Norway Chess: So beats Carlsen in Armageddon, Anand leads

by André Schulz
6/2/2022 – Viswananathan Anand is the man of the hour. He got his second three-point win at the Norway Chess tournament on Wednesday, as he beat Veselin Topalov and now leads the standings table with 6 points. Wesley So won in Armageddon after drawing his classical encounter against Magnus Carlsen. | Photos: Norway Chess
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For the opening of the second round of the Norway Chess Tournament, the organizers invited representatives of the tournament’s partners. The five VIPs played symbolic first moves on the five boards: Monica Runestad from 2020 Park for Teymur Rajabov, Ole Morten Dreyer from Dreyer Bolig AS for Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Morten Viksoy from Reiten &Co for Wesley So, Snorre Ellefsen from Sparebanke 1 SR - Bank for Veselin Topalov and Espen Ydstebo from Base Group for Wang Hao.

Wesley So, one of the two 3-0 winners from the first round, alongside Anand, faced Magnus Carlsen in round 2.

The world champion had previously posted pictures of his preparation for the second round.

Refreshed by this excursion, Carlsen played the Meran Variation in the Slav Defence, but Wesley So avoided his offer with a calmer move (6.Qc2). After most of the pieces were exchanged, the game quickly withered down to a draw in an endgame with rook and bishop.

In contrast, the subsequent Armageddon game was much more entertaining. In a sharp variation of the Italian Game, first So, then Carlsen had very good winning chances. Finally, a carelless move in the ending decided the game.

 
So, Wesley27661–0Carlsen, Magnus2864
10th Norway Chess 2022
Stavanger01.06.2022
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bg5 An old rule says that one should not place the bishop on g5 if Black hasn't yet castled, because after h6 the bishop either has to be exchanged or is pushed away with g5 and Black can also start an attack on the kingside. But White has not castled here either. h6 6.Bh4 d6 7.c3 a6 8.a4 Ba7 9.Nbd2 Qe7 10.0-0 g5 11.Bg3 Nh7 12.b4 Nf8 13.b5 So knows the position from the other side as well: 13.d4 Ng6 14.b5 Na5 15.h3 h5 1/2-1/2 (72) Firouzja,A (2759)-So,W (2770) Paris 2021 13...Na5 So far, everything has been seen before. Na5 is a new move. 13...Nd8 14.d4 Ng6 15.h3 