Cornelian dilemma

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Alexander Igorevich Grischuk
Grand Prix 2017; 2nd stage; Moscow, May 16, 2017
Sicilian Defence B91

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. g3. The Zagreb Variation – not a hit. 6. ... e5 7. Nb3. A rare sideline which gained a little popularity in the 80s. 7. ... Be7 8. Bg2 0-0 9. 0-0 b5 10. a4 b4 11. Nd5 Nxd5 12. Qxd5 Ra7 13. Be3 Be6 14. Qd3 Ra8. Less fortunate was the Qatari Grandmaster Mohamad Naser Al Sayed two years ago: 14. ... Rb7 15. f4 Qc8 16. Na5 Rc7 17. f5 Bc4 18. Nxc4 Rxc4 19. Rfc1 d5?! 20. exd5 e4 21. Qb3 Bc5 22. f6! gxf6 23. Kh1 Bxe3 24. Qxe3 Re8 25. Re1 Kg7 26. Rad1 Rxc2 27. Rf1 Qg4 28. Rde1 Nd7 29. Rf4 Qh5 30. h3 Kh8 31. Rxe4 Rxe4 (31. ... Re5!∞) 32. Qxe4 Qe5 33. Qxb4 Qxg3 34. Rg1 Qc7?? 35. Qe7! Kg7 1 : 0 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Al Sayed, 13th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2015. 15. f4 Qc7 16. Nd2 a5 17. Rf2 f6!? Grischuk’s novelty. Theory gave 17. ... exf4 18. gxf4 Nd7 19. Bd4 Bh4 20. Re2 Rac8 21. Nf3 Bf6 22. Rd2 Bc4 23. Qe3 Rfe8 24. Rad1 Bd5 25. Bxf6 Nxf6 26. Rxd5 Nxd5 27. Rxd5 Qxc2 28. Rd2 Qxe4 29. Qxe4 Rxe4 30. Kf2 b3 31. Nd4 Rxf4+ 32. Ke3 g5 33. Bd5 Rb8 34. Kd3 Rb4 35. Kc3 Rxa4 36. Nxb3 Kg7 37. Re2 Rab4 38. Re7 Rb5 39. Bc4 Rf3+ 40. Kc2 Rb4 41. Nxa5 Ra4 42. Be2 Rf2 43. Nb3 Rxh2 44. Nd2 Rf4 0 : 1 Smirin – Belov, 41st Master Open Tournament, Biel/Bienne 2008. 18. f5. 18. Bh3!? is also answered by 18. ... Bf7 with comfortable equality. 18. ... Bf7 19. Rc1 Na6 20. c4!? bxc3. 20. ... Nc5! 21. Qc2 b3! 22. Nxb3 Nxa4 seems more promising for Black. 21. Qxc3? The alternative 21. Rxc3 Qb7 22. Qb5 Rfb8 also gives Black a comfortable game, but it’s certainly more tenable for White. In her post-game interview with Anastasiya Valeryevna Karlovich, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) admitted that her Queen’s penetration to the seventh rank didn’t work out. 21. ... Qb8 22. Rff1. Not 22. Qxa5? on account of 22. ... Nb4! and White falls in serious trouble, but 22. Nc4 followed by b2-b3 was probably a little better than the text. 22. ... Nb4 23. Qc7 Qe8! 24. Qb7 Rb8 25. Qa7 Ra8 26. Qb7 Rb8. Black gained time on the clock at zero price. 27. Qa7

27. ... d5! Grischuk won the strategic battle and took the initiative, but indeed, the war is not over and his opponent may still hope to save what she cares about most. 28. exd5. Not 28. Qxa5?? because of 28. ... d4 29. Bf2 Nd3 30. Rc2 Bd8 31. Qa6 Nb4 32. Qd6 Be7 and White loses decisive material. 28. ... Nxd5 29. Bc5? This is a very strange mistake, as allows the exchange of White’s most important defender without any tangible compensation. Best was 29. Bf2 Rd8 30. Rfd1 Bb4 with only Black being better. 29. ... Ra8 30. Qb7 Rb8 31. Qa7 Ra8. To some extent we could say that Grischuk won the game by repeating moves. 32. Qb7 Bxc5+! 33. Rxc5 Rb8 34. Qxf7+!? After 34. Qa7 Ne3 White’s position is obviously catastrophic, so 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) gives up her Queen and catches the stage at least in extremis, surrendering with honour. 34. ... Rxf7 35. Bxd5 Kh8 36. Rfc1 Rd7 37. Bc6 Qd8 38. Bxd7 Qxd7 39. Ne4 h5 0 : 1.

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) vs. Alexander Igorevich Grischuk. Photo © Vladimir Fedorenko/RIA Novosti

Rebel Without a Cause

• Stefan Löffler, Hat Wei Yi keine Lobby? | Why is there no lobby for 韦奕 (Wéi Yì)?, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Blog, March 27, 2017

Why is there no lobby for 韦奕 (Wéi Yì)?, wonders Stefan Löffler. The Chinese wonder boy, 17, one of the world’s top 30 players, didn’t yet get almost no inviatation in high-class tournaments, neither abroad nor at home. The question is not trivial. Probably 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) is not supported by a “lobby” like that – let’s say – of 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén), but maybe the real reason for the “embargo” (especially abroad) lies in his young age. I’d not exclude that Chinese officials may fear exposing such a young boy to the “bad” influences of his Western peers. Don’t think I’m joking.

韦奕 (Wéi Yì)
Photo: qipai.people.com.cn

The Fire in the Dust

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi – 李超 (Li Chāo)
World Chess Federation Grand Prix 2017; first stage; Sharjah, February 24, 2017
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. c4 c6 9. Nc3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 Bf5 12. Bg5! Varying from round one’s game Vachier-Lagrave – 李超 (Li Chāo), Sharjah 2017 which went 12. Ne5 Bxe5 13. dxe5 Qe7 14. Re1 Nd7 15. Qf3 g6 16. Qg3 Rfe8 17. Bf4 Qc5 18. Bb3 a5 19. a4 b5 20. h4 Be6 21. Bc2 b4 22. Bd3 b3 23. h5 Nf8 24. Bh6 b2 25. Rab1 Rab8 26. Qf4 Nd7 27. Qg5 Qe7 28. Qxe7 Rxe7 29. Re2 Ree8 30. Rexb2 Rxb2 31. Rxb2 Nxe5 32. Be2 gxh5 33. f3 Nd7 34. Rb7 Nc5 35. Ra7 Nb3 36. g3 Bd5 37. Kf2 Rb8 38. Bf1 Be6 39. Bd3 Bd5 40. Bf5 Re8 41. Bc2 c5 42. Rc7 c4 43. Bf5 Rb8 44. Bd7 f6 45. Bb5 Bf7 46. Rc6 Na1 47. Ra6 Nc2 48. Rxa5 Na3 49. Bc6 Nb1 50. Rb5 1 : 0. 12. ... Qc7 13. Re1 h6 14. Nh4! Bh7 15. Bxh6! Bxh2+. If 15. ... gxh6 there might follow 16. Qg4+ Kh8 17. Nf5 Bxh2+ (clearly not 17. ... Rg8?? on account of 18. Re8+-) 18. Kh1 Bxf5 19. Qxf5 Qf4 20. Qh3 with a powerful initiative for White. 16. Kh1 Bf4. Perhaps Black should have contented himself with 16. ... gxh6 17. Qg4+ Kh8 18. Nf5 Bxf5 20. Qxf5 Qf4 21. Qh5 which leaves White a definite edge, but (maybe) less tactical sharpness.

17. Bxg7! A pretty corollary. 17. ... Kxg7 18. Qg4+ Kh8 19. Nf5 Bxf5 20. Qxf5 Qd6 21. g3! White elegantly makes room for his Rooks on the h-file. 21. ... Bh6 22. Kg2! b5 23. Bb3 Qg6 24. Qxg6 fxg6 25. Re7. Unsurprisingly, even without the Queens White’s attack proves to be irresistible. 25. ... g5 26. Re6 Kg7 27. Rh1 Rh8 28. Re7+ Kg6 29. Bc2+ 1 : 0. For if 29. ... Kh6 then 30. Rhe1 g4 31. R1e6+ Kg5 32. Rg6+ Kh5 33. Re5+ and mate next move.

Ian Aleksandrovich Nepomniachtchi
Photo © Maria Yassakova/Agon Limited

Pen to Paper

Michael Adams – Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer
World Chess Federation Grand Prix 2017; first stage; Sharjah, February 22, 2017
Giuoco Piano C50

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. 0-0 Nf6 5. d3 a6 6. c3 d6 7. a4 0-0 8. Re1 Kh8 9. h3 h6 10. Na3 Bxa3 11. Rxa3 Be6. It’s almost incredible – from an amateur’s point of view – that Black’s last two moves may rise to the dignity of a strategy. Computers changed the world too much. 12. Bxe6 fxe6 13. d4. White already enjoys a safe and lasting advantage, and given the lack of counterplay Black can only hope for a miracle. It won’t happen. 13. ... Qe8 14. dxe5 Nxe5 15. Nxe5 dxe5 16. a5 Rd8 17. Qe2 Qc6 18. Rb3 Rd7 19. Rb4 Rfd8 20. Be3 Kg8 21. Qc4 Rd1 22. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 23. Kh2 Qxc4 24. Rxc4 c6 25. Rb4 Rd7 26. Kg3 Kf7 27. Kf3 g5 28. Ba7! Ng8 29. h4! gxh4 30. Kg4 Ne7 31. Be3 Ng8 32. Kxh4 Ke8 33. Rb3 Rg7 34. g4 Rf7 35. c4 Rd7 36. Ba7 Nf6 37. f3 Rf7 38. Bb8 Nd7 39. Bd6 Kd8 40. Kh5 Rf6 41. Rd3! Black is so much in Zugzwang that he would like not to move!

41. ... Ke8 42. Bb4! Intending Bb4-d2xh6. 42. ... c5 43. Bd2 Rf7 44. Bxh6 Nf6+ 45. Kg6 Ng8 46. Bg5 1 : 0. Looking and finding the amazing Spider-Man!

Michael Adams
Photo © Maria Yassakova/Agon Limited

Oblivious to the danger who was so close by...

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – Michael Adams
World Chess Federation Grand Prix 2017; first stage; Sharjah, February 21, 2017
Queen’s Gambit Declined D35

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 Be7 8. Bd3 Nbd7 9. Nge2 Nh5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Qd2 Nb6 12. f3. For 12. 0-0 0-0 13. f3 Be6 14. b3 Rac8 15. Rac1 c5 see Hillarp Persson – Merriman, 7th London Chess Classic Open, London 2015. 12. ... Bd7 13. 0-0 0-0 14. g4! Oblivious to the danger who was so close by... On the other hand, 14. e4 dxe4 15. fxe4 c5! (Leitão’s analysis) would not worry Black. 14. ... Nf6 15. Ng3 Ne8 16. Rae1 Nd6

17. e4! Mamedyarov daringly sacrifices the g-Pawn to start a vehement attack on the Kingside. 17. ... dxe4 18. fxe4 Ndc4. If 18. ... Bxg4 then 19. e5 Ndc4 20. Qg2 and White’s initiative more than compensates for the Pawn (Leitão’s analysis). 19. Qc1! Bxg4 20. b3 Rad8. Of course after 20. ... Nd6 21. e5 White’s attack would easily spread its wings. 21. Nf5. Alternatively, a good way to consolidate might have been 21. bxc4 Rxd4 22. Be2± (Leitão’s analysis). 21. ... Bxf5 22. exf5 Qf6 23. Bxc4 Nxc4 24. bxc4 Qxd4+ 25. Kh1 Rfe8 26. f6! Rxe1 27. Qxe1 Qxc4 28. fxg7 Rd6 29. Rg1? Very natural, but, as Stockfish argues, 29. Qe8+! Kg7 30. Qe5+ Kg8 31. Rf3! seems to promise much more. 29. ... Rg6 30. Qe5. 30. Rxg6 fxg6 31. Kg2 Kxg7 32. Qe7+ Qf7 would lead to a kind of dynamic balance. 30. ... Qe6. Better seems 30. ... Qd3! (Leitão) in order to answer 31. Rxg6 by 31. ... Qf1+ 32. Rg1 Qf3+ with perpetual check. 31. Qb8+ Kxg7 32. Qxa7 Qc4 33. Qe3 b5 34. a3 c5 35. Ne4 f5? Here is when Adams makes his true mistake. After 35. ... b4! White very probably could not have won the game. 36. Rxg6+ Kxg6 37. Nxc5+- Qd5+ 38. Kg1 Qd1+ 39. Kg2 Qd5+ 40. Kh3 Qd1 41. Qe8+ Kf6 42. Nd7+ Kg5 43. Qg8+ 1 : 0. For if 43. ... Kf4 then 44. Qg3+ Ke4 45. Nf6+ Kd4 46. Qd6+.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov vs. Michael Adams
Photo © Maria Yassakova/Agon Limited

Chaos and Fractals

Hikaru Nakamura – Richárd Rapport
World Chess Federation Grand Prix 2017; first stage; Sharjah, February 20, 2017
Chigorin Defence D07

1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. cxd5 Bxf3 5. gxf3 Qxd5 6. e3 e5 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Bd2 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Qd7 10. Rb1 0-0-0!? Rapport comes up with a new crazy idea which prepares for a controversial Pawn sacrifice. For 10. ... b6 11. Bg2 Nge7 12. f4 exf4 13. e4 0-0 14. Qf3 Rae8 15. Bxf4 Ng6 see Volodin – Sklyarov, Finnish Team Chess Championship 2010-2011, Tampere 2010. 11. Bg2 Nge7 12. Qb3 b6 13. Qxf7! Why not? 13. ... Rhf8 14. Qc4 Kb8 15. 0-0 g5!? As usual on the razor’s edge. However, it was worth considering 15. ... Ng6!∞ (Leitão) 16. f4 Na5 with quite an unclear game. 16. Rb5 Rf6 17. e4 h6? Rapport cannot be stopped. Quite wisely, Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão suggests 17. ... exd4 18. Rxg5 h6. 18. dxe5 Na5 19. Qe2! “After 19. Rxa5! Rc6 20. Qd4 bxa5 21. Be3! Nc8 22. Qxd7 Rxd7 23. h4! Rg7 24. Rc1 Nb6 25. hxg5 hxg5 26. Bh3 Na4 27. Kg2 the g5-Pawn is actually very weak and, besides the Bishop pair, the Pawn mass in the centre would give White a significant advantage”, writes Leontxo García on his El País column. Just a bit too much computer chess. 19. ... Rc6 20. Be3 Ng6 21. Rd5 Qe7 22. Rfd1 Rf8 23. Qb5 Qe6 24. Rd8+ Rxd8 25. Rxd8+ Kb7

26. Qd5. 26. Bf1! Nc4 27. Bxc4 Rxc4 28. Re8 appears to be winning (Leitão’s analysis). 26. ... Nc4 27. Qxe6. “Decisive seems to be 27. Rg8! (threatening Qd5xe6 followed by Bg2-h3-d7) 27. ... Ngxe5 28. f4! gxf4 29. Bxf4 b5 30. Bg3! followed by f2-f4”, García said 27. ... Rxe6 28. Bh3 Rxe5 29. Bc8+ Kc6 30. Bd7+ Kb7 31. Bc8+ Kc6 32. Bd7+ Kb7 33. Bd4 Ra5 34. Bc8+ Kc6 35. Bd7+ Kb7 36. Bc8+ Kc6 37. Be6 Kb5? “Correct was 37. ... Nce5!”, rightly notes García. 38. Bd7+? “38. a4+!! Rxa4 39. Rd5+ c5 40. Bd7+ Ka5 41. Bxa4 Kxa4 42. Bg7 was very strong”, writes García. 38. ... c6 39. Be8 Nf4 40. h4 Nd2 41. Kh2 gxh4 42. Be3 Nxf3+. If 42. ... Nf1+ 43. Kh1 Nxe3 44. fxe3 Ne2 (Leitão) there might follow 45. Rd5+! Kc4 46. Rxa5 bxa5 47. Bxc6 Nxc3 48. Kh2 and one feels that Nakamura should win this. 43. Kh1 Nh3 44. Bh5 Nxf2+? Maybe it is not Rapport’s first real mistake, but it is surely his last one. After 44. ... Nhg5 is not clear at all how and if White may be able to play for a win. 45. Bxf2 Rxa2 46. Bxf3 Rxf2 47. Rd3 Kc4 48. Re3 Rd2 49. e5. Game over. 49. ... Rd7 50. e6 Re7 51. Bxc6 a5 52. Re4+ Kxc3 53. Bb5 a4 54. Bxa4 Kd3 55. Re1 1 : 0.

Hikaru Nakamura vs. Richárd Rapport
Photo © Maria Yassakova/Agon Limited

Two on an island

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – Evgeny Yurievich Tomashevsky
World Chess Federation Grand Prix 2017; first stage; Sharjah, February 19, 2017
Queen’s Indian Defence E12

“[Mamedyarov] showed his strength in the Grand Prix’s round two. From the position shown in the diagram, he used a typical strategy for playing against hanging Pawns. How does White play?”, Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão says and asks. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. Qc2 Nbd7 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bf4 a6 9. g3 Be7 10. Bg2 0-0 11. 0-0 Re8 12. Rac1. For 12. Rfd1 Nf8 13. Rac1 Ne6 14. Ng5 Nxf4 15. gxf4 g6 16. e3 Bd6 17. Qb3 Bf8 18. Nf3 Rb8 19. Ne5 Re6 20. Qa2 Rd6 21. b4 c6 22. Rd2 Kg7 23. Rdc2 Ng8 24. Na4 see Polugaevsky – Short, Interzonal Tournament, Biel 1985. 12. ... c5 13. dxc5 bxc5 14. Ne5 Bf8 15. Qb3 Qb6 16. Qxb6 Nxb6 17. Rfd1. Black has not the most dynamic version of hanging Pawns and White can claim a slight but lasting edge. 17. ... Ra7 18. e3 h6 19. h4 Ba8 20. Nd3! Rd7 21. Bh3 Rb7

22. b4!± cxb4. 22. ... c4 23. Nc5 is no better. 23. axb4 d4 24. exd4 Nbd5 25. Be5 Nxc3 26. Rxc3 Nd5 27. Rc4 Nxb4 28. Nc5 Bxc5 29. dxc5 Nc6 30. Bc3 Rbe7 31. Rd6 Rc7 32. Rg4 f5 33. Rgg6 Ne5 34. Bxe5 Rxe5 35. c6 Kh7 36. h5 Rc5 37. Bg2 1 : 0.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Photo: Day.az

Desert Wind

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) – Richárd Rapport
World Chess Federation Grand Prix 2017; first stage; Sharjah, February 18, 2017
Queen’s Indian Defence E16

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Bf4 Be7 9. Nc3 Ne4 10. Qd3!? For 10. Qc2 Nxc3 11. Qxc3 d6 12. Qc2 f5 13. Rad1 Be4 14. Qc1 Qe8 15. Qe3 Bf6 16. c5 bxc5 17. dxc5 e5 see Giri – Rapport, 79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2017. 10. ... Nxc3 11. bxc3!? Quite unorthodox. 11. ... Qc8 12. e4 d6 13. Rfe1 Nd7 14. Rad1. Grandmaster Rafael Duailibe Leitão also considers 14. a4!? to close the last route for Black’s counterplay. 14. ... a4!? 15. h4 Ra5. In his way of developing strategy, Rapport shows his well-known originality. 16. Bc1 Re8 17. Nh2! Qa8 18. Nf1 Nf6 19. d5 Bf8 20. Ne3 a3!? Repetita iuvant. 21. f4 Ra4 22. e5 Nd7 23. h5 Nc5 24. Qf1 h6 25. Rd4 Qa5. 25. ... exd5 (Leitão) might have been safer. 26. Bd2. Also deserving consideration is 26. dxe6 Rxe6 27. Nd5 (Leitão’s analysis). 26. ... exd5 27. Nxd5 c6 28. Nb4 Qa8 29. exd6 Rd8 30. f5! Nd7. 30. ... Rxd6 31. Rxd6 Bxd6 32. f6 was all but attractive, leaving Black in a quite uncomfortable position, but it might have been the best available option for Rapport.

31. Rd3. Grandmaster Alex Yermolinsky, while commenting the game for ChessBase.com, spotted a fantastic idea: 31. Re7!! c5? (31. ... Bxe7?? 32. dxe7 loses at once) 32. Bxb7 Qxb7 33. Rg4 cxb4 34. Bxh6 with a devastating attack. The text, indeed, does not make any damage, but let slip the golden opportunity of closing the “payperview adventure” quickly and brilliantly. 31. ... Nf6 32. Bf4 Ra5 33. Qf3? 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) starts losing the thread. Both 33. Be3 and 33. Qf2! (Leitão) would have retained an advantage for White. 33. ... Rxf5 34. Nxc6?? A grave mistake, hard to understand at first and second sight. Best was 34. Re5! (Leitão) 34. ... Rxf4! 35. gxf4 Rxd6 with an unbalanced game, a bit roughly even, but certainly easier to play on Black’s part. 34. ... Rxd6! 35. Rxd6 Bxd6 36. Ne7+ Bxe7 37. Qxb7 Bc5+ 38. Kf1. It would be very strange if 丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén) previously did not notice that his King could not move on the h-file because of mate. 38. ... Qxb7 39. Bxb7 Nxh5 40. Re8+ Bf8 0 : 1.

