Showdown in STL: Big Rapid Results

by Alejandro Ramirez
11/15/2015 – Big results from Saint Louis! In the marquee event, Nakamura was unable to match Caruana's wits in the rapid and fell 3-1. This gives the #2 player in America a full point lead going into the decisive blitz games. However, the big winner of the day was Hou Yifan. A miracle in game three and a solid win in game four gave her a 3-1 for the day, and 6.5-3.5 for current standings.
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Rapid Games

Game One

Hikaru came out guns blazing, playing an opening that might be more appropriate for 960 than for top level chess. However, it worked! Caruana found himself very quickly in a difficult position, and had to come from behind. White was unable to find the best continuations, and it was actually Nakamura that had to find a way to draw near the end of the game:

Nakamura was close to winning game one

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1.b3 g6 2.Bb2 Nf6 3.e4 d6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 Someone tell Hikaru they aren't playing Fischer Random anymore! 0-0 6.d4 c5 7.dxc5 Qa5+ 8.Qd2 Qxc5 9.c4 A Maroczy structure is rather normal. This one doesn't look too dangerous with a Fianchetto already committed on b2. Nc6 10.Nc3 Qd4!? Trading queens diffuses the advantage of space, but Black seems underdeveloped after this. 11.Qxd4 Nxd4 12.0-0-0 Ne6 13.h3 Nc5 14.Nge2 a5?! Perhaps giving up b5 was not a good idea. Sometimes it is not an important square, but here it the counterplay on the a-file is simply non existent. 15.Ba3 Na6 16.e5! Opening up the position for White's pieces. dxe5 17.Bxe7 Re8 18.Bxf6! Bxf6 19.Ne4 Be7 20.Nd6 White wins back his bishop and the rook has a fantastic spot Bxd6 21.Rxd6 a4 22.Nc3 axb3 23.axb3 Kg7 24.Kb2 Nc5 25.Rd5! Na6 26.Rhd1 Nb4 27.Rd6 Ra6 28.Rxa6 bxa6 29.Ne4 Re7 30.Nd6 Be6 31.c5 Kf8 32.Bf1? This howler costs Nakamura most of his advantage. 32.Ka3! Nc2+ 33.Ka4! Nd4 34.Rb1 and White's king threatens decisive action in this position. Black has serious difficulties stopping the queenside pawns. 32...Rc7 33.Rc1 a5 34.Ka3 Ke7 35.f4 exf4 36.gxf4 Nc6 37.Nb5 Rd7 38.Nd6 Rc7 39.Nc4 Nd4 40.Nd2?! Bd7 Black now wins the c-pawn! Luckily for Hikaru the 4v3 on the kingside is very hard to win. 41.Ne4 Ne6 42.Re1 Nxf4 43.h4 Ne6 44.Bc4 h6 45.b4 axb4+ 46.Kxb4 Ra7 47.h5 gxh5 48.Ng3 h4 49.Nf5+ Kf6 49...Kf8! was very inhuman but has a very subtle point. 50.Nxh4 Ra4+ 51.Kc3 Nxc5 cannot be met with Rf1+ now. 50.Nxh4 Ra4+ 51.Kc3 Nxc5 52.Rf1+ Ke5 53.Nf3+ Kd6 54.Bxf7 Rf4 55.Rd1+ Ke7 56.Bd5 Be6 57.Ne5 Kf6 58.Bxe6 Nxe6 59.Nd3 Rf3 60.Rh1 Kg5 61.Kd2 h5 62.Rg1+ Kh6 63.Ne5 Rf6 64.Ng4+ hxg4 This endgame is almost impossible to win. Hikaru holds comfortably. 65.Rxg4 Ng5 66.Ke3 Kg6 67.Ra4 Rb6 68.Ra5 Kf6 69.Ra3 Rb5 70.Kd4 Ne6+ 71.Ke4 Rb4+ 72.Ke3 Nc7 73.Ra5 Ke6 74.Kd3 Nd5 75.Ra8 Nc7 76.Ra5 Rh4 77.Rc5 Kd6 78.Ra5 Ne6 79.Ra8 Kd5 80.Ra5+ Nc5+ 81.Ke3 Rc4 82.Ra8 Rc3+ 83.Kf4 Ne6+ 84.Kg4 Ke4 85.Ra4+ Nd4 86.Ra8 Rc6 87.Re8+ Ne6 88.Re7 Ke5 89.Kf3 Rc3+ 90.Ke2 Ra3 91.Kd2 Kd5 92.Re8 Nc5 93.Rd8+ Kc4 94.Ke2 Rd3 95.Rxd3 Nxd3 ½–½
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Nakamura,H2793Caruana,F2787½–½2015A01Showdown St. Louis 2015-Rapid1

