2018 Gashimov Memorial

[David Robertson]

42....Ng4 looked very strong meeting 43 f3 with Qb8

Yes. But what was Ding thinking with Nxe6 - that he had an advantage? A big liquidation on e4 seemed way more sensible, albeit to keep the balance

[LawrenceCooper]

42....Ng4 looked very strong meeting 43 f3 with Qb8

Yes. But what was Ding thinking with Nxe6 - that he had an advantage? A big liquidation on e4 seemed way more sensible, albeit to keep the balance

Another draw.

[Chris Rice]

So far its Ultimate Perfection At Shamkir at least according to Anish Giri.

[NickFaulks]

This tournament is turning into a farce. You have to wonder whether the players are cross with the organisers about something and this is an organised protest.

Radjabov and Carlsen repeated the position after 15 moves, following exactly a "game" Carlsen- Leko seen in 2007 and since repeated many, many times by GMs disinclined to do a day's work for a day's pay. Karjakin and Navara did go the distance, drawing in 43 moves, but looked to be trying for some speed record and at the end White had 2 1/2 hours on his clock.

It is such a shame that this event commemorates Vugar Gashimov, a highly combative player who always tried to produce interesting chess.

[David Robertson]

This tournament is turning into a farce. You have to wonder whether the players are cross with the organisers about something and this is an organised protest....It is such a shame that this event commemorates Vugar Gashimov, a highly combative player who always tried to produce interesting chess

Precisely my thoughts too. I'd been wondering whether the ludicrously heavy-handed 'draws policy' might be the causus belli. ("You want to limit the number of draws? Here: how many can you handle!") The remaining games today look likely to run the continuous total up to 19 - though it's hard to see Topa-Shak fizzling out, as things stand (#21)

[Chris Rice]

Seven different reasons already have been put forward in this Chess 24 report such as Ding Liren and Giri being draw specialists, unusual time control, Mamedyarov, Karjakin and Radjabov are all mates of each other, etc. Perhaps there is some truth in each of the explanations though it certainly looks to me as if Carlsen and Topalov are really trying to win but just can't get it done.

[Roger de Coverly]

though it's hard to see Topa-Shak fizzling out, as things stand (#21)

The chessbomb Stockfish is scoring it as almost equal. Presumably it reckons that despite only having 5 pawns to Black's 7 and the extra pawns being dangerous queen side invaders, White's attack is going to suffice for at least a repetition.

(edit) Later the attack won a piece, albeit for several pawns, a couple of which looked very dangerous. In the event the extra piece proved decisive. (/edit)

[Chris Rice]

Yes, thanks Roger, Round 4 gets us our first decisive result! Topalov 1-0 Mamedyarov. Let's hope we don't have to wait till Round 8 for the next one.

[Tim Harding]

Yes, thanks Roger, Round 4 gets us our first decisive result! Topalov 1-0 Mamedyarov. Let's hope we don't have to wait till Round 8 for the next one.

I was about to say: No you are about to get Giri 0 Ding 1. But then this happened

Surprising subtlety in this position where Ding had a big think (20 minutes).

