Grenke Classic: A first win for Keymer

by Antonio Pereira
4/25/2019 – Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen drew games of very different nature to maintain the lead at the 2019 GRENKE Chess Classic; Peter Svidler could not make the most of an opening edge against Paco Vallejo; while Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Levon Aronian repeated the position three times in the early middlegame. In the meantime, after having lost four games in a row, Vincent Keymer got his first super-tournament victory, a welcomed reward for his uncompromising play so far in Karlsruhe. | Photo: Georgios Souleidis

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Three queens on the board

With so many chess prodigies coming up in the chess world, we sometimes forget how difficult it must be for the youngsters to sit in front of experienced, toughened up opponents on a big stage. Vincent Keymer, for example, certainly showed — by getting enviable positions — that he arrived in Karlsruhe well-prepared and ready to battle against the best players in the world...but he lost his first four encounters all the same.

Luckily for him, he managed to turn the tables in the last round prior to the rest day, as four more grandmasters — hungry for victories — await to face him in Baden-Baden starting Friday. Being out-rated by more than a hundred points by every single player in the event, getting a couple of points in the second half will be a good result for the 14-year-old.  

Georg Meier, Vincent Keymer

The local players crossed swords on Wednesday | Photo: Georgios Souleidis

Vincent had the white pieces against his compatriot Georg Meier, who apparently saw this as his big chance to bounce back after losing two in a row — against Svidler and Vachier-Lagrave. Meier showed his intentions by pushing his kingside pawns early in the game:

 
Keymer vs. Meier
Position after 12.Nc3

Georg followed 12...h6 13.d1 g5, an ambitious manoeuvre reproved by the computers — had he won the game, however, we would be calling this a "well-timed risky strategy". After this sequence of moves, Keymer grabbed the initiative with a precise handling of the position, pushing his opponent to limit himself to defensive tasks. On move 25, however, the youngster could have increased the pressure more poignantly:

 
Position after 24...Qb7

White gained a pawn with 25.f5+ b8 (25...♚d8 would lead to a quick defeat after 26.♗xb6!) 26.d7 c5 27.xd5 and the queens were exchanged: 27...xd5 28.xd5. However, Meier confessed after the game that he was afraid of 25.b4, with the idea of b6-Rc6, getting a strong bind on the queenside.  

Georg Meier

Georg Meier got hopeful nearing the time control | Photo: Georgios Souleidis

Keymer kept pushing while up material, but Meier seemed to be well on his way to save the half point thanks to his meticulous defensive technique...until disaster struck:

 
Position after 42.f5

Georg blundered with 42...h4?, allowing 43.c3, when Black s forced to exchange bishops and go into a losing difficult pawn endgame [as GM Daniel King shows below, the endgame was technically still holdable -Ed.]: 43...xc3 44.xc3 xf5. The correct way to go was the simpler 42...♚xf5, when Black can defend his pawns on the dark squares from c8.

The task of winning that pawn endgame — which always meant calculating different scenarios with queens on the board — was not so simple though. Just to give an example, Keymer could have fallen for a stalemate trick on move 60:

 
Position after 59...c4

Vincent correctly pushed his pawn with 60.b4, instead of playing 60.bxc4?, when Black can force a draw with 60...g1♛+ 61.♕xg1 stalemate. The young German kept playing carefully, and by move 75 he had two queens on the board:

 
Position after 75.b8Q

Meier kept looking for some kind of perpetual until move 81, but by then it was clear Keymer was going to get his first win in a super-tournament.


Post-game interview with Vincent Keymer

Endgame analysis by GM Daniel King

GM Daniel King took a closer look at this endgame on his PowerPlay channel


Fighting draws

Magnus Carlsen's games averaged exactly 72 moves until round four, and he only lost the "privilege" of being the last one on stage on Tuesday, when Vachier-Lagrave and Meier were left alone playing until move 94. In round five, however, Magnus went back to playing the longest game of the day — a 60-move draw with the white pieces against Arkadij Naiditsch.

Magnus Carlsen

Magnus has been working hard this week | Photo: Georgios Souleidis

In his second game with White in Karlsruhe, the world champion once again opened with 1.c4, and Naiditsch showed he was well-prepared to face the English, as he got a decent advantage on the clock.  By move 24, the d-pawns alternated in the centre of the board, creating a peculiar setup:

 
Carlsen vs. Naiditsch
Position after 24.hxg4

A dynamically balanced struggle ensued and, when the queens had left the board, Black was a pawn up, but it was not clear who was playing for a win — in fact, the commentators had a split of opinion regarding whether it was better to have the material or the initiative:

 
Position after 36.Kxf3

In the final phase of the game, Magnus was the one pushing after capturing one of Black's pawns. However, Naiditsch handled the pressure with competence and managed to secure the half point.

Arkadij Naiditsch

It is never easy against the world champion | Photo: Georgios Souleidis

When Francisco Vallejo Pons is participating in an event, fighting games are guaranteed to take place, and his round five encounter against Peter Svidler was no exception. The players started taking their time as early as move 9, after Black had decided to fianchetto his dark-squared bishop and advance his kingside pawns out of an Italian setup. Shortly afterwards, a battle in the centre unfolded:

 
Svidler vs. Vallejo
Position after 10...Be6

Svidler thought for nine minutes before pushing 11.d4, and after 11...exd4 the Russian chose the dynamic 12.f5, creating a sharp struggle in the early middlegame. Both players needed to calculate long sharp lines in order to avoid putting a foot wrong. But this is precisely what both fighters are known for. 

White had only a nominal advantage throughout, and the game finished with Svidler two pawns up — nevertheless, due to the presence of opposite-coloured bishops, it was clear that none of the contenders would leave the stage with a full point.

 
Position after 41...Bc5

Francisco Vallejo Pons

Vallejo's fighting spirit is always welcomed | Photo: Georgios Souleidis

Perhaps the most anticipated match-up of round five was Vishy Anand v Fabiano Caruana, with the former world champion in the lead and the American in position to surpass him. However, the Berlin Defence put forth by Caruana — notice that he did not play the Petroff — indicated a high likelihood of a draw. By move 21, most pieces had been traded, but the players continued until move 40, when the peace treaty was finally signed.

Levon Aronian

Aronian drew Vachier-Lagrave with Black in 25 moves | Photo: Georgios Souleidis


Round-up show

GM Yannick Pelletier analysed the action from Round 5


Standings after Round 5

Rk.NameRtg.Nt.Pts.n
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
TBPerf.
1
2845
3.5
5
2.00
2848
2
2774
3.5
5
1.00
2878
3
2819
3.0
5
1.00
2801
4
2773
3.0
5
1.00
2808
5
2735
3.0
5
1.00
2792
6
2763
3.0
5
0.00
2777
7
2695
2.5
5
0.00
2726
8
2693
1.5
5
0.00
2600
9
2628
1.0
5
0.00
2456
10
2516
1.0
5
0.00
2512
TBs: Wins with black, Games with black, Koya

All games

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 g6 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 Bg7 6.Nf3 0-0 7.Be2 e5 8.0-0 Ne8 9.Ne1 f5 10.exf5 gxf5 11.f4 E92: King's Indian: Classical: 6 Be2 e5: 7 dxe5, 7 Be3 and Petrosian System without 7...Nbd7 Nd7 11...e4 12.Nc2 Na6 13.Be3 Nac7 14.Rf2 a6 15.a4 Bd7 16.g4 Bxc3 17.bxc3 fxg4 18.Bxg4 Nf6 19.Bxd7 Qxd7 ½-½ (43) Cruz,F (2344)-Rojas Keim,L (2330) Sant Aria de Besos 2017 12.Nd3 e4 13.Nf2 White is slightly better. 13.Ne1 feels hotter. Nc7 14.Nc2 Qe7 15.a4 Nf6 16.Bd2 13...Bxc3 14.bxc3 Ndf6 15.Be3 Ng7N Predecessor: 15...Qe7 16.h3 Ng7 ½-½ (48) Edwards,R (2013)-Turner,D (1832) High Wycombe 2011 16.Qe1 Bd7 17.Nd1 Ba4 18.h3 Bxd1 19.Qxd1 Qe8 20.Kf2 Qg6 21.Rg1 White should play 21.g4± 21...Kh8 22.a4 Rg8 23.Qf1 Nfh5 23...h5!= 24.g3 Raf8 25.Qg2 25.Rg2! 25...Qf6!= 26.Rac1 Qd8 26...Nxg3= 27.Qxg3 Nh5 28.Bxh5 Rxg3 29.Rxg3 Qh4 27.Qh2 Nf6 28.g4 Nd7 29.g5 Qa5 30.g6 30.Qh1± 30...h6 30...Nf6= keeps the balance. 31.Rb1 Rb8 32.Qg3 Qh4! is the strong threat. Qd8! 33.Ke1 33.Ra1 33...Ne8 34.Kd2 34.h4= 34...Nf8! 35.Bf2 Qe7 36.Ke3 36.h4 36...Qf6 Don't do 36...Nxg6 37.Bh5 36...Rxg6-+ 37.Qh4 Qg7 37.Kd2 Nxg6 38.h4 Ne7 39.Qh3 Rxg1 40.Rxg1 Qf7 41.h5 Nf6 42.Bh4 b6 43.Rb1 Qf8 44.Rg1 Qf7 45.Rb1! Qg7 46.Rg1 Qf8! 47.Kc2 Nfg8 48.Kd2 Qf7 49.Kc2 Rf8 50.Kd2 Qe8 51.Ra1 Rf7 52.a5 bxa5 53.Rxa5 Nc8 54.Ra1 Qf8 55.Rb1 Nb6 56.Rg1 Rg7 Better is 56...a5 And now ...a4 would win. 57.Rb1 Rb7 57.Rxg7!= Kxg7 58.Qg3+ Kh8 59.Qg6 a5       60.Bf1 a4 61.Kc2 a3       Black has some pressure. 62.Kb3
62...Na4!       63.Bh3 63.Kxa4 a2 63...Qg7 64.Qxg7+ Kxg7 65.Bxf5       Endgame KBB-KNN Nf6 66.Kxa3 Nxc3 67.Bf2? 67.Kb3= Ne2 68.Bxf6+ Kxf6 69.Bxe4 67...Ne2 68.Ka4? 68.Kb2 was the crucial defense. 68...Nxh5-+ 69.Ka5 Nf6 70.Kb6 Kf7 71.Kc7 Ke7 72.Be3 Nd4 73.Bg6 intending f5. h5 74.Bf2 Nf3 75.Bf5 75.Kb6 Ng4 76.Bxe4 Nxf2 77.Bxf3 75...Nd2 76.Bh4 e3 77.Bd3
77...Nf3! 78.Bxf6+ Kxf6 79.Kxd6 h4 Black mates. 80.Kc7
80...Nd4! 81.Kc8 e2 Accuracy: White = 48%, Black = 61%.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Keymer,V2516Carlsen,M28450–12019A566th GRENKE Chess Classic 20191.1
Svidler,P2735Caruana,F2819½–½2019B346th GRENKE Chess Classic 20191.2
Vachier-Lagrave,M2773Anand,V2774½–½2019B126th GRENKE Chess Classic 20191.3
Aronian,L2763Naiditsch,A2695½–½2019B906th GRENKE Chess Classic 20191.4
Meier,G2628Vallejo Pons,F2693½–½2019A066th GRENKE Chess Classic 20191.5
Vallejo Pons,F2693Carlsen,M28450–12019C786th GRENKE Chess Classic 20192.1
Anand,V2774Keymer,V25161–02019B906th GRENKE Chess Classic 20192.2
Caruana,F2819Vachier-Lagrave,M2773½–½2019B236th GRENKE Chess Classic 20192.3
Naiditsch,A2695Svidler,P27350–12019C686th GRENKE Chess Classic 20192.4
Meier,G2628Aronian,L2763½–½2019B526th GRENKE Chess Classic 20192.5
Carlsen,M2845Anand,V2774½–½2019A226th GRENKE Chess Classic 20193.1
Svidler,P2735Meier,G26281–02019C116th GRENKE Chess Classic 20193.2
Keymer,V2516Caruana,F28190–12019E166th GRENKE Chess Classic 20193.3
Vachier-Lagrave,M2773Naiditsch,A2695½–½2019C676th GRENKE Chess Classic 20193.4
Aronian,L2763Vallejo Pons,F2693½–½2019C116th GRENKE Chess Classic 20193.5
Caruana,F2819Carlsen,M2845½–½2019B346th GRENKE Chess Classic 20194.1
Naiditsch,A2695Keymer,V25161–02019B236th GRENKE Chess Classic 20194.2
Aronian,L2763Svidler,P27351–02019C886th GRENKE Chess Classic 20194.3
Vallejo Pons,F2693Anand,V27740–12019B116th GRENKE Chess Classic 20194.4
Meier,G2628Vachier-Lagrave,M27730–12019D906th GRENKE Chess Classic 20194.5
Carlsen,M2845Naiditsch,A2695½–½2019A296th GRENKE Chess Classic 20195.1
Anand,V2774Caruana,F2819½–½2019C676th GRENKE Chess Classic 20195.2
Vachier-Lagrave,M2773Aronian,L2763½–½2019C886th GRENKE Chess Classic 20195.3
Svidler,P2735Vallejo Pons,F2693½–½2019C556th GRENKE Chess Classic 20195.4
Keymer,V2516Meier,G26281–02019D376th GRENKE Chess Classic 20195.5
Vallejo Pons,F2693Caruana,F2819½–½2019C486th GRENKE Chess Classic 20196.1
Naiditsch,A2695Anand,V27741–02019C486th GRENKE Chess Classic 20196.2
Meier,G2628Carlsen,M28450–12019A056th GRENKE Chess Classic 20196.3
Aronian,L2763Keymer,V2516½–½2019B236th GRENKE Chess Classic 20196.4
Svidler,P2735Vachier-Lagrave,M2773½–½2019A346th GRENKE Chess Classic 20196.5
Vachier-Lagrave,M2775Vallejo Pons,F26981–020196th GRENKE Chess Classic 20197.1
Keymer,V2516Svidler,P2735½–½2019E156th GRENKE Chess Classic 20197.2
Carlsen,M2845Aronian,L27631–02019D376th GRENKE Chess Classic 20197.3
Anand,V2774Meier,G26280–12019C106th GRENKE Chess Classic 20197.4
Caruana,F2819Naiditsch,A26951–02019E016th GRENKE Chess Classic 20197.5
Vallejo Pons,F2693Naiditsch,A2695½–½2019D306th GRENKE Chess Classic 20198.1
Meier,G2628Caruana,F28190–12019B316th GRENKE Chess Classic 20198.2
Svidler,P2735Carlsen,M28450–12019B306th GRENKE Chess Classic 20198.3
Vachier-Lagrave,M2773Keymer,V25161–02019B226th GRENKE Chess Classic 20198.4
Aronian,L2763Anand,V2774½–½2019C656th GRENKE Chess Classic 20198.5
Naiditsch,A2695Meier,G26281–02019A106th GRENKE Chess Classic 20199.1
Caruana,F2819Aronian,L2763½–½2019C896th GRENKE Chess Classic 20199.2
Carlsen,M2845Vachier-Lagrave,M27731–02019A376th GRENKE Chess Classic 20199.3
Keymer,V2516Vallejo Pons,F26930–12019A616th GRENKE Chess Classic 20199.4
Anand,V2774Svidler,P2735½–½2019C846th GRENKE Chess Classic 20199.5

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Antonio 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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