Malcolm Pein returns to the action of the New in Chess Classic in today’s Daily Telegraph column, as he wraps up the semi-final action on the road to the dream final.
Malcolm Pein on…The Road to the Dream Final
The dream final, Carlsen- Nakamura, duly came about at the New In Chess Classic on Chess24. Carlsen defeated Levon Aronian in the last two games of the second set of their semifinal after the first set on Friday had ended 2-2. Hikaru Nakamura lost three straight games to Shak Mamedyarov. After two draws in a play-off, the American prevailed in Armageddon.
S. Mamedyarov – H. Nakamura
Semi-final (2.3)
Schmidt Benoni
1.d4 g6 2.e4 Bg7 3.Nc3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.Nf3 a6 6.a4 Bg4 7.Be2 Bxf3 8.Bxf3 Nd7 9.0–0 Ngf6 10.Re1 0–0 11.h3 Ne8 12.a5 Nc7 13.Be2 Rb8 14.Bd2 Qc8 15.Na4 Nb5?! (Black secures some counterplay after 15…b5 16.axb6 Nxb6 17.Nxb6 Rxb6 18.Ra2 Qb7 19.b3 Nb5) 16.c3! Qd8 17.Bf1 Re8 (Not 17…Qxa5?? 18.c4) 18.Rb1 e6 19.c4 Nd4 20.b4 Qc7 21.Bc3 exd5 22.cxd5 Rbd8 (White’s intended bxc5 forces dxc5 when a central pawn roller can advance unopposed. It was a good move now) 23.Rc1 Rc8 24.Ba1 Qd8 25.bxc5 dxc5 26.Nxc5 Rxc5 27.Rxc5 Nxc5 28.Bxd4 Bxd4 29.Qxd4 Qxa5 30.Re3 Nd7 31.e5 Qc5! 32.Qxc5 (Or 32.Qf4 Kg7 (32…Qxd5? 33.Bc4) 33.e6 fxe6 34.dxe6 Nf6 35.g4) 32…Nxc5 33.f4 a5? (33…Kf8)
Test Your Strength
White to play and win material
Mamedyarov won the first game of the second set in the line of the Nimzo-Indian featured yesterday. Another example:
B. Chatalbashev – P. Roberson
South Wales Masters, 2019
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 0–0 5.Bg5 c5 6.Rc1 cxd4 7.Nxd4 h6 8.Bh4 d5 9.cxd5 g5 10.Bg3 Qxd5 11.e3 Qxa2 12.Bd3 Qxb2 13.0–0 Bxc3 14.Rc2 Qb4 15.Nb5 e5 16.Rxc3 Nc6 17.f4 Bg4 18.Qc2 Nd5 19.Bc4 Rad8 20.fxg5 hxg5 21.Bxd5 Rxd5 22.Rc4 Bd1 23.Qf5 Qxc4 24.Qxg5+ Kh8 25.Bh4!
Test Your Strength
Threat Rf6-h6. How can Black save himself?
Highlight the space below this line to reveal the answers.
Answer One:
34.Bb5 Ra8 (34…Rf8 35.e6 fxe6 36.dxe6 Nxe6 37.Rxe6 Rxf4 38.Re7) 35.e6 1–0
Answer Two:
The game ended: 25…f5 26.Qh6+ Kg8 27.Qg6+ Kh8 28.Bf6+ Rxf6 29.Qxf6+ Kg8 30.Qg6+ Kh8 31.Rxf5 Qb4 32.Qh6+ Kg8 33.Rg5+ Kf7 34.Rg7+ Ke8 35.Nc7+ Kd8 36.Qh8+ 1-0 Not 25…Qg4 26.Qh6+ and Bf6 but 25…Rd2! intending Rxg2+ Kxg2 Qg4+ holds.
