Plus and Minus

王皓 (Wáng Hào) – Vladimir Alekseevich Potkin
34th European Chess Club Cup; Porto Carras, October 18, 2018
4brk1/R1p1r1p1/1p1p1q1p/3P1p2/1PP1p3/2R1P1PP/3Q1PB1/6K1 w - - 0 29

Position after 28. ... Bd7-e8

In the end the Italian team “Obiettivo Risarcimento Padua” had to be content with a honourable fourth place, despite of the splendid parade of Daniele Vocaturo (who defeated Mikhail Aleksandrovich Antipov) and the stubborn tenacity of Chinese Grandmaster 王皓 (Wáng Hào), who today succeeded in pursuing a win from a sharply balanced game: 29. c5!? bxc5 30. bxc5 Bf7 31. Bf1 Qe5 32. Qc1 Bxd5 33. cxd6 cxd6?? And here comes Potkin’s irreparable blunder, which loses a clear piece on the spot. Correct was 33. ... Qxd6 34. Rcxc7 Rc7 35. Rxc7 Rf7 with approximate equality. 34. Ra5 Rb8 35. Rxd5 Qxd5. One piece was enough for 王皓 (Wáng Hào), but Potkin concedes even more than that, falling onto a deadly skewer of Queen and King on the a2-g8 diagonal. 36. Bc4 1 : 0.

One Knight Only

Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler – Magnus Carlsen
34th European Chess Club Cup; Porto Carras, October 18, 2018
Caro-Kann Defence B15

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nf6 5. Nxf6+ exf6. The Tartakower Variation — tremendously drawish, even if White’s ending must probably be regarded as symbolically a little easier. 6. c3 Bd6 7. Bd3 0-0 8. Qc2 Re8+ 9. Be3. If 9. Ne2 Black can reply with 9. ... Kh8 and then, for instance, 10. Be3 (“Of course Black intended to answer 10. Bxh7 with 10. ... g6”, Emanuel Lasker wrote in his tournament book) 10. ... Nd7 11. 0-0-0 Nf8 12. Kb1 Be6 13. Nf4? (“This costs a Pawn. Far better was 13. Nc1 for, should White succeed in defending himself, he would have good chances of winning the ending”, Lasker writes) Bxf4 14. Bxf4 Qd5 15. b3 Qxg2 16. Rhg1 Qf3 17. Be3 Bg4 18. Rde1 Bh5 19. Rg3 Qd5 20. f4 Re7 21. Reg1 Rae8 22. c4 Qd6 23. Qf2 g6 24. d5? (“White changes his tactics, by attacking suddenly on the Queenside. Thereby he abandons the point e5 and c5 to his opponent. He should, instead, have fixed Black’s f6-Pawn by 24. f5 to be followed by Be3-c1-b2”, Lasker suggests) 24. ... Nd7 25. Bd4 Re2! 26. Be5 Qxe5 0 : 1 Forgács – Duras, International Chess Congress, Saint Petersburg 1909. 9. ... h6 10. Ne2 Na6 11. 0-0 Nc7 12. c4 Bg4. An earlier qualified reference is 12. ... Ne6 13. Qd2 Qc7 14. c5 Bf8 15. Ng3 Qd8 16. Bc2 Nc7 17. h4 f5 18. h5 Qf6 19. Rae1 Be6 20. Bf4 Nd5 21. Be5 Qh4 22. Nxf5 Bxf5 23. Bxf5 Qxh5 24. Be4 Qg5 25. Qc2 Nf6 26. Bxf6 Qxf6 27. d5 cxd5 28. Bxd5 Rxe1 29. Rxe1 Rc8 30. b4 b6 31. Bb7 Rc7 32. c6 g6 33. Qa4 Bd6 34. b5 Re7 35. Rf1 Qe5 36. g3 Qg5 37. Qb3 h5 38. Rd1 Bc7 39. Rd5 Qc1+ 40. Kg2 h4 41. Rd7 h3+ 42. Kh2 Rxd7 43. cxd7 Qd2 44. Kxh3 Qxd7+ 45. Kg2 Qe7 46. Qc4 Kg7 47. Bd5 ½ : ½ J. Polgár – J. Bellin, 29th Women’s Chess Olympiad, Novi Sad 1990. 13. h3!?TN Bxe2 14. Bxe2 Ne6 15. Rad1 Qc7 16. Bg4 Rad8 17. Rfe1 Bf4 18. Bxf4 Nxf4 19. Rxe8+ Rxe8 20. h4 Qa5 21. g3 f5 22. Bf3 Re1+ 23. Kh2 Rxd1 24. Qxd1 Ng6 25. a3 f4 26. Be4 fxg3+ 27. fxg3 Nf8 28. d5 cxd5 29. Qxd5 Qxd5 30. Bxd5 b6 31. b4 Nd7 32. Kg2 Kf8 33. Kf2 Nf6 34. Bf3 Ke7 35. Ke3 Kd6 36. Kd4. Svidler is obviously hoping in the theoretical strength of the Bishop to support (and eventually realise) his Queenside Pawn majority, but Black’s next elegant Knight’s move clears up any doubts as to the outcome:

36. ... Ng8! 37. c5+. 37. Bd5 Ne7 doesn’t make any difference. 37. ... bxc5+ 38. bxc5+ Kc7 39. Bd5 Ne7 40. Ke5. Some commentators criticised this, but also after 40. Bxf7 Nf5+ 41. Ke5 Nxg3 Black draws handily. 40. ... Nxd5 41. Kxd5 h5! 42. c6 a6! 43. a4 a5 44. Kc5 f6 45. Kd5 g5 46. Ke6 Kxc6 47. Kxf6 gxh4 48. gxh4 Kd6 49. Kg5 Ke5 50. Kxh5 Kf5 51. Kh6 Kf6 52. h5 Kf7 53. Kg5 Kg7 54. h6+ Kh7 55. Kh5 Kh8 56. Kg6 Kg8 57. h7+ Kh8 58. Kh6 ½ : ½. And thus, in the end, 16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen retained his well-deserved No. 1 world ranking spot!

Magnus Carlsen (seated first from left) is probably thinking about how to bring the sun to London. Photo © Niki Riga.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Daniele Vocaturo – Pavel Vladimirovich Eljanov
34th European Chess Club Cup; Porto Carras, October 17, 2018
Spanish Game C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0-0 Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 0-0 9. d4 Bf6 10. Re1 Re8 11. Rxe8+ Nxe8 12. d5 d6 13. Nd2 c6 14. Nc4!? A new note in an old song, as 14. Ne4 Be5 15. Ng5 Nf6 16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Nf3 Bg4 shouldn’t worry Black too much, 万云国 (Wàn Yúnguó) – 马群 (Mǎ Qún), 11th “映美杯” (“Yìng Měi Cup”) Chinese Chess League, 杭州 (Hángzhōu) 2015. 14. ... cxd5 15. Qxd5 Qc7 16. c3 Be6 17. Qd3 d5 18. Ne3 Be5 19. g3 Nf6 20. Nc2 Qd7 21. Nd4 Bh3 22. Bg5 Bxf1 23. Rxf1 h6 24. Bxf6 Bxf6 25. Rd1 Qa4 26. a3 Rd8 27. Kg2

27. ... a6? Eljanov badly mixes up his priorities. The immediate 27. ... g6(!) seems perfectly playable for Black. 28. Nf5 g6? But now it’s too late! 28. ... Qc6 was probably the less worst, though after 29. Qf3 Kf8 30. h4 White enjoys a definite edge. 29. Nxh6+ Kg7 30. Qf3! Bg5. After 30. ... Kxh6 31. Qxf6 Qxd1 32. Qxd8 Kg7 33. Qb6 White gains a second Pawn with a relatively easy won endgame. The text does not offer anything better, and Vocaturo very convincingly brings home the point. 31. Ng4 f5 32. Ne5 Qe4 33. Nd3 d4 34. c4 Rc8 35. c5 Re8 36. b4 Kf6 37. h4 Bh6 38. Re1 Qxf3+ 39. Kxf3 Rxe1 40. Nxe1 Ke5 41. Ke2 Kd5 42. Kd3 Bc1 43. Nc2 Bb2 44. f3 Bc1 45. g4 fxg4 46. fxg4 Bb2 47. h5 gxh5 48. gxh5 Bc1 49. Na1 Ke6 50. a4 Kd5 1 : 0.

Pictured seated, from left, are Julio Ernesto Granda Zúñiga, Daniele Vocaturo, and Sabino Brunello, who, together with Alberto David, Danyyil Dvirnyy, Péter Lékó, Francisco Vallejo Pons, and 王皓 (Wáng Hào) are representing — in the most cosmopolitan form — the Italian team “Obiettivo Risarcimento Padua” at the 34th European Chess Club Cup in Greece. Photo © Niki Riga.

Realpolitik in the Eastern Mediterranean

Krishnan Sasikiran – Daniele Vocaturo
34th European Chess Club Cup; Porto Carras, October 17, 2018
8/R4Rpk/6qp/4p3/p7/5PP1/5KP1/8 w - - 0 39

The Italian team “Obiettivo Risarcimento Padua” is still striving for first place in the 34th European Chess Club Cup, thanks to today’s draw against the Czech team “AVE Nový Bor”. The equaliser was scored in extremis by Grandmaster Daniele Vocaturo — who looks in very good form — only thanks to an inexplicable and awful blunder by his opponent, who threw away a clear draw and condemned his team to defeat — needless to say, the whole thing caused some harsh comments from the chess “netizens” here and there: 39. Rxg7+?? Qxg7 40. Rxa4 h5 41. g4 h4 42. Kg1 Qd7 43. Re4 Qd2 44. Kf1 Qc1+ 45. Re1 Qf4 46. Re4 Qg3 47. g5 h3 0 : 1.

Houdini’s Box

Magnus Carlsen – 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
34th European Chess Club Cup; Porto Carras, October 17, 2018
Four Knights Game C47

Will Magnus Carlsen preserve the No. 1 world ranking spot? And will 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) break the invincibility record of Mikhail Nechemevich Tal? 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 0-0 9. 0-0 cxd5 10. Bg5 c6 11. Qf3 Bd6 12. h3 h6 13. Bf4 Rb8 14. b3 Rb4 15. Bxd6 Qxd6 16. Rfe1 a5!? An interesting novelty. 16. ... Be6 17. Rad1 Re8 18. Ne2 Rb7 is what Black usually does to stay in balance, Can – Atalik, 46th Turkish Chess Championship, Ankara 2007. 17. Rad1 Bd7 18. Qe3 Rc8 19. Qa7. Super engines agree, but there can be but little doubt that this Queen penetration is at least a bit too materialistic. 19. ... Rh4! 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) replies with deeply human inspiration, powerfully threatening ... Bd7xh3, so White’s next move is almost mandatory. 20. Re3 Qc7 21. Qxc7 Rxc7 22. Na4 c5

23. g4? An encrypted wake-up call for the Ghost of the Rock (even though at a very high cost!). After 23. Nb6 Bc6 (or also 23. ... Be6) the game appears to be quite even. 23. ... d4 24. Rf3 Nxg4! 25. Re1. Some commentators guessed that Carlsen might have thought about setting up a trap by 25. hxg4 Bxg4? 25. Re1! for suddenly realising, perhaps, that 25. ... Bc6! would have broken any illusion. 25. ... Nf6 26. Nb6 Bc6 27. Rg3 g5. White must have felt himself stuck in quite a tremendous situation, but nevertheless... 28. Re5 Nh5 29. Bf5! Brilliant defence. Now, after 29. ... Nxg3? 30. fxg3 the Black Rook gets trapped. 29. ... Rf4 30. Rg4 Bf3 31. Rxf4 Nxf4 32. Nd7 c4 33. bxc4 Rxc4 34. Rxa5 Rb4 35. Kh2 Rb1 36. Ne5 Rh1+ 37. Kg3 Bd5 38. f3 Re1 39. Nd3 Rg1+ 40. Kf2? As shown by Stockfish, the cool 40. Kh2! Rg2+ 41. Kh1 Bxf3 42. Ne1 d3 43. Nxf3 Rf2 44. Bxd3 Rxf3 45. Bf5 Kg7 was the best way of claiming a draw. 40. ... Rg2+ 41. Ke1 Re2+ 42. Kf1 Bc4 43. Kg1 Rg2+ 44. Kh1 Bxd3? Obviously, 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) should have gone for 44. ... Rxc2 45. Nxf4 Rc1+ 46. Kg2 gxf4, contenting himself with a very favourable (although not necessarily won) Rook and Bishop ending a Pawn up — he can only be grateful that Carlsen was not walking in his shoes. 45. Bxd3 Rg3 46. h4 Rh3+ 47. Kg1 Rxh4 48. Bf1 Kg7 49. a4. The Black Rook being cut off from the Queenside, White can even dream of another Queen! 49. ... Ng6 50. Rc5 d3 51. a5 dxc2 52. Rxc2 Ra4 53. a6 h5 54. Rc5 Kf6 55. Rc6+ Kg7 56. Rc5 Kf6 57. Rc6+ Kg7 ½ : ½.

Magnus Carlsen vs. 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén). Photo © Niki Riga.

Earth and Sea

Magnus Carlsen – Vladimir Alekseevich Potkin
34th European Chess Club Cup; Porto Carras, October 13, 2018
Giuoco Piano C54

Magnus Carlsen has elected Porto Carras, Greece as his last transit before hiding in London for his “Brexit” World Chess Championship match against Fabiano Caruana. Under such circumstances, there’s no sense in looking at his games with the eye of a “team maker” (after all, what is more boring than those who work as a team?), but, neverthless, even in his undercover role, Carlsen could not prevent himself from showing his exceptional talent for turning something out of nothing. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. Nbd2 0-0 7. b4 Bb6 8. Bb3 Ne7 9. Nc4. 9. a4 c6 10. Nc4 Bc7 11. Bg5 Ng6 seems really comfortable for Black, Fressinet – Hammer, 22nd Sigeman & Co. Chess Tournament, Malmö 2014. 9. ... Ng6 10. 0-0 c6!? Or else 9. ... Ng6 10. 0-0 Be6 11. Re1 h6 12. Nxb6 Bxb3 13. Qxb3 axb6 14. b5 Re8 15. Bd2 Qd7 16. a4 d5 ½ : ½ Nunn – Azmaiparashvili, 9th OHRA Chess Festival, Amsterdam 1990. 11. Nxb6 axb6 12. a4 Re8 13. Be3 Be6 14. Bc2 d5 15. h3 Qc7 16. Re1 h6 17. exd5 Nxd5 18. Bd2 Bf5 19. d4 Bxc2 20. Qxc2 exd4 21. Nxd4 c5 22. bxc5 bxc5 23. Nf5 Qc6 24. c4 Ndf4 25. Rxe8+ Rxe8 26. Bxf4 Nxf4 27. Ne3 Rd8 28. Rb1. White got very little from his Giuoco Piano, but it’s a fact that Carlsen doesn’t use to win his games in the opening. 28. ... h5!? 29. a5! h4 30. Rb6 Qd7 31. Qb2 Nd3 32. Qb1

32. ... Nb4? On the eve of time control, Potkin loses his nerve. Correct seems 32. ... Qa4! 33. Rb5 (or 33. Rxb7 Qxa5) 33. ... g6! with a perfectly tenable game for Black. 33. Qe4! Now White wins a decisive Pawn, which Carlsen converts into a win with amazing easiness. 33. ... Qd4. Of course, 33. ... Nc6?? 34. a6 loses right off. 34. Qxd4. Not 34. Qxb7? because of 34. ... Qa1+ with a draw in sight. If, instead, 34. Qe7 there might follow 34. ... Nc6 35. Qxb7 Nxa5 with quite an unclear game, even if a little better for White. 34. .. cxd4 35. Rxb4 dxe3 36. fxe3 Rd1+. 36. ... Rd7 37. Kf2! Rc7 38. Ke2 followed by Ke2-d3-d4 also seems completely hopeless for Black. 37. Kf2 Ra1 38. Rb5 Ra2+ 39. Kf3 g6 40. c5 Kg7 41. Ke4 Rxg2 42. Rxb7 g5 43. c6 g4 44. c7 Rc2 45. Kd3 Rc1 46. Kd2 Rc6 47. a6 gxh3 48. a7 h2 49. Rb1 1 : 0.

Magnus Carlsen. Photo © Niki Riga.

So Far, So Near

16th World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen and his challenger Fabiano Caruana will take different roads, if only in the next (short) time period before their November World Chess Championship match. Carlsen will take part in the 34th European Chess Club Cup in Porto Carras, Greece from October 11–19, 2018 where he will debut as first board of the sixth seeded Vålerenga Sjakklubb. Instead, Caruana will defend America’s Olympic gold at the 43rd Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia, from September 23 to October 6, 2018.

Carlsen (left) and Caruana (right) exchanging their views after their drawn game in the 6th Sinquefield Cup at Saint Louis, United States on August 25, 2018. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour.