Round Table

Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler – Aryan Tari
11th World Team Chess Championship; Khanty-Mansiysk, June 21, 2017
English Opening A22

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 Bb4 4. Bg2 0-0 5. Nf3 Bxc3 6. bxc3 d6 7. 0-0 Re8 8. Ne1 Nbd7!? For 8. ... c6 9. d3 h6 10. Rb1 d5 11. Qb3 b6 12. cxd5 cxd5 13. Nc2 Nc6 14. h3 Bb7 15. Nb4 Na5 16. Qb2 d4 17. c4 Rc8 see Nakamura – Ivanchuk, 54th Torneo di Capodanno, Reggio Emilia 2011. Instead, after 8. ... Nc6 9. e4 the game would transpose into an English Four Knights line (A29) certainly more pleasant for White; for instance: 9. ... Nd7 10. f4 exf4 11. Rxf4 a6 12. d4 b5 13. e5 Ndb8 14. Qh5 dxe5 15. Rh4 h6 16. Bxh6 g6 17. Qg5 Bb7 18. Nd3 Nd7 19. Rf1 Na5 20. Qxd8 Raxd8 21. Bxb7 Nxb7 22. Bg5 f6 23. Bxf6 Nxf6 24. Rxf6 Rd6 25. Rxd6 Nxd6 26. c5 Nc4 27. Re4 a5 28. Nxe5 b4 29. cxb4 axb4 30. Kf2 Nxe5 31. Rxe5 Ra8 32. Re2 Ra3 33. Rb2 Kf7 34. Rxb4 Rxa2+ 35. Kf3 Ke6 36. h4 Kd5 37. Kf4 1 : 0 Dubov – Mchedlishvili, World Rapid Chess Championship, Doha 2016. 9. Nc2 h6 10. Rb1 Rb8 11. d3 Nc5 12. h3 a6 13. Nb4 Bd7 14. Be3

18. ... e4! The most difficult move of the game. 15. Bd4 c6 16. Qd2 Bf5 17. Qf4 Bg6 18. Bxf6 Qxf6 19. Qxf6 gxf6 20. d4 Na4 21. Rb3 Nb6. So far Tary has played very well, with a grace and elegance which may recall some games of 7th World Chess Champion Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov. However paradoxical it may appear, Black played much better, even though the game is roughly equal. 22. Rfb1. Svidler thought for eight minutes before resolving for the (somewhat committal) move in the text. Stockfish’s line 22. Nd5 Nxd5 23. cxd5 cxd5 24. Rfb1 (or 24. Rb6 Rec8=) 24. ... b5 25. a4 Rb6! 26. axb5 Reb8 appears to be quite even. 22. ... e3! White might have overlooked – or underestimated – Black’s keen rejoinder. If, instead, 22. ... Nxc4? then 23. Nxa6! with complications very much in White’s favour. 23. Nd3. White decides to sacrifice the Exchange for almost no material compensation, in contrast with the science of the machine which advised him to seek salvation in a most unbalanced way: 23. Nxa6 (idem to say 23. Nxc6) 23. ... bxa6 24. R1b2 Nd7 25. Bxc6 with a very complex ending in which the Pawn mass in the centre might compensate White for the piece deficit. Svidler, however, is a very practical player and so I am inclined to think that he has chosen his own “pseudo-escape” not without good reasons. 23. ... Nxc4 24. Bxc6 Re7 25. fxe3 b5. Threatening both ... Nc4-d2 and ... Nc4-a5. 26. Re1 Na5 27. Bd5 Nxb3 28. axb3 Rxe3 29. Kf2 Rbe8. Beyond the fact that 29. ... Re7 (Stockfish) would have actually been stronger (30. Nb4 Rc8!), Tari’s “lack of will” looks quite strange, unless it was dictated by team policy and/or team decisions. ½ : ½. Tari’s last move was euphemistically accompanied by a draw offer (in fact, after 30. Ne5 White regains the Exchange and should be able to draw the endgame a Pawn down without too much difficulty), which Svidler – of course! – did not refuse to accept.

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi throwing an enigmatic glance at Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler. Photo: Anastasiya Balakhontseva/Ugra Chess Academy.

Due to the absence of Magnus Carlsen (who’s playing the Paris Grand Chess Tour 2017) and Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer, Norway’s first board was delivered to Aryan Tari. Photo: Anastasiya Balakhontseva/Ugra Chess Academy.