1/15/2020 – Wesley So defeated Alireza Firouzja to leapfrog him in the standings table of the Tata Steel Masters and become the new sole leader before the first rest day of the event. Five players are a half point back, including Vladislav Artemiev, who took down Vladislav Kovalev on Tuesday. In the meantime, Magnus Carlsen salvaged a draw from an inferior position again to set a new record of undefeated classical games. Surya Ganguly is now the sole leader in the Challengers. Expert analysis by GMs STEPHEN GORDON and DANIEL KING. | Photo: Alina l'Ami
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Carlsen does it, again
The 82nd edition of the chess festival in Wijk aan Zee takes place from January 11th to 26th. The Masters and the Challengers are both 14-player single round robins. Rounds start at 12:30 UTC, except January 16th in Eindhoven, when it starts 30 minutes later.
Following on his astounding performance of 2019, Magnus Carlsen continues to amaze the chess world. Despite not showing an up to standard performance in Wijk aan Zee so far, the world champion managed to draw his first four games to surpass Sergei Tiviakov's 110-game undefeated streak in classical chess. At this point, reporting on Carlsen's resounding achievements has become such a frequent occurrence that this might seem like a minor attainment. But it's not.
Given the availability of strong computer power to prepare openings, it is a feat in itself that Carlsen has not been caught in a line that simply wipes him off the board...since July 2018! Not to mention the fact that the previous record was set by a player who faced lower opposition — we should not underestimate Tiviakov's streak, but as was reported by Tarjei J. Svensen the Dutchman himself acknowledges how commendable Carlsen's feat actually is. He was asked by the Norwegian TV 2 how he felt after the record he set had been broken:
Of course it's sad. But Magnus is about to become the greatest chess player ever. I am not losing the record to an ordinary player, but one that really deserves it. I am still proud my record stood for 15 years.
The world champion is in good company:
Updated list of longest unbeaten streaks in history of chess: Carlsen: 111 games Tiviakov: 110 games Ding: 100 games Tal: 95 games Tal: 86 games Kramnik: 82 games Wang Yue: 82 games So: 67 games Vachier-Lagrave: 67 games Capablanca: 62 games
Unbeatable? — World Champion Magnus Carlsen | Photo: Alina l'Ami
After keeping the streak alive for so long, the fact that Carlsen was so close to losing against young opponents in his last two games adds some spice to the storyline. In round four, he faced a very well-prepared Jorden van Foreest, who used a variation previously tried by the creative Levon Aronian to leave the world champion in a clearly inferior position out of the opening. White's sixteenth move was key in giving the youngster an edge:
Scarcely any world champion has managed to captivate chess lovers to the extent Carlsen has. The enormously talented Norwegian hasn't been systematically trained within the structures of a major chess-playing nation such as Russia, the Ukraine or China.
Van Foreest vs. Carlsen
Position after 15...Bh5
16.g4 justifies White's previous play, when after 16...fxg4 17.♘g5 there is time to go 17...♛d7 18.♘ce4, using the pin on the d1-h5 diagonal.
White was simply better while a pawn up, but Van Foreest did not find a powerful exchange sacrifice which would have left his famed opponent in an unenviable situation:
Position after 28...Ba3
Van Foreest later confessed that he had seen the idea with 29.dxc4, giving up the exchange on c1, but instead of choosing this alternative he played 29.♖ce1, giving Black some time to regroup. In a post-game interview, Carlen himself explained that after the exchange sac he would have been "in huge trouble", but credit should also be given to him for having kept his cool in an inferior position for a second day in a row. The Norwegian declared:
It's been going okay. I mean, I'm saving bad positions every game — what's not to like? (smiles)
Grandmaster Stephen Gordon once again sent comprehensive analyses of all the Masters games. Do not miss his annotations:
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Another very interesting game from
Van Foreest with the white pieces. Once again going in for a variation that is
somewhat rare at top-level, he surprised the World Number 1 just out of the
opening and obtained a clear advantage. Magnus, like yesterday, was forced to
put up stiff resistance and when he pressed Jorden into a big decision with
his 28th, the young Dutchman lost the thread. However, we saw an extremely
impressive reaction from Jorden when he realised his advantage had gone. With
a string of accurate moves he managed to shut the game down. Demonstrating
nerves of steel against the World's best, Van Foreest can definitely take away
postives from his day at the office. As for Magnus, he will be disappointed
not to have had any winning chances in today's game, but once again
demonstrates to the rest of the players how difficult it is to put him away!
The streak now moves to 111 classical games unbeaten - which is now without
doubt a new record. I'm sure this isn't much of a distraction for the World
Number 1, but now that the record is his, this can be put to the back of his
mind.1.e4e52.Nf3Nc63.Bc4Nf64.Ng5d55.exd5Na56.Bb5+c67.dxc6bxc68.Bd3Van Foreest goes for a line that has been repeated a few times by
Levon Aronian recently.Nd58...h69.Ne4Nd510.Nbc3Be711.Ng30-012.Bf5Bxf513.Nxf5Bg514.d3Rb815.0-0Bxc116.Qxc1Nf417.Re1Qg518.Ng3c519.Nce2Nc620.Nxf4exf421.Ne4Qf522.f3Nd423.c3Ne624.Qc2Rfd825.a3a526.Rad1Rd727.Re2Qd528.Qa4Rdb729.Rdd2Qd830.Qc4Qb631.Nf2Rd832.Ng4Rbd733.Ne5Rd534.Qa4Qc735.Qc6Qe736.Qa6Qf637.Ng4Qg538.Nf2Qf539.Qb71/2-1/2 (39) Aronian,L (2772)-Caruana,F (2822)
Bucharest ROU 20199.Nf3Bd6Jorden has had one game that reached this
position after Black's 9th, back in 2015. As such, it can't have been
completely off Magnus' radar that something like this could occur, although
he appears to have been surprised by Jorden's next.10.Nc3Not a novelty,
but before this game it had never been tested at top-level.10.0-0is the
move chosen by Aronian in his two recent encouters that reached the position
after 9 moves. Games fo reference are as follows:0-0Jorden's last outing
in the 4.Ng5 line:10...Nf411.Nc3Nxd312.cxd30-013.Ne4c514.b3Nc615.Ba3Nb416.Bxb4cxb417.Re1f618.d4exd419.Qc2Bb720.Qc4+Rf721.Nxd6Qxd622.Nxd4Qd523.Qxd5Bxd524.Rac1Rd725.Nf5Kf726.Rc5Be627.h4Bxf528.Rxf5a529.Re2a430.Rb5axb331.axb3Ra1+32.Kh2Rd133.Rxb4R1xd234.Rxd2Rxd235.Kg3h536.Rb8Rb237.b4Kg638.b5Kf539.b6Rb3+40.f3Rb241.Rb7Rb442.Kf2Rb2+43.Kg1Rb1+44.Kh2Rb245.Kh3Rb346.Kg3Rb447.Kf2Rb2+48.Ke3Rxg249.Rf7Rb250.b7g551.hxg5Kxg552.Kd4h453.Kd5Kg654.Re7h355.Kc6h256.Re1Rc2+57.Kd7Rb258.Kc7Rc2+59.Kb6Rb2+60.Ka7Ra2+61.Kb8Kf562.Rh11/2-1/2 (62) Van Foreest,J (2519)
-Erwich,F (2358) Vlissingen 201511.Re1Re811...f512.Nxe5Qf613.Nf3g514.c4Nf415.Bf1g416.d4gxf317.Qxf3Ne618.c5Bc719.b4Qxd420.Qc3Qxc321.Nxc3Nb722.Bc4Re823.Bb2a524.b5Nbxc525.Ba3Ne426.Nxe4fxe427.b6Bxb628.Rxe4Kf729.Rae1Ra730.Kh1a431.f4Ra532.g4Bc533.Bxc5Rxc534.f5h535.Bxe6+Bxe636.fxe6+Ke737.Rxa4h438.Rf4Rc239.Rf7+Kd640.Rd7+Kc541.Rh7Kd642.e7Rd243.Rxh4Rxe744.Rh6+Kd745.Rxe7+Kxe746.Rxc6Rxa247.Rc3Kf648.h4Ke549.Rf3Ra450.Rg3Kf451.Rg2Kf352.h5Kf453.g5Kf554.g61-0 (54) Aronian,L (2772)-Vidit,S (2722)
Kolkata IND 201912.Nc3f513.Bf1e414.Nd4Bc515.Nb3Nxb316.axb3Qb617.Re2Bd418.Nxd5cxd519.d3Bb720.dxe4dxe421.Be3Bxe322.fxe3Rad823.Qe1f424.Qa5Qxa525.Rxa5f326.Rf2Rd127.Rxa7Bc628.h4Re129.Rc7Ba830.Rd2Rf831.Rdd7f2+32.Kh21-0 (32) Aronian,L (2775)-Amin,B (2683)
Moscow RUS 201910...0-0This is the most common move in the small sample
of games that reached this position.10...f5is an untested novelty that
has recently been recommended by Gustafsson. Expect further developments here
soon...11.Be2Nf4The first move made by Magnus that the engine does not
like.12.0-0Bg413.d3Nxe2+14.Qxe2f515.h3Bh516.g4!A good move
- White does well to force the pace here, and my guess is this was still part
of Jorden's prep. I wonder if this is the move Magnus missed when going in for
12...Bg4. It looks like the Champ gets decent compensation if it is not played.
16.Qe3is the 'safer' looking move and probably the choice most players
go for here if they are out of prep. A couple of sample lines:Qf616...Qe717.Qg5Qe8!?is an interesting engine suggestion, keeping the tension. At
first glance I wouldn't fancy taking White in something like this, but after18.Nd2it's true that Black still has some work to do to demonstrate full
compensation for the pawn.16...Re8is also interesting.17.Qg5Qf717...Bxf318.Qxf6Rxf619.gxf3Maybe White is slightly better here.18.Nd216...fxg4What else? White just continues forward if the bishop
retreats.16...Bg617.Nxe5Re818.f4is hardly worth consideration andafter16...Be817.Nxe517.Bg5may be even stronger.17...Qh418.Kg2
and Black's task is tough.17.Ng5!The reason why g4 is working well.
White has enough time to get a knight around to the g3 before Black can
deal with the pin on the d1-h5 diagonal. Although there's some long-term
exposure to the white king, the more important factor in White's favour is
that Black's dynamic potential in the centre has significantly decreased
following the change in the pawn structure. The value of the white knights has
increased dramatically due to the disappearance of Black's f-pawn, now having
a sturdy central post on e4 for the remainder of the game.Qd7Again there's
not really an option for Magnus. He can't allow Jorden a straightforward
recapture on g4.18.Nce4Precision was required and Jorden was up to the task
18.Nge4is the wrong knight to transfer to g3 - Black's now clearly for
choice afterRf318...Be718...Rf3is a move that requires consideration,
but it falls short in a couple of ways.19.Nxd6is the most clinical
refutation.19.Nxf3gxf320.Qe3Qxh321.Qg5White also fends off the
attack here, although converting this could be a bit messy.19...Qxd620.hxg4Bxg421.Nxf3with Qxe5 to follow against most moves (other than 21...
Qg6 is met by 22.Nxe5), is game over.19.Ng3!Bg620.Qxg4Qxg421.hxg4
At this point that it's clear White has an advantage. Still, there is plenty
of work to do.c522.N5e4Nc623.Be3Nd424.Rac1Rac825.Kg2c426.Bxd4exd427.f3Rc628.b3All of this seemed natural for both sides. Black is
looking for counterplay on the queenside, whereas White plays moves that
consolidate and invite simplification. The World Champ forces Van Foreest to
make a big decision with the next move.Ba3It's at this point something
goes wrong for Jorden. The move he plays isn't necessarily spoling things, but
the follow-up allows Magnus to get right back in it.29.Rce1?!There's
absolutely no way Jorden didn't consider the exchange sacrifice with29.dxc4Bxc130.Rxc1and I'm sure he assessed this as still clearly better for White.
But he was faced with seemingly a couple of good options and as always this is
a tough moment for any player. Objectively the exchange sacrifice is probably
best.29...cxd330.cxd3a531.Rf2?!I think Jorden would have seen this
position from a distance (when playing 29.Rce1), but probably had a blind spot
for ...Bc1. If Black doesn't have the move available to re-position the
dark-squared bishop on the e3-post, White would be clearly better still.
Unfortunately it's available, and unfortunately he's facing a monster...31.f4is the move White wants, but Black's back in it with the check on c2.Rc2+32.Rf2Rxf2+33.Nxf2Rxf4The engine suggests White is still better after
31.Ra1but I just don't see how you're able to look for this move,
especially given the position White had a few moves ago. Even here I'm not
sure in a practical sense White really has an advantage.31...Bc1!
There's no way Carlsen isn't going to seize an opportunity like this. Now the
bishop is going to be super-annoying on the new diagonal. Objectively, Black
has full compendation for the pawn. What I find very impressive from this
point onwards is how well Van Foreest handles things. Most players would be
wanting to throw their chair through the nearest window (...maybe too much?!)
after having a big advantage against the Champ and spoiling it like this - but
he doesn't let emotion get the better of him and holds it together really well.
32.Nd2The first of a series of very good practical decisions. Jorden
gives up the pawn advantage calculating that he can get rid of one of Magnus's
bishops.Bxd333.Nc4The point behind 32.Nd2. Now White threatens the bishop
on c1 and also to fork the light-sqaured bishop and rook with Ne5, so Magnus
is forced to give up one of the pair.Bf434.Ne5Rc3Magnus decides to give
the light-squared bishop which feels like the right way, given the
dark-squared weakness in White's camp and the e3-post for the remaining bishop.
When watching live I did feel as though Black may be able to put some pressure
from here, but again Van Foreest continues to come up with excellent active
defensive moves.35.Nxd3Rxd336.Nf5!Really good defensive move. White
now threatens Re4 and there's no real way for Black to keep tension in the
position.g637.Re4Bg538.Ne7+38.Nxd4Be339.Ne6Bxf240.Nxf8Rd241.Ne6would have been holding things together also.38...Kh839.Nc6Be340.Re2Rd141.Nxa5Rg1+42.Kh2Rc143.Kg2Rg1+One last (admittedly very
hard to believe) try for Magnus could have been43...d344.R2xe3d245.Rd4d1Q46.Rxd1Rxd147.Nc4but realistically, unless White does something
terrible, this is almost certainly ending in a share of the point.44.Kh2Rc145.Kg2We've really been treated to a great game here!½–½
While Carlsen survived a tough position a pawn down, Wesley So reminded us he is one of the strongest technical players in the circuit by defeating the man of the hour, 16-year-old wunderkind Alireza Firouzja. So, who kicked off an excellent 2017 with a first place in Wijk aan Zee, took the game to a place in which he feels the most comfortable — a queenless position with a slight edge. The American used his pair of bishops in exemplary fashion, except perhaps when he failed to find the very best continuation on move 34:
Wesley So published two new opening DVDs: 1.b3, the so called Nimzo-Larsen-Attack, for White and his black secrets in the modern Italian. Get them in a package and save money!
