Tata Steel Masters 2019 / Round 8

by National Life Master Loal Davis

 

 

There were four decisive games today during the 8th round of Tata Steel 2019 Masters.  We are now in a tie (two way) for first place (Carlsen & Anand) with a break day tomorrow and five rounds remaining.  This is one tough tournament.

 

 

Images Below Courtesy of Derrick Bartotto

 

Viswanathan Anand

Tata Steel Masters 2019
Date “2019.01.20”
Round “8”
White “Anand, Viswanathan (IND)”
Black “Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar (AZE)”

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. dxc5 e6 5. Nf3 Bxc5 6. a3 Ne7 7. Bd3 Ng6 8. O-O O-O 9. Nbd2 Nc6 10. b4 Bb6 11. Bxg6 fxg6 12. Nb3 Bd7 13. Re1 a5 14. b5 Ne7 15. a4 Rc8 16. Be3 Bxe3 17. Rxe3 Nf5 18. Rd3 g5 19. h3 b6

White (Anand) To Play. 

White has a backward Pawn on the ‘c’ file.  Are you frightened?

20. c4 !

How many players would see this in the heat of battle.  Beautifully done!

Rxc4 21. Rxd5

This is why.  Fork on ‘d5’.  What an exquisite way to eliminate a structural Pawn weakness.

Rf7 22. Rd3 g4 23. Nfd2 Rb4 24. hxg4 Ne7 25. Nf3 Nd5 26. Nbd4 Rf4 27. Nc2 Rbe4

White (Anand) To Play

28. Rxd5 !

You’ve got to love that ‘d5’ square.

exd5 29. Qxd5+ 1-0

Final Position

Both ‘Rd1’ and ‘e6’ are in the offing.  A beautiful game.

 

 

Magnus Carlsen vs Richard Rapport

Tata Steel Masters 2019
Date “2019.01.20”
Round “8”
White “Carlsen, Magnus (NOR)”
Black “Rapport, Richard (HUN)”

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. g3 a6 7. Bg2 Nf6 8. O-O d6 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Na4 Rb8 11. c4 c5 12. b3 Be7 13. Bb2 O-O 14. Qe1 Nd7 15. Rd1 Bb7 16. Qc3 Bf6 17. Qd2 Be7 18. Qc3 Bf6 19. Qd2 Be7 20. f4 e5 21. Bc3 Bc6 22. Ba5 Qb7 23. Nc3 exf4 24. gxf4 Rfe