Malcolm Pein on…Artemiev’s Best Game

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Malcolm Pein examines Vladislav Artemiev’s best game from the European Online Club Cup in today’s Daily Telegraph chess column. The game won a special brilliancy prize, in honour of a former World Champion.

Malcolm Pein on…Artemiev’s Best Game

In honour of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vassily Smyslov on March 24 this year, the European Chess Union named the best game prize in the European Online Club Cup after the seventh world champion. There was a worthy winner as Vladislav Artemiev, playing for Ladya Kazan, conjured up this brilliant mating attack.

Carlsen has tried playing a knight to c3 in the Lopez. Play can end up in positions akin to the Berlin Defence as played, or the Four Knights after 5…Bb4, but in both cases, with …a6 and Ba4 thrown in.

M. Bartel – V. Artemiev
Ruy Lopez 15+5

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.d3 Qe7 (7…Qd6 8.h3 Be6 9.Be3! was an advantageous exchange and White won in Carlsen-Anand, Wijk aan Zee 2019; 7…0–0 8.Be3 Bd6 9.Bg5 Re8 10.h3 c5 11.Nd5 Be7 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.0–0 was Carlsen-Karjakin, World Blitz 2017, with a pawn on a7 not a6. Carlsen won) 8.h3 h6 9.Be3 Bd6 10.0–0 c5 11.Nd2 g5! 12.Nc4 Be6 (White lacks an obvious pawn break. He might have prepared b2–b4, as Black could still castle long) 13.Nxd6+?! cxd6 14.Ne2 g4! 15.h4 Nh5 16.g3 (16.b4!? cxb4 17. Qd2 a5 18.a3) 16…f5 17.exf5 Bd5 18.Nc3 (If 18.Qd2 Ng7 19.d4! 0–0–0! and not 19…cxd4 20.Nxd4! exd4?? 21.Bxd4 threatening Bxg7 followed by Qxd5 or Re1) 18…Bf3! 19.Qd2 Ng7!! 20.Bxh6 Nxf5 21.Bg5

Artemiev’s Best Game

21…Nxh4!! 22.Bxe7 (22.Bxh4 Qxh4 23.gxh4 Rxh4 or 22.gxh4 Rxh4 lead to mate on h1) 22…Nf5 23.Bh4 Nxh4 24.Qg5 Nf5 25.Qg6+ Kd8 26.Qf6+ Kc7 27.Nd5+ Kc6 0–1 

M. Bartel – V. Artemiev

A remarkable final position!

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Kusa – Cheparinov

Black to play and win material

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21…e4 22.h3? (If 22.Nd2 Qxc2) 22…exf3 0–1

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