Saturday, March 20, 2021

Hidden in Plain Sight

Magnus Carlsen – Wesley So
Champions Chess Tour 2021; 4th stage; Magnus Carlsen Invitational 2021; Third-place match game 1; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, March 19, 2021
Four Knights Game C47

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. a4!? Bb4 5. Bd3 d6 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Nd5 Bc5 8. c3 a5 9. Bc2 Nxd5TN (9. ... Ba7 10. d4 h6 11. Qd3 Re8 12. Nxf6+ Qxf6 13. Be3 exd4 14. Bxd4 Ne5 15. Nxe5 dxe5 16. Bxa7 Rxa7 17. Rfd1 Ra6 18. Bb3 Bg4 19. Rd2 Rd6 20. Qe3 Rxd2 21. Qxd2 Rd8 22. Qe3 Rd6 23. h3 Bd7 24. Rd1 Rxd1+ 25. Bxd1 Qd6 26. Bb3 Kf8 27. Qf3 Be8 28. Qe3 b6 29. Qe2 g6 30. h4 h5 31. Qe3 Bc6 32. Qe2 Qf6 33. Qc4 Kg7 34. Ba2 Qe6 35. Qxe6 fxe6 36. Bb3 Bxe4 37. Bxe6 Kf6 38. Bb3 g5 39. hxg5+ Kxg5 40. g3 Kg4 41. Kf1 h4 ½ : ½ L. van Foreest – Naiditsch, 46th SchachBundesliga, Lingen 2020) 10. exd5 Ne7 11. Ng5 h6 12. d4 Bb6


13. Nh7! 13. Qh5 Qe8! is nothing special for White, so Carlsen does not hesitate to give up a Knight for the initiative. 13. ... Re8 14. Nf6+ gxf6 15. Qh5 e4! 16. Re1! f5? This may be a mistake worth a double question mark, but defending such a position would probably require a classical time control. 16. ... Bf5 followed by ... Bf5-g6 offered better chances of holding on. 17. Bxh6+− Nxd5 18. Bg5 f6 (18. ... Nf6 19. Qh4 Re6 20. d5+−)


19. Bb3! c6 20. Re3 Kf8 21. Qg6 f4. If 21. ... fxg5 then 22. Bxd5 cxd5 23. Rh3 followed by mate in a few moves, whilst 21. .. Ke7 22. Bxf6+! would leave Black the choice between mate or loss of the Queen. 22. Bh6+ Ke7 23. Qh7+ 1 : 0. And Black resigned in view of 23. ... Ke6 24. Rxe4#.
at

6 comments:

  1. TamarindMarch 20, 2021 at 11:21 PM

    In his ChessBase report Klaus Besenthal says that "Die unbestechlichen Computer halten hier 14.Bxh6 für den besseren Zug." See https://de.chessbase.com/post/magnus-carlsen-invitational-erstes-finalmatch-endet-unentschieden

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  2. AnonymousMarch 20, 2021 at 11:22 PM

    Very sorry, I do not agree with that

    ReplyDelete
  3. TamarindMarch 20, 2021 at 11:24 PM

    Besenthal says "Besser war 16...c5!" - see https://de.chessbase.com/post/magnus-carlsen-invitational-erstes-finalmatch-endet-unentschieden

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  4. TamarindMarch 20, 2021 at 11:30 PM

    If 16.Bxe4 f5 17.Bxh6 fxe4 18.Bg5 f6 19.Bxf6 Rf8 ∞ (analysis by GM Rafael Leitão) - see https://rafaelleitao.com/carlsen-x-so-2/

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  5. TamarindMarch 21, 2021 at 12:38 AM

    Europe Échecs gives 16...c5 17.Bxh6 (17.Rxe4 Bf5 transposes) 17...Bf5 18.Rxe4 Bxe4 19.Bxe4 f5 20.Bd3 - see https://www.europe-echecs.com/art/champions-chess-tour-ac-carlsen-invitational-8453.html

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  6. TamarindMarch 21, 2021 at 10:10 PM

    16. Re1! Leontxo García (El País, 21 de marzo de 2021) escribe que "la idea de So era 16.Bxe4?! f5, y lo mejor sería 17.Bxh6! fxe4 18.Bg5 Bg4! 19.Qxg4 f5 20.Qh5 Qd7 21.Bh6 Nxd5 22.c4 Qf7! 23.Qxf7+ Kxf7 24.cxd5 Bxd4, con ventaja negra." Ver: https://elpais.com/elpais/2021/03/21/media/1616325891_902952.html

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