Malcolm Pein returns to the FIDE Candidates Tournament in today’s Daily Telegraph chess column and examines the mercurial Najdorf Sicilian, which currently seems to be under a cloud at the highest level, yet remains in good shape elsewhere.
Malcolm Pein on…The Mercurial Najdorf
The eagerly awaited Candidates Tournament resumed this week in Russia, having been halted by FIDE on March 26 last year. At the halfway stage, with seven rounds left, there was all still to play for.
As we saw on Tuesday, French number one Maxime Vachier-Lagrave crushed Ian Nepomniachtchi in round seven to catch up the Russian Champion and share the lead on 4.5/7. However, of late, MVL has been far from his best, both online and at Wijk aan Zee where he could only score 5/13.
Fabiano Caruana, world number two and top seed, lost to Ding Liren in first half of the event, but caught Maxime Vachier-Lagrave with a win against him on Monday.
The Candidates play at 4.00 p.m. local time, which is noon in the UK. Today is a rest day.
MVL lost three games with his favourite Najdorf variation of the Sicilian at Wijk aan Zee and then again, to Caruana, on Monday. It will be interesting to see if he ventures it again. The opening recently looked good in the hands of 16-year-old German star Vincent Keymer.
The Najdorf in Action
G. Mammadzada – V. Keymer
Polgar Challenge 2021
(10+5)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Qd2 Ng4!? 9.g3 (9.Nd5 Nxe3 10.Nxe3 0-0 seems OK for Black, and if 11.0-0-0 a5!) 9…Nd7 10.Bh3 Ndf6 11.Bxg4? Bxg4 12.Qd3 0-0 13.h3 Be6 14.0-0-0 b5 (A dream Najdorf for Black, with the two bishops and his queenside pawns a mobile and strong force)
15.f4 Bc4 16.Qd2 a5?! (16…b4 17.Na4 Rb8 was strong, whereas in the game White might now have grovelled with 17.fxe5 dxe5 18.Qxd8 Bxd8 19.Bc5 Re8 20.Nd2) 17.Qg2? Qc7 18.Kb1 b4 19.Nd5 Nxd5 20.exd5 a4 21.Nc1 Rfc8 22.Rh2 Bf6 23.fxe5 Bxe5 24.Bd4 Bxd4 25.Rxd4 a3! (Going for the dark squares. 25…b3 was also good) 26.b3 Be2! (A pretty move. The bishop is untouchable in view of 27.Qxe2? Qc3 and 27.Nxe2? Qxc2+) 27.c4 Bh5 28.Qd2 Qa7! 29.g4 Bg6+ 30.Ka1 Re8 31.Rh1 Re5 32.Rd1 Rae8 33.Qxb4
Test Your Strength
How did Black continue?
Highlight the space below this line to reveal the answer.
33…Bc2 34.Qxd6 (Or 34.R1d2 Re1) 34…Bxd1 35.Rxd1 Re1 36.Rxe1 Qd4+ 0-1
