British Chess Magazine - Issue 144, December 2021

Volume 141
DECEMBER
2021
FIDE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

DUBAI 2021
THERE
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FIDE Official

December 2021
Report from the start of the Dubai

match to determine the new world champion in chess
24th November – 16th December
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE

By Aleksandar Colovic (in Dubai) and Milan Dinic (London)
Photo: FIDE Official and GM Aleksandar Colovic
As this issue of BCM goes into print the The venue

match in Dubai is firing up. As expected –
the opponents are evenly matched and The Expo Centre is located about half an
the games are tough but, in the end, hour’s drive from the centre of Dubai.
there can only be one World Champion While the official hotels were in the centre
of Dubai, Carlsen’s camp was located even
Thanks to the Covid−19 pandemic this further out, meaning he had to travel for
match is a year late but - to the joy of all in much longer to get to the games.
the chess world - it finally happened!
The match took place in a very spacious
FIDE invested a lot of money in the event venue, all in white and marble. If the theme
(the prize fund alone is two million Euros) for the 2018 London match was black and
and the organisers of the Dubai Expo - somewhat gloomy (thinking about the
where the match is held - have made a lot of dark designs and branding), for Dubai it’s
effort to give the game its deserved space definitely white! Unlike in London where
and promotion, making the event one of the the spectators were crammed into a small
cornerstones of their campaign “Connect dark room on uncomfortable benches, in
minds, build the future”. Dubai, the area for those who wanted to see

12/141
the players “in the flesh” was much bigger The odds
and there is more space.
Ahead of the duel in Dubai most top players
However, many of the visitors chose to said the odds were in favour of Carlsen,
spend their time in the room with the noting his determination to seek chances in
live commentary. And no wonder, given dead−drawn positions and to find an angle
who FIDE chose as the commentator for in any situation.
the match: none other than Viswanathan
Anand - the former World Champion In the run−up to the encounter in Dubai there
and the man who had first−hand was a lot of talk about the alleged rivalry
experience in playing in the world between the two. That claim doesn’t really
matches (including two against Carlsen, seem to stand as there is no real rivalry that
which the Indian lost). is specific just to these two players. Like
it or not, in recent years Carlsen has been
Even though Covid−19 is still a big issue, in a league of his own and - whilst several
the mask−wearing at the Expo centre wasn’t top players could match his strength and
strictly practised. However, to enter the beat him (and many did, especially more
venue each day, a person always had to recently) - nobody distinguished himself as
show proof of vaccination. a clear rival to the Norwegian. However,
that might change very soon.
Despite there clearly being two camps,
this wasn’t really noticeable at the venue. On the other hand, things were not looking
Carlsen’s brand - Play Magnus - had its completely clear−cut for Carlsen. It’s
own VIP room lounge where Henrik noticeable that in recent years he’s been
Carlsen and the team usually gathered to struggling more and entering into difficult
follow the game. There’s also the official positions. If we look at the two previous
VIP room and in both you could see world championship matches (against
members of both camps. Caruana in 2018 and Karjakin in 2016),
Carlsen won just one out of 24 classical
All in all, everything looked and felt well games, managing to secure his victory only
organised, as it should be for an event of in the Rapid part.
this scale.
Before the match in Dubai, Garry Kasparov
The unusual daily schedule of the games noted that Magnus had shown increasing
The games were scheduled to start later signs of vulnerability in recent years, barely
than usual for a chess event. managing to wriggle out of difficult positions.
Comparing the two players, Vishy Anand
For those who followed the match in made an interesting observation - that while
the UK, the games were starting just both players can be close when both are
around lunchtime - at 12.30. However, playing at their peak powers, Carlsen’s lows
this was 4.30 pm in Dubai, meaning that are much lower than Nepo’s dips in form.
the games could last (and often did last)
until late at night, even midnight or after. When asked before the match what his biggest
advantage over Nepo is, Carlsen confidently
It turns out that the decision to start the said: “My biggest advantage is that I am better
games rather later was deliberate. Given at chess.” Magnus also noted that for him it is
the TV coverage with the US network a bit easier to play the match as it is not his first
NBC and the aim to have as many people time. Nepo brushed off any suggestions that he
as possible from around the world tune might be nervous. Overall, his body language
in and follow the match live, this seemed and behaviour in the first few games showed
like a justifiable decision. confidence and resilience.

December 2021
On friendship and chess XIIIIIIIIY

In the opening press conference, the players 9r+lwq-trk+0
were asked how this match would affect 9+-zppvlpzpp0
their friendship, given that it is known that 9p+-+-sn-+0
they had worked together before and knew
each other well. 9snp+-zp-+-0
9-+-+P+-+0
Nepomniachtchi’s summary of the prior
good relations between the two was 9+L+-+N+P0
particularly striking and quotable: “Once 9PzPPzP-zPP+0
you sit at the board, you have no friends.” 9tRNvLQtR-mK-0
The opening games xiiiiiiiiy
(analysis by GM Aleksandar Colovic) The first surprise of the match. Black usually
plays 8...¥b7 here, though we could have
Ian Nepomniachtchi - Magnus Carlsen had a transposition in the case of 8...¥b7
9.d3 ¤a5!?, implementing the same idea
WCh 2021 Dubai UAE (1), 26.11.2021 from the game.
1.e4 Nepomniachtchi started the match 9.¤xe5 White needs to take the pawn,
with his usual move. He has played 1.c4 otherwise he has no compensation for the
as well, but for the first game, always a lost pair of bishops.
tense affair especially for the Challenger,
he decided to stick to what he knows best. 9...¤xb3 10.axb3 ¥b7 Black develops
with tempo, attacking the pawn on e4.
1...e5 Carlsen only believes in two good first
moves for World Championship matches. This, 11.d3 The only way to remain a pawn up,
or the Sicilian. (The Caro-Kann he played in as defending with the knight allows 11.¤c3
his first match with Anand was just a one-off b4 followed by ...¤xe4.
surprise with the aim of letting Anand’s team
waste time and energy preparing something he 11...d5 Black plays in the same manner as
didn’t intend to use again.) in the Marshall - he opens the game for his
bishops and banks on active piece play as
2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥b5 a6 After his matches with compensation.
Anand, where he played the Berlin, Carlsen
felt more comfortable with the Marshall, 12.exd5 £xd5
starting with his match with Karjakin, so this XIIIIIIIIY
variation, where Black sacrifices a pawn for
activity, is his choice again. 9r+-+-trk+0
9+lzp-vlpzpp0
4.¥a4 ¤f6 5.0–0 ¥e7 6.¦e1 b5 7.¥b3
0–0 Inviting the Marshall in case of White’s 9p+-+-sn-+0
natural 8.c3, when 8...d5 has proved to be 9+p+qsN-+-0
quite comfortable for equality. 9-+-+-+-+0
8.h3 One of the ways to avoid the long and 9+P+P+-+P0
forcing lines of the Marshall. When faced 9-zPP+-zPP+0
with the same choice Kasparov preferred
8.a4 in his match with Nigel Short in 1993. 9tRNvLQtR-mK-0
8...¤a5!? xiiiiiiiiy
12/141
This is the first critical moment in the 15.£xd5 White practically didn’t have a choice.
game. White needs to decide how to defend
against mate £on g2 - by playing a knight 15.¤c3? is bad now as after 15...£xe5!
or a queen to f3. 16.¦xe5 (16.£xb7 £xe1+ 17.¢xe1 ¦xb7
leaves Black a rook up: we see again the
13.£f3 In spite of Black’s rare 8th move importance of having the bishop on b7
Nepomniachtchi was playing rather fast, protected.) 16...¥xf3 Black wins material.
indicating that he was not surprised by
Carlsen’s choice. He also made this move 15...¤xd5 16.¥d2 White develops: from
relatively fast, indicating that this was still d2 the bishop covers the b4–square.
part of his preparation.
16...c5 Black expands on the queenside,
13.¤f3 is an alternative, keeping the queens thus making White’s extra pawn even more
on board. 13...¦fe8 defends the bishop, difficult to convert into something more
when Black wants to continue with ...c5. His substantial.
space advantage, bishop pair and activity
easily neutralise White’s extra pawn. 17.¤f3
13...¥d6
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY 9rtr-+-+k+0
9r+-+-trk+0 9+l+-+pzpp0
9+lzp-+pzpp0 9p+-vl-+-+0
9p+-vl-sn-+0 9+pzpn+-+-0
9+p+qsN-+-0 9-+-+-+-+0
9-+-+-+-+0 9+P+P+N+P0
9+P+P+Q+P0 9-zPPvL-zPP+0
9-zPP+-zPP+0 9tRN+-tRK+-0
9tRNvL-tR-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy
This is the real novelty, after which Carlsen
xiiiiiiiiy started to think. Previously 17.¤c3 was
Black now threatens ...£xe5 with ...£h2 played in a lot of computer games. White’s
next. idea is to be able to defend the pawn on
c2 with his rook from e1, so the knight is
14.¢f1! Still played quickly by removed from the attacked square.
Nepomniachtchi, defending against Black’s
threat of ...£xe5. After 17.¤c3 ¤b4 18.¦ac1 now White
must defend c2 with his rook from a1 as
14.£xd5 is harmless, after 14...¤xd5 the one on e1 must stay there to defend the
threatening ...¤b4 15.¥d2 ¤e7!, a nice knight on e5 18...¦d8 (or 18...¦e8) 19.¤f3
move for Black, intending ...¤f5–d4. ¥f8. White is awkwardly tied down to the
defence of the pawn on c2, though he can
14...¦fb8! Defending the bishop on b7 and try to find ways to untangle.
still preparation.
17...¦d8 Black needs to redeploy his rooks.
Black’s idea of defending the bishop is seen
after 14...£xe5?! 15.£xb7. White takes the 18.¤c3 ¤b4 19.¦ec1 This was White’s
bishop and after 15...£h2 16.£f3 returns idea on move 17. The other rook stays on
to f3 to cover the kingside. the already open a-file.

December 2021
Spacious: the scene just outside the match area in Dubai
19...¦ac8 20.¤e2 White now threatens 21.¥f4 made more sense. After 21...¥f8
¥xb4 or d4. 22.¤e1 is an interesting move, covering
the pawn on d3 and intending c3. Black
20...¤c6 Carlsen re-routes his knight via still has compensation after something
e7 to f5, from where it still controls the like 22...h6!? 23.c3 g5 24.¥e3 f5 though
d4–square but is not subjected to attack as after 25.f4 ¦e8 26.¤c2 ¥d6. The position
on b4. remains unclear and can become quite
sharp after 27.fxg5 f4! 28.¥f2 ¤e5. In
21.¥e3?! any case this was a better try for White
XIIIIIIIIY than the game continuation.
9-+rtr-+k+0 21...¤e7 Carlsen continues his plan to
9+l+-+pzpp0 bring his knight to f5.
9p+nvl-+-+0 22.¥f4?! The third critical moment of the
9+pzp-+-+-0 game when Nepomniachtchi finally misses
9-+-+-+-+0 all chances to play for more. He played ¥f4
now as Black cannot retreat to f8, but Black
9+P+PvLN+P0 has a stronger option at his disposal.
9-zPP+NzPP+0
22.¤g3 made sense, to prevent ...¤f5.
9tR-tR-+K+-0 After 22...¤d5 23.¥d2 f6 White keeps
xiiiiiiiiy his position intact and can continue to
The second critical moment of the manoeuvre;
game. This move appears too slow as
White doesn’t push d4 and goes to f4 on 22.d4 was another move that looked as if White
the next move when he could have done was preparing for 22...¤f5 23.c3 ¦e8 24.¥d2
so immediately. f6, which is still dynamically balanced.

12/141
The best seats in the house – just in front of the players
22...¥xf3! 26...¤h4 27.¦e3 ¢f8 Black brings the

XIIIIIIIIY king towards the centre, covering a possible
entry point on e7, but in fact there was a
9-+rtr-+k+0 stronger move available.
9+-+-snpzpp0
27...g6! was a strong prophylactic move
9p+-vl-+-+0 against White’s idea of ¤g2. The point
9+pzp-+-+-0 is that after 28.¤g2? ¤f5 the knight on
9-+-+-vL-+0 f5 is defended so White doesn’t have
¦e5 with tempo, so he loses the pawn
9+P+P+l+P0 on d3.
9-zPP+NzPP+0
28.¤g2 ¤f5 29.¦e5 Now the rook moves
9tR-tR-+K+-0 away with tempo and White is in time to
xiiiiiiiiy defend the pawn on d3.
Now Carlsen transforms the position by
exchanging his pair of bishops for pawn 29...g6 30.¤e1?! The fourth critical
weaknesses on the kingside. moment of the game. White voluntarily
makes his knight passive.
23.gxf3 ¥xf4 24.¤xf4 ¦c6 The rook
defends the pawn on a6 and is active on the 30.¢e2 looked natural, with the idea of
sixth rank. ¤e3. Now Black should find 30...¤g7!,
which prevents 31.¤e3 in view of
25.¦e1 ¤f5 Threatening both ...¤d4 and 31...¤e6, threatening ...¤f4. In view
...¤h4. of Carlsen’s next move in the game I’m
pretty sure he would have found it. Now
26.c3 White prevents ...¤d4 but cannot after 31.¦d1 f6 32.¦e3 ¦cd6 Black still
prevent ...¤h4. has comfortable compensation as he has

December 2021
pinned White down to the defence of the should give him enough counterplay.
d3–pawn and the rook on e3 takes the With his last move White controls the
square away from the knight. g5–square and avoids a possible ...¤g5.
30...¤g7! 38...¢f7 38...a5!? was an interesting

XIIIIIIIIY try, the point being that 39.¦xa5? is
bad (39.¦ee1 is better, though after
9-+-tr-mk-+0 39...¦cb6 40.¦a2 a4 Black is pressing.)
9+-+-+psnp0 in view of 39...¤d4+! 40.¢d1 going to
c1 drops the rook to ...¤b3 40...¦b1+
9p+r+-+p+0 41.¢d2 ¦cb6 with a mating attack that
9+pzp-tR-+-0 wins material for Black after 42.cxd4
9-+-+-+-+0 cxd4.
9+PzPP+P+P0 39.¦ee1 ¢f6 40.¤e3 The knight is headed
9-zP-+-zP-+0 to c4.
9tR-+-sNK+-0 40...¦d7 After this the game ends in a
xiiiiiiiiy repetition.
A very nice manoeuvre. The knight is
coming to e6, and the f-pawn can advance 40...¤f4!? was an attempt to play
to f5 to allow for the king to march forward for more with Black. The tactical
to f6. justification is that the knight cannot
be chased away with 41.¦a4? (41.¤c4
31.¦e4 White covers the f4-square with the is better, when White is perfectly fine)
rook, also threatening b4, but after Black’s as now Black has 41...¦b2+! 42.¢xb2
next he is forced to move the rook again. ¤xd3+ winning material.
31...f5 32.¦e3 ¤e6 33.¤g2 The knight is 41.¤c4 ¦e7 42.¤e5 ¦d6 43.¤c4 ¦c6
forced back to g2. 44.¤e5 ¦d6 45.¤c4
33...b4! Another nice move, fixing ½–½

White’s weaknesses on the b-file. One
gets the impression that Carlsen outplayed
Nepomniachtchi from the moment they left
theory as from a perfectly safe position, a Magnus Carlsen - Ian Nepomniachtchi
pawn up, White is now on the defensive,
trying not to be worse. WCh 2021 Dubai UAE (2), 27.11.2021
34.¢e2! Nepomniachtchi finds an active 1.d4 I was actually expecting this move.
way to defend. He returns the pawn and The reasoning behind it is that Carlsen
activates his king. has been very successful against the
Grünfeld (Nepomniachtchi’s main
34...¦b8 35.¢d2 35.¦b1? would be bad as opening against 1.d4) and less successful
after 35...a5µ Black threatens to take on c3 against the Najdorf (Nepomniachtchi’s
and push ...a4 or play ...¦cb6 when White main opening against 1.e4). Also,
will again lose the pawn. historically speaking, the Grunfeld
has suffered more setbacks in World
35...bxc3+ 36.bxc3 ¦xb3 37.¢c2 ¦b7 Championship matches (Kasparov’s
38.h4 White has activated the king and losses to Karpov and Kramnik, Anand’s
Black’s weak pawns on the queenside loss to Topalov) than the Najdorf.

12/141
1...¤f6 2.c4 e6 don’t know whether the Challenger intended

XIIIIIIIIY the QGD or perhaps the Ragozin with 4...¥b4,
or the Semi-Slav with 4...c6, or the Vienna with
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0 4...dxc4, or the Semi-Tarrasch with 4...c5.
9zppzpp+pzpp0
4...¥e7 Still, Nepomniachtchi continued to
9-+-+psn-+0 play quickly enough.
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+PzP-+-+0 5.¥g2 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 Going for the Main Line.
9+-+-+-+-0 7.£c2 b5!? The latest fashion. The main
9PzP-+PzPPzP0 move has always been 7...a6, but recent games
unearthed a forcing way for Black to make a
9tRNvLQmKLsNR0 draw (!) after the move played in the game.
xiiiiiiiiy
I was also expecting this! As I mused in the 8.¤e5!?
previous issue of BCM, Nepomniachtchi had XIIIIIIIIY
a choice between sticking to his Grünfeld or
choosing his newly preferred ...e6 systems. While 9rsnlwq-trk+0
both choices are plausible, it somehow made 9zp-zp-vlpzpp0
more sense to be more solid and avoid Carlsen’s
targeted preparation against the Grünfeld. 9-+-+psn-+0
9+p+-sN-+-0
3.¤f3 Carlsen avoids the Nimzo-Indian, 9-+pzP-+-+0
just as in the match with Caruana.
9+-+-+-zP-0
3...d5 4.g3 This was a surprise, as Carlsen 9PzPQ+PzPLzP0
hasn’t really played like this for quite some time.
Against Caruana he failed to pose problems in 9tRNvL-+RmK-0
the QGD after 4.¤c3 ¥e7, though we still xiiiiiiiiy
December 2021
But Carlsen would have none of it! This curious 9.¤xf7!? or even 9.£c3!? (9.¥xa8
move is very rare and was definitely a £xe5 10.a4 a6 11.axb5 axb5 is a typical
surprise for Nepomniachtchi. unclear position in this line.) 9...c6 (After
9...¦xf7 10.¥xa8 c6 11.a4! White manages
8.a4 has been the automatic response to keep his bishop safe after 11...b4 12.¤d2
and now the move 8...¥b7!? has quickly ¥a6 13.¤f3 £d5 14.¦d1 £e4 15.¤d4
become the most popular choice. The £xc2 16.¤xc2² though the endgame
point is that Black sacrifices a pawn for remains tense.) 10.¤g5 ¤a6 11.a3÷ with a
activity and practically secures a draw murky position with chances for both sides.
after the forcing 9.axb5 a6! 10.bxa6 8...¤d5 is another option if Black doesn’t
(10.¤c3 axb5 11.¦xa8 ¥xa8 12.¤xb5 want to take on d4, but it leads to the same
¥d5 is an alternative where Black is positions as in the game after 9.a4 c6.
also fine.) 10...¤xa6 11.£xc4 ¥d5
12.£d3 ¤b4 13.¦xa8 £xa8 14.£d1 9.a4 White undermines Black’s queenside
¤a2! 15.¤c3 ¤xc3 16.bxc3 h6 with pawn mass.
good central control and few problems
in the game: ½–½ (40) Berkes,F 9...¤d5 Black needs to shut the long
(2671)-Grischuk,A (2775) ECC Struga diagonal.
2021. This game by Grischuk turned
the attention to the idea of the pawn 10.¤c3 f6 More or less forced as the
sacrifice and then other players like Giri, alternatives were weaker.
Fedoseev, Esipenko and van Foreest
successfully used it. 10...b4?! 11.¤e4 only weakens the pawn
on c4. 10...¤b4?! 11.£d1 when Black
8...c6 Played after considerable thought as only removed the knight from d5 that was
Black had a choice. blocking the long diagonal;
8...£xd4 is a typical move in the ...b5 10...¥b7?! 11.axb5 cxb5 12.¤xb5± is just
line, Black sacrifices the exchange for two bad for Black as he has given up the pawn
pawns and activity, but here White has the and is left with a weak one on c4.