h5 16.Bd5 c6 17.Bb3 g4 18.hxg4 Bxg4 19.Qb1 Rc8 20.bxa6 bxa6 21.Qd3 h4 22.Bh2 Ne6 23.Bd1 Nef4 24.Qxa6 0-0 25.Nxe5 dxe5 26.Bxg4 Qg5 27.Bf3 Ra8 28.Qc4 Nxg2 29.Kh1 Qxd2 30.Rad1 Ne3 31.fxe3 Qxe3 32.Rd3 Qh6 33.Bg4 Rae8 34.Rdf3 Re7 35.Bf5 Nf4 36.Bxf4 exf4 37.Rxf4 Rb8 38.Rg4+ Kf8 39.Bg6 Rbb7 40.Qxc6 Qe3 41.Rxh4 1-0 (41) Dominguez Perez,L (2763)-Grischuk,A (2759) Khanty-Mansiysk 2019 14.Bd5 c6 14...h5!? 15.Ba2 Ng6 The b5 pawn is not hanging. 15...axb5 16.axb5 cxb5? 17.Bxf7+ Kxf7 18.Rxa5 Or is it? Bxf2+ 19.Rxf2 Rxa5 20.Nxe5+ No! Kg8 21.Nf7 Rh7 22.Bxd6 Qe8 23.Nxh6+ Rxh6 24.Rxf8+ 16.Rb1 axb5 17.axb5 cxb5 18.Rxb5 Nc6 19.Bd5 Nach 19.Nc4 g4 ist 20.Nh4!? Black stands well after 20.Nfd2?! h5 21.Rd5 Bb8 20...Nxh4 21.Bxh4 Qxh4 22.Nxd6+ is interesting: Kd7 Or 22...Kf8 23.Nxc8 Rxc8 24.Rxb7 23.Nxc8 Kxc8 24.g3 Qg5 25.d4 with a more unclear situation. 19...h5 19...g4!? 20.Ne1 h5 20.h3 g4 21.hxg4 hxg4 22.Nh2 Nf4
23.d4?! Exciting and good here was 23.Nc4!? Nh5 and now: 24.Bxc6+! Kd8! Black cannot retake on c6: 24...bxc6 because of: 25.Nxd6+ Qxd6 and now follows the very ugly 26.Rxe5++- 25.d4 But not 25.Bd5? Nxg3 26.d4 Bxd4 27.cxd4 Ne2+ 28.Qxe2 28.Kh1 Rxh2+ 29.Kxh2 Qh4# 28...Qh4 and White loses. 25...bxc6 26.Ra5 26.Nxd6? Nxg3-+ 26...Nxg3 27.fxg3 exd4 27...Qg5 28.Qa4 Qh5 29.Nxg4 28.cxd4 Qe6 with chances for both sides in a sizzling position. 23...Nh5 The threat is Nxg3 fxg3 and then Nxd4. 24.Nb3 Nd8? Losing a tempo Much stronger was 24...Nxg3 25.fxg3 Qg5 26.Re1 Qg7 with strong pressure against d4, e.g.: 27.Bxc6+ bxc6 28.Ra5 28.Rb4 exd4 29.cxd4 Be6 30.Nc1 c5-+ 28...exd4 29.cxd4 Bxd4+-+ 25.Ra5 Nxg3 26.fxg3 Qg5 27.Re1 Nc6 Now the knight comes back ruefully, but the black advantage is now gone. 28.Bxc6+ bxc6 29.Qa1 Rb8 30.Rxa7 Rxb3 31.Qa2 Rb7 32.Rxb7 Bxb7 33.Qa7 Bc8 34.Qc7 0-0 35.Nf1 exd4 36.cxd4 Qf6 37.Rd1 c5 Black gives up a pawn for activity. 37...d5 38.exd5 cxd5 39.Ne3 Be6= 38.dxc5 dxc5 39.Qxc5 Be6 40.Ne3 Rc8 41.Qd6 Qg5 42.Qf4
42...Qc5? A careless move that costs the game. Necessary was 42...f6 43.Qxg5+ fxg5= Or 42...Qxf4 43.gxf4 g3 44.Kf1 Bc4+ 45.Ke1 45.Nxc4 Rxc4 46.Re1 Rc2= 45...Ba6 with good drawing chances. 43.e5 Decisively blocks the black queen's path to g5. Ra8 44.Qg5+ Kh7 44...Kf8 45.Kh2 and the black king is defenceless against White's attack. 45.Kh2 Rg8 46.Qh4+ Kg7 47.Nf5+ Bxf5 48.Qf6+ Kh7 49.Qxf5+ Kg7 50.Qf6+ Black is lost 1–0

