Vachier-Lagrave awarded Shenzen Masters win after three-way tie

by Alex Yermolinsky
11/14/2018 – As tournaments go, this was an odd one: with nine draws and one win, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave took the Shenzhen Masters with a mere 5½ points from 10 games. Since Ding Liren and Anish Giri both also scored 5½, but 'MVL' beat Ding in their direct encounter, the Frenchman had the better tiebreak. Giri earned a notable first victory in the final round against Radoslaw Wojtaszek. GM ALEX YERMOLINSKY sends his final thoughts. | Photo: qipai.org.cn
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87% drawn

The tournament turned out to be a mild disappointment. Perhaps, the schedule is to blame. The European participants appeared to be fatigued after a stretch of important events: the Olympiad, followed by the Euro Club Cup, and then the Isle of Man. A long trip to China also didn't help.

In the end, Vachier-Lagrave, Giri and Vitiugov only managed to win one game each, while Wojtaszek, after his phenomenal IoM performance, crashed and burned with -3.

Round 10 playing hall

The end of the (Longgang) road | Photo: qipai.org.cn

The main dish was the end of Ding Liren's 100 game unbeaten streak, which came at the hands of Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Certainly, the game of the tournament from Round 7:

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.0-0 0-0 6.Re1 d6 7.c3
7...a5 Ding's preferred move order. Most players who settle on 7...h6 are seemingly unconcerned about 8.b4 8.Nbd2 a5 9.Nf1 Be6 10.Bb5 Ne7 11.d4 Bb6 12.Ng3 Ng6 Inarkiev-Andreikin, 2017 8...Bb6 9.a4 which so far has rarely happened in tournament practice. Perhaps the answer is a5 9...a6 10.Nbd2 was twice played by Salgado Lopez in 2013. 10.b5 Ne7 Now White might try to prepare play in the centre with 11.Bb3 but then Black is able to protect the centre: 11.d4 exd4 12.cxd4 d5 11...Ng6 12.Nbd2 Else, 12.h3 Re8 13.Nbd2 may allow d5 based on a tactical line 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Ne4 Be6 16.d4 exd4 17.Nxd4? Nxc3! which wins for Black. 12...Bg4 13.h3 Bh5 14.Nf1 Nh4 15.N1h2 is about equal. 8.Bg5! MVL enters the most principled line. Alternatively 8.Nbd2 Be6 9.Bb5 Qb8 10.Nf1 Qa7 was seen in So-Ding Liren, World Cup 2017, and in multiple games from Vachier-Lagrave vs Nakamura, Chess.com Speed Championship, 2018 8...h6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Ba7 The immediate 10...g4 can be met with 11.d4 gxf3 12.dxc5 fxg2 13.Bh4! 11.Na3
The key position. 11...Nh7?! 11...Bg4 12.h3 Bh5 13.Nc2 Bg6 14.Bh2 Nh5 15.d4 was Giri-Eljanov, 2016. Pavel returned his knight Nf6 and ran into some trouble after 15...Nf4 seemed more consistent. 16.dxe5 Nxe4 17.Ne3 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 dxe5 19.Ng4 11...Ne7?! allows White to develop a serious intiative after 12.Nb5! Bb8 13.d4 the point being c6 14.Nxd6! Finally, the immediate 11...g4 can be met by a piece sac: 12.Bh4 gxf3 13.Qxf3 Kg7 14.Rad1 Nb8?! 15.d4 Nbd7 16.Nc2 etc. This last scenario is likely to happen when MVL has the white pieces. 12.Nd2 g4!? Regardless of the objective values of this idea, one has to admire Ding's resolute play. 12...Ne7 13.Nc2 Ng6 14.d4 Nf6 would have been expected from a guy on a 100 game non-losing streak. 13.Nb5 Bb6 14.Bb3 a4!? 15.Bc2! Maxime is alert and fully aware of the need to keep his queen free. 15.Bxa4 h5 16.h4 gxh3 hugely favors Black. 15...h5 16.h4
16...d5 Ding figured his situation was desparate enough to try anything. White was ready to meet 16...gxh3 with 17.Qxh5 where Qg5 appears to be the only defense. There may follow 18.Qxg5+ Nxg5 19.Nc4 hxg2 20.Kxg2 Bh3+ 21.Kh2 Be6 22.Nxb6 Nf3+ 23.Kh1 Nxe1 24.Nxa8 Nxc2 25.Rc1 Rxa8 26.Nxc7 Rc8 27.Nxe6 fxe6 28.Rxc2 Nb4 29.Rd2 Nxa2 30.d4 and White is better. 17.d4! A great counterstrike! dxe4 18.dxe5 Ra5 19.c4 Now the e4-pawn is doomed. e3 20.fxe3 Nb4
All moves White played leading to this point could have played by many, but from now on it's vintage Vachier-Lagrave. 21.a3! 21.Bb1 Nd3 22.Re2 Re8 23.Nf1 is what lesser players do in such situations. 21...Nd3 22.b4! An inspired exchange sac. axb3 23.Nxb3 Nxe1 24.Qxe1 Ra6 25.c5 Ba7 26.Qb1 f5 Here it's largely a matter of taste. 27.exf6!? Again, Maxime goes for the tactics. I imagine Kramnik's choice would have been 27.Nxa7 Rxa7 28.Nd4 Qe7 29.Qb4 keeping the bind. By the way, Black is nearly lost here. 27...Nxf6 28.Nxa7 Rxa7 29.Nd4 Qe7 30.Bf4 Qxc5 31.Bb3+ Kg7 32.Be6!
It was all about this shot. White wants the e6-square for his knight. 32...Ra4 A sample line, 32...Ra6 33.Bxc8 Rxc8 34.Qxb7 Rca8 35.Qxa8 Qxd4 36.Qxa6 <if it works> 36.exd4 Rxa8 37.Bxc7+- 36...Qxa1+ 37.Kh2 g3+! 38.Kxg3 Qe1+ 39.Kf3 Qd1+ 40.Qe2 Qd5+ 41.Kf2 c5 offers better practical chances. At least it's Black who's on the attack. 33.Qd3 Ra6 34.Bxc8 Rxc8 35.Qxa6 Qxd4 36.Qf1
'What's the big deal', one might ask. White's not even up in material. True enough, but the exposed position of the black king is a nearly decisive factor. 36...Qe4 37.Rd1 c5?! 37...Re8 38.Qb5 b6± 38.Rd6 Qe7 39.Qa1 Kf7 40.Be5+- Ne4 40...Rc6 41.Rxc6 bxc6 42.Bxf6 Qxf6 43.Qxf6+ Kxf6 44.Kf2 and wins. 41.Rh6 Qxh4 42.Qf1+ Ke7 43.Rh7+ Ke6 44.Bc7!? MVL turned down an opportunity to go up a queen: 44.Qf7+ Kxe5 45.Rxh5+ Qxh5 46.Qxh5+ Kd6 47.Qg6+ Ke5 48.Qg7+ 44...Rxc7 45.Rxc7 Nd6 46.Rxc5 b6 47.Rc6 g3 48.Qf3 Qh2+ 49.Kf1 Qh1+ 50.Ke2 Qb1 51.Qxh5 Qa2+ 52.Kf3 Kd7 53.Rxb6 Qf2+ 54.Kg4 Qe2+ 55.Kh4 Qxg2 56.Qh7+ Kc8 57.Qg8+ Kd7 58.Rxd6+ 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Vachier-Lagrave,M2778Ding,L28161–02018C542nd Dute Cup Longgang Masters7

Studying the content of this DVD and adding these openings to your repertoire will provide players with a very strong tool to fight 1...e5 - as the practice of the author clearly demonstrates.

Being a warrior he is, Ding came back in the next round by beating his compatriot Yu Yangyi.

