Shamkir Chess

[Matt Mackenzie]

Care to predict Mamedyarov-Safarli tomorrow?

Looking like a real game.

I suppose it had to happen eventually

[LawrenceCooper]

Caruana-Giri drawn although it looked dangerous for black in the final position.

[MartinCarpenter]

Another contribution to the treasury of deeply obscure French games in Karjakin - Radjabov Well I guess sitting and waiting probably is what black has to do in that position if white isn't going to try a kingside break.

[Tim Harding]

It was too hot in Dublin this afternoon to spend much time watching chess. I, too, was puzzled by Caruana-Giri.
I went for a walk after Qf1 with the engine screaming Qf7 next, and thinking Fabiano could be back to his Sinquefield 2014 form, only to find he has taken a draw. So I fed it to Stockfish on my laptop.

[Event "Shamkir Chess 2016"] [Site "chess24.com"] [Date "2016.06.02"] [Round "7.3"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Giri, Anish"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C81"] [WhiteElo "2804"] [BlackElo "2790"] [Annotator "Harding,Tim"] [PlyCount "75"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5 Be6 9. Qe2 Be7 10. Rd1 O-O 11. c4 bxc4 12. Bxc4 Bc5 13. Be3 Bxe3 14. Qxe3 Qb8 15. Bb3 Na5 16. Nd4 c5 17. Nxe6 fxe6 18. f3 c4 19. fxe4 cxb3 20. exd5 bxa2 $146 21. Rxa2 Nc4 22. Qd4 Qb3 23. Nc3 Rac8 {Caruana having his first real think.} 24. Rb1 Ne3 25. Qxe3 Rxc3 26. Qxc3 Qxa2 27. Rd1 exd5 28. Qd4 Re8 29. Rc1 h6 30. h3 Kh8 31. e6 Rxe6 32. Rc8+ Kh7 33. Qd3+ Re4 34. Qf1 Re5 35. Qd3+ $2 {Caruana spent 6 seconds on this. Apparently he decided to repeat moves for a draw though he had plenty of time to calculate the alternative.} (35. Qf7 $1 { Stockfish 7 64: 1)} Qxb2 ({Stockfish 7 64: 2)} 35... Qa4 36. Kh2 h5 37. b4 Qxb4 38. Qg8+ Kg6 39. Rc6+ Kf5 40. Qf7+ Ke4 41. Qf3+ Kd4 42. Qd1+ Ke4 43. Rxa6 g5 44. Qxh5 Qb3 45. Qh7+ Ke3 46. Qa7+ d4 47. Ra3 Qxa3 48. Qxa3+ d3 49. Qc1+ Kd4 50. Qb2+ Ke4 51. Qb4+ Ke3 52. Qb6+ Ke4 53. Qb2 Rd5 54. Qd2 Kd4 55. Kg3 Rf5 56. Kg4 Rb5 57. Kf3 Rf5+ 58. Kg3 Ke4 59. Kh2 Re5 60. Qc3 Rd5 61. Qe1+ Kf5 62. g4+ Kf4 63. Qd2+ Ke4 64. Kg3 Kd4 65. Kf2 Kc5 66. Ke3 Re5+ 67. Kf3 Rd5 68. Ke4 Rd4+ 69. Ke3 Rd6 70. Qa5+ Kc6 71. Kd2 Rd5 72. Qb4 {5.25/41}) 36. Qg8+ Kg6 37. Rc6+ Kf5 38. Qf7+ Ke4 39. Qf3+ Kd4 40. Qd1+ Ke4 {I guess this is where in his analysis he baulked at taking a risk. White has driven the Black king to e4/d4 but is two pawns down but without a forcing contination.} 41. Kh2 a5 42. Rc1 Qf2 43. Rc2 Qf6 44. Qe1+ Kd4 45. Qc3+ Ke4 46. Re2+ Kf5 47. Rf2+ Ke6 48. Rxf6+ gxf6 49. Qxa5 h5 50. Qa6+ Kf7 51. Qa8 Rg5 52. g3 Re5 53. Qa7+ Re7 54. Qc5 Re5 55. Qd6 Kg7 56. Qd7+ Kg6 57. Qd8 Kf7 58. Qb6 Re2+ 59. Kg1 Re1+ 60. Kf2 Re5 61. Qd6 Kg7 62. Kf3 Rf5+ 63. Kg2 Re5 64. Kf2 Kf7 65. Kf3 Kg7 66. Qd7+ Kg6 67. Qc7 Rf5+ 68. Ke3 Rg5 69. Qd6 Kf7 {4.74/41}) 35... Re4 36. Qf1 Re5 37. Qd3+ $2 { Caruana spent 3 mins 21 secs on this.} Re4 38. Qf1 {Black claimed draw (or they just agreed it.)} 1/2-1/2

