After Dinner

Wesley So – Magnus Carlsen

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Final tie-break game 1; time control: 5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 30, 2020

r6r/1p6/4pk2/PBPpn1p1/1P2b3/4RPP1/7N/4R1K1 b - - 0 31

Position after 31. f2-f3

It took only the first tie-break blitz game for So to win the inaugural leg of the Champions Chess Tour, which might make think that Carlsen, in turn, was quite in a hurry to turn off the computer and celebrate his birthday “offline” — after all, one is young only once in a lifetime! 31. ... Rxh2! And yet that was to be... 32. Kxh2 Nxf3+ 33. Rxf3+ Bxf3 34. c6

34. ... d4? And now it’s time to dance the night away. 34. ... bxc6 35. Bxc6 Ra7! was still a tough challenge. 35. Rf1! Rh8+ (35. ... g4 36. Rxf3+ gxf3 37. cxb7+−) 36. Kg1 Rh1+ 37. Kf2 Rxf1+ 38. Bxf1 Bxc6 39. b5 Bd7 (39. ... Bd5 40. Bg2+−) 40. a6 bxa6 41. bxa6 d3 42. Bxd3 Ke5 43. a7 Bc6 44. Bf1 1 : 0.

Q&A

Wesley So – Magnus Carlsen

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Final match game 7; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 30, 2020

r3brk1/pp1qn1pp/4Rbn1/3p4/1P6/P1NB1N1Q/1BP2PPP/R5K1 w - - 1 18

Position after 17. ... Nc6-e7

As they (should) say, before the tie-break blitz the gods still placed two rapid games. And, not surprisingly, both games ended as a draw, with a thrill of suspense only in the seventh one. In the position of the diagram, White is on the verge of winning, but... 18. Bb5? But here So misses 18. Rae1! — a move which Morphy would have played without hesitation — with a dominant position and an avalanche of threats; for instance: 18. ... Bf7 19. Rxf6! Qxh3 20. Rxg6! Qxf3 21. Rxg7+! Kxg7 22. Nxd5+ Kh6 23. Nxe7 winning by force.

18. ... Qc8? In turn, Carlsen does not notice 18. ... Nf4! 19. Bxd7 Nxh3+ 20. gxh3 Bxd7 winning decisive material. 19. Rxf6! Rxf6 20. Qxc8 Rxc8 21. Bd3 Nf4 22. Ne2 Nxe2+ 23. Bxe2 Re6 24. Bd3 Bg6 25. Nd4 Rb6 26. Re1 Kf7. If nothing else, 26. ... Bxd3 27. Rxe7 (27. cxd3 Nc6) 27. ... Kf8 would have shown more pugnacity. 27. Be2 Bxc2 28. Bg4 Rc4 29. Be2 Rc8 30. Bg4 Rc4 31. Be2 Rc8 ½ : ½.

Superstition

Magnus Carlsen – Wesley So

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Final match game 6; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 30, 2020

8/1p4p1/p2k3p/3n4/1P2p3/P1n3P1/7P/2B2BK1 w - - 0 36

Position after 35. ... e5-e4

Apparently contemptuous of any “superstition”, in the sixth game Carlsen recklessly repeated the opening of yesterday’s first game, only to finally find himself on his knees with two Bishops against two Knights but no compensation at all for the Pawn minus. 36. Kf2 (36. Bb2 e3−+) 36. ... Ke5 37. Bh3 b6 38. Bb2 Kd4 39. Bf1 b5 40. Ke1 Ke3 41. Bc1+ Kd4 42. Bb2 e3 43. Ba1 g6 44. Bh3 Kd3 45. Bc8 Nb1 46. Bb2 (46. Bxa6 Nxa3−+) 46. ... Nd2 47. Bg4 Nc3 48. Bxc3 Kxc3 49. Ke2 Nc4 50. Bc8 Nxa3 51. Bxa6 Kd4 52. h4 Nb1 53. Kd1 Nc3+ 54. Kc2 g5 55. hxg5 hxg5 56. g4 Kc4 57. Bc8 Kxb4 58. Kd3 e2 59. Kd2 Ka3! 60. Bf5 b4 61. Bd3 b3 0 : 1.

An Ocean Between

Wesley So – Magnus Carlsen

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Final match game 5; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 30, 2020

Caro-Kann Defence B12

What is Carlsen doing with So on his thirtieth birthday, playing chess from two separate continents with an ocean between them? 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nd2 e6 5. Nb3 Nd7 6. Nf3 h6 7. Be2 a5 8. a4 Bb4+!? A provocative novelty instead of 8. ... Ne7 which would evoke, by transposition, ties to well-known acquaintances: (a) 9. 0-0 g5 10. Bd2 Qc7 11. Rc1 Bg7 12. c4 0-0 13. h4 g4 14. Ne1 f6 15. exf6 Nxf6 16. g3 dxc4 17. Bxc4 Ned5 18. Qe2 Ne4 19. Ng2 Nxd2 20. Qxd2 Qf7 21. Rfe1 b6 22. Re2 Rad8 23. Rce1 Kh8 24. Ne3 Rd6 25. Nxf5 Qxf5 26. Bd3 Qf7 27. Bb1 Nb4 28. Qe3 Qf3 29. Qxf3 Rxf3 30. Nd2 Rf8 31. Rxe6 Rxd4 32. Ne4 Rfd8 33. Kg2 Kg8 34. Nf6+ Bxf6 35. Rxf6 R4d6 36. Ree6 Rxe6 37. Rxe6 h5 38. Bg6 Rd5 39. b3 Kg7 40. Be4 Rc5 41. Rg6+ Kf7 42. Rh6 Kg7 43. Rh7+ Kf6 44. f4 gxf3+ 45. Bxf3 Kg6 46. Rh8 Rc2+ 47. Kh3 Rc5 48. Be4+ Kg7 49. Rh7+ Kf6 50. Rh6+ Kg7 51. Rg6+ Kf7 52. Rg5 Rxg5 53. hxg5 b5 54. Kh4 bxa4 55. bxa4 c5 56. Kxh5 c4?? (56. ... Kg7) 57. Kh6 Kg8 58. Bh7+ 1 : 0 So – Artemiev, 4th Speed Chess Championship, chess.com, December 5, 2019, Semifinal match game 10 (time control: 5 minutes plus 1 second per move); (b) 9. Bd2 Bh7 10. 0-0 Ng6 11. Qe1 b6 12. c4 Be7 13. Rc1 dxc4 14. Bxc4 Rc8 15. Ba6 Rc7 16. Nxa5 Qa8 17. Rxc6 Rxc6 18. Bb7 Qa7 19. Bxc6 bxa5 20. d5 0-0 21. d6 Bd8 22. Qe2 Bb6 23. Qb5 Rd8 24. Bxd7 Rxd7 25. Qc6 Nf8 26. Qc8 Rd8 27. Qc6 Nd7 28. h3 Bd3 29. Rc1 Ba6 30. Qc2 Bxf2+ 31. Kh2 Bb6 32. Bc3 Rc8 33. Qd2 Be3 34. Bd4 Qxd4 35. Rxc8+ Bxc8 36. Qxd4 Bxd4 37. Nxd4 Nxe5 38. Nb3 Nc4 39. Kg3 Kf8 40. Kf4 Ke8 41. Ke4 Nxd6+ 0 : 1 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Fedoseev, 6th China–Russia Junior Match of Friendship, 济南 (Jǐnán) 2019, match game 12 (time control: 3 minutes plus 2 seconds per move). 9. c3 Bf8 10. 0-0 Ne7 11. h3 Bh7 12. Bd2 Qb6 13. Ne1 Nf5 14. Bd3 Be7 15. Qc2 Bg6 16. c4?! Maybe — who knows? — So is oblivious to the danger hanging over his Pawn centre, but fortunately for him, that still does not prejudice the possibility of making virtue out of necessity. 16. ... dxc4 17. Qxc4 Nxd4! 18. Qxd4 (18. Nxd4?? Nxe5−+) 18. ... Qxb3 19. Bxg6 fxg6 20. Qe4 0-0 21. Bxh6! Rf5! (21. ... gxh6?? 22. Qxg6+ Kh8 23. Qxh6+ Kh8 24. Qg6+ Kh8 25. f4+− Δ Rf1-f3) 22. Be3 Qd5 23. Qxd5?! So clings on to material equality, but he should have done better to give up a Pawn by 23. Qc2! as after 23. ... Nxe5 (id est 23. ... Qxe5) 24. Rd1 White may still reasonably hope for a compensation. 23. ... exd5 24. f4 g5 25. e6 Nc5 26. g4? No doubt 26. fxg5 Re5 27. Rf7 Bd6 goes easier for Black, but the text allows Carlsen to save the day by a brilliant sacrifice of the Exchange:

26. ... gxf4! 27. gxf5 fxe3 28. Rf4 Bf6 29. Nc2 e2 30. Rf2? This last great error is met by a strong refutation. 30. Rg4 Nb3 31. Ra3 Nd4 32. Ne1 Kf8∓/−+ was apparently the “less worst”.

30. ... d4!−+ 31. Rxe2 d3 32. Rd2 dxc2 33. Rxc2 Rd8 34. Re1 Nxa4 35. Ra1 Nxb2 36. Rxa5 Nd3 37. Kh2 Nb4 38. Rc1 Nd5 39. Ra7 Rb8 40. Kg3 Ne7 41. Kg4 b5 42. Rd1 b4 43. Rad7 b3 44. Rd8+ Rxd8 45. Rxd8+ Kh7 46. Rb8 b2 47. Kf4 Nd5+ 0 : 1.

At End of Day

Wesley So – Magnus Carlsen

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Final match game 4; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 29, 2020

Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Nb8 9. Qf3 a6 10. Qa3 b6 11. Bg5 Be7!? Quite provocative. 12. Bxe7 Kxe7 13. 0-0-0. The obvious corollary to 11. Bg5. 13. ... Bb7 14. Nc3 Nd7 15. f4 Qc7 16. fxe5 Nxe5 17. Qb4

17. ... h5! 18. Be2 Kf8 19. Rhf1 Re8 20. Rf5 h4 21. Rf4 Qd8 22. Kb1 Rh6! 23. Rdd4 h3 24. g3 Bc8 25. a4 Kg8 26. Rde4 Qc7 27. Rh4 a5 28. Qd4 Rxh4 29. Rxh4 Bf5?! Carlsen has done a very original play so far, but now seems to lose his way. Comparatively best seems 30. ... Qc5 31. Qd1 Ng6 with roughly even chances. 30. Rh5 Qc8 31. Qxb6 Ng4?? A last-minute blunder that costs the Bishop and the game. 31. ... Bg4 32. Bxg4 Qxg4 33. Rh4 Qf3 34. Qb5 Rc8 may be still rather complex and tricky, despite Black’s material deficit.

32. Ba6 Re1+. On 32. ... Qd7 33. Bb5 Re1+ 34. Ka2 Qc8 35. Rxf5! Qxf5 36. Qd8+ Kh7 37. Bd3 White skewers the King and the Queen. 33. Ka2 Qe8. 33. ... Qd7 34. Rxf5! transposes into the line mentioned in the previous note. 34. Rxf5 Ne3 35. Bb5 Qe7 1 : 0. Black resigned without waiting for 36. Rh5. Thus, first day of the Skilling Open’s Final match ended with a perfectly even score. And tomorrow is another day!

Easy Out

Magnus Carlsen – Wesley So

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Final match game 3; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 29, 2020

Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+ Nc6 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 0-0 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 Bd7 10. Qc2 Na5 11. g4! This appears to be a valuable improvement in comparison to 11. cxd5 exd5 12. e3 c5∞ Krstulović – Prraneeth, 37th Balaton International Chess Festival GM, Balatonlelle 2019.

