Wijk aan Zee 2021

[JustinHorton]

Catalan in the big game today.

I was otherwise engaged yesterday but Caruana's game is being talked about a lot.

[Mick Norris]

There's analysis of yesterday's Caruana game in Pete Doggers report which includes a link to Ivan Sokolov's tweet

If this decision is good for Black, I need to learn chess again.
Geller is probably turning in his grave...

[JustinHorton]

Sixteen moves in and MVL looks busted against heretofore winless Donchenko

[Matt Mackenzie]

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

[Mick Norris]

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

Which as Karjakin said yesterday, has previously been a good sign for the Candidates, bizarrely

[Matthew Turner]

I think people have played well at Wijk, but scored badly then played well at the candidates and scored well. MVL was just being out-prepared in the early rounds at Wijk, but now he is just playing badly (it is all relative of course )

[Kevin Thurlow]

"now he is just playing badly (it is all relative of course )"

I'd settle for playing like a bad MVL!

[JustinHorton]

A draw in the top game. Generally this round is turning out a little less interesting than seemed likely early on.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Actually quite an interesting final position in the battle of the "big two".

(Caruana two pawns to the good, but totally tied up and unable to do anything)

[JustinHorton]

Poor Antón's López has had another bad day at the office, though this time he was rather better early on. Tari, who had an extra doubled pawn and maybe some pressure, settles for a draw against Harikrishna. Similarly Grandelius against Firouzja.

However Donchenko, who as we recall was probably winning in the early middlegame, has thrown away a draw against MVL when he seemed to have it in his hand.

As I write Wojtaszek has spent about twenty minutes considering move 44, more than half his remaining time.

All a little more interesting, after all, than I thought it might be an hour and a half ago!

[JustinHorton]

Giri wins and takes the sole lead. MVL wins and leaves Donchenko in sole last place.

[Mick Norris]

As I write Wojtaszek has spent about twenty minutes considering move 44, more than half his remaining time.

Possibly long think wrong think, as he lost not very long afterwards

7 - Giri
6.5 - Caruana, Esipenko, Firouzja
6 - Van Foreest
5.5 - Carlsen

Rest day tomorrow, then

Carlsen - Giri
Firouzja - Caruana
Tari - Esipenko
Van Foreest - Harikrishna

[JustinHorton]

Carlsen has White against Giri in the next round, I notice.

Giri's final move is very nice, I think.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

During a temporary (but maybe ongoing) internet outage, I analysed a bit of the Caruana-Carlsen game from round 10.

Caruana, Fabiano (USA) - Carlsen, Magnus (NOR)
Tata Steel Masters 2021 round 10
½-½

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bd6 6. Bg2 c6 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Qb3 Nd7 11. O-O Qe7 12. c5 Bc7 13. e4 b6 14. exd5 exd5 15. Rfe1 Qf6 16. Nxd5 cxd5 17. Qxd5 Rb8 18. c6 Rd8 19. cxd7 Bxd7 20. Ne5 Be6 21. Qe4 Bxe5 22. dxe5 Qe7 23. Qe3 Rbc8 24. Be4 Qc5 25. Qxc5 Rxc5 26. f4 g6 27. Kf2 a5 28. Ke3 a4 29. Rec1 Rb5 30. Rc2 Rb4 31. Bd3 h5 32. Rd2 b5 33. a3 Rb3 34. Rc1 b4 35. axb4 a3 36. bxa3 Bf5 37. Rcd1 Rxa3 38. b5 Bg4 39. Rc1 Bf5 40. Rcd1 Bg4 41. Rc1 Bf5 42. Rcd1 ½-½

3r2k1/5p2/4b1p1/4P2p/1P3P2/pr1BK1P1/1P1R3P/2R5

The above is the position after 35...a3.

Going back a few moves, after 33.a3, Carlsen had to play 33...Rb3 and have a plan to meet 34.Rc1 and 35.Rc3. The tactics behind what Carlsen played are delightful. Carlsen gave up both his queenside pawns (starting with 34...b4) to force a perpetual based on the pin of the bishop on d3.

34...b4 stops 35.Rc3 (obviously). The tactics arise after 35.axb4 a3, when Caruana played 36.bxa3, and the perpetual becomes obvious after 36...Bf5 37. Rcd1 etc. The question is why can't Caruana (in the above position after 35...a3) play 36.Rc3? The answer is that Black would then play either 36...a2 or the immediate 36...Rxc3 37.bxc3 a2. Both win easily due to tactics.

After 36.Rc3 a2 37.Rxb3 Bxb3 wins as the pawn on a2 will queen.

After 36.Rc3 a2 37.Rc1, Black simply wins with 37...Rbxd3+ 38.Rxd3 Rxd3+ 39.Kxd3 Bf5+ 40.Kc3 Bb1 and the pawn queens. Note that in this line, the White pawn on b2 stops the White king from arriving on b2 to prevent the a2 pawn queening.

The same tactics are seen when Black just takes on c3. This line goes: 36.Rc3 Rxc3 37.bxc3 a2 38.Rd1 Rxd3+ 39.Kxd3 Bf5+ 40.Kc4 Bb1 and the pawn queens. In this line, the White pawn is now on c3, still preventing the Black king from arriving on b2 in time to stop the a2 pawn queening.

However, there is a big flaw in the above lines. So Black needs to win 'normally' by just playing 37...Bf5 and 38...Bf5 in those two lines, winning the bishop in both cases, and later the game.

Can you spot the flaw in my analysis (which I nearly failed to spot)?

[Matthew Turner]

Bb1 isn't a winning plan because of checks on the back rank and Ra8
I'd be tempted not to agree a draw as Black in the end, Instead of Bg4, Black could just play Rb3 or Kg7, a lot a players might struggle with the idea of 'fighting for draw' with three extra pawns but I guess it is possible for Black to run into trouble too.