Norway Chess, Round 1: Five draws, five times Armageddon

by Johannes Fischer
6/5/2019 – The experiment has started. If two players draw their classical game at the Altibox Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger they have to go into Armageddon-overtime: White has ten minutes, Black has seven, no increment before move 60, and White has to win. Round 1 of the Altibox tournament brought five fine draws in classical chess, five exciting Armageddon games and a wild blitz battle. | Picture: Alexander Grischuk | Photo: Lennart Ootes

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Altibox Norway Chess, Round 1

In chess, three results are possible: White wins, Black wins or the game is a draw. In today's top tournaments the last result is the most common but it is also the most unpopular because games without winners and losers are often considered to be uninteresting and boring. Thus, there have always been attempts to reduce the number of draws and the wish to have a decision in each and every encounter led the organisers of the Altibox Norway Chess Tournament in Stavanger resort to Armageddon, blitz games in which Black has less time on the clock but only needs to draw the game to win the encounter.

Traditionally, in chess a win is rewarded with a full point, after a draw the point is split, and losing a game brings you zero points. At the Altibox tournament the winner of the classical game is rewarded with two points while the loser still gets nothing. However, a draw yields half a point – and chances for more. Thanks to Armageddon.

The new mode can be troubling. | Picture: Fabiano Caruana | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Because the winner of the Armageddon game that follows after a draw in the classical games chalks up another point. That is, drawing the classical game and winning the Armageddon game gives you 1½ of possible 2 points.

Time will tell whether this mode of play will become popular, whether it is fair or whether the Armageddon mode (10 minutes for White, 7 for Black) they chose in Norway favours White or Black, and how the Armageddon tiebreak will affect strategy and game plans in the classical games. But in round 1 of Norway Chess 2019 the Armageddon mode led to interesting classical and exciting blitz games. The five classical offered a lot of fine positional and tactical nucances but brought no decisive results. The Armageddon games were more robust.

Results of round 1 (classical games)

NameRtg.Nt.Pts.Pts.NameRtgNt.
2875
0
½-½
0
2767
2774
0
½-½
0
2819
2805
0
½-½
0
2754
2779
0
½-½
0
2738
2752
0
½-½
0
2775

The Romanian Grandmaster Constantin Lupulescu, winner of the strong Reykjavik Open 2019, took a closer look at four of the classical games.