12/141
11.¤f3 £d7 15.exf6 ¥xf6 16.¤e4 ¥xd4 17.¤xd4

XIIIIIIIIY £xd4 18.¦b1 even though the position is
very difficult to play for both sides.
9rsnl+-trk+0
9zp-+qvl-zpp0 15.exf6 ¥xf6 16.¤e4 ¤a6 Black has finally
finished his development. It has to be said
9-+p+pzp-+0 that, in spite of being surprised early on, the
9+p+n+-+-0 Challenger has managed to play well enough
9P+pzP-+-+0 and to reach a complex middlegame.
9+-sN-+NzP-0 16...¥xd4? would be a mistake now as,
9-zPQ+PzPLzP0 after 17.¤xd4 £xd4 18.¤g5, Black’s
position collapses as the pawn on e6 falls.
9tR-vL-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy 17.¤e5?!
A critical moment, as Black had an XIIIIIIIIY
important alternative.
9r+-+-trk+0
11...b4!? is a natural move, leading to a 9zpl+q+-zpp0
messy position after 12.¤e4 ¥a6. Black
has to defend the pawn on c4 13.¤c5 ¥xc5 9n+p+pvl-+0
14.dxc5÷ with an unclear position that 9+p+-sN-+-0
Carlsen certainly had prepared. 9P+pzPN+-+0
12.e4 ¤b4 12...¤xc3?! 13.bxc3² only 9+-+n+-zP-0
strengthens White’s centre. 9-zP-+QzPLzP0
13.£e2 ¤d3 Landing a knight on d3 9tR-vL-+RmK-0
is annoying for White, but he still has xiiiiiiiiy
the initiative. By this point it was clear The move that turns the tide in the game.
that Carlsen was still in his preparation Objectively it is still OK for White after
while Nepomniachtchi was playing by this, but it is already time for him to
himself, giving the World Champion the seek equality rather than initiative and
psychological initiative. advantage. The reason for the move was
Carlsen’s missing Black’s 18th move.
14.e5! Since Black was threatening ...b4,
with this push White liberates the e4–square 17.¤xf6+ was natural. Now Black should
for the knight on c3. take with a pawn to keep control over
the e5–square, so 17...gxf6 18.¥h6 ¦f7
14...¥b7 Black rushes to finish 19.¦fd1 keeps the game balanced and
development. very complicated, for example 19...¤ab4
20.¤e1 £xd4 21.¤xd3 cxd3 22.£xe6
14...f5 was an alternative, controlling the with a mess where objectively both sides
e4–square, but this allows tactics on the long are fine. 22...£d7 23.£b3 c5 24.¥xb7
diagonal, for example 15.axb5 cxb5 16.d5! £xb7 25.¦ac1÷
exd5 17.¤e1! White has the initiative, but
the game remains very complicated, for 17...¥xe5 18.dxe5 ¤ac5! This is the move
example 17...¤xc1 18.¦xc1 ¥b7 19.e6! Carlsen missed. Now the psychological
£d6 20.¦d1° with compensation for the initiative passes to Nepomniachtchi.
two pawns.; 14...b4 was another option,
when again White has compensation after 19.¤d6 ¤b3 20.¦b1?!

December 2021
Ten interesting facts

XIIIIIIIIY
about Carlsen and Nepo 9r+-+-trk+0
9zpl+q+-zpp0
Carlsen 9-+psNp+-+0
9+p+-zP-+-0
- Learnt how to play chess when he was 9P+p+-+-+0
five
- Top-rated world player since July 2011 9+n+n+-zP-0
- Reached the top 100 when he was 15 9-zP-+QzPLzP0
years old
- His peak rating was 2882 achieved in 9+RvL-+RmK-0
May 2014 xiiiiiiiiy
- Holds the record for the longest The position is very difficult, so it’s not
undefeated streak – 125 games, from 31 a surprise that Carlsen misjudged how he
July 2018 to 10 October 2020 should sacrifice the exchange.
- He has won 12 world championships
(so far): Four Classical, 3 Rapid and 5 20.¥e3! was a better version. After 20...¤xa1
Blitz 21.¦xa1 White has enough compensation,
- Modelled for g-Star RAW alongside though it’s understandable why he wanted
Liv Tyler to get rid of the annoying knight on d3.
- Was a guest star in The Simpsons Even more so, here he had to calculate what
- A dedicated fan of Real Madrid happens if Black takes on e5: 21...¤xe5
football club 22.¥c5! ¤d3 23.¤xb7 £xb7 24.¥xf8 ¦xf8.
- Was leading the Premier League’s Now the pawn on f2 is attacked but White
official Fantasy Football table survives after 25.axb5 £xb5 26.£xe6+ ¢h8
27.¦xa7 £xb2 28.¦f7, with equality.
Nepo 20...¤bxc1 21.¦bxc1 ¤xc1 22.¦xc1

¦ab8 23.¦d1 Objectively White shouldn’t
- Learnt chess when he was four (a year have enough compensation for the
earlier than Carlsen!) exchange and the pawn, but practically his
- His peak rating is 2792 dominating knight and the tactical chances
- His lifetime record against Carlsen in on the kingside after ¥e4 make it difficult
classical chess is +4 -1 =8 (excluding for Black to convert his advantage.
the Match)
23...¥a8?! This looks logical, opening the
- A two-time winner of the Russian
b-file, but in fact it allows White back in
Championship
the game.
- European Champion in 2010
- Holds a diploma in Journalism from 23...bxa4! Opening the b-file immediately
the Russian State Social University was better 24.¥e4 g6! stops any ideas
- Owns a cat and a dog based on ¥xh7, £h5 and ¦d4 25.£xc4
- Supports Spartak Moscow c5µ when Black successfully untangles.
- Played Dota and Dota 2 on a
competitive level 24.¥e4?! Creating the threat of ¥xh7 but
- Has a positive score against world it was simpler to collect the b5–pawn.
champions including Magnus Carlsen,
Vladimir Kramnik, Vishwanath Anand, 24.¤xb5 was sufficient for equality
Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov 24...£e7 (or 24...£b7 25.¥e4! a6 26.¤d6

12/141
£xb2 27.¦d2 £c1+ 28.¦d1 £h6 29.£xc4 27.£xa4 Now White is OK and doesn’t
when White’s activity compensates for the risk losing any longer.
exchange.) 25.¤d6: Black has lost the b5–
pawn for nothing. 25...c5 26.¥xa8 ¦xa8 27.¥xg6? the sacrifice doesn’t work: 27...
27.£xc4° with similar compensation to hxg6 28.£xg6+ £g7 29.£xe6+ ¢h8
the game. 30.¦d4 ¦b1+ because Black is faster, with
31.¢g2 c5+ winning the rook.
24...c3?! Black removes the c4–pawn, but
there was really no need for it. 27...¦fd8 28.¦a1 c5 29.£c4 ¥xe4
30.¤xe4 Threatening ¤f6.
The simple 24...g6! eliminated all threats
on the kingside and left Black on top. The 30...¢h8 30...£c6 could have ended in
point being that after 25.£g4 Black has repetition after 31.¦xa7 ¦d1+ 32.¢g2
25...¢h8 as now the sacrifice on g6 doesn’t ¦d4 33.cxd4 £xe4+ 34.¢h3 £f5+
work in view of ...¦g8. 35.¢g2 £e4+
25.£c2?! Carlsen again complicates it a 31.¤d6 White has easy play now with the
bit. It was better simply to take on c3, which monster knight on d6 and the safer king.
would have avoided the extra possibility Now the psychological initiative returned
that this move allowed. to the World Champion.
After 25.bxc3 bxa4 26.£c2 g6 27.£xa4 31...¦b6 32.£xc5 ¦db8 33.¢g2!

we arrive at the position from the game but XIIIIIIIIY
without the extra option for Black on move 26.
9-tr-+-+-mk0
25...g6 26.bxc3 bxa4?! 9zp-+q+-+p0
XIIIIIIIIY 9-tr-sNp+p+0
9ltr-+-trk+0 9+-wQ-zP-+-0
9zp-+q+-+p0 9-+-+-+-+0
9-+psNp+p+0 9+-zP-+-zP-0
9+-+-zP-+-0 9-+-+-zPKzP0
9p+-+L+-+0 9tR-+-+-+-0
9+-zP-+-zP-0 xiiiiiiiiy
9-+Q+-zP-zP0 A nice manoeuvre to improve the king’s
safety.
9+-+R+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy 33...a6 33...£c6+ appears dangerous, so
Missing the promising chance that White it’s understandable that Black avoids the
allowed with his 25th move. exchange of queens with 34.£xc6 ¦xc6
35.¦xa7, but in fact after 35...¦xc3 White
26...£g7! was the extra option that Black has nothing more than equality after 36.¤f7+
had, thanks to the pawn’s being forced to ¢g8 37.¤g5 ¦c2! 38.¤xh7 ¦bb2.
move to g6. 27.f4 is the only way to keep
the pawn on e5 alive, but after 27...g5! 34.¢h3! The king is safe on h3 as there are
Black starts attacking on the kingside and no checks from anywhere now.
White loses the advantage of the safer
king, making his compensation even 34...¦c6 35.£d4 ¢g8 36.c4 White has
more problematic. everything defended and he can decide

December 2021
On the spot: GM Aleksandar Colovic in Dubai

whether to keep the pawn on c4 (where it’s Attacking the pawn on f2 and threatening
defended by the knight) or to push it to c5 to ...£f5, exchanging queens.
avoid any possible exchange sacrifices on d6.
The immediate 41...£xf2?? drops the
36...£c7 Black stops c5 and prepares rook after 42.£e5+ ¢h6 43.£xb8
...¦d8xd6. because Black cannot take White’s rook
after 43...£f1+ 44.¢h4 £xa6 in view of
37.£g4 This is practically a draw offer, 45.£f8#.
albeit from a position of strength. White
couldn’t really play for more anyway, 42.f4 £f5+ 43.£xf5 ¦xf5 The rook
though his position remains the more endgame is a trivial draw, though the
pleasant one. players played on to the end.
37...¦xd6 38.exd6 £xd6 39.c5 White now 44.¦a7+ ¢g8 45.¢g4 ¦b5 45...¦h5!?
wins a pawn, but a theoretical 3 vs 2 rook was mentioned by Giri as more precise. The
endgame arises. point is that it fixes the structure after 46.h4
¦b5 47.¦e7 h5+!
39...£xc5 40.£xe6+ ¢g7 41.¦xa6 ¦f8!
XIIIIIIIIY 46.¦e7 ¦a5 47.¦e5 ¦a7 48.h4 ¢g7 49.h5
¢h6 50.¢h4 ¦a1 51.g4 ¦h1+ 52.¢g3
9-+-+-tr-+0 gxh5 53.¦e6+ ¢g7 54.g5 ¦g1+ 55.¢f2
9+-+-+-mkp0 ¦a1 56.¦h6 ¦a4 57.¢f3 ¦a3+ The side
checks ensure the repetition.
9R+-+Q+p+0
9+-wq-+-+-0 58.¢f2 ¦a4
9-+-+-+-+0 ½–½
9+-+-+-zPK0
9-+-+-zP-zP0
In the January issue of BCM
9+-+-+-+-0 we will bring you a full
xiiiiiiiiy report from the Match

12/141
FIDE Grand Swiss 2021
THE GREATEST TOURNAMENT

THAT BARELY HAPPENED
By Milan Dinic
Photo: FIDE Grand Chess Official
The recently finished FIDE Chess.com Grand The first Grand Swiss tournament was
Swiss, which took place in unprecedented held on the Isle of Man in 2019. For this
circumstances in Riga (Latvia), was the year’s tournament, the Scheinberg family
strongest Swiss-system chess tournament in poured a $550,000 heavy prize fund.
the world and it will be remembered as one The 2021 edition also saw the inaugural
of the milestones in the ascend of chess star Women’s Grand Swiss which is from
Alireza Firouzja now on planned as an integral part of the
event, intended to give more support for
The Grand Swiss aims to be the place women’s chess.
where most of the strongest world players
meet annually in an open event, giving Although the event was initially planned
chances for new names to appear and for the Isle of Man, because of coronavirus
unexpected stars to ascend. The event is restrictions there at the time (the same as
generously sponsored by the Scheinberg in the UK) it would have meant that some
family (more precisely, the head of of the players would have had to spend
the family, Isai, who is the founder of two weeks in isolation. FIDE therefore
the world−famous gambling website decided to move everything to Riga,
PokerStars) and endorsed by FIDE, giving Latvia. However, that turned out to be an
it one of the most prominent places in the equally difficult challenge - also because
world championship qualifications cycle. of Covid.

December 2021
The driving force in organizing the Grand Swiss in Riga: Dana Reizniece-Ozola –
the Managing Director of FIDE and former Latvian Minister of Finance
THE STORM BEFORE THE STORM Finance, who still has a strong political pull
in her country. Phones rang in high places,
Organising anything in the era of Covid including the Latvian MOD (as the minister is
is complicated, let alone a massive event a big chess fan), the Ministry of Sports, the
involving over 300 people from all over the Parliament, as well as in Moscow. In the region
world (players, seconds, organisers). where relations are traditionally tense between
the Baltic states and their former master in the
In early August, when the decision was east, it’s surprising how completely opposite
made to move the Grand Swiss to Riga, the the chess connections are.
situation in Latvia regarding Covid−19 was
mostly stable. Within weeks, however, it In the end, FIDE managed to secure an
deteriorated to the point where Latvia had one exemption. This was greatly helped by
of the highest numbers of cases in Europe, other big events also being allowed to take
largely caused by the reluctance of the place - such as the Basketball Champions
Latvians to get vaccinated. Just days before League, FIBA Euroleague Women.
the Grand Swiss was due to start, the Latvian
government announced a four−week national TO BE OR NOT TO BE…
lockdown starting from 21st October, which,
among other things, involved cancellations of FIDE decided to bite the bullet and hold the
all major events including sports. event, putting all faith in strict health and
safety measures and the common sense of
In a race against time FIDE pulled all strings players and participants. It was a long shot
- including political - to get the event exempt but it ended well.
from the restrictions. This task fell mostly to
Dana Reizniece−Ozola - the Managing Director Not everyone was comfortable with the event
of Fide and the former Latvian Minister of going ahead though. Some big names - such

12/141
as Hikaru Nakamura, Alexander Grischuk,

Vidit Gujrathi and Kateryna Lagno - decided
to pull out, citing Covid−19 concerns.
Some asked why FIDE decided to take

the risk instead of just cancelling the
tournament. FIDE’s argument was based
on two points: 1) they did everything
to ensure the highest possible safety
measures for everyone and 2) cancelling
the event (which was supposed to produce
participants for the 2022 Candidates)
would have completely wrecked the chess
calendar for the coming year.
The players who showed up in Riga didn’t

seem to mind. I interviewed or spoke
privately to many of them and nobody was -
either privately or publicly − against the event
taking place. After all, excluding the few top
players in the world who make big money on
streaming and doing videos, for most the only
way to keep their careers going is to play at
events and win as many as possible.
The winners and top-placed players of the
2021 Grand Swiss: (from left) Fide President
PLAYING AND LIVING IN A BUBBLE Arkady Dvorkovich, Zhu Jiner (3rd place),
Lei Tingjie (winner of the women’s GS),
For two weeks in Riga, the players, their Elisabeth Paehtz (2nd place), Fide VP Bachar
seconds and everyone involved in the event Kouatly, Alireza Fioruzja (winner of the
lived within a carefully looked after bubble. Open GS), Fabiano Caruana (2nd place) and
Grigoriy Oparin (3rd place)
The Marriott hotel where we were all
staying and the Hanzas Perons centre
where the games were played (a former there was a police curfew in that period).
train station which was reconstructed into a The curfew was relaxed for the players
culture centre), situated in the centre, were returning from their games (as many lasted
a 10−minute walk from one another. Still, well after 8 pm), providing they had papers
the players had the option to take special showing where they were going to in case
buses to and from the venue. the police stopped them.
If anyone needed anything from outside the Covid tests were carried out every two/
hotel (for example, toiletries or you wanted three days and we all had to wear masks
to buy a souvenir) they had to order it via in the hotel and inside the Hansas Perons
the organisers/ centre (but not in the playing area itself).
Everyone in the bubble was banned from The Chief Arbiter, Alex Holowczak from
visiting any shops or outside venues (not Bristol, missed the first few rounds because
that there were many open, save the food he had to self−isolate, having been in
shops and pharmacies), but we were contact with someone in the UK who later
allowed to go out for walks (providing tested positive. So, nobody was exempt
that it was not after 8 pm or before 5am as from the rules.

December 2021
Having a bubble also meant that, sadly, field of top world players, managed to
there were no spectators. I remember when take the lead from early on and finish
a father came in with two small children - the event with 8/11, half a point ahead
they were politely but firmly turned away: of everyone else.
they couldn’t even enter the building.
2) The stunning performance of the native
Despite somewhat sterile conditions, of Riga, Alexei Shirov, who - despite
the atmosphere was welcoming and the becoming a Grandmaster before many
organisation was very well coordinated, of the top players he faced were even
which isn’t always the case with chess born (13 years before Alireza Firouzja
events, even at the highest level. Also, as a came into the world) - managed to show
few players told me, they usually live like vigour and toughness and give some
this, without much contact with anyone, very good chess lectures to the young
practising chess and avoiding people so as players. He took the final qualification
not to disrupt their concentration. place leading to the 2022 Grand Prix
which means we will be hearing a lot
THE CHESS about him in the coming year.
The 108 players who took part in the Grand 3) The remarkable victory of China’s
Swiss and 50 players in the inaugural Women’s Lei Tingjie who won the inaugural
Grand Swiss played altogether 869 games. Women’s Grand Swiss with a round to
spare (9/11).
Putting the unusual circumstances aside, the
event in Riga was marked by three key things: These key events which marked the
2021 edition of the Grand Swiss, are
1) The spectacular success of Alireza analysed in the following article by GM
Firouzja who, in an incredibly strong Aleksandar Colovic.

12/141
THREE KEY THINGSWHICH MARKED THE

2021 FIDE CHESS.COM GRAND SWISS
ALIREZA FIROUZJA LIKE
BOBBY FISCHER
By GM Aleksandar Colovic
Photo: FIDE Grand Chess Official
The 18−year−old seems to have come of age. Here the question arises: will Firouzja fare
After the successful tournament in Norway better than Fischer in Curacao in 1962?
(see the October issue of BCM for the details), Will he crack under the pressure of the
when he finished second behind the World public impression of a favourite? While
Champion after a series of four consecutive he has shown signs of excessive nerves in
victories, he finally won an elite event. the past, it’s difficult to answer the above
question as we cannot know about his work
And not just any elite event, but the world’s on his own psychology.
toughest Swiss, where the whims of the
pairing system always play a crucial role. In Riga he started well with three wins,
The fact that Firouzja won confidently in taking the lead from the start. His first−
spite of these speaks highly for his strength. round win set the tone - usually, showing
Victory in Riga means that he qualified for good technique early on in an event
next year’s Candidates Tournament. With signifies that the player is in good shape.
this qualification he becomes only the third
teenager to play this event - after Boris Alireza Firouzja - Nijat Abasov
Spassky playing the Amsterdam Candidates
in 1956 at the age of 19 and Bobby FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 Riga LAT (1.3)
Fischer playing the Bled/Zagreb/Belgrade
Candidates in 1959 at the age of 16. Indeed, 1.e4 e5 2.¤f3 ¤f6 The Petroff Defence
his win in the Grand Swiss reminds me of leads to more forcing lines than the Berlin,
Bobby Fischer’s triumph in the Stockholm with both defences considered the toughest
Interzonal in 1962 - by winning the nuts to crack after White’s 1.e4.
qualification for the Candidates in confident
fashion both players immediately became 3.d4 ¤xe4 4.dxe5 d5 5.¤bd2 ¥e7 This
favourites for the main event as well. allows White to transpose to an endgame

December 2021
immediately. The alternatives are 5...¤c5, And now a symmetrical reaction on the
5...¤xd2 and Caruana’s invention 5...£d7!? queenside - a3 and a5, with h3 and h5 on
the other side of the board.
6.¤xe4 dxe4 7.£xd8+ ¥xd8 8.¤d4 ¤d7
Black immediately attacks the pawn on e5. 14...¥d7 15.¢b1 A generally useful move.
There are alternatives here as well, for example,
8...¥d7 (with the idea ...¤c6), 8...c6 or 8...0–0. White didn’t threaten to play 15.b4 because
Black has 15...axb4 16.axb4 ¦a4! 17.c3 b5!
9.¥f4 ¤c5 9...0–0 has been played before, and Black obtains counterplay thanks to the
though after 10.0–0–0 c6 11.e6! ¤b6 pin on the 4th rank.
12.exf7+ ¦xf7 13.¥e3 White has a pleasant
endgame playing against the IQP on e4. 15...b5 16.¥a2 0–0?
XIIIIIIIIY
10.0–0–0 c6 11.¥c4 ¥e7 12.¦he1 9r+-+-trk+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-+lvlpzp-0
9r+l+k+-tr0 9-+p+-+-+0
9zpp+-vlpzpp0 9zppsn-zP-+p0
9-+p+-+-+0 9-+-sNpvL-+0
9+-sn-zP-+-0 9zP-+-+-+P0
9-+LsNpvL-+0 9LzPP+-zPP+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+K+RtR-+-0
9PzPP+-zPPzP0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+-mKRtR-+-0 Black, a strong GM, probably underestimated or
xiiiiiiiiy misevaluated the consequences of White’s next
White has a good game here because his play move. This is how the better players usually win
is easy against Black’s pawn on e4 while his at this level - the opponent’s mistake is rarely
own pawn on the e-file is safely protected. a direct blunder, but rather a miscalculation/
The threat now is b4, to win a pawn. misevaluation a few moves ahead.
12...a5 13.h3 Preventing a possible ...¥g4 Black had to play 16...h4 in order to stop
and preparing an advance on the kingside. White’s g4 for good.
13...h5 By moving both rook pawns Black tries 17.g4! Black probably thought this was
to stop White from moving his knight pawns. impossible because he takes a pawn with
tempo, but Firouzja saw that after the forcing
14.a3XIIIIIIIIY
17...hxg4 18.hxg4 ¥xg4 19.¤xc6! ¦fe8
9r+l+k+-tr0 20.¦d5! The exchange of the pawns led
9+p+-vlpzp-0 to a massive increase of the activity of
White’s pieces that is decisive.
9-+p+-+-+0
9zp-sn-zP-+p0 20...¦ac8 20...¤e6 21.¥e3 ¤c7 in
9-+LsNpvL-+0 this was Black defends the pawn on
b5, though, after the simple 22.¦d2
9zP-+-+-+P0 threatening to take on e7 and obtain the
9-zPP+-zPP+0 pair of bishops or to play ¥b6 and attack
the pawn on a5, Black cannot survive for
9+-mKRtR-+-0 long without material losses.
xiiiiiiiiy
12/141
21.¤a7 Winning the pawn on b5. Impressive endgame play that reminded
me of Alekhine’s treatment of endgames,
21...¦a8 22.¤xb5 ¦eb8 23.¤c7 ¦a7 which often looked like middlegames.
XIIIIIIIIY After beating Swiercz and Predke in the next
9-tr-+-+k+0 two rounds Firouzja faced somewhat stronger
9tr-sN-vlpzp-0 opposition and had three draws in a row
against Yu Yangyi, Vachier and Shirov. He
9-+-+-+-+0 was in fact winning against Shirov, but the
9zp-snRzP-+-0 “fire on board” proved too hot to handle.
9-+-+pvLl+0
Alexei Shirov – Alireza Firouzja
9zP-+-+-+-0
9LzPP+-zP-+0 FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 Riga LAT (6.1)
9+K+-tR-+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
xiiiiiiiiy 9-+ktr-+-+0
24.e6! Forceful endgame play à la Alekhine. 9zpp+-wq-zp-0
24...¦ab7 24...fxe6 25.¤xe6 wins material 9-+-+p+-+0
as the rook on b8 hangs. 9+R+pzPr+-0
25.exf7+ ¢f8 26.¥e5 Simply defending
9-+-zP-+-+0
the pawn on b2. 9+-zP-+-+R0
9P+-wQ-zP-+0
26...¤d7 27.¦xd7! Forceful to the end!
White is winning in many ways; Firouzja 9+-+-+K+-0
chooses the combinative one. xiiiiiiiiy
Black has a winning advantage because
27...¥xd7 28.¦h1 With the inevitable his king is safer. Acknowledging this and
threat of ¦h8, Black resigned. understanding that normal play would lead
to inevitable defeat, Shirov does what he
1–0 does best - muddying the water.
Apart from being the best-dressed player
with his colourful shirts and style, Levon 30.c4!? White wants to create some
Aronian did not have a great tournament chances against Black’s king and thus force
in Riga finishing on 6.5/11 Black to defend rather than attack his own
weakened king.
30...dxc4 31.£c3 ¦df8 32.£xc4+ ¢b8

33.¦b2 £f7 Black ties down White’s
pieces to the defence of the f2–pawn.
34.£e2 White is tied down, but how does

Black proceed?
34...£c7 Threatening ...£c1. For the time

being Black doesn’t find a concrete way to
go forward and creates a 1–move threat.
35.£c2

December 2021
XIIIIIIIIY With the inevitable threat of ¦xb6 and a

draw. It’s incredible how Shirov managed
9-mk-+-tr-+0 to transform the position from being
9zppwq-+-zp-0 attacked to attacking himself in a matter of
only a couple of moves!
9-+-+p+-+0
9+-+-zPr+-0 37...£b7 38.¦xb6 axb6 39.¦xb6 ¦xf2+
9-+-zP-+-+0 40.¢e1 ¦f1+ 41.¢e2 ¦1f2+ 42.¢e1
¦f1+ 43.¢e2
9+-+-+-+R0
9PtRQ+-zP-+0 ½–½
9+-+-+K+-0
xiiiiiiiiy With the three draws by the leader, things
35...£d7?! Continuing to manoeuvre, became closely packed at the top, but the
though here there was a concrete way next game against Najer allowed Firouzja
forward. Black creates another 1–move to pull ahead again. In this game, we can
threat, to take on d4, but this play without a see the exact movement when Fate showed
concrete idea misses his best chance. who is her favourite in the event.
After 35...¦xf2+! 36.£xf2 £c4+ 37.¢g1 Alireza Firouzja - Evgeniy Najer

¦xf2 38.¦xf2 £xd4 Black picks up the
e5–pawn and, with a queen and three pawns FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 Riga LAT (7.1)
against two rooks, he has all the chances XIIIIIIIIY
to win. 9-mK-+-+-+0
36.¦hb3 White creates his first threat: to 9zP-+-+-mkp0
take on b7. 9-+-+-+-+0
36...b6 36...¦xf2+ now this isn’t as strong 9+-+-+-+-0
as on the previous move. After 37.£xf2 9-+-+-+-+0
¦xf2+ 38.¦xf2 Black cannot take on d4 9+-+-+-+P0
because 38...£xd4 39.¦f8+ ¢c7 40.¦f7+
¢c6 41.¦bxb7 the activity of White’s 9r+-+-zp-+0
rooks is enough for a draw. 9+R+-+-+-0
37.£c5! xiiiiiiiiy
After a long and complicated battle, where
XIIIIIIIIY Firouzja was better and then Najer defended
9-mk-+-tr-+0 well, we have a drawn rook endgame. In
order to draw, Black needed to calculate a
9zp-+q+-zp-0 rather straightforward line - how fast does
9-zp-+p+-+0 his king go towards White’s h-pawn and is
9+-wQ-zPr+-0 White in time to bring his king back after
Black gives up his rook for the a-pawn.
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+R+-+-+-0 50...f1£?? Even though the described
calculation is not a very difficult one for a
9PtR-+-zP-+0 player of his calibre, Najer failed to do it
9+-+-+K+-0 properly. Whether the reason was fatigue or
xiiiiiiiiy anything else we cannot know, but here is

12/141
another example of how the stronger win their got a second White in a row in the next
games - they wait for their chances until the round with another win when his opponent
very end and when given they pounce on them. experimented with the theory in the Italian.
50...¢g6 was the direct line that needed to Alireza Firouzja - Krishnan Sasikiran
be calculated. After 51.a8£ ¦xa8+ 52.¢xa8
¢g5 53.¦f1 (in case of 53.¢b7 ¢h4 54.¢c6 FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 Riga LAT (8.1)
¢xh3 55.¢d5 ¢g2 the draw is evident, so
White must eliminate Black’s pawn on f2. 1.e4 e5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥c4 ¥c5 4.c3 ¤f6 5.d3
56.¢e4) 53...¢h4 54.¦xf2 ¢xh3 it was 0–0 6.0–0 d5 The lines with early ...d5 have
necessary to see (or calculate a few more come back to be fashionable again. Instead
moves) that the h-pawn cannot be taken and of the long manoeuvring variations that arise
that the king and pawn unite to usher the after ...d6 Black seeks more active piece play.
h-pawn down the board, thus drawing.
7.exd5 ¤xd5 8.¦e1 ¥g4 9.¤bd2 ¤b6
51.¦xf1 Now White wins as he doesn’t need 10.h3 ¥h5 11.¥b3 ¢h8
to spend time taking Black’s passed f-pawn in XIIIIIIIIY
case Black gives up his rook for the a-pawn. 9r+-wq-tr-mk0
51...¦b2+ 52.¢a8 ¦b3
9zppzp-+pzpp0
XIIIIIIIIY 9-snn+-+-+0
9K+-+-+-+0 9+-vl-zp-+l0
9zP-+-+-mkp0 9-+-+-+-+0
9-+-+-+-+0 9+LzPP+N+P0
9+-+-+-+-0 9PzP-sN-zPP+0
9-+-+-+-+0 9tR-vLQtR-mK-0
9+r+-+-+P0 xiiiiiiiiy
A relatively fresh approach that seeks to
9-+-+-+-+0 avoid the slight, but annoying, initiative
9+-+-+R+-0 White gets after Black takes on d3.
xiiiiiiiiy The position after 11...£xd3 12.¤xe5 £f5
The cutting off doesn’t work because 13.¤ef3 is still not problem-free for Black
White simply brings his rook to the b-file even though Nakamura, in his online games,
to liberate his king. regularly goes for this line with Black.
53.¦c1 ¢g6 54.¦c7 h5 55.¦b7 ¦xh3 12.¤e4 ¤d7 13.¥d5 f5?!

XIIIIIIIIY
56.¦b6+ Liberating b7 with tempo and
allowing the ensuing ¦a6 which ensures 9r+-wq-tr-mk0
the promotion of the a-pawn. 9zppzpn+-zpp0
56...¢g5 57.¢b7 ¦a3 58.¦a6 ¦b3+ 59.¢c7
9-+n+-+-+0
9+-vlLzpp+l0
1–0 9-+-+N+-+0
Normally a player as strong as Najer 9+-zPP+N+P0
would never lose such an endgame, but 9PzP-+-zPP+0
here Firouzja was granted an extra half
a point. He appreciated the gift when he
9tR-vLQtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
December 2021
Objectively not the best, but it’s difficult to 17.d4! Now Firouzja deals with the tactical
say whether the Indian GM was trying to aspects superbly.
semi-bluff (by inviting the rating favourite
into prepared territory and hoping he 17...e4 18.dxc5 ¤de5 Sasikiran attacks in
doesn’t find his way in the complications) an inspired fashion, but his opponent finds
or forgot to play 13...¥b6. In any case, the a refutation.
complications arising after White’s next
are tremendous. 19.¤xe5! With this queen sacrifice, White
eliminates the majority of Black’s pieces,
13...¥b6 has been played before in two thus killing off the attack.
games. After 14.¤g3 ¥xf3 15.£xf3
f5 16.d4 f4 17.¤e4 £h4 (or 17...exd4 19...¥xd1 20.¤d7 £d8 21.¥xc6 ¦e8
18.¥xc6 bxc6 19.¥xf4 dxc3 20.bxc3 with 22.¦xd1 bxc6 23.¥f4 With a rook and
a somewhat better position for White: 1–0 two pieces for the queen, White has
(59) Nepomniachtchi,I (2784)-Aronian,L a material advantage and a winning
(2781) chess24.com INT 2020) 18.¤d2 position.
(18.¥xc6!? bxc6 19.¦d1 is an attempt at
an improvement.) 18...exd4 19.¤c4 was 23...£h4 24.¥xc7 e3 25.fxe3 ¦xe3
unclear in: 1–0 (47) Vachier Lagrave,M 26.¦d4 £e7 27.¥f4 ¦e2 28.b4 £e8
(2751)-Swiercz,D (2655) Saint Louis 29.¦f1 £e6 30.¦f2 Exchanging
USA 2021. Black’s active rook eliminates any hope
of counterplay.
14.¤eg5 h6 15.¤e6 £f6 16.¤xf8 16.d4!
is indicated by the engine as stronger, but 30...¦xf2 31.¢xf2 £xa2+ 32.¥d2 £e6
this is just too complicated for a human 33.c4
when the natural capture on f8 isn’t XIIIIIIIIY
obviously bad.
9-+-+-+-mk0
16...¦xf8? 9zp-+N+-zp-0
XIIIIIIIIY 9-+p+q+-zp0
9-+-+-tr-mk0 9+-zP-+p+-0
9zppzpn+-zp-0 9-zPPtR-+-+0
9-+n+-wq-zp0 9+-+-+-+P0
9+-vlLzpp+l0 9-+-vL-mKP+0
9-+-+-+-+0 9+-+-+-+-0
9+-zPP+N+P0 xiiiiiiiiy
9PzP-+-zPP+0 Everything is defended, so White simply
pushes his queenside pawns.
9tR-vLQtR-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy 33...a6 34.¥f4 £e7 35.b5 Creating a
16...¥xf8! was a better try for Black:the passed pawn that decides the game.
idea is to get away from an attack on the
bishop after d4. Now, after 17.¥e3 ¦d8, 35...axb5 36.cxb5 £e6 37.b6 £b3
Black has some positional compensation 38.¢g1 g5 39.¥d2 g4 40.¦b4!
in view of the pin on the d1–h5 diagonal
and the possibility of advancing his
central pair of pawns to create threats on
the kingside.

12/141
XIIIIIIIIY Najdorf against Karpov in the last game of

their match in Moscow in 1985. Firouzja also
9-+-+-+-mk0 plays the Najdorf and 1...e5, but his choice
9+-+N+-+-0 of the Caro-Kann in this game indicates that
he wanted to keep it more closed.
9-zPp+-+-zp0
9+-zP-+p+-0 2.d4 d5 3.e5 White’s most ambitious try
9-tR-+-+p+0 against the Caro-Kann nowadays.
9+q+-+-+P0 3...¥f5 4.h4 Incidentally, this was also
9-+-vL-+P+0 Kramnik’s choice in the last game in
Brissago.
9+-+-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy 4...h5 In that game Leko played 4...h6,
The b-pawn promotes. which nowadays is considered inferior.
40...£d1+ 41.¢h2 g3+ After 41...£xd2 5.¥d3

42.b7 g3+ 43.¢xg3 £c3+ 44.¢h2:
there are no more checks and the b-pawn
XIIIIIIIIY
becomes a queen with a check on the next 9rsn-wqkvlntr0
move. 9zpp+-zppzp-0
42.¢xg3 f4+ 43.¢h2 9-+p+-+-+0
9+-+pzPl+p0
1–0
9-+-zP-+-zP0
9+-+L+-+-0
This victory gave Firouzja a full point lead 9PzPP+-zPP+0
over the chasing pack, but the next round
saw him paired against one of the world’s 9tRNvLQmK-sNR0
best players. Trailing by a full point Caruana xiiiiiiiiy
had no other chance but to win if he were to This simplistic exchange, which was
keep his own chances of qualification alive. scorned for decades under the influence of
games like Nimzowitsch-Capablanca from
Fabiano Caruana – Alireza Firouzja the New York tournament in 1927, got a
new lease of life with the moves h4 and
FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 Riga LAT (9.1) ...h5 inserted. It turns out that White’s space
advantage, coupled with the weakening
1.e4 c6 Is the Caro-Kann a good opening of Black’s queenside (the g5–square, but
in decisive (must-not-lose) games? While a also the g6–square in case Black wants to
good opening generally (it served Botvinnik undermine White’s centre with ...f6), make
excellently in his matches with Smyslov the position not so easy to play for Black.
and Tal and Karpov also had fantastic
results with it), it is an opening whose 5...¥xd3 6.£xd3 £a5+ 7.¤d2 7.b4!? is
inherent solidity may influence the player another fresh idea that White frequently
to become too passive in his approach. A employs. Caruana prepared the same thrust
typical example of this was the last game only a couple of moves later.
of the match Kramnik-Leko in Brissago
2004. In yet another famous must-not-lose 7...e6 8.¤e2 In the above-mentioned game
game Kasparov, who played the Caro-Kann Shirov-Firouzja from the 6th round White
successfully in his youth, chose the sharp played 8.¤gf3.

December 2021
8...¤e7 9.b4!? situation Caruana didn’t mind an early

XIIIIIIIIY transposition to an endgame.
9rsn-+kvl-tr0 14...f6 Understandably, Black wants to
9zpp+-snpzp-0 undermine White’s centre and get some
breathing space, but here the inclusion
9-+p+p+-+0 of h4 and ...h5 works in White’s favour
9wq-+pzP-+p0 as, after the exchange on e5, the g5
9-zP-zP-+-zP0 and g6 squares will be weakened. Still,
nothing wrong with the move as Black’s
9+-+Q+-+-0 position is solid enough to allow for this
9P+PsNNzPP+0 kind of treatment.
9tR-vL-mK-+R0 15.0–0 ¥e7 16.g3 Covering the pawn on h4
xiiiiiiiiy and allowing for a future ¢g2.
Here comes the novelty. This time the pawn
thrust is not a pawn sacrifice but its idea is 16...¢f7 17.¦fe1 fxe5?!
to grab space on the queenside and to try to XIIIIIIIIY
pin Black down with play on domination.
9r+-+-+-tr0
9...£a6 9...£xb4?! 10.¦b1 £a5 11.¦xb7 9zpp+nvlkzp-0
Activates White’s rook and is not something
Black should welcome. Taking on a2 is 9-+p+p+-+0
even worse now: 11...£xa2? 12.¥a3 with 9+-+pzpn+p0
total domination for White. 9PzP-zP-+-zP0
10.£b3 ¤f5 11.¤f3 ¤d7 12.a4 White 9+P+-+NzP-0
continues his space-expanding strategy. 9-+-vLNzP-+0
12...£c4 13.¥d2 Defending the pawn on 9tR-+-tR-mK-0
b4 in advance and threatening to take on c4 xiiiiiiiiy
and push a5 with a bind on the queenside. As on move 14 Firouzja seeks direct
and active continuations but this time
13...£xb3 14.cxb3 it plays into White’s hands with worse
XIIIIIIIIY consequences than the previous decision.
9r+-+kvl-tr0 It was better to sit still with 17...¥d8
9zpp+n+pzp-0 18.¢g2 a6 when White cannot easily
improve his position; for example, 19.¦ac1
9-+p+p+-+0 (19.¤f4?! runs into 19...g5!) 19...¥b6
9+-+pzPn+p0 20.a5 ¥a7 and the attack on the d4–pawn
9PzP-zP-+-zP0 limits White’s movements.
9+P+-+N+-0 18.dxe5 Now White has a clear plan of
9-+-vLNzPP+0 trying to use the available squares for his
knights on d4, f4 and g5.
9tR-+-mK-+R0
xiiiiiiiiy 18...¦ac8 19.¤f4 d4 The immediate 19...
A peculiar queenside structure, but it c5? loses to 20.¤xd5 exd5 21.e6+ so
gives White the semi-open c-file to Firouzja first removes the pawn from the
operate on. Note that in a must-win d5–square.

12/141
20.¦ac1 c5 Black is trying hard to liberate

himself from the bind, but Caruana’s grip
is still firm.
21.¤d5!
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+r+-+-tr0
9zpp+nvlkzp-0
9-+-+p+-+0
9+-zpNzPn+p0
9PzP-zp-+-zP0
9+P+-+NzP-0 By winning second place, Fabiano
9-+-vL-zP-+0 Caruana secured a spot in the Grand Prix
and a chance to become the challenger
9+-tR-tR-mK-0 for the title of World Champion
xiiiiiiiiy
Even on an empty square this is strong. XIIIIIIIIY
21...cxb4?! For a third time in the game
9-+r+-+-+0
Firouzja seeks dynamic solutions and 9zpp+n+-zp-0
each time his decision is worse than 9-+n+N+k+0
the previous one. The Caro-Kann is not
an opening that should be played in a 9+-+-zP-+p0
dynamic fashion and in this game this 9Pzp-zp-zP-zP0
becomes obvious. It is better suited 9+P+-+-zP-0
for solid positional moves than for
dynamism-seeking solutions. 9-+-vL-+-+0
9+-+-tR-mK-0
21...¢g6 is another solid move. After
22.¤xe7+ ¤xe7 23.¤g5 cxb4 24.¤xe6 xiiiiiiiiy
we have the position from the game, but 26...¢f5! The key to Black’s defence.
circumventing White’s stronger option on He must become active and this time
move 23. the dynamism works well for Black. He
sacrifices a pawn in order to dislodge the
22.¤xe7 ¤xe7 23.¤g5+? Caruana knight from e6 so that he can activate his
misevaluates the position after he takes own with ...¤c5.
the pawn or he has missed Black’s idea of
sharp activation. 27.¤xg7+ ¢g6 28.¤e6 ¢f5 29.¤g5 ¤c5
Black is a pawn down but White’s kingside
23.¥xb4 was simple and strong. The pawn mass is blockaded while Black has
bishop is very powerful and, after 23...¤c6 counterplay on the queenside and a strong
24.¥d6 ¦he8 defending the pawn on e6 as passed d-pawn as way of compensation.
White has threatened ¤g5 25.b4! with the
threat of b5 and ¤xd4, White has an almost 30.¤f7 Threatening ¤d6.
decisive advantage.
30...¢e6 31.¤d6 ¦g8 32.¢g2 ¢d5
23...¢g6 24.¦xc8 ¦xc8 25.¤xe6 ¤c6 Black’s powerful centralisation is an
26.f4 obvious compensation for the pawn.

December 2021
32...¤xb3? is bad as after 33.f5+ ¢d5 on c6 and then his passed e and f pawns
34.¤e4!, with the threat of ¤f6, White’s can promote on their own if the black king
pawns go forward, while 34...¢xe5? enters too deep into White’s territory.
35.¤c5+ loses the greedy knight on b3.
35...¢d3?
33.¦b1 White patiently defends the pawn XIIIIIIIIY
on b1. Now Firouzja has another choice to
make. 9-+-+-+r+0
9zpp+-+-+-0
33...¤e4?!
9-+n+-+-+0
XIIIIIIIIY 9+-+-zP-+p0
9-+-+-+r+0 9Pzp-zp-zP-zP0
9zpp+-+-+-0 9+P+k+-zP-0
9-+nsN-+-+0 9-+-vL-+K+0
9+-+kzP-+p0 9+-tR-+-+-0
9Pzp-zpnzP-zP0 xiiiiiiiiy
9+P+-+-zP-0 Firouzja continues with the activity he
9-+-vL-+K+0 chose two moves earlier, but this time
the move is a clear mistake. By moving
9+R+-+-+-0 too far ahead with his king he leaves
xiiiiiiiiy White’s passed pawns free to move
For a fourth time in this game he prefers forward and White is willing to give up
dynamism and activity and for a third time a piece for Black’s d-pawn in order to
the choice is not the optimal one! Even from achieve that.
one game we can conclude that Firouzja’s
instincts are tactical and he should work 35...a5 was a move akin to the
in direction of balancing them with more alternatives to Firouzja’s active choices
positional aspects of his play. Objectively, we kept mentioning above - a solid move
the move is fine, but it liberates White’s that doesn’t "go forward" but one that
play as it frees him from the defence of the gives Black’s position more "staying
pawn on b3, thus making it easier to play. power". But things are far from easy
now: for example, 36.e6 ¦g6!, the only
33...b6!? would have passed the ball into move, 37.¦e1+ ¢d3 38.¥c1 ¤e7 39.f5!
Caruana’s court and asked him to make White breaks the blockade and wins a
a decision himself, which surprisingly piece, but after 39...¤xf5 40.e7 ¤xe7
enough is not easy at all! White’s pieces are 41.¦xe7 ¢c2! now the king’s activity
rather passive and his pawns cannot move pays off. After 42.¥f4 ¢xb3 43.¦xb7
forward, thus making it difficult for him ¢xa4 Black’s activity and passed pawns
to come up with something constructive. should ensure that he doesn’t lose the
34.¥e1 (34.¤b5 a6 forces the knight game. This is far from easy, especially
back in order to control the e4–square given Firouzja’s time-trouble, but all of
35.¤d6 a5 and how does White proceed?; it was his own doing. By staying put on
34.¢f3 ¦f8 threatening to take on e5) 34... move 33 he wouldn’t have been forced
a5 35.¤b5 ¢e4 and again White hasn’t to calculate long and complicated lines to
achieved anything. save the game.
34.¤xe4 ¢xe4 35.¦c1 White activates 36.¥e1 ¢e2 Following the plan to force
the rook. Now he has ideas of sacrificing through the d-pawn, but this is the decisive

12/141
mistake. Still, returning on e4 is impossible

to play for a human, who just plays
according to plan.
37.e6 d3 38.f5 ¤d4 Avoiding a sacrifice

on c6.
The immediate 38...d2 is met by 39.¥xd2

¢xd2 40.¦xc6! bxc6 41.f6 and the pawns
promote.
39.¥xb4 The bishop breaks free and is

happy to give up his life for Black’s only
counterplay, the passed d-pawn.
39...d2 40.¥xd2 ¢xd2 41.¦c5!

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+r+0 Alireza Firouzja vs David Howell
9zpp+-+-+-0
9-+-+P+-+0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+-tR-+P+p0 9-+-+r+-+0
9P+-sn-+-zP0 9zpp+-+-+-0
9+P+-+-zP-0 9-+-+P+-+0
9-+-mk-+K+0 9+-+-tRP+-0
9+-+-+-+-0 9P+-sn-+pzP0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+P+k+-mK-0
A precise move. The rook will come behind 9-+-+-+-+0
the passed e-pawn.
9+-+-+-+-0
41...¦e8 42.¦e5 The threat is e7 and f6–f7. xiiiiiiiiy
45...¤xf5+ 46.¦xf5 ¦xe6 47.¢xg4 is just
42...¢d3 43.¢f2! The idea is to be able to hopeless for White as the h-pawn decides.
give check from e3 after ...¤c6.
46.¢xg4 ¤c6 47.¢f4 The pawns are
43.e7 ¤c6 and now Caruana wanted to stronger than a rook.
be able to play ¦e3 and follow up with
f6, though the engine finds 44.¦d5+ ¢e4 47...¤e7 48.f6 ¤g6+ 49.¢f5 ¤xh4+
45.f6! ¤xe7 46.¦d1! with a win. 50.¢g5 ¤f3+ 51.¢f4 ¤d4 52.e7 ¤c6
53.f7 ¦xe7 54.¦d5+
43...¦e7 Preventing e7.
1–0
44.g4! hxg4 45.¢g3 Now the king supports
the passed pawns.
A game characteristic of Firouzja’s
45...¦e8 preference for dynamism when given a
choice. Nevertheless, it was a sensitive loss
to a serious opponent who will be one of his

December 2021
28.¤xh6+ 28.¦xe5 was simpler, but

not less strong. After 28...¤xe5 (or
28...¦xe5 29.¤xg7! ¢xg7 30.¥xg6
winning material.) 29.¤d6 £b8
30.¤xe8 ¤xe8 31.¥b1 White has a big
advantage with his powerful bishops and
better pawn structure.
28...gxh6 29.¥xg6 ¥xg3 The only way to

keep the extra piece temporarily.
30.¦xe8+ ¦xe8 31.£f3

XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+r+k+0
9+q+l+p+-0
9-+-+-snLzp0
main competitors for a victory in next year’s 9+-+p+-+-0
Candidates, so I am sure Firouzja will take
quite a few lessons from this game. 9p+-vL-+-+0
9zP-+-+QvlP0
To his credit, Firouzja managed to respond
with a win in the penultimate round by 9-zP-+-zPP+0
beating the resurgent David Howell who 9+-tR-+-mK-0
scored four(!) consecutive wins prior to
the game. The British GM had a chance to
xiiiiiiiiy
avoid defeat after a stunning defence that 31.fxg3 was simpler as White keeps the
was missed by his opponent, but his usual extra pawn after 31...fxg6 32.¥xf6 £b3
time-trouble issues prevented him from 33.£xb3 axb3 34.¦c7 but Firouzja played
doing so. the game move, missing his opponent’s
reply.
Alireza Firouzja – David Howell
31...£c6!
FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 Riga LAT (10.1)
XIIIIIIIIY
XIIIIIIIIY 9-+-+r+k+0
9r+-+r+k+0 9+-+l+p+-0
9+q+l+pzp-0 9-+q+-snLzp0
9-+-+-snnzp0 9+-+p+-+-0
9+-+pvlN+-0 9p+-vL-+-+0
9p+-vL-+-+0 9zP-+-+QvlP0
9zP-+L+-sNP0 9-zP-+-zPP+0
9-zP-+RzPP+0 9+-tR-+-mK-0
9+-tRQ+-mK-0 xiiiiiiiiy
xiiiiiiiiy A fantastic resource. Firouzja was
White has the more active pieces here and clearly annoyed with himself when he
after some thinking Firouzja goes for the saw this move, angrily looking away
more aggressive choice. from the board and across the playing

12/141
hall. He later admitted he was shocked, 39...¥c6 40.g3 ¥d7 41.¢f1 ¥e5 42.¢e2
but luckily for him he has a move that ¥g4+ 43.¢d2 ¥d7 44.¢c2 ¥e6 45.¥b5
not only keeps the advantage, but also XIIIIIIIIY
avoids a loss, thus making it easy to find
by the method of elimination. 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+pmk-0
32.¥c2! Otherwise White loses!
9-+-+l+-+0
32...¥b8?! After finding a great defence 9+L+-vl-+p0
Howell starts to play less well. 9p+-zp-+-zP0
32...¥e5 was much better. After 33.¥xe5 9zP-+-+-zP-0
¦xe5 34.¥h7+ ¤xh7 35.¦xc6 ¥xc6 9-zPK+-zP-+0
36.£g4+ ¢h8 37.£f4 f6 38.£xh6 ¥b5
Black has decent chances to hold the 9+-vL-+-+-0
game. 32...£xc2 was also better than xiiiiiiiiy
the game move. Now 33.£xg3+ £g6 Attacking the pawn on a4 and liberating the
34.£xg6+ fxg6 35.¥xf6 ¢f7 again d3–square for the king.
brought better drawing chances than the
game continuation. 45...¥b3+ 46.¢d3 ¢g6 47.¥d7 Now all
that remains is to attack the pawn on d4
33.£xf6 £xf6 34.¥xf6 ¦c8 35.¥c3 d4?! with the bishop.
XIIIIIIIIY 47...¥d1 48.¥d2 f5 49.¥f4 ¥g7 50.¥d6
9-vlr+-+k+0 ¥f6 51.¥e8+ ¢h6 52.¥c5 The pawn on
9+-+l+p+-0 d4 falls now.
9-+-+-+-zp0 52...f4 53.¥xd4 ¥d8 54.¢d2 ¥b3
9+-+-+-+-0 55.¥e5 fxg3 56.fxg3 ¥a5+ 57.¢c1 With
9p+-zp-+-+0 ¥f4 next Black will also lose the pawn on
h5, so Howell resigned.
9zP-vL-+-+P0
9-zPL+-zPP+0 1–0
9+-tR-+-mK-0
xiiiiiiiiy In the last round, needing only a draw,
Another hasty, time-troubled decision. The Firouzja played the Berlin against Oparin
pawn is easier to attack on d4. and didn’t have much trouble in achieving
it. This result made him the sole winner of
35...¥d6 was better, when Black’s the event.
compactness makes it more difficult for
White to make progress. There is no doubt that this victory raises
Firouzja on a new level, but the next one
36.¥d2 ¢g7 37.¥d3 ¦xc1+ 38.¥xc1 is not too far ahead. At the Candidates, we
The double-bishop endgame is winning will see if he is ready for the penultimate
for White: he will march his king to big step.
the centre to attack the d4–pawn that
Black has hastily pushed forward a few
moves earlier.
38...h5 39.h4 Fixing the pawn on h5.

