12/5/2017 – The bad news is that after three rounds, it has been 100% draws. Caruana even tweeted tongue-in-cheek, "We're thinking of renaming it to the Anish Giri Cup." The good news is that some players are clearly trying their best to break the fast. Aronian did everything he could, sacrificing material helter-skelter against Karjakin. When he was dead lost... he offered a draw. Report and analysis by GM Alex Yermolinsky. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
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No laughing matter
Five more draws, would you believe it? No wonder some of the players want to rename the event to an Anish Giri Cup. Anish himself joined in the laughs by refusing to “validate” the tournament. A witty quip, you guys seem to be doing quite OK without me, was his response.
@london_chess We're thinking of renaming it to the Anish Giri Cup
Laughs are good, but the facts remain. As much as some commentators may fluff it, there's a sense of doom settling over the future of our beloved game. How do we get across to an average sports fan, when 100% of games are drawn? How far can we go while tinkering with the rules?
A fan doesn't miss a chance to capture footage of her chess heroes | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Stalemate counting as a win would turn upside down the entire endgame theory. By shrinking the margins of error, the reformers may inadvertently cause players to take less risk, not more.
Chess960? Weird configurations of the pieces produce more symmetrical structures (because alternatives are unknown and therefore too risky to try with Black), where the main objective for the participants is to get back to “normal” positions.
Yesterday I threw in an idea of randomizing openings by computer choice. Say, a hundred balls are thrown in the hopper, ten of each for major openings, such as the Ruy Lopez or the Nimzo, with a sprinkling of wild ones, representing the Budapest, the Trompowsky and such. Let the chips fall where they may.
All the same, there were some rather unusual opening choices today, but the results came out the same.
Nepomniachtchi and Caruana look around to see if there is any interesting chess going on in round three | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Nepomniatchi-Caruana was a reversed Pirc, Nakamura-So was a rare English/Sicilian line, and Adams-MVL saw the white rook come out to a3 in the early going. All fizzled out quickly. We won't be deceived by a long game between Michael and Maxime, a 4 vs. 3 rook endgame with the pawns on the same side of the board, since it is as drawish as they come and pretty boring to watch.
The two games I'd like to take a deeper look at had a similar motif of White playing his knight to a3 in the opening.
A knight on the rim is…right?
A school kid is invited to make the opening move on the board with two World Champions | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Carlsen's choice in the Catalan is quite well-known. Anand himself successfully used the same idea in his match with Topalov. White does get some pressure for the sacrificed pawn, but Vishy was prepared to deal with it.
One advantage of being a player no longer in the bloom of youth as Anand is that you have decades of theory and home preparation to fall back upon | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Magnus Carlsen1/2-1/2 Vishy Anand (Annotated by GM Alex Yermolinsky)
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1.d4Nf62.c4e63.g3d54.Bg2dxc45.Nf3c5Anand likes straighforward lines in his preparation to play with the black pieces.6.0-0Nc67.Na3!?A similar version of the same idea is7.Ne5Bd78.Na3cxd49.Naxc4Bc5 while, of course,7.Qa4remains White's top choice.7...cxd48.Nxc4Bc59.b3!?9.a3a510.Bd20-011.Rc1a412.Nce5Artemiev-Zvjaginsev, 20159.Qc20-010.Nce5Nakamura-Kaidanov, 20129...Qe7
10.Nfe5 It seems Carlsen wasn't sure about his preparation.A logical follow-up has to be10.Bb2e511.b4!where Black's best may beNxb411...Bxb412.Nfxe5Nxe513.Nxe5Bc314.Bxc3dxc315.Qa4+Nd716.Nc4quickly rounding up the c3-pawn and keeping some edge due to the vastly superior bishop.12.Nfxe50-013.a3Na6White then gets his pawn back and plays on.14.Bxd4Bxd415.Qxd4Rd816.Qf4etc.10...Nxe511.Nxe5In such positions the key issue is to prevent Black from connecting his pawns.Nd7!Vishy cuts throught the chase. The issue of a strong white knight has to be addressed immediately.11...0-012.Bb2Rd813.Rc1Rb814.Qc2Bb615.Rfd1Nd716.Nc4!turned out to be better for White in Melkumian-Grachev, World Cup 2017. 12.Bf40-012...g5?13.Nxd7Bxd714.Bxb7±13.Rc1Rd8
More direct was13...f614.Nxd7Bxd715.Bxb7Rae816.Qd3Kh814.Nd3?! Magnus takes it a bit too far.Perhaps he was not entirely satisfied with White's chances after14.Nxd7Rxd714...Bxd715.Bxb7e5is enterprising.15.Rc4e516.Qc2exf417.Rxc5Rd8Nevertheless, it was the way to go.14...Bb615.Bc7Re816.Qc2e5Black has accomplished his goal, and now it's up to White not to get worse.17.Rfd1Nf818.a4Bg419.Bxb6axb620.h3Rac821.Qd2
Here we have it: Black is a clean pawn up.21...Be6? One can only feel disappointment seeing the Former World Champ settling for a draw.21...Bh522.Rc4f623.Rdc1Rxc424.bxc4Bf722.Nxe5Rxc123.Rxc1Bxb324.Nf3Bxa425.Nxd4Ne626.Nf5Qf627.Ne3Qd428.Qa2Nc529.Rc4Bb330.Rxd4Bxa231.Rb4Re6½–½
Using ideas and games of great masters from the past, the famous Ukrainian trainer GM Adrian Mikhalchishin deals with various themes.
Aronian's Na3 also was not a novelty. I guess the idea was to drag Karjakin kicking and screaming into a Stonewall setup, which Levon succeeded at. I think he realized White had a much worse version of it compared to the regular lines of the Dutch, but it didn't discourage Levon from trying his hardest. First he sacrificed his c4-pawn then offered another. Sergey stayed within the parameters of his solid game plan and despite a shortage of time was in a position to capitalize on Levon's risky play.
Levon Aronian1/2-1/2 Sergey Karjakin (Annotated by GM Alex Yermolinsky)
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1.d4Nf62.c4e63.g3Bb4+4.Bd2Be75.Bg2d56.Nf30-07.0-0Nbd7 Black has been solid in this line, which resembles the Closed Catalan, only with the white bishop misplaced on d2.8.Na3!?Aronian always seeks a new path. The development of the knight to the edge of the board takes care of the c4-pawn and allows White to get his major pieces out.c69.Rc1Ne410.Be3f5Sergey took a bit of time here. Normally he's not a big fan of the Stonewall formation.Levon already had an occasion to showcase his positional skills in this line:10...Bxa311.bxa3Nd612.c5Nc413.Rxc4!dxc414.Qc2 Aronian-Giri, Tata Steel 2017.10...b6is supposed to be met with11.cxd5cxd5but White didn't get so much out the c-file in Gozzoli-Meier, 2017:12.Bf4Ba613.Bc7Qe814.Ne1Bxa315.bxa3Qe711.Rc2a5Sergey wanted to stop White's expansion on the Q-side.Alternatively he could have invited it:11...Bf612.b4Qe713.c5counting on the counterplay withb6!12.Qc1Bf613.Rd1g5
14.Nb114.Ne5!?is what White always wants to do in the Stonewall. It's not really a pawn sacrifice here, asNxe514...Qe7!?15.dxe5Bxe516.f3gets it back. The position afterNd616...f4is very risky:17.fxe4fxe318.cxd517.Bxg5Bf618.Bxf6Qxf619.e3is slightly better for White, who will try to get a hold of the dark squares, such as inBd720.c5Nf721.f4e522.Nc414...Rf715.Nc3Rg716.Ne1Aronian continues to maneuver.A standard method in such positions is16.Nxe4fxe417.Nd2I think Levon was concerned with the future of his knight afteror17.Ne1with the same idea, although in that case Black can try the