丁立人 (Dīng Lìrén)
Photo: eoaaeiai.36789.net

Fire on Ice

After Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov, Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin also decided to withdraw from the FIDE Grand Prix 2017, even if apparently for reasons of different order. “Sergey Alexandrovich decided to withdraw from the FIDE Grand Prix”, Karjakin’s manager Cyril Zangalis told R-Sport news agency by phone. “A letter has already been sent to FIDE, the reason was the large number of tournaments in which Sergey Alexandrovich will compete in 2017”.

Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin (@SergeyKaryakin)

Painting the Siege of Leningrad

FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov, after a yesterday’s meeting with Saint Petersburg Governor Georgy Sergeyevich Poltavchenko, has announced that one of the stages of the new series of World Chess Federation’s Grand Prix will be held at the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg (former Leningrad), Russia, most likely in summer of next year. The Director of the Hermitage Museum Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky is planning to organize, in concomitance with the Grand Prix, a themed exhibition on the subject of chess to be held at the Hermitage, which will host contributions coming from different Russian fine art’s depositories such as the State Russian Museum, the State Tretyakov Gallery, and so on. It was finally agreed that in the near future Saint Petersburg will join and start the World Chess Federation’s educational programme “Chess in Schools”, which should involve about 800 schools in town.

From left: FIDE President Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov and Saint Petersburg Vice Governor Igor Nikolayevich Albin carrying out new football stadium visit in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Photo: Elista.org.

Stone Soup

Chess-News.ru (@Chess_News)

• Andrey Deviatkin, Axe Soup, Chess-News.ru, December 14, 2015

In Russian, there’s a saying “axe soup” that arises from someone allegedly having promised to make a good soup out of a simple axe, which the person did by putting an axe to boiling water, and then adding there all the ingredients necessary for a good soup. Both FIDE Grand Prix and the Grand Chess Tour (especially the second one) are luxuriously organized events, but in both the chess part is the very same axe. With its high level of organization and all the fuss created, I don’t think they would be less interesting if the central activity were a block championship in yard-cleaning or washing the dishes. [Read more].

Red prawn

Fabiano Caruana – Evgeny Yurievich Tomashevsky
Grand Prix 2014–2015; 4th stage; Khanty-Mansiysk, May 16, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D15

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. a4 e6 6. Bf4 a5 7. e3 Be7 8. g4! “I have not looked at this variation for a long time and such an aggressive idea came as a surprise, of course. In such a situation, it is not easy to find the right decision...”, then Tomashevsky said. A popular line is 8. Bd3 Nh5 9. 0-0 Nxf4 10. exf4 Na6 as played in the game Nakamura – Tomashevsky, 12th World Blitz Championship, Dubai 2014.

8. ... Na6 9. g5 Nd7 10. h4 Nb4 11. Be2 b6 12. h5 Bb7 13. cxd5 exd5 14. Qd2! “I missed this idea. I calculated more direct variations, where I had some sort of counterplay. But after this move, the position is very dangerous strategically”, Tomashevsky said. 14. ... f5. Black’s reply is virtually forced. 15. gxf6 Bxf6 16. h6 g6 17. e4!? It is time to open up the position! 17. ... dxe4 18. Nxe4 0-0 19. 0-0-0!? Caruana keeps on playing very aggressively. 19. ... Nd5? Very probably, 19. ... b5! was Black’s best hope of counterplay. 20. Bg3 Ba6? 21. Bxa6 Rxa6 22. Rhe1 Ra8. “It’s not terrible for Black but very unpleasant to hold in time trouble”, Tomashevsky said. 23. Kb1 Be7 24. Qd3 Rf5 25. Ne5 Qc8 26. Nc3 Nxc3+ 27. Qxc3 Nxe5 28. Qb3+ Rf7 29. dxe5 Qf5+ 30. Ka2. “I think the Pawn is just running”, then Caruana said. 30. ... Bb4?! A little better is 30. ... Qg4 (intending ... Qg4-b4), although after 31. e6 Rf3 32. Qc2 White retains more than significant winning chances. 31. e6! Re7 32. Bh4 Ree8 33. e7+ Qf7 34. Re6 b5 35. Rd8. A more elegant solution was 35. Rd7 bxa4 36. Rxg6+! hxg6 37. h7+ Kg7 38. h8=Q+! Rxh8 39. e8=N+! and mate in four moves. 35. ... bxa4 36. Qe3 Bxe7 37. Rxa8 Rxa8 38. Bxe7 Re8 39. Ka1 a3 40. bxa3 Qf5 41. Qc3! 1 : 0. A masterly game on the part of Caruana.

Fabiano Caruana (right) vs. Evgeny Yurievich Tomashevsky (left). Photo: Kirill Merkurev