Sinquefield Cup video highlights (Part 2)

by ChessBase
9/5/2018 – (Continued from Part 1) One of the chief draws of any Grand Chess Tour event is the extensive and high-quality coverage on the Saint Louis Chess Club YouTube Channel. We've pulled out a number of the interviews and bonus material you may have missed from the Sinquefield Cup. So, break out the popcorn and kick back!
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

Bonus material and interviews

Below you can browse a number of embedded clips or link directly to others. All content is from the Saint Louis Chess Club's extensive and expanding channel on YouTube, indexed here for convenient review.

Round 4

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave discussed the consequence of his devotion to the Najdorf against Grischuk.

Viswanathan Anand is a rare guest in the confession booth, but he decided to pop by in the fourth round to discuss his "very tense

Anand in the confessional

Possibly a first for the fifteenth World Champion

Maurice Question to Players: Why do you think we have not seen a repeat winner at the Sinquefield Cup?

Caruana: "For a long time Magnus was dominating at the top, but he's not winning every tournament, and recently he hasn't been winning as much as before."

Nakamura, So, Karjakin, Mamedyarov, Dominguez, Caruana, Aronian, Vachier-Lagrave and Anand weigh in

Other player interviews
  • Karjakin, who started with two losses with the black pieces
  • Carlsen: "I felt I should take this one chance to get active"
  • Caruana scored a win over Nakamura, after an interesting queenside castling novelty, to move to the top of the table: "He played logical moves, but I just don't think the best ones".

Caruana fielded a couple of questions about the upcoming World Championship match. "I'm not really feeling pressure right now. When the match actually comes around, then I'll feel the pressure. But right now I'm just happy that I made it there".

Seirawan and Caruana

Maurice Ashley and Yasser Seirawan had a few questions related to Caruana's World Championship bid

Games of Round 4

 
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,166,62354%2421---
1.d4947,29855%2434---
1.Nf3281,60256%2441---
1.c4182,10256%2442---
1.g319,70256%2427---
1.b314,26554%2427---
1.f45,89748%2377---
1.Nc33,80151%2384---
1.b41,75648%2380---
1.a31,20654%2404---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d395450%2378---
1.g466446%2360---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c343351%2426---
1.h328056%2418---
1.a411060%2466---
1.f39246%2436---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.g3 dxc4 6.Bg2 0-0 7.Ne5 Nc6 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Nxc6 Qe8 10.Nxe7+ Qxe7 11.Qa4 c5 12.dxc5 E06: Katalanisch Qxc5 13.Be3 Qc7
LiveBook: 21 Partien 14.0-0-0N Die Stellung ist ausgeglichen. Vorgänger: 14.0-0 Nd5 15.Bd4 Bd7 16.Qa3 a5 17.Rad1 Nb4 18.Bc5 Qxc5 19.Rxd7 Rab8 ½-½ (46) Svidler,P (2763)-Nakamura,H (2780) Palma de Mallorca 2017 14...Ng4 15.Rd2 Nxe3 16.fxe3 Rb8 17.Rhd1 a5 18.Kb1 h6 19.Ka1 Rb4 20.Qc2 Rb8 21.Qe4 Bb7 22.Qd4 Ba8 23.e4 Rfc8 24.Qf2
Schwarz muss nun Td7 beachten. 24...Bc6 25.Qc5 Be8 26.Qxc7 Rxc7 27.Rd6 Kf8 28.Ra6 Rc5 29.Ra7 Rbc8 30.Kb1 Rh5 31.h4 Re5 32.Kc2 g5 33.Rf1 Kg7 34.Rb7 Kg6 35.Kd2 f5 36.hxg5 fxe4 Lieber 36...Kxg5 37.exf5 exf5 37.Ke3 Günstiger ist 37.gxh6± e3+ 38.Kc1 Kxh6 39.Rh1+ Rh5 40.Rxh5+ Bxh5 41.Rb6 37...Bc6 38.Re7       zielt auf gxh6 ab. Schwarz steht unter starkem Druck. Rxg5 39.Rxe6+ 39.Nxe4?! Bxe4 40.Rxe6+ 40.Kxe4 Rc6= 40...Kg7= 39...Kg7 40.Re7+ 40.Nxe4?! Bxe4 41.Re7+ 41.Rxe4 Rxg3+ 42.Kd4 c3= 41.Kxe4 Rb5= 41...Kg6= 40...Kg6 41.Rd1 41.Nxe4?! Bxe4 42.Re6+ 42.Rxe4 Rxg3+ 43.Kd4 c3= 42.Kxe4 Rb5= 42...Kg7= 41...Kf6
42.Ra7! Ke6 43.Rh1 Viel schlechter ist 43.Nxe4?! Bxe4 44.Kxe4 Re5+ 45.Kf4 Rf8+ 46.Kg4 h5+ 47.Kh3 Rxe2= 43...h5 44.g4! Jedoch nicht 44.Nxe4?! Re5= 44...Be8? 44...Rh8± 45.gxh5+- Bxh5 45...Rxh5 ist wohl besser. 46.Rxh5 Bxh5 47.Rxa5 Be8 46.Nxe4 Weiß steht klar auf Gewinn. Schwächer ist 46.Ra6+ Kf7+- 46...Rf5 47.Ra6+ Ke7 48.Nd6 Re5+ 49.Kd4 Precision: Weiß = 71%, Schwarz = 55%. 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Caruana,F2822Nakamura,H27771–02018E066th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20184
Mamedyarov,S2801Aronian,L2767½–½2018D376th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20184
So,W2780Karjakin,S2773½–½2018A286th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20184
Anand,V2768Carlsen,M2842½–½2018B316th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20184
Grischuk,A2766Vachier-Lagrave,M2779½–½2018B966th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20184

Round 4 recap and ChessBase round-up show

Daily highlight videos are accessible for ChessBase Basic account holders. Sign-up for a FREE 90-day trial today! Of course, the entire ChessBase Videos library is accessible to Premium members.

GM Daniel King on the highlights of the round

Round 5

The webcast for this round of the Sinquefield Cup got a boost from being a top trending video on YouTube, which garnered the show over 250,000 views, and to-date has 290,000 views which is over 100k more than the next highest round of the tournament.

Maurice Question to Players: Would Levon be a Super Hero or a Super Villain?

Keyser Söze or the Joker? "The goodie-goods are not that attractive", is Aronian's own verdict.

Showing the lighter side of Nakamura, Karjakin, Mamedyarov, Grischuk, Anand, So and Caruana 

What about Magnus Carlsen? (from Round 8)

Zoro or James Bond? Hero seems to be the verdict here. But Caruana goes with Bain from Batman, and that's just fine with Magnus!

Aronian, So, Anand, Vachier-Lagrave, Karjakin, Mamedyarov, Grischuk, Nakamura, Caruana and Carlsen

Other player interviews
  • Anand after his fifth draw — "Periodically my seconds would jog my memory" as to which queen move is the important improvement. In a line of the Queen's Gambit Declined, Anand says 16...Qf6 "kills this particular line"
  • Aronian also weighed in — "I decided to play this opening in the morning...I didn't analyse Qf6"
 
Aronian vs Anand, Round 5
Position after 16...Qf6
  • Caruana drew with Vachier-Lagrave — "I thought I was under some slight, but annoying, pressure"
  • Vachier-Lagrave — "I liked my position. I think if you manage to refute the Petroff, you deserve more than a win. I felt this was an OK try"
  • Grischuk — "I think there is just a different meaning of the word 'friend' in Russian and in English...I can say we are comrades, but I cannot say we are friends in the Russian sense". "Friend" in English is like for Facebook and Grischuk doesn't have an account. Karjakin then added his insight on the subject.
  • Mamedyarov explained his big reaction after a draw with Nakamura, and also his veritable addition to playing dominoes. He's played in the national championship of Azerbaijan.

Nakamura and Mamedyarov

Both players were shaking their heads and upset with their fifth round draw

  • Carlsen — "I was really puzzled when he went Qe7 because I have some really interesting options there", but ultimately he could only give credit to Wesley So: "Well done, good defence".
  • Romana Gracanin, President of CCSCSL Young Professionals Board  
How important is physical fitness?

So, Karjakin, Nakamura, Vachier-Lagrave, Caruana, Aronian, and Anand on their workout routines and staying fresh

Games of Round 5

 
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.d4 Pelletier,Y Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.e3 Nc6 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.Bd3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Qe2 b6 10.Rd1 cxd4 11.Nxd5 Qxd5 12.exd4 Bb7 13.Be4 LiveBook: 3 Games. E14: Queen's Indian: Classical Variation (4 e3) Qd6
14.g3N Predecessor: 14.d5 Nb4 15.Bg5 Rfe8 16.Bxe7 Rxe7 17.dxe6 Qxe6 18.Bxh7+ Kf8 19.Qxe6 Rxe6 20.Bf5 Re2 1-0 (46) Pelletier,Y (2610)-Prusikin,M (2540) Switzerland 2005 CBM 109 [Pelletier,Y] 14...Bf6 15.Bg5 Qe7 15...Bxg5= remains equal. 16.Nxg5 h6 16.Bxf6± Qxf6 17.Ne5 17.Rac1!? Rac8 18.Rc2 17...Rfc8! 18.Qb5 Na5! 19.Bxb7 Nxb7 20.Qd7 Nc5! 21.dxc5 21.Qxf7+!? Qxf7 22.Nxf7 Kxf7 23.dxc5 21...Qxe5 22.c6 h5 23.Rd6 Qxb2 24.Rad1 Qc2 25.h4 Rd8 26.Qxd8+ 26.Qb7 is interesting. Qxd1+ 27.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 28.Kg2 Rdd8 29.Kf3 26...Rxd8 The position is equal. 27.Rxd8+=       Endgame KQ-KRR Kh7 28.R8d7 a5 29.c7
aiming for Kg2. 29...b5! 30.R1d2 Qc1+! 31.Rd1 Qc2 32.R1d4 f6 33.Rd2 Qc1+ 34.Rd1 Qc2 35.R1d6 Qb1+! 36.Rd1 Qc2 37.R1d6 Qb1+! 38.Kg2 Qe4+ 39.Kh2 Qc2 40.Rd2 Qc3 41.R2d6
Hoping for Kg2. 41...Qc2 42.Rd2 Qc3 43.Re2 e5 44.Red2 b4 45.R2d6 Strongly threatening Rxf6. Kg6 46.Kg2 Qc2 47.Re7 And now Rdd7 would win. Qe4+ 48.Kg1 Qe1+ 49.Kg2 Qe4+ 50.Kg1 Qe1+ 51.Kg2 Qe4+ Precision: White = 61%, Black = 82%. ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Carlsen,M2842So,W2780½–½2018D426th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20185
Vachier-Lagrave,M2779Caruana,F2822½–½2018C426th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20185
Nakamura,H2777Mamedyarov,S2801½–½2018D346th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20185
Karjakin,S2773Grischuk,A2766½–½2018C676th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20185
Aronian,L2767Anand,V2768½–½2018D376th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20185

Round 5 recap and ChessBase round-up show

IM Lawrence Trent covered Round 5

Round 6

Caruana won again to take the sole lead in the tournament.

 
Player interviews
  • Grischuk missed a golden opportunity against Carlsen
  • Caruana scored the only win to take the sole lead
  • Vachier-Lagrave drew with Mamedyarov
  • Aronian sacrificed a rook against Nakamura after an oversight, but Nakamura, bungled the conversion and the game ended drawn

Caruana interviewed after taking the lead

Games of Round 6 (annotated by GM Daniel Fernandez)

