Tata Steel 2014 Wijk aan Zee

[Roger de Coverly]

Not one of Naiditsch's better games

A second outing at Wijk for the apparently unnamed opening 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. Bf4 . It's called "A45 Indian Defence" by the Wijk website, otherwise it gets called a "Queen Pawn" Opening.

In the same round, Rapport against Giri started 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4, also termed "A45 Indian Defence", although that's now regarded by authors as an alternative London System move order. The game continuation 2. .. c5 3. dxc5 Na6 is rather more characteristic of a reversed Reti.

Still it's instructive to see top GMs venturing into obscure areas of the openings spectrum.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Does Aronian (a passed b-pawn pawn up in a heavy pieces endgame with three each on the kingside) have enough, or will his game with Karjakin be a draw? They are the tournament leaders (Aronian half a point ahead of Karjakin). Currently at move 36 and the computer gives White a half-pawn advantage.

[Roger de Coverly]

Does Aronian (a passed b-pawn pawn up in a heavy pieces endgame with three each on the kingside) have enough, or will his game with Karjakin be a draw?

I expect it will simplify into a Rook and Pawn ending with White still having the extra pawn. I would think that it should be drawn, but that isn't to say that Aronian won't be able to find something unpleasant for the defender.

[John Moore]

Poor old Naiditsch. Must be a candidate for the worst ever game by a player rated 2700+.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Poor old Naiditsch. Must be a candidate for the worst ever game by a player rated 2700+.

Was thinking that myself. For once, one of the Chessbomb comments (too many drugs in Holland) seems about right.

[Colin S Crouch]

Aronian is looking more like a world champion, except of course that Carlsen is a massive obstacle to try to get past.
Before today's game, Aronian was half a point ahead of Karjakin, with others being further behind. And the two leaders were about to play each other, with Aronian as White.
He made absolutely sure that he was never going to lose the game, and he played ultra-solidly, happy to play out even the slightest edge for a win, but also fully satisfied with a steady draw, if the opponent plays accurately.
Over the last few years, Carlsen has shown many times that even super-grandmaster opponents will sometimes slip up under small but continuous pressure. Aronian has of course studied in depth Carlsen's play, and leant from Carlsen's psychology. Karjakin suddenly missed a tactic,and lost a pawn!
Still, while these lines have been written, Aronian has probably not handled the endgame fully accurately...
Play continues. 

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Fascinating how Van Wely's exchange up for many pawns position was given as equal by the computer at move 33 (something went wrong later).

[Jonathan Rogers]

Aronian is looking more like a world champion, except of course that Carlsen is a massive obstacle to try to get past.
Before today's game, Aronian was half a point ahead of Karjakin, with others being further behind. And the two leaders were about to play each other, with Aronian as White.
He made absolutely sure that he was never going to lose the game, and he played ultra-solidly, happy to play out even the slightest edge for a win, but also fully satisfied with a steady draw, if the opponent plays accurately.
Over the last few years, Carlsen has shown many times that even super-grandmaster opponents will sometimes slip up under small but continuous pressure. Aronian has of course studied in depth Carlsen's play, and leant from Carlsen's psychology. Karjakin suddenly missed a tactic,and lost a pawn!
Still, while these lines have been written, Aronian has probably not handled the endgame fully accurately...
Play continues. 

I am not sure that this game witnesses any extra dimension/learning from carlsen in Aronian's play. He has often played in this style as White, surely?

I am not sure whether I'd prefer Kramnik or Aronian to challenge Carlsen - I suppose that, when it comes to it, I would expect either to blunder a crucial half-point at some moment. Kramnik still the more likely to really pressurise carlsen from the opening, perhaps.

[LawrenceCooper]

53 f4 instead of f3 was an interesting decision. No doubt the subtleties are way over my head so I won't spend time trying to work it all out.

[John Moore]

Karjakin playing this incredibly quickly. Either it's lost as Houdini says or he knows what he's doing.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Karjakin playing this incredibly quickly. Either it's lost as Houdini says or he knows what he's doing.

Probably the latter. Using the site's engine, the positions at the end of the best lines look drawn to me.

EDIT: Actually, I'm talking rubbish. Aronian will win this.

[John Moore]

Good edit Chris

[Roger de Coverly]

Using the site's engine, the positions at the end of the best lines look drawn to me.

Going back a few moves to when only a small advantage was claimed for White, the engine prefers the plan of attempting to transfer the defending king to the queenside. As it was the plan of trying to invade with the Black King was a failure.

[LawrenceCooper]

Using the site's engine, the positions at the end of the best lines look drawn to me.

Going back a few moves to when only a small advantage was claimed for White, the engine prefers the plan of attempting to transfer the defending king to the queenside. As it was the plan of trying to invade with the Black King was a failure.

The other critical decision that black may have got wrong was playing 54..f5 which led to his king being cut off by 56 Rb3. I've no idea if 54...Kxf4 and Kf3 would change the result but it looks a better chance.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Poor old Naiditsch. Must be a candidate for the worst ever game by a player rated 2700+.

Not having a great time of it generally, is he??