 
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1.c4 c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.d3 d6 6.Qd2 This strange move already occurred in 38 games according to my database. It is the kind of move you can explain to kids by saying "super grandmasters can do it." White's idea is to prepare the development of his dark squared B on b2 while keeping options on the kingside. Qd7 Black reckons that if White can play like this he is also allowed to do the same 7.b3 b6 8.Bb2 Bb7 continuing the "imitation game" 9.Nd5 White has probably had enough of Black's mirroring his moves and he dares him to continue it e5 9...Nd4 would not end well for Black after the ridiculous variation 10.e3 e6 11.Nf4 Nf5 12.g4± 10.f4 a sensible plan to disturb the balance 10.e4 Nd4 and we are back into copycat mode 10...Nge7 11.e4 Nxd5 12.cxd5 Nd4 13.Nf3 Nxf3+ 14.Bxf3 after 12.cd5 White has at least managed to place a foot soldier in the enemy's territory. However, considering the all N swap Black doesn't have problems with space. Qe7 15.h4 White is eager to open the h file 15.0-0 was another sensible plan 0-0 16.f5 looks a bit dangerous for Black alhough he has his resources gxf5 16...a5 17.Bg4 a4 18.Qf2 Qe8 19.f6 Bh8 with a "complex" evaluation it's one of the lines where you still feel there could still be some hopes in a human vs machine fight 17.exf5 Qf6 18.Be4 Bh6 19.Qe2 Kh8 20.Rf2 Rg8 White seems easier to play but also Black is quite solid 15...f5! although Black had other options I like this principled approach 16.h5 continuing his idea but it seems like White overplayed his hand 16.0-0-0 was more natural with a likely transposition to the game after 0-0-0 17.h5 16...0-0-0 16...exf4! could have tried to take advantage of White's innacuracy 17.gxf4 17.0-0-0 fxg3 18.hxg6 18.exf5? Bxb2+ 19.Qxb2 0-0-0-+ 18...0-0-0 19.gxh7 Rxh7 20.Rxh7 Bxb2+ 21.Qxb2 Qxh7 and again White needs to be careful 17...fxe4 18.Bxe4! the compliant 18.dxe4 gives Black an advantage Bxb2 19.Qxb2 Rf8 20.hxg6 hxg6 21.Qd2 21.0-0-0 Rxf4 22.Rh8+ Kd7 21...0-0-0 22.0-0-0 Qf6 23.Kc2 Qxf4 24.Qxf4 Rxf4 18...Bxd5 19.0-0-0 Bxe4 20.dxe4 0-0-0 21.hxg6 hxg6 22.Rxh8 Bxh8 23.Bxh8 Rxh8 24.Qxd6 Qxe4 25.Qd7+ Kb8 26.Qd6+ Kb7 27.Qd5+ with a teoretical draw after the g and f pawns are swapped 17.0-0-0 Bb7 looks like a clumsy piece but at least is keeping the Black K protected exf4 18.gxf4 Bxb2+ 19.Qxb2 Rhf8 White has more pawns in the centre but also more potential weaknesses 20.Rde1 Qf7 21.Rh4 Qe7 21...fxe4!? 22.dxe4 Qe7 23.Qf2 luring the White Q away from the queenside was worth mentioning 23.Reh1? g5 is Black's point 22.Rhh1 Qf7 23.Ref1 the position is level but Aronian decides to play on Kb8 23...fxe4? 24.Bg4+ Kb8 25.Be6 would be playing into White's hands 24.Rhg1 fxe4 forcing simplifications 25.Bxe4 Bxd5 26.hxg6 hxg6 27.Bxg6 Qf6 28.f5 Rd7 29.Qxf6 Rxf6 30.Bh5 Kc7 White has no way to remove Black's blockade on f6 31.Rg6 Rdf7 32.Rxf6 Rxf6 33.Bg6 Kd7 34.Kd2 Rf8 35.d4 A very original game that still couldn't help the players from reaching the 5th Armageddon of the round. ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Aronian,L-Grischuk,A-½–½2019A361
Carlsen,M-Anand,V-½–½2019D391
Ding,L-So,W-½–½2019E041
Mamedyarov,S-Caruana,F-½–½2019A281
Vachier Lagrave,M2779Yu,Y2738½–½2019C427th Altibox Norway Chess 20191.4

These five draws led to five Armageddon games in round 1. The colours did not change, that is, Carlsen had White against Anand in the classical game and he also had White in the Armageddon game. And he played a fine strategic game in which an advance on the queenside culminated in a mating attack on the kingside.

M. Carlsen 1-0 V. Anand

 
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1.e41,157,09954%2422---
1.d4940,74255%2434---
1.Nf3279,27256%2441---
1.c4180,87056%2443---
1.g319,62256%2427---
1.b314,03354%2427---
1.f45,81948%2377---
1.Nc33,70851%2384---
1.b41,73148%2378---
1.a31,17753%2402---
1.e31,05448%2407---
1.d392750%2376---
1.g464846%2360---
1.h443852%2371---
1.c341851%2423---
1.h326055%2413---
1.a410159%2476---
1.Nh38866%2510---
1.f38247%2435---
1.Na33862%2477---
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 3.Nd5 Be7 4.d4 exd4 5.Qxd4 Nf6 6.Nxe7 Qxe7 7.Bg5 Nc6 8.Qc3 Ne5 9.Nf3 d6 10.e3 h6 11.Bh4 g5 12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Bg3 Nd7 14.h4 g4 15.c5 h5 16.Rc1 c6 17.Bd3 0-0 18.0-0 Re8 19.Rfd1 Nf6 20.Bb1 Nd5 21.Qc2 e4 22.Rd4 f5 23.a3 Be6 24.Rcd1 Rad8 25.Ba2 Rd7 26.b4 a6 27.a4 Red8 28.b5 axb5 29.axb5 Nf6 30.Rd6 Bxa2 31.Qxa2+ Qf7 32.Qa5 Rxd6 33.cxd6 Qd7 34.bxc6 bxc6 35.Rb1 Rf8 36.Qc7 Rf7 37.Rb8+ Kh7 38.Be5 Nd5 39.Rh8+ Kg6 40.Qb8 Nf6 41.Bxf6 Kxf6 42.Rh6+ Ke5 43.Qh8+ 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2875Anand,V27671–02019A217th Altibox Norway Chess Armageddon 20191.1

Magnus Carlsen vs Vishy Anand | Photo: Lennart Ootes

S. Mamedyarov 1-0 F. Caruana

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Fabiano Caruana played an interesting game filled with tactical and positional ideas. Right from the opening Mamedyarov put his hopes on the attack and this strategy turned out to be a success.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 e6 3.e4 h6 4.Bxf6 Qxf6 5.c3 d5 6.Qe2 dxe4 7.Qxe4 Bd6 8.Nf3 0-0 9.Bd3 g6 10.Nbd2 Nd7 11.Nc4 Qe7 12.0-0-0 Nf6 13.Qe2 c5 14.Kb1 cxd4 15.Nxd4 Bc7 16.Rde1 Kg7 17.g3 Rd8 18.f4 Qc5 19.Ne5 Bxe5 20.fxe5 Nd5 21.Qf2 Qe7 22.h4 Bd7 23.h5 g5 24.Qe2 Rac8 25.Ka1 a5 26.Rhf1 a4 27.c4 Nb4 28.Bb1 a3 29.bxa3 Na6 30.Rf6 Rh8 31.Ref1 Be8 32.Qf2 Nc5 33.Qc2 Rd8 34.Nb5 Nd7 35.Qc3 Qc5 36.Nd6 Nxf6 37.exf6+ Kf8 38.Nxb7 Qd4 39.Rf3 Qxc3+ 40.Rxc3 Rd1 41.a4 Bc6 42.Nc5 Rf1 43.Rb3 Rxf6 44.Rb6 Bxa4 45.Nxa4 Kg7 46.c5 Rf3 47.Rb3 Rf1 48.Kb2 Rd8 49.Bc2 Rf2 50.Rc3 Rb8+ 51.Ka3 Rc8 52.c6 Rc7 53.Kb4 f5 54.Kb5 f4 55.gxf4 Rxf4 56.Kb6 Rc8 57.Kb7 Rcf8 58.Nb6 g4 59.c7 R4f7 60.a4 Kf6 61.a5 Rg8 62.a6 g3 63.Be4 Ke5 64.Bg2 Kd4 65.Rc2 Kd3 66.Rc6 Rf2 67.c8Q Rxc8 68.Rxc8 Rxg2 69.a7 Ra2 70.Rg8 g2 71.a8Q 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Mamedyarov,S2774Caruana,F28191–02019A457th Altibox Norway Chess Armageddon 20191.2

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Ding Liren 1-0 Wesley So

Ding Liren also crowned a fine strategic effort with a successful attack.

 
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1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 7.Rb1 Be7 8.Nf3 0-0 9.Bc4 a6 10.a4 Qc7 11.Be2 b6 12.0-0 cxd4 13.cxd4 Bb7 14.Bd3 Nc6 15.Rb3 Na5 16.Rb2 Nc6 17.Rd2 Rfd8 18.Bb2 Rac8 19.d5 Nb4 20.Bb1 exd5 21.e5 g6 22.Re1 d4 23.e6 f6 24.Nxd4 Nc6 25.Nf5 Rxd2 26.Nxe7+ Qxe7 27.Qxd2 Kg7 28.Qf4 Rf8 29.h4 Bc8 30.h5 Ne5 31.Bxe5 fxe5 32.Qxe5+ Kh6 33.hxg6 hxg6 34.Qh2+ Kg5 35.Qg3+ 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ding,L2805So,W27541–02019D357th Altibox Norway Chess Armageddon 20191.5

M. Vachier-Lagrave 0-1 Yu Yangyi

Yu Yangyi, the youngest participant in the field, was the only player who could win with Black. The day before Vachier-Lagrave had convincingly won the blitz tournament but against Yu Yangyi he failed to find the right squares for his pieces and was punished swiftly.

