2nd Vugar Gashimov Memorial 16-26 April 2015

[Jonathan Rogers]

What was the opening played by So and Giri? Does it even have a name?

For want of a better name "English Opening". That particular line of play isn't anything new, being known from some 1970s games by Hartston, Timman and others. The specific 6. Kf1 looks to be an attempt to improve on a Korchnoi - Timman game from 1976 where Nd2 was played.

1.c4 g6 2. e4 e5 3. d4 Nf6 4. dxe5 Nxe4 5. Bd3 Bb4+ 6. Kf1

....

Leko once beat Kramnik in a Rapidplay game with this, and so I am sure there is an Adorjan connection.

But is the idea of Kf1 new? I remember a Miles v Wall game in 4NCL, around 2000-2001 in which an early Kf1 was played very successfully; I think Leonard featured it in his Guardian column at the time.

[Roger de Coverly]

But is the idea of Kf1 new? I remember a Miles v Wall game in 4NCL, around 2000-2001 in which an early Kf1 was played very successfully

This appears to be the game. A very similar idea, but not the exact position. The finish is elegant.


[Event "Ch England (team) 1998/99"] [Site "England"] [Date "1999.??.??"] [Round "5"] [White "Miles Anthony J (ENG)"] [Black "Wall Gavin (IRL)"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A10"] [WhiteElo "2588"] [BlackElo "2353"] 1.c4 g6 2.e4 e5 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Bd3 Bb4+ 6.Kf1 d5 7.Qb3 c5 8.cxd5 Nf6 9.dxe5 Nxd5 10.Bg5 Qd7 11.a3 b5 12.Be4 c4 13.Qc2 Ba5 14.Nc3 Bxc3 15.Bxd5 1-0

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Nice easy win from Carlsen today. All other games drawn.

[Leonard Barden]

Caruana v Carlsen level for a long time, but Caruana messed up the ending and is now probably losing.

So v Adams complicated, and both down to 12 moves in 10 minutes.

Later: Alas, Mickey weakened in time pressure and now at move 41 is dead lost.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Yeah, Mickey lost and Carlsen won. Nakamura is now up to second in the live ratings courtesy of Caruana's loss to Carlsen, and Carlsen is now the only player left above 2800.

(Over in the World Team Championships, all the top players have drawn so far in round 1.)

[Jonathan Rogers]

Looks like the Carlsen and So show so far. Tough start for Adams, who seems to have had tough pairings even by the standards of this event.

And, on another point, 2/2 for Carlsen's Stonewall Dutch v ... Anand and Caruana!

[Roger de Coverly]

Tough start for Adams, who seems to have had tough pairings even by the standards of this event.

He was number 10 in the draw, which gives you Black in the first two rounds, as well as a 4-5 split.

[LawrenceCooper]

Tough start for Adams, who seems to have had tough pairings even by the standards of this event.

He was number 10 in the draw, which gives you Black in the first two rounds, as well as a 4-5 split.

Didn't he have white in round 2?

[Leonard Barden]

Tough start for Adams, who seems to have had tough pairings even by the standards of this event.

He was number 10 in the draw, which gives you Black in the first two rounds, as well as a 4-5 split.

Didn't he have white in round 2?

It's No6 in the draw, in this case Caruana, who starts with two Blacks. Adams's 'tough start' will get even tougher in round four, when he plays the world champion.

[IM Jack Rudd]

#5 and #10 get no doubled colours at all in a standard Berger pairing.

[Chris Rice]

Round 4 - Good luck to Mickey and a juicy pairing of Kramnik-Anand to look forward to:

Adams Michael 2746 - Carlsen Magnus 2863
Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2762 - Caruana Fabiano 2802
Giri Anish 2790 - Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2754
Kramnik Vladimir 2783 - Anand Viswanathan 2791
So Wesley 2788 - Mamedov Rauf 2651

Leaderboard after Rd 3:

1= Carlsen, So 2.5
3 Kramnik 2
4= Vachier-Lagrave, Anand, Mamedov 1.5
7= Giri, Caruana, Mamedyarov 1
10 Adams 0.5

[Jonathan Rogers]

Wesley So it is then, who'd have predicted that last week? Well, all right, only four rounds played and he's had three Whites, as opposed to Carlsen's three Blacks, "but still".

Glad that Adams drew today, and the slightly easier opponents are still to come ...

[Chris Rice]

Guess one mark of a champion is how you react after a “defeat” and since So's forfeit in St. Louis, he’s scored 5½/6. In addition, his comments after the Mamedov game showed a lot of maturity. “In my last tournament I had a lot of losses; I lost almost half of my games in the U.S. Championship. That kind of motivated me to work harder. I was trying to figure out why that happened, what my weaknesses are, and I tried to solve them. (...) I work every day with a board and I analyze some games.” So compared his current state of mind with Vishy Anand during world championship matches: “I just decided to completely forget what anybody says and just... I really focus on my games.”

Great draw by Mickey and Carlsen obviously respects him “I think a draw with Black against Mickey is a perfectly good and normal result”.

Standings after Round 4:

1 So 3.5
2 Carlsen 3
3 Kramnik 2.5
4= Vachier-Lagrave, Anand 2
6= Mamedov Giri, Caruana, Mamedyarov 1.5
10 Adams 1

Round 5 pairings:

Mamedov Rauf 2651 - Adams Michael 2746
Anand Viswanathan 2791 - So Wesley 2788
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2754 - Kramnik Vladimir 2783
Caruana Fabiano 2802 - Giri Anish 2790
Carlsen Magnus 2863 - Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2762

http://en.chessbase.com/post/shamkir-r4-3-5-4
http://www.chess.com/news/wesley-so-wor ... our-rounds

[Jonathan Rogers]

An interesting new move 10.Ng5 in Anand v So, it seems. At move 11 the computers preferred So but a few moves later they are starting to prefer Anand's preparation ...

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Anand clearly winning now against So. Adams should be drawing against Mamedov. Kramnik looks to be going down against Mamedyarov (though there is still time to come back there). Carlsen may have a winning advantage against Vachier-Lagrave. Giri and Caruana drew.