December 2021
Alexei Shirov’s
comeback to the future
For some reason, players who are included

in an event at the last moment tend to play
well and achieve good results. Even though
the Grand Swiss was played in his home town
of Riga, Alexei Shirov at first decided not to
participate, for various reasons. And then, the
night before the start, he changed his mind
and we saw the 49 year−old at the start.
I have always wondered what happened

to Shirov. A top−five player at the end of
the last millennium and the beginning of Frumpy and grumpy but a vicious
attacker on the board: Alexei Shirov
this one, he was still a formidable force in
2009 when he won the 21st category M−Tel
Masters in Sofia ahead of Carlsen and slowly regains its past popularity.
Topalov. But from then on he slowly started While not theoretically as sound as
to descend from the highest levels. And this the Najdorf or the Sveshnikov, it is
was what intrigued me: how could Anand, quite playable as it leads to positions
three years Shirov’s senior, remain a top where understanding of the positions is
10 player until the age of 50, while Shirov much more important than the engine
started to lose his strength before reaching evaluation. A typical example of this
40? At the time of writing, in November is the Croatian GM Zdenko Kozul, a
2021, Anand is ranked 16th in the world lifelong player of the Classical Sicilian
with a rating of 2751 while Shirov is 60th with great results, achieved thanks to
with 2673. What happened? his superior understanding.
I understand that only Shirov can answer 6.¥g5 The Richter−Rauzer Attack remains
that question, but in Riga the veteran the most challenging choice.
played a solid tournament and ended
undefeated with a +3 score, which secured 6...e6 7.£d2 a6 Black has the alternative
him qualification for next year’s Grand 7...¥e7, which was favoured by Kramnik
Prix events. in the 90s when he played the Classical
Sicilian a lot. Today it is considered
In Riga he managed to combine his natural inferior to 7...a6.
“fire on board” with the practical approach
that usually helps the older participants to 8.0–0–0 ¥d7 Currently this is more popular
save some energy by taking some games than the main alternative 8...h6, which saw
more easily, as Shirov did in the last three several setbacks in past years.
rounds when he made two quick draws. His
first victory in the event was in the second 9.f4 The main alternative for White is the
round and it was a typical one. English Attack setup with 9.f3.
Alexei Shirov - Ahmed Adly 9...¥e7 10.¤f3 Avoiding the exchange

FIDE Grand Swiss 2021 Riga LAT (2.30) on d4. Black lacks space so White avoids
exchanges.
1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4
¤f6 5.¤c3 ¤c6 The Classical Sicilian 10...b5 11.¥xf6 gxf6 12.¥d3

12/141
XIIIIIIIIY 14...¤a5!? is the engine’s curious

9r+-wqk+-tr0 suggestion, sacrificing a pawn. The idea
is that after 15.axb5 axb5 16.¤xb5 d5
9+-+lvlp+p0 with compensation, though playing with
9p+nzppzp-+0 a "naked" king doesn’t look too reliable.
9+p+-+-+-0 14...¤a7 is more conservative, defending
the pawn on b5. After 15.a5 £c5 16.¤a2
9-+-+PzP-+0 ¤c6 17.¦he1 play is rather unclear.
9+-sNL+N+-0
15.¤d5! Of course, Shirov would never
9PzPPwQ-+PzP0 play a move backwards to a2 if jumping to
9+-mKR+-+R0 d5 is possible, even if objectively it may be
xiiiiiiiiy the better option!
This is a typical position for this variation
of the Classical Sicilian. The engine prefers 15...exd5 16.exd5 ¤b8 17.¦he1 White’s
it for White, but, for humans, this is a compensation is positional. Black’s pieces
position full of life with chances for both lack harmony while White’s easily come
sides. Black has the long-term advantage into play. Black’s king’s position is still
of the bishop pair and a solid central far from safe and these factors make the
pawn mass, but he has the problem of his position irrational and one where Shirov
king’s safety. The factor of king safety is finds himself most comfortable.
the main ingredient that determines the
middlegame in these lines. If Black solves 17...¦de8 18.a5! The immediate 18.¦e4?
it, or transposes to an endgame, his chances is met by 18...a5 so Shirov prevents it with
will be better; otherwise he will be mated. the game move.
12...£b6 13.¢b1 0–0–0 The king is not 18...£xa5 18...£a7 was an alternative, with
entirely safe on the queenside either. the idea of bringing the king to a8, even
though after 19.¦e4 ¢b7 20.£xb4+ ¢a8
14.a4 White can play 14.f5 (a typical move 21.¦de1 White certainly has compensation
in such position, provoking Black to move for the piece.
...e5, after which White tries to establish
control over the d5–square), 14.¦he1 or 19.¦e4 Now there is no ...a5 and White
14.a3, but Shirov goes his own way. picks up the pawn on b4.
14...b4 19...¥d8 20.¦xb4 ¥c7 Black has brought

XIIIIIIIIY the bishop to defend the king, but it’s not
9-+ktr-+-tr0 more active on c7 than on e7.
9+-+lvlp+p0 21.¤d4 £xd5 22.£c3 With his last two
9pwqnzppzp-+0 moves Shirov sacrificed a pawn and brought
9+-+-+-+-0 the knight and queen closer to the queenside.
The engine evaluates this position where
9Pzp-+PzP-+0 Black is a clear piece up as 0.00, which means
9+-sNL+N+-0 that White’s compensation is quite strong.
Add to this that the person playing White
9-zPPwQ-+PzP0 is one of history’s best players in murky
9+K+R+-+R0 positions with initiative and one would never
xiiiiiiiiy want to be in Black’s shoes here.
The most natural, but this is what Shirov 22...£xg2?
was waiting for.

December 2021
XIIIIIIIIY 27.£c5 The attack continues. Black’s

problem is the complete lack of harmony
9-snk+r+-tr0 in his position.
9+-vll+p+p0
27...¤d7
9p+-zp-zp-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 XIIIIIIIIY
9-tR-sN-zP-+0 9-+k+-+-tr0
9+-wQL+-+-0 9+-vln+p+p0
9-zPP+-+qzP0 9p+-tR-zp-+0
9+K+R+-+-0 9+lwQ-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9-tR-+LzPq+0
Did Black really need more material here? 9+-+-+-+-0
No surprise that this is the decisive mistake. 9-zPP+-+-zP0
22...£c5 was a sensible alternative. White 9+K+-+-+-0
is forced to play 23.¦c4 £b6 and now, xiiiiiiiiy
unless he wants to repeat with 24.¦b4 £c5, 28.¦xd7! A relatively simple tactic.
White is hard-pressed to come up with
something constructive. Still, I am sure 28...¥xd7 28...£xd7 29.¥f5 wins the queen.
Shirov would have managed that better than
me and the engine combined: 22...¢d8 also 29.¦c4 £xf4 The only way to defend
made sense, getting the king away from the against mate on c7 but after White’s next
pin. After 23.¦c4 £a5 Black defends the the queen is lost.
bishop and offers an exchange of queens.
24.¦b4 £c5 25.¦c4 £a5 can again lead 30.¥b7+ ¢xb7 31.¦xf4 ¥xf4 32.£b4+
to a repetition. ¢c8 33.£xf4 The position is easily
winning for White.
23.¤f5
33...¥e6 34.£xf6 ¦d8 35.b3 h5 36.£c3+
XIIIIIIIIY ¢b7 37.£f3+
9-snk+r+-tr0 XIIIIIIIIY
9+-vll+p+p0 9-+-tr-+-+0
9p+-zp-zp-+0 9+k+-+p+-0
9+-+-+N+-0 9p+-+l+-+0
9-tR-+-zP-+0 9+-+-+-+p0
9+-wQL+-+-0 9-+-+-+-+0
9-zPP+-+qzP0 9+P+-+Q+-0
9+K+R+-+-0 9-+P+-+-zP0
xiiiiiiiiy 9+K+-+-+-0
Now White’s attack is irresistible.
xiiiiiiiiy
23...¦e6 24.¥e4 All White’s pieces are Picking up the pawn on h5.
participating in the attack.
1–0
24...£g4 25.¤xd6+ ¦xd6 26.¦xd6 ¥b5

12/141
Vintage Shirov 6...b5 7.¥b3 d6 8.a4?
Class is permanent, as they say in Russian,

XIIIIIIIIY
yet these types of surprise when a veteran 9r+lwqk+-tr0
plays on par with the young generation for 9+-zp-+pzpp0
a whole tournament are becoming rarer
and rarer. It’s the physical component that 9p+nzp-sn-+0
works heavily in the young’s favour. 9+pvl-zp-+-0
It was Alekhine who said that by the end of
9P+-+P+-+0
his life Capablanca was still a formidable 9+LsN-+N+-0
player who could beat anyone, but he 9-zPPzP-zPPzP0
was no longer able to conduct an entire
tournament on the same high level. Shirov 9tR-vLQ+RmK-0
managed that in Riga and I would like to xiiiiiiiiy
hope that he will be able to do something It’s curious that this mistake was committed
similar in the Grand Prix events next year, also by Anish Giri.
but the odds are heavily against him. I
would still be rooting for him, though. 8.¤d5 is the main, and best, move.
Lei Tingjie’s stellar victory 8...¥g4! Perhaps even more surprising is
that in the game Giri-Dubov played online
The Chinese contingent to Riga was small in 2021 Black didn’t play this move, which
in numbers. The main reason was the is the refutation of White’s last move. The
problematic travel requirements imposed by pin is very unpleasant for White.
their own country. This didn’t stop several
of them from coming to Riga and all were 9.axb5 ¤d4 10.d3? Another mistake.
serious contenders for the top places.
The best chance was 10.¥c4, even though
In the women’s event one of the favourites Black definitely has the initiative after
didn’t allow a single chance to her 10...£c8!? with the idea of ...¥xf3 and
competitors. The 24-year old player was ...£h3.
ranked sixth at the beginning of the event,
but she was in furious form and won the 10...axb5 11.¦xa8 £xa8
event with a full round to spare. Her play
left the impression of easiness. Take a look
XIIIIIIIIY
at her first round win. 9q+-+k+-tr0
9+-zp-+pzpp0
Irene Sukandar – Lei Tingjie 9-+-zp-sn-+0
FIDE Grand Swiss Women Riga LAT (1.7) 9+pvl-zp-+-0
1.e4 e5 2.¤f3 ¤c6 3.¥b5 a6 4.¥a4 ¤f6
9-+-snP+l+0
5.0–0 ¥c5 The idea of this development of 9+LsNP+N+-0
the bishop is to be able to play ...d5 in one 9-zPP+-zPPzP0
go in case White plays the main move 6.c3.
9+-vLQ+RmK-0
6.¤c3 6.c3 b5 7.¥c2 (or 7.¥b3 d6 xiiiiiiiiy
8.a4 and now Black can choose between Now White won’t have any compensation
8...¥b7, 8...¥g4 or 8...¦b8.) 7...d5 is the for the wrecked kingside after Black takes
idea behind Black’s move-order. ...¥xf3.

December 2021
12.¥e3 ¥xf3 13.gxf3 c6 14.¥xd4 ¥xd4

15.£a1 £c8 Black keeps the queens on the
board as she wants to create an attack on
the kingside.
16.¤e2 White rushes with the knight to

cover her weakened kingside.
16...¥b6 17.¤g3 g6 Limiting the knight by

taking away the f5–square.
18.£c1?
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+q+k+-tr0 The discomfort of wearing a facemask
9+-+-+p+p0 during play did not prevent Lei Tingjie
from a spectacular performance
9-vlpzp-snp+0
9+p+-zp-+-0 21...¤h5! With the idea of ...¤f4. Note that
9-+-+P+-+0 White cannot take the knight because then
the g-file will be opened and the rook will
9+L+P+PsN-0 give the check from g8 as a prelude to the
9-zPP+-zP-zP0 mate on g2.
9+-wQ-+RmK-0 22.¤e2 g5 Preparing ...¤f4 and then
xiiiiiiiiy ...gxf4, again opening the g-file.
The decisive mistake.
23.£d1 ¦g8 Mate is inevitable after ...¤f4
18.¢g2 was the only move, with the idea so White resigned.
of preventing the black queen from coming
to h3. After 18...h5 19.h4 White is still 0–1
fighting, but it’s an uphill struggle.
18...£h3 Now all Black’s pieces are It all looked so easy, didn’t it?
participating in the attack, even the rook, as
we shall soon see. This smoothness prevailed in all the
remaining games. Lei played solid
19.£g5 ¢e7 20.c3 h6 21.£d2 openings and basically waited to pounce
XIIIIIIIIY on her opponent’s mistakes, whether they
9-+-+-+-tr0 were tactical or positional ones. And
what surprises me most is that they were
9+-+-mkp+-0 so frequent! Even experienced players
9-vlpzp-snpzp0 succumbed rather quickly when playing
9+p+-zp-+-0 the Chinese.
9-+-+P+-+0
9+LzPP+PsNq0
9-zP-wQ-zP-zP0
9+-+-+RmK-0
xiiiiiiiiy
12/141
8...¤a6! Black immediately activates

Alexandra Kosteniuk – Lei Tingjie the knight.
FIDE Grand Swiss Women Riga LAT (9.1) 9.¥b2 ¤b4 10.£c4 e6 11.a3 ¤d5
12.£h4?!
1.e4 c6 2.¤c3 d5 3.¤f3 The Two Knights
is the main alternative to the Advance XIIIIIIIIY
Variation when it comes to White’s main 9r+-wqkvl-tr0
options against the Caro-Kann.
9zpp+-+p+p0
3...dxe4 4.¤xe4 ¤f6 The lines with 9-+p+pzp-+0
...¤f6 received a modern revamp after it 9+-+n+-+l0
was discovered that in the positions after
¤xf6 exf6 Black’s position is much more 9-+-+-+-wQ0
resilient than previously thought. 9zPP+-+N+P0
5.£e2 ¥g4 This is less frequent than the
9-vLPzP-zPP+0
main move 5...¤xe4. 9tR-+-mKL+R0
6.h3 ¥h5 7.¤xf6+ gxf6 Now Black was
xiiiiiiiiy
Why does such a strong and experienced
forced to capture with the g-pawn. player as Kosteniuk play like this,
allowing the wrecking of her structure for
8.b3?! no apparent compensation? It’s difficult
XIIIIIIIIY to give a satisfying answer except the
somewhat ethereal observation that Lei
9rsn-wqkvl-tr0 played one of the tournaments of her life
9zpp+-zpp+p0 when everything seemed to fall in place
9-+p+-zp-+0 for her.
9+-+-+-+l0 12.¥e2 was normal, or even 12.¤h4. With
9-+-+-+-+0 both moves White would have avoided
what happened in the game.
9+P+-+N+P0
9P+PzPQzPP+0 12...¥xf3 13.gxf3 ¥e7 Black already
9tR-vL-mKL+R0 has the more pleasant position. She
has the better (more compact) pawn
xiiiiiiiiy structure in a static position where
This is somewhat dubious. A good plan the pair of bishops cannot show
for White in these structures with ...gxf6 its potential.
is connected with the fianchetto of the
king’s bishop, as known from the lines 14.£g3 £b6 15.f4 ¥d6 Immediately
in the Main Line after 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 attacking the weak pawn.
3.¤c3 dxe4 5.¤xe4 ¤f6 6.¤xf6 gxf6.
16.£f3 0–0–0 16...¤xf4 17.¥xf6 ¦g8 was
8.g3 was better. After 8...¤d7 9.¥g2 also possible, keeping the knight on f4 on a
¤e5 Otherwise White plays d4. 10.g4 dominant position.
¤xf3+ 11.¥xf3 ¥g6 12.d3 White is
safely slightly better as the bishop on 17.f5?!
g6 is biting on granite and the doubled
f-pawns are not helping Black much.

December 2021
XIIIIIIIIY In the final round, Lei Tingjie (who had

already secured the tournament in the
9-+ktr-+-tr0 previous round) was playing as Black against
9zpp+-+p+p0 compatriot Zhu Jiner. Had Zhu won, she
would have been alone in second place,
9-wqpvlpzp-+0 meaning that China would take the top two
9+-+n+P+-0 places. Yet the two played a very serious game.
9-+-+-+-+0 In the Morphy Defence of the Ruy Lopez,
for quite a long time opponents followed the
9zPP+-+Q+P0 game Bologan – Kosteniuk (2015), which was
9-vLPzP-zP-+0 won by White. The winner of the tournament
deviated on move 16 but also ended up in a
9tR-+-mKL+R0 considerably worse position. Most probably,
xiiiiiiiiy Zhu could have achieved much more than an
The dynamism doesn’t work in this equal bishop ending with the doubled extra
position. pawn she ended up with. Both players tried
their luck by advancing their pawns on the
17.0–0–0 was better. The idea is that after kingside but had to give up their bishops for
17...¦he8 18.f5, now that this is playable as the the other’s pawn, ending in a drawn pawn
game move 18...¥e5? (18...e5 is better, with endgame. With 7.5/11, Jiner ended in shared
unclear play.) 19.d4! is possible, thanks to the 2-3rd place and still qualified for the women’s
fact that the rook on d1 supports the pawn. Grand Prix.
17...¥e5! Eliminating White’s only Narrowing the gap
advantage, that of the bishop pair.
A notable difference between the two
18.0–0–0 ¥xb2+ 19.¢xb2 £d4+ 20.c3 events was the incomparably higher level of
£f4! 21.£xf4 ¤xf4 resistance in the open section. As the above
XIIIIIIIIY example shows, even the best women players
can play well below their standards, while
9-+ktr-+-tr0 this never happens to a top 10 player in the
9zpp+-+p+p0 world (Kosteniuk is the current top 10 player
in the world on the women’s rating list).
9-+p+pzp-+0
9+-+-+P+-0 Nevertheless, there is certainly a movement
9-+-+-sn-+0 towards closing the gap in quality that
separates men’s and women’s chess.
9zPPzP-+-+P0 Currently it is only Aleksandra Goryachkina
9-mK-zP-zP-+0 who is trying to follow in the footsteps of
Judit Polgar and Hou Yifan by playing more
9+-+R+L+R0 often in men’s events – in fact she did quite
xiiiiiiiiy well in the open section in Riga, scoring 5/11
Black has a superior endgame, her knight by virtue of winning her last two games.
clearly dominating the bishop on f1.
Achieving this position with Black playing With the increased money that has flown
against a former World Champion is a dream into women’s events in the last few years
and something that doesn’t happen every the career of a professional player has
day. What is more, Lei went on to show become a more attractive one. I expect this
good technique to convert her advantage. to lead to more women pursuing chess as a
career choice and this will inevitably lead
0–1 to more players reaching high levels.

12/141
Varsity Match 2021
A CONFIDENT
VICTORY BY OXFORD By IM Shaun Taulbut
The 139th Varsity Chess Match between 4...¥g7 5.¤f4 d6 6.d5 White aims at the
Oxford and Cambridge took place at hole on e6 but Black has adequate resources
the RAC Club in Pall Mall, London on against this plan.
Saturday 23 October 2021. The match is
normally held in March but was delayed 6...c6 Black prepares to challenge the white
because of the pandemic. pawn on d5.
The Cambridge Board 1, Ryan Rhys 7.c4

Griffiths had to withdraw because of XIIIIIIIIY
illness and this led Oxford to be the
slightly higher rated team. The match was 9rsnlwqk+-tr0
won by Oxford by a big score of 5.5-2.5. 9zpp+-zp-vlp0
Oxford won quickly on the top boards.
9-+pzp-snp+0
The best game prize was awarded to 9+-+P+p+-0
Board Two where Filip Mihov won 9-+P+-sN-+0
against Koby Kalavannan in a very
good game. 9+-+-+-zP-0
9PzP-+PzPLzP0
Koby Kalavannan - Filip Mihov
9tRNvLQmK-+R0
139th Varsity Match 2021 London ENG (1.2) xiiiiiiiiy
It appears that White is better with control
1.d4 f5 2.g3 ¤f6 3.¥g2 g6 4.¤h3 of e6 but now Black plays a temporary
XIIIIIIIIY sacrifice of a pawn to free his position.
9rsnlwqkvl-tr0 7...e5 8.dxe6 After 8.¤d3 cxd5 9.cxd5 0–0
9zppzppzp-+p0 Black has equalised and is maybe slightly
9-+-+-snp+0 better in practice, and after 8.¤e6 ¥xe6 9.dxe6
£e7 Black is better since he will capture the
9+-+-+p+-0 pawn on e6, with a sound extra pawn.
9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-+-+-zPN0 8...¤a6 Preparing to attack the pawn on e6
with ...¤c5 or ...¤c7; when Black recaptures
9PzPP+PzPLzP0 this pawn White has only a little advantage.
9tRNvLQmK-+R0
9.h4 An aggressive move aiming to break up the
xiiiiiiiiy Black kingside with h5 but Black plays calmly

December 2021
developing his pieces. 9.¤c3 ¤c5 10.¥e3 16.g4 ¤f6 17.g5 ¤g4 is good for Black
¤xe6 11.h3 0–0 12.£d2 White is slightly better. but better for White than the game
continuation.
9...£e7 10.¤c3 Changing tack; after
10.h5 ¤xh5 11.¤xh5 gxh5 12.¦xh5 ¥xe6 16...fxg3 The in-between move, destroying
13.¥g5 £d7 when Black has an equal game the white kingside and opening the f-file.
but this may be the best line for White.
17.f3 After 17.fxg3 gxh5 White cannot
10...¥xe6 11.¤xe6 £xe6 12.¥f4 ¦d8 castle and g3 is very weak, eg 18.£c2 ¤b4
XIIIIIIIIY 19.£b1 ¦de8 20.¦h2 £f6.
9-+-trk+-tr0 17...g2 18.¦g1 ¥d4 19.¦xg2 £h3
9zpp+-+-vlp0 XIIIIIIIIY
9n+pzpqsnp+0 9-+-tr-trk+0
9+-+-+p+-0 9zpp+-+-+p0
9-+P+-vL-zP0 9n+pzp-+p+0
9+-sN-+-zP-0 9+-+-+-+L0
9PzP-+PzPL+0 9-+Pvl-+-zP0
9tR-+QmK-+R0 9+PsN-+P+q0
xiiiiiiiiy 9P+-vLP+R+0
Black has a slightly better position here.
White has two bishops, but he is behind in 9tR-+QmK-+-0
development. xiiiiiiiiy
Black attacks the rook and also threatens
13.b3 ¤h5 A strong and natural move ...£h1+ and ...£xh4+. White holds on to
uncovering the dark-squared bishop. h4 with his next move.
14.¥d2 0-0 Black is ready to attack with 20.¥g5 £h1+ 21.¢d2 £xg2 22.¥xd8
...f4 as all of his pieces are developed. gxh5 Material is level but the white king
is very exposed.
15.¥f3 15.0–0 f4 leads to a crushing
attack for Black as White’s kingside is 23.¥g5 If 23.¥a5 b6 is winning.
immediately broken up.
23...¦xf3 24.¤e4 ¤b4
15...f4 16.¥xh5
XIIIIIIIIY XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-tr-trk+0 9-+-+-+k+0
9zpp+-+-vlp0 9zpp+-+-+p0
9n+pzpq+p+0 9-+pzp-+-+0
9+-+-+-+L0 9+-+-+-vLp0
9-+P+-zp-zP0 9-snPvlN+-zP0
9+PsN-+-zP-0 9+P+-+r+-0
9P+-vLPzP-+0 9P+-mKP+q+0
9tR-+QmK-+R0 9tR-+Q+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy xiiiiiiiiy
12/141
Black brings his last piece into the attack 12.e5

with a devastating threat of ...¦d3 XIIIIIIIIY
25.£h1 ¦d3+ Black captures the white 9r+l+kvl-tr0
queen next move with checkmate. 9+-wqp+pzp-0
0-1 9p+-+psn-+0
9+p+-zP-+p0
The top board game was a sharp tactical
9-+-sN-zPn+0
struggle won with a brilliant sacrificial 9+-sN-+-wQ-0
attack. 9PzPP+-+PzP0
9+-mKR+LvLR0
Tom O'Gorman – Harry Grieve
xiiiiiiiiy
139th Varsity Match 2021 London ENG (1.1) White is ahead in development so Black
has to play exactly in this sharp position.
1.e4 c5 2.¤f3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.¤xd4
¤c6 5.¤c3 £c7 6.¥e3 a6 7.£f3 White 12...b4 13.¤a4 ¤d5 14.h3 ¤h6 15.f5
prepares queenside castling with a 15.¢b1 £a5 16.b3 is slightly better for White.
quick development
15...¥b7 16.¥d3 ¦c8 16...h4 is worth
7...¤f6 8.0-0-0 ¤e5 Although Black consideration here and if 17.£xh4 £xe5,
attacks the queen it does not advance when the disappearance of the e5 pawn is
Black’s development. very good for Black.
8...¥e7 is worth consideration. 17.¥h2 h4 18.£f2 18.£xh4 ¤e3 19.fxe6

dxe6 with sharp play.
9.£g3
XIIIIIIIIY 18...£a5 19.b3 ¥e7 19...¤xf5 20.¤xf5
exf5 21.¥xf5 is not pleasant for Black.
9r+l+kvl-tr0
9+pwqp+pzpp0 20.¥f4 £d8 Worth consideration is
20...¤xf4 21.£xf4 £d8 22.$b1 ¥g5
9p+-+psn-+0 23.£f2 with a slight edge for White.
9+-+-sn-+-0
9-+-sNP+-+0 21.¥d2 ¥g5 22.¦hg1 22.¥e4 is good
for White here but White was playing for
9+-sN-vL-wQ-0 a direct attack on the black king, with
9PzPP+-zPPzP0 sacrifices in mind.
9+-mKR+L+R0 22...¤c3 23.g3 23.fxe6 ¤xd1 24.¦xd1
xiiiiiiiiy dxe6 25.¤xe6 is very strong for White, also
9...b5 If 9...¤h5 10.£h3 is very strong sacrificing the exchange.
for White; 9...d6 10.f4 ¤eg4 11.¥g1 e5
12.fxe5 ¤xe5 13.¥e2, with an edge for 23...¤xd1 24.¢xd1 ¥xd2 25.£xd2
White, may be best here.
10.f4 ¤eg4 11.¥g1 h5 11...b4 12.¤a4

£a5 13.b3 is similar to the game.

December 2021
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+rwqk+-tr0 If Black takes the rook with 28...£xg3
29.¤xc8 £g1+ 30.¢d2 £g5+ 31.¢c3
9+l+p+pzp-0 £d8 32.£c5 is winning for White - eg 32...
9p+-+p+-sn0 f6 33.fxe6 dxe6 34.¥g6+ ¤f7 35.¤d6+
¢d7 36.¥xf7.
9+-+-zPP+-0
9Nzp-sN-+-zp0 29.¤xd5 exd5 30.f6
9+P+L+-zPP0 XIIIIIIIIY
9P+PwQ-+-+0 9-+-trk+-tr0
9+-+K+-tR-0 9+-+p+pzp-0
xiiiiiiiiy 9p+-+-zP-sn0
White has compensation for the exchange,
especially if the g-file is opened for his
9+-+pzP-+-0
rook. 9-wQ-sN-+-wq0
25...hxg3 25...£c7 is best, aiming at e5.
9+P+L+-tRP0
9P+P+-+-+0
26.£xb4 ¥d5 27.¦xg3 £h4 Attacking the 9+-+K+-+-0
rook, but now comes a sparkling surprise.
xiiiiiiiiy
White plays for mate on e7.
28.¤b6 ¦d8
XIIIIIIIIY 30...d6 If 30...gxf6 31.exf6 £xf6 32.¦e3+
9-+-trk+-tr0 wins.
9+-+p+pzp-0 31.£a4+ ¦d7 32.e6 £h5+ If 32...fxe6
9psN-+p+-sn0 33.¥g6+ ¢d8, 34.¤xe6+ wins the queen.
9+-+lzPP+-0 33.¥e2
9-wQ-sN-+-wq0
9+P+L+-tRP0 1-0
9P+P+-+-+0
9+-+K+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
Oxford University Rating 5½-2½ Cambridge University Rating
Tom O'Gorman (Hertford) 2381f 1-0 Harry Grieve (St Catharine's, captain) 2320f
Filip Mihov (Balliol) 2255 1-0 Koby Kalavannan (St Catharine's) 2324f
Victor Vasiesiu (Hertford, captain) 2276f 1-0 Daniel Gallagher (Pembroke) 2205
Max French (Wadham) 2227 0-1 Jan Petr (Trinity) 2282f
Daniel Abbas (Magdalen) 2228f 1-0 Miroslav Macko (Trinity) 2273f
Akshaya Kalaiyalahan (Regent's Park) 2149f 0-1 Declan Shafi (Pembroke) 2166
Dominic Miller (Somerville) 2131 ½-½ Ognjen Stefanovic (Trinity, reserve) 2109
Daniel Sutton (St John's) 1874 1-0 Imogen Camp (Queens') 1849wc

12/141
IT IS WIDELY KNOWN THAT MARCEL DUCHAMP PLAYED CHESS.

BUT HOW GOOD WAS HE?
Julian Wasser, Marcel Duchamp and Eve Babitz (1963)

Color (1963), From Mouche Gallery
ALL CHESS PLAYERS ARE ARTISTS
By Grandmaster Raymond Keene OBE
In the October 2021 BCM Peter Herel Two “facts” are popularly “known” about
Raabenstein was quoted, no fewer than Marcel Duchamp and chess: one is that in
three times, as saying that Marcel Duchamp 1923 he “gave up art for chess“, and the
said: “While not every artist is a chess other is that in 1927 his new bride glued
player, not every chess player is an artist.” his chess pieces to his board in an act of
desperation at the attention he was paying
For someone who has published a book on to them rather than to her.
chess and art this is an egregious blunder
in triplicate. Duchamp, of course, famously This mythical aspect of Duchamp’s
said the opposite: “All artists are not chess relationship with chess has tended to
players - all chess players are artists”! In fact, obscure the reality. That reality was
in later life, he channelled his own artistic sufficiently impressive for him to be
creativity through the medium of chess! awarded the Master Title by the French
Chess Federation in 1925, and for Duchamp
It is widely known that Marcel Duchamp to represent France in no fewer than four
played chess. But how good was he? Chess Olympiads from 1928 to 1933.

December 2021
Duchamp had been passionately attached to Barry Martin

chess from his youth, as might be inferred
from his paintings of 1910 and 1911, The Of contemporary artists, Barry Martin, a
Chess Players and The Portrait of Chess friend of both Teeny Duchamp (Marcel’s
Players. The renowned chess critic, Harry widow) and of composer John Cage
Golombek, in his Encyclopaedia of Chess, (Duchamp’s faithful disciple) is the most
wrote of the latter work, that it gives a prominent chess player. His recent one-
more complete picture of the process man show at the Waterhouse Dodd Gallery
of chess-playing than many a stylised in Savile Row, can be followed at
representational painting. Mark Kremer, www.Waterhousedodd.com/exhibitions.
writing in New In Chess International
Magazine, added that: “The emphasis in The most impressive single work by
these pictures is not on the delicate nature Martin, which can still be seen, was a piece
of a game of chess, as seen by a possible which sold for £8,500 in his Spanish Series,
observer (compare Duchamp’s own The bringing to mind those revelatory lines
Chess Game, 1910, on which the two later from Keats:
works are a huge advance), but on its
insular quality, its isolation vis−aà−vis the “Then felt I as some watcher of the skies,
outside world.“ When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez, when with eagle eyes
In 1923, Duchamp declared The Large He star’d at the Pacific and all his men
Glass permanently unfinished and Look’d at each other with a wild surmise,
returned to France to make his passion Silent, on a peak in Darien.“
into his second career. This was at the age
of 36, a time when many contemporary Lionnais from Paris, 1932. This game
chess grandmasters are beginning to happened to be annotated by the celebrated
feel that they are gradually approaching Franco-Polish grandmaster, Savielly
veteran status! Tartakower, in the authoritative Austrian
magazine, Wiener Schachzeitung. This
Although he was a late starter, Duchamp, brought the game a certain prominence,
as noted above, not only achieved the but Le Lionnais himself was also not
Master Title and played for France in the slow to trot it out (e.g. in his interview
Olympics, but also wrote one chess book, for Studio International, 1975) whenever
translated another, covered chess for Le he was asked about Duchamp and chess.
Soir newspaper, became an official of
the French Chess Federation and finally It should be added that Duchamp
was active in the organisation of chess had drawn a game with grandmaster
events and fundraising for the game. Tartakower himself in 1928, and later, in
the chess Olympiad at Hamburg in 1930, he
What sort of player was Marcel held the American World Championship
Duchamp? The Bulletin of the French Contender, Frank Marshall, to a drawn
Chess Federation of 1924 described him result. In 1929, he beat Koltanowsky,
thus: “… étant donné son jeu profond et several times Belgian Champion and one-
solide… sa froideur imperturbable, son time World Record holder for the greatest
style ingénieux… font de lui un adversaire number of opponents faced in a blindfold
redoutable”. (‘Given his profound and simultaneous display. The tactical tricks
solid play… his imperturbable coolness Duchamp produced in that game, his
and his ingenious style, together these evident love of paradoxical solutions,
qualities make him a redoubtable bowled over his distinguished opponent
adversary’). It was bad luck for Duchamp with extreme speed. I now give the moves
that his best-known game is a loss to Le of this game with my comments.

12/141
George Koltanowsky - should try it for themselves, aiming to

Marcel Duchamp [E00] visualise this entire sequence in their mind
from the second diagram, before making
Paris, FRA (8), 25.06.1929 the moves on a chessboard!
1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 e6 3.¤c3 d6 4.e4 b6 14...¤xf4 15.¤xf8 ¥d4+

This type of development of the queen‘s XIIIIIIIIY
bishop was closely associated with Aron
Nimzowitsch, the celebrated iconoclast, 9r+-wq-sNk+0
chess teacher and grandmaster of the 1920s. 9zplzp-+p+p0
Indeed, the whole strategy of holding back 9-zp-+-+p+0
the black centre pawns was enthusiastically
advocated by Nimzowitsch in his books 9+-+-+-+-0
and articles. 9-+Pvl-sn-+0
5.f4 ¥b7 6.¥d3 ¤bd7 7.¤f3 e5 8.d5 g6
9+-sNL+-+-0
9.0–0 exf4 10.¥xf4 ¥g7 11.e5 dxe5 9PzP-wQ-+PzP0
XIIIIIIIIY 9tR-+-+RmK-0
9r+-wqk+-tr0 xiiiiiiiiy
0–1
9zplzpn+pvlp0
9-zp-+-snp+0
Had White decided to play on, he would
9+-+Pzp-+-0 either have to play 16.¢h1, when
9-+P+-vL-+0 16…¥xg2+ wins White’s queen, or
9+-sNL+N+-0 16.¦f2, when 16…¤xd3 17.£xd3 ¥xf2+,
also wins White’s queen.
9PzP-+-+PzP0
9tR-+Q+RmK-0 Much of the accepted wisdom about
Duchamp as a chess player stems from the
xiiiiiiiiy 1975 interview with Le Lionnais in Studio
12.¤xe5 0–0 13.£d2 ¤xd5 A complex International. Le Lionnais stated:
tactical blow which reveals Duchamp’s
talent for paradoxical, hidden points. White “In Duchamp’s style of play I saw no trace
now has to lose at least a pawn and, in of a Dada or Anarchist style, though this is
trying to avoid this, worse befalls. perfectly possible. To bring Dada ideas to
chess one would have to be a chess genius
14.¤xd7 There is an important variation rather than a Dada genius. In my opinion
here, which Duchamp had to calculate Nimzowitsch, a great chess player, was a
before he could launch out on his bold 13th dadaist before Dada. But he knew nothing
move. It goes like this: 14.¤xf7 (instead of of Dada. He introduced an anti conformism
¤xd7) 14...¤xf4 15.¤xd8 ¥d4+ 16.¢h1 of apparently stupid ideas which won. For
¥xg2+ 17.£xg2 ¤xg2 18.¦xf8+ ¤xf8 me that‘s real Dada. I don’t see this Dada
19.¢xg2 ¥xc3 20.dxc3 ¦xd8. Here Black aspect in Duchamp’s style… Duchamp
has a much superior position and should applied absolutely classic principles, he was
win. Duchamp had to see all of these strong on theory - he‘d studied chess theory
possibilities in his mind’s eye before he in books. He was very conformist which
could play 13...¤xd5. Quite a colossal feat is an excellent way of playing. In chess,
of the imagination for most people. Chess conformism is much better than anarchy
players amongst the readers of this article unless you are a Nimzowitsch, a genius.