 
New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
Replay and check the LiveBook here
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.cxd5 It barely needs stating that after 8.Qc2 Nc6 and either a3 or Rd1, we enter a theoretical battlefield in which I have annotated many games on this site, many of which featured either Anand or Nakamura. 8...Nxd5 8...exd5 9.Rc1 might be a marginally better version than the game for White, because the c3-knight often has chances to annoy the Black dark-squared bishop. 9.Nxd5 exd5 10.a3 Nc6 11.Bd3 Wesley fancies his chances of impersonating Magnus today, and turning the IQP into (say) a bishop pair, and slowly constricting his opponent to death. Bb6 12.0-0 Bg4 12...Qf6 13.b4 Bf5 might seem principled, but actually any exchanges at all favour the side battling the IQP. 14.Bxf5 Qxf5 15.Qb1 13.h3 Bh5 14.Bb1 Clearly, Wesley would like the option to force the d-pawn forward with Ba2, but this may not be one that he actually wants. The position is now totally equal, because when Black ventures ...d4 there will be mass liquidations. 14.b4!? a6 15.Re1 is the most maximalist way to play the position, with e4 being the response to ...d4. 14...d4 15.Qd3 15.e4 would be the main way to try and claim an advantage, if this were appropriate; however it turns out not to be after Bc7! 16.Bxc7 Qxc7 and only Black can be better. 15...Bg6 15...f5!?= 16.e4 Re8 17.Re1 Qe7 Keeping the f3-knight and b1-bishop at home while preparing ...Rad8. As ...Bc7 is firmly within Black's territory, White will find himself unable to stop it in the long run. 17...Bc7= 18.Qb5 f6?! Black strives a little too hard for control. 18...Bc7 19.Qxb7 Bxf4 20.Qxc6 Rab8 makes considerable sense to me as a pawn sacrifice. 18...Rac8 is the machine suggestion, preparing ...Bc7 yet again. 19.Nh4 19.e5! Bxb1 20.Raxb1 fxe5 21.Bxe5 gives White an advantage based on better co-ordination. 19...Bf7 20.Nf5 Qc5 21.Qe2 Ne5 22.Bxe5 Qxe5 23.Bd3 The position is now level again, but as is often the way with the bishop pair, if Black can avoid making big concessions in the next 10 moves he has good chances of being better. Bg6 23...Kh8 24.Rac1 Bb3 25.Qf1 g6 26.f4 Qe6 27.Nh4 Rac8 28.Nf3 Ba5 might be one sequence of moves after which Black begins taking more control of the game 24.Qd2 Bxf5 Indicating contentment with a draw, but quite often playing too hard for a draw has adverse results. 24...Rac8= 25.exf5 Qd5 26.Qc2 26.Re2 26...Kf8 27.Re6 Rxe6 28.fxe6 g6 29.Re1 Re8! The situation is back under control, and even though Black needs to sacrifice a pawn to get the queens off on the next move, there isn't such a big risk of losing anymore. 30.Bc4 Having said that, something like 30.h4 Qc5 31.Qe2 'hinting' at h5, was interesting from a practical perspective. 30...d3 31.Qxd3 Qxd3 32.Bxd3 Ke7 33.Bc4 Rd8 34.Re2 Ba5 35.b4 Rd1+ 36.Kh2 Bc7+ 37.g3 Rc1 38.Ba2 Rc3 39.a4 Bd6= 40.b5 Ra3 41.Bd5 b6 Black is active enough that if the rooks stay on, all three results might occur. Therefore White bailed out, but played on, as is the way with such things: 42.Ra2 Rxa2 43.Bxa2 f5 44.Kg2 Be5 45.g4 fxg4 46.hxg4 h5 47.gxh5 gxh5 48.Kh3 Bf6 49.Bc4 Kd6 50.Kg3 Ke7 A interesting choice, but not a mistake. Black can defend actively, which is preferable to allowing a raid by White's king. 50...Ke5! 51.f4+ Kf5= and neither of White's pieces has any prospects at all. 51.Kf4 h4 52.Kg4 Kd6 53.f3 Ke7 54.f4 Kd6 55.Kf5 Ke7 56.Bf1 Ba1 57.Bh3 Bf6 58.Bg4 Ba1 59.Ke4 Kd6 60.Bh3 60.Kf5 Ke7 61.Kg5 Bf6+ 62.Kh5 Kd6 The fortress holds firm. 60...Bb2 61.Kd3 Bf6 62.Kc4 Be7 63.Kd4 Bf6+ 64.Kc4 Be7 65.Kd4 Bf6+ 66.Kc4 ½–½
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
So,W2780Anand,V2768½–½2018D376th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20186
Mamedyarov,S2801Vachier-Lagrave,M2779½–½2018D856th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20186
Caruana,F2822Karjakin,S27731–02018E206th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20186
Grischuk,A2766Carlsen,M2842½–½2018E606th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20186
Nakamura,H2777Aronian,L2767½–½2018A296th Sinquefield Cup GCT 20186

Round 6 recap and ChessBase round-up show

IM Lawrence Trent on the highlights of the day

Continued in part 3...

Links

Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.