Sinquefield Cup: Fighting draws, Duda’s game postponed

All square

Only eight players took part in the second round of the Sinquefield Cup. Jan-Krzysztof Duda called in sick. His opponent, Richard Rapport, was forced to take a break, and the game is likely to take place on the rest day.

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All round-2 games ended in draws. In contrast to the first day of play, however, fighting games were seen almost on all four boards.

Alireza Firouzja and Anish Giri, two players who still have realistic chances to qualify for the Candidates Tournament, faced each other. Out of a Giuoco Piano, Giri did not shy away from going for complications. However, a tactical skirmish dissolved into an equal endgame and the game ended without a winner.

In an English Opening against Leinier Dominguez, Ian Nepomniachtchi chose the line with 7.Ne4, a move that Rasmus Svane has been playing frequently. First Black had an extra pawn, and then it was White who was a pawn up. The fighting contenders kept creating problems for each other, though, and an 87-move draw was eventually signed.

Nepomniachtchi ½ - ½ Dominguez

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller

Nepomniachtchi, Ian2771

½–½

Dominguez Perez, Leinier2745

GCT 10th Sinquefield Cup 2023 Saint Louis22.11.2023[Mueller,Karsten]

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 g6 7.Ne4 c4 8.Qc2 b5 9.b3 Bg7 10.Bb2 Ndb4 11.Qc1 Bxb2 12.Qxb2 0-0 13.0-0 Rb8 14.a3 Bf5 15.Nh4 Bxe4 16.Bxe4 Nd5 17.bxc4 bxc4 18.Qc2 Na5 19.Rab1 Nf6 20.Bg2 Qd6 21.Nf3 Rxb1 22.Rxb1 Qxa3 23.Nd4 Rc8 24.h3 e5 25.Nb5 Qc5 26.Qa4 Nb3 27.Qa6 Rb8 28.Na3 Kg7 29.Nxc4 Rb4 30.Ne3 e4 31.Qa3 Qb6 32.d3 exd3 33.exd3 a5 34.Nc4 Qb5 35.Nxa5 Ra4 36.Qxb3 Qxa5 37.Qb5 Qa7 38.Qe5 Ra5 39.Qe3 Qc7 40.d4 Ra7 41.Rc1 Qd8 42.d5 Rd7 43.Qd4 Kg8 44.Rc5 Ne8 45.Rc6 Qe7 46.Bf3 Nd6 47.Kg2 Rd8 48.h4 h5 49.Ra6 Nf5 50.Qa1 Rd6 51.Ra8+ Rd8 52.Ra2 Qd6 53.Be4 Re8 54.Ra8 Ng7 55.Ra6 Qe7 56.Bd3 Rd8 57.Ra7

Black's blockade. The fight bishop against knight can be very deep: 57...Rd7? Black's blockade will not hold anymore. 57...Qd6= was called for. 58.Rxd7 Qxd7 59.Qa8+! Qe8 59...Ne8?! runs into 60.Bc2+- 60.Qc6? White misses the moment. 60.Qxe8+ wins, e.g. Nxe8 61.Kf3 Kg7 62.Ke4 Kf6 63.f3 Nd6+ 64.Kd4 Ke7 65.g4 Nb7 66.Ke5 Nd6 67.g5 Nb7 68.f4 Nd6 69.f5 gxf5 70.Be2+- 60...Kf8? 60...Qe5= (Wolfram Schoen) 61.Qc5+? Now it is too late for 61.Qxe8+? due to Nxe8 62.Kf3 f5 63.Kf4 Nd6 64.Kg5 Kg7= 61.Kf1! (Wolfram Schoen) Qe5 61...Kg8 62.Bb5+- 62.d6 Ne6 63.Bc4 Qa1+ 64.Kg2 Nd8 65.Qc7 Qf6 66.Qb6 Kg7 67.Ba6 Ne6 68.Bc8 Nd8 69.Bd7 Kh7 70.Bh3 Kg7 71.f4 Kf8 72.Kf2 Kg7 73.Ke2 Kf8 74.Kd3 Kg7 75.Kc4 Kf8 76.Qd4+- 61...Kg8 62.d6 62.Qc6 Qe5 63.d6 Ne6 64.Bc4 Nd8 65.Qd5 Qf6= 62...Qa8+ 63.Kg1 Qa1+ 64.Kg2 Qa8+ 65.Kh2 65.Kg1 does not win either due to Qa1+ 66.Kh2 Ne6 67.Qd5 Kg7= and Black's blockade cannot be broken. 65...Ne6 66.Qc4 66.Qb6 is met by Qd5 67.Bf1 Kf8= 66...Qa7? 66...Qf3 draws, e.g. 67.Kg1 Qd1+ 68.Kg2 Nf4+ 69.Qxf4 Qxd3 70.Qe5 Kh7 71.Qe7 Qd5+ 72.Kh2 Qf3 73.Qa7 Qd5 74.d7 Kg7= 67.Kg2

The king comes closer to prepare for activation in an endgame. 67...Qd4 The endgame is lost, but White wins anyway. For example 67...Qd7 68.Qd5 Nf4+ 69.gxf4 Qg4+ 70.Kh2 Qxh4+ 71.Kg1 Qg4+ 72.Qg2 Qxf4 73.d7 Qc1+ 74.Bf1+- 67...Qc5 68.Qxc5 Nxc5 69.Be4‼ Kf8 70.Kf3 Ke8 71.Bc6+ Kd8 72.Ke3+- 67...Qa8+ 68.Qe4 Qd8 69.Qe5 Qa8+ 70.Be4+- 68.Qxd4 Nxd4 69.d7? White rushes and allows a solid black blockade. The direct 69.f4 wins, e.g. f5 69...Kf8 70.Kf2 Ke8 71.Ke3 Nc6 72.Bb5 Kd7 73.f5 gxf5 73...Kxd6 74.Bxc6 Kxc6 75.fxg6 fxg6 76.Kf4+- 74.Kf4 Kxd6 75.Bxc6 Kxc6 76.Kxf5 Kd7 77.Kg5 Ke6 78.Kxh5 Kf5 79.Kh6 Kg4 80.h5 Kxg3 81.Kg5+- 70.Kf2 Kf7 71.Ke3 Nc6 72.Bb5 Nd8 73.Bc4+ Kf6 73...Ne6 74.d7+- 74.Kd4 Nb7 75.Kd5 Nd8 76.Kc5 Nb7+ 77.Kc6 Na5+ 78.Kc7 Nxc4 79.d7+- 69...Nc6! 70.Bb5 70.f4 is met by f5! 71.Kf3 Kf7 72.Bb5 Nd8 73.Ke3 Ke7 74.Kd4 Ne6+ 75.Ke5 Nc5 76.d8Q+ 76.Bc6 Nd3+= 76...Kxd8 77.Kf6 Ne4+ 78.Kxg6 Nxg3 79.Bd3 Ke7 80.Bxf5 Ne2 81.Kg5 Nxf4 82.Kxf4 Kf6= 70...Nd8 71.Kf3 Kf8! This king is just in time. 72.Ke4 Ke7 73.f4 Ne6! 73...Nb7? 74.Ke5 Nd8 75.f5 f6+ 76.Kf4 gxf5 77.Kxf5 Kf7 78.Be2+- 74.Bc6 74.f5 is met by gxf5+ 75.Kxf5 Nd4+ 76.Kg5 Nxb5 77.Kxh5 Kxd7 78.Kh6 Ke7 79.Kg7 Nd4 80.g4= 74...Kd6 75.Ba4 Nc5+ 76.Kd4 Nxd7 Of course not 76...Nxa4?? 77.d8Q++- 77.Bxd7 Kxd7 78.f5 Ke7 79.Ke5 f6+!

Black blocks the road. 80.Kf4 gxf5 81.Kxf5 Kf7 Opposition 82.Kf4 Ke6 83.g4 hxg4 84.Kxg4 Kf7 85.Kf5 Kg7 86.h5 Kh6 87.Kxf6 Kxh5 ½–½

How to attack - principles of training

Most players prefer to attack rather than defend. But what is the correct way to do it? GM Dr Karsten Müller has compiled many rules and motifs to guide you, along with sharpening your intuition for the exceptions.

Leinier Dominguez | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian also played an exciting game. In an anti-Berlin variation of the Ruy Lopez, Aronian, playing black, gave Caruana the opportunity to create a strong outpost and a passed pawn on d6 by sacrificing an exchange.