December 2021
Principal chess happenings

1932: wins Chess Tournament in Paris. Plays
in the life of Marcel Duchamp:
against Buenos Aires Club by radio.
1933: translates classic book by Zsnosko−
1910: he paints The Chess Game.
Borovsky into French (Comment il faut
1911: paints The Chess Players and The
commencer une partie d’Echecs).
Portrait of Chessplayers.
1933: represents France in Folkestone Chess
1918: studies Capablanca’s games in Buenos
Olympics (Duchamp’s last Olympiad).
Aires (Capablanca was to become World
1935: captain of French team in First
Champion in 1921) and designs his own chess
Correspondence Olympics.
set. The King had no cross on the crown.
1937: writes chess column for Le Soir.
1920: becomes member of Marshall Chess
1939: makes top score (9 points out of 11) in
Club, New York.
Correspondence Chess Olympics.
1923: competes in first serious chess
1944: Pocket Chess Set with Rubber
tournament in Brussels.
Glove: Duchamp’s contribution to the Art
1924: plays chess against Man Ray in René
Exhibition, The Imagery of Chess in the
Clair’s film Entr’acte.
Julien Levy Gallery in New York (other
1924: wins Chess Championship of Haute
contributions are from André Breton, John
Normandie.
Cage, Max Ernst and Man Ray).
1924: competes in Chess Championship of
1946: commences work on Etant Donnés,
France (he plays a further three times up
concealing chessboard under twigs beneath
to 1928).
nude figure.
1924: competes in World Amateur
1952: collaborates with Hans Richter in the
Championship, Paris. Duchamp shares 21st
film 8x8, based on chess.
place in B Group.
1954: oil sketch of Chess Players, 1911,
1925: declared a Chess Master by the French
is acquired by the Musée National d’Art
Chess Federation. He designs the poster for
Moderne in Paris: Duchamp’s first work in
the French Championship held in Nice.
a French public collection!
1927: marries Lydie Sarazin−Lavassor on June
1963: on the occasion of his first
7th. Daughter of a wealthy car manufacturer,
Retrospective Exhibition at the Pasadena
Lydie, 15 years Duchamp’s junior, left after
Museum of Art, Duchamp plays chess in
approximately one week, after she had glued
front of The Large Glass against a naked
his chess pieces to his board.
female opponent.
1928: shares First Prize at the Hyères
1964: Game of Chess with Marcel Duchamp,
International Tournament with O’Hanlon and
a filmed interview for French television
Halberstadt.
by Jean−Marie Drot, wins first prize at the
1930: André Breton criticises Duchamp
Bergamo International Film Festival, Italy.
in The Second Manifesto of Surrealism for
1965: in New York, he exhibits his work,
abandoning art for chess.
Chess Score, a record of a game he drew in
1930: represents France in Hamburg
1928 with Grandmaster Tartakower.
Chess Olympics, playing on second board
1966: organises chess exhibition, “Hommage
behind the World Champion, Dr Alexander
à Caissa”, at the Cordier & Ekstrom Gallery,
Alekhine.
New York, to benefit the Marcel Duchamp
1930: exhibits L’Echiquier Mural at Paris.
Fund of the American Chess Foundation.
1931: becomes member of Committee
1967: attends Monte Carlo Grandmaster
of French Chess Federation and French
Tournament, won by Bobby Fischer.
Delegate to the World Chess Federation, a
1968: in Toronto takes part in Reunion, a
post he holds for six years.
musical performance staged by John Cage,
1931: represents France in Prague Chess
in the course of which Duchamp, Teeny
Olympics.
Duchamp (his replacement chess−playing
1932: publishes chess book, L’Opposition et
consort for the unsatisfactory glue wielder)
Les Cases conjugées sont réconciliées with
and Cage Play chess, the moves played
Halberstadt in a limited addition of 1,000
electronically triggering musical notes.
copies.

12/141
If one is Einstein, one says the opposite to connexions… if anything it is like a

Newton, of course; if one is Galileo, one struggle.” And Nimzowitsch, apropos the
contradicts everyone, but otherwise it’s International Tournament at San Remo in
safer to be a conformist.” 1930: “In its fascination and its rich variety,
chess is a mirror of the life struggle itself,
I suggest, however, that Le Lionnais was but to a similar degree it is exhausting and
simply unaware of the degree to which full of pain.”
Nimzowitsch, author of the incredibly
influential book, My System, and a potential Further points of contact emerge from an
Candidate for the World Championship by examination of the reasons that may have
1927, had shaped Duchamp’s style. Even the attracted Duchamp to chess. Some writers
opening of the oft-quoted game Duchamp have maintained that the symbol of the
lost with the white pieces to Le Lionnais opposition of two hostile ‘sides’ runs
(1.c4 c5 2.¤c3 ¤c6 3.g3 g6 4.¥g2 through Duchamp’s work, for example,
¥g7 5.d3 d6 6.e4) had been introduced the Bride’s domain and the Bachelor’s
by Nimzowitsch at Dresden, 1926. territory in The Large Glass. The Times
Similar instances of Duchamp borrowing newspaper of June 14, 1966, speculated
Nimzowitsch’s openings ideas proliferate that Duchamp’s lifelong passion for
throughout his games. See, for example, my chess might be thought an expression of
notes to the win against Koltanowsky. his dislike for the trappings that cover
purity of thought. Man Ray, Duchamp’s
One can also detect philosophical resonances friend and designer of a chess set that
between Duchamp and Nimzowitsch in Duchamp owned, said that chess is a
their attitude to chess (in Nimzowitsch’s game where the most intense activity
case) and to chess and art with Duchamp. leaves no trace. In essence, Duchamp
Take, for example, the following statement and Nimzowitsch were both in search of
by Duchamp: “Chess is a sport – a violent criteria to determine the aesthetic, and
sport. This detracts from its most artistic they arrived at identical conclusions.

December 2021
Marcel Duchamp
playing chess in his studio, 1952
Kay Bell Reynal, photographer.
Archives of American Art,
Smithsonian Institution
Kremer, writing in New In Chess, had idea, even as the object represented might
this to say of Duchamp’s attraction to the not be actual in the phenomenal sense, but
game: “In Chess, beauty is not so much rather a mental image. As he said in 1945
visually observable but, selon Duchamp, – I wanted to get away from the physical
is, ‘completely in one’s grey matter’.” He aspects of painting, I was interested in
continued that Duchamp is interested in ideas – Not merely in visual products. I
“cerebral art, in which there is an appeal to wanted to put painting once again at the
the viewer‘s intelligence and imagination, service of the mind.”
more so than in the average sensuous
offerings.” Chess is a marvellous field for this kind
of operation, for the beauty of a move
To support this I now cite George Heard in chess lies in the thought behind it,
Hamilton, Inside the Green Box: not in the move itself. Nimzowitsch
wrote in Chess Praxis: “The aesthetic
“… for Duchamp art is a mental act, a feeling in chess must be firmly anchored
fact of consciousness. His life, a long one, in appreciating the thought behind the
and his career as a professional artist, so moves, that is the point. Those deluded by
disconcertingly short, have been dedicated outward appearances only may mistakenly
to the deliberate annihilation of what he condemn moves as ugly, when they are not
calls ‘retinal painting‘ - that sort of art so at all. Beauty in chess is, in the final
which appeals principally or only to the analysis, conditioned solely by the quality
eye, which he believes began with Courbet of thought [translated from the German].”
and reached its greatest splendours and
deceptions in our times with Picasso and With this thought, that the aims of
Matisse. What he wanted, we might say, was Duchamp, Nimzowitsch and Dada were
not a painting of something, but painting not so far apart after all, I conclude the
as something, painting which should not argument. What follows is a detailed record
only represent an object but be in itself an of Duchamp’s involvement with chess.

12/141
QUOTES AND QUERIES
JAMES
MARSTON
CRADDOCK
6209 James Marston Craddock (1913 -
By Alan Smith
11...e5 12.£d2 ¤xc5 13.¥e2 13.¤xd5
2001), like Bauer and von Bardeleben, is ¤e4 14.£d3 ¤c5 could lead to a draw
chiefly remembered for a game he lost, to by repetition.
Jacques Mieses in 1939.
13...¥g4 14.f3 ¥e6 15.0-0-0 ¤c6 16.g4
While a pupil at Cardiff High school d4 17.¤e4 ¤xe4 18.fxe4 hxg4 White has
Craddock won three British Boys’ nothing for his pawn.
Championships: 1929, 1930 and 1931. He
went through all three events unbeaten; his 19.¦f1 ¦c8 20.a3 £b6 21.¥g7 ¤a5
overall score was +20=3. 22.£d3 ¦g8 23.¥h6 ¤b3+ 24.¢d1 The
alternative 24.¢b1 was no better: 24...¥xa3
In 1931 he won the Milner scholarship to 25.cxb3 ¥xb3 26.¦c1 ¥a2+.
study mathematics at Magdalene College,
Cambridge. 24...¤c5 25.£d2 ¤e4 26.£d3 f5 27.¥c1
¥c4 White could resign.
The following is probably Craddock’s best
game, but Sultan Khan was not at his best. 28.£xc4 ¦xc4 29.¥xc4 ¦h8 30.¦h2
f4 31.¦e1 g3 32.¦he2 ¤f2+ 33.¢d2 e4
Sultan Khan - James Craddock 34.¦xe4 ¤xe4+ 35.¦xe4 d3 36.¤h3
¦xh4 37.¤g5 ¦h2+ 38.¢xd3 £d6+
Imperial CC - Cambridge University, 1933 39.¢c3 £f6+ 40.Kb3 £xg5 41.¥xf4 £g4
42.¥d6 £d1 43.¦xe7+ ¢d8 44.¥d3 g2
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.¤c3 ¤f6 4.¥g5 ¥e7 is quite lost.
5.e5 ¤fd7 6.h4 a6 7.£g4 h5 8.£f4 There 0-1
is a case for 8.£g3 which leaves his bishop
with retreat squares. Times Literary Supplement,
7th December 1933
8...c5 9.dxc5 f6 10.exf6 gxf6
11.¥h6 11.¥d3 also saves his bishop, but
after 11..¤e5 12.¥h6 ¤xd3+ 13.cxd3 e5 Craddock defeated another British
14.£d2 ¥xc5 Black is on top. Championship player soon afterwards. Playing

December 2021
for Warwickshire he overcame ex Lancashire

champion Edmund Spencer. After university James Craddock - Raaphi Persitz
Craddock joined the Inland Revenue. Later
on he worked for the Met Office at Bracknell. Correspondence, 1955-56
In 1936 he was third in the City of London
CC championship and defeated Sir George 1.c4 c5 2.¤c3 ¤f6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 ¤xd5
Thomas, R.P. Michell and Gerald Abrahams. 5.¥g2 ¤c7 6.f4 An unusual move, but by
He went on to play in the British Championship no means a silly one. White has two other
at Blackpool in 1937. This proved to be too good alternatives to 6.¤f3, 6.b3 e5 7.¥b2
stern a task and he failed to win a game. ¥e7 8.¦c1 0-0 9.¤a4 Flohr - Rellstab
Hastings 1930-31 and 6.£b3 ¤c6 7.¥xc6+
Craddock played little tournament chess bxc6 8.£a4, pioneered by Larsen.
after that, but was still strong enough to play
top board for Bedfordshire in the 1950’s. 6...g6 7.b3 ¥g7 8.¥b2 0-0 9.¤a4 An
echo of the previous game.
James Craddock - E. Strauss
9...¤ba6 10.¥xg7 ¢xg7 11.£c2 ¤e6
Bedfordshire – Buckinghamshire, 1953 12.¤f3 ¥d7 13.f5! gxf5 Almost forced,
13...¤d4 14.¤xd4 cxd4 15.¥xb7.
1.c4 ¤f6 2.¤c3 d5 3.cxd5 ¤xd5 4.d4
g6 Transposing into a Grunfeld defence. 14.£xf5 f6 14...¥xa4 15.£g4+ Sweby.
5.g3 ¥g7 6.¥g2 ¤xc3 7.bxc3 c5 15.£e4 b5 16.¤c3 b4 17.¤d5 ¢h8

8.¤f3 0-0 9.0-0 ¤c6 10.e3 £c7 11.£e2 18.¤h4 ¤ac7 19.£e3 ¤d4 20.0-0!
¦d8 11...e5 is met by 12.d5. ¤c7e6 20...¤c2 21.£h6 ¤xa1 22.¤g6+
¢g8 23.¤gxe7+ ¢h8 24.¤g6+ ¢g8
12.¦d1 ¦b8 13.¥b2 £a5 14.c4 cxd4 25.¤xf8 £xf8.
15.exd4 ¥g4 16.d5 ¥xb2 17.£xb2 ¤b4
18.¦d4 ¥xf3 19.¥xf3 ¤a6 Heading for 21.£h6 ¦g8 22.¤xe7! ¤xe2+ 23.¢h1
the hole on c5. £xe7 24.¥xa8 £f8 25.£xf8 ¦xf8
26.¥d5 ¤6d4 27.¢g2 f5 28.¦f2 f4
20.¦e4 £c7 21.¦ae1 ¦d7 21...¦e8 29.¤f3 ¥b5 30.¤xd4 cxd4 31.¥c4 ¥xc4
22.£d4 ¤c5 23.d6! Sweby 32.bxc4 d3 33.¦f3 ¦c8 34.¦xd3 ¦xc4
35.¦e1 35...f3+ 36.¢xf3 ¤d4+ saves his
22.¦h4 £d8 23.¦1e4 f6 24.¥g4 ¦c7 24...f5 piece but the endgame is still lost.
25.¥h3 fxe4 allows 26.¥e6+ ¢f6 27.£h8#
1-0
25.¥e6+ ¢h8 26.¦eg4 ¢g7 This loses
on the spot. 26...¤c5 holds out longer
but White should be winning after Beds and Herts Pictorial,
27.¦xg6 ¤xe6 28.dxe6 ¦xc4 29.¦xf6 17th July 1956
£d1+ 30.¢g2 £d5+ 31.¦f3+ ¢g8
32.¦xc4 £xc4 33.£e5.
27.£c1! 27...g5 28.¦xg5+ fxg5 29.£xg5+

¢h8 30.£e5 #
1-0
Beds and Herts Pictorial,

20th October 1953

12/141
Endgame Studies
by Ian Watson
[email protected]
1 XIIIIIIIIY
9q+-+-+-wq0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-wQ-+0
9wQ-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+Q+0
9+-+-+-+-0
2
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-tR-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+q+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-mk-tr-+-0
9-+-+-wq-+0 9-+r+-+-+0
9+-+K+-+k0 9+R+K+Q+-0
M. Bourzutschky M. Bourzutschky
2021 2021
3 4
(See text) (See text)
9-+-+-+-+0 9k+N+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+K+-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
9-+n+-+-+0 9-+p+N+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
9R+Nvl-mk-+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+L+K+n+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
iiiiiiii xiiiiiiiiy
M. Bourzutschky A. Rusz
2021 EG 2021
(See text) win

December 2021
Database Delights!?
“Database delights”? If ever there was a self−contradiction, that’s it, you say? Databases
are dour and drab, and the moves are incomprehensible? Well, reserve your judgement.
We’ve had six−man endgame databases for thirty years, and seven−man ones for fifteen. The
doyen of such databases, Marc Bourzutschky, has now circulated his first findings in eight−man
databases. The task of generating them is formidable. The number of unique legal positions
goes up by about two orders of magnitude when you increase the number of pieces by one;
so, 7−man to 8−man goes from about 400 million million to about 40,000 million million.
Marc has begun this Brobdingnagian task by focusing on the pawnless 8−man positions. For
your Xmas entertainment, I’m going to ask you to assess some of these positions; database
endgames are often unsolvable by us mere humans, but maybe you can assess what the result
might be, using a little calculation and a lot of commonsense? Have a go.
To begin, though, a different teaser. In the pawnless endings with six men, the longest win
takes 243 moves; how long do you think the longest win in the 7−man pawnless positions
is? And how long in the 8−man pawnless positions? (To the nearest 100 will do.)
Now to your assessing skills. You know that KNNN v. K is a general win, and I hope that you also
know the general outcome of four knights against a queen − KNNNN v. KQ. (Troitsky showed
how this endgame works.) What, however, about KNNNN v. KRB? And KNNNN v. KRN?
Now to the positions:

− For the first one with only queens and kings: what do you think is the outcome with
White to move? And what do you think is the outcome with Black to move?
− For the second, the same two questions (assess the outcome with White to move and then
with Black to move). Plus, if you want a tough−but−doable task for the holidays, analyse
the play and prove the outcome, in both cases (W to move, and then B to move).
− For the third, an easier one: the same two questions.
− Finally, for the Rusz study, solve the study (again tough but humanly doable), but then
see if you can describe the theme that the composer is showing.
The Rusz study has only five pieces, but the databases have to include positions with fewer
pieces than the 6/7/8 - often the higher−number−of−pieces positions resolve not to mate
but to positions with fewer pieces. If you read my column in the October and November
issues of BCM, you should be becoming familiar with how to mate with two knights
against pawn. This one takes thirty moves, but it isn’t dour and drab: Rusz has found a
position where the play has a strong theme. Rusz dedicated it to Guy Haworth who died
in June; Guy was, like Marc Bourzutschky, an expert in endgame databases. Rusz’s study
was published in the specialist endgame magazine EG in July, where you can also find out
more about the 8−man databases; visit www.arves.org for details about EG.
Not content with merely starting on the 8−man positions, Marc is also doing some work on the
9−man ones. The 40,000 million million clearly isn’t a daunting enough task! Maybe we’ll see
some of his discoveries during 2022. In the meantime, enjoy your Christmas database delights.
The solutions are given on page 765.

12/141
Problem
World
by Christopher Jones
[email protected]
Grandmaster of Chess Composition
Solutions are given on page 766
1
XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-sn0
9+-+-+-+-0
9KtR-+-sNp+0
9+-+-+pzP-0
9k+-+-+L+0
9+-+r+-+-0
9-zP-+-+-+0
2 XIIIIIIIIY
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-zp-+-zp-0
9p+K+-+-+0
9zP-+-zp-zP-0
9-zp-mkp+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0
9PzPP+PzPP+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiii xiiiiiiiiy
Paul Michelet (London) Udo Marks (Germany)
3 4
Mate in 7 Mate in 11
Original ORIGINAL
9-+-+-+-+0 9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+-+-0 9+p+-+-+k0
9-zp-+-+-mK0 9-+-zp-+-+0
9+p+-+-+-0 9+-+p+-+-0
9-zPkzp-+-+0 9-tr-zp-+-+0
9zp-+-+-zp-0 9+rvlpzp-zp-0
9-zP-+P+p+0 9-sNqzpn+-+0
9+-+-snL+R0 9mK-snl+-+-0
Christopher Jones (Bristol) Ljubomir Ugren (Slovenia)
Helpmate in 3 - 2 solutions Helpmate in 8
Original Original

December 2021
Openings
for Amateurs By Pete Tamburro; [email protected]
Image source: verendel.com

Plan B according Botvinnik
When going over the Minority Attack games, We know c6 isn’t appetising, but maybe c5
I mentioned that Botvinnik also played ¤ge2 was worth a try. Any player of the black
in the QGD Exchange lines. That was his pieces has to consider this move here or
Plan B. Instead of attacking the queenside, else you commit yourself to a defensive
he decided to position his pieces for e4 so he effort. 8...c5 9.¤f3 c4 10.¥e2 h6 11.¥h4
could dominate the centre. I found this game a6 12.¤e5 ¤xe5 13.dxe5 ¤e4 14.¥xe7
in R.N. Coles’ little gem of a book "Dynamic £xe7 15.¤xd5 £xe5 16.¦d1 (16.¥xc4
Chess" (1956). Then, I went and looked at ¥f5 17.¦d1 ¦ad8 18.f3 ¤g3 19.£c3
what the champ had to say about the game. £xc3+ 20.bxc3 ¤xh1 21.¤e7+ ¢h7
It’s always good to have a Plan B, especially 22.¤xf5 ¦xd1+ 23.¢xd1 and now either
if you’re a club player, and everyone in the 23...¦c8 (23...b5; 23...¦d8+) ) 16...b5
club knows what you like to play.
9.¤ge2 "Plan B" is about to be introduced,
Mikhail Botvinnik – Paul Keres [D36] but Botvinnik is cagey about it.
20th USSR Championship Moscow, 1952 9...¤f8 Black must protect h7. Freeing the
queen’s bishop is fine, but the question is:
1.d4 ¤f6 2.c4 e6 3.¤c3 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 where exactly is its future?
5.¥g5 ¥e7 6.e3 0–0 7.¥d3 ¤bd7 8.£c2 ¦e8
XIIIIIIIIY
10.0–0 Coles cites a game, Flohr-
9r+lwqr+k+0 Asgeirsson, Folkestone, 1933, where White
9zppzpnvlpzpp0 got very aggressive with 10.0–0–0.
9-+-+-sn-+0
10...c6 11.¦ab1 Sure. After White’s c6
9+-+p+-vL-0 move, the minority attack seems to be
9-+-zP-+-+0 introduced by the rook move.
9+-sNLzP-+-0 11...¥d6? If you recall the Capablanca
9PzPQ+-zPPzP0 game we recently did, the white bishop
9tR-+-mK-sNR0 can eventually be a real annoyance on
g3. Maybe Keres is anticipating this, but
xiiiiiiiiy
12/141
he’s just given Botvinnik the odds of a Botvinnik seemed not to be in a hurry in
move and then, on move 13, he goes back this game. He might have been a bit friskier
and gives Mr. B. the odds of two moves! with 14.e4 dxe4 15.fxe4 ¤g4 16.¥d2!
Keres is good, but not that good. It allows which would have avoided that three pawns
Botvinnik to implement Plan B with vs. a piece note below, but a lot of study is
proper preparation. due both positions before a final decision
can be reached. In any event, we’re trying
12.¢h1 ¤g6 13.f3 to learn about how to build up your middle
XIIIIIIIIY game plan from carefully selected opening
moves, so let’s get to it!
9r+lwqr+k+0
9zpp+-+pzpp0 14...¤d7? The engine gives 14...h6 15.¥xh6
gxh6 16.¥xg6 Botvinnik stopped here. 16...
9-+pvl-snn+0 fxg6 17.£xg6+ ¢h8 18.£xh6+ ¤h7 and
9+-+p+-vL-0 it’s evaluated as equal or microscopically
9-+-zP-+-+0 better for Black. I immediately recalled a
passage in P.H. Clarke’s extraordinary book
9+-sNLzPP+-0 on Tal. Substitute Botvinnik for Tal in this
9PzPQ+N+PzP0 quote: "I am tempted to coin a new rule: a
piece is better than three pawns when Tal
9+R+-+R+K0 has the piece; three pawns are better than a
xiiiiiiiiy piece when Tal has the pawns."
The point of the "slow" ¤ge2. With the
aforementioned planning, White will be 15.¥xe7 ¦xe7 16.¤g3 Now e4 is an ever
playing e4 at some point, and Black can’t larger and more immediate threat.
stop it with a c5 counter because he’s 16...¤f6 17.£f2 Yes! The f-file will be
already played c6. That’s giving White opened for White, thus it’s logical for the
three tempi in this opening manoeuvring. queen to optimise her placement.
13...¥e7 14.¦be1 17...¥e6

9r+lwqr+k+0 9r+-wq-+k+0
9zpp+-vlpzpp0 9zpp+-trpzpp0
9-+p+-snn+0 9-+p+lsnn+0
9+-+p+-vL-0 9+-+p+-+-0
9-+-zP-+-+0 9-+-zP-+-+0
9+-sNLzPP+-0 9+-sNLzPPsN-0
9PzPQ+N+PzP0 9PzP-+-wQPzP0
9+-+-tRR+K0 9+-+-tRR+K0
This is not a wasted move for White Nice pawn!
because Black has already gifted several
moves to White. Also note that ALL of 18.¤f5 There is also an unpleasant for
White’s pieces are developed, in place and Black Plan C: 18.f4 ¤f8 19.f5 ¥c8 20.e4
operating as a team. Black still has three dxe4 21.¤gxe4 ¤8d7 22.£f4 Both B and
pieces on their original squares. The engine C work quite nicely. The support for the g4
says White is slightly better here or even. advance can’t be well met.

December 2021
18...¥xf5 Moving the rook back could A desperate try.

slow but not stop the eventual build-up.
18...¦e8 19.g4 h6 20.£g3 £b8 21.£h3 30.¤f5! If Botvinnik rushes with 30.¦h3
¤h7 22.¤e2 £d8 23.¤eg3 f5 gives Keres some hope of surviving as
en passant would lose the knight. Instead,
19.¥xf5 £b6 No matter what Black played Botvinnik shatters the dream with a
(save something really stupid), White’s devastating knight move. Keres could have
20th move would be the planned e4 move. resigned here.
20.e4 dxe4 21.fxe4 The ideal pawn 30...¦fe8 It’s all bad: 30...gxf5 31.¦g3+
centre. Black can’t really launch a serious ¢h8 32.£f6+ ¤g7 33.£xg7#; 30...f6
counter-offensive against it. White’s 31.¤xe7+ £xe7 32.exf6 £f7 33.¦e3 b5
pieces are better placed. At least Black 34.g4 ¦e8 35.g5 h5 36.¦e5 ¦d8 37.£h3
gets his last piece into the game, albeit a ¦d6 38.¦fe1 ¤xg5 39.£c8+.
bit too late.
31.¤h6+ ¢f8 32.£f4 ¤g7 32...f5 33.£h4
21...¦d8 22.e5 Not only chasing the knight ¦g7 34.g4.
off the f-file, this is also a vacating move
so the white knight can enter e4 with awful 33.¦cf3 ¦c8 34.¤xf7 ¦e6 35.£g5 ¤f5
consequences for Black. 36.¤h6 £g7 37.g4 Black resigned.
22...¤d5 23.¤e4 ¤f8 24.¤d6 The awful 1–0

consequences are the threats to f7.
24...£c7 25.¥e4 ¤e6 26.£h4 Another There you have it. The chess version of
threat creates another weakness. Robert Frost’s "road not taken". If you
don’t take the Minority Attack road, there
26...g6 27.¥xd5! Exclamation mark is always the ¤ge2–g3 and e4 road. Both
moves don’t always have to be sacrifices. are similar in that you had better prepare
The dark squares now implode with a big both pawn thrusts. Keres also wasted an
whooshing sound. inordinate amount of time. You can get
away with it in closed positions, but it’s
27...cxd5 28.¦c1 Another nice little touch. not a recommended practice.
Chase the queen and then do the rook lift to
swing over to h3. Again, we learn from an old GM game.
There is value in those games because
28...£d7 29.¦c3 ¦f8 you learn ideas and strategies that can
XIIIIIIIIY help you plan a coordination between
your opening and middle game.
9-+-+-trk+0
9zpp+qtrp+p0
9-+-sNn+p+0
9+-+pzP-+-0
9-+-zP-+-wQ0
9+-tR-+-+-0
9PzP-+-+PzP0
9+-+-+R+K0
xiiiiiiiiy
12/141
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December 2021
Solutions to Endgames (See page 758)
Longest wins: the longest win in the 7−man (BTM) 1…£e6 2.¦b3+ £xb3 3.£f6+
pawnless databases is 517 moves, so more than ¢c4 4.£d4+ ¢b5 5.¦b8+, or in that
double that of the 6−man ones. Surprisingly, the line 2…¢xb3 3.£b5+ ¢c3 4.£c5+ £c4
longest win in the 8−man pawnless databases 5.£xe3+ ¢b2 6.£b6+ ¢a1 7.¦a8+ ¦a2
is 400 moves. (Marc hasn’t completed that 8.£f6+ ¢b1 9.¦b8+; 1…£c5 2.£f6+
work yet, but for technical reasons he thinks ¦e5 3.£g7 £e3 4.¦c8+ ¢d4 5.¦b4+
it unlikely this will be exceeded.) He suggests ¢d3 6.¦b3+ ¢d4 7.¦xe3.
that the increasing crowding of the board
reduces the scope for longer lines. Bourzutschky – no queens
Four white knights: Troitsky showed that Another full point reciprocal zugzwang.
four knights win against a queen, so you Any white move obviously allows mate
might well expect them to beat rook and in one, but Black to move has to let White
bishop, but in general Black can exchange untie himself and then White is winning,
his bishop for a knight and so draws. When although the process is protracted.
Black has a knight instead, he usually can’t
force an exchange, and so loses. Rusz
Bourzutschky – queens only Going for mate straightaway (by 1.K¢c7?)

fails because Black will queen with check.
There are many lines, but they are short and So, the usual Troitsky methods for a NN v.
easy to see, so I hope you realised that this is P ending are needed.
a mutual zugzwang: White to move can only
draw but Black to move loses. Surprising, 1. ¤c3 ¢b7 2.¤e7 ¢b6 3.¢d6 ¢b7
with so many queens in an open position, that 4.¤ed5 ¢b8 5.¤f4 ¢b7 6.¤e6 ¢b6
having the move is a critical disadvantage. 7.¢d5 ¢b7 8.¢c5 ¢a7 9.¢c6 ¢a6
10.¤f4 ¢a5 11.¤fd5 ¢a6 12.¢c7 ¢a5
Bourzutschky – queens and rooks 13.¢d6 ¢a6 14.¢c6 ¢a5 15.¢c5 ¢a6
16.¤e7 ¢b7 17.¢d6 ¢a6 18.¤c8 ¢b7
This takes the zugzwang theme even further; it 19.¢d7 ¢a6 20.¢c6 ¢a5 21.¢c5 ¢a6
is a ‘full point reciprocal zugzwang’, meaning 22.¤d6 ¢a5 23.¤b7+ ¢a6 24.¢c6
whoever moves first loses. It’s very surprising ¢a7 25.¤c5 ¢b8 26.¢d7 ¢a7 27.¢c7
that such a position exists. OTB players know ¢a8 28.¤b5 c3 29.¤a4 (or ¤d7) c2
that the standard rule in open positions with 30.¤b6 mate. The composer is showing
lots of major pieces is that whoever gives the ‘cyclic zugzwang’ - the play returns to
first check wins. Even in studies with such the same position but with the other
material, whoever has the first move almost player to move, a favoured theme of Guy
always wins. This position reverses that. Haworth, hence the dedication of the
The lines are mostly short, but with several study to him. After 1…¢b7 we have
attractive and hard−to−spot moves. Here are the a position where White is to move, and
most important variations: 18 moves later White achieves the same
position with Black to move. There are
(WTM) 1.¦a1 loses to 1…¢b2. 1.¦b7 also two shorter cyclic zugzwangs within
¦b2 2.¦c8 ¦d2+ 3.¢c1 £xc8; 1.¦b5 ¦b2 that sequence of moves, one starting at
2.¦xb2 £a4+ 3.¢c1 £a1+ 4.¦b1 £a3+ 3…¢b7 that ends with 17.¢d6, and
5.¢d1 £a4+; 1.¦bb8 ¦a2 2.¦b3+ ¢xb3 one starting at 11.¢a6 and ending with
3.£f7+ ¦e6 4.¦b8+ ¢a3 5.£a7+ £a4+. 14.¢c6.

12/141
Solutions to Problems
This month’s originals
This month we start with two long problems. Both can be approached as good solving
challenges – in the 7-mover you will need to keep threatening mate, since otherwise the black
rook will be able to prolong the game beyond seven moves – but there is no reproach for
simply reading on and following the solutions. I admit that this is what I generally do with
long problems, and it’s enjoyable to see the unique paths to mate in such problems. Also, even
if in the longer term you would like to enter solving competitions it’s helpful to play through
the solutions to problems such as these in order to get an idea of the sort of logic, and the sort
of motifs composers like to employ. Our final two problems of 2021 are helpmates – Black
initiates a collaborative sequence of moves leading to his being mated. In the 3-mover there
are two BWBWBW sequences that do the trick, in the 8-mover one longer sequence.
A logical duel an elementary level of difficulty. We are

pleased to welcome Udo, a composer
In Paul’s 7-mover, the black king is hemmed specialising in this type of problem, and it
in in such a way that it seems that an attack by is instructive to work through the precise
the white bishop on either of the diagonals sequence required in order to round up
leading to the king should have the desired the black king in the prescribed number
effect. At present, however, only the d1-a4 of moves. Rather unusually, we start with
diagonal is available, and d1 is guarded by a check, 1.e3+, but after 1…¢c4 we find
the black rook. In order to achieve a double- that we need a tempo move: 2.g6 (2.g3?
pronged attack we need to sacrifice the out- g6! fails). Play proceeds 2…b3 3.axb3+
of-play white knight – 1.¤e4!. Threats from ¢b4 and now we have to avail ourselves
this knight are so strong that Black’s best of another tempo move, 4.g3, leading
is 1…fxe4, and now the white bishop is to 4…¢xa5 5.¢c5 c6 6.b4+ ¢a4 7.
also eyeing d7, althoughthis square too is g4 (tempo move!) a5 8.b5 cxb5 9.g5
guarded by the black rook. There follows an (tempo move!) b4 10.¢c4 b3 11.cxb3.
instructive duel between the white bishop Well done if you found the unique way
and the black rook. 2.¥e6 carries no threat, of shepherding the king to his doom. The
but Black must continue to guard d1 and d7 frequency of tempo moves is a pleasing
and his best is 2…e3. Now 3.¥c4 threatens feature.
¥xd3. Black can play 3…¦a3; White plays
4.¥e2 (threat 5.¥d1) and play proceeds: A characteristic
4…¦a1 5.¥g4 and Black has no adequate 3-move helpmate…
response to the threat of ¥d7 – 5…¦c1
6.¥d7+ ¦c6 7.¥xc6. If Black instead … “characteristic” because 3-move
played 3…¦c3 we see a similar sequence, helpmates very often have one white rook
this time ending in a mate on the other of and one white bishop. More than that, and
the two thematic diagonals – 4.¥e2 ¦c1 soundness is harder to achieve; less than
5.¥g4 ¦c7 6.¥d1+ ¦c2 7.¥xc2. that and the play can be less interesting.
Often, therefore, 3-move helpmates feature
Back to Kindergarten! prominently the line-play of the two white
officers along respectively orthogonal and
In chess problem parlance a ‘Kindergarten diagonal lines. Also quite often they show
problem’ employs only kings and pawns. the Zilahi theme – in one solution the bishop
As study enthusiasts know, this scarcity is captured and the rook mates, in the other
of resources does not necessarily entail vice versa. That is what happens in this case

December 2021
(See page 760)
– 1.gxf1=£ e3 2.£d3 ¦h4 3.£b3 ¦xd4 regarded askance by helpmate purists) but
and 1.gxh1=£+ ¥h3 2.£f3 bxa3 3.£c3 in this case the logical neatness of the white
¥e6. In helpmates, there is almost as much knight’s route back to its initially 4-times-
paradox in a black pawn promoting to guarded starting square dispels any
queen (which, being so powerful, seems aesthetic cavilling – 1.¤a2 ¢xa2 2.£c1
more likely to thwart mating plans) as in ¤xd3 3.¢g6 ¤xb4 4.¢f5 ¤xd5 5.¢e4
a white pawn promoting to a minor piece. ¤xc3+ 6.¢d3 ¤xd1 7.£c6 ¢xb3 8.£e4
¤b2. If you foresaw from the diagram that
A battle against the black queen would somehow finish up
apparently overwhelming odds on e4 I take my hat off to you! Kudos too
if you thought to question the legality of
black king must make a diagonal (and this position (essential to the soundness of
therefore dual-free) journey directly into a chess problem) – in this case the one (and
the midst of the said army, but it is a so sufficient) feasible preamble would
considerable challenge to plot the precise have been a black check by ¦b2>b3, met
route of the white knight to inflict mate. by a withdrawal of the white knight to b2
Necessarily the route involves captures from a4 or c4.
of a number of black units (sometimes
Hardinge Simpole
is delighted to announce
the publication of
Fifty Shades
of Ray
Chess in the year of the
Coronavirus Pandemic
Raymond D. Keene
With an Introduction
by CJ de Mooi
international competitions across five

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Volume 141

FIDE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

| BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

It´s now even easier to subscribe

An exclusive chess magazine!

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 707

Chairman Shaun Taulbut

Enquiries 750 It is widely known that

708 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

Report from the start of the Dubai

THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE

As this issue of BCM goes into print the The venue

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 709

710 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

On friendship and chess XIIIIIIIIY

712 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

Spacious: the scene just outside the match area in Dubai

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 713

The best seats in the house – just in front of the players

22...¥xf3! 26...¤h4 27.¦e3 ¢f8 Black brings the

714 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

30...¤g7! 38...¢f7 38...a5!? was an interesting

33...b4! Another nice move, fixing ½–½

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 715

1...¤f6 2.c4 e6 don’t know whether the Challenger intended

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 717

11.¤f3 £d7 15.exf6 ¥xf6 16.¤e4 ¥xd4 17.¤xd4

718 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

Ten interesting facts

Nepo 20...¤bxc1 21.¦bxc1 ¤xc1 22.¦xc1

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 719

After 25.bxc3 bxa4 26.£c2 g6 27.£xa4 31...¦b6 32.£xc5 ¦db8 33.¢g2!

720 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

On the spot: GM Aleksandar Colovic in Dubai

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 721

FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

THE GREATEST TOURNAMENT

722 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 723

as Hikaru Nakamura, Alexander Grischuk,

Some asked why FIDE decided to take

The players who showed up in Riga didn’t

724 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 725

THREE KEY THINGSWHICH MARKED THE

726 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

30...dxc4 31.£c3 ¦df8 32.£xc4+ ¢b8

34.£e2 White is tied down, but how does

34...£c7 Threatening ...£c1. For the time

728 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

XIIIIIIIIY With the inevitable threat of ¦xb6 and a

After 35...¦xf2+! 36.£xf2 £c4+ 37.¢g1 Alireza Firouzja - Evgeniy Najer

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 729

53.¦c1 ¢g6 54.¦c7 h5 55.¦b7 ¦xh3 12.¤e4 ¤d7 13.¥d5 f5?!

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 731

XIIIIIIIIY Najdorf against Karpov in the last game of

40...£d1+ 41.¢h2 g3+ After 41...£xd2 5.¥d3

732 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

8...¤e7 9.b4!? situation Caruana didn’t mind an early

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 733

20.¦ac1 c5 Black is trying hard to liberate

734 | BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE

BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE | 735

mistake. Still, returning on e4 is impossible