New in Chess Classic: Carlsen and Nakamura in the finals

by Klaus Besenthal
5/1/2021 – Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura will play the final of the New In Chess Classic online tournament. Carlsen safely won his second semifinal mini-match against Levon Aronian 3-1 on Friday after the first set had ended 2-2 the day before. The match between Nakamura and Shakriyar Mamedyarov was more exciting. Mamedyarov initially levelled the score with a convincing 3-0 victory in the second set. The Azerbaijani, however, went on to lose the tiebreaker in Armageddon. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
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Semifinals, Day 2

Carlsen 3 - 1 Aronian 

The second semifinal mini-match between Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian started with two draws, before game 3 turned the tide in Carlsen’s favour. Playing white, Aronian left the opening with a rather harmless position, and he never found a way to create problems for his famed opponent.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 e6 4.e3 Bd6 5.Nbd2 b6 6.Bg3 0-0 7.Bd3 Ba6 8.Rc1 Bxd3 9.cxd3 c5 10.Qa4 Be7 11.0-0 Qd7 12.Qxd7 Nbxd7 13.Rc2 a5 14.a4 Nb8 15.Ra1 Nc6 16.Kf1 Rfc8 17.Ke2 Nd7 18.Nb3 h5 19.h4 f6
In this position White is worse, but you can only figure it out at a second glance: his piece coordination is not good, with the two minor pieces on the kingside having little effect for the time being. 20.dxc5 bxc5 21.d4 And these two moves have certainly not helped White's cause. Nb4 22.Rc3 Kf7 But now Black misses 22...c4! paralyzing his opponent's position. 23.dxc5 e5 24.Nfd2 Ke6 25.f4 Nc6 Things look better for White, even though e6-e5 cleared the b8-square for the black rooks. 26.fxe5 fxe5 27.Nf3 Rcb8
28.Rb1? This passive move creates trouble for White once again. 28.Rd1! was better. 28...Rb4 29.Nbd2 Rxa4 30.e4 d4 31.Rc4 Ra2? This looks dangerous, but gives away the advantage. Black would have got a big advantage with 31...Rxc4! 32.Nxc4 Rb8 32.b3? With the sophisticated 32.Nb3! Rb8 33.Nbxd4+! White would have got better chances to fight for a draw. 32...Rb8 33.Kd1 Rb5 34.Rbc1 Rxc5 35.R1c2 Ra1+ 36.Rc1 Ra2 37.R1c2 Ra3 38.Ng5+ Kf6 39.Ngf3 Rxc4 40.Rxc4 Nc5 41.Kc2 Ra1
Black has an extra pawn and much better pieces: the knight on f3 and bishop on g3 are still quite passive. 42.Kb2 Rh1 43.b4 Nd3+ 44.Kb3 Ndxb4 45.Ka4 Ke6 46.Kb5 a4 47.Rxc6+ 47.Kxa4 Ra1+ 48.Kb5 leads to mate. 47...Nxc6 48.Kxc6 Rc1+ 49.Kb5 a3 50.Bxe5 Rc5+ 51.Ka4 Rxe5 52.Nxe5 a2 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Aronian,L2781Carlsen,M28470–12021D02New In Chess Classic KO 20212.2

So in the fourth game, Aronian desperately needed a win, which is never good at this level  — and even more difficult when the opponent is Carlsen. Aronian attacked vehemently from the start, but in the end that only led to Carlsen managing another unchallenged win.

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Nc6 4.0-0 Bd7 5.Re1 e5 6.c3 g5 7.d4 g4 8.Nfd2 exd4
Aronian needed to win this game, so he stormed ahead, but he ended up pushing way too hard. 9.Na3 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.cxd4 cxd4 11.Nc4 c5 12.e5 was also promising. 9...Qf6 10.cxd4 cxd4 11.e5 dxe5 12.Nac4 0-0-0 13.Bxc6 Bxc6 14.Nxe5 Bd5 Or 14...h5 15.Nxc6 Qxc6 16.Ne4 Kb8 17.Bf4+ Ka8 18.Rc1 with a strong attack. 15.Qxg4+ Qe6 16.Qxe6+ Bxe6 17.Ndf3 Bb4 18.Rd1 Rd5 19.Bf4 Bc5 20.Rac1 Kd8
White has a strong attack even without queens on the board. 21.Nxf7+ Bxf7 22.Be5 Ne7 23.Bxh8 And now White has gained material. Nc6 24.Rxc5 Rxc5 25.Nxd4 Kc7 26.Nxc6 Kxc6 27.a3
Carlsen, who only needed a draw anyway, easily converted this into a win. 27...Rd5 28.Rxd5 Kxd5 29.f3 Kc4 30.Kf2 Kd3 31.Bc3 b5 32.g4 a6 33.Kg3 Ke3 34.f4 Ke4 35.f5 h5 36.h3 hxg4 37.hxg4 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2847Aronian,L27811–02021B51New In Chess Classic KO 20212.2