So vs. Firouzja
Position after 33...f5
White went to gain a pawn with 34.♔e2, but he had an even better alternative in 34.gxf5, as after 34...gxf5 35.♗b3 the light-squared bishop is ready to go to e6 and simply gobble up all of Black's weaknesses on the kingside and the centre. Nonetheless, the game continuation —34...♝d8 35.♗xd3 exd3+ 36.♔xd3 — was good enough for So to find a way to score a full point in the end.
The new sole leader was happy after beating the sensation of the tournament:
It's clear that Firouzja is the next big talent. I mean, he's probably underrated right now. It's amazing all the things he does, because he's only 16 and he's fighting already with the world's best.
The Filipino-born grandmaster feels his relatively bad form from the last few months might take a turn for the better:
It's a good way to start the year. I'm hoping to have a successful tournament here, because my last few tournaments last year have been pretty much subpar. I was playing horrible chess.
Stephen Gordon looked deeply into the So v Firouzja ending, noting that the youngster might have had some chances to incredibly save a half point:
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1.e4
1,157,099
54%
2422
---
1.d4
940,742
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
279,272
56%
2441
---
1.c4
180,870
56%
2443
---
1.g3
19,622
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,033
54%
2427
---
1.f4
5,819
48%
2377
---
1.Nc3
3,708
51%
2384
---
1.b4
1,731
48%
2378
---
1.a3
1,177
53%
2402
---
1.e3
1,054
48%
2407
---
1.d3
927
50%
2376
---
1.g4
648
46%
2360
---
1.h4
438
52%
2371
---
1.c3
418
51%
2423
---
1.h3
260
55%
2413
---
1.a4
101
59%
2476
---
1.Nh3
88
66%
2510
---
1.f3
82
47%
2435
---
1.Na3
38
62%
2477
---
Please, wait...
This was my favourite game to analyse today. Wesley's approach in
the opening may look relatively harmless, but really it's very deceptive.
White gradually manages to wrestle full control over the light squares and
Firouja is time and again forced into making very difficult positional
decisions. Incredibly at a time when all looked lost - it may turn out that
Firouja still had some incredible defensive resources to save the game! I'm
putting my neck on the line a bit here, but be sure to check out the endgame
analysis after the critical 38...h5. Also, do note that Wesley didn't need to
allow the game scenario, and could have made Black's position untenable with
34.gxf5 gxf5 35.Bb3! Overall, I think this was a really great game by So, and
Firouzja was very close to pulling off a miraculous defence.1.d4d52.c4dxc43.Nf3Nf64.e3e65.Bxc4c56.0-0a67.b3Recently this has become
almost as popular as 7.dxc5.cxd48.Nxd4Be79.Bb20-010.Be2Bd711.Nd2Nc612.Rc1Rc8Firouja decides to pass the decision to Wesley as to whether
all minor pieces will remain on the board. In all other over-the-board games
that reached this position, Black went in for exchange on d4.A couple of
examples:12...Nxd413.Bxd4Nd513...Bc614.Nc4Rc815.Bf3Bxf316.Qxf3Qd517.Nb6Qxf318.gxf3Rxc119.Rxc1Bd820.Nc8Nd521.Nd6b522.a3Be723.Rc6Ra824.Bc5h625.Ne4Bd826.f4a527.Bd4Be728.Bc5Bd829.Nd6Ne70-1 (29) Lysyj,I (2677)-Timofeev,A (2534) Sochi 201514.Nc4Bc615.Qd2Bb416.Qb2Qg517.Bf3Ne718.Ne5Rfc819.h4Qh620.Nxc6Nxc621.Bxc6bxc622.Rc4Bf823.g3a524.Rfc1Qh525.Qc2Ra626.Bc5Qf527.Qe2Raa828.Bxf8Kxf829.Rxc6Rxc630.Rxc6a431.Qc4g532.Qb4+Kg833.Rc5e534.e4Qf335.Rxe5gxh436.Rg5+Kh837.Qd4+f638.Rf51-0 (38) Vitiugov,N (2739)
-Balogh,C (2655) Tsaghkadzor 201513.N4f3Wesley opts to keep the pieces.
On the face of it, the whole thing looks pretty harmless for Black. White
doesn't appear to be ahead in development and it doesn't look like there's
really any space advantage. However, both of those observations might not be
quite right - they will be determined over the next few moves. Black does have
a problem piece in his position. The bishop on d7 is misplaced, and so some
time is needed in order to sort it out. Another thing that's slightly in
White's favour is some slightly weak squares in Black's camp: particularly b6
and d6. This explains Firouzja's nextb5Firouzja immediately takes control of
the c4-square. This looks like the right thing to do. However, Black does need
to keep an eye on White's potential a4-break from now on.14.a3Qb615.Rc2e5Again this feels like the right thing to be doing - taking more space and
limiting White's pieces. However, it weakens some light squares in the
long-term and so it's a double-edged decision. Wesley continues to creep a
little forward.15...Rfd816.Qb1still looks more pleasant to play for
White.e517.Rfc1and nowBf5?cannot be played18.Rxc6+-16.Bd3Rfd817.Qe2Bg418.Rfc1Although it looks pretty unambitious, I think this
has been very clever play from So. He's invited Black to expand, but in doing
so White's had time to fully coordinate and it's hard to point at any
weaknesses in the White camp. The same can't be said for Black - although the
pawn advances have created space, they have created targets. In the long-term
White is better on the light squares because of the ...e5 advance. Black has
to do whatever possible to fight for light-squared control over the next phase.
Na718...Qb7may be an improvement, although Black has to be prepared to
go down a pawn, pointing at the two bishops as compensation. A sample line:19.a4Nb420.Rxc8Bxc821.Nxe5Nxd322.Nxd3bxa423.bxa4Bd7This may be
OK for Black.19.Rxc8Rxc820.Rxc8+Nxc821.h3This is the reason that
Wesley was happy to allow the heavy piece exchanges on the c-file. Black
doesn't really have any choice now: the light-squared bishop has to be traded
to avoid losing the e-pawn.21.Bxe5Bxa322.Qd1was also possible and
something that the engine likes. However, I think it's much less clear to
evaluate, and also when the a-pawn drops off the board it's much harder to see
how White's ever creating a passer in an ending. I think Wesley's choice,
preserving the a-pawn is the best practical attempt.21...Bxf322.Qxf3
White definitely has nagging pressure now.Qd823.Qe2Qd5This queen
manouevre makes a lot of sense - fighting for light squares. But watch out for
White's next: every move played is wrestling for control of them!24.Bc2Nd625.Qd3Qxd326.Bxd3Again this e5-pawn is forcing Black to give ground.Nd727.g4g628.Ne4Nxe429.Bxe4Even with limited pieces left White still
has significant pressure. The bishop on e4 needs to be contained. If Black can
exchange it off all problems are solved - but how to do so without a
concession?Nc530.Bc2This might be White's largest advantage in the game
so far, even with all the piece exchanges that have taken place. This is a
very difficult position to defend - how to contain the light-squared bishop? b4
is coming, which will fix the black queenside on light squares, after which the
bishop inflitrates via e4. Black needs to take fairly drastic measures to stop
this.e4Alireza decides it's worth a pawn to get rid of the light-squared
bishop. In doing so he has to assess whether the resulting dark-squared bishop
ending a pawn down is going to be holding.30...Nd7and30...f6
require further analysis to determine whether White can convert the ending.31.b4Nd332.Bc3Kf833.Kf1f534.Ke2It's incredible, but this might be
a mistake!Black's position looks untenable if White, instead of going for
the pawn, decides to get his light-squared bishop in around the back!34.gxf5gxf535.Bb3This is probably hopeless for Black.34...Bd8
Also worthy of further analysis:34...h535.gxf5gxf536.f3Bd837.fxe4fxe438.Bxd338.Bd1Ke739.Kd2is another attempt for White. Incredibly,
Black might hold withKe640.Bxh5Ne5Further analysis is needed to
determine whether this can be held - it looks like a decent attempt to me. The
reasoning being that the Black knight from e5 is doing a great job of
preventing the light-squared bishop from ever getting at the a6-pawn, and if
Black exchanges it, then the opposite-coloured bishop ending is likely drawn.
So then how can White progress from here? Not easy stuff at all...38...exd3+39.Kxd3Kf7Does this hold? It's hard to see a way through - White's
king is struggling to inflitrate here.35.Bxd3Wesley goes in for the
ending - the more I've looked at it the more I feel Black has real chances to
hold!exd3+36.Kxd3Kf7The key here seems to be whether Black can prevent
the white king from inflitrating via c5 or d5. If the black king could
teleport to d5 here it should be holding. As such, White can't wait around
and Wesley finds a way to force matters37.e4Brilliant move under the
circumstances by Wesley. He forces Firouzja to make a huge decision just before
the time control.fxg4This really is an incredible ending. It looked as
though this might be the losing move, but Black could still have some
resources left.37...f4!?is another very interesting defensive try that I
think is very hard to commit to. It breaks some rules - don't place your pawns
on the same colour as the attacker's bishop, and also when defending you
should look to make pawn exchanges where possible. But its main point is that
it is making it as difficult as possible for White to advance his king.38.Bd438.e5is another attempt, but Black's task is relatively straightforward
here.Ke639.Ke4g540.Bd2Bb641.f3Bc738...g539.f3Ke6I don't see
how White makes progress from here.40.Ba7Bf640...Ke5is another way to
keep the white king at bay.41.Bb8+Ke6and now42.Kd4is answered byBb6+38.hxg4g5It can be said with conviction that this is a losing move.Alireza had to go for38...h5!after which there appear to be some
unbelievable defensive resources available. Here's some samples:39.gxh5gxh5Now there are four ways for White to proceed. 1. Advance the f-pawn and
then the king comes to f3; 2. King comes to f3 immediately (this makes a lot
less sense - see the following lines); 3. The king goes to f1 in an attempt to
pick up the pawn via h2; 4. Block the h-pawn by bringing the bishop aorund to h2.
40.f440.Ke2h441.Kf1h342.Kg1Bb6!43.Be1Bc7!and amazingly
White can't make progress.40.Ke3h441.Kf3h3!42.Kg3Bh4+43.Kxh3Bxf244.Kg4Ke645.Kh5Bg3Black holds because the white king can't get any
further.46.Kg6??Be5Incredibly, Black wins here.40.Be5h441.Bh2a5(There look to be other approaches that hold)42.f4axb443.axb4Kf644.Kd4Bb6+45.Kd5Bf2!46.e5+Ke747.f5Bg348.f6+Kf749.Bxg3hxg350.e6+Kxf651.Kd6g252.e7g1Q53.e8Qis a ridiculous (actually totally
sound) line - but just shows how difficult this endgame is.40...h441.Ke341.f5h342.Be5Bf643.Bh2Bb2is holding44.e5Bxa345.e6+Ke746.Kc3Bc147.Kd4Bb2+48.Kd5Bc3and White cannot make further progress.41...h342.Kf342.Kf2Bh4+43.Kg1Bg3leads to the same scenario as in the
main line.42...Bh4!The key resource - with the help of an engine
(obviously) I can't see how White can make progress - even with the advance of
the pawn tandem.43.f5h244.Kg2Bg3Absolutely incredible. Black seems to
be holding.45.e5Bf446.e6+Ke747.Bd4Bg348.Bc5+Kf649.e7(What
else?!)Kf7holds.39.Kd4!The winning move! The f2-pawn matters for
nothing now. Wesley gets the king through and can create a second passer
quickly, which will be too much for Black to deal with.Bb6+40.Kd5Bxf241.Kc6Ke642.Kb7Kd743.Kxa6Kc644.e5Be345.e6Bc146.a4bxa447.Be5
A really brilliant game of chess. Points of interest throughout and well worth
spending some time going through in detail.1–0
The new sole leader, 2017 Tata Steel Masters champion Wesley So | Photo: Alina l'Ami
In the other decisive encounter of the day, Vladislav Artemiev bounced back from his loss from Monday, by taking down Vladislav Kovalev, who for a third time in four rounds had Black and lost. The unlucky drawing of lots left the Belarusian alone in the cellar of the standings before the first rest day. On Thursday, he will have the white pieces against the leader of the event — a good chance to start a comeback!
In the game, Artemiev used his usual positional style, constantly creating small problems to his opponent until pushing him to crack under pressure. The Russian got to show a nice combination to put an end to the struggle:
He was a child prodigy and he is surrounded by legends. In his best times he was considered to be unbeatable and by many he was reckoned to be the greatest chess talent of all time: Jose Raul Capablanca, born 1888 in Havana.
Artemiev vs. Kovalev
Position after 39...Rd8
White was already a pawn up and had a solid advantage, but Kovalev's 39...♜d8 allowed his opponent to show a nice finish — 40.♖xe6 fxe6 41.♘e5 ♜f8 42.♕xg6+ ♚h8 43.♕h6+ ♚g8 44.♘g6 and Black resigned, as the queen and knight duo is ready to wreak havoc around the opposite king.
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I think Artemiev has played a
really nice game here. The engine won't tell you that: for the most part
Black is doing fine objectively, but even in an equalish looking position it
feels like Kovalev was under relentless pressure, constantly being given
problems to solve. Special attention to Kovalev's slightly rare approach with
7...Ba6, Artemiev's cool handling of the early middlegame to get coordination
back, and finally his testing g2-g4 advance just before the time control,
which ultimately proved to be the breakthrough. A great bounce-back for
Artemiev after yesterday's disappointment. Unfortunate for Vlad Kovalev, who
it feels for a large part of the game was well up to the task. What can you
say?! These guys are just incredibly strong...1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3Bb44.Bd20-05.Nf3b66.e3d57.Rc1Ba67...Bb7has been the most played
move here.8.Qa4c59.cxd5Bxf110.Rxf1exd511.Ke2This looks awkward
for White, but the argument from his perspective is that he does have a
better pawn structure in the long-term, and the dodgy king position should
only be a temporary feature. That being said, Black should be absolutely OK
here.Nbd712.Rfd1Qe713.Kf1Rfc8Maybe Kovalev could have asked for more
from his position here.It was a moment where Kovalev could play for the
better structure with13...c4in the hope that he can connect up the
little guys with ...a6 and ...b5. Vlad must have had a reason for rejecting
this, but it's difficult to see how White is going to prevent ...a6 and ...b5
here. Some sample lines:14.Ne514.a3?!Bxc315.Bxc3Rfb8and Black is
doing well.14...Bxc314...b5!?is an engine move that is pretty
difficult to explain.15.Nxb5Bxd216.Rxd2Ne4!17.Rdc2The rook has to
stay on the second due to ...Qh4 threats.Nxe518.dxe5Qxe519.Kg1Nc520.Qa3Nd3would be a nice transition for Black - but who on earth is seeing a line
like this?!14...Nxe5?cannot be recommended15.dxe5Qxe5??16.Qxb415.Bxc3Rfc8with ...a6 and ...b5 to follow, looks at least ok for Black.14.Qa6I like this decision from Artemiev. He now makes the
aforementioned plan with ...c4 look less desirable, as the queen is
super-irritating for the black queenside pawns.Qe615.Ne2Bxd216.Nxd2
Moves 11 to 15 have been exactly what Vlad Artemiev wanted them to be. Again,
it should be noted that Black is probably alright here, but I do think this
type of position is slightly more difficult for Black to play, as White is now
the one who dictates when the central tension will be broken. Black would love
to get the queenside pawns rolling, but the way the pieces are situated, it's
going to be near-on impossible to achieve. ...c4 will be getting answered by b3.
Qf517.h3Nf818.Nf3Kovalev has commited no serious offences, but he has
allowed White to coordinate, and as such White is slightly better due to the
advantageous pawn structure.Qd719.Ne519.dxc5!?bxc520.b4was an
interesting idea for Whitecxb421.Ne5Qe822.Nc6being a sample line to
demonstrate the compensation White gets for the pawn. The white knights are
now very active and it's hard to believe Black can keep the material advantage
for much longer.19...Qc720.Kg1Ne621.Rc2Rab822.Qb5a623.Qxa6Ra824.Qd3Rxa225.Qf5Rca8Kovalev handled this well and his position must
be totally fine here.26.Nc3Ra127.Rcd2cxd428.exd4Rxd1+29.Rxd1Re830.Nf3Qc431.g4!?Interesting idea from Artemiev - Black has to react
actively.h632.h4Qb333.Rd2b534.g5hxg535.hxg5Nh7?!This is the
first slip from Kovalev.35...b4was called for and after36.gxf6bxc337.bxc3Qxc3none of White's attempts to attack work out.38.fxg7Nxg739.Qxd5This could be the reason why Kovalev rejected 35...b4. Easy to see with an
engine that White can't progress from here, but over the board and under time
pressure it's an entire different matter!Qc8and White won't be able to
avoid perpetual checks from the queen.40.Qg5?Re636.Nxd5g637.Nf6+Nxf638.Qxf6Qd539.Re2White is pressing here - unfortunately Kovalev
next opens the floodgates.Rd8?40.Rxe6!fxe641.Ne5Rf842.Qxg6+Kh843.Qh6+Kg844.Ng6Deadly finish from Vlad Artemiev. As soon as a chance
was presented, he pounced...and was ruthless.1–0
The rest of the games finished drawn, with Anish Giri showing some ambitious ideas in the London against Nikita Vitiugov; Daniil Dubov and Jan-Krzysztof Duda exploring a sharp opening variation; Fabiano Caruana defending passively against Jeffery Xiong; and Yu Yangyi neutralizing Vishy Anand's Ragozin.
Round 4 games (annotated by GM Stephen Gordon)
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Not a great deal happened in
this one, but it was interesting to see what Yu Yangyi rates against the popular
Ragozin defence. Vishy is the first to deviate from a game he had in 2018 in
this line, and holds things together well in a position that could easily go
downhill for Black with one or two inaccurate moves.1.d4Nf62.c4e63.Nc3Bb44.Nf3d55.Qb3c56.dxc5Nc66...Na6is another of the main
continuations. Yu Yangyi faced this last year against Harikrishna.7.cxd5Qa58.Bd2Nxc59.Qc2Nxd510.a3Nd711.Nxd5Bxd2+12.Qxd2Qxd513.Qxd5exd514.Rc1Nb615.e3Bd716.Bd3Ke717.Kd2Rac818.b3Rxc119.Rxc1Rc820.Rb1Be621.Nd4Nd722.h4h623.f3Ne524.Bb5Bd725.Bxd7Kxd726.h5Nc627.Nf5Ne728.Nd4Nc629.Nf5Ne730.Nd4Nc61/2-1/2 (30) Yu,Y (2751)
-Harikrishna,P (2738) China 20197.Bg5dxc48.Qxc4h6NVishy's
novelty, deviating from a game he had in the PRO Chess League in 2018.8...Qa5is the most commonly played move and must have been a position Yu Yangyi
was targeting in his preparation. Vishy's recent game in this line:9.Bxf6gxf610.e3Qxc511.Qxc5Bxc512.a3Ke713.Bd3Bd614.Ke2Ne515.Nxe5Bxe516.Rac1Bd717.f4Bxc318.Rxc3Bc619.Rg1f520.g3h521.h4Rad822.Rd1Rhg823.Kf2Kf624.Be2Kg625.Rxd8Rxd826.Rd3Rc827.Rc3Rd828.Rd3Rc829.Rc3Rd81/2-1/2 (29) Haug,J (2357)-Anand,V (2767) chess.com INT 20189.Bxf6Qxf610.e3Qe710...Bxc3+is a common way for Black to go, but here
it's probably not equalising. The black knight would prefer to be placed on d7
rather than where it sits.11.bxc30-012.Be2If Black's not getting the
pawn back it's difficult to justify this.11.Rc111.Nd4comes into
consideration. White tries to damage the Black queenside structure in the
following way:Qxc512.Qxc5Bxc513.Nxc6bxc6However, it's difficult to
see how White will be able to generate meaningful pressure against the c-pawn
weakness. The bishop pair should fully compensate for the small structural
damage.11...Qxc512.Qb3Qb613.a3Bxc3+14.Qxc30-015.Bd3Ne716.0-016.Ke2!?is an interesting engine suggestion. White wants to keep the king
centralised in anticipation of a queen exchange, and both of Black's natural
follow-up moves (...Rd8 and ...Bd7) are answered with Qc7, forcing a queen
exchange. White may have something small to work with here.16...Nd517.Qc2Bd718.Ne5Bb519.Rfd1Bxd320.Rxd3One slip and White's heavyweights are
getting in. Vishy finds some good moves to neutralise things.Qd621.Nf3Qe722.h3Nb623.Qc7Qf624.Qxb7Rfb825.Qa6Qxb226.Rdc3Nd527.R3c2Qb728.Rc6Qxa629.Rxa6Rb630.Ra5a631.Nd4Rab832.g3½–½
Meanwhile, in the Challengers, a sole leader emerged after round four: Surya Shekhar Ganguly defeated Dinara Saduakassova to go into the rest day as the only contender on 3 out of 4. Much like in the Masters, five players are a half point behind, with Nihal Sarin and David Anton joining the chasing pack thanks to victories over Max Warmerdam and Jan Smeets, respectively.
Ganguly will face top seed Anton with White after the rest day. Let us not forget that the main motivation to win the Challengers is to get a spot in next year's Masters, a great opportunity that might end up becoming the big break for these strong grandmasters.
Round 4 games - Challengers
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1.e4c62.Nf3d53.Nc3dxe44.Nxe4Nf65.Qe2Nxe46.Qxe4Nd77.Bc4Nf68.Qe2Bf59.d4e610.0-0h6B17: Caro-Kann: Modern Line (4...Nd7)10...Qc711.h30-0-012.a4h613.c3g514.Ne5Rg815.a5Bd616.g4Bg617.f3Bxe518.Qxe5Qxe519.dxe50-1 (57) Guliyev,N (2557)-Kovalenko,I
(2653) Wroclaw 201411.Bf4Bd612.Be5NPredecessor:12.Ne50-013.c3Qc714.Rad1Rad815.Rfe1Rfe816.Qf3Nd517.Bg3a518.Bb3Ra819.a4f620.Nd3Qb621.Nc1Qc722.Bxd6Qxd623.c4Nb424.c51-0 (23) Canamas
Soler,J (2274)-Winbush,J (1848) ICCF email 201312...0-013.h3Nd514.c3Nf415.Qe3Qxf4 is the strong threat.Nd516.Qd2Bxe517.Nxe5Qd618.Rfe1Rad819.Rad1Nb6Hoping for ...f6.20.Bb3Nd721.g4Bh722.Nxd7Rxd723.Re5Qxe524.dxe5Rxd225.Rxd2= Endgame KRB-KRBRb826.Rd7Kf827.f4Ke828.Bxe6Bg829.f5But not29.Bf5g629...fxe630.Rxg7KRB-KRBf731.Rh7Rd832.Rxh6exf533.gxf5Bxa234.Rh8+Kd735.e6+
35.Rh7+=remains equal.Kc836.e635...Kc835...Kc7!36.Rh7+Kd637.Rxb7Bb136.Rh7Rg8+37.Kf2 White has
compensation.Rf8aiming for ...Bxe6.37...Bb1!?38.Rf7Kd8=38.Kg3Bb1?38...Rxf539.Rh8+Kc739.Rf7+-Re840.Kf4a5?40...Rh841.Kg5Bc241.h4Rh842.Ke5a443.h543.e7Kd744.Rf8Kxe745.Rxh843...Rxh544.Kd6Rxf5
45.e7?White has to play45.c4!+-Threatens to win with e7!Kd846.Rxb745...Rd5+46.Ke6Ba247.Rf8+Kc7Strongly threatening ...
Rd6+.48.e8QRd8+!49.Ke5Rxe8+50.Rxe8KR-KBc5!51.Rh8Bb352.Rh1b553.Rh8Bc454.Rh4Bb355.Rf4Kc656.Rf6+Kc757.Rd6Bc458.Rd2Bb3Accuracy: White = 59%, Black = 51%.½–½
To avoid them or to play them, you have to know them. In two Volumes we see gambits such as Frankenstein-Dracula Gambit, the Cochrane Gambit, the Belgrade Gambit, the King's Gambit, Marshall Gambit, the Scotch Gambit, the Jänisch Gambit and many more.
Some of the Challengers having a good time analysing while Wesley So is being interviewed in the background | Photo: Alina l'Ami
On this DVD Grandmaster Daniel King offers you a repertoire for Black against the Catalan, based around maintaining the rock of a pawn on d5. Keeping central control ultimately gives Black good chances to launch an attack against the enemy king.
Carlos Alberto ColodroCarlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
If you're looking to expand your opening knowledge with a modern, cutting-edge approach, the Ragozin Carlsbad is a must-have addition to your repertoire.
Videos by Leon Mendonca: French and Nico Zwirs: King's Indian. “Lucky bag” with 50 analyses by Ganguly, Giri, Praggnanandhaa and many more + two video analyses by Josefine Heinemann (in German)
The Reti Opening Powerbook 2025 has a tree structure based on a mixture of over 295,000 computer chess games, played in the engine room of playchess.com and the best games played by humans (137,000).
Reti Opening Powerbase 2025 is a database and contains 10989 high-class games from the Mega 2025 or the Correspondence Database 2024, 1069 of which are annotated.
After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 Nc6!?, Black takes the initiative, luring White into overextending their central pawns, only to dismantle them with precise counterplay. The Tango is not just an opening – it’s a weapon, designed for players who want to win as Black
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