London Chess Classic, Rd. 4: Nakamura turns up the heat

by André Schulz
12/12/2016 – In round four of the London Chess Classic Hikaru Nakamura scored his second win in a row. He won a wild and inspired game with Black against Veselin Topalov. Wesley So was close to a win against Anish Giri but the dutch player defended stubbornly and saved the draw - Georg Meier shares his impressions about this encounter. The other three games also ended in a draw, but they were also entertaining. See our report.

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London Chess Classic 2016, Rd. 4

Round 4, Anish Giri - Wesley So / Notes by Georg Meier

 
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Notes by Georg Meier - 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 Last year in Berlin at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships both Carlsen and Kramnik begun to employ the London system (they had trained together before that event). Their successes inspired many followers since then. Under Magnus´ reign there has been a strong tendency to look for structures as White where preparation matters less than strategic ideas and general understanding. Then the trick becomes choosing the type of position that your opponent would be most uncomfortable with, rather than trying to prove an advantage right from the start. c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.Nbd2 e6 After 5...Qb6?! 6.dxc5 Qxb2 7.Rb1 Qc3 an engine will tell you that Black is doing alright, but 8.Bb5 e6 9.0-0 Be7 10.Nd4 Bd7 11.N2b3 Bxc5 11...0-0 12.Bd3 e5 13.Nb5 Qb4 14.a3 Qa4 15.Bg5 puts pressure; the queen is misplaced. 12.Nxc5 Qxc5 13.Bd3! Nxd4 14.exd4 Qxd4 15.Bd6 is certainly no pleasure to handle as Black, who´s king will not find safety. 6.c3 cxd4!? 6...Bd6 A lot of top players have chosen this line against the London system already, so Anish must have spent most of his preparation coming up with an idea here. And of course he had one more reason to expect his opponent to go down this road, since Wesley had just won a beautiful game at the Olympiad: 7.Bg3 0-0 8.Bd3 b6 9.Qe2 Bb7 10.Rd1 Re8 11.e4 Be7 12.e5 Nh5 13.a3 g6 14.Nf1 f5 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Ne3 e5 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Nxg3 19.hxg3 Rxe5 20.Bc4 b5 21.Bxb5 Qb6 22.0-0 Kg7 0-1 (34) Sedlak,N-So,W Baku 2016 This reminded me of a cunning strategy Alexei Shirov likes to employ: He would look for lines where the opponent scored very well (if he won brilliantly even better), and then see if he could dig up an unpleasant surprise for them there, expecting that he could put it to use with near certainty. 7.exd4 Nh5 The tournament leader goes for an original position, certainly not anticipated by Anish. 8.Bg5 f6 9.Be3 Bd6 White would love to adjust his c-pawn to c4 and the knight to c3, but as it stands there is no way to put pressure on Black. 10.g3 0-0 11.Bg2 f5 Justifying the h5-knight. 12.Ne5? Anish clearly lost the thread here, misevaluating coming events. 12.Ng5 Qe8 13.f4 would keep a balanced position. 12...f4! 13.Qxh5 fxe3 14.fxe3 Nxe5 14...Bxe5! 15.dxe5 Bd7 was stronger still, keeping the pace up. Qb6 and Rf5 are in the air. White faces a grim defence, as trying to relieve the pressure by 16.Qe2 Nxe5 17.Nf3 falls short to Nxf3+ 18.Bxf3 Qa5! /\Bb5 19.a4 b5 15.dxe5 Bc5 16.Rf1! Exchanges to ease the pressure. Bxe3 17.Rxf8+ Qxf8 18.Qf3 Qxf3 19.Nxf3 The worries about the White king are gone, but certainly Wesley had liked the prospect of this position as it could become quite passive for White if he were tied to the defence of the Pe5 (say by a bishop from c7). Bd7 20.Rd1 Rf8 20...Bb6 may be very precise, since 21.c4 is strongly met by Rc8 22.cxd5 Rc2 21.c4! Anish is correct in trying to liquidate the position as long as he still can. 21.Ke2 Bb6 22.c4 leaves Black a lot of options, and I can imagine how one could get irritated by something like Rf7!? 22...Kf7 23.Nd4 dxc4 24.Rf1+ Ke7 25.Rxf8 Kxf8 26.Ke3 Bc7 27.Bxb7 Bxe5 28.Ba6 would be quite a defense as well. 23.cxd5 Bb5+ 24.Ke1 exd5 25.Rxd5 Bc4 but White has a strong rejoinder: 26.Nd2! Bxa2 27.b3 21...Bc6 22.Nd4? But here 22.Ke2! Bb6 23.Nd4 would simply be a better version of the game: Bxd4 24.Rxd4 Rf5 25.cxd5 Rxe5+ 26.Kd3 exd5 27.Rf4! shutting the Black king out and safeguarding the 2nd rank next Re1 28.Rf2 and White´s perfect coordination neutralizes the extra pawn. 22...Bxd4 23.Rxd4 Rf5 24.g4 This looks somewhat loose, on g4 the pawn may prove to be exposed. 24.Rf4 Rxe5+ 25.Kd2 g5 26.Rf2 should have been considered, again trying to lock the Black king out. 24...Rxe5+ 25.Kf2 Kf7 26.b4 White tries to create some action on the queenside, hoping to liquidate as many pawns as possible. Ke7 27.b5 Bd7 28.b6 dxc4 29.Rxc4 axb6 30.Rc7 Rb5 31.Rxb7 Kd6 It looks like Black is establishing control, but with so few pawns left, there are always chances for a succesful defense. 32.Kg3 h6 33.Rb8 Rb2 Natural, but not best. Nr.1 rule when converting a static advantage: Keep an eye on counterplay at all times! 33...Rb4! with the idea to play b5, then Ra4 and not letting the White a-pawn run amok, as in the game. 34.Rg8 Ra4 35.Rxg7 Ra3+ 36.Kf2 Rxa2+ 37.Kg3 Ra3+ 38.Kf2 b5 does not inspire any hope for White. 34.Bf3 b5?! 35.a4! b4 36.a5 Rb3 37.Kg2! After this precise move White is holding. 37.Kf2? Kc5 38.a6 Ra3 39.Rb7 Bb5-+ 40.a7 Rxf3+! 37...Bc6?! Giving in a bit too early still. 37...Kc5 38.a6 Ra3 39.Rb7 After 37...g5 38.a6 Ra3 Black could still try for a bit 38.Bxc6 Kxc6 39.a6 Ra3 40.Rxb4 Rxa6 41.h4 This required no more effort from Anish. On one side 3 vs 2 promises nothing. e5 42.Kf3 Kd5 43.Rb5+ Ke6 44.Rb7 Kf6 45.g5+ hxg5 46.hxg5+ Kg6 47.Re7 Ra5 48.Ke3 Rb5 49.Kf3 Rb3+ 50.Kf2 Rb5 51.Kf3 Rd5 52.Ke3 e4 53.Kxe4 Rxg5 54.Kf3 Kh5 55.Re1 Rg4 56.Rh1+ Kg5 A refreshing display from Wesley in the opening, but Anish put up a defense and used his last chance to escape. ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Giri,A2771So,W2794½–½2016D028th London Chess Classic 20164

Georg Meier's commentary will be delivered with the next ChessBase Magazine #176, together with most of the games of the London Chess Classic annotated - and many more. You can find the fresh ChessBase Magazine #175 with annotations by Vladimir Kramnik, Wesley So, David Navara, Pavel Eljanov, Simon Williams, Daniel King any many other exclusive authors in our shop → here.

Daniel King shows Topalov v Nakamura from Round 4

Photos: Lennart Ootes

Veselin Topalov - Hikaru Nakamura

A young chessplayer who participates in the "Chess in Schools" program played the first move in the game between Topalov and Nakamura and opened round four of the London Chess Classic.

1.d4 - may the round begin. Tournament director Malcolm Pein moderates.

Hikaru Nakamura has played the Caro-Kann before but never against Veselin Topalov. Currently the Advance Variation is seen as the main line against the Caro-Kann and this was also Topalov's choice. Nakamura countered with 3...c5, Topalov took the pawn on c5, gave his pawn on e5 and a wild game ensued. Eventually Topalov gave his queen for rook and two bishops but this was not enough because his king was too exposed. White soon had to give more material and lost in the end.

 

Anish Giri - Wesley So

Nominally, this was the top encounter of round 4 because Wesley So was leading the London tournament with 2.5/3 after three rounds and was also leading the overall standings of the Grand Chess Tour. Anish Giri has White and tried the London System which probably was less a reverence to the host city of the tournament but more in line with the recent trend in top-level chess to avoid classical main lines which do not seem to promise White much. With 6... cxd4 and 7... Nh5 So opted for a rare line and sharpened the play.

So managed to get some advantage and reached an endgame with an extra-pawn. But Giri defended well and saved the draw.

Fabiano Caruana - Levon Aronian

In a Ruy Lopez with 3...a6 Fabiano Caruana followed fashion with 5.d3 - nowadays only very few players want to play the complex, often drawish but still very dangerous lines of the Marshall Gambit with White. Now Aronian showed some sophistication by first developing his bishop to e7 before bringing it to c5. A quiet and closed game ensued which finally ended in a draw through a perpetual.

Today Aronian's (sorry to spoil, Fiona) red trousers and black and white shoes provoked more excitement than his game.

 

Viswanathan Anand - Michael Adams

Perhaps it is the fear of the drawish nature of the Berlin that leads to a renaissance of the Italian. After many Spanish duels against Michael Adams Vishy Anand this time tried the Italian - and was close to winning. After Anand's central advance 10. d3-d4 Adams decided to give his pawn on e5, hoping for compensation on the kingside.

 

 

But Adams did not get enough compensation and Anand kept his extra-pawn - until he blundered. This allowed Adams to regain his pawn with a tactical stroke that immediately led to a draw.
 

 

Vladimir Kramnik - Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Vladimir Kramnik currently also likes to avoid classical openings. Against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave he started with 1.Nf3 2.g3 3.Bg2 which, however, soon led to a line of the Fianchetto-Grünfeld. With the rare 7...e5 Vachier-Lagrave left the well-known paths but a few moves later he found himself in an endgame with a pawn down.

But an inaccuracy cost Kramnik his extra-pawn and though he tried for some time to still create winning chances in the endgame he finally had to settle for a draw.

Results of round 4

Br. Title Name Country ELO Res. Title Name Country ELO
1 GM Anish Giri
 
 2771 ½ - ½ GM Wesley So
 
 2794
2 GM Vladimir Kramnik
 
 2809 ½ - ½ GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave
 
 2804
3 GM Fabiano Caruana
 
 2823 ½ - ½ GM Levon Aronian
 
 2785
4 GM Viswanathan Anand
 
 2779 ½ - ½ GM Michael Adams
 
 2748
5 GM Veselin Topalov
 
 2760 0 - 1 GM Hikaru Nakamura
 
 2779


Games - rounds 1 to 4

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Be3 c5 8.Rc1 0-0 9.Qd2 e5 10.d5 Nd7 11.c4 f5 12.Bg5 Nf6 13.Ne2 Nxe4 14.Bxd8 Nxd2 15.Be7 Rf7 16.Bxc5 Nxf1 17.Rxf1 b6 18.Bb4 Ba6 19.f4 Rc8 20.fxe5 Bxe5 21.Rf3 Bxc4 22.Re3 Bg7 23.Nf4 Rd7 24.a4 Bh6 25.g3 Bxf4 26.gxf4 Rxd5 27.Re7 Rd4 28.Bd2 Kf8 29.Bb4 Re8 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2779So,W27940–12016D858th London Classic 20161
Caruana,F2823Anand,V2779½–½2016A218th London Classic 20161
Kramnik,V2809Topalov,V27601–02016D778th London Classic 20161
Vachier Lagrave,M2804Giri,A2771½–½2016B908th London Classic 20161
Aronian,L2785Adams,M27481–02016C508th London Classic 20161
Kramnik,V2809Aronian,L2785½–½2016A148th London Classic 20162
Anand,V2779Vachier Lagrave,M28041–02016B908th London Classic 20162
So,W2794Adams,M27481–02016E068th London Classic 20162
Topalov,V2760Caruana,F28230–12016C028th London Classic 20162
Giri,A2771Nakamura,H2779½–½2016A498th London Classic 20162
Aronian,L2785So,W2794½–½2016A348th London Classic 20163
Caruana,F2823Kramnik,V2809½–½2016C538th London Classic 20163
Nakamura,H2779Anand,V27791–02016D378th London Classic 20163
Vachier Lagrave,M2804Topalov,V2760½–½2016C678th London Classic 20163
Adams,M2748Giri,A2771½–½2016B518th London Classic 20163
Giri,A2771So,W2794½–½2016D028th London Classic 20164
Kramnik,V2809Vachier Lagrave,M2804½–½2016A498th London Classic 20164
Caruana,F2823Aronian,L2785½–½2016C778th London Classic 20164
Anand,V2779Adams,M2748½–½2016C538th London Classic 20164
Topalov,V2760Nakamura,H27790–12016B128th London Classic 20164


Standings after round 4

Rk. Title Name Country ELO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pts. Perf. TB
1 GM Wesley So
 
 2794   ½     1 ½     1   3.0 / 4 2961  
2 GM Levon Aronian
 
 2785 ½   ½ ½         1   2.5 / 4 2882 5.00
3 GM Fabiano Caruana
 
 2823   ½   ½     ½     1 2.5 / 4 2871 4.00
4 GM Vladimir Kramnik
 
 2809   ½ ½         ½   1 2.5 / 4 2881 3.75
5 GM Hikaru Nakamura
 
 2779 0         ½ 1     1 2.5 / 4 2864 3.50
6 GM Anish Giri
 
 2771 ½       ½     ½ ½   2.0 / 4 2781 4.00
7 GM Viswanathan Anand
 
 2779     ½   0     1 ½   2.0 / 4 2788 3.25
8 GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave
 
 2804       ½   ½ 0     ½ 1.5 / 4 2692  
9 GM Michael Adams
 
 2748 0 0       ½ ½       1.0 / 4 2592  
10 GM Veselin Topalov
 
 2760     0 0 0     ½     0.5 / 4 2466  

Live video round 4

"Train yourself with Vishy Anand" - Round 4 report on ChessBase India

Tournament page London Chess Classic...

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Translation: Johannes Fischer

André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.

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