1/26/2019 – A completely unexpected resignation from Sam Shankland allowed Anish Giri to catch up with Magnus Carlsen in the standings. A half point behind, the only chaser is Ian Nepomniachtchi, who grabbed an important win over Vladimir Fedoseev. In other news, Vladimir Kramnik got his first victory this year, while Vladislav Kovalev won the only decisive game of the Challengers and joined Maksim Chigaev at the top of the standings. Full report by ALEX YERMOLINKSY. | Photos: Alina l'Ami / Official site
new: ChessBase Magazine 225
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. ChessBase Magazine offers first-class training material for club players and professionals! World-class players analyse their brilliant games and explain the ideas behind the moves. Opening specialists present the latest trends in opening theory and exciting ideas for your repertoire. Master trainers in tactics, strategy and endgames show you the tricks and techniques you need to be a successful tournament player! Available as a direct download (incl. booklet as pdf file) or booklet with download key by post. Included in delivery: ChessBase Magazine #225 as “ChessBase Book” for iPad, tablet, Mac etc.!
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before. FRITZ is more than just a chess engine – it’s a training revolution! Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
In this volume, we dive into core aspects of chess technique. Smyslov taught the principle of tactical hierarchy, “checks, double attacks, and unprotected pieces”, and Mikhalchishin demonstrates how this method of calculation is vital.
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Strange endings
The story of the day was Sam Shakland's incredible brain-freeze, as he resigned in a drawn position to Anish Giri.
The Italian Game is considered a sound but quiet opening without early trades, giving rise to rich positions where plans are more important than forced variations. So shows black's plans on this DVD.
It was a baffling resignation by Sam | Photo: Alina l'Ami
I don't have any inside scoop on what happened there, but I do recall a similar ending from Nakamura's first victorious US Championship
If you want to become a strong player you have to study the endgame. That's just the way it is. Andrew Martin's DVD 'First Steps in Endgames' offers a superb introduction for players rated below 1600.
More importantly, this win put Anish level with Magnus, with their head-to-head coming up in the last round. One cannot wish for more drama.
In the post-game interview, Giri talked a bit about what went on in the game. The Dutchman described what happened to Sam as "a hallucination of some sort", and then explained:
It is quite funny because the only way to lose is to resign, because if he wouldn't have resigned I wouldn't have been able to break through. Maybe Magnus Carlsen would, but I wouldn't be able to...
The full interview with Fiona Steil-Antoni:
Don't count Nepo out just yet. Ian shook off a disappointing loss in the previous round to Van Foreest to play a consistent game against his compatriot and fellow madcap, Vladimir Fedoseev.
The Caro-Kann Defence is one of the most solid replies for Black after 1.e4. Bologan's choice of the Advance Variation for White is because of the complex strategical play in which White has a long-term space advantage.
Both players still need to learn to control their ambition. Nepo had no business entering a standard Najdorf against the youngster on Wednesday. Kids these days learn how to demolish Sicilian structures before they are old enough to drive. For Fedo, he remains my main man. He has an incredible will to win — nobody could win a game like he did against Teimour. However, the next day he played out of position against Giri.
Carlsen and Kovalev strolling during round eleven | Photo: Alina l'Ami
Another young player who seems to be on the rebound is Vidit Santosh Gujrathi. Today he followed his excellent win over Kramnik with a great effort against another rating favourite, the Azeri Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.
In this DVD Sam Collins presents a repertoire for Black based on the Queen’s Gambit Accepted, 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4. Rather than get involved in the heavy theory of the Classical Main Line, the lynchpin of the repertoire is the active development of the queen’s bishop. The resulting positions have close similarities to the Nimzo Indian and Slav Defences, and Collins explains the way for Black to approach the middlegame with confidence based on a blockade and light square strategy. The resulting repertoire is solid, reliable, and suitable as either a main weapon or an occasional surprise choice. Video running time: 3 hours 30 min
After this game, Shakhriyar is out of the '2800 club' and down to number five in the live ratings list, behind Giri. He is on 4/11 in the tournament, sharing second to last place with Van Foreest...but still half a point above Kramnik. The race for escaping the cellar is heating up.
It has not been a good run for Shak | Photo: Alina l'Ami
After a long string of disasters, Vladimir Kramnik finally notched his first win.
Standings after Round 11 - Masters
Round 11 round-up
GM Yannick Pelletier recapped the action from round eleven
The Challenger Group saw only one decisive result, but an important one. Vladislav Kovalev defeated Parham Maghsoodloo to get level with the leader Maksim Chigaev, with the youngster Esipenko hot on their heels.
The Scandinavian is a rarely employed opening on the hightest level und guides your opponent on much less familiar terrain than for example the Sicilian, French or any 1.e4 e5 system. After 1.e4 d5 Black fights for the initiative from move one.
Kovalev and Chigaev will fight fiercely to get a spot in next year's Masters event | Photo: Alina l'Ami
Alex YermolinskyYermo is enjoying his fifties. Lives in South Dakota, 600 miles way from the nearest grandmaster. Between his chess work online he plays snooker and spends time outdoors - happy as a clam.
Very strange. In the next round, Radjabov offered the draw to Giri, even though he was far superior. Is it coincidence that two unusual results have benefited the same player?
Aighearach 1/27/2019 12:09
Well, I doubt it is any consolation to Sam, but I found his mistake comforting. I did the same thing in internet blitz last month; I resigned, thinking I was totally lost, and then I clicked on computer analysis, the game was totally drawn the whole time.
Refusing to ever resign, even when you think you're lost, is easily worth 50 rating points. Maybe more. Carlsen is the shining example, of course! At his level it is maybe only worth 25 points or so, but still. Down here in the fish pond it might even be worth 150!
beyondCritics 1/26/2019 06:25
Had Shankland studied Spasski-Fischer 1st match game, this would not have happened to him...
nuit 1/26/2019 12:14
with many games won with black, giri should be 1st on the Tata isn't it?
Martin Minski 1/26/2019 11:41
There are many studies with the stalemate motif seen in the game by Giri against Shankland.
See for example the 5th prize by Yuri Bazlov in the John Nunn-50 JT (the study of the year 2005):
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
If you're looking for a dynamic alternative to the Slav, Queen's Gambit Declined, or other mainstream systems, the Chigorin Defence offers exactly what modern tournament players need.
Michael Kotyk presents a complete repertoire after 1.e4 e5, built around creative ideas, surprising move orders, and practical weapons designed to catch your opponents off guard.
Michael Kotyk presents a complete repertoire after 1.e4 e5, built around creative ideas, surprising move orders, and practical weapons designed to catch your opponents off guard.
Michael Kotyk presents a complete repertoire after 1.e4 e5, built around creative ideas, surprising move orders, and practical weapons designed to catch your opponents off guard.
“Attack with Qh5!!” – Tactical training with Oliver Reeh, “6…g5 – nothing ventured, nothing …” – Le Quang Liem comments on one of his victories in Biel, “Grischuk’s stroke of genius” – Petra Papp reveals a surprise in the Sicilian Kan Variation, and much
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
While tactics decide the game in concrete moments, strategy guides the entire battle. Understanding how to improve your pieces, create weaknesses, execute maneuvers, and steer the game toward favorable structures is what defines strong players.
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