9/11/2019 – The most anticipated tournament of the year kicked off in Khanty-Mansiysk. Most of the favourites started with a win, with eleven out of the sixteen top seeds getting a full point on Tuesday. The biggest surprise rating-wise was given by Norwegian Johan-Sebastian Christiansen, who beat Radoslaw Wojtaszek with Black. But Christiansen was not the only young player to have a good day, as Alireza Firouzja, Nihal Sarin, Andrey Esipenko and Nodirbek Abdusattorov also got off to a good start. Do not miss the round-up show by IM Lawrence Trent. | Photo: FIDE
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A young man's game?
The future generation of top players is quickly rising through the ranks, as increasingly younger talents are making a name for themselves in the world of professional chess. The inaugural round of the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk was no exception to the rule, as most players aged 20 or younger got things rolling favourably in the Siberian city.
This does not mean the older generations are doomed by any stretch of the imagination, as was proven in previous editions — if we just focus on the winners, Boris Gelfand was 41 when he won the event in 2009 and Vladimir Kramnik was 38 when he got first place in 2013.
Nonetheless, we cannot but be stunned by the precocity of players like Nodirbek Abdusattorov (14 years old), Nihal Sarin (15) or Alireza Firouzja (16).
Will Alireza Firouzja continue his brisk ascent? | Photo: FIDE
Sarin's victory was particularly startling, as he took down Jorge Cori in style from the white side of a Sicilian Kalashnikov. Let us not forget that the youngster from India got a wild-card invitation to participate in this tournament — the organizers' decision has already been justified. Sarin spent quite a while on moves 10 to 12, but he had used his time wisely, as he correctly decided to give up a pawn for the initiative at that point:
This DVD allows you to learn from the example of one of the best players in the history of chess and from the explanations of the authors how to successfully organise your games strategically, and how to keep your opponent permanently under pressure.
Sarin vs. Cori
Position after 12...bxc4
After 13.♘ed5, Cori found the first suggestion of the computers, 13...♞f6, but by then it was clear White was the one pushing. Black could capture on b3 and get a small material edge, but his out-of-play knight on a5 and White's active pieces gave the Indian more than enough compensation.
Later on, Sarin found another fine positional move to consolidate his advantage:
Position after 18...Rc3
19.♖fb1 cemented White's advantage and Sarin went on to show great maturity to convert his positional advantage into a 57-move victory.
Sarin vs Cori analysed by IM Sagar Shah
While Sarin took down a higher-rated opponent, Alireza Firouzja — the youngest 2700+ player in the world — defeated Arman Pashikian with the white pieces before the time control was reached. In the meantime, the youngest of all, Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2608), got a safe draw with the white pieces against Maxim Matlakov (2716), despite having been surprised by his Russian opponent as early as move 5.
Another success story for a youngster on opening day was Andrey Esipenko's win over Ruslan Ponomariov. A very accomplished player in this format, Ponomariov won the FIDE World Championship knock-out tournament in 2002 and was the World Cup runner-up in 2005 and 2009. After his loss against Esipenko, though, he will need to win with Black to stay alive in Khanty-Mansiysk.
The 17-year-old from Russia played the Caro-Kann Defence, equalized after the opening and reached a comfortable endgame by move 35:
The author has played 4...Nd7 successfully in a lot of games and shows many new, unknown moves, idea and analyses.
Ponomariov vs. Esipenko
Position after 35.Nd1
Esipenko gobbled up White's f-pawn five moves later and went on to patiently convert his advantage into a win.
Ruslan Ponomariov blurred on the background (left) — focus on Diego Flores, who lost against Gawain Jones | Photo: FIDE
All games mentioned in this section
Notice Sarin's game has been annotated by IM Sagar Shah.
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1.e40c502.Nf34Nc603.d428cxd4164.Nxd47e5!?
53 Cori plays the Kalashnikov. It has been played by Cori in seven games
before and he has won all seven of them! Although it must be mentioned that
all his opponents were less than 2350 rated!5.Nb530d6126.c481Be7537.N1c373 Once the knight has been developed to c3, it makes sense
to kick the knight from b5 so that it doesn't get the c3 square.a688.Na35Be699.Nc2199Rc84010.Be21240 This was played after nearly
20 minutes of thought, which is a bit too much!10.b3Nf611.Bd30-012.0-0is how many games have progressed.10...Na5146811.b3698b5
29 It seems as if White's entire opening strategy has failed. Black has got
the b5 break and there is absolutely no way for White to defend his c4 pawn.
But who needs the c4 pawn?12.Ne3!865 It seems to me that this is all
Nihal's preparation and to get his opponent into something that he had
prepared, he was taking a lot of time!bxc452913.Ned5214 White says to
Black that look you have been playing on the queenside and your knight is not
so well place, I am going to give up material!Nf61178 This looks like the
best move. It was played after nearly 20 minutes!13...cxb314.axb3
Now the a6 pawn is hanging and the knight on a5 is also very weak.14.Be3!208 Now Nihal is speeding up! The bishop is threatening Bb6.Bxd530014...Nd715.b4Nc616.Qd2!Prophylaxis against Bg5. And it seems to me
that White is doing really well. The pawn on c4 is not running away and White
has complete control over the position.15.Nxd5155Nxd51215...Nxe416.Bb6+-16.Qxd5±1530-08917.0-0678 Nihal is not at all
concerned about black taking the pawn on b3. He knows that after taking back
axb3 he would get his rook activated along the a-file and the a6 pawn would be
weak.cxb332518.Bxa6587 Cori is in deep thought now because moving the
rook to b8 can trap his knight on a5 after Bd2. Black has to play very
resourcefully to keep the balance.Rc3134918...b219.Rab1Rc620.Bb5Rc221.Bd3Rc322.Rxb2±19.Rfb1!263 Another powerful move!Nc6311
19...bxa220.Rxa2Nc621.Bb6And Black is in grave trouble.Qd722.Qd2+-20.Rxb311120.axb3Nd421.Bxd4exd422.Bc4Would have given
White an excellent position with risk free advantage to press for the rest of
the game.22.Qxd4Bf623.Qd1d5gives Black some active play.20...Rxb31121.Qxb37321.axb3Nb422.Qb7Nxa623.Rxa6is also a
position work exploring.21...Nd448 Nihal Sarin (2610)-Cori,J (2676)
Khanty-Mansiysk 2019 playchess.com [ChessBase]22.Bxd4310exd47 White
should be able to press in this position for quite some time thanks to his a
pawn and the bishop that will sit very well on d5. But the question is whether
it is sufficient for a win?23.Bc470Qa54724.g3!15 Just a small
luft for the king, but it's moves like these which showcase good technique.Bg512125.Kg2!24 Very slowly improving the position.g61926.Bd5
50Qc33627.Rd120Kg78228.Rd327Qc53228...Qxb329.Rxb3
is a nightmarish endgame to defend. f7 is weak and the a-pawn is quite strong.29.a446Bd84430.Qb217Bb63231.Rb345Ba53232.Rd3932.Rb7with the idea of Qe2 and Qf3 looks pretty good. Here's a sample line:
Qc333.Qe2d334.Qf3d235.Rxf7+Rxf736.Qxf7+Kh637.Bb3+-32...Bb63433.h425Rc82234.Qe253Ba72335.h522Qc14136.Qg4
43Rc7937.Rf322d32638.Qh431Bd45439.Rxd331 Taking the
pawn is fine, but White had a faster way to win.39.Bxf7!Rxf739...d240.h6+Kh841.Qd8#39...Qh640.Bb3+-40.h6+Kg840...Qxh641.Rxf7+Kxf742.Qxh6+-41.Qd8++-39...g53340.h6+0Kf8041.Qh5
303 White is still much better. Now that 40 moves are over, both players also
have an additional 30 minutes on the clock.Bxf2!613 Cori makes a very
nice practical decision. Of course the bishop cannot be taken, but when such a
move is played it is often easy to be unsettled. But not Nihal.42.Rf3!
16642.Kxf2Rc2+43.Kf3Qf1+44.Kg4Rf2!And now Nihal has to find the
only move to make a draw.45.Rd2!Rxd246.Qxg5Qe2+47.Kh4Qh2+48.Kg4Qe2+=42...Qg1+3143.Kh36Qh1+8344.Kg45Qxh5+545.Kxh58 This position is clearly better for White on many counts. First of all he
is winning a pawn. Secondly the a-pawn is a passer. Thirdly the white king is
just so active!Bd424346.a5346Ra768147.a6578f63748.Ra3259Ke713849.Kg412Kd814150.Bb752Bc5851.Rb315Ke7
2052.Kf515Bd4553.g466Kd74554.Bd581Rxa613055.Rb7+9Kc8456.Rxh710Ra1557.Rf733 1-0 (57) Nihal Sarin (2610)-Cori,
J (2676) Khanty-Mansiysk 2019 playchess.com [ChessBase]1–0
Johan-Sebastian Christiansen turned 21 this year, but we will choose to include him in this section (and not in the 'young guns category' above), as his opponent was not only older than him but also the sixteenth highest-rated player in the field. Christiansen had the black pieces against Radoslaw Wojtaszek and slowly outplayed his experienced rival after getting a strategic advantage in the middlegame:
On this 60 Minutes renowned and successful coach Adrian Mikhalchishin shows you openings with early exchange sacrifices. These openings enrich your repertoire, improve your chess, and give you an opportunity to witness the development of modern chess theo
Wojtaszek vs. Christiansen
Position after 28...axb5
Wojtaszek's 29.b4 boosted the computer's evaluation in Black's favour, but proving the advantage was not a trivial task. Christiansen kept up the pressure, creating threats on both sides of the board and sidestepping his opponent's tricks until forcing White's resignation on move 51. Much like Ponomariov, Wojtaszek will need to bounce back with Black to stay in the race.
A crowded playing hall...for now | Photo: FIDE
Other top players that got in trouble were Levon Aronian and Hikaru Nakamura. While Nakamura kept things under control when he noticed he was in danger against Algerian Bilel Bellahcene, Aronian was facing difficulties against the oldest player in the field, 53-year-old Essam El-Gindy from Egypt. The Egyptian was an exchange up against the defending champion, but chose to give up his material edge to eliminate White's powerful central knight on the last move prior to the time control:
Rules of thumb are the key to everything when you are having to set the correct course in a complex endgame. In this final DVD of his series on the endgame, our endgame specialist introduces you to the most important of these rules of thumb.
Aronian vs. El-Gindy
Position after 40.Rxh2
El-Gindy's 40...♜db6 was not a mistake, but converting a heavy-piece endgame against someone as tricky as Aronian is not an easy task. Furthermore, the Armenian equalized three moves later and the point was eventually split. In the diagrammed position, the Egyptian could have gone for the initiative with 40...♛g4, but we cannot blame him for not finding that move with the clock ticking down and such a strong player on the other side of the board.
There were some hiccups, as we saw above, but it was mostly smooth sailing for those at the very top of the ratings list. Ian Nepomniachtchi, for example, built up a devastating attack after giving up a piece against Mongolian Sugar Gan-Erdene:
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.
Gan-Erdene vs. Nepomniachtchi
Position after 26.Qxd6
Here Nepomniachtchi had planned to go 26...♞b4+ — which he played in less than a minute — and after 27.cxb4 ♛c4+ 28.♔a1 axb4 the a-file is wide open. Gan-Erdene, the only untitled player in the line-up, used some desperate defensive resources, but soon enough was pushed to accept defeat with mate-in-three on the board:
Position after 37...Kh7
Ian Nepomniachtchi only needs a draw on Wednesday to reach round two | Photo: FIDE
All games mentioned in this section
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1.d4Nf62.c4g63.g3c54.dxc54.Nf3Bg75.Bg20-06.Nc3cxd47.Nxd4Qc78.Nd5Nxd59.cxd5Qb610.Nb3d611.0-0Bd712.Be3Qa613.Bd4Qa414.Bxg7Kxg715.Qd4+Qxd416.Nxd41/2-1/2 (28) Ding,L (2805)
-Vachier Lagrave,M (2780) Abidjan 20194...Na65.Nc3Nxc56.Bg2E60:
King's Indian: Unusual lines and Fianchetto Variation without Nc3Bg77.Nf3b68.Nd4NWhite is slightly better.Predecessor:8.e4Bb79.e5Ng410.0-0Nxe511.Nxe5Bxe512.Bxb7Nxb71/2-1/2 (37) Nagy,G (2471)-Darban,M
(2264) Ankara 20198...Bb79.Bxb7Nxb710.e4Qc711.Qe2Nc512.0-0d613.Rd1Qb714.f3!0-015.Be3Rac816.Rac1Ne617.Nc2Rfe818.Nb4Nd819.Bf2Nc620.Nbd5Nd721.Nb5a622.Nbc3Bh622...e6!?23.Nf4Qc7=23.f4Rb823...Bg7=remains equal.24.b324.Na4±24...Bg725.f525.Na425...Nce526.fxg6hxg627.h4b528.cxb5axb529.b429.Nb129...e630.Nf4Bf831.h5g532.Nd3Rec833.Qe333.Nxe5was called for.Nxe534.Bd433...Bg734.Kg2Kh735.h6Bf635...Kxh636.Rh1+Kg637.Nf4+gxf438.gxf436.Nxe5Nxe537.Qa7Ng437...Kxh638.Qxb7Rxb739.Rxd638.Qxb7Rxb739.Ne2Ra8Black has a
decisive advantage.40.Rc2Ra440...Kxh641.Nd441.Rxd6Rxb441...Kxh642.Bc542.Nc1Rxe442...Kxh643.Re2-+43.Nb3Rc444.Re2
intending Na5.Rbc7Weaker is44...Kxh645.Na5=45.Bd4Bxd446.Nxd4b4Much less strong is46...Nxh647.Nxb5Nf548.Rd3-+47.Nb5Rb748.Rd4Rxd449.Nxd4Kxh6Don't take49...Nxh650.Rb2-+50.Kf3Nf651.Rb2Ra7Accuracy: White = 33%, Black = 62%.0–1
The myriad of chess action continues tomorrow, as sixty-four parallel games will take place for a last time in the tournament — barring the unimaginable occurrence of all match-ups ending up tied. Some will stay, some will go.
Round-up show
GM Daniel King reviews the action of the round
The Weekly Show with IM Lawrence Trent
Commentary webcast
Commentary by GM Evgeny Miroshnichenko, GM Alex Yermolinsky and IM Anna Rudolf
1.c4Nf62.Nc3e63.e4d54.e5Nfd75.d4dxc46.Bxc4Nb67.Bd3c5A18: English Opening: Flohr-Mikenas System (1 c4 Nf6 2 Nc3 e6 3 e4).8.dxc5Bxc59.Nf3Nc6White is slightly better.10.0-0h611.Qe2Bd712.a3Nd513.Ne4Be7
14.b4NPredecessor:14.Bd2Na515.Nd4a616.Rac1Nc617.Nxc6Bxc618.Rfe1Qd719.Nc5Bxc520.Rxc51-0 (67) Matko,O (2302)-Zubak,Z (2005) Mali Losinj 201714...Qb8Black should try14...a615.Bb2±Nf416.Qe316.Qd2+-Nxd317.Qxd316...Nxd316...Nd5±17.Qe1a617.Qxd3+-0-017...a618.Rad1Bc819.Nd6+Kf818.b5Accuracy: White = 81%, Black = 60%.Stronger than18.Qxd7Rd81–0
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.
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