10/22/2023 – Magnus Carlsen’s disastrous loss to Alisher Suleymenov in Qatar has gone round the world, partly because it was an excellent game but mainly because it was so unusual: Carlsen’s first defeat by such a relatively “weak” opponent since the Norwegian Championship of 2006! Unusual but not really that shocking. Anybody can have an off day, and the truly shocking thing is that Carlsen has managed for nearly two decades to avoid losing at classical chess to such an opponent. | Photo: Aditya Sur Roy
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Small, sharp-toothed predators
[Note that Jon Speelman also looks at the content of the article in video format, here embedded at the end of the article.]
Magnus Carlsen’s disastrous loss to Alisher Suleymenov in Qatar has gone round the world, partly because it was an excellent game but mainly because it was so unusual: Carlsen’s first defeat by such a relatively “weak” opponent since he lost to Berge Ostenstad in the Norwegian Championship of 2006!
Unusual but not really that shocking. Anybody can have an off day, and the truly shocking thing is that Carlsen has managed for nearly two decades to avoid losing at classical chess to such an opponent (obviously he must have lost plenty of games at blitz and bullet).
There’s a certain temptation towards schadenfreude and I thought of entitling this “How are the mighty fallen”, but then I thought of all my numerous blunders and worse really awful complete games against opponents purportedly as much weaker than me as I am than Magnus, and my keyboard froze...
What I am going to do is to look at the game itself — my take is that Suleymenov did play very well, but any really strong attacking player could have done the same if only (and it’s a massive if only) he kept his nerve — and then look at some other instances of giant beasts being snagged by much smaller but sharp-toothed predators.
The first one of these that came to mind was Lilienthal (pictured) vs Capablanca (though in my addled brain I initially thought it was Ilyin-Zheneysky who was White). I mentioned this in passing to ChessBase editor-in-chief Johannes Fischer and he was very helpful, suggesting a number of other games off the top of his head (without first consulting a database). I’ve used several and kept some in reserve too for a future column perhaps.
I’m a week later than usual because I was on holiday (being pummelled by the sun in Tenerife). The next will be in a fortnight on November 5th — Guy Fawkes Day in the UK. Please feel free to send me any incendiary games or moments in games with suitable fireworks. You can do so either through the ChessBase editors or direct to jonathan@jspeelman.co.uk.
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1.e4
1,166,623
54%
2421
---
1.d4
947,298
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
281,602
56%
2441
---
1.c4
182,102
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,702
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,265
54%
2427
---
1.f4
5,897
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,801
51%
2384
---
1.b4
1,756
48%
2380
---
1.a3
1,206
54%
2404
---
1.e3
1,068
48%
2408
---
1.d3
954
50%
2378
---
1.g4
664
46%
2360
---
1.h4
446
53%
2374
---
1.c3
433
51%
2426
---
1.h3
280
56%
2418
---
1.a4
110
60%
2466
---
1.f3
92
46%
2436
---
1.Nh3
89
66%
2508
---
1.Na3
42
62%
2482
---
Please, wait...
This is the game I started from. Of course it's been annotated elsewhere,
but this is my take:1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nf3b64.a3Ba65.Qc2Bb76.Nc3c5The point of Ba6 and then Bb7 is to entice the queen off d1 so that d4-5
would not now be supported.7.e4cxd48.Nxd4Bc59.Nf3Nc6Black would
like to try9...Ng4but after10.Bg5f610...Bxf2+11.Qxf2Nxf212.Bxd8Nxh113.Bc7Na614.Bd6Nc515.b4Nxe416.Nxe4Bxe417.Kd2Bxf318.gxf3h519.Ke3h420.Be2±Ng321.hxg3hxg322.Bxg311.Bh4White has