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 Bf5 4.c4 e6 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxb7 Be4 7.Qxc7 Bb4+ 8.Nbd2 Qxc7 9.Bxc7 Ke7 10.e3 Rc8 11.Bg3 Bd5 12.Rc1 Nbd7 13.Ke2 c3 14.bxc3 Bxc3 15.Kd1 a5 16.Bd3 Bxa2 17.Rc2 Bd5 18.e4 Bb7 19.Ke2 Bb4 20.Rhc1 Rxc2 21.Rxc2 Rc8 22.Rxc8 Bxc8 23.Bb5 Bb7 24.Kd3 Kd8 25.Ng5 Bxd2 26.Nxf7+ Ke7 27.Nd6 Bxe4+ 28.Nxe4 Nxe4 29.Kxe4 Bb4 30.Bh4+ Nf6+ 31.Kd3 Bd6 32.h3 h6 33.Bxf6+ Kxf6 34.Ke4 g5 35.g4 Bc7 36.f3 Bb6 37.Ba4 Ke7 38.Bb3 Kd6 39.Ba4 Bd8 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Aronian,L2781Carlsen,M2847½–½2021D02NIC Classic KO 20212.1
Carlsen,M2847Aronian,L2781½–½2021C53NIC Classic KO 20212.2
Aronian,L2781Carlsen,M28470–12021D02NIC Classic KO 20212.3
Carlsen,M2847Aronian,L27811–02021B51NIC Classic KO 20212.4

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Nakamura* 0 - 3 Mamedyarov 

*Won the tiebreaker 2-1

In the second semifinal set against Shakriyar Mamedyarov, Hikaru Nakamura was initially unsuccessful after he had managed a clear 3-1 victory the day before. Already in the first game, Naka didn’t find the right defence in a queen endgame that what was actually equal. A clear chance for our endgame expert Karsten Müller to send instructive notes.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 0-0 5.Bg5 c5 6.Rc1 h6 7.Bh4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 d5 9.cxd5 g5 10.Bg3 Qxd5 11.e3 Qxa2 12.Bd3 Qxb2 13.0-0 Bxc3 14.Rc2 Qb4 15.Nb5 e5 16.Nxc3 Nc6 17.Qc1 Rd8 18.Rb2 Qc5 19.Bb1 Be6 20.Rb5 Qc4 21.Ba2 Qd3 22.Bxe6 fxe6 23.Rxb7 Rac8 24.Qa1 Rd7 25.Rbb1 Qg6 26.Rfc1 Qe8 27.h3 Rdd8 28.Qa4 Qg6 29.Nb5 Ne4 30.Nxa7 Nxa7 31.Qxa7 Nc3 32.Rb7 Ne2+ 33.Kh2 Nxg3 34.Rxc8 Nf1+ 35.Kg1 Rxc8 36.Rb8 Qe8 37.Rxc8 Qxc8 38.Kxf1 Qc1+ 39.Ke2 Qc6 40.Qb8+ Kf7 41.Qh8 e4 42.Qh7+ Ke8 43.Qg8+ Ke7 44.Qg7+ Ke8 45.Qb2 Qa6+ 46.Ke1 Kf7 47.g4 Qd3 48.Qd2 Qb5 49.Qc2 Qe5 50.Kf1 Qd5 51.Kg2 Qa8 52.Qc7+ Kg6 53.Qd7 Qd5 54.Qe8+ Kg7 55.Qe7+ Kg6 56.Qf8 The sharpest endgame weapon In queen endings mating motivs often appear out of the blue: Qb7?! This first step in the wrong direction. After the strong counterattack 56...Qd1 a draw can be agreed directly. 57.Qg8+ Kf6 58.Qe8! This strong move puts Black in zugzwang, which usually is the sharpest endgame weapon. Qf7 58...Qd5? runs into 59.Qf8+ Kg6 60.Qg8+ Kf6 61.Qh7+- 59.Qa8 Qg6? The queen is misplaced here. Black loses the e4 pawn sooner or later anyway, but then he should be able to defend, e.g. 59...Qh7 60.Qf8+ Kg6 61.Qb4 Qd7 62.Qxe4+ Kf6 63.h4 gxh4 64.Kh3 Qc7 65.Qg2 Qc1 66.Kxh4 Qb1 and with best defense Black should hold. 59...Qd7 is also playable. 60.Qf8+! Ke5?! Now White can even force mate in 2 moves. But Black is lost in any case, e.g. 60...Qf7 61.Qxh6+ Ke7 62.Qxg5++- 61.Qd8! There is no escape and so Nakamura resigned. 61.Qd8 Qf6 62.Qd4# 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Mamedyarov,S2770Nakamura,H27361–02021E21New In Chess Classic KO 20212.2