11. ... g5. The most radical measure against the threat of g4-g5 — only further analysis, however, may tell whether or not this is sound. 12. Bg3 Ne4 13. h4! Nxg3 14. fxg3 gxh4 15. Rxh4 Kg7 16. g5! Rh8. 16. ... Nxc4 17. Rxh6 Rh8 18. Qc1! likewise gives White a powerful bind. 17. Ne5 Nxc4 18. gxh6+ Kf8 19. Nxc4 Qg5 20. Kf2 dxc4 21. Qc1! The exchange of Queens leaves White with an overwhelming game, as Carlsen himself will soon demonstrate. 21. ... Qf6+ 22. Qf4 Ke7 23. Qxf6+ Kxf6 24. Bg2 Rab8 25. Rh5 Kg6 26. Rah1 f5

27. g4! Repetita iuvant. 27. ... Rh7. If 27. ... fxg4 then 28. Be4+ Kf6 29. Kg3+− followed by h6-h7 and the subsequent penetration of the Rooks. 28. g5? But this is too much of a comfort zone. Simply Kf2-g3-f4 would have left Black with no resource. 28. ... Bc6! 29. Bf3 Bxf3 30. Kxf3 Rd8? (30. ... c5!⇄) 31. Kf4 Rd5? Consistently slow, but by now it was too late for Black to do anything. 32. R5h3! c5 33. Re3 Rd6 34. dxc5 Ra6 (34. ... Rc6 35. Rd1+−) 35. Rd1 1 : 0.

Way Up, Way Out

Wesley So – Magnus Carlsen

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Final match game 2; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 29, 2020

4Q3/8/1k1q1b2/2p2B2/5P1p/1Pp5/5PK1/8 w - - 7 83

Position after 82. ... Ka5-b6

In the second game So apparently blundered away a win at move 36 in a middlegame with Queens and opposite-coloured Bishops, only to reach, after more 46 moves, the position in the diagram — that is not winnable. 83. Be4 Kc7 84. Qa8 Qxf4 85. Qc6+ Kd8 86. Qd5+ Ke8 87. Bg6+ Ke7 88. Qxc5+ Qd6 89. Qe3+. Check! Now there are plenty of sound replies, so if anything Carlsen has is the embarrassment of choice, but he astonishingly finds the only move that loses! 89. ... Kf8??

90. Qe8+ Kg7 91. Qf7+ Kh6 92. Qh7+ Kg5 93. Qh5+ 1 : 0. For there follows 93. ... Kf4 94. Qf5 mate.

At Start and Finish

Magnus Carlsen – Wesley So

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Final match game 1; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 29, 2020

Semi-Tarrasch Defence D41

Clash of genres: Carlsen is the World’s Champion of classical chess, and So is the World Champion of Fischerandom chess (a.k.a. chess960). If nothing else, Carlsen may rely upon a “theoretical” advantage in the Final of the inaugural Skilling Open, as all games will start from the position #518, which is the starting position of classical chess! 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 cxd4 6. Qxd4 exd5 7. e4 dxe4 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Ng5 Be6 10. Nxe6+ fxe6 11. Bc4. The most recent theory goes 11. Bg5 h6 12. 0-0-0 Ke7 13. Be3 Nc6 14. g3 Rc8 15. Kb1 Ng4 16. Re1 Kf7 17. Nxe4 Bb4 18. Re2 Nxe3 19. Rxe3 Nd4 20. a3 Be7 21. Bg2 Rhd8 22. Rd1 Nf5 23. Red3 Rxd3 24. Rxd3 Rd8 25. Kc2 Ke8 26. Rxd8+ Kxd8 27. Kd3 b6 28. Bh3 Nd6 29. Bxe6 Nxe4 30. Kxe4 a5 31. a4 Bc5 32. f3 Ke7 33. Bc4 Kf6 34. b3 g5 35. h3 Bf2 36. g4 Bg1 37. Be2 Bf2 38. Bc4 Bg1 39. Be2 Bf2 40. Bc4 ½ : ½ Radjabov – So, Champions Chess Tour, 1st stage, Skilling Open, chess24.com, November 25, 2020, quarterfinal match game 2 (time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move). 11. ... Ke7 12. 0-0 Nbd7 13. Be3!? This novelty is not all that much different with regard to 13. Re1 Rc8 14. Bb3 Nc5 which likewise produces a somewhat balanced game, E. l’Ami – Williams, 2nd PokerStars Isle of Man International Chess Tournament, Douglas 2015. 13. ... Rc8 14. Bb3 Nc5 15. Bxc5+ Rxc5 16. Rfe1 g6 17. Nxe4 Nxe4 18. Rxe4 e5 19. f4 Bg7 20. Rae1 Rf8 21. fxe5 Rf5 22. e6 Bxb2 23. Rd1 Rc7. Probably playable, but much easier was 23. ... Rc1! in order to exchange a pair of Rooks and get closer to the draw. 24. g4 Rf8 25. Kg2 b5 26. Re2 Bc3 27. Re3 Bb4 28. Red3 a5 29. Rd7+ Rxd7 30. Rxd7+ Kf6 31. Rb7 a4

