Nanjing: Carlsen strikes again, defeats Topalov

by ChessBase
9/29/2009 – The training sessions with Garry Kasparov seem to be working out. In round two Magnus Carlsen scored a second, very convincing victory – over top seed Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria. Peter Leko drew Teimour Radjabov in 32, Dmitry Jakovenko drew Wang Yue in 35 moves. Magnus leads by a full point. We bring you an updated report with pictures and commentary.

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Second Nanjing Pearl Spring Chess Tournament

This event, organized by the Municipal People’s Government of Nanjing, is taking place from 27th September to 9th October 2009 in Nanjing, China. Time controls are 90 minutes for 40 moves and 60 minutes for the rest of the game, with no increment. The tournament is a six-player double round robin and has a total prize fund of 250,000 Euros, with the winner taking 80,000 Euros.

Round two

Round 2: Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Magnus Carlsen 
1-0
 Veselin Topalov
Peter Leko 
½-½
 Teimour Radjabov
Dmitry Jakovenko 
½-½
 Wang Yue

Carlsen,M (2772) - Topalov,V (2813) [E90]
2nd Pearl Spring Nanjing CHN (2), 29.09.2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3 Na6 7.Be3 e5 8.d5 c6 9.g4 Nc5 10.Nd2 a5 11.a3 Nfd7 12.Rg1 a4 13.Qc2 Nb6 14.0-0-0 Bd7 15.Kb1 cxd5 16.cxd5 Rc8 17.Bb5 Bxb5 18.Nxb5 Qd7 19.Nc3 Bf6 20.g5 Bd8 21.h4

21...Na8?! Topalov decides to give up a pawn for more active play. 22.Bxc5! Carlsen takes the gift, and sets about proving that the compensation was not enough. 22...Rxc5 23.Qxa4 Qc8 24.Rc1 Nb6 25.Qd1 Qh3 26.Qf3 Qd7 27.Qd3 Kg7 28.Rc2 f6 29.gxf6+ Rxf6

Carlsen's advantage has grown, his extra pawn is a healthy, florishing asset. Now comes the attack. 30.h5! Rxf2 31.hxg6 h6. The trick is 31...hxg6 32.Rxg6+! Kxg6 33.Qg3+ Bg5 34.Qxf2 and White is winning. 32.Nd1 Rxc2 33.Nxf2 Rc8 34.Ng4 Bg5 35.Nf3!

Now White is treatening 36.Nxg5 hxg5 37.Qe3, forking the pawn and knight on b6. After 35...Rc1+ 36.Rxc1 Bxc1 37.Ngxe5 dxe5 38.Kxc1 White is two pawns up and winning. 35...Nc4 36.Nxg5 hxg5

Magnus is very low on time and misses the immediate clincher: 37.Qh3! (threatening 38.Qh6+ Kg8 39.Nf6 mate) 37...Nd2+ 38.Ka2 Rh8 39.Qxh8+! Kxh8 40.Rh1+ Kg7 41.Rh7+ Kxg6 42.Rxd7 and White is a whole rook up. But White's zeitnot move is also perfectly adequate: 37.Ne3 Nxe3 38.Qxe3 Qa4 39.Qxg5 Qxe4+ 40.Ka1 . There is no perpetual here. Magnus' father Henrik in the press center had been getting a bit nervous before the time control, but was comforted by Dutch Champion Anish Giri on Playchess: "White has different ways to win, Magnus will get the full point." The end came quickly: 40...Re8 41.Rc1 1-0. A very fine second win by Magnus Carlsen, this time not based directly on Kasparov-prep, though working with the former World Champion is sure to inspire his game on the whole.


Magnus Carlsen being interviewed by a star-struck Chinese journalist after the game


Leko,P (2762) - Radjabov,T (2757) [B76]
2nd Pearl Spring Nanjing CHN (2), 29.09.2009
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Bd4 Bxd4 13.Qxd4 Qb6 14.Na4 Qa5 15.b3 Qc7 16.Re1 Nb6 17.Nc3 a5 18.Qe5 Qxe5 19.Rxe5 Be6 20.a4 Rfc8 21.Ne2 Kf8 22.Nf4 Bd7 23.Nd3 f6 24.Rc5 e5 25.Be2 Be6 26.Re1 Ke7 27.Bf1 Kd6 28.Rc3 Nd5 29.Rc4 Nf4 30.Rc3 Nd5 31.Rc4 Nf4 32.Rc3 Nd5 draw.

Jakovenko,D (2742) - Wang Yue (2736) [C43]
2nd Pearl Spring Nanjing CHN (2), 29.09.2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.dxe5 d5 5.Nbd2 Nc5 6.Nb3 Ne6 7.Nbd4 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 c5 9.Bb5+ Nd7 10.e6 cxd4 11.exd7+ Bxd7 12.Bxd7+ Qxd7 13.Qxd4 Be7 14.Qxg7 Qe6+ 15.Kd1 Bf6 16.Qg3 0-0-0 17.Re1 Qb6 18.Qe3 Bd4 19.Qb3 Bxf2 20.Qxb6 Bxb6 21.Bf4 Rhe8 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Kd2 Kd7 24.Rf1 Re4 25.Rf3 Ke6 26.Be3 Bd4 27.Rh3 h5 28.Bxd4 Rxd4+ 29.Kc3 Rc4+ 30.Kd3 h4 31.Re3+ Kd6 32.Rf3 Ke6 33.Re3+ Kd6 34.Rf3 Ke6 35.Re3+ draw.

Results and standings after round two

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