a smidgin and Bxf2 instead of f6 is too ambitious.10.b4Be7If10...Nd411.Qd2Nxf3+11...Nb312.Qb2Bxf2+13.Kxf2Nxa114.Bd312.gxf3Be713.Bb2or immediately Rg1, White can try to use the g-file to attack butd614.Rg10-015.0-0-0e516.f4Nxe417.Nxe4Bxe418.fxe5d519.f3Bg620.cxd5a521.d6axb422.Rxg6bxa323.dxe7axb2+24.Kxb2Qxe725.Qd6Qh426.Rg4Qf2+27.Qd2Qxf328.Rg3Qf529.Bc4Ra430.Bb3Rf431.Re3Kh832.Qd3Qg533.Rd2h534.Bc2g635.Qc3Kh736.Rg3Qe737.Re2Qd738.Bb3Rc839.Qe3Rb440.Rf3Rc741.Ref2Qd542.Rd2Rxb3+43.Qxb3Qxd2+0-1 (43) Suleymenov,A (2373) -Faizrakhmanov,R (2434) Pavlodar KAZ 201910...Bd6is pprobably best, intending11.Bb2a5when if12.b512.Nb5Be713.e5Nh5!14.Nd6+14.Be2axb415.0-0bxa316.Bxa3Bxa317.Rxa3Rxa318.Nxa3Nf419.Nb50-020.Nd6Ba821.Qd2Nd422.Nxd422.Bd1Nxf3+22...Nh3+!23.Bxf3Qg524.Qe3Bxf325.Qxf3Qxe526.Rd122...Qg514...Bxd615.exd6axb412...Ne511.Bb2Qb8Now11...a512.b5
is very uncomfortable.12.Rd10-0
13.Be2NProbably a better
square than d3 since it maintains more pressure on the d-file.Predecessor:
13.Bd3d614.0-0h615.Rfe1Ng416.Bf1Nge517.Nd4Ng618.Nde2Nce519.Ng3Rc820.Qb31-0 Frey Beckman,K (2393)-Alba Martinez,J (2130) MEX-ch op
52nd 2006 (5)a621.Nh5Qc722.Na4Bf823.Rc1Nd724.Qc3e525.Qb3Qd826.Nc3Qg527.Ng3Nf428.Nd5h529.Kh1Bxd530.cxd5Nf631.Qf3b532.Rc6Rcb833.Bc1Qg434.Qxg4hxg435.Nf5Rd836.g3N4h537.Bd3g638.Ne3Bh639.Bd2Ne840.Rec1Nhf641.Kg2Kf842.Kf1Bxe343.Bxe3Kg744.Ke2Nd745.Kd2a546.Bxb5axb447.axb4f548.Rc71-0 (47) Frey,K (2393)-Alba,F (2130)
Mexico City MEX 200613...d614.0-0Rc814...Rd815.Rfe1Bf816.Bf1Ne7?!16...Ne5was decent.16...a617.Na4Nd718.e5b519.Ng5g620.exd6bxa421.c5Bg722.Bxg7Kxg723.Qc3+e524.Qh3Nf625.f4exf426.d7Rd827.Qc327.Rd617.Nb5±Ne8?17...Ng618.Bxf6gxf619.Qd3Rd820.Nfd418.Ng5!Opening fire with the threat of e5, hitting h7.18.e5Bxf319.gxf3Ng618...Ng6
If18...h619.Nxf7!Kxf720.e5
with a huge attack. White is a piece down but all of his units are working,
while Black's king is seriously exposed and his pieces are disorganised. One
nice line goesRd820...d521.Qh7dxc421...Rxc422.Be2Rh423.g3Rh324.Kg224.Bg422.Be221.exd6Nxd622.Qh722.Qe2Ne423.Rxd8Qxd824.Nc3is more humanNxc325.Qxe6+Ke826.Bxc3Qd727.Qg6+Kd828.Qf7Kc728...Qf529.Rxe7Qxf730.Rxf7Be731.Rxg729.Qf4+22...Nxb523.Be2!and the threat of Bh5+ is fatal.19.e5!d5
19...Rd820.h4h620...Be721.exd6Nxd622.Be5!Bxg523.Bxd6Rxd624.Nxd6Nxh424...Bxh425.Nxb7Qxb726.g325.c5bxc521.Nxe619...dxe5?20.Bxe5
traps the queen, since of course ifNxe521.Qxh7#20.Qb3!This nice move
prepares to move her to the kingsideBe7
20...dxc421.Qh3h622.Nxf7Kxf723.Rd7+Kg824.Qxe6+Kh725.Nd6Bc625...Rc626.Bxc4Rxc427.Qxc425...Rd826.Rxb7Rxd627.exd627.Rxb8Rxe628.Rxa827...Qxb728.Bxc4Qxg2+29.Kxg2Nf4+26.Bxc4Bxd727.Qg8#21.Nxf7!This pretty move
detonates Black's kingside.Kxf721...dxc422.Bxc4Rxc423.Qxc4Kxf724.Nd6+Nxd625.exd6would also be utterly fatal.22.cxd5Bxd522...Nc723.Nd6+23.Nxc7Qxc723...Bxd623...Kg824.Nxb7Nxd525.Rxd5Qxb726.Rd424.dxe6+Nxe625.exd623.Rxd5!Of course White must annihilate
Black's best remaining defender.exd524.Qxd5+Kf825.Nd4!Aiming for e6.
White is a rook down for two pawns but such is Black's disarray that you have
to count explicitly to realise this.Not25.Bc4Rxc426.Qxc4Qb7=25...Nf425...Nc726.Qf3+Kg826...Ke827.Bc427.Ne6Nxe628.Bb5+Kd829.Qd5+Bd630.Qxe6Nf831.Qf727...Nh828.Nf527.Nc6wins the queen
afterQb728.Nxe7+Nxe729.Qxb726.Qf3Kg826...g527.g327.Ne6+Kg828.Nxf4gxf429.Qg4+Kh8!29...Ng730.e6Bf831.e730.Bd3Rd831.Be4Qc732.Qf5Bxb433.axb4Qe734.e6+Kg835.Qg4+35.Bxa8Rxa836.Qxf435...Ng736.Bxg7Qxg737.Qxg7+Kxg738.e7Kf727.Qxf4Now White is
only the exchange down and it's over.Qb728.Nf5b5To prevent Bc4+, but it
doesn't help at all.29.Bxb5!Bf829...Rc230.Ba630.Bc4+Kh831.Bd5Qxd532.Nxe730...Qc731.Ba130.Bc4+Kh8
31.Nh6!A nice finsih.
Through the threat of Qxf8 mate, White gets in Nf7+ and will even win the
exchange back as well.31.Nh6Qe731...Nf632.exf632.Nf7+Kg833.Nd6+Rxc434.Qxc4+Qd532...gxh633.f7+Bg734.Qf6Bxf635.Bxf6#32.Nf7+Kg833.Nd6+33.Bb3SF33...Kh834.Nxc8Rxc8and White has three extra
pawns with an attack! . A terrific game by Suleymenov, but really not that hard
to play for a good attacking player - as long as he kept his nerve.
Carlsen was unrecognisable!1–0
Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!
Jonathan SpeelmanJonathan 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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