Superbet: Caruana bounces back

Two exciting encounters

Fabiano Caruana needed several attempts to finally win his game against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, but he repeatedly fell back on the long-standing basic motif of attacking the opposite king with his queen and knight duo. The final attack is worth a look!

Navigating the Ruy Lopez Vol.1-3

The Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest openings which continues to enjoy high popularity from club level to the absolute world top. In this video series, American super GM Fabiano Caruana, talking to IM Oliver Reeh, presents a complete repertoire for White.

 

Caruana, Fabiano2786

1–0

Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar2770

GCT Superbet Romania 2022 Bucharest09.05.2022[Besenthal,Klaus-Günther]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 Bf5 8.Re1 0-0 9.Nbd2 Nd6 10.Nf1 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 c6 12.Bf4 Na6 13.h4 Nc7 14.Ng5 g6 15.Nh2 Qd7 16.h5 Bxg5 17.Bxg5 Rfe8 18.hxg6 hxg6 19.Bf6 Rxe1+ 20.Rxe1 Re8 21.Rf1

Here the position was still about equal, but of course the bishop on f6 is potentially dangerous. Black needs to be careful. 21...Na6?! This move ignores the imminent danger. After 21...Qe6 22.Be5 Re7 the knight from c7 is free to jump to e8. 22.Be5 Qe6 23.f4 Stronger was 23.Qg3 Ne4 24.Qh4 f6 25.f3 fxe5 25...Ng5 26.Ng4! 26.fxe4 Rf8 27.Rxf8+ Kxf8 28.Qh8+ with a big edge for White. 23...Nb8 24.Qa3?! 24.f5 Nxf5 25.Qh3 f6 26.g4 fxe5 27.gxf5 gxf5 28.Kh1 would have given better attacking chances. 24...Ne4 25.f5 gxf5 26.Qh3 f6 27.Rxf5 Nd7

Black has survived the worst of the attack. 27...fxe5?? 28.Qg4+ 28.Bf4 Kf8 29.Qa3+ Kg7 30.Rh5 a6?! Wasting a tempo! With 30...Nf8! Black would have closed on full consolidation. 31.Qxa7 31.Qf3 Nh7! 31...Qe7 The well-coordinated pieces give Black compensation for the pawn. 31.Qb3 b6 32.Qf3 Rh8 After 32...Nf8 33.Rh6 Nh7? comes too late: 34.Qh5 33.Rxh8 Kxh8 34.Qh5+ Kg8

35.Qg6+? Not a very useful move. 35.Ng4! should be enough to increase White's advantage. Kf8 36.Nh6 followed by Nf5. 35...Kf8 36.Ng4 Ke7 37.Nh6 Kd8 38.Nf7+ Ke7 39.Nh6 Kd8 40.Nf5 Kc8 41.Qg4 Kd8 42.Qh3 Qe8 43.Qh7

43...Ng5?! This creates many problems for Black. 43...a5 This is better, as nothing concrete was being threatened. 44.Bxg5 fxg5 45.Qg7 Qe1+ 46.Kh2 Qd2 47.Qe7+ Kc7 48.Qd6+ Kd8 49.Ne7 The difference is that the white knight is participating in the attack against the black king, while the white king is only harassed by the opposite queen. Qxc2? Now Black loses more or less by force. 49...Qf2 offered better practical chances. The move threatens a draw by perpetual check. After 50.Nxc6+ Kc8 White must play 51.Qe6 to defend the e1-square. 50.Nxc6+ Kc8 51.Ne7+ Kd8 52.Nc6+ Kc8 53.Ne7+ Kd8 54.Nxd5 Qh7+ 55.Kg1 Qb1+ 56.Kh2 Qh7+ 57.Kg1 Qb1+ 58.Kf2 Qc2+ 58...Qxb2+? 59.Kg3 59.Ke3 Qc1+ 60.Kd3 Kc8 61.Qe6 Qf1+ 62.Kc3 Qc1+ 63.Kb3 Qd1+ 64.Ka3 Qd3+ 65.b3 Qb5 65...Qxd4 66.Qe8+ 66.Kb2 Mamedyarov could not find a useful move and resigned. 1–0

Things have not been going well for Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in the Romanian capital so far | Photo: Lennart Ootes

The two youngest players in the field, Bogdan-Daniel Deac and Alireza Firouzja, played an entertaining, fighting game. The action on the board was somewhat overshadowed by both players’ time trouble before the first control on move 40.

Master Class Vol.2: Mihail Tal

On this DVD Dorian Rogozenco, Mihail Marin, Oliver Reeh and Karsten Müller present the 8. World Chess Champion in video lessons: his openings, his understanding of chess strategy, his artful endgame play, and finally his immortal combinations.

