Tal Memorial Rd3 – A black day for white

by ChessBase
11/18/2011 – In a day and age when the advantage of White has been compared by Valery Salov as being greater than being on serve in tennis, it is remarkable that with the very best players in the world, three out of five games ended in a win for Black, and even Carlsen's draw as Black against Kramnik was probably won in the final position. Illustrated report with annotations by GM GM Alejandro Ramirez.

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Sixth Tal Memorial in Moscow

This event is a ten-player round robin event, is taking place from November 16th to 25th in Moscow, Russia. Time control: 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, and 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one.

Results

Round 3: Friday, November 18, 2011
Vladimir Kramnik
½ ½
Magnus Carlsen
Vassily Ivanchuk
0-1
Levon Aronian
Vishy Anand
½ ½
Ian Nepomniachtchi
Hikaru Nakamura
0-1
Peter Svidler
Boris Gelfand
0-1
Sergey Karjakin

Round three


Live on the video broadcast, were commentators Ilya Levitov, president of the Russian
Chess Federation, GM Evgeny Bareev, and author (non-chess) Shenderevich.

It was as bloody a round as one could hope for, with three of the five games ending in a decisive result, and one of the draws actually ending in a decisive position, but more on that later.


Both Nepomniachtchi and Anand were visibly nervous during their game...


... and both fidgeted and looked about more than usual.

The first game to end was the draw between Anand and Nepomniachtchi. They played a Gruenfeld in which the Russian soon equalized. When offered the chance to repeat the position, he chose not to wake the lion and drew without a fuss.


Gelfand chose to take the fight to his opponent

World championship challenger, Boris Gelfand, was feeling a bit more optimistic, or excessively so possibly, as he gambled with gusto on his initiative. As is often the case when attacking without the proper positional justification, the weaknesses he created ended up biting him in the rear and, and cost him the game when he was unable to make Karjakin buckle.


Svidler and Nakamura

Peter Svidler took advantage of an error in judgement by Hikaru Nakamura, after the American went after some material that turned out to be bitterly poisoned. When he attempted to return it, it was insufficient and the Russian converted his advantage.


Ivanchuk lost his share of the lead when he lost patience


Aronian is creeping up the Elo ladder and is poised to overtake Anand

Ivanchuk was perhaps not happy to see Aronian equalize with such ease with the Berlin, and despite not being worse (nor better) chose to try and force the issue some. This quickly proved to be a mistake, and the Armenian showed great technique in converting the point.

The final and most dramatic game of the round, was between Carlsen and Kramnik. Carlsen played very originally, and baited Kramnik into pushing forward for an attack. The ex-world champion went for it, and gained great space on all fronts, also meaning empty spaces around his own king. His threats were real though, and the complications forced both players to calculate an inordinate number of variations.


It may seem as if Magnus is looking down upon his opponent, but he was actually
peering past Kramnik's empty seat at the next board.


Kramnik has had great trouble against Carlsen, but their games are never boring


Another battle of generations

The young Norwegian did well, but at the very end, with very little time, and sacrificial possibilities around his king, he nervously claimed a repetition precisely when he was winning according to the engines. To be fair, Kramnik also did not see it, and even in the post-mortem neither found a conclusive continuation.