 
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1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0-0 Be7 8.a3 0-0 9.b4 Re8 Peter Svidler didn't have much luck facing the main move 9...Be6 which he answered with 10.Rb1 f6 11.d3 although there are some examples of White succeeding in this line. 10.Rb1 Bf8 11.d3
11...Bg4 Yu Yangyi goes his own way. A more traditional appraoach it to play either 11...a5 or 11...Nd4 12.h3 Bh5 The bishop is out of play, but it'll soon return to its usual g8-a2 diagonal. 13.Bg5 f6 14.Be3 Bf7 Alternatively, 14...a5 15.b5 Nd4 was a typical idea. 15.Nd2 Rb8 16.Nb3 Ne7 17.Bc5 Ned5 18.Qc2 Nxc3 19.Qxc3 Na4 20.Qc2 Nxc5 21.Nxc5 c6
All pretty standard stuff so far, but Ding seems to like this structure, and he plays it well. 22.a4 Qe7 23.Rfc1 Rbc8 24.Ne4 Red8 25.h4!? Making Black think twice before ever attempting f6-f5. Rd4 26.b5 Rb4 Perhaps, simpler was to invite some trades: 26...c5 27.e3 Rd7 28.Bh3 Be6 29.Bxe6+ Qxe6 30.Qc4 Kf7 It is hard to see Black getting the worse of it with all that space he has in the centre. 27.Rxb4 Qxb4 28.Nd2 Now there's definite pressure on Black's queenside. Qd4 29.bxc6 bxc6 30.Qd1 Qb6 31.Nc4 Qd8 32.Qe1 Bd5? Yu's decision to trade bishops surprises me a lot. 33.Ne3 Bxg2 34.Kxg2 a5 35.Qc3 Bb4 36.Qc4+ Kh8 37.Qe6 Ding confidently marches on to a favorable endgame. I bet he already saw a winning plan. c5 38.Nd5 Qe8 39.Qxe8+ Rxe8
40.h5! White must make some gains on the other side of the board before heading to a rook endgame. f5 Nobody likes split pawns, but nevertheless 40...Kg8 41.h6 e4 deserved attention: 42.hxg7 Kxg7 43.dxe4 Rxe4 44.e3± 41.e4 g6 42.h6! Further impeding the much-needed improvement of the black king. Rd8 43.Kf3 Another idea was to attack with 43.f4 but Ding must have thought it was unnecessary. 43...Kg8 44.Ke2 Kf7 Now as his king is closer to the b-file, White is ready. 45.Nxb4 cxb4 46.Rc7+ Kf6 47.Rxh7 fxe4 On 47...Rb8 48.Ra7 b3 49.h7 b2 50.Rb7 is the cleanest. Rxb7 51.h8Q+ Ke6 52.Qc8+ 48.dxe4 Kg5 49.Re7 Kxh6 50.Rxe5 b3 51.Rb5 Rd4 52.Ke3 Rxa4 53.Rxb3 Ra2 54.Rb6 a4 55.f3 From this point on it's a routine win for China's #1. a3 56.Ra6 Rg2 57.Kf4 a2 58.g4 Rf2 59.e5 Rb2 60.Ra7 Rb4+ 61.Kg3 Rb5 62.f4 g5 63.f5 Rxe5 64.Rxa2 Re3+ 65.Kf2 Re4 66.Kf3 Rf4+ 67.Kg3 Rb4 68.Ra6+ Kh7 69.Rg6 Rb3+ 70.Kf2 Rb2+ 71.Ke3 Rb3+ 72.Ke2 Rb2+ 73.Kd3 Rb3+ 74.Ke4 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ding,L2816Yu,Y27641–02018A292nd Dute Cup Longgang Masters8

While being a nice technical display by the winner, this game also shows the lack of resilience from the second player. It seemed to be a pattern, as the tournament went along and the players were getting tired. A few examples to follow. As you can see, Radoslaw Wojtaszek took the brunt of it.

 
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30.g5 Black is under some pressure, which he should be able to withstand, but there comes a bad blunder. Ng8?? 30...hxg5 31.Bxg5 Rd7 31.Bxb6+! axb6 32.Ra8+ Kd7 33.Rxg8 hxg5 34.Rxg7 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Vitiugov,N2709Wojtaszek,R27491–02018D322nd Dute Cup Longgang Masters7
Giri,A2780Wojtaszek,R27491–02018E042nd Dute Cup Longgang Masters10

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Friendship match

After Round 10 the GMs partook in a "friendship match" with local chess enthusiasts | Photo: qipai.org.cn

How cruel life can be, when on the heels of the glory of sharing top honours with his wife, Alina Kashlinskaya, at the Isle of Man, Radoslaw went on to have arguably the worst tournament of his career. On top of that, Alina got eliminated from the Women's World Championship in the first round. The good thing is Rado and Alina are young and in love. A couple of weeks in a nice place together, and they'll be as good as new.

Congrats to Anish, Maxime and Liren for sharing first place. Now we can all go back to watching the big show in London.

Final standings

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All Shenzhen Masters game

 
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Yermo is enjoying his fifties. Lives in South Dakota, 600 miles way from the nearest grandmaster. Between his chess work online he plays snooker and spends time outdoors - happy as a clam.

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