 

Deac, Bogdan-Daniel2671

½–½

Firouzja, Alireza2804

GCT Superbet Romania 2022 Bucharest09.05.2022[Besenthal,Klaus-Günther]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.h4 Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.h5 c6 9.h6 Bh8

Whether the white pawn on h6 will be strong or weak cannot yet be foreseen here. 10.Nf3 Neg4?! This move is probably too optimistic. After 10...Nxf3+ 11.Bxf3 Nd7 Black would be better off than in the game: given his lack of space, the disappearance of two knights from the board would have favoured him. 11.0-0 Qb6 12.Qb3 After 12.a4! a5 13.Ne1 Black would have remained in a very cramped position. 12...Nh5 13.Nh2 Nhf6 14.Nf3 A first "draw offer"? Nd7 Firouzja declines. 15.Qc2 Nc5 16.Bf4 a5 17.Rae1 f5 Black has improved his knights and now gets more breathing space - and perhaps even some chances to get active play. 18.exf5 Rxf5?! Again, an extremely optimistic move. One would have expected 18...Bxf5! 19.Bg5 The f5-rook is somehwat misplace, the g4-knight is shaky, and the absence of the black queen from the kingside might lead to White going for an attack. Qd8 This retreat by the queen seems to be a necessity! 20.Qd2 Now that the bishop on g5 is defended, the knight on f3 is free to move. Qf8 Once again Black prevents the f3-knight from moving. 21.Bd1! White covers f2 once more and at the same time improves his bishop. There is also the threat of a capture on e7. Rf7 22.b3 Not bad, but too slow. Strong was 22.Na4! Black's defensive efforts on the kingside have neglected the queenside a bit - White could have attacked on that flank now. 22...Nxh6 23.dxc6 23.Bxh6? Bxc3 24.Qe3 Bg7 would have given up the advantage. But after 23.Be3! Black would still have needed to fight for equality. 23...bxc6 24.Nd4?! Nf5 With 24...Bxd4! 25.Qxd4 Nf5 26.Qd2 e5 Black could have grabbed the initiative. 25.Nxc6? This only helps Black to activate his queenside. 25.Nxf5 Bxf5 26.Bf3 was better, but a pawn is lost here too. 25...Bb7

26.Bf3? Better was 26.b4 axb4 27.Nxb4 but the black pieces are clearly better coordinated than the white ones. 26...Ra6 More precise was 26...Rc8 27.g4 27.b4 Bxc6 28.bxc5 Bxf3 29.gxf3 Nd4 27...Bxc6 28.Bxc6 Rxc6 29.gxf5 gxf5 For example, there is a threat of Bxc3 followed by Ne4. 27.Nxe7+ 27.b4 Bxc6 was not good here either 28.b5 Bxf3 29.bxa6 Bc6 27.g4 Bxc6 28.Bxc6 Rxc6 29.gxf5 gxf5 See above. 27...Nxe7 28.Bxb7

28...Bxc3! Firouzja takes this dangerous knight off the board. 28...Nxb7 29.Rxe7 Rxe7 30.Bxe7 Qxe7 31.Nd5 Qd8 32.Re1 Bg7 33.Ne7+ Kh8 34.Qd5 Nc5 35.Qf7 with a white attack. There is a threat of Re3 or Nxg6+ with Re8+. 29.Qxc3 Nxb7 30.Re2 Now White is lost h6 31.Bc1 Ra8 32.Bb2 Kh7 33.Rfe1 Nc5 34.Qd2 Nf5 35.Qd5 h5 36.Bc3 Nd7 37.Re6 Rc8 38.Bxa5

Black's task, however, is anything but simple. 38...Nf6?! 38...Rc5! 39.Qd2 Ne5 say the computers - with the threat of Qc8. 39.Qd2 Re8? Now White is back on track. After 39...Ng4 40.Qg5 Qg8 The black rooks could attack on the queenside - where else? 40.Bc3 Rxe6 41.Rxe6 Nd7 42.Qg5 Qg8 43.g4 hxg4 44.Qxg4 Ne5 45.Qh3+ Nh6 46.Rxd6

Now he has three pawns for the piece - an amazing comeback! 46...Qe8 47.Qe6 Re7 48.Qd5 Nef7 49.Rf6 Rd7 50.Qe6 Rd1+ 51.Kg2 Qxe6 52.Rxe6 Nf5 53.Re1 Rd3 54.Rc1 Ng5 55.Kf1 Ne6 56.Be5 Rd2 57.b4 Rxa2 58.c5 Ra4 59.c6 Rxb4 60.c7 Nxc7 61.Rxc7+ Kg8 62.Bg3 Ra4 63.Kg2 Rb4 64.Ra7 Rc4 65.Rb7 Kf8 66.Ra7 Kg8 67.Rb7 Kf8 68.Ra7 A great struggle! ½–½

Alireza Firouzja has yet to win a game in the tournament | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Round 5 results

Standings after round 5

All games

Links

• Official site
• All ChessBase reports on the 2021 edition