Jon Speelman: Five abreast

by Jonathan Speelman
2/4/2024 – In the final round of the Tata Steel Masters, five players started first equal and four of them won. Big pile ups do occur quite often at the end of open Swiss tournaments, but I don’t think that I’ve ever seen this before at the end of a top-class all-play-all. The last round was a fantastic spectacle, so I thought I’d add some of my own observations now, augmented by some incredible moves from our silicon lords and masters. | Photo: Jurriaan Hoefsmit / Tata Steel Chess

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Unprecedented?

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

A fortnight or so ago, I bought some dictation software to offset my execrable typing, so I thought I’d give it a run out today with a nice polysyllabic rant.

At the height of the pandemic, our glorious politicians used a single word to excuse their many incompetencies: unprecedented. I realise, poor darlings, that they had to make enormously difficult decisions which were not what they thought they’d signed up for. But surely that is exactly what being elected entails.

In any case, the use of the u-word particularly riled me as, with a single flick of the tongue, they disavowed millennia of history. History is not my strong suit, but of course there have been pandemics from time immemorial. And from a British and European perspective I can easily pick out the Black Death, which apparently killed about 50 million people, half of the population of Europe in the 14th century; the Great Plague of London in 1665, which probably killed about a hundred thousand, nearly a quarter of the population of London at the time (to be fair, this wasn’t a pandemic as such since contained geographically); and most relevantly the “Spanish flu” a century ago, which killed over 20 million when there were just 2 billion people on the planet.

Pierart dou Tielt

Miniature by Pierart dou Tielt illustrating the people of Tournai burying victims of the Black Death (ca. 1353)

Of course, there are times when “unprecedented” events do occur and one was in the last round of Wijk aan Zee a week ago, when five players started first equal and four of them won. Big pile ups do occur quite often at the end of open Swiss tournaments, but I don’t think that I’ve ever seen this before at the end of a top-class all-play-all — though perhaps readers can advise me otherwise?

The last round was a fantastic spectacle and while you will have seen the games at the time, I thought I’d add some of my own observations now, augmented by some incredible moves from our silicon lords and masters.