 
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1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 g6 5.d4 d6 6.Be2 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.b3 Bf5 9.Bb2 exd4 10.exd4 Ne4 11.Nd5 Re8 12.Re1 a5 13.a3 Ne7 14.Ne3 Bd7 15.Bd3 Nf6 16.Qd2 Ng4 17.d5 Nxe3 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Rxe3 Ng8 20.Rxe8 Bxe8 21.Re1 Bd7 22.h3 Qf6 23.Kh2 b6 24.Re4 Re8 25.Rf4 Qa1 26.g4 h6 27.g5 hxg5 28.Nxg5 Nf6 29.Kg2 Qe1 30.Qb2 Qe5 31.Qxe5 dxe5 32.Rh4 Nh5 33.Be2 f6 34.Ne4 Nf4+ 35.Kf3 g5 36.Rh7+ Kxh7 37.Nxf6+ Kg7 38.Nxd7 Nxe2 39.Kxe2 Rd8 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Vachier-Lagrave,M2779Yu,Y27380–12019A257th Altibox Norway Chess Armageddon 20191.4

L. Aronian 1-0 A. Grischuk

Levon Aronian and Alexander Grischuk played the most exciting game of the round. The Armageddon games are played without increment and in Aronian vs Grischuk this led to a wild blitz battle which one would rather expect at a club evening late at night than at a world class tournament.

Levon Aronian | Photo: Lennart Ootes

After about 40 moves an exciting game led to an equal though complicated double-rook ending in which the clock was more important than the position and both sides had only a few seconds left to make it to move 60 and the increment. Now both players became more and more hectic and could no longer execute their moves properly, and kings, rooks and pawns started to fly around until Grischuk finally lost on time. The video below shows the end of the game, the real time-trouble battle begins after about three minutes.

 
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1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nc3 Nb6 6.d3 Bc5 7.Bd2 0-0 8.Rc1 Re8 9.Nb5 Bd6 10.h4 Nc6 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Nc3 a5 13.Nf3 a4 14.Qc2 h6 15.Rg1 f5 16.Nd1 c5 17.Ne3 Be6 18.Bc3 Nd7 19.Nd2 Qe7 20.Ndc4 Qf7 21.f4 Bxc4 22.Nxc4 e4 23.Rd1 Ra6 24.Kf2 Bf8 25.e3 Rae6 26.Qe2 exd3 27.Qxd3 Re4 28.Qxd7 Qxc4 29.Rge1 a3 30.Rd2 R4e6 31.Qd5 Qxd5 32.Rxd5 axb2 33.Bxb2 Ra6 34.a3 c4 35.Rxf5 Rb8 36.Re2 Rb3 37.Rc2 c3 38.Bc1 Rb1 39.Kf3 Rc6 40.Rd5 Ra1 41.Rd3 Bxa3 42.Bxa3 Rxa3 43.e4 Kf7 44.e5 h5 45.f5 Rc5 46.Ke4 Raa5 47.e6+ Kf6 48.Rd7 Rxf5 49.Rf7+ Kxe6 50.Rxc7 Rfe5+ Black lost on time. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Aronian,L2752Grischuk,A27751–02019A227th Altibox Norway Chess Armageddon 20191.5

Results Armageddon

NameRtg.Nt.Pts.Pts.NameRtgNt.
2875
0
1-0
0
2767
2774
0
1-0
0
2819
2805
0
1-0
0
2754
2779
0
0-1
0
2738
2752
0
1-0
0
2775

White won four of the five Armageddon games and this might be an indicator that White's 10 to 7 minutes time advantage is of more importance than White's need to win. But who knows? Maybe Black is more lucky in round 2 of the Altibox Norway Chess Tournament. It starts Wednesday, June 5, 17:00 CEST.

Standings after round 1

M. Carlsen 1,5
S. Mamedyarov 1,5
Ding Liren 1,5
L. Aronian 1,5
Yu Yangyi 1,5
V. Anand 0,5
F. Caruana 0,5
M. Vachier-Lagrave 0,5
W. So 0,5
A. Grischuk 0,5

Live commentary of round 1 by Judit Polgar and Anna Rudolf

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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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