5/31/2023 – The spectators were treated to an entertaining opening round of the Norway chess tournament and saw two surprises. Carlsen was defeated by Caruana. And the duel of the young stars was won by Gukesh against Firouzja. | Photos: Lennart Ootes
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The organising team in Stavanger around spiritus rector Kjell Madland have again put together a very interesting field for the 11th Norway Chess Tournament. The star of the event - world champion or not - is always Magnus Carlsen. At the Superbet Rapid and Blitz in Warsaw he once again showed who is boss - at least in blitz. And that was enough to win the event.
Let our authors show you how Carlsen tailored his openings to be able to outplay his opponents strategically in the middlegame or to obtain an enduring advantage into the endgame.
When did Carlsen last play a classical game? After the Tata Steel tournament, where he finished second behind Anish Giri, Carlsen made three more appearances for his club Offerspill in the Norwegian Elite Series in March. His last game as World Champion was against David Howell - a draw.
The game is now played again according to the Norway Chess formula: A draw is followed by an Armageddon game, with the winner receiving 1.5 points and the loser 1 point. A victory in the classical game is worth 3 points.
Round 1 of the 2023 Norway Chess Tournament is on!
In round 1 Carlsen played with Black against Fabiano Caruana. Five years ago the two played a match for the World Championship. It was Caruana's best time.
The Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest openings which continues to enjoy high popularity from club level to the absolute world top. In this video series, American super GM Fabiano Caruana, talking to IM Oliver Reeh, presents a complete repertoire for White.
With just one win in the World Championship match he would have overtaken Carlsen in the world rankings, so close was he to him. But all the games ended in draws and Caruana had no chance in the play-off.
In the World Championship match the Sicilian Sveshnikov was the big theme. In Stavanger Carlsen defended with the French Defence. In the Classical Variation, Carlsen was always slightly worse and under pressure. But eventually he lost the thread and Caruana managed to do what he had failed to do in the World Championship match. He won.
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Nf64.e5Nfd75.f4c56.Nf3Nc67.Be3a68.Ne2The main
line arises after8.Qd2b58...Qb69.Qc1Be710.c30-011.g3f611...a512.Qc2cxd413.Nexd4Nc514.Rb1Bd715.Be2Rac816.0-0Ne4=
1/2-1/2 (53) So,W (2770)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2792) chess24.com INT 202112.Bg212.Bh3cxd413.cxd413.Nexd413...fxe514.dxe5Bc515.Bd2Bf2+16.Kd1Nc517.Qc2Bd718.Ng5g619.Rf1Nd420.Qb1Ba4+21.b3Ncxb322.Rxf2Nxa1+23.Kc1Nxe2+24.Rxe2Rac8+0-1 (24) Vallejo Pons,F (2704)-Xu, Y (2555)
Moscow 201912...cxd413.cxd4Qa5+13...fxe514.fxe5Qb515.Nc3Qd316.Qd2Qxd2+17.Kxd2=1/2-1/2 (90) Le,Q (2713)-Bluebaum,M (2644) Moscow 201914.Nc314.Bd2Qd815.0-0Nb616.exf6Rxf617.b3Bd718.Ne5Nc819.f5Nb620.fxe6Nxe521.Rxf6Bb522.dxe5gxf623.Nd4fxe524.Nf5Be825.Ba5Bf626.Qc51-0 (26) Vallejo Pons,F (2705)-Danielsen,H (2542) Porto Carras
201114...Nb615.exf6Bxf616.b3Bd717.0-0Rac818.Qd2Be719.Ne2Qxd220.Bxd2
White has more space and the more comfortable position.20...Rc720...Ba3!?21.Rac1Rfc821...Bd6!?might have been more
careful. The text-move invites White to play...22.f5Ba322...exf523.Bf4+-23.Rce1Bb424.Bxb4Nxb425.fxe6Bxe626.Nf4Bf5
27.Ne5
Emphasising the loose position of the bishop on f5.g628.g4Be4After28...Bd7White has29.a3Nc230.Nxd7Rxd731.Re6and Black has problems
to coordinate his pieces.Rc632.Re8+Kg733.Ne6+Kh634.g5+Kh535.Bf3++-29.Bxe4dxe430.a3?!N4d530...Nc231.Rxe4Re7=31.Rxe4
31...Rc3?After31...Nxf432.Rexf4Nd533.R4f3Rc3White is a pawn up, but
still has a lot of work to do to win.32.Nd7Rxb3?32...Nxd733.Nxd5Rxb334.Ne7++-Necessary was32...Rc133.Nxb6Nxb634.g5Rxf1+35.Kxf1though White is clearly better.33.Nxd5Nxd534.Re5Nc334...Ne335.Nf6+Kg735...Kh836.Re7with mate to follow.36.Re7+Kh637.Rxh7+Kg538.h4#35.Nf6+1–0
Robert Ris analyses
When Gukesh watched the 2018 World Championship match, he was just 12 years old, while his opponent of round 1, Alireza Firouzja, was 15. The game of the two young stars saw an Italian that for a long time was even (though rather complicated). But then Firouzja, who was in terrible time trouble (20 seconds for 9 moves without increment), overlooked a venomous counter.
In this Fritztrainer: “Attack like a Super GM” with Gukesh we touch upon all aspects of his play, with special emphasis on how you can become a better attacking player.
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Bc54.d3Nf65.0-0d66.c3h67.Nbd2a58.Re10-09.Nf1a410.Bb5a311.b4Bb612.Bc412.Be3Bxe313.Nxe3Ne714.Ba4Ng615.Bb3Re8=1/2-1/2 (107)
Mishra,A (2553)-Hong,A (2504) Saint Louis 202212...Ne713.Ng313.Be3Bxe314.Nxe3c615.Bb3Ng6=0-1 (43) Van Foreest,L (2500)-Anton Guijarro,
D (2642) Skopje 201813...Ng614.h3c615.Bb3d5=16.exd5Nxd517.Bd2Be618.Nh5Bc718...Nde7!?19.Bxe6fxe6=19.d4exd4
20.Nxd4
Firouzja refrains from20.Bxh6!?gxh620...Ndf421.Bxf4Bxb322.Qxb3Nxf423.Nxf4Bxf424.Nxd4and White is a pawn up.24.Re4!?21.Qxd4+-20...Qd621.Ng3Rad822.Nxe6fxe623.Qg4Ne5=24.Qe2Nxb425.Bg5An in-between move to worsen Black's pawn structure.25.cxb4Qxd226.Qxd2Rxd225...hxg526.cxb4g627.Rad1Qxb428.Bxe6+?White has no time
to snap this pawn because Black has a powerful attack.28.Ne4=28...Kh829.Rb1?Relatively best was29.Rxd8Rxd830.Bb3Rd231.Qe4Qc532.Re2Rb2though Black is clearly better here.29...Qf4White is in serious
trouble.30.Rxb7Nd331.Rd1
31...Nc1Nice! White's queen is overloaded.32.Rxc1Qxc1+33.Kh2Rd234.Qe4Rfxf235.Rxc7Rxg2+36.Qxg2Rxg2+37.Kxg2Qd2+37...Qd2+38.Kh1Qe1+39.Kg2Qxe6-+0–1
D. Gukesh
The winner of the Norway Chess Blitz tournament was Nodirbek Abdusattorov, born in 2004, one year later than Firouzja. The Uzbek has already won a world championship title, in 2021 in rapid chess. He started the tournament today against former prodigy Anish Giri. The classic game between the two ended in a draw. Giri won the Armageddon.
The "senior duel" in the first round was played by Wesley So (b. 1993) and Hikaru Nakamura (b. 1987). Again, the classical game ended in a draw. So won the Armageddon.
Wesley So published two new opening DVDs: 1.b3, the so called Nimzo-Larsen-Attack, for White and his black secrets in the modern Italian. Get them in a package and save money!
Despite his loss in Armageddon, Nakamura analysed the game in his GMHikaru stream:
At 36, Nakamura is only the second oldest player in the tournament. Shahriyar Mamedyarov (b. 1985) has taken on the role of the tournament's Methuselah. The Azeri was up against the second Norwegian in the field, Aryan Tari. Tari is the local hero, born in Stavanger in 1999. The classical game ended in a draw but the nimble Mamedyarov won the Armageddon.
In this 60-minute course, IM Andrew Martin introduces you to a flexible and refreshingly simple opening setup - that Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has used to rack up numerous impressive wins.
If you are looking for a practical, easy-to-learn system to sidestep the main lines and catch your opponent off guard, the Two Knights Variation is your perfect weapon against the French!
ChessBase is re-releasing this timeless classic in the modern ChessBase Media format - complete with brand-new training features. Get ready to rediscover a masterpiece of chess instruction!
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