surprisingb5!?18.cxb5cxb519.f3Bb717...Rf717...a4!?18.f3exf319.exf3a4but then White can try the direct20.f4!?gxf421.gxf416...Nd617.b3Another surprising line that didn't see the light of day was17.c5!?Nc417...Nf7=may have been the reason Aronian didn't want to close the position.18.Bxg5Bxg519.f4Be720.b3b521.bxc4bxc4∞17...dxc418.Na4After18.bxc4Nxc419.Ne4Nxe320.Nxf6+Qxf621.Qxe3White has enough compensation, but Black counters withe5before White can clamp down on that square.18...cxb319.axb3Nb520.Nd3!?One cannot accuse Levon Aronian of not trying. The second pawn is offered.Qe8Sergey thought better of that.Both20...Nxd421.Bxd4Bxd422.Rcd2Qe7and to the lesser extent20...Bxd421.Bxd4Nxd422.Rb2Qe723.e3Nb524.Rbd2were playable.21.Ne5f422.gxf4gxf423.Bxf4Nxd424.Rxd4Nxe525.Rd1Qg626.Bg3h5
At first glance, White's situation looks critical. However, both players realized that the threat of h5-h4 was only good to win a piece, not to checkmate the white king.27.Nb6Rb828.Rcd2Nf7Here is a line to illustrate the point.28...h429.Rd8+Bxd830.Rxd8+Kh731.Nxc8hxg332.hxg3Qf633.Be4+Ng634.Qd2White is only down the exchange with a solidly protected king, which cannot be said about his black counterpart.29.Qc5!?Aronian insists on "losing" a piece. He could have played29.Qc2to take care of the problem on the g-file.Qxc230.Rxc2e531.Nxc8Rxc832.h4White has compensation, but hardly more. 29...e5Again, Karjakin says thanks, but no thanks.29...h430.Nc4hxg331.hxg3b6otherwise it's hard to save Rb8 from the attack by the white queen.32.Qxc6Ba633.Qxe6Kh834.Rd7Bxc435.Qxc4is objecively about equal, but it's harder to play for Black, particularly when low on time.30.Qc4Kh831.h4?!After the game Levon expressed his regret for letting the formerly 'bad' bishop on c8 live.Indeed,31.Nxc8Rxc832.h4was a better choice.31...Bf532.Nd7Rbg833.Kh1?
with this move Aronian offered a draw. By his own admission, Levon "cheated" a bit, as no such offers should remain part of chess competition.33.Nxf6Qxf634.Qc3Rg4already slightly favors Black, who aims to have a go at the white king, e.g35.Qxa5?Rxh4!36.Bxh4Qxh4-+In the game continuation33.Kh1?Black had a large, if not outright decisive advantage. Karjakin said he didn't seeBe7!saving the bishop and preparing the shot on h4.34.e334.e4Bxd735.Rxd7Bxh4as the 4th rank is now blocked.34...e4!35.Rg1Bd6-+½–½
In the Dutch Stonewall Black from the very first move fights for the initiative. Let Erwin l'Ami take you on a fascinating journey to the depth and attractions of this unique opening. At the end you will be rewarded with a new repertoire against 1.d4!
Sergey Karjakin learns he was had | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Sergey Karjakin and Levon Aronian explain what happened to Maurice Ashley | Saint Louis Chess Club on YouTube
Both games could have been wins for Black or at least should have gone on for much longer than they did. While I can listen to some explanations for Vishy's and Sergey's decisions, it's their mindset of being satisfied with a draw with Black that's to blame.
The London Classic is an invitational tournament, as all top events are. Invitations are based on ratings. Making draws keeps ratings intact. You draw the conclusions.
Well, we are down to a six-round event now. Time for the players to start winning games, and that's the only thing that would make me shut up with all that gloom and doom talk.
Round three commentary
Commentary by GM Yasser Seirawan, WGM Jennifer Shahade and GM Cristian Chirila, with GM Maurice Ashley reporting from London | Source: Saint Louis Chess Club on YouTube
Alex YermolinskyYermo is enjoying his fifties. Lives in South Dakota, 600 miles way from the nearest grandmaster. Between his chess work online he plays snooker and spends time outdoors - happy as a clam.
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