one of the white rooks making it to the eighth rank or about the white pawn majority mocing forward dangerously. h3 39.Rh1 Nxd5 40.Nxg6 Ne3 41.Rc3 Ng4 42.Nf4 Rxe4 43.Nd5 Nf2 44.Nxc7 Nxh1 45.Rxh3 The threat is Rh8 and mate on a8. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Firouzja,A2759Carlsen,M28471–02021C30Goldmoney Asian Rapid Prelims 20211.6

After the second round Carlsen and Firouzja were already on a par again, at least in the standings: Carlsen won against Hou Yifan, while Firouzja lost to Giri.

For Peter Svidler the first defeat came in round 3: after the eight-time Russian Champion had drawn against Wesley So and Levon Aronian, he lost to Saleh Salem, the grandmaster from the United Arab Emirates, in an interesting double rook endgame. Our endgame expert Karsten Müller shows the relevant details.

 
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1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 4.Nf3 d4 5.0-0 c5 6.e3 Nc6 7.exd4 cxd4 8.d3 Bd6 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Nbd2 Qe7 12.a3 a5 13.Re1 0-0 14.Ne4 Bc7 15.c5 Rd8 16.Rc1 Bd7 17.Nfd2 Ne5 18.Nc4 Nxc4 19.Rxc4 Bb5 20.Rc1 a4 21.Re2 Rab8 22.b4 axb3 23.Qxb3 Bc6 24.Nd2 Ba5 25.Bxc6 bxc6 26.Qa4 Bxd2 27.Rxd2 Rb5 28.Qc4 Rd5 29.Rdc2 Qa7 30.a4 Ra5 31.Qb4 Rxa4 32.Qb6 Ra6 33.Qxa7 Rxa7 34.Kf1 Ra5 35.Ke2 Re5+ 36.Kd2 g5 37.h3 Kg7 38.Rc4 Rd5 39.R1c2 Kf6 40.Rb4 Double rook endings are not so drawish Especially if the defender has weak pawns and the attacker can activate and coordinate his forces: Ra1! This rook invasion wins. Of course not 40...Raxc5? 41.Rxc5 Rxc5 42.Rxd4 and White can defend. Single rook endings also have a very large drawish tendency. In double rook endings this is reduced. 41.Ke2 The active approach 41.Rb6 Re5 42.Rxc6?! runs into Rae1 43.Rc4 R5e2# 41...h5 42.Rb6 g4 43.hxg4 hxg4 44.f3?! This loses immediately, but there is no salvation anyway, e.g. 44.Rb4 Re5+ 45.Kd2 Rf1 46.Rxd4 Rxf2+ 47.Kd1 Rxc2 48.Kxc2 Rxc5+ 49.Kd2 Kg5-+ 44...Rh5 The rook enters the attack with decisive effect and so White resigned. 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Svidler,P2714Salem,A26820–12021A13Goldmoney Asian Rapid Prelims 20213.8

In the fourth round Svidler also lost to Carlsen, but after that, when the first day of the tournament was about to finish, it became clear that the Russian grandmaster is still capable to beat the absolute top players.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 d6 6.c3 0-0 7.Re1 a5 8.b3
In this popular variation, Svidler surprises his opponent with a move he has never played before. 8...Bb6 9.h3 Ne7 10.d4 Ng6 11.Nbd2 c6 12.Bf1 Bc7 13.Bb2 Finally the bishop takes this square. At first it is behind two pawns, but obviously White can change this at short notice. Re8 14.Qc2
14...d5 This move does not seem to be the best, however natural it may look. The complete opening of the centre should rather favour White, who is better developed. Possible was 14...Nh5 15.exd5 Nxd5 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.c4 Nb4 18.Qc3 f6 19.a3 Na6 20.Qc2
However, the white advantage at this point was only about enough to force Black to be accurate - nothing more. 20...g6?! This weakening of the own position was not at all necessary. After 20...Nc5 21.b4 Black would then have nothing to fear: axb4 22.axb4 Rxa1 23.Rxa1 Ncd3= 21.Nxe5 Bxe5 22.Bxe5 fxe5 23.Qc3
White has a comfortable advantage. 23...Bf5 24.g4 Bd7 25.Ne4 Qe7 26.g5 Kh8 27.Nf6 Now Black obviously can no longer hold his position together. Nc5 28.f4! The shortest path to victory. Ne6 29.Rxe5 Qg7 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Svidler,P2714Giri,A27801–02021C54Goldmoney Asian Rapid Prelims 20215.7

In the final standings of this first day, however, Svidler found himself in the bottom half of the table. But things can still change on Sunday and Monday, when five more rounds per day are to be played in the online event.

Endgame analyses by Karsten Müller

Our in-house expert looked into two other interesting endings. Müller refers to the ‘fourth phase of the game’ in Vidit vs. Giri from round 1, and explores how a knight can be useful even when placed ‘on the rim’ in Hou vs. Dubov.

 
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1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.b3 0-0 8.Be2 e5 9.cxd5 e4 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Qxe4 Nf6 12.Qc2 cxd5 13.0-0 Ne4 14.Nd2 Bf5 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.Qd1 Rc8 17.Bf3 Qc7 18.g3 Qc2 19.Qxc2 Rxc2 20.Bd1 Rc6 21.a3 Rfc8 22.Bd2 f5 23.Re1 a6 24.f3 Bd3 25.Kf2 g6 26.Ra2 Kg7 27.Ba5 Rc1 28.Rd2 Bb1 29.Bb4 Bxb4 30.axb4 R1c3 31.Ke2 Re8 32.Kf2 Bd3 33.Ra2 Rec8 34.Ra5 Bb5 35.Be2 Rc2 36.Kf1 Rb2 37.Bxb5 axb5 38.Re2 Rc1+ 39.Kf2 Rcc2 40.Rxc2 Rxc2+ 41.Kg1 Rc1+ 42.Kg2 Rc2+ 43.Kf1 Rc1+ 44.Ke2 Rc2+ 45.Kd3 Rb2 46.Rxb5 Rxb3+ 47.Kd2 Rb2+ 48.Kc3 Rxh2 49.Rxb7+ Kf6 50.b5 Re2 51.b6 Rxe3+ 52.Kb4 Rxf3 53.Rxh7 Rf1 54.b7 Rb1+ 55.Kc5 Kg5 56.Kxd5 Kg4 57.Ke5 Kxg3 58.d5 f4 59.d6 f3 60.Rg7 Kh3 61.d7 f2 62.d8Q Re1+ The fourth phase of the game After the opening, middlegame and endgame comes the 4th phase of the game after both sides have queened. Here the side with the safer king usually wins: 63.Kd4? The king turns into the wrong direction. 63.Kf6 wins as the king will always find a safe shelter in the north east corner, e.g. f1Q+ 64.Kxg6 Re6+ 64...Qg2+ 65.Kh7 Qc2+ 66.Kh8+- 65.Kh7 Qf5+ 66.Kg8 Rg6 67.Qc8+- 63...Rd1+ 64.Ke3 f1N+ 64...Rxd8 draws as well. Not, however 64...f1Q?? 65.Qh8+ Kg4 66.Rxg6+ Kf5 67.Qf6# 65.Kf2 Rxd8 66.Kxf1 Rb8 67.Ke2 g5 68.Kf3 68.Kf2!? is met by Rf8+= Of course not 68...g4?? 69.Rh7# 68...g4+ 69.Kf4 69.Rxg4 Rxb7= 69...Rf8+ 70.Ke5 g3 71.Kd6 Rb8 72.Kc7 Rxb7+ 73.Kxb7 g2 74.Kc6 Kh2 75.Rxg2+ Kxg2 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Vidit,S2726Giri,A2780½–½2021Goldmoney Asian Rapid Prelims 20211.5
Hou,Y2658Dubov,D27140–12021Goldmoney Asian Rapid Prelims 20215.5

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Standings after round 5

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Klaus Besenthal is computer scientist, has followed and still follows the chess scene avidly since 1972 and since then has also regularly played in tournaments.

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