White Kf5, pawns a2, b3, b4
Black Kb5, Bd2, Pa7

[Event "Shamkir Chess"] [Site "chess24.com"] [Date "2018.04.22"] [Round "4.1"] [White "Giri, Anish"] [Black "Ding, Liren"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A13"] [WhiteElo "2777"] [BlackElo "2778"] [Annotator "Harding,Tim"] [PlyCount "129"] [EventDate "2018.??.??"] [WhiteTeam "Netherlands"] [BlackTeam "China"] [WhiteTeamCountry "NED"] [BlackTeamCountry "CHN"] 1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. b3 d5 4. Bb2 c5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. g3 Nc6 7. Bg2 d4 8. O-O Be7 9. Na3 O-O 10. Nc4 Be6 11. e3 Rc8 12. exd4 cxd4 13. Re1 Bd5 14. Nce5 Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Re8 16. Bf3 Bc5 17. Rc1 Qd6 18. Nd3 Rxe1+ 19. Nxe1 Re8 20. Nd3 Bb6 21. Nf4 Bxf3 22. Qxf3 Qd7 23. h4 h6 24. Ng2 Ng4 25. Re1 Ne5 26. Qe4 Re6 27. Ba1 Ng4 28. Qd3 Ne5 29. Qe4 g6 30. Rf1 f5 31. Qf4 Qd5 32. f3 Kg7 33. g4 Rf6 34. g5 hxg5 35. hxg5 Re6 36. Qg3 Nd3 37. Nf4 Nxf4 38. Qxf4 Kf7 39. Qh4 Ke7 40. Qh7+ Kd6 41. Bb2 f4 42. Kh1 Qxg5 43. Ba3+ Kc6 44. Rc1+ Kb5 45. Qxb7 Qh4+ 46. Kg1 Re1+ 47. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 48. Kg2 Qxd2+ 49. Kh3 Qc2 50. Qd5+ Ka6 51. Bd6 Qc8+ 52. Kg2 Qc2+ 53. Kh3 Qc1 54. Kg4 Qg1+ 55. Kxf4 Qh2+ 56. Kg4 Qh5+ 57. Qxh5 gxh5+ 58. Kxh5 d3 59. Bf4 Ba5 60. Kg4 Kb5 61. Kf5 d2 62. Bxd2 Bxd2 63. f4 {[#]} Kb4 (63... a6 { also wins but}) (63... a5 {only draws, e.g.} 64. Ke5 Kb4 65. f5 Bc3+ 66. Kd5 Ka3 67. Kc4) 64. Ke4 Kc5 $4 (64... a6 $19) (64... Ka3 $19) 65. Ke5 {Now it's a draw.} Kc6 66. f5 Bb4 67. Ke6 Ba3 68. f6 a5 69. Kf7 {f7, Ke5 and Kf5 would also draw} Kd7 1/2-1/2 </pgn> So Ding should have had three decisive games: two wins and a loss?

[Tim Harding]

Carlsen off the mark against Wojtaszek. 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 d6 3 d4 - what's that all about?
This guy just breaks all the rules!

[Roger de Coverly]

Carlsen off the mark against Wojtaszek. 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 d6 3 d4 - what's that all about?

I had never seen it either, but it has been played a few times. It could be a relative of the known line that runs 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Bb5 although Carlsen used a different treatment by playing b3, Bb2 and Qd2.

Carlsen's move order also allows him to play a later f3.

You can also reach the position after move 5 with
1.e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qd2 d6 5. Nc3 Nf6
which is a sequence only likely to have been seen in junior tournaments or sub 1600 tournaments or pairings.

6 b3 appears the novelty as is plan of playing Bb2 and long castling, although that's seen in other openings.

[LawrenceCooper]

Topalov won with black against Navara to move to +2, ahead of Magnus on +1. Mamedyarov, Navara & Wojtaszek are on -1 with the rest sitting on =5.

[NickFaulks]

I 'm surprised that Carlsen didn't play 17.Nd5. This move would certainly have been whipped out in a !970s weekend Swiss - it was the one idea that everyone knew.

[JustinHorton]

Carlsen off the mark against Wojtaszek. 1 e4 c5 2 Nc3 d6 3 d4 - what's that all about?

I had never seen it either, but it has been played a few times. It could be a relative of the known line that runs 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Bb5 although Carlsen used a different treatment by playing b3, Bb2 and Qd2.

Carlsen's move order also allows him to play a later f3.

You can also reach the position after move 5 with
1.e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qd2 d6 5. Nc3 Nf6
which is a sequence only likely to have been seen in junior tournaments or sub 1600 tournaments or pairings.

6 b3 appears the novelty as is plan of playing Bb2 and long castling, although that's seen in other openings.

The game is annotated in Chess Today 6377, with the curious note to White's move 5:

The main move is 5.Bb5.

Main move?

[Mick Norris]

Chess Mind analysis doesn't mention it, but chess.com does