Jon Speelman: Anybody can have an off day

by Jonathan Speelman
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...

Andor LilienthalWhat 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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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---
This is the game I started from. Of course it's been annotated elsewhere, but this is my take: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.a3 Ba6 5.Qc2 Bb7 6.Nc3 c5 The point of Ba6 and then Bb7 is to entice the queen off d1 so that d4-5 would not now be supported. 7.e4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 9.Nf3 Nc6 Black would like to try 9...Ng4 but after 10.Bg5 f6 10...Bxf2+ 11.Qxf2 Nxf2 12.Bxd8 Nxh1 13.Bc7 Na6 14.Bd6 Nc5 15.b4 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 Bxe4 17.Kd2 Bxf3 18.gxf3 h5 19.Ke3 h4 20.Be2± Ng3 21.hxg3 hxg3 22.Bxg3 11.Bh4 White has a smidgin and Bxf2 instead of f6 is too ambitious. 10.b4 Be7 If 10...Nd4 11.Qd2 Nxf3+ 11...Nb3 12.Qb2 Bxf2+ 13.Kxf2 Nxa1 14.Bd3 12.gxf3 Be7 13.Bb2 or immediately Rg1, White can try to use the g-file to attack but d6 14.Rg1 0-0 15.0-0-0 e5 16.f4 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Bxe4 18.fxe5 d5 19.f3 Bg6 20.cxd5 a5 21.d6 axb4 22.Rxg6 bxa3 23.dxe7 axb2+ 24.Kxb2 Qxe7 25.Qd6 Qh4 26.Rg4 Qf2+ 27.Qd2 Qxf3 28.Rg3 Qf5 29.Bc4 Ra4 30.Bb3 Rf4 31.Re3 Kh8 32.Qd3 Qg5 33.Rd2 h5 34.Bc2 g6 35.Qc3 Kh7 36.Rg3 Qe7 37.Re2 Qd7 38.Bb3 Rc8 39.Qe3 Rb4 40.Rf3 Rc7 41.Ref2 Qd5 42.Rd2 Rxb3+ 43.Qxb3 Qxd2+ 0-1 (43) Suleymenov,A (2373) -Faizrakhmanov,R (2434) Pavlodar KAZ 2019 10...Bd6 is pprobably best, intending 11.Bb2 a5 when if 12.b5 12.Nb5 Be7 13.e5 Nh5! 14.Nd6+ 14.Be2 axb4 15.0-0 bxa3 16.Bxa3 Bxa3 17.Rxa3 Rxa3 18.Nxa3 Nf4 19.Nb5 0-0 20.Nd6 Ba8 21.Qd2 Nd4 22.Nxd4 22.Bd1 Nxf3+ 22...Nh3+! 23.Bxf3 Qg5 24.Qe3 Bxf3 25.Qxf3 Qxe5 26.Rd1 22...Qg5 14...Bxd6 15.exd6 axb4 12...Ne5 11.Bb2 Qb8 Now 11...a5 12.b5 is very uncomfortable. 12.Rd1 0-0
13.Be2N Probably a better square than d3 since it maintains more pressure on the d-file. Predecessor: 13.Bd3 d6 14.0-0 h6 15.Rfe1 Ng4 16.Bf1 Nge5 17.Nd4 Ng6 18.Nde2 Nce5 19.Ng3 Rc8 20.Qb3 1-0 Frey Beckman,K (2393)-Alba Martinez,J (2130) MEX-ch op 52nd 2006 (5) a6 21.Nh5 Qc7 22.Na4 Bf8 23.Rc1 Nd7 24.Qc3 e5 25.Qb3 Qd8 26.Nc3 Qg5 27.Ng3 Nf4 28.Nd5 h5 29.Kh1 Bxd5 30.cxd5 Nf6 31.Qf3 b5 32.Rc6 Rcb8 33.Bc1 Qg4 34.Qxg4 hxg4 35.Nf5 Rd8 36.g3 N4h5 37.Bd3 g6 38.Ne3 Bh6 39.Bd2 Ne8 40.Rec1 Nhf6 41.Kg2 Kf8 42.Kf1 Bxe3 43.Bxe3 Kg7 44.Ke2 Nd7 45.Kd2 a5 46.Bxb5 axb4 47.axb4 f5 48.Rc7 1-0 (47) Frey,K (2393)-Alba,F (2130) Mexico City MEX 2006 13...d6 14.0-0 Rc8 14...Rd8 15.Rfe1 Bf8 16.Bf1 Ne7?! 16...Ne5 was decent. 16...a6 17.Na4 Nd7 18.e5 b5 19.Ng5 g6 20.exd6 bxa4 21.c5 Bg7 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.Qc3+ e5 24.Qh3 Nf6 25.f4 exf4 26.d7 Rd8 27.Qc3 27.Rd6 17.Nb5± Ne8? 17...Ng6 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Qd3 Rd8 20.Nfd4 18.Ng5! Opening fire with the threat of e5, hitting h7. 18.e5 Bxf3 19.gxf3 Ng6 18...Ng6
If 18...h6 19.Nxf7! Kxf7 20.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 goes Rd8 20...d5 21.Qh7 dxc4 21...Rxc4 22.Be2 Rh4 23.g3 Rh3 24.Kg2 24.Bg4 22.Be2 21.exd6 Nxd6 22.Qh7 22.Qe2 Ne4 23.Rxd8 Qxd8 24.Nc3 is more human Nxc3 25.Qxe6+ Ke8 26.Bxc3 Qd7 27.Qg6+ Kd8 28.Qf7 Kc7 28...Qf5 29.Rxe7 Qxf7 30.Rxf7 Be7 31.Rxg7 29.Qf4+ 22...Nxb5 23.Be2! and the threat of Bh5+ is fatal. 19.e5! d5
19...Rd8 20.h4 h6 20...Be7 21.exd6 Nxd6 22.Be5! Bxg5 23.Bxd6 Rxd6 24.Nxd6 Nxh4 24...Bxh4 25.Nxb7 Qxb7 26.g3 25.c5 bxc5 21.Nxe6 19...dxe5? 20.Bxe5 traps the queen, since of course if Nxe5 21.Qxh7# 20.Qb3! This nice move prepares to move her to the kingside Be7
20...dxc4 21.Qh3 h6 22.Nxf7 Kxf7 23.Rd7+ Kg8 24.Qxe6+ Kh7 25.Nd6 Bc6 25...Rc6 26.Bxc4 Rxc4 27.Qxc4 25...Rd8 26.Rxb7 Rxd6 27.exd6 27.Rxb8 Rxe6 28.Rxa8 27...Qxb7 28.Bxc4 Qxg2+ 29.Kxg2 Nf4+ 26.Bxc4 Bxd7 27.Qg8# 21.Nxf7! This pretty move detonates Black's kingside. Kxf7 21...dxc4 22.Bxc4 Rxc4 23.Qxc4 Kxf7 24.Nd6+ Nxd6 25.exd6 would also be utterly fatal. 22.cxd5 Bxd5 22...Nc7 23.Nd6+ 23.Nxc7 Qxc7 23...Bxd6 23...Kg8 24.Nxb7 Nxd5 25.Rxd5 Qxb7 26.Rd4 24.dxe6+ Nxe6 25.exd6 23.Rxd5! Of course White must annihilate Black's best remaining defender. exd5 24.Qxd5+ Kf8 25.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. Not 25.Bc4 Rxc4 26.Qxc4 Qb7= 25...Nf4 25...Nc7 26.Qf3+ Kg8 26...Ke8 27.Bc4 27.Ne6 Nxe6 28.Bb5+ Kd8 29.Qd5+ Bd6 30.Qxe6 Nf8 31.Qf7 27...Nh8 28.Nf5 27.Nc6 wins the queen after Qb7 28.Nxe7+ Nxe7 29.Qxb7 26.Qf3 Kg8 26...g5 27.g3 27.Ne6+ Kg8 28.Nxf4 gxf4 29.Qg4+ Kh8! 29...Ng7 30.e6 Bf8 31.e7 30.Bd3 Rd8 31.Be4 Qc7 32.Qf5 Bxb4 33.axb4 Qe7 34.e6+ Kg8 35.Qg4+ 35.Bxa8 Rxa8 36.Qxf4 35...Ng7 36.Bxg7 Qxg7 37.Qxg7+ Kxg7 38.e7 Kf7 27.Qxf4 Now White is only the exchange down and it's over. Qb7 28.Nf5 b5 To prevent Bc4+, but it doesn't help at all. 29.Bxb5! Bf8 29...Rc2 30.Ba6 30.Bc4+ Kh8 31.Bd5 Qxd5 32.Nxe7 30...Qc7 31.Ba1 30.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.Nh6 Qe7 31...Nf6 32.exf6 32.Nf7+ Kg8 33.Nd6+ Rxc4 34.Qxc4+ Qd5 32...gxh6 33.f7+ Bg7 34.Qf6 Bxf6 35.Bxf6# 32.Nf7+ Kg8 33.Nd6+ 33.Bb3 SF 33...Kh8 34.Nxc8 Rxc8 and 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
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Suleymenov,A2512Carlsen,M28391–02023E12Qatar Masters Open 20232.1
Ostenstad,B2480Carlsen,M26731–02006A20NOR-ch9
Lilienthal,A-Capablanca,J-1–01935E24Hastings 34355
Penrose,J-Tal,M-1–01960A65Leipzig ol (Men) fin-A11
Karpov,A2710Hartmann,W22900–11983B81FRG-ch open1
Anand,V2770Touzane,O23680–12001C42FIDE-Wch k.o.1.1
Christiansen,L2620Karpov,A27251–01993E12Hoogovens2
Zapata,A2480Anand,V25551–01988C42Biel-B9

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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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