Shakh then also won games 2 and 3, so that the fourth game was no longer needed. The Azerbaijani had already made up for his defeat the day before.

Karsten Müller took a closer look on game 3, when an interesting duel of bishop against knight appeared on the board in the endgame.

 
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1.d4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.Nf3 a6 6.a4 Bg4 7.Be2 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 Nd7 9.0-0 Ngf6 10.Re1 0-0 11.h3 Ne8 12.a5 Nc7 13.Be2 Rb8 14.Bd2 Qc8 15.Na4 Nb5 16.c3 Qd8 17.Bf1 Re8 18.Rb1 e6 19.c4 Nd4 20.b4 Qc7 21.Bc3 exd5 22.cxd5 Rbd8 23.Rc1 Rc8 24.Ba1 Qd8 25.bxc5 dxc5 26.Nxc5 Rxc5 27.Rxc5 Nxc5 28.Bxd4 Bxd4 29.Qxd4 Qxa5 30.Re3 Nd7 31.e5 Qc5 32.Qxc5 Nxc5 33.f4 The knight wants control the bishop dynamics This is a typical guideline for such a duel: a5? This gives White dangerous dynamics. 33...Kf8! defends, e.g. 34.Rc3 b6 35.d6 a5 36.Bb5 Ra8 37.Bc6 Ra7 and Black has taken control over his defense. 34.Bb5 Ra8?! 34...Rf8!? was more tenacious but does not defend due to 35.f5 gxf5 36.e6 fxe6 37.dxe6 Nxe6 38.Rxe6+- 34...Re7?! 35.d6 Re6 36.Rc3 b6 37.Rxc5 bxc5 38.d7+- 35.e6 35.e6 fxe6 36.dxe6 Na6 37.e7 Nc7 38.e8Q+ Nxe8 39.Rxe8+ Rxe8 40.Bxe8+- 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Mamedyarov,S2770Nakamura,H27361–02021A43New In Chess Classic KO 20212.2

But there was a tiebreaker to be played still, and Nakamura is known to be one of the strongest blitz players in the world. Nonetheless, the first two games ended in draws. A final Armageddon game would decide the winner. Nakamura had black, so a draw would have been enough for him to enter the final. In that case, Naka would have reached the final without having won a single game on the second day of the semifinals — and he did not want that to happen. The Armageddon game was a clear-cut affair:

 
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1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.0-0 Be7 5.d3 0-0 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.e4 dxe4 8.dxe4 e5 9.c3 Be6 10.Qe2 a5 11.Rd1 Qc8 12.Nc4 Bg4 13.Ne3 Bc5 14.Nd5 Ne8 15.Be3 Bd6 16.Qc4 Kh8 17.Rd2 f6 18.Nh4 Ne7 19.Nxe7 Bxe7 20.Qf1
Up to this point Mamedyarov had had obtained small advantages, but now the pendulum is swinging tentatively in Black's favour. Objectively better was 20.Nf5 Bxf5 21.exf5 Nd6 22.Qe6 Nxf5 23.Qxc8 Raxc8 but this is not enough in a must-win situation. 24.Bxb7 20...Nd6 This knight has reached a good square. 21.h3 Be6 22.b3 a4 23.Rb1 axb3 24.axb3 g5! Naka goes on the attack! 25.Nf3 Nxe4 26.Rc2 At this point things looked really good for black, who only needed a draw. But, of course, in blitz you never know what's gonna happen. Nd6 27.Rcc1 Nf5 28.Bd2 Rd8 29.Re1 Bc5 30.Kh2 Ra2 31.Re2 Ra6 32.Nxg5?!
Things had played out well for Nakamura, so Mamedyarov finally felt compelled to make a desperate sacrifice. 32...fxg5 33.Bxg5 Be7 34.Bxe7 Nxe7 35.Rxe5 Ng6 36.Rb5 Rb6 37.Rh5 After 37.Rxb6 White could have fought for a draw, which, it cannot be said often enough, would have been completely useless. 37...Bg8 38.c4 Qe6 Naka thus made it into the finals of the New in Chess Classic. 39.Re1 Qf6 40.Re3 Rbd6 41.Be4 Re6 42.Qe2 Red6 43.Rf5 Qg7 44.Qf3 c6 45.h4 Ne5 46.Rxe5 Qxe5 47.Bxh7 Qf6 48.Bf5 Bf7 49.Re4 Rd4 50.Re3 Rf8 51.h5 Bxc4 52.g4 Be6 53.Qg3 Bxf5 54.gxf5 Qh4+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Mamedyarov,S2770Nakamura,H27360–12021A07New In Chess Classic KO 20212.2

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 0-0 5.Bg5 c5 6.Rc1 h6 7.Bh4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 d5 9.cxd5 g5 10.Bg3 Qxd5 11.e3 Qxa2 12.Bd3 Qxb2 13.0-0 Bxc3 14.Rc2 Qb4 15.Nb5 e5 16.Nxc3 Nc6 17.Qc1 Rd8 18.Rb2 Qc5 19.Bb1 Be6 20.Rb5 Qc4 21.Ba2 Qd3 22.Bxe6 fxe6 23.Rxb7 Rac8 24.Qa1 Rd7 25.Rbb1 Qg6 26.Rfc1 Qe8 27.h3 Rdd8 28.Qa4 Qg6 29.Nb5 Ne4 30.Nxa7 Nxa7 31.Qxa7 Nc3 32.Rb7 Ne2+ 33.Kh2 Nxg3 34.Rxc8 Nf1+ 35.Kg1 Rxc8 36.Rb8 Qe8 37.Rxc8 Qxc8 38.Kxf1 Qc1+ 39.Ke2 Qc6 40.Qb8+ Kf7 41.Qh8 e4 42.Qh7+ Ke8 43.Qg8+ Ke7 44.Qg7+ Ke8 45.Qb2 Qa6+ 46.Ke1 Kf7 47.g4 Qd3 48.Qd2 Qb5 49.Qc2 Qe5 50.Kf1 Qd5 51.Kg2 Qa8 52.Qc7+ Kg6 53.Qd7 Qd5 54.Qe8+ Kg7 55.Qe7+ Kg6 56.Qf8 Qb7 57.Qg8+ Kf6 58.Qe8 Qf7 59.Qa8 Qg6 60.Qf8+ Ke5 61.Qd8 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Mamedyarov,S2770Nakamura,H27361–02021E21NIC Classic KO 20212.1
Nakamura,H2736Mamedyarov,S27700–12021C80NIC Classic KO 20212.2
Mamedyarov,S2770Nakamura,H27361–02021B06NIC Classic KO 20212.3
Mamedyarov,S2770Nakamura,H2736½–½2021C67NIC Classic KO 20213.1
Nakamura,H2736Mamedyarov,S2770½–½2021C80NIC Classic KO 20213.2
Mamedyarov,S2770Nakamura,H27360–12021A07NIC Classic KO 20213.3

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Klaus Besenthal is computer scientist, has followed and still follows the chess scene avidly since 1972 and since then has also regularly played in tournaments.

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