The Friendly Shark

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
32nd European Chess Club Cup; Novi Sad, November 8, 2016
Grünfeld Defence D78

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d5 5. 0-0 0-0 6. c4 c6 7. Qb3 Qb6 8. Nc3 Rd8 9. Rd1 Bf5 10. Ne1 dxc4 11. Qxc4 Na6 12. e4 Be6 13. Qa4 Qb4 14. Nc2. A new idea, although quite spontaneous. For 14. Qxb4 Nxb4 15. h3 Ne8 16. Be3 Nd6 17. a3 Na6 18. Nf3 Bb3 see Jumabayev – Vachier-Lagrave, World Rapid Chess Championship, Berlin 2015. 14. ... Qxa4 15. Nxa4 Nd7 16. Bg5 Re8 17. b3 Nb6 18. Nxb6 axb6 19. Rac1 Nc7? This move shows almost immediately its weak points.

20. d5! Mamedyarov won the theoretical duel as his position certainly looks more pleasant. 20. ... cxd5 21. exd5 Bg4 22. Re1 Nb5 23. h3 Bd7 24. a4 Nc3. Desperately trying to not give away a Pawn. 25. Na3! 25. Bxe7? Rac8 would lead nowhere. 25. ... Ra5 26. Bxe7. With the obvious threat of Na3-c4. 26. Bd2 was also strong. 26. ... Nxd5 27. Bd6 Rxe1+ 28. Rxe1 Nf6 29. Nc4. The demolition of Black’s Queenside is surprisingly fast. 29. ... Ra6 30. Bxb7 Ra7 31. Bg2 b5 32. Bc5 Ra6 33. Bb7 bxc4 34. Bxa6 cxb3 35. a5 Bf5 36. Bd4 1 : 0. Very elegant play by Mamedyarov.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov vs. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Photo: Lennart Ootees

美國運通

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Notes by Grandmasters Mikhail Golubev and Andrei Deviatkin

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Fabiano Caruana – Shakhriyar Hamid oglu Mammadyarov
FIDE Grand Prix; Baku, October 5, 2014
Slav Defence D12

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4 5. Nc3 e6 6. Qb3 Qb6 7. Nh4 Bh5 8. h3 g5!? This sharp and fashionable variation had already taken place in the game between the same opponents in Vugar Gashimov Memorial (April 2014). 9. Nf3 h6 10. c5. The aforementioned game went into a sharp endgame after 10. Ne5 Nfd7 11. Nd3 Bg6 12. h4 Rg8 13. hxg5 hxg5 14. Bd2 dxc4 15. Qxc4 Qa6 16. Nc1 Qxc4 17. Bxc4 Nb6 18. Be2, which Caruana managed to win in 56 moves (Caruana – Mamedyarov, Shamkir 2014). 10. ... Qc7 11. Bd3. Creating a positional threat of g2-g4. 11. ... Rg8?! The crucial line seems to be 11. ... Bxf3! 12. gxf3 followed by 12. ... b6 or 12. ... Nbd7. 12. Qc2 Nbd7 13. b4! White has better prospects. 13. ... Be7. The games Ftacnik – Ruck (Germany 2009) and Eljanov – Sandipan (Plovidv 2010) saw 13. ... Bg6. Ed. Note: Viz. 13. ... Bg6 14. Bxg6 Rxg6 15. Bb2 h5 16. Ne2 g4 17. Ne5 Nxe5 18. dxe5 Nd7 19. hxg4 Rxg4 20. Nf4 Nxe5 21. Rxh5 ½ : ½ Eljanov – Sandipan, European Club Cup, Plovdiv 2010. 14. Bb2 g4?! 14. ... Bg6 was preferrable. 15. hxg4 Rxg4

16. Kf1! Now White is seriously better because Black’s activity at the King side doesn’t provide sufficient compensation for his weaknesses. 16. ... 0-0-0 17. Ne2. More reliable than 17. b5 Rdg8 where White would have to play 18. Ne1. 17. ... Rdg8 18. Nf4! The Exchange sacrifice is more or less forced. 18. ... Rxf4 19. exf4 Bxf3 (19. ... Qxf4 20. Rh4) 20. gxf3 Qxf4 21. Ke2! Rg2?! 21. ... h5!? was more persistent. 22. Qc1! Qg3 23. Qf1! The seemingly active Black's heavy pieces are suddenly trapped. The point is that, for example, 23. ... Qg8 can be met by 24. Qxg2! Qxg2 25. Rag1 with decisive advantage for White in the endgame. 23. ... Ng4!? 24. fxg4 Qxg4+ 25. Kd2 Qf4+ 26. Ke2 Qg4+ 27. Ke1 Ne5 28. Be2! Caruana has to be precise. 28. dxe5? Qxb4+ could have spoiled everything. 28. ... Qe4 29. Kd1 (the alternative is 29. Rh3) 29. ... Bg5 30. dxe5 Qxb4. White still has to be very accurate in spite of his huge material advantage. 31. Kc2 (the only suitable defence from the mate on d2) 31. ... Qxc5+ 32. Kb1! Rxf2 33. Qd1! Not 33. Qe1? Qe3! with sudden complications. 33. ... Qe3 34. Re1. Killing the opponent’s hope for a blunder like 34. Bd3?? Rd2. Mamedyarov resigned. Caruana played the game with maximum precision. 1 : 0.

Fabiano Caruana
Baku, October 5, 2014
Photo: Maria Alekseevna Emelianova