32. g5+ Kxg5 33. Rxb5+ Rf5?? A tragic mistake, which loses immediately. Instead after 33. ... Kf6! 34. Bxa4 (the King and Pawn ending is drawn as well) 34. ... Bd6 35. Bb3 Rb8! Black, in spite of his Pawn minus, must draw quite easily. 34. Rxb4 axb3

35. e7! Just so — 35. axb3?? Re5 it’s only a draw. 35. ... bxa2. Or 35. ... Re5 36. Rb5!+− (which So might have overlooked). 36. e8=Q a1=Q. Black is a Pawn up, but cannot avoid mate: 37. Qe7+ Kh6 38. Rh4+ Rh5 39. Qf8+ Qg7 40. Qf4+ g5 41. Qd6+ Qg6 42. Qf8+ Qg7 43. Rxh5+ 1 : 0.

Time’s Up

Magnus Carlsen – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Semifinal match game 6; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 28, 2020

5n2/8/4p1k1/1p2qpB1/p6P/2P5/1P3P2/3Q2K1 w - - 1 41

Position after 40. ... Kf7-g6

What goes around comes around after all. 41. Qd8 Qg7? 41. ... Kf7 was called for, because if 42. Qe7+ Kg8 43. Bf6 Black would reply 43. ... Qe1+ drawing by perpetual check. 42. Qe8+ Kh7. Or 42. ... Qf7 43. h5+! Kg7 44. Bh6+ Kg8 [44. ... Kf6 45. Qd8+ Ke5 (45. ... Qe7 46. Bg5+!+−) 46. Qd4#] 45. Qd8! with a deadly zugzwang. 43. Qxb5 Ng6 44. Qxa4 Ne5 45. Qf4 Qh8 46. b4 Kg6 47. Qe3 Kf7 48. b5 Qb8 49. Bf4 Qg8+ 50. Kf1 Ng4 51. Qa7+ Kg6 52. Qe7 Nf6

53. h5+! 1 : 0.

Time Off

Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi – Magnus Carlsen

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Semifinal match game 5; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 28, 2020

8/q4pkp/p1Qr2p1/1pbB4/4PK2/6N1/P2R1P1P/8 w - - 1 31

Position after 30. ... Rd8-d6

31. Qe8? Sinking down into the abyss. Correct was 31. Qc8! Bxf2 32. Kg4 Qe3 with a sharp balance. 31. ... Bxf2? But, quite unusually for him, Carlsen misses the winning move: 31. ... Qc7!−+ threatening a deadly discovered check as well as the entrapment of the Queen. If 32. Kf3 then 32. ... Rd8 winning the Exchange at least. 32. Kg4!+− Rf6 33. e5 h5+ 34. Kh3 Rf4 35. e6! fxe6 36. Bxe6 Bd4

