Sunday, September 26, 2021

Beyond the Looking-Glass

Magnus Carlsen – Jan-Krzysztof Duda
Champions Chess Tour 2021; Grand Finale Tournament; match game 1; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com/Oslo, September 25, 2021
Semi-Tarrasch Defence D41

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nf3 c5 6. e3 cxd4 7. exd4 Nxc3 8. bxc3 Qc7 9. Rb1. Dernier cri. 9. ... Nd7


10. Bd3! An inspired Pawn sacrifice in search of the Graal as 10. c4 b6 11. Bd3 Bb7 12. 0-0 Be7 13. Re1 0-0 gave Black no worries in Mendonca – Keymer, 1st Julius Bär Challengers Chess Tour, 2nd stage, Gelfand Challenge, chess24.com, June 11, 2021 (time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move). 10. ... Qxc3+ 11. Kf1 Be7 12. h4! 0-0 13. Rh3


13. ... Nf6? One mistake is enough to lose a game. The Black Queen ought to hurry in order to get back before it’s too late: ⌓ 13. ... Qc7! 14. Bg5!⩲↑ (14. Ng5 Nf6 gets nowhere for White). 14. Ne5! With the crude threat of Bd3xh7+. 14. ... Qa5 15. Rg3 Kh8. 15. ... Ne8 is no better as after 16. Bh6 f5 17. Bb5! there are too many threats for Black to meet. 16. Bg5. Threatening Bg5xf6 followed by Qd1-h5. 16. ... h6 17. Bxh6! gxh6 18. Qf3! 1 : 0. Black is helpless against Qf3-f4 (with mate threat).

Any appearances to the contrary notwithstanding, all games in the Champions Chess Tour’s Grand Finale are played online via the Internet. The same went for both Carlsen and Duda, in spite of the fact that they were seated — one in front of the other — in the same broadcasting studio at Oslo, Norway. Screenshot courtesy of Leon Watson.

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