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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,165,57054%2421---
1.d4946,47455%2434---
1.Nf3281,31256%2441---
1.c4181,93756%2442---
1.g319,68856%2427---
1.b314,23654%2427---
1.f45,88648%2377---
1.Nc33,79651%2384---
1.b41,75348%2380---
1.a31,19754%2403---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d394850%2378---
1.g466246%2361---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c342651%2425---
1.h327956%2416---
1.a410860%2468---
1.f39147%2431---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 c5 4.c3 e6 4...Bg4 5.Nbd2 cxd4 6.exd4 Nc6 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Nxf3 e6 4...cxd4 5.exd4 Nc6 5...Bg4 6.Qa4+ Nc6 7.Bb5 Bxf3 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.Qxc6+ Nd7 10.gxf3 e6 6.Ne5!? 5.Bd3 Nbd7 5...Nc6 is more common, but Nbd7 is perfectly playable of course. 6.Nbd2 Bd6 6...Be7 7.0-0 0-0 This, the Colle system, has a rather harmless reputation but Vidit hadn't as far as I know faced this line as such, which may have informed Wei Yi's choice. 8.Re1 Qc7 8...e5 9.e4 dxe4 10.Nxe4 Nxe4 11.Rxe4 exd4 11...Nf6 12.Bg5 12.Bg5 Gives some initiative. Qc7 12...f6? 13.Qb3+ Kh8 14.Rh4+- 13.cxd4 9.e4 cxd4 10.cxd4 dxe4 11.Nxe4 b6 11...Bb4 12.Re2 Be7 13.Bg5 h6 14.Rc1 Qd8 11...Be7 12.Bg5 h6 13.Rc1 Qd8 14.Bf4 12.Bg5
12...Nxe4? This is the root of Black's troubles since it invites the white rook into the game creating serious problems. Not 12...Nd5? 13.Rc1 Qb8 14.Bb5 But 12...Be7! was correct, when Black is a bit worse but can fight. 13.Rxe4! 13.Bxe4 Bb7 14.Rc1 Qb8 13...Bb7 I wondered about h6 Bxh6 f5 but Black can interpose Rc1 which completely refutes this 13...h6? 14.Rc1! 14.Bxh6 f5 15.Rxe6 gxh6 14...Qb8 15.Bxh6 f5 15...gxh6 16.Rg4+ Kh8 17.Qd2 16.Rxe6 gxh6 16...Nf6 17.Rxc8 Rxc8 18.Rxf6 gxf6 19.Qb3+ Kh8 20.Qf7 17.Rc6!+- 13...Re8 14.Rh4 Nf8 15.Rc1 Qb8 16.Ne5 Bxe5 17.Bxh7+ Nxh7 18.Qh5 Kf8 18...Bf6 19.Qxh7+ Kf8 20.Qh8+ Ke7 21.Qxg7 Bxg5 22.Qxg5+ Kd7 23.d5 18...f6 19.Qxe8+ Nf8 20.dxe5 20.Bh6! SF 20...fxg5 19.dxe5 19.Qxh7 f6 19...Bf6 20.Qh8+ Ke7 21.Qxg7 Bxg5 22.Qxg5+ Kd7 19...Nxg5 20.Qxg5 Kg8 21.Rg4 g6 22.Qf6 14.Rc1 Qb8 14...Bxe4 is an attempt to bail but loses completely 15.Rxc7 15.Bxe4 Qb8 16.Qa4 15...Bxf3 16.Bxh7+! 16.Qc2 Bxc7 17.Qxc7 16...Kxh7 16...Kh8 17.Qxf3 Bxc7 18.Qh5 17.Qc2+ 15.Rh4 f5 An unpleasant move to have to make, but more or less forced 15...g6 16.Qa4! 16.Bb5 f6! 17.Bxd7 17.Qe1! Stockfish 17...Bxf3 18.Bxe6+ Kh8 19.gxf3 fxg5 20.Re4 16...b5 16...Bxf3 17.Qxd7 Bb7 17...Bh5 18.Qc6 Rc8 19.Qxc8+ Qxc8 20.Rxc8+ Rxc8 21.g4 h6 22.Bf6+- 18.Bxg6 hxg6 18...fxg6 19.Qxh7# 18...Kg7 19.Bd3 19.Bf6 17.Qxb5 White has won a pawn and retains the initiative. Bc8 17...Nb6 18.Ne5 f6 19.Bxg6 19.Nd7 Qd8 20.Nxf8 Qxf8 21.Be3 is a nice simple way to play. 19.Nxg6 Bd5 20.Nxf8 fxg5 19...hxg6 19...fxg5 20.Bxh7+ Kg7 