Hou Yifan with a win with the black pieces

Meanwhile Hou Yifan showed extraordinary understanding of the hedgehog positions to win a great game against Negi:

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 a6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Qc7 5.Be2 b6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Bb7 8.0-0 Nf6 9.f3 d6 10.Be3 Be7 11.Qd2 0-0 12.Rac1 Nbd7 13.Rfd1 Rac8 14.b4 Qb8 15.a3 Rfe8 16.Nb3 Bc6 17.Kh1 h6 18.Bf1 Ne5 19.Qf2 Bd7 20.Nb1?! 20.Bxb6 Nxc4 21.Bxc4 Rxc4 22.Na5∞ 20...Ba4 21.N1d2 b5! Black has some initiative now. 22.c5?! 22.cxb5 22...dxc5 23.Bxc5 Bxc5 24.Rxc5 Nfd7 25.Rxc8 Rxc8 26.Qd4 Nb6 27.Rc1 Rd8 28.Qc3 Qd6 29.Qc5 Bxb3 30.Nxb3 Nbc4 31.Qxd6 Rxd6 Black's knight on c4 gives her an advantage. White should play passive with Ra1, but such a move is not always easy to play. 32.a4 bxa4 33.Nc5 Nb2 34.Ra1 a3 35.Bxa6 35.Rxa3 Rd1 36.Kg1 Nbc4 followed by Nd2, is winning for Black. 35...a2 36.Kg1 Rd1+ 37.Rxd1 Nxd1 38.Nb3 Kf8 39.Kf1 Ne3+ 40.Ke2 Nc2? 40...Nxg2 was cleanest, simply ripping apart the kingside. 41.Kd2 Nxb4 42.Be2 42.Bb5! 42...Nec6 43.Kc3 Ke7 43...Nc2! was a cute trick: 44.Kxc2 Nd4+ 45.Kb2 45.Nxd4 a1Q 45...Nxb3 46.Kxa2 Nc1+ 47.Kb2 Nxe2 44.Bb5 Kd6 45.Kb2 g5 46.g3 Ne5 47.Be2 Ned3+ 48.Kc3?! 48.Bxd3 Nxd3+ 49.Kc3 Ne1 is also hopeless though. 48...Nc1! 49.Na1 Nxe2+ 50.Kxb4 Nd4 51.f4 gxf4 52.gxf4 Ne2 53.f5 e5 54.Ka3 Nc3 55.Nc2 Ke7 White's king is too far from the action. The rest is easy. 56.Kb2 Nxe4 57.Ne3 Kf6 58.Ng4+ Kxf5 59.Nxh6+ Ke6 60.Kxa2 f5 61.Kb2 Kf6 62.Kc2 Nd6 0–1
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Negi,P2664Hou,Y26830–12015A31Showdown St. Louis 2015-Rapid1

Game Two

There is no other way to describe game two but total suicide from Nakamura. The move 6...f6 is simply incomprehensible for a player of his level.

Caruana, after drawing his first game, had an easy game two

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.Bxc6+ bxc6 5.e5 dxe5 6.Nxe5 f6 It is hard to say what Hikaru Nakamura was thinking when he made this move... 7.Qh5+ g6 8.Nxg6 hxg6 9.Qxh8 As far as I can see, White is simply up the exchange and a pawn. Qd5 10.0-0 Kf7 11.Nc3 Qd4 12.d3 Bg7 13.Qh7 f5 14.Ne2 Black simply has no compensation. Even worse, his position is actually rather bad. Qd6 15.Nf4 Bd7 16.Nh3 Nice maneuvering of the knight, harassing Black's king. Be8 17.Ng5+ Kf8 18.Re1 e5 19.Bf4! Beautiful finishing touch. Bf6 19...exf4 20.Ne6++- 19...Rb8 20.Qxg7+!+- 20.Qb7 Bxg5 21.Bxe5 Destruction! 1–0
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Caruana,F2787Nakamura,H27931–02015B51Showdown St. Louis 2015-Rapid2

In a chess player's career there will always be opportunities to play a brilliant game. It doesn't happen to everyone, and it certainly doesn't happen often. It usually doesn't happen in fast time controls, as calculation is difficult, but today Negi proved that even in a 15+10 format truly brilliancy can be found in chess. Negi simply executed a masterpiece in a sharp Sicilian today:

Negi's masterpiece!

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.g4 Hou Yifan is one of the people in chess that still believes in this system for Black. Interesting that she is playing it with white now against Negi! e5 8.Nf5 h5 9.g5 Nxe4 10.Nxg7+ Bxg7 11.Nxe4 d5 12.Ng3 e4 13.c3 Nc6 14.Nxh5 Be5 White is up a pawn, but the position is extremely complex. Both sides have strange development and Black's pawn center cannot be underestimated. 15.f4 exf3 16.Qxf3 d4! 17.0-0-0 Be6 18.Nf6+ Kf8 19.cxd4 19.Bd2∞ 19...Rc8! What a beautiful move! 20.Kb1 20.dxe5 Nxe5+ 21.Bc4 Nxf3 22.Rxd8+ Rxd8 20...Bxa2+‼ 21.Ka1 21.Kxa2 Qa5+ 22.Kb1 22.Kb3 Qb4+ 23.Ka2 Qa4+ dose not help 22...Nb4 23.Nd7+ Kg8 and White is defenseless against the threat of Qa2 mate. 24.Nc5 Rxc5 25.dxc5 Qa2+ 26.Kc1 Qxb2# 21...Nb4 21...Bb3! was cleaner but the move in the game is also good. 22.Bd2 22.Qxb7! Rb8 23.Nd7+ Kg8 24.Nxb8 Qa5-+ 22...Qxd4 nothing else works. 23.Nd7+? Making things easy for Negi. 23.Bxb4+ Qxb4 24.Nd7+ Kg8! 25.Nxe5 Bb3! and Black's attack wins. 23.Bc3 Rxc3! is mate in every line. 23...Kg8 Now Black is simply crushing in every variation. 24.Nxe5 Nc2+ 25.Kxa2 Qa4+ 26.Qa3 Nxa3 0–1
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Hou,Y2683Negi,P26640–12015B81Showdown St. Louis 2015-Rapid2

Game Three

Caruana had a tough time from the opening in round three. The King's Indian type position certainly favored Nakamura, who had pressure all over the board. White might have cashed in his chips a little too early: Black got some counterplay, although he was unable to follow it up with precise moves. He kept missing chances to give up material and giving White's king problems, and found himself in a difficult position. Just when things looked bad, Fabi showed excellent class in holding the endgame:

An important hold for Caruana

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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.b3 g6 3.Bb2 Bg7 4.g3 0-0 5.c4 d6 6.d4 e5 7.dxe5 Nfd7 8.Bg2 Nxe5 9.Qd2 Nbc6 Something like a King's Indian, but I never liked these positions for Black when the g7 bishop is already challenged. 10.0-0 Bg4 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Bd4 Qc8 13.f4! Pushing forward. White's advantage in space is important despite the trade of some pieces. Nc6 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.Nc3 Ne7?! 16.e4 f6 17.f5 17.e5! fxe5 18.fxe5 dxe5 19.Qg5!± looks very dangerous for Black. 17...g5 18.c5 Rd8 19.Qe3 Qd7 20.h3 Bh5 21.g4 Bf7 22.e5 22.Rad1 22...dxe5 23.Bxb7 Rab8 24.Rad1 Qe8 25.Bf3 Rb4?! 25...h5! 26.Rxd8 Qxd8 27.Rd1 Rd4 28.Rxd4 exd4 29.Qd3 Qd7 30.Kf2 h5 31.Ne2± Black loses the pawn and is in some trouble. Nc6 32.Qe4 Ne5 33.Qxd4 Qe7 34.Nc3 Nxf3 35.Kxf3 Be8 35...Qe1!= Was the cleanest way to a draw: with activity! 36.Kf2 hxg4 37.hxg4 Bc6 38.Ne2 a5 39.Qe3 Qd7 40.Nd4 Bd5 41.a3 c6 42.Ke1 Qc7 43.Kd2 Qh2+ 44.Kc3 Kf7 44...Kf8! 45.Nxc6 Qc7! 46.Nd4 Qxc5+ 47.Kb2 a4 48.bxa4 Qc4 49.Qc3 Qxa4 50.Qc7+ Ke8 51.Qc8+ Kf7 52.Qc5 Qc4 53.Qxc4 Bxc4 The endgame is difficult to win because of the counterplay on the pawns. 54.Nc2 54.Kc3! Bf1 55.Nc2! Ke7 56.Ne3 Be2 57.Kd2! was the winning way, but hard to find. 54...Ke7 55.Kc3 Be2 56.Ne3 Kd6 57.Kd4 Kc6 58.a4 Bf3 59.a5 Be2 Now the endgame is a draw. White can't make progress. 60.a6 Bxa6 61.Nd5 Be2 62.Nxf6 Kd6 63.Ne4+ Ke7 64.Nf2 Kf6 65.Ke4 Ba6 66.Kf3 Ke5 67.Nd1 Bd3 68.Ne3 Be4+ 69.Kg3 Bd3 70.Kh3 Be2 71.Kg3 Bd3 72.Kf2 Kf4 73.f6 Bg6 74.Nc4 Kxg4 75.f7 Bxf7 76.Ne5+ Kf5 77.Nxf7 Kf6 78.Nxg5 ½–½
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Nakamura,H2793Caruana,F2787½–½2015A49Showdown St. Louis 2015-Rapid3

There is no way to describe this game but an absolute heartbreaker. Negi had a beautiful, winning position only to blunder it away in time trouble.

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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.g4 h6 The Keres attack! A rare guest in top level chess simply because Black players consider it to be too dangerous. Hou Yifan, however, has never cared - she has always played it with confidence. 7.h4 e5 8.Nf5 Be6 9.Bg2 g6 10.Ne3 Nc6 11.Ncd5 Bxd5 12.Nxd5 Nxd5 13.exd5 Ne7 14.Be3 Bg7 15.Qd2 Qd7 16.0-0-0 Qxg4!? Giong for a risky pawn grab, but Parimarjan Negi replies with power and precision. 17.f4! 0-0 18.h5 Nf5 19.Bh3 Qxh5 20.Bg2 Qg4 21.Bh3 Qh5 22.Bg2 Nh4?! Too ambitious, it's possible that Hou Yifan should have gone for the draw. 23.f5 g5 24.Rdg1 Kh8 25.Be4 It's very clear that despite Black's two extra pawns, Black is suffering. Her pieces on the kingside are weak and about to be trapped. She also has no counterplay. Bf6 26.Bf2 Rg8 27.Kb1 27.Rg4 Qxg4 28.Rxh4 is a very crazy computer line! 27...Rg7 28.Qe1 28.Bd3! Harassing the queen would have been difficult to parry 28...a6 29.Qb4 Qe2 30.Qxd6! Qxe4 31.Rxh4 31.Bxh4 was such a better practical decision... gxh4 32.Qxf6 Rag8 33.Qxh6+ Rh7 34.Rxg8+ Kxg8 35.Rg1+ 31...gxh4 32.Qxf6 Rag8 33.Qxh6+ Rh7 34.Qf6+ Rhg7 Now Negi has to find a unique win, but he fails to do so 35.Qh6+ 35.Be3! Qxe3 36.Qxh4+ Rh7 37.Qf6+ Rhg7 38.Rh1++- 35...Rh7 36.Qf6+ Rhg7 37.d6 Kh7 38.Re1 Qf4 38...Rg1! 39.Qxf7+ R8g7 40.Qh5+= 39.Rh1?? A massive blunder! 39.Qxh4+!± 39...Rg1+ Oops. Back rank! 0–1
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Negi,P2664Hou,Y26830–12015B81Showdown St. Louis 2015-Rapid3

Game Four

The French Defense was Hikaru's choice in game four, but it did not go so well. Fabi got a slight edge from the opening and he was able to outplay his opponent. An aggressive king incursion cemented White's advantage. Nakamura tried to create counterplay with a passed d-pawn, but Caruana's precision sealed the deal:

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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Qd2 a6 9.Bd3!? Not the most common, but it does look logical to develop a bishop doesn't it? b5 10.0-0 Qb6 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Bxc5 Nxc5 13.Qf2 Nd7 14.a3 Ke7 15.Qxb6 Nxb6 16.Ne2 Bd7 17.b3 White has a slight edge in these structures usually, but Black has his chances with breaks on f6 if he can get them in. f6 18.Ned4 Nxd4 19.Nxd4 fxe5 20.fxe5 h6 21.Kf2 Rhf8+ 22.Ke3 Rxf1 23.Rxf1 Be8 24.Bh7 Bf7 25.Nc6+ Ke8 26.Bd3 Rc8 27.Nb4 Nd7 28.Kd4 Nb8 29.Nxa6 Nc6+ 30.Kc5 Ke7 31.Kxb5 31.Kb6! Nxe5 32.Bxb5 Rxc2 33.Nc5 with a clear advantage. Those pawns are rolling on the queenside. 31...Nxe5 32.Kb6 Be8 33.a4 Kd6 With White's king so separated from his rook it does look like Black can hold. However a pawn is a pawn, and he still has chances. 34.Rf2 Nxd3 35.cxd3 Bg6?! 35...e5 36.a5 36.d4 e5 37.dxe5+ Kxe5 38.b4?! 38.Nc5 d4 39.a5 was more effective. Push the pawn that is ahead! 38...d4 39.b5 d3 40.Nb4 Kd4 40...Be4! 41.Nc6+ Kd6! 41.Nc6+ Ke3 42.Rf3+ Ke2 43.Nd4+ Ke1 44.Rg3! What a nice move! The bishop doesn't have any moves at the moment. Be4 based on a miscalculation 45.Re3+ Kf1 46.Rxe4 d2 47.Nf5 stopping everything, now the game is simply over. Rc3 48.Rd4 Ke1 49.a5 g6 50.Nd6 Black can get the rook if he wants, it does not matter. The pawns are too powerful. 1–0
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Caruana,F2787Nakamura,H27931–02015C11Showdown St. Louis 2015-Rapid4

Negi certainly felt defeated after his blunder, and it seemed like the wind was taken away from his sails in the last game of the rapid:

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1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Nf3 e6 8.Bg5 Nf6 9.0-0-0 Be7 10.Qd3 Qb6!? An interesting alternative to the usual 10...Qa5. Qxf2 is sometimes an idea, after all. 11.Rhf1 Awkward, but at least f2 is defended. Rc8 12.Nd4 0-0 13.f4 Rfd8 13...Rfe8 14.g4 h6 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 was maybe a bit better, with e5 type ideas. 14.g4! Be8 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.g5 Bxd4 16...Be7 made a lot more sense to me, keeping the black bishops. 17.Qxd4 Qxd4 18.Rxd4 Kf8 19.f5 e5 20.Rd3 Bc6 21.Rh3 Kg8 22.Rd1 b5 23.Nd5 Bxd5 24.Rxd5 Rc4 25.Re3 b4 26.b3 Black has a weakness, White doesn't. This is difficult position for Negi. Rc6 27.Rb5 Rb6 28.Rxb6 axb6 29.Rd3 d5 30.Rxd5! Well calculated by Hou Yifan. Rxd5 31.exd5 Kf8 32.f6 gxf6 33.gxf6 Ke8 34.c3 bxc3 35.Kc2 Kd7 36.Kxc3 b5 37.a4 bxa4 38.bxa4 Too many passed pawns! Kd6 39.Kc4 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Hou,Y2683Negi,P26641–02015B53Showdown St. Louis 2015-Rapid4

Without a doubt, the big winner of the day

Hou Yifan walks into the blitz with a 6.5-3.5 lead, while Caruana leads by the minimum 5.5-4.5.

Photos by Austin Fuller

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Grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez has been playing tournament chess since 1998. His accomplishments include qualifying for the 2004 and 2013 World Cups as well as playing for Costa Rica in the 2002, 2004 and 2008 Olympiads. He currently has a rating of 2583 and is author of a number of popular and critically acclaimed ChessBase-DVDs.

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