The Gods by the North Sea

by Jonathan Speelman
2/5/2023 – The recent firefight in Wijk aan Zee was a magnificent tournament. While trying to follow his nose (i.e. not merely checking the engine evaluation) as to what was going on in the players’ minds during the battle, Jon Speelman found a number of remarkable ideas! | Photos: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2023
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Follow your nose

[Note that Jon Speelman also looks at the content of the article in video format, here embedded at the end of the article.]

Ding Liren, Vincent KeymerThe recent firefight in Wijk aan Zee was a magnificent tournament — constantly intriguing and with much enjoyable Caissic violence. While I did watch some of it in real time (and did stream one round) much of the time I played through the games in the evening, normally with an engine on in the background.

The most important thing about this is to take notice of the engine — after all, if the evaluation jumps madly, then there’s going to be a good reason — but to follow your nose as to what was going on in the players’ minds during the battle and provide your own suggestions, however much this may make the glorious silicon sniff disapprovingly.

That at least was its most common reaction, but sometimes I did find ideas which were interesting, and while beyond my ken — certainly during a game — turned out to be correct. Today I'm looking at a couple of these, plus an ending which the tablebase clarifies, and also a superbly violent game from the Challengers group. Bits of this will have appeared here in other columns, but I hope you’ll enjoy my take.

Just over half a year ago, in column 173, I did similar work mainly on tablebases in ‘Conversations with the Gods’. And so we continue today with the ‘Gods by the North Sea’.

 
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1.Nf3       d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.0-0 Be7 5.c4 0-0 6.b3 d4 Possible because 8.b3 does not directly contest the centre. 7.e3 c5 8.Ne5 Qc7 9.f4 Nbd7 10.Nd3 e5 11.Na3 a6 12.Bb2 Bd6 13.g4 exf4 14.g5
14...Ne8 This is the position I wanted to focus on. In a game, you'd want to try fxe3, but it is very unclear whether it works. In fact, engines give it their enthusiatic seal of approval. 14...fxe3 15.gxf6 Nxf6 16.Rxf6! Obviously White must hack this immensely powerful unit off. gxf6 17.dxe3 Re8 which is very unclear to the human eye, but after 18.exd4 Bxh2+ 19.Kh1 Qg3 20.Qh5 Qxd3 21.Qxh2 21.Kxh2 Re2 21...Re2 22.Rg1
It still looks a total mess, and you'd have to do serious work to convince yourself from afar that it's playable for Black, but in fact after the only move Bg4 he's apparently winning: 22...Bg4! 23.Qf4 23.Ba1 Rae8 24.d5 R8e3 25.d6 25.Nc2 25...Rg3 26.d7 Bxd7 27.Bxf6 Rexg2 28.Rxg2 Bc6 28...Qf1+ 29.Qg1 23...Qg6! 24.Bh3 24.Bc3 cxd4 25.Bxd4 Rd8 26.Bxf6 Qh5+ 27.Qh2 Qxh2+ 28.Kxh2 Rd6 29.Bh4 29.Kg3 Rxf6 30.Kxg4 Rg6+ 31.Kf3 Rxa2 32.Nb1 Rc2 29...Rg6 30.Kh1 Rxa2 31.Nb1 Rh6 24...Bxh3! 25.Rxg6+ hxg6
Of course I'm prepared to believe the engine that this is winning for Black, but it's extremely unobvious. In a game I would imagine (hope) as Black that I could at least get perpetual check, but without any pawns near the white king to anchor the bishop on, I would have been quite unsurprised if I did have to bail out somehow. 26.Bc3 Bf5! 27.d5 Rae8 28.Qd6 Be4+ 28...R8e3 29.Qd8+ Kh7 30.Bxf6 Be4+ 31.Kg1 Re1+ 32.Kf2 R3e2+ 33.Kg3 Rg1+ 34.Kf4 Rf1+ 35.Ke5 Bxd5+ 36.Kd6 36.Kxd5 Rd1+ 37.Kxc5 Rxd8 38.Bxd8 Rxa2 39.Nb1 Rb2 36...Rxf6+ 37.Kxc5 Rc6+ 38.Kb4 Bg2 29.Kg1 Rg2+ 30.Kf1 Rg5 15.Nxf4 dxe3 16.dxe3 Be5 17.Qc2 Nd6 18.Rad1 Re8
19.Nb1 19.Rd5! was very strong, playing on the d-file. The best that engines find is the rather repulsive f5, while others lose. Bxb2 19...f5 20.Nb1 20.Rfd1 Nf7 20...Nf7 20...Bxb2 21.Qxb2 Nf7 22.Nc3 21.Nc3 20.Qxb2 Nf8 20...Rxe3 21.Qd2 21.Nh5 Ne6 22.Qe5 Rd8 23.Rfd1+- 19...a5 20.a4 Bxb2 21.Qxb2 Ne5 22.Nc3 Bg4 23.Rd5 Nf5 24.Rd2? Sacrificng the e-pawn to get in Nd5 but 24.Nb5 Qe7 25.Qf2 was a better line with an edge. 24...Nxe3 25.Ncd5 Nxd5 26.Nxd5 Qb8 27.h3 Be6
28.Nf4? Encouraging the obvious and powerful pseudo sacrifice. 28.Qc3 28...Bxc4! 29.Rff2 29.bxc4 Nxc4 30.Qc3 Nxd2 31.Qxd2 Qe5 Black has too many pawns and should win. 29...Ba6 30.Nh5 Re7 31.Rd5 Qc7 32.Rf5 Rae8 33.Qc3 b6
34.Nf6+ gxf6 35.gxf6 Nf3+! The only move, but it should win. 36.Rxf3 36.Kf2 Re2+ 37.Kxf3 was a tougher defence, but Black should be winning after Qh2 38.Rg5+ Kh8 38...Kf8 39.Qc1 Rxg2 40.Rxg2 Qxh3+ 41.Rg3 Be2+ 42.Kf2 Qh2+ 43.Rg2 Qh4+ 44.Rg3 Qxf6+ 39.Rd7 Rxg2 40.Rxg2 Be2+ 41.Kf2 Qf4+ 42.Kg1 Qf1+ 43.Kh2 Bf3 44.Rdd2 44.Qd2 Bxg2 45.Qxg2 Qf4+ 46.Qg3 Re2+ 47.Kh1 Qf1+ 44...Bxg2 45.Rxg2 h6 36.Bxf3 Qg3+ and Re1+ 36...Re1+ 37.Bf1
37...Kh8! Preparing Rg8+. Ding resigned because 37...Kh8 38.h4 38.Rg5 Bxf1 39.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 40.Kxf1 Qf4+ 38...Bxf1 39.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 40.Kxf1 Qf4+ 41.Kg1 Qxh4 42.Qf3 h6 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Ding,L2811Giri,A27640–12023A1485th Tata Steel Masters9.2
Van Foreest,J2681Giri,A2764½–½2023E1085th Tata Steel Masters12.2
Keymer,V2696Abdusattorov,N2713½–½2023D3485th Tata Steel Masters9.1
Warmerdam,M2616Pechac,J26371–02023C60Tata Steel Challengers1.5
 

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Jonathan Speelman, born in 1956, studied mathematics but became a professional chess player in 1977. He was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980–2006 and three times British Champion. He played twice in Candidates Tournaments, reaching the semi-final in 1989. He twice seconded a World Championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.
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