21.Qd3! Rf5 22.Bxf5 Bxe5 22...exf5 23.Qxf5 gxh4 24.Qf7+ 23.Rh7+ 20.Qd3! Rf7 21.Qxg6+ Rg7 22.Bxf6! Qf8 23.Bxg7 Qxg7 24.Qxe6+ 17...Bxf3 18.Qxd7 Bd5 19.Bxg6 15...h6 16.Bxh6 gxh6 17.Rg4+ 17.Qd2 17...Kh8 18.Qd2 16.Bc4 Qe8 16...Bd5 17.Bxd5 exd5 18.Rc6! almost paralyses Black. Rc8 18...Nf6 19.Qc2 Even better than Bxf6 19.Bxf6 Rxf6 20.Qb3 h6 21.Qxd5+ Kh8 22.g3 22.b3 22...Qf8 23.Qc4 Be7 24.Ne5 19...Ne4 20.Qb3 Rf7 21.Qxd5 Qf8 22.g4! is the engine's violent choice. A human would instead go for something like g3. 22.g3 22...h6 23.Bxh6 gxh6 24.gxf5 Ng5 24...Nf6 25.Qxd6 25.Nxg5 hxg5 26.Rh5 Rd8 27.Kf1 And it turns out that Black is almost paralysed though he can and should try Kg7 before White can get in f6 Rdd7 27...Kg7 28.Qe5+‼ is a magnificent point which I had of course completely missed. Rf6 29.Rxg5+ Kh6 29...Kh7 30.Rh5+ Kg7 31.Qd5 30.Qe3 Kh7 31.Rh5+ Rh6 32.Qg5 Rxh5 33.Qxh5+ Kg8 34.Qg6+ Qg7 35.Rxd6 28.f6 Bf4 29.Qf5 Rh7 30.Rxh7 Rxh7 31.Rc8 19.Qb3! Rxc6 20.Qxd5+ Kh8 21.Qxc6 Nf8 22.Qd5 Ng6 23.Rh5 Qf8 23...Bc7 24.Qxf5 24.Qe6! Nf4 25.Bxf4 Bxf4 26.g3 Qd6 27.Qxf5 g6 28.Qe4 Rf8 29.Rd5 17.Qb3 Kh8 The e-pawn can't be defended. 17...Bxf3 18.Qxf3 Qg6 would have kept White's advantage within bounds. 19.Bf4 Bxf4 20.Rxf4 Rac8 21.Qb3 Kh8 22.Re1± 18.Re1! 18.Bxe6? would invite Black to coordinate White's forces. Bxf3 19.gxf3 19.Bxd7 Qg6! 20.Qe3! Only move! Bd5 19...Qg6 18...Be4 18...Bxf3 19.Rxe6! Bg4 20.h3 Bh5 21.Rxe8 Bxe8 22.Bd3+- 22.Bf4 19.Bxe6 Qg6 20.Bd2 Nf6 20...Be7 21.Rh3 21.Ng5 f4
21...h6 22.Bf7 Rxf7 23.Nxf7+ Kh7 24.Ng5+ 24.Rexe4 Nxe4 25.Bxh6 gxh6 26.Rxh6+ Qxh6 27.Nxh6 Kxh6 28.Qe6+ Kg7 29.Qxf5 is another way to win. 24...Kh8 25.Nxe4+- 22.Rxh7+! A nice way to cement the advantage and avoid any Black counterplay. 22.Nxe4 Nxe4 23.Qd3 Qxe6 24.Rxe4 Qf5 22...Nxh7 23.Nxe4 f3 24.g3 Be7 25.d5 With two pawns for the exchange and his pieces dominant, Wei Yi is winning easily. Rad8 26.Qa4 a5 27.Qc6 Bb4 28.Bxb4 axb4 29.h4! Preventing Ng5 before moving the knight. Not 29.Qxb6? Rxd5 29...Ra8 29...Rf4 30.h5 30.Qc7 Rdf8 31.Nd6 Qxg3+ 32.fxg3 f2+ 33.Kf1 fxe1Q+ 34.Kxe1 Rf1+ 35.Ke2 R1f2+ 36.Ke3 R2f3+ 37.Kd4 30...Qxe4 31.Rxe4 Rxe4 32.h6 30.Nd6 Ra7 31.Qxb6 Rxa2 32.Qc7 Nf6 33.Nf7+ Kh7 34.Ne5! Qh6 34...Qh5 35.Qc2+ Kh6 36.g4 Qe8 37.Bf7 Qxf7 38.Nxf7+ Rxf7 39.g5+ Kh5 40.gxf6 35.Qc2+ g6 36.Nxg6! Rfa8 37.Ne5+ Kg7 38.Qc7+
An impressively clean win by Wei Yi under considerable pressure.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Wei,Y2740Vidit,S27421–02024D0586th Tata Steel Masters13
Giri,A2749Warmerdam,M26251–02024A0686th Tata Steel Masters13
Maghsoodloo,P2740Gukesh,D27250–12024D3886th Tata Steel Masters13
Abdusattorov,N2727Donchenko,A26431–02024B9086th Tata Steel Masters13

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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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