Wesley So got an extra half point after winning the tiebreak.

Magnus Carlsen lost the Armageddon decider

Next up, the game between Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in the Schara-Henning Gambit ended in a draw on move 30. In the following Armageddon game, Vachier-Lagrave gained the upper hand out of a Pertoff Defence and converted his extra pawn into a win in a minor-piece endgame.

The Schara-Henning Gambit also appeared on the board in the encounter between Teimour Radjabov and Aryan Tari. After an early exchange of queens, a popular endgame emerged. The Azerbaijani won the tiebreaker.

The game between Wang Hao and Anish Giri also ended without a winner. In a variation of the Najdorf Defence, Giri improved on a predecessor game and sacrificed an exchange on move 22. The ensuing complications ended in perpetual check.

 
Wang, Hao2744½–½Giri, Anish2761
10th Norway Chess 2022
Stavanger01.06.2022[Schulz,A]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Be3 Be6 9.f4 exf4 10.Bxf4 Nc6 11.Qe2 Ne5 12.0-0-0 Nfd7 13.Kb1 Rc8 14.Qe3 0-0 15.g4 Re8 16.Nd4 Qa5 17.a3 b5 18.Nf5 b4 19.axb4 Qxb4 20.Qd4 Qa5 21.Nxe7+ Rxe7 22.Qxd6
22...Rxc3!? Giri's move is a novelty compared to 22...Ree8 23.Nd5 Qa4 24.Rh2 Bxd5 25.Qxd5 Nf6 26.Qb3 Qxe4 27.Bxe5 Qxe5 28.Re2 Ne4 29.Qd5 Qf4 30.Ka1 g6 31.Rde1 Rc5 32.Qxc5 Nxc5 33.Rxe8+ Kg7 34.R8e3 Qd4 35.Kb1 Na4 36.Rb3 Nc5 37.Ra3 Na4 38.Rb3 Nc5 39.Ra3 Na4 1/2-1/2 (39) Yu,Y (2704)-Vachier Lagrave, M (2763) Riga 2021 23.Bxe5 23.bxc3 is also playable: Re8 24.Bxe5 Nxe5 25.Qb4 Qa2+ 26.Kc1= 23...Ba2+ 24.Kc1 Rxc2+ 25.Kxc2 Rxe5 26.Bc4 26.Qxd7 Qc5+ 27.Kd3 Qc4+ 28.Ke3 Qxe4+ 29.Kf2 Qe3+ 30.Kg2 Qe4+ 31.Kf2 Qf4+ 32.Kg2 Qe4+ with perpetual check. 26...Rc5 27.Qxd7 Rxc4+ 28.Kd3 h6 29.Rc1 Qb4 30.Rxc4 Bxc4+ 31.Kc2 Bb3+ 32.Kd3 Bc4+ ½–½

The half-point in the Armageddon game went to Anish Giri.

In the fifth game, Anand and Topalov, the two opponents from the 2010 World Championship match, faced each other.

With the black pieces, Anand held the gambit pawn for a while in a Queen’s Gambit Accepted. He then lost it and even gave up another one in the middlegame. For the material disadvantage, Anand got good piece play. Topalov spent too long trying to figure out all the intricacies of the position, and finally lost on time.

 
Topalov, Veselin27300–1Anand, Viswanathan2751
10th Norway Chess 2022
Stavanger01.06.2022[Schulz,A]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 b5 Every beginner's book says that you cannot and should not defend the pawn. But many old doctrines do not survive engines' verification. 4.a4 c6 5.Nc3 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Nc3 is perhaps more accurate. 5...b4 6.Nb1 Ba6= 7.Qc2 Qxd4 8.Nf3 Qd7 9.Bxc4 Bxc4 10.Qxc4 e6 11.Be3 Nf6 12.Nbd2 Be7 13.0-0 0-0 14.Rfd1 c5 15.Bxc5 Rc8 16.Nb3 Qc7 17.Qb5 a6 18.Qxb4
Black is now a pawn down, his pieces are coming alive. 18...Nc6 19.Qe1 Rab8 20.Bxe7 Qxe7 21.Nfd2 Qb4 22.Qe2 Nd4 23.Nxd4 Qxd4 24.b3 h6 25.Ra2 a5 26.h3= Qb4 27.Qe1 Rc3 28.Rb2 White is very passive and is bound to the defence of his pawns. Rd8 29.Rdb1 29.Rc1= 29...Nd7 30.Qe2 Rb8 31.Rd1 Nc5 32.Rbb1 Rd3 33.e5 Rd5 34.Nc4 Rxd1+ 35.Qxd1 Nxa4 Recapturing the lost pawn, but nothing more. 36.Ra1 Nc3 37.Qd6 37.Qd6 Qxb3 38.Nxa5 Qb2 39.Rf1 Nd5= 0–1

Standings after round 2

  Name Points
1 Viswanathan Anand 6
2 Wesley So 4½
3 Anish Giri 3
4 Magnus Carlsen 2½
5 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 2½
6 Wang Hao 2
7 Aryan Tari 2
8 Teimour Radjabov 1½
9 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 1½
10 Veselin Topalov 1

All games

 
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1.Nf3 4 d5 25 2.g3 16 Nd7 3:39 3.d4 1:11 Nb6 3 4.b3 9:13 Bf5 1:16
5.Nh4N 6:23 Predecessor: 5.Ba3 h6 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.0-0 g5 8.c4 Bg7 9.Nc3 Ne4 10.Rc1 c6 11.cxd5 Nxc3 12.Rxc3 Nxd5 0-1 (46) Demidov,M (2551)-Khusnutdinov,R (2484) Chess.com INT 2021 5...e6 19:00 6.Nxf5 40 D02: 1 d4 d5 2 Nf3 sidelines, including 2...Nf6 3 g3 and 2...Nf6 3 Bf4. exf5 6 7.Qd3 2:16 g6 1:32 8.Bg2 1:16 White is slightly better. Nf6 1:37 9.0-0 3:22 Be7 7:23 10.c4 7:05 c6 57 11.Bh6 5:59 Bf8 8:50 12.Bg5 1:53 Black must now prevent Qe3+. A strong pair of Bishops. Be7 33 13.a4 6:26 a5 30:42 14.Nc3 3:50 0-0 2:41 15.Bxf6 36 White is more active. 15.Rfc1 seems wilder. Qc8 16.e3 Rd8 17.h4 15...Bxf6 7 16.cxd5 13 Nxd5 5 17.Nxd5 5:40 cxd5 14 18.e3 27 18.Rfc1± 18...Qd7! 28 19.Qb5 33 Rfd8 39 20.Rfc1 56 Be7! 37 Inhibits Rc5. 21.Rc2 37 21.Qb6!? 21...Kg7 3:14 22.Qb6 10:26 Qe6 2:56 23.Qb5 1:36 Qd7 3:04 Inhibits Rc7. 24.Qf1 5:30 Ra6 3:09 25.Bf3 4:53 Rb6 2:46 Prevents Qb5. 26.Qd3 23 Qe6 44 27.Kg2 38 h5 31 28.h4 8 Bb4 36 29.Kg1 2:12 Be7 20 30.Rb1 8 Bb4 23 31.Qf1 29 Rc6 2:45 32.Rxc6 1:54 bxc6 44 33.Rc1 20       Rd6 4:12 34.Kg2 1:03 Qe7 1:03 35.Qa6 2:20 c5 13 36.Qd3 10 cxd4 7 37.Qxd4+ 30 Qf6 5 38.Rc7 11 Qxd4 49 The position is equal. 39.exd4= 2       Endgame KRB-KRB Kf6 39 40.Rb7 0 Ke6 28 41.Rb5 2:01 Rd8 2:34 42.Kf1 0 Rd6 6 43.Ke2 6 Rd8 4 44.Rb7 14 Bc3 1:49 45.Kd3 34 Be1 9 46.Ke3 10 Bb4 32 47.Rb5 51 Weighted Error Value: White=0.06 (flawless) /Black=0.04 (flawless) ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2864Wang,H2744½–½2022D0210th Norway Chess 20221.1
Mamedyarov,S2770Tari,A2654½–½2022E3910th Norway Chess 20221.1
So,W2766Radjabov,T27531–02022C5410th Norway Chess 20221.1
Giri,A2761Topalov,V2730½–½2022E1110th Norway Chess 20221.1
Anand,V2751Vachier-Lagrave,M27501–02022B5210th Norway Chess 20221.1
Carlsen,M2864Wang,H27441–02022E0510th Norway Chess 20221.2
Mamedyarov,S2770Tari,A26541–02022D3710th Norway Chess 20221.2
Giri,A2761Topalov,V27301–02022E1110th Norway Chess 20221.2
Mamedyarov,S2770Tari,A2654½–½2022E3910th Norway Chess 20221.5
So,W2766Carlsen,M2864½–½2022D4610th Norway Chess 20222.1
Radjabov,T2753Tari,A2654½–½2022D4110th Norway Chess 20222.1
Vachier-Lagrave,M2750Mamedyarov,S2770½–½2022D5010th Norway Chess 20222.1
Wang,H2744Giri,A2761½–½2022B9010th Norway Chess 20222.1
Topalov,V2730Anand,V27510–12022D1010th Norway Chess 20222.1
So,W2766Carlsen,M28641–02022C5410th Norway Chess 20222.2
Radjabov,T2753Tari,A26541–02022E2010th Norway Chess 20222.2
Vachier-Lagrave,M2750Mamedyarov,S27701–02022C4210th Norway Chess 20222.2
Wang,H2744Giri,A2761½–½2022B9010th Norway Chess 20222.2
Carlsen,M2864Radjabov,T27531–02022E0510th Norway Chess 20223.1
Mamedyarov,S2770Topalov,V2730½–½2022D1110th Norway Chess 20223.1
Giri,A2761So,W2766½–½2022E3610th Norway Chess 20223.1
Anand,V2751Wang,H2744½–½2022B3310th Norway Chess 20223.1
Tari,A2654Vachier-Lagrave,M27500–12022B5210th Norway Chess 20223.1
Mamedyarov,S2770Topalov,V27301–02022E1610th Norway Chess 20223.2
Giri,A2761So,W2766½–½2022C6510th Norway Chess 20223.2
Anand,V2751Wang,H27441–02022B3110th Norway Chess 20223.2
Carlsen,M2864Giri,A27611–02022D5010th Norway Chess 20224.1
So,W2766Anand,V2751½–½2022A3710th Norway Chess 20224.1
Radjabov,T2753Vachier-Lagrave,M2750½–½2022D8510th Norway Chess 20224.1
Wang,H2744Mamedyarov,S27700–12022C8310th Norway Chess 20224.1
Topalov,V2730Tari,A2654½–½2022C5010th Norway Chess 20224.1
So,W2766Anand,V27511–02022A3610th Norway Chess 20224.2
Radjabov,T2753Vachier-Lagrave,M27501–02022D2710th Norway Chess 20224.2
Topalov,V2730Tari,A26541–02022C5010th Norway Chess 20224.2
Mamedyarov,S2770So,W2766½–½2022D5010th Norway Chess 20225.1
Giri,A2761Radjabov,T27531–02022C5410th Norway Chess 20225.1
Anand,V2751Carlsen,M2864½–½2022C5510th Norway Chess 20225.1
Vachier-Lagrave,M2750Topalov,V2730½–½2022C5410th Norway Chess 20225.1
Tari,A2654Wang,H27441–02022C5510th Norway Chess 20225.1
Mamedyarov,S2770So,W27661–02022A1310th Norway Chess 20225.2
Anand,V2751Carlsen,M28641–02022C5010th Norway Chess 20225.2
Vachier-Lagrave,M2750Topalov,V27301–02022C6710th Norway Chess 20225.2
Carlsen,M2864Mamedyarov,S27701–02022D7810th Norway Chess 20226.1
Radjabov,T2753Topalov,V2730½–½2022E3610th Norway Chess 20226.1
So,W2766Tari,A2654½–½2022C5410th Norway Chess 20226.2
Giri,A2761Anand,V2751½–½2022A3410th Norway Chess 20226.2
Radjabov,T2753Topalov,V2730½–½2022D4310th Norway Chess 20226.2
Wang,H2744Vachier-Lagrave,M27500–12022A4810th Norway Chess 20226.2
Tari,A2654Carlsen,M2864½–½2022C4710th Norway Chess 20227.1
Mamedyarov,S2770Giri,A27611–02022E9410th Norway Chess 20227.2
Anand,V2751Radjabov,T27531–02022C5410th Norway Chess 20227.2
Vachier-Lagrave,M2750So,W27661–02022C6710th Norway Chess 20227.2
Topalov,V2730Wang,H2744½–½2022B3310th Norway Chess 20227.2
Tari,A2654Carlsen,M28641–02022B0010th Norway Chess 20227.2
Carlsen,M2864Vachier-Lagrave,M2750½–½2022D8510th Norway Chess 20228.1
So,W2766Topalov,V2730½–½2022C6710th Norway Chess 20228.1
Giri,A2761Tari,A26541–02022D0210th Norway Chess 20228.1
Radjabov,T2753Wang,H2744½–½2022C4310th Norway Chess 20228.1
Anand,V2751Mamedyarov,S27700–12022C4210th Norway Chess 20228.1
Carlsen,M2864Vachier-Lagrave,M27501–02022D8510th Norway Chess 20228.2
So,W2766Topalov,V27300–12022A3610th Norway Chess 20228.2
Radjabov,T2753Wang,H27441–02022C4810th Norway Chess 20228.2
Mamedyarov,S2770Radjabov,T2753½–½2022E1110th Norway Chess 20229.1
Vachier-Lagrave,M2750Giri,A2761½–½2022B3010th Norway Chess 20229.1
Wang,H2744So,W2766½–½2022C6710th Norway Chess 20229.1
Topalov,V2730Carlsen,M2864½–½2022C5410th Norway Chess 20229.1
Tari,A2654Anand,V2751½–½2022C8310th Norway Chess 20229.1
Mamedyarov,S2770Radjabov,T2753½–½2022A1310th Norway Chess 20229.2
Vachier-Lagrave,M2750Giri,A27611–02022B5310th Norway Chess 20229.2
Wang,H2744So,W2766½–½2022E2910th Norway Chess 20229.2
Topalov,V2730Carlsen,M2864½–½2022C5410th Norway Chess 20229.2
Tari,A2654Anand,V27510–12022C5010th Norway Chess 20229.2

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