ChessBase Magazine #164
Review by Prof Nagesh Havanur
It’s with a sense of déjà vu that one looks at Carlsen on the cover of this magazine. He did it again, winning the world championship match and retaining the title. A precious part of this issue is devoted to the games of The Match. After studying it all it’s important to carry forward the analysis and find sign posts for your own play.
From this point of view I found the analysis of game ten by Michal Krasenkow interesting. There is one point that he would not have known. During the game it was not clear why Anand did not play the critical sequence 12.Rd1 Bf5 13.d6. The answer to that question was to come from Anand himself early this year.
It's an intriguing game in which truth proved elusive for both players and commentators. In retrospect I am rather sceptical about the future of Prins Variation (7…Na6). The knight remains offside for a long time. Perhaps it should be brought into play sooner with…Nb4.
| 1.e4 | 1,185,008 | 54% | 2421 | --- |
| 1.d4 | 959,510 | 55% | 2434 | --- |
| 1.Nf3 | 286,503 | 56% | 2441 | --- |
| 1.c4 | 184,834 | 56% | 2442 | --- |
| 1.g3 | 19,892 | 56% | 2427 | --- |
| 1.b3 | 14,600 | 54% | 2428 | --- |
| 1.f4 | 5,954 | 48% | 2377 | --- |
| 1.Nc3 | 3,911 | 50% | 2384 | --- |
| 1.b4 | 1,791 | 48% | 2379 | --- |
| 1.a3 | 1,250 | 54% | 2406 | --- |
| 1.e3 | 1,081 | 49% | 2409 | --- |
| 1.d3 | 969 | 50% | 2378 | --- |
| 1.g4 | 670 | 46% | 2361 | --- |
| 1.h4 | 466 | 54% | 2382 | --- |
| 1.c3 | 439 | 51% | 2425 | --- |
| 1.h3 | 289 | 56% | 2420 | --- |
| 1.a4 | 118 | 60% | 2461 | --- |
| 1.f3 | 100 | 47% | 2427 | --- |
| 1.Nh3 | 93 | 66% | 2506 | --- |
| 1.Na3 | 47 | 62% | 2476 | --- |
Please, wait...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 Na6 8.Be2 c5 9.d5 e6 10.0-0 exd5 11.exd5 Re8 11...Bf5 11...Nb4!? 12.Rd1 b6 12.Bg5!? 12.Rd1 Bf5 13.d6! h6 13...Ne4? 14.d7 Re7 15.Nxe4 Rxe4 16.Bg5!± 14.Be3 14.Bf4 Nd7 14...Ng4 15.Bf4! Bxc3 16.bxc3 Re4 17.Qb5 Rxf4 18.Qxb7 Ra4 19.d7 Be4 20.Qb3 Bc6 21.Rd6 Bxd7 22.Rad1 Qb8 23.Rxd7 Qxb3 24.axb3 Ra2 25.Bc4 Rf8 26.R7d6 Kg7 27.Rxa6 Rxf2 28.Re1 12...h6 13.Be3 Bf5 14.Rad1 Ne4 14...Qb6 15.Qb5 Rad8∞ 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 15...Rxe4 16.Qc1 Nb4 17.d6 17.Qxc5? b6 18.Qc1 Rc8 19.Qd2 Rc2-+ 17.a3? Nc2! 17...Rc8∞ 16.Qc1 16.d6! Bc6 16...Bxb2? 17.Bxh6 17.d7 Re4 18.Qc2 Nb8 19.Rd6 Nxd7 20.Rxc6 Rxe3 21.Rxg6 fxg6 22.fxe3 Kh7 23.Bd3 Qe8 24.Rd1 16...Qf6! 16...Kh7? 17.d6 17.Bxh6 Qxb2 17...Bxd5 18.Rxd5 Rxe2 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Rd7 Re7= 18.Qxb2 Bxb2 19.Ng5 19.d6! Nb4 20.d7 Red8 21.Bg5 f6 22.Bc4+ Kg7 23.Be3± 19...Bd4! 19...Bxd5?? 20.Bxa6+- 19...Bf5? 20.Bb5 Red8 21.d6 Bd4 22.Bc4 Rd7 23.Rfe1 20.Nxe4?! 20.Bb5! Bxd5 20...Re5? 21.Rfe1 Bc2 22.Rxe5 Bxe5 23.Re1 Bd6 24.Be8 f6 25.Re6 Be5 26.Re7+- 21.Bxe8 Rxe8 22.Rfe1 Rc8! 23.a3 20...Rxe4 21.Bf3 Re7 22.d6 Rd7 23.Bf4 Nb4 24.Rd2?! 24.Rfe1! Rad8 24...Nxa2? 25.Re7 Rxe7 26.dxe7 Re8 27.Re1 Nb4 28.Bxb7 f6 29.Bd6 Kf7 30.h4! 25.a3 25.Re7 Kf8 25...Nc6 26.h4± 24...Re8! 25.Rc1 Re6 26.h4 Be5 27.Bxe5 Rxe5 28.Bxb7 28.a3 Nc6 29.Bxc6 bxc6= 28...Rxb7 29.d7 Nc6 30.d8Q+ Nxd8 31.Rxd8+ Kg7 32.Rd2 ½–½
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| Anand,V | 2792 | Carlsen,M | 2863 | ½–½ | 2014 | D97 | WCh 2014 | |
Please, wait...
In the above game Carlsen chose 11… Re8 rather than 11… Bf5, the main line in this variation. But after Anand’s TN in the game with Aronian at Zürich Chess Classic 2015 its state has become rather critical.
Here is the game with fine commentary by Lubomir Kavalek
Apart from the World Championship this issue also carries brief reports on London Classic, Qatar Open and Petrosian Memorial Tournaments. All the games from these events are included and a number of them are annotated. There are also games from other events like the Bundesliga.
I was particularly interested in the following encounter from Qatar Open. IM Sagar Shah, who annotates the game in this issue, makes a valid point. Black stood worse after the opening and it was only later errors that led to White’s loss. The challenge for the practical player is to investigate how White could have played better.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Nbd7 4...Be7 5.Bg5 5.Bf4 c6 6.e3 Nh5 5...h6 5...Be7 6.Bh4 6.Bxf6 Nxf6 6...Be7 7.e3 0-0 7...b6? 8.Bxf6 Nxf6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bb5+ Bd7 11.Bxd7+ Qxd7 12.Ne5 Qe6 13.Qa4+ Kf8 14.Nb5± 8.Rc1 c5 8...b6 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bd3 Bb7 11.0-0 c5 9.cxd5 Nxd5 9...exd5 10.Bd3 10.Bxe7 Nxe7 10...Qxe7? 11.Nxd5 exd5 12.dxc5 Nxc5 13.Qxd5± 11.Be2 b6 12.0-0 Bb7 13.dxc5 13.Qa4 cxd4 13.Qc2 13...Nxc5 14.Nd4 14.b4 Ne4 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.Qa4 14...Nf5 15.Nxf5 15.Bf3 Bxf3 15...Nxd4 16.Bxb7 Nxb7 17.exd4 Rc8 16.Nxf3 Qxd1 17.Rfxd1= 15...exf5 16.Bf3 16.Qxd8 Rfxd8 17.Rfd1= 16...Qxd1! 16...Be4 17.Bxe4 17.Nxe4 fxe4 18.Be2= 17...fxe4 17.Rfxd1 Bxf3 18.gxf3 Rfd8 19.Kf1 g6 20.Ke2 Kg7 21.Nb5 Kf6 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.b4 23.Nxa7!? Ra8 24.Nc8 Rxa2 24...Rxc8 25.b4 Ra8 26.bxc5 Rxa2+ 27.Kf1 bxc5 28.Rxc5= 25.Rc2 Ra6 26.Nxb6 Rxb6 27.Rxc5= 23...Ne6 24.Rc6 24.Nc7 Rd7 25.Nxe6 fxe6= 24...Ke7 25.a3 Rd7 26.Rc8 a6 27.Nc3 b5 28.Ra8 Rd6 29.Rh8?! 29.a4! bxa4 30.Nxa4= 29.f4 g5 30.fxg5 Nxg5 29.h4!? Rc6 30.Kd3 29...g5 30.Ra8 30.Rxh6 Nf4+-+ 30...Kf6 31.Ra7 Kg6 32.Na2 32.e4?? Nd4+ 33.Ke3 f4+ 34.Kd2 Nxf3+-+ 32.Kf1? Rd3-+ 32.a4! bxa4 33.Nxa4 Rc6 34.Kd3 32...Nd8! 33.Ke1? 33.Nc1 33...Kh5 34.Nc1 Kh4 35.Nb3? 35.Ne2! Kh3 36.Ng3 Kxh2 37.Nxf5 Rf6 38.e4 Kg2 39.Ke2 h5 40.f4 Ne6 40...gxf4 41.Ra8 41.Ne3+ Kg1 42.f5 Nd4+ 43.Ke1= 35...Kh3 36.Nd4 36.Nc5 Kxh2 37.Rxa6 Rxa6 38.Nxa6 Kg2-+ 36...f4 37.Ra8 Kxh2 38.Nf5 Rf6 39.e4 39.Nxh6? Rxh6 40.Rxd8 Kg2 41.Rg8 41.Ke2 g4! 42.fxg4 f3+ 43.Kd3 Kxf2 44.g5 Rg6 45.Rd7 Ke1-+ 41...Kxf3 42.Rxg5 fxe3 43.Rf5+ Ke4 44.Rxf7 exf2+ 45.Kxf2 Kd3!-+ 45...Rh3 46.Ke2 Rxa3 47.Kd2 39...Nc6 40.Rxa6 Rg6! 41.Kf1 Ne5 42.Ra5 Nxf3 43.Rxb5 g4 44.Rd5 h5 45.Ng3! h4 45...fxg3?? 46.Rxh5+ Nh4 47.Rxh4# 46.Ne2 g3 47.fxg3 fxg3 48.b5 Rf6 49.Rf5 Rxf5 50.exf5 g2+ 51.Kf2 Nd4 52.Ng1 Nxb5 53.a4 Nc3 54.Nf3+ Kh1 55.a5 h3 0–1
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
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| Salem,A | 2586 | Kramnik,V | 2760 | 0–1 | 2014 | D63 | Qatar Masters Open 2014 | |
Please, wait...
This brings me to other contents of the current issue. There are as many as twelve opening surveys ranging from Vienna Game to Reti Opening. Among them Alexey Kuzmin’s analysis of Sicilian Paulsen deserves special mention. As is known, the line 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4 arose in the sixth game of the World Championship 2014. Here Carlsen played 7.Qd3 and Anand got into a difficult position. Quite a few experts like Rustam Kasimdzhanov thought, 7…d5 would have solved Black’s problems. Alexey Kuzmin does not agree.
He proposes an improvement a move earlier with 6…Qc7.
This makes sense and it is more in the spirit of Paulsen.
This issue also carries trademark sections with middle game strategy, tactics and endgame technique. For reasons of space I have not dealt with them here. In all there are 1479 games of which 115 are annotated. This time I did not see the trade mark feature, the Telechess section with correspondence games. Hopefully commentators Robert Alvarez and Juan Morgado would be back in the next issue.
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All Opening Surveys in CBM #164
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Illingworth: Reti Opening A11
1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 c6 3.Bg2 d5 4.Nf3 g6 5.b3 Bg6 6.Bb2 0-0 7.0-0
In the second part of his article on the double fianchetto Max Illingworth looks into the most frequently played moves 7...a5 and 7...Bg4. As he does so, the author demonstrates above all what happens in the early middlegame – what White can make out of his positions which are generally slightly in his favour.
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Moskalenko: Pirc Defence B09
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Bd3 Nc6
In the diagram 7.0-0 is the move played most often, but as Viktor Moskalenko explains Black has absolutely no need to fear the tactical complications after 7...e5 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.d5 Nd4. And in the main variation 7.e5 dxe5 8.fxe5 Black even has two good moves: 8...Nh5 and 8...Ng4.
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Kuzmin: Sicilian Defence B41
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bb4 7.Qd3
The queen move was a strong surprise weapon for Carlsen against Anand, but as Alexey Kuzmin shows in his article, it is more than that. It is difficult for Black to equalise at all and it can be supposed that in the future players will deviate.
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Postny: Sicilian Defence B48
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Qf3
Instead of 7.Qd2 and 7.Bd3, moves played thousands of time, and other continuations, this time it is 7.Qf3 which is up for debate – a move which only the 11th most frequent. But as Evgeny Postny shows, the move has potential, its main idea consisting of Qg3, because after the exchange of queens White gets a very pleasant endgame.
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Havasi: French Defence C06
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 b6
The early exchange of bishops is a tried and trusted manoeuvre in the French. As Gergö Havasi demonstrates, with aggressive play White can build up some pressure, but the closed positions offer Black good chances of getting away with his plan.
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Marin: French Defence C09
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 (cxd4/Qe7+)
If you play 6...cxd4 or 6...Qe7+ (instead of the main move 6...Bd6), you have to be prepared to exchange queens at an early stage. In his extensive article Mihail Marin refers to many Korchnoi games, but also shows the modern treatment by Vadim Zvjaginsev.
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Müller: Vienna Game C26
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3
Karsten Müller’s new article is linked to his articles on the King’s Gambit: after 2...Nc6 the transposition is made with 3.f4. However, this time it is principally about 2...Bc5 (3.Nf3) and even more important - 2...Nf6 (3.g3). This way speculative sacrifices are avoided.
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Ris: Queen’s Gambit Accepted D20
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 b5 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Nc3 a6 7.Nxb5 axb5 8.Rxa8 Bb7
The 3...b5 variation is supposed to be made playable with a surprising exchange sacrifice. In his analyses Robert Ris comes to the conclusion that White can obtain a slight advantage, but in practice these positions are far from easy to play.
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Gormally: Queen’s Gambit Accepted D24
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.e4 b5 6.e5 Nd5 7.a4
In Part 2 Daniel Gormally turns to the sharp lines in which Black tries to defend his extra pawn. But all these attempts are dubious. Even when the positions which are reached are okay according to the engines, in practice Black is facing grave problems.
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Krasenkow: Bogo-Indian E11
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Nbd2
Michal Krasenkow presents his own repertoire against the Bogo-Indian. In the first part he shows above all what he has up his sleeve against the present main variation 4...0-0 5.a3 Be7, namely: 6.b4, which has not been played often so far but which is very venomous.
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Breutigam: King’s Indian E60
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.e3
As long as White has not played Nc3, Black cannot transpose to the Grünfeld Defence. But Martin Breutigam sees more in the setup he is presenting: after transpositions to the Benoni or the King’s Indian the pawn on e3 (instead of e4) also has an advantage: there is no need to defend it.
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Szabo: King’s Indian E73
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Bg5 Na6 7.f4 c6
In the Averbakh Variation too, ...Na6 is a common move. White then strengthens his centre with 7.f4. But as Krisztian Szabo shows in his article, Black will then attack it rapidly with ...d5. In the sharp lines a good knowledge of the theory ids advisable.
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