Caruana ½ - ½ Aronian

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller

Caruana, Fabiano2795

½–½

Aronian, Levon2727

GCT 10th Sinquefield Cup 2023 Saint Louis22.11.2023[Mueller,Karsten]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.c3 Nd7 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 a5 10.0-0 0-0 11.Bg5 f6 12.Bh4 Nb6 13.a3 Be7 14.Re1 Be6 15.Nbd2 Nc4 15...a4!?= 16.Nxc4 Bxc4 17.Rc1 Bf7 18.Bg3 a4 19.Rc3 Re8 20.h3 Bf8 21.Qc1 Qd7 22.d5 c5 23.Rce3 Ra6 24.Rd1 Bh5 25.Rde1 Bf7 26.Qc2 b5 27.Rd1 c6?

This advance backfires. Black should wait with, e.g. 27...Bh5= or 27...Raa8= 28.d6! Bb3 29.Rxb3 axb3 30.Qxb3+? Caruana takes the wrong pawn. 30.Qxc5 Rxe4 31.Nd2 Re6 32.Nxb3± gives White good winning chances. 30...c4 31.Qe3 c3? This advance backfires. Just waiting with e.g. 31...h6= is called for. 32.Qxc3 Rxe4 33.Nd2!

A very powerful regrouping. On the outpost c5 the knight will dominate the board. 33...Re8 34.Nb3 Qf7 35.Qf3 Ra7 36.Nc5 Rc8 37.b4 h6 38.Rd3 f5 39.Bf4 g5 40.Be5 Qg6 41.Qd1 This wins, but 41.Rd1+- is even better according to the engines. 41...Rd8 42.f4? The wrong way to open roads. 42.g4! fxg4 42...Qf7 43.Qd2 Kh7 44.Rf3 f4 45.Rd3 Kg8 46.Kg2 Qe8 46...Re8 47.Ba1 Rd8 48.Qb2 Bg7 49.Qxg7+ Qxg7 50.Bxg7 Rxg7 51.Ne6+- 47.Qa2+ Qf7 48.Qb2 Qg6 49.f3 Bg7 50.Bxg7 Rxg7 51.Qa2+ Qf7 52.Qd2 Qf6 53.d7 Re7 54.Rd6+- 43.hxg4 Rh7 44.Kg2 Rf7 45.Rd4 Qh7 46.Qb3 Qg6 47.f3 Rxd6 48.Bxd6 Bxd6 49.Ne6 Be7 50.Rd7 Qf6 51.Nd4+- 42...gxf4 43.Bxf4 Rg7?

This is only pseudo-activity. After 43...Kh7! White's advantage is only symbolic. 44.Qd2 Qf6 45.Qa2+ Qf7 46.Qxf7+? The endgame is completely equal.

With queens on, White is winning due to Black's unsafe king: 46.Qe2 Kh7 46...h5 47.Kh1 Rg6 48.Qd2 h4 49.Kg1 Kh7 50.d7 Be7 51.Nb7 Rdg8 52.g3 hxg3 53.d8Q Bxd8 54.Nxd8+- 47.Kh2 Qc4 48.Qd2 Rg6 48...Qf7 49.Be5 Rg6 50.d7+- 49.d7 Bxc5 50.bxc5 Qxc5 51.Bc7+- 46...Kxf7 47.Nb7 47.Bxh6? runs into Bxd6! 48.Rf3 48.Bxg7 Bxc5+-+ 48.Nb7 Bh2+-+ 48...Bxc5+ 49.bxc5 Rg6 50.Bf4 50.Rxf5+ Ke6 51.Rh5 Rh8-+ 50...Rd5-+ 47...Rd7 48.Nc5 Rd8 49.Nb7 Rd7 50.Nc5 Rd8 ½–½

Navigating the Ruy Lopez Vol.1-3

The Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest openings which continues to enjoy high popularity from club level to the absolute world top. In this video series, American super GM Fabiano Caruana, talking to IM Oliver Reeh, presents a complete repertoire for White.

The round is about to begin | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Game analysis by Robert Ris

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Links

• Grand Chess Tour website
• Race for the Candidates: Four Two places still up for grabs
• Alireza Firouzja conquers Saint Louis! (2022)