Foufou

Magnus Carlsen – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
5th Grand Chess Tour; 1st stage; Côte d’Ivoire Rapid (25+10); Abidjan, May 9, 2019
Sicilian Defence B90

As expected, 16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen won the rapid round-robin of the Grand Chess Tour’s first stage with stunning ease, implicitly suggesting that his last challenger was to have the honour of not being here. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Bg7 10. Qd2 Nc6 11. Nb3 Be6 12. h4 gxh4 13. Bxh4 b5 14. f4 b4 15. Na4 Qc7 16. 0-0-0 Rb8 17. Kb1 Na5 18. Nxa5 Qxa5 19. b3 Qc7 20. Be2 h5 21. f5 Bd7 22. Bxg4 hxg4 23. Qg5. White forces a liquidation that will leave him a Pawn ahead, but in a very unstable “ending” of Queen and Rook vs. Queen and Rook. 23. ... Bf6 24. Qxg4 Bxa4 25. Bxf6 Rxh1 26. Rxh1 exf6 27. bxa4 Ke7 28. Qf3 Rc8 29. Qd3 a5 30. Rd1 Rg8 31. Qe2 Rg3! Maybe White could have done better somewhere earlier, but now Black gets an entry for his Rook to take over the third rank with a dynamic equality. 32. Qf2 Ra3! 33. g4

33. ... Rxa4? But this inconsistent move that cuts the Rook off the stage is a grave mistake which loses immediately. Correct seems 33. ... Qc5! 34. Qxc5 dxc5 35. Rd5 Rc3 with a likely draw. 34. g5!+− fxg5 35. f6+ Ke8 36. Qe2 b3 37. axb3 Rb4 38. e5! dxe5 39. Rd5 Kf8 40. Qh5 Rh4 41. Qxg5 Rh7 42. Qd2 1 : 0.

Magnus Carlsen vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour.