8/30/2015 – In a showing of excellent attacking chess, Nakamura took So's deep preparation, shredded it over the board and won a brilliant game with multiple sacrifices. So simply seemed to have no clue where the ball was rolling today and was properly punished for it. It was not the only important win today, as MVL and Grischuk also won their games. This puts MVL, Naka and Giri 0.5 from the leaders.
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Doesn’t every chess game get decided by mistakes? Absolutely. But most players never truly comprehend that they are making the same kind of mistakes over and over again.
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2015 Sinquefield Cup
This super-GM single Round Robin brings together some of the best players in the world. This is the second leg of the Grand Chess Tour.
The players – Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Levon Aronian (Armenia), Fabiano Caruana (USA), Hikaru Nakamura (USA), Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France), Alexander Grischuk (Russia), Anish Giri (Netherlands), Viswanathan Anand (India), Wesley So (USA).
The venue is the Chess Club and Scholastic Center at 4657 Maryland Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63108. Tickets can be purchased at the Saint Louis Chess Club.
Round Six
Round Six
Name
Rtg
Res.
Name
Rtg
Grischuk, Alexander
2771
1-0
Caruana, Fabiano
2808
Vachier-Lagr, Maxime
2731
1-0
Topalov, Veselin
2816
Giri, Anish
2793
½-½
Anand, Viswanathan
2816
So, Wesley
2779
0-1
Nakamura, Hikaru
2814
Aronian, Levon
2765
½-½
Carlsen, Magnus
2853
Daniel King shows the game of the day from round 6: So vs Nakamura
The hall was packed...
So was downstairs...
and even outside!
What a way to reignite the tournament after the rest day on Friday. The players took it easy and had time to heavily prepare for today’s round. This is an approach that not every grandmaster takes, as some think that too heavy of preparation is counterproductive. Something that we actually had the pleasure of witnessing today!
It is not every day that in a super grandmaster tournament there are so many sacrifices in one round. MVL’s sacrificed a pawn, Caruana sacrificed a piece, but the brilliancy of the round was clearly Nakamura’s sacrifice of basically every piece he had!
The first couple of results of round six were far from interesting. Many predicted that while Aronian would push slightly against Carlsen, he would try to do so with minimal risk and minimal chance of succeeding. In effect, the World Champion was able to equalize without difficulties and the game was drawn.
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1.c4e52.Nc3Nf63.Nf3Nc64.g3d55.cxd5Nxd56.Bg2Nb67.0-0Be78.d30-09.a3Re810.b4Bf811.Nd2Be612.Bb2A normal version of a reversed Dragon, though there are no games in the database with this exact position!Qd713.Nce4Bh3Trading off the dragon bishop is very normal. Black wastes some time on this operation, but it is more than acceptable.14.Bxh314.b5Nd415.Bxh3Qxh316.a4was not to Aronian's liking.14...Qxh315.Qb3Qd716.Nf3a517.b5Nd418.Nxd418.Bxd4exd4gives Black the ability to pressure a3 (after a4 from Black) and e2, which should give him enough counterplay.18...exd419.a4Qd5Carlsen mentioned he didn't know what else to do, this leads to a draw after many trades.20.Qxd5Nxd521.Bxd4f522.Nc3Nxc323.Bxc3Rxe2so far forced. White has to take care of the active rook.24.Rfe1no Rae8 because a5 is hangingRxe1+25.Rxe1Bb4 more trades26.Rc1forced26.Bxb4axb4gives Black an obvious edge in an endgame.26...c627.bxc6bxc628.Bxb4axb429.Rxc6Rxa4the game is very obviously drawn.30.Rb6Ra1+31.Kg2Rd132.Rxb4Rxd3½–½
Levon Aronian discussing the game with Maurice Ashley
Giri seemed to obtain a slightly more pleasant position from the opening due to his pair of bishops. However, Anand was ultra-solid behind his Slav setup. His control of key dark squares also helped him out in the game. Giri misplayed his position very slightly and allowed Anand to exchange one of his bishops which then resulted in a dead drawn endgame.
Anand's position was uncomfortable for a small amount of time
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1.d4d52.Nf3Nf63.c4c64.e3Bg45.h3Bh56.g4Bg67.Ne5Nbd78.Nxg6hxg69.Bg2White's pair of bishops guarantees him long-term prospects, but Black will always remain solid.e610.Nd2g511.0-0Be712.Re1Nf813.e4Nxe414.Nxe4dxe415.Rxe4Ng6White's advantage in the center is somewhat offset by Black's dark-squared control.16.Be30-017.d5White has to break through at some point, of course.cxd518.cxd5e5Black wants to keep the center closed to restrain the light square bishop.18...Qxd519.Qxd5exd520.Ra4!Will eventually regain the d5 pawn, with a slight advantage.19.Qd2a520.d620.a3was considered by Giri, keeping the tension, but it is unclear how to proceed after Qd6.20...Qxd621.Qxd6Bxd622.Bxg522.Rd1Be723.Rd723.Rc4!is some computer find that gives Giri some opportunity for an edge.23...b5?!23...b6!close to equal.24.Rxe7!?Nxe725.Rxe5with chances for the advantage as all of Black's pawns are hanging.22...Rac823.Re2b624.Rd1Bc5White's pair of bishops unfortunately will be neutralized by a strong knight on f4. Then the opposite colored bishops makes the position closer to a draw than anything else, even if White retains a small advantage.25.Be4Nf426.Bxf4exf427.Kg2Rfd828.Red2Rxd229.Rxd2g530.Rd7Re831.Kf3Re7White has no good way of making progress.32.Rxe7½–½
Wesley So played a very strange game. He confidently blitzed out twenty moves of theory, clearly prepared. Unfortunately, after that every move he played lasted at least fifteen minutes and were rather unconvincing. At one point it was clear that he had violated a couple of positional rules, or maybe twenty, and he was punished with a brilliancy. Nakamura sacrificed everything, including the kitchen sink, and mated So on g6 in a must-see game.
a masterpiece
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1.d4Nf62.c4g63.Nc3Bg74.e4d65.Nf30-06.Be2e57.0-0Nc68.d5Ne79.Ne1Nd710.f3f511.Be3f412.Bf2g513.Nd3Ng614.c5Nf615.Rc1Rf716.Kh1h517.cxd6cxd618.Nb5a619.Na3b520.Rc6Up to this point So had played instantly. This is surprising as he has achieved nothing on the queenside. Nakamura continues his kingside attack.g421.Qc2Qf822.Rc1Bd723.Rc7?I don't like this move at all. Releasing the tension on d6 and a6 is too lenient on Black's position. Asked after the game what they thought of Wesley's play, most of the players agreed that it looked completely wrong and anti-positional. "If it was White to move, I would consider playing Rc6 here" - Anish Giri.23.Nb4!Bxc623...Bh623...Bh624.Be1removing the bishop from potential g3 moves with tempo.h4here the pawn on g4 is clearly poisoned to an experience KID player.25.fxg4picking up the gauntlet, this is not good. That being said, I don't know what else he could have done.f326.gxf3Nxe427.Rd1?This makes things esay for Nakamura to calculate as almost every line wins.27.Rxd7was a much better try.Rxf3!works anyway27...Rxd728.fxe4±28.Bxf3Qxf3+29.Qg2Qxd330.Rd1Bd2‼ is the key move. Nakamura did not see this, but he would have found that h3 instead of Bd2 was favorable for Black, and upon reaching this position probably would have found Bd2.31.Bxd2Nf4and White is getting mated.27.Nf2Nxf2+28.Bxf2Bxc129.Qxg6+Rg727.Nc5!dxc528.Rxd7Rxd729.Qxe4Bxc130.Qxg6+Rg7-+27...Rxf328.Rxd728.Bxf3Qxf3+29.Qg2Bxg4 is completely winning.28...Rf1+!29.Kg2Be3!A very nice resource. There were other winning moves, but this is fantastic.29...h3+30.Kxh3Rf2was even more fantastic, and just as winning.31.Bxf2Qxf232.Nxf2Nf4+33.Kh4Bg5#30.Bg330.h3Nf4+31.Kh2Nxd3and with the elimination of the knight on d3 White's dark squares fall apart.30...hxg331.Rxf1Nh4+32.Kh3Qh6White is up a rook, but his position is hopeless. He is simply getting mated.33.g5Nxg5+The rest is a forced mating sequence.34.Kg4 every move wins here.Nhf335.Nf2Qh4+36.Kf5Rf8+37.Kg6Rf6+!pretty but not the only way.38.Kxf6Ne4+39.Kg6Qg5#0–1
Naka is 1/2 behind the leaders, same as Giri and MVL
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave was able to outplay Topalov in a very clean game. It was almost a perfect Berlin endgame from White in which Black’s pieces were never able to coordinate. White got a brilliantly timed e6 break, and everything just went south for the Bulgarian. MVL cleaned up without problems.
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1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5Nf64.0-0Nxe45.d4Nd66.Bxc6dxc67.dxe5Nf58.Qxd8+Kxd89.h3h610.Rd1+Ke811.Nc3Ne712.Nd412.b3was the famous game Caruana-Carlsen from Norway this year. MVL has other ideas in mind. 12...Ng613.f4Bc514.Be3h515.Ne4Bxd416.Rxd4h416...Bf517.Ng3Bxc218.Rc1h419.Rxc2hxg320.Kf1∞16...b617.Rad1Bf518.Ng3Bxc219.Rc117.Rad1Bf518.e6It is unclear if the players knew so, but this has been all played so far. Considering that MVL spent 50 minutes to get to this position, it is unlikely that he knew it, but Maurice Ashley thinks that MVL had prepped it all! I digress, however.Bxe618...fxe619.Nc5b620.Na6Rc820...e521.fxe5Rc822.e621.Rd7e522.Nxc7+Kf819.Nc5Rh519...b620.Nxe6fxe621.Rd7Ne722.Rxc7was clearly better for White in Saric-Sulava, 2011.19...Bc820.Nxb7±20.Nxb7Rd520...Rb521.Nd8Bd522.c4Rxb223.cxd5Rxd824.Re4+Kf825.f5Nh826.Rxh4Kg827.Bd4Rxd528.Rg421.b3Rb822.Rxd5cxd523.Nc5This is very unpleasant for Black. h4 is a long term weakness, his bishop is bad and his a7 pawn is also weak.c624.Rd4Bc825.Ra4Ra8no one ever wants to play this, but life sucks sometimes over the board.26.c4dxc427.Rxc4Bf528.Nb7Kd729.Rd4+even the king feels unsafe. Not a good thing with opposite colored bishops in the position.Kc730.Nd6Bb131.Nxf7Re832.Kf2Bxa233.f5Nf8Black's position is clearly collapsing. He has no coordination, his king is weak, his pawns are falling. MVL has his choice of coup de grace.34.Ra4Bxb335.Rxa7+35.Bf4+was even easier.35...Kb836.Nd6Rd837.Rxg71–0
MVL admitted to not knowing the Saric game in the postmortem
Last to finish was a thrilling battle between Grischuk and Caruana which left the American player unhappy. He played a strong and resourceful piece sacrifice to shatter his opponent’s structure and obtain a lasting initiative, but his misplayed it badly. His move b5?! simply helped his opponent’s queen to improve, and though it is true that the correct continuation was scary, he simply had to go for it. As the game progressed, it became obvious that White was simply up a piece.