[Tim Harding]

Care to predict Mamedyarov-Safarli tomorrow?

Looking like a real game.

You were right. So today's round up:

Mamedyarov 1 Safarli 0
Karjakin-Radjabov draw
Caruana-Giri draw
Eljanov 1 Hou Yifan 0
Harikrishna-Mamedov draw

Standings after 7 of 9 rounds:
Caruana 5.5; Giri 5
Karjakin & Mamedyarov 4
Harikrishna 3.5
Mamedov & Eljanov 2.5
Hou Yifan 2

Tomorrow's pairings:
Giri-Hou Yifan
Mamedov-Eljanov
Radjabov-Harikrishna
Safarli-Karjakin
Caruana-Mamedyarov

The last round will see a repeat of the Candidates final round: Karjakin-Caruana.

[John McKenna]

Thanks for the pairings & standings, above,Tim.

Minor corrections -

Mamedov is equal with Radjabov on 3/7,
Safarli is equal with Eljanov on 2.5/7

[Tim Harding]

Thanks for the correction. So today we have:

Giri (5) - Hou Yifan (2) QG Ragozin
Mamedov (3) - Eljanov (2.5) Caro-Kann 2 Nc3 d5 3 Nf3 Bg4
Radjabov (3) -Harikrishna (3.5) Queen's Indian Defence
Safarli (2.5) - Karjakin (4) Caro-Kann Panov via 1 c4 c6 2 e4 d5 3 ed cd
Caruana (5.5) - Mamedyarov (4) Sveshnikov Sicilian

In his intro, Tiviakov confirms that yesterday Caruana missed a difficult win involving a quiet move to create zugzwang. We can look forward to interesting analysis eventually in New In Chess.

[Tim Harding]

Caruana in a losing queen ending it seems. Maybe upset by his miss yesterday, he seems to have misjudged something when the rooks were still on.
Giri will probably take the lead.

Radjabov and Safarli drew their games.
Mamedov-Eljanov is a B of opposite colours ending. (LATER: drawn)

[LawrenceCooper]

Caruana in a losing queen ending it seems. Maybe upset by his miss yesterday, he seems to have misjudged something when the rooks were still on.
Giri will probably take the lead.

Radjabov and Safarli drew their games.
Mamedov-Eljanov is a B of opposite colours ending. (LATER: drawn)

It looked like he had the option of repeating moves around move 30 but decided to keep going. I suspect the thought of having to beat Karjakin with black tomorrow won't improve his mood

[LawrenceCooper]

Mamedyarov has now won to move within a half of Caruana.

[LawrenceCooper]

Two draws already Mamedov-Karjakin & Radjabov-Mamedyarov reinforcing what we probably already knew about it being a two horse race between Caruana & Giri for first place.

This comment may have been a touch premature

[Tim Harding]

Now it looks as if Hou Yifan may hold against Giri. It's the second day in succession she has had two pawns for a knight. She is having a big think at move 60.
This time there's very reduced material but Giri still has one pawn.

A draw would mean Caruana would still be in joint first though with that tough assignment against Karjakin coming up.

Mamedyarov has a chance to win the tournament if he can beat Giri with White.
Two very big last round games!

[JustinHorton]

When's the kick-off tomorrow?

[Tim Harding]

When's the kick-off tomorrow?

Same time if chess24 is right.
Giri has exchanged his last pawn but is still playing on with R+N v R+2P.

EDIT: I think chess24 had the wrong position when I posted that. Now it's only showing the last White pawn being captured at move 90. Now R+N v R+P.

[JustinHorton]

Giri's h-pawn looks still on the board to me.