37. Nxh5+! gxh5 38. Rg2+ Kf6 39. Rg6+ Ke5 40. Bb3+ 1 : 0. For there follows 40. ... Kf5 41. Qe6 mate.

UniBeth

Magnus Carlsen – Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Semifinal match game 1; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 27, 2020

Grünfeld Defence D85

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bd2 Bg7 6. e4 Nxc3 7. Bxc3 0-0 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Nf3 Bg4 10. d5 Bxf3 11. Bxg7 Kxg7 12. gxf3 Ne5 13. 0-0-0 c6 14. Bh3!?TN (14. Qc3 f6 15. Bh3 cxd5 16. exd5 Nf7 17. f4 Qd6 18. Qd4 Rad8 19. Be6 Qb6 20. Qd2 Rd6 21. Rhe1 Nd8 22. f5 Nxe6 23. Rxe6 Qc7+ 24. Kb1 Rc8 25. Rde1 Rxe6 26. Rxe6 Rd8 27. Qe3 Rd7 28. d6 exd6 29. Qd4 Rf7 30. fxg6 hxg6 31. Rxd6 a6 32. a3 Qa5 33. f4 Qh5 34. Qd2 Qc5 35. Rd5 Qc4 36. Rd7 Qc6 37. Rd6 Qe4+ 38. Ka2 Re7 39. Qc1 a5 40. Qf1 a4 41. Rd1 Qc2 42. Rd4 Re2 43. Rb4 b5 44. Qh1 Re7 45. Qd5 Re1 46. Qd7+ Kh6 47. Qh3+ Kg7 48. Qd7+ ½ : ½ Anand – Carlsen, Sochi 2014, World Chess Championship match game 1) 14. ... Kg8 15. Qc3 Qb8?? A grave oversight, which loses the Knight. 15. ... Qc7! was correct, as if then 16. d6 exd6 17. f4 Black can retreat his Knight to d7.

16. d6! exd6 17. f4. Game over. 17. ... Re8 18. Rhe1 a5 19. Kb1 a4 20. fxe5 Rxe5 21. f4 Rc5 22. Qf6 a3 23. b3 Rh5 24. Rxd6 Qe8 (24. ... Rxh3 25. Red1+−)

25. Be6! A pretty interference. 25. ... fxe6 26. Red1 1 : 0.

Newton’s Law

Anish Giri – Magnus Carlsen

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Quarterfinal match game 4; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 25, 2020

Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. 0-0 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 h6 7. Nbd2 0-0 8. Re1 a5 9. Nf1 Be6 10. Bb5. Another continuation is 10. Bxe6 fxe6 11. Be3 Bxe3 12. Nxe3 d5 13. h3 a4 14. Qe2 a3 15. b4 d4 16. cxd4 exd4 17. Nc2 Nh5 18. b5 Nf4 19. Qd1 and now the Pawn sacrifice 19. ... Ne5 may have more cons than pros, as after 20. Nxe5 Qg5 21. Ng4 h5 22. Nxd4 hxg4 23. Qxg4 Qxg4 24. hxg4 Rad8 25. Nb3 Nxd3 26. Re2 b6 27. f3 Black’s compensation appears to be quite dubious, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Naiditsch, 5th GRENKE Chess Classic, Baden-Baden 2018. 10. ... Ne7 11. d4 Ba7 12. dxe5 Ng4 13. Be3 Nxe3!?TN (13. ... Nxe5 14. Bxa7 Rxa7 15. Nd4 N7g6 16. Ne3 Bd7 17. Bf1 a4 18. g3 Ne7 19. f4 N5c6 20. Nb5 Ra5 21. c4 Nb8 22. Qd2 Ra8 23. Rad1 Re8 24. Bg2 Bc6 25. e5 Nc8 26. exd6 Nxd6 27. Nxd6 Qxd6 28. Qxd6 cxd6 29. Nf5 Rxe1+ 30. Rxe1 Ra6 31. Rd1 Rb6 32. Rd2 Na6 33. Nxd6 Nc5 34. Nc8 Rb4 35. Ne7+ Kf8 36. Bxc6 Kxe7 37. Bb5 a3 38. bxa3 Rb1+ 39. Kg2 Rc1 40. a4 b6 41. a5 bxa5 42. Rd5 Rc2+ 43. Kf3 Ne6 44. f5 Ng5+ 45. Ke3 Rxa2 46. c5 Ra3+ 47. Kd4 Ra1 48. c6 Rd1+ 49. Kc4 Rc1+ 50. Kb3 Ne4 51. Kb2 Rb1+ 52. Kc2 1 : 0 Jakovenko – Svidler, 44th SchachBundesliga, Baden-Baden 2017) 14. Nxe3 dxe5 15. Nxe5 Ng6 16. Nxg6 fxg6 17. Qxd8 Raxd8. Black has more than enough for the Pawn and the game may be well assessed as balanced.

18. Re2 Bxe3 19. fxe3? A horrible move, which has no other merit than that of keeping the extra Pawn at all costs — that is indeed too high a cost to pay. Most likely after 19. Rxe3 Rd2 20. Re2 Rfd8 21. Kf1 the game would have ended in a draw, but... that’s all another story. 19. ... Kf7! 20. Ba4 Ke7 21. h3 Bc4 22. Rc2 Rd3 23. Re1 Kd6 24. Bb3 Ba6 25. Rcc1 Ke5 26. Rcd1 Rfd8

27. Rxd3? After this, White ends up being inexorably zugzwanged. He had rather to seek salvation by returning the Pawn with 27. Rf1. 27. ... Bxd3−+ 28. Kf2 Rd6 29. Bd1 Bc4 30. b3 Rd2+ 31. Kg3 (31. Be2 Bd3−+) 31. ... Be6 32. Rf1 Rxa2 33. Bg4 Bxb3 34. Rf8 Kxe4 35. Rc8 Kxe3 36. Rxc7 Bd5 37. Bf3 Bxf3 38. gxf3 Rb2 39. Rxg7 Rb6 40. c4 Kd4 41. Rc7 a4 42. c5 Ra6 43. Rxb7 Kxc5 44. Rc7+ Kb6 45. Rc1 a3 46. h4 a2 47. Ra1 Ra4 48. f4 h5 49. Kf3 Kc5 50. Ke3 Kd5 51. Kf3 Ke6 0 : 1.

On the Line

David Antón Guijarro – Magnus Carlsen

Champions Chess Tour 2021; 1st stage; Skilling Open; Prelims Tournament; time control: 15 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; chess24.com, November 22, 2020

Semi-Slav Defence D45

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Be2 Bd6 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Qc2 b6 9. e4 Nxe4 10. Nxe4 dxe4 11. Qxe4 Bb7 12. Rd1 Qc7 13. c5 bxc5 14. dxc5 Nxc5!?TN (14. ... Bxc5 15. Bf4 Nf6 16. Qxh7+ Kxh7 17. Bxc7 Kg8 18. Nd2 Bb6 19. Be5 Rfd8 20. Bf3 Ba6 21. Rac1 Rac8 22. b3 Bd4= Lékó – Artemiev, 2nd Nutcracker Match of the Generations, Moscow 2015, match game 2) 15. Qc2 Rad8 16. Bg5 Be7 17. Rxd8 Rxd8 18. Rc1 Rd5. Black has already got a very comfortable equality, and it’s astonishing how quickly he breaks the ice and goes in. 19. Be3?! 19. b4 is the move suggested by the engines, forcing conspicuous simplification with “approximate” equality. 19. ... Nd7 20. Nd4 Bc5. Change of the guard. 21. Nb5? A tactical mirage which loses a clear piece. 21. Qc3 Qb6 was anything but pleasant, but it was not so bad as the text. 21. ... cxb5 22. b4

22. ... Qc6! This is the move Antón Guijarro probably overlooked. Now White can’t play 23. bxc5?? because of 23. ... Rd1+ followed by mate on g2. 23. Bf3 Bxe3 24. fxe3 Qb6 25. Bxd5 Qxe3+ 26. Kh1 Bxd5 0 : 1.