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Position not in LiveBook
1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 h6 This waiting move is not unknown. Black is waiting for White to define some of his pieces before defining his own. 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.e4 Nc6 5...Bxc3 right away is far more popular, and has been the choice of several top-GMs. Magnus has a completely different idea. 6.Nge2 Bc5 The bishop returns to c5 now that the dark squares have been weakened. 7.d3 d6 8.h3 8.0-0 Bg4 might be uncomfortable as another defender of the dark squares will be traded off. 8...Nh7!? Already quite original play. Black is targeting the weakness left on h3 after an eventual 0-0, gaining a tempo in a long but useful maneouvre. He also prepares a potential f5, though it does not happen in this game. 8...0-0 9.0-0 Be6 was also perfectly possible. 9.a3 a6 10.0-0 Ng5 11.Kh2 Ne6 The N lands in e6, cementing the control over d4 and becomoing quite useful overall. 12.f4 Bd7 13.b4 Ba7 14.Nd5 Ned4 15.Nec3 The position is very messy. White has more space everywhere but has a glaring weakness in d4. His king is safe for now, but the more he expands on the king-side the more vulnerable he becomes. Magnus tries to lure him into doing precisely that. Be6 16.f5 Bd7 17.Rb1 Nb8!? with the simple idea of playing c6. Black's pieces do seem awkward, but he has a great control over the dark-squares since he provoked f5. 18.c5 18.Qg4 Kf8 is very unclear. 18...dxc5 19.bxc5 Bc8 It seems like Black is playing completely senselessly, but it's actually not so simple. If White's initiative doesn't take off *now* he will be pushed back in a few moves. The c5 pawn is quite vulnerable, his bishop on g2 is not participating in the game just yet and his structure is not great, not to mention he still has no control over d4. Kramnik *must* take advantage of these next few moves. 20.Qh5 20.Qg4!? Kf8 and again it is unclear why the queen is on g4, however there is a subtle point. 20...g5 is a much stronger move. 21.Qh5 c6! 22.Bxg5 Qxg5 23.Qxg5 hxg5 24.Nc7+ Kd8 25.Nxa8 Bxc5 26.Nb6 Bxb6 27.Rxb6 Nb5! Traps the rook on b6. 21.Qh5 Nd7 21...f6 22.Nxf6!+- 22.f6 and now g6 is not possible since Bxh6 is check. g6 23.Bxh6+ Ke8 and now black would be ok after Qg5 Nxc5, but the bombshell is... 24.Qxg6! and White should be just winning. 20...Nd7 21.Na4 21.f6? g6 is just pointless now. 21...c6!? The start of fantastic complications. 21...Nf6 22.Qh4 Nxd5 23.Qxd8+ Kxd8 24.exd5 Bd7∞ looks quite good for black, though White is not without chances in this position. Maybe a strange dynamic equality. 22.Ndb6 22.Bg5 was another possibility, but Black should come out on top after barely sacrificing the exchange. 22...Nxc5 You could say this is the point: if White takes on a8 Magnus will take the knight on a4 and it is hard to believe the knight on a8 will ever be retrieved. Kramnik proves it is not as easy as that. 23.f6 g5 forced 24.Bxg5!? 24.Nxc8 Qxc8 25.Nxc5 Bxc5 26.h4!? is very messy, but was probably better than the game continuation. 24...Nxa4 25.Nxa8 25.Nxa4?! b5 26.Nc3 Be6 looks quite good for Black. 25...b5 26.Be3 Bb8 27.g4 with the idea of g5-g6. There are tons of possibilities for Black in this position, and ignoring g5 may be a strong possibility, but I will not exhaust the variations here. Rg8! Personally I think this move is best. It calmly gives away a pawn, but controls the important g6 square, which means Magnus doesn't have to worry about the kingside being blasted open any time soon. 28.Qxh6 Be6 29.Rbc1 Kd7! Protects the rook on g8, the pawn on c6, threatens Bxg4 and puts the K on a safer square! 30.Bxd4 exd4+ 31.e5 Nc3 32.Rxc3 Absolutely forced. 32.Qf4? Ba7 and White is lost, as pointed out by Vlad during the postmortem. 32...Bxe5+ 33.Kh1 dxc3 34.Qe3 Again, Black has options. 34... Bd6, Kd6 and the move played in the game all come to mind. Qb8 35.Qc5?! Easy to attach a ?! when using an engine to analyse, but truth be told this move looks like the most obvious way to a draw. 35.d4!? Bd6 36.d5 cxd5 37.Nb6+ Kd8 37...Kc6? 38.Nxd5 Bxd5 39.Qxc3++- 38.Nxd5 Bxd5 39.Bxd5 Qc7∞ with a very murky position. 35...Qd6 36.Qa7+ Kd8 37.Qxa6 37.Nb6 Rg6 needs exhaustive analysis, but Black can't be worse. 37...Bd4! A nice move, which cuts off the coordination between the knight and the queen, as well as creating Black's own threats on the kingside. 38.Qa5+ Kc8 39.Qa6+ Kd8 40.Qa5+ Kc8 41.Qa6+ And... surprise! Magnus claims three-fold repetition in a position computers claim he is winning! A small explanation is required. A wild game and you cannot blame the player's for being exhausted after so much calculation. 41.Qa6+ Kb8 42.Nb6 The problem is that in this situation neither of the players considered the move Bc8. It does seem quite strange, but it beautifully prevents all of White's counterplay, leaving Black with a dominating position. Bc8 Note that without this move ,the game would simply end in a perpetual. 43.Qa8+ 43.Nxc8 Rxc8 44.a4 b4 45.Qc4 Qc5 And computers think Magnus is winning, but that's not so obvious at a first glance. 43...Kc7 44.Nxc8 44.Qa7+ Bb7 is the point 45.Nd5+ Qxd5 And Black wins. ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Kramnik,V2800Carlsen,M2826½–½2011A206th Tal Memorial3
Nakamura,H2758Svidler,P27550–12011D876th Tal Memorial3
Ivanchuk,V2765Aronian,L28020–12011C676th Tal Memorial3
Gelfand,B2744Karjakin,S27630–12011E056th Tal Memorial3
Anand,V2811Nepomniachtchi,I2730½–½2011D976th Tal Memorial3

The end of the game between Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik: the latter plays his final move, 41.Qa6+, and the exhausted Carlsen sinks into disconsolate thought. He then writes down his own move, 41...Kc8, as the arbiter approaches. Carlsen tells him it is a repetition, and the arbiter places the two kings in the middle of the board, to signify a draw. Carlsen tells him to do inform Kramnik, who has left the stage to the left. When the two return Kramnik immediately nods and stretches out his hand to accept the draw.

In the press conference after the match the two players go through the critical position at the end of the game. Both sort of agree that Black cannot win, even after 41.Qa6 Kb8. In the end Russian Chess Federation President Ilya Levitov quickly saves the analysis in the ChessBase program the players have been using.

Standings after three rounds

Remaining Playchess commentator schedule

Date
Commentator
19.11.2011
Lawrence Trent
20.11.2011
Sam Collins
21.11.2011
Free day
22.11.2011
Daniel King
23.11.2011
Robert Ris
24.11.2011
Dejan Bojkov
25.11.2011
Daniel King

 


GM Daniel King provides commentary on Kramnik-Nepomniachtchi on Playchess

Schedule and Results

Round 1: Wednesday November 16, 2011
Levon Aronian
½ ½
Magnus Carlsen
Vladimir Kramnik
0-1
Ian Nepomniachtchi  
Vassily Ivanchuk
1-0
Peter Svidler
Vishy Anand
½ ½
Sergey Karjakin
Hikaru Nakamura
½ ½
Boris Gelfand
Round 2: Thursday, November 17, 2011
Magnus Carlsen
1-0
Boris Gelfand
Sergey Karjakin
½ ½
Hikaru Nakamura
Peter Svidler
½ ½
Vishy Anand
Ian Nepomniachtchi
½ ½
Vassily Ivanchuk
Levon Aronian
½ ½
Vladimir Kramnik
Round 3: Friday, November 18, 2011
Vladimir Kramnik
½ ½
Magnus Carlsen
Vassily Ivanchuk
0-1
Levon Aronian
Vishy Anand
½ ½
Ian Nepomniachtchi
Hikaru Nakamura
0-1
Peter Svidler
Boris Gelfand
0-1
Sergey Karjakin
Round 4: Saturday, November 19, 2011
Magnus Carlsen
  Sergey Karjakin
Peter Svidler
  Boris Gelfand
Ian Nepomniachtchi
  Hikaru Nakamura
Levon Aronian
  Vishy Anand
Vladimir Kramnik
  Vassily Ivanchuk
Round 5: Sunday, November 20, 2011
Vassily Ivanchuk
  Magnus Carlsen
Vishy Anand
  Vladimir Kramnik
Hikaru Nakamura
  Levon Aronian
Boris Gelfand
  Ian Nepomniachtchi
Sergey Karjakin
  Peter Svidler
Round 6: Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Magnus Carlsen
  Peter Svidler
Ian Nepomniachtchi
  Sergey Karjakin
Levon Aronian
  Boris Gelfand
Vladimir Kramnik
  Hikaru Nakamura
Vassily Ivanchuk
  Vishy Anand
Round 7: Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Vishy Anand
  Magnus Carlsen
Hikaru Nakamura
  Vassily Ivanchuk
Boris Gelfand
  Vladimir Kramnik
Sergey Karjakin
  Levon Aronian
Peter Svidler
  Ian Nepomniachtchi
Round 8: Thursday, November 24, 2011
Magnus Carlsen
  Ian Nepomniachtchi
Levon Aronian
  Peter Svidler
Vladimir Kramnik
  Sergey Karjakin
Vassily Ivanchuk
  Boris Gelfand
Vishy Anand
  Hikaru Nakamura
Round 9: Friday, November 25, 2011
Hikaru Nakamura
  Magnus Carlsen
Boris Gelfand
  Vishy Anand
Sergey Karjakin
  Vassily Ivanchuk
Peter Svidler
  Vladimir Kramnik
Ian Nepomniachtchi
  Levon Aronian

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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