The sixth Vugar Gashimov Memorial (Cat. 22), the world’s strongest all-play-all event, is in full swing in Shamkir, Azerbaijan.
Defending champion Magnus Carlsen got off to a fine start, to move into position for his second consecutive major victory after he took the fifth-round lead.
The Norwegian world champion won the elite Tata Steel Masters (Cat. 21) last January in the Netherlands.
Carlsen, 28, had two wins and three draws for 3.5 total, the best score in the 10-super GM field, which included three world champions. He had a half point lead over Vishy Anand of India and Sergey Kariakin of Russia.
Other scores read: Liren (CHN), Radjabov (AZE), Navarra (CZE), Grischuk (RUS), 2.5, Mamedyarov (AZE), Topalov (BUL), 2.0 and Giri (NED), 1.5.
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Hikaru Nakamura won convincingly in the final round to pull away from Leinier Dominguez and Fabiano Caruana, to capture the 2019 US Championship in St. Louis, Missouri.
Nakamura, 31, had an impressive 8.0 out 11.0 score on five wins, six draws, no loss record to win his fifth national title and the $50,000 top prize. He gained 14 rating points and rose five slots to No.11 with 2760 in the live chess ratings.
Dominguez and Caruana were tied for second-third, half-a-point behind the winner.
In the women’s event, 17-year-old Jeniffer Yu, dominated the competition with a near perfect 10.0 out of 11.0 (9 wins and 2 draws) performance.
Biting the dust in a tie for second-third were Tatev Abrahamian and Anna Zatonskih at 7.5 each.
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Chess is full of surprises that even a former world champion like Anand, with hundreds of tricks available at his fingertips, can be caught napping. This game is a fine example of Carlsen’s virtuosity in the endgame.
2019 Gashimov Memorial
W) M. Carlsen (Norway)
B) V. Anand (India)
Queen’s Gambit Declined
1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 e6
3. Nf3 d5
4. Nc3 Be7
5. Bf4 ....
An old but reliable variant in which White avoids the classical line 5. Bg5. The text has become more popular lately owing to its attacking ambitions along the c file.
5.... O-O
6. e3 c5
The Tarrasch variation, long considered drawish, and leads to a more positional type of struggle. Black accedes to an isolated d Pawn in return for free piece play, resulting in dynamic equilibrium.
7. dxc5 Bxc5
8. Qc2 Nc6
9. a3 Qa5
10. Rd1 Rd8
11. Be2 Ne4
12. cxd5 Nxc3
13. bxc3 exd5
14. O-O h6
15. a4 Bd6
16. Bxd6 Rxd6
17. c4 Be6
18. c5 Rdd8
19. Rb1 Qc7
20. Qb2 Rab8
21. Nd4 Nxd4
22. Qxd4 b6
23. cxb6 Rxb6
24. h3 Rc8
25. Rfd1 Qc3
26. Qxc3 Rxc3
27. a5 Rxb1
28. Rxb1 Rc5?
Not a good idea. Defending the seventh rank with 28...Rc7 is correct, and after 29. Rb8ch Kh7 30. a6 Bc8, Black may hold. The text move put the a7 Pawn in danger.
29. a6?! ....
29. Rb8ch Kh7 30. a6, followed by 31. Rb7 is a better alternative, according to the engine.
29.... g6?
Another bad move. 29...Bc8 seems forced.
30. Rb7 Rc1ch
31. Kh2 Rc2
32. Bb5 Rb2
After 32....Rxf2 33. Rxa7, White probably is winning.
33. Kg3 Bc8
34. Rb8 Kg7
35. Rxc8 Rxb5
36. Rc7 Ra5
37. Rxa7 Kf6??
A fatalistic reply.. Black’s best chance is 37....d4!, when after 38. exd4 Rd5 39. Ra8 Rxd4 40. Kf3 Ra4, he retains drawing chances. Or 37....Ra4! 28. Kf3 Kf6 39. Ra8 d4 40. e4 d3 41. Ke3 Rd4 42.Kd2 Rxe4 43. Kxd3 Ra4, with drawing chances.
38. Ra8! ....
Preventing ...d4 and transitioning to a theoreticallly won R+P ending.
38.... Ra3
If 38....d4 39 exd4 Rd5 40. a7! Rxd4? 41. Rb8 and the Pawn promotes.
39. Kh2 h5
40. a7 Ra2
41. h4 Kf5
42. f3 Ra1
43. g3 1-0
There’s nothing Black can do. White’s King will pick up the d5 Pawn, and advance his K-side Pawns to open up the Black King position. E.g., 43....Kf6 44. Kg2 Ra2ch 45. Kf1 Ra1ch 46. Ke2 Ra2ch 47. Kd1 Ra1ch 48. Kc2 Ra2ch 49. Kb3 Ra6 50. Kb4 Ra1 51. Kc5 Ra5ch 52. Kd6 Ra3 (or 52...Kf5 53. Ke7) 53. Kxd5.etc.
Solution to last week’s puzzle
Black to move and win.
White=Kb6, Bg8, Pc4, Pf2
Black=Kd6, Ne5, Pf4, Ph4
1.... Nd7!
1....h3? 2. c5ch Ke7 (2....Kd7 3. Bd5 f3 4. c6ch Kd6 5.c7 Nd7ch 6. Kb7 Nc5ch 7. Kb6! and White draws) 3. c6 h2 4. Bd5 f3 5. Bxf3 Nxf3 6. c7 h1Q 7. c8Q, etc.
2. Kb5 f3
With the idea 3. Bd5 Ne5.
3. Bf7 h3
4. c5ch Kc7
0-1 (the threat is ....Ne5, followed by ...h2.
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White to play and win.