You know something is up when Grischuk has more time than his opponent
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1.d41Nf62.c4e63.Nf3d54.Nc3Be75.Bf40-06.e3Nbd77.c5Ne48.a3Grischuk played this move very quickly, but it is not the most logical move. The move itself doesn't threaten b4 yet, but it does cover against b6 since b4 is not available for the bishop on e7.8.Qc2and8.Rc1have been seen before, in this tournament included.8...Nxc39.bxc3c610.Qa4g5!11.Bg3f5This expansion seems completely justified. White loses development time and Black grabs space.12.h3f413.Bh2e514.Be2e4!15.Nd2Nxc5!Excellent decision making from Caruana. This piece sacrifice nets him two pawns and a strong initiative, using his pawns as spear points. Grischuk was playing quickly up to this point, but went into a long thin after accepting the knight.16.dxc5Bxc517.0-0!?17.exf4gxf418.Nxe4dxe419.Qxe4is incredibly messy, with both kings feeling unsafe.17...b5?! After a very long thing, Caruana played this move which seems bizarre to me. Why improve White's queen?17...fxe318.Nxe4dxe419.fxe319.Qb3+Kg720.Be5+Kh620...Kg621.fxe3Qd521.fxe319.Qxe4exf2+20.Kh119...Bxe3+?!19...Be6!Perhaps Caruana missed this. After which Black has all the trumps in the position, for example20.Qxe4Qd520.Kh1gives Black two extra pawns but the position remains very unclear. White's initiative is real.18.Qb3Qe719.Kh1Be6Again after a long thing. Black has compensation for his missing piece but his initiative evaporated.20.a4!Allowing d4, which actually doesn't do anything.d421.Qd1d322.Bg4Bd523.axb5cxb524.Nb3fxe324...Bb625.Nd4±25.Nxc5Qxc525...e226.Bxe2dxe227.Qxd5+doesn't work.26.fxe3At the end of the day, White simply has an extra bishop.Qxe327.Re1Qf228.Bg1Qf729.Qd2Qg630.Ra6!A nice touch.Rf630...Qxa631.Qxg5+Qg632.Qxd5+basically gets mated.31.Rea1!Salt in the wound.Re832.Rxf6Qxf633.Rxa7h634.Be3Qe535.Qe1Bc436.Bd4Qf437.Rg7+Kf838.Qa1b4This move was on the board, but not played. Caruana flagged before he could make his move, but he was getting mated anyway.1–0
1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bb5Nf64.0-0Nxe45.d4Nd66.Bxc6dxc67.dxe5Nf58.Qxd8+Kxd89.h3h610.Rd1+Ke811.Nc3Ne712.Nd412.b3was the
famous game Caruana-Carlsen from Norway this year. MVL has other ideas in mind.
12...Ng613.f4Bc514.Be3h515.Ne4Bxd416.Rxd4h416...Bf517.Ng3Bxc218.Rc1h419.Rxc2hxg320.Kf1∞16...b617.Rad1Bf518.Ng3Bxc219.Rc117.Rad1Bf518.e6It is unclear if the players knew so, but this
has been all played so far. Considering that MVL spent 50 minutes to get to
this position, it is unlikely that he knew it, but Maurice Ashley thinks that
MVL had prepped it all! I digress, however.Bxe618...fxe619.Nc5b620.Na6Rc820...e521.fxe5Rc822.e621.Rd7e522.Nxc7+Kf819.Nc5Rh519...b620.Nxe6fxe621.Rd7Ne722.Rxc7was clearly better for White in
Saric-Sulava, 2011.19...Bc820.Nxb7±20.Nxb7Rd520...Rb521.Nd8Bd522.c4Rxb223.cxd5Rxd824.Re4+Kf825.f5Nh826.Rxh4Kg827.Bd4Rxd528.Rg421.b3Rb822.Rxd5cxd523.Nc5This is very unpleasant for Black.
h4 is a long term weakness, his bishop is bad and his a7 pawn is also weak.c624.Rd4Bc825.Ra4Ra8no one ever wants to play this, but life sucks
sometimes over the board.26.c4dxc427.Rxc4Bf528.Nb7Kd729.Rd4+even
the king feels unsafe. Not a good thing with opposite colored bishops in the
position.Kc730.Nd6Bb131.Nxf7Re832.Kf2Bxa233.f5Nf8Black's
position is clearly collapsing. He has no coordination, his king is weak, his
pawns are falling. MVL has his choice of coup de grace.34.Ra4Bxb335.Rxa7+35.Bf4+was even easier.35...Kb836.Nd6Rd837.Rxg71–0
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Alejandro RamirezGrandmaster 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.
2nd Move Anti-Sicilian Powerbase 2025 is a database and contains a total of 12090 games from Mega 2025 or the Correspondence Database 2024, of which 874 are annotated.
Ruy Lopez Powerbase 2025 is a database and contains a total of 12092 games from Mega 2025 and the Correspondence Database 2024, of which 1276 are annotated.
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