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
ChessBase is a personal, stand-alone chess database that has become the standard throughout the world. Everyone uses ChessBase, from the World Champion to the amateur next door. It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it.
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.
This course isn’t just another addition to your chess library—it’s the definitive guide to elevate your endgame play. From fundamental principles to advanced techniques, “Practical Endgames” covers every aspect of endgame strategy.
€39.90
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.
New ...
New Game
Edit Game
Setup Position
Open...
PGN
FEN
Share...
Share Board (.png)
Share Board (configure)
Share playable board
Share game as GIF
Notation (PGN)
QR Code
Layout...
Use splitters
Swipe notation/lists
Reading mode
Flip Board
Settings
Move
N
Result
Elo
Players
Replay and check the LiveBook here
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.
This video course provides a comprehensive and practical White repertoire in the Ruy Lopez! Through instructive model games and in-depth theoretical explanations, you will learn how to confidently handle both main lines and sidelines.
Chess Festival Prague 2025 with analyses by Aravindh, Giri, Gurel, Navara and others. ‘Special’: 27 highly entertaining miniatures. Opening videos by Werle, King and Ris. 10 opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more.
Experts examine the games of Max Euwe. Let them show you which openings Euwe chose to play, where his strength in middlegames were, which tactical abilities he had or how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame.
This interactive video course of over 8 hours, provides an in-depth exploration of the Pirc Defence, a favoured opening for people looking to play for the win with the black pieces.
The course is designed to provide a deep yet practical repertoire for Black, balancing solid foundations with aggressive counterplay.
€39.90
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.
Pop-up for detailed settings
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, cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies, analysis cookies and marketing cookies. You can decide which cookies to use by selecting the appropriate options below. Please note that your selection may affect the functionality of the service. Further information can be found in our privacy policy.
Technically required cookies
Technically required cookies: so that you can navigate and use the basic functions and store preferences.
Analysis Cookies
To help us determine how visitors interact with our website to improve the user experience.
Marketing-Cookies
To help us offer and evaluate relevant content and interesting and appropriate advertisement.