Simon Says: Highlights from the Cairns Cup

by Simon Williams
2/17/2020 – The Cairns Cup has just concluded in St. Louis with Humpy Koneru taking top honours. GM Simon Williams examines the highlights. | Puzzle time: In the position below it's White to play and win! | Watch for free live and on-demand (for a limited time, or forever with a ChessBase Premium account) starting at the usual hour: 17:00 UTC (18:00 CET / 12 Noon EST).

Simon Williams presents the London System, providing the theory you need for your games (7 h 16 min). In addition Williams also introduces into typical tactics and patterns in a seperate product. (53 games, 96 training questions and 3h 14 min)

Top-class women

In this Simon Says we take a look at some sparkling highlights from the Cairns Cup, a fantastic competition in St Louis with top prizes. Come and join me at 5pm GMT to join in the fun!

Warm-up: What move now gave Gunina a large advantage?

 
Gunina vs Kosteniuk, 2nd Cairns Cup 2020
Position after 12...Nd8

Find the full game below!


This week's show

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Simon is live most Mondays at 17:00 UTC (18:00 CET / 12 Noon EST)

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About Simon Says

In early 2015 Simon Williams launched his own show called "Simon says" after producing the first of his ChessBase video series. On a weekly basis (with breaks for tournaments and chess events) Simon entertains the chess world with attacking ideas, play strategies and witty manoeuvres on the chess board.

ChessBase Premium members have permanent access to the videos in the archive. Over 60 shows and counting have been published to date. Their lengths differ but most of them run for about 60 minutes.

Read more in Meeting Simon Williams.

Much more from Simon's shows in the archive at Videos.ChessBase.com

Recent Simon Says shows

Still more Simon

Simon's latest DVD series duo the "London System Reloaded" and the "Tactic Toolbox London System" are now available. Check them out, starting with the sample below: 

Video sample


Simon Williams presents the London System, providing the theory you need for your games (7 h 16 min). In addition Williams also introduces into typical tactics and patterns in a seperate product. (53 games, 96 training questions and 3h 14 min)

Solution to today's puzzle

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c4 Bg4 C77: Ruy Lopez: 3. ..a6 4 Ba4 Nf6, unusual lines. 7.Be3 Nd7 8.h3 Bh5 The position is equal. 9.Nc3
Predecessor: 9...Qb8N 9...Bxf3= remains equal. 10.Qxf3 Be7 9...Be7 10.g4 Bg6 11.Qe2 h5 12.0-0-0 b5 13.cxb5 axb5 14.Bxb5 Nb4 15.a3 c6 16.axb4 cxb5 0-1 (34) Pirttimaki, T-Johnston,G Valetta 1980 10.Nd5 Qc8 11.g4 Bg6 12.Nh4 Black should play Nd8 12...Rb8 13.Bb6± Ne6
14.Bxc7! b5 15.cxb5 axb5 16.Bxb5 Nxc7 17.Rc1 17.Nb6± Nxb5 18.Nxc8 Rxc8 19.Rc1 17...Nxb5 18.Rxc8+ Rxc8 Much worse is 19.Qa4 19.Nxg6 hxg6 20.Qa4 Nd4 19...Rb8 20.0-0 Be7 21.Nxg6 21.Nf3± 21...hxg6= 22.Rc1 Black must now prevent Nc7+. Bd8 23.Qa6 0-0
And now ...Nc5 would win. 24.b4! Nf6 25.Rc8 Rxc8 26.Qxc8 Nxd5 27.exd5 Nd4 28.a4 f5 ...Bh4 is the strong threat. 29.g5! e4 30.dxe4 Bxg5 31.Qc4 Nf3+! 32.Kg2 Ne5 33.Qc2? 33.Qa6= and White has nothing to worry. fxe4 34.Qxd6 33...fxe4-+ 34.Qxe4 Rf4 35.Qe1 35.Qe3 Rg4+ 36.hxg4 Bxe3 37.fxe3 35...Bh4 36.b5 Nd3? 36...Rxf2+-+ 37.Qxf2 Bxf2 38.Kxf2 Kf7 37.Qe8+? 37.Qe3= and White stays safe. Rxf2+ 38.Kh1 37...Kh7 38.f3 Rxa4 Black mates. 39.f4 Ra2+ 40.Kf3 Ne1+ Accuracy: White = 56%, Black = 69%.
0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Gunina,V2461Kosteniuk,A25040–120202nd Cairns Cup 2020

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Simon Williams became a IM in 1998 and a GM in 2008. For the last 15 years he has concentrated on teaching, playing and making instructional chess DVDs. He also has a lot of experience commentating about chess. Being the regular commentator at the strongest and best open tournament in the world, Gibraltar. Simon Williams is the author of numerous chess books. His first chess book. 'Play the Classical Dutch' got voted, in New in Chess, as one of the top 10 chess books of all time. His playing style is very aggressive, preferring attacking chess to positional grinds. No wonder he produced two widely acclaimed ChessBase DVDs on the King's Gambit. More information about Williams can be found on his website.

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