A selection of the world’s top players will see action this weekend as the third leg of the $1 million online Grand Tour gets underway.
Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen, winner of the first leg and the top seed, will be seeking to win the top prize for the second time and will be desperate to bounce back after a shocking semifinal loss to American Hikaru Nakamura at the Lindores Abby second leg. Russia’s rising star, Daniil Dubov, won that event by beating Nakamura in the finals.
Dubbed as the online Chessable Masters, the 12-super GM field was split into two groups of six, where they play a double round-robin preliminary, with the top four in each group advancing to the knockout grand finals. Time control will be 15 minutes, plus 10 seconds per move increment.
Group A pairings: Nakamura vs Carlsen; Dubov vs Grischuk (Russia); and Artemiev (Russia) vs Harikrishna (India).
Group B pairings: Caruana (USA) vs Liren (China); Nepomniachtchi (Russia) vs Radjabov (Azerbaijan); and Vachier-Lagrave (France) vs Giri (Netherlands).
Round one games are in progress as we go to press, and can be viewed live with move-by-move commentaries at chess24.com and various chess websites.
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Meanwhile, with the game hanging in the balance and his title quest slipping away, Magnus Carlsen played the kind of chess that wins majors, outlasting Fabiano Caruana in a thrilling final round to capture the online Clutch International.
Carlsen, 29, whose current hobby is collecting first prizes in major online tournaments, which proliferates nowadays, pocketed the top prize of $50,000 and an additional $25,000 bonus prize.
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In the following game, a little galloping by the Knight brings about an exciting finish to a tranquil opening. A fine performance by the tournament winner.
2020 Clutch Chess International
W) M. Carlsen (Norway)
B) F. Caruana (USA)
London System (Colors Reversed)
1. d4 Nf6
2. Bf4 d5
3. e3 c5
After 3.....e6 4. Nf3 Bd6 5. Nbd2 0-0 6. c3 b6 7. Ne5 c5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. h4 Nc6, the game leads to a balance middlegame. Carlsen-Mamedyarov, 2020 FIDE Online Steinitz Memorial.
4. Nf3 Nc6
5. Nbd2 Nh5
6. dxc5 Nxf4
7. exf4 Qa5
8. Bd3 Qxc5
9. O-O g6
10. Nb3 Qd6
11. Qd2 Bg7
12. c3 O-O
13. Rfe1 Bg4
There are also numerous possibilities of more less debatable nature, but 13....Bh6 is most accurate, according to the engine. For instance, 14. g3 e5 15. Rad1 exf4 16. Be4 Ne7 17. Bxd5 Nxd5 18. Qxd5 Qxd5 19. Rxd5 Be6, and Black was slightly better because of the Bishop pair.
14. Qe3 Bxf3
15. Qxf3 e6
16. h4 h5
16....Rfd8, as the engine suggests, leads to equality after 17. Rad1 a5 18. a4 Rac8 19. h5 Qc7, etc.
17. g3 Rfe8
18. Rad1 a6
19. Nd2 b5?!
A dubious move which allows White to obtain a dangerous initiative. 19....Rac8, with chances to hold, seems preferable.
20. Ne4! ....
A tempo-gaining intermezzo, which will enlarge White’s bridgehead for K-side operations.
20.... Qd7
Obviously 20...dxe4? loses material after 21. Bxe4.
21. Ng5 ....
Now the Knight jumps over to its best attacking square on the Kingside.
21.... Rad8
22. Bc2 b4
23. Ba4 bxc3
24. bxc3 Qc8?
This error leads to a quick collapse. 23....Rf8 may offer more resistance, though White clearly has a big advantage.
25. f5! ....
This finally is a decisive blow to which there is no good reply.
25.... gxf5
Forced, as 25....exf5? loses outright after 26. Rxe8ch Rxe8 27. Qxd5.
26. c4! ....
An energetic follow up of his previous move, which breaks the game wide open.
26..... Nd4
27. Rxd4 Bxd4
28. Bxe8 Rxe8
29. Qxh5 Qc7
Other tries also fails after 30. cxd5.
30. cxd5 Re7
31. dxe6 f6
If 31....Qxg3ch 32. Kh1 Qxf2 33. exf7ch Kf8 34. Nh7ch and mate follows. Now White finishes off the game in spectacular fashion.
32. Qg6ch Kf8
33. Nf3 Bc3
34. Rc1 Rxe6
35. Nd4 Rb6
36. Qh6ch Kg8
37. Qe3 1-0
Solution to last week puzzle
Black to move and win.
White=Kh1, Qf8, Ra1, Pe7, Pe5, Pf4, Pg2, Ph3
Black=Kh7, Qh4, Rd3, Nd4, Pb5, Pg7, Ph6
1.... Rxh3ch
2. gxh3 Qxh3ch
3. Kg1 Qg4ch
0-1
If 4. Kh1 Nf3 and wins. Or 4. Kf2 Qf3ch 5. Kg1(5. Ke1 Qe2 mate) Ne2ch
6. Kh2 Qg3ch 7. Kh1 Qh3 mate.
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Black to play and win.