Grivas: Masterpiece by Magnus

As you probably know, in the game below you can click on the notation to get a separate replay board on which you can follow the moves. There you can click on the fan button to start an engine, which will allow you to work out any lines our illustrious analyst has not explained.

Carlsen, Magnus2835

1–0

Duda, Jan-Krzysztof2732

GM

SuperUnited Rapid Zagreb07.07.2023[Efstratios Grivas]

GM

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2 c5 6.0-0 Nc6 7.Qa4 Bd7 8.Qxc4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Rc8 10.Nc3 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qh4 Bc6 13.Bxc6+ Rxc6 14.Rd1 Qa5 15.Bg5 Be7 (D)

This is a well-known position of the popular ‘Catalan’ opening. Many games have been played from now on, but still the black side oftens misplays his chances… 16.Rac1 An interesting side line. The well-known 16.Ne4 , simplifies after Qf5 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.Nxf6+ Qxf6 19.Qxf6 19.Qb4!? Qe7 20.Qd4 0-0 21.Rac1 Rxc1 22.Rxc1 b6 23.Qe5 Khotenashvili,B-Wagner,D Petrovac 2023 19...gxf6 20.Rac1 20.Rdc1 Rxc1+ 21.Rxc1 Kd7 22.e4 20...Rxc1 20...Ke7?! 21.Rxc6 bxc6 22.Rd4± Lein,A-Littlewood,P Hastings 1981 21.Rxc1 Kd7 22.e4 . 16...h6? (D)

Black seemed to lose the threat of the position. A must was 16...0-0 17.Ne4 Rxc1 18.Rxc1 Qe5 19.Nxf6+ Bxf6 20.Bxf6 gxf6 20...Qxf6? 21.Qxf6 gxf6 22.Rc7 Rb8 23.b4± 21.Qg4+ Kh8 22.b4 . 17.Ne4! The lost tempo of 16...h6?, allows now White to enter a much better version of the previous lines - Black is in trouble... Rxc1?! The text makes White's life simpler. Good or bad, Black had to opt for 17...Qe5 18.Rxc6 bxc6 19.Nxf6+ Bxf6 20.Bxf6 gxf6 20...Qxf6?! 21.Qxf6 gxf6 22.Rd6+- 21.Rd2± and pray... 18.Rxc1 Nxe4 Forced, due to the threats Rc8+ and Nxf6+, winning material. 19.Bxe7 And of course, not the naive 19.Rc8+? Kd7 20.Rxh8 Qe1+ 21.Kg2 Qxf2+ 22.Kh3 Qf1+ 23.Kg4 Qf5+ 24.Kh5 Nf6# . 19...Qd2 (D)

Unfortunately for Black, White has a secret ace here… This was probably what Black had thought to be his saving move… Alternatives were not really helpful: 19...Qf5 20.f3 g5 21.Bxg5! Nxg5 22.Qb4! 22.Rc8+? Kd7 23.Rxh8 Nxf3+! 24.exf3 Qb1+ 25.Kg2 Qxb2+ 26.Kh3 Qxh8= 22...Nxf3+ 23.exf3 Qxf3 24.Rc8+ Kd7 25.Rxh8 Qe3+ 26.Kf1 Qf3+ 27.Ke1+- , or 19...f5 20.Ba3! 20.Rc8+? Kf7 21.b4 21.Rxh8? Qe1+ 22.Kg2 Qxf2+ 23.Kh1 Qf1# 21...Qxa2 22.Rxh8 Qxe2 23.Qf4 Nd2 24.h4 Nf3+= 20...Kf7 21.Qe7+ Kg6 22.Qxe6+ Nf6 23.Rc5 Qe1+ 24.Kg2 Qb1 25.Rc7+- . 20.Bg5! Actually, this is the only move for White! Now, we have a kind of ‘Novotny Theme’! Quite bad would be 20.Rc8+? Kd7 21.Qxe4 21.Rxh8 Qe1+ 22.Kg2 Qxf2+ 23.Kh3 Qf1+ 24.Kg4 Qf5# 21...Rxc8 22.Qxb7+ Rc7 23.Qb4 Qxb4 24.Bxb4 Rc2-+ . 20...Nxg5 Technically a novelty(!) to 20...Qxe2 21.Be3 f5 22.Rc8+ Kf7 23.Rxh8 Nxf2 24.Bxf2 Qd1+ 25.Kg2 Qd5+ 26.Kh3 Qd3 27.Qh5+ Kf6 28.Bd4+ 1-0 Blau,M-Saemisch,F Travemuende 1950. 20...Qxg5 21.Qxg5 hxg5 22.Rc8+ Ke7 23.Rxh8+- , or 20...hxg5 21.Qxh8+ Ke7 22.Qc8+- , couldn't help much either. 21.Rc8+ Ke7 22.Rxh8 Qxe2 (D)

The smoke has been cleared and White has just to bring the bacon home, as his material advantage will soon tell. But the position is much more difficult to handle than it looks at first sight. M.Carlsen is obliged to find a series of quite accurate moves... 23.Qb4+! Kf6 24.Qf4+! Accurate! 24.Qxb7? , even loses to Ne4! 25.Qxa7 Nd2! 26.Qd4+ Kg6-+ . 24...Kg6 (D)

25.Kg2! Prevents ...Nh3+, securing the king from checks as well. e5 (D)

25...f5 26.h4 Ne4 27.Re8 Kf7 28.Rb8 Qxb2 , should have been tried, although after 29.g4! Qxa2 30.gxf5 exf5 31.Qxf5+ Nf6 32.Rxb7+ Kg8 33.Rc7+- , White will eventually win. 26.Qe3! But not 26.Re8? exf4 27.Rxe2 f3+ 28.Kf1 fxe2+-+ . 26...Qxb2 (D)

27.h4! Again accurate. After 27.Qxa7? Qb5!= , Black would have enough counterplay to save the game. 27...Ne6 28.Qe4+ Again, weaker is 28.Qxa7? Qb5± , or 28.h5+? Kxh5 29.Re8 29.Qxa7 Qb5= 29.Qf3+ Kg6= 29...Kg6= . 28...Kf6 28...f5 , could have been tried, although it wouldn't save Black: 29.Qd5 Qb6 30.Rb8! 30.Qxe5 Qc6+ 31.Kh2 Qe4 32.Qxe4 fxe4 33.Rb8+- 30...Qc6 31.Qxc6 bxc6 32.Ra8+- . 29.Re8 Strongly threatening Qf3+. Qb5 30.Rb8 Nc5 (D)

31.Qd5! a6 31...Qc6 32.Qxc6+ bxc6 33.Rc8+- , is a lost case. 32.Rf8! And Black resigned… He got outplayed after the opening, as he probably forgot his homework or mixed-up something... 1–0

Eftratios Grivas

He has played in eight Olympiads, where in 1998 he won Silver. He won Gold at the European Team Championship 1989, five Balkan Medals (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) and was three times winner of the International ‘Acropolis’ Tournament. He has taken first position in Greek Individual & Team Championships no less than 28 times, and he has won various international tournaments as well. He was also been awarded six FIDE Medals: the Boleslavsky Medal 2009 and 2015 (best author), the FIDE Euwe Medal 2011, 2012 and 2017 (best junior trainer), the FIDE Razuvaev Medal 2014 (Trainers’ education) and has been a professional Lecturer at FIDE Seminars for Training & Certifying Trainers.

Eftratios Grivas has published a large number of books & DVDs in Arabic, English, Greek, Italian, Spanish & Turkish languages. Since 2009 he is the Secretary of the FIDE Trainers’ Commission and since 2012 the Director of the FIDE Grivas Chess International Academy (Athens).

He is a director of the largest chess club in the world, the Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club in Dubai. It was founded in 1979 with the object of spreading and development of chess as mental and cultural sport across the Sharjah Emirate and in the United Arab Emirates territory in general.

The Sharjah Cultural & Chess Club covers an area of 34,000 cubic feet, including the main hall which can accommodate up to 500 players. Besides two huge playing areas there are many class rooms, library, VIP room, regional FIDE office etc. One can find here all possible modern equipment and devises invented in the chess world.

Relaxing in the pool and analysing the game blindfold, in his Dubai apartment tower...

• Video interview with Efstratios Grivas 

Also watch Sagar Shah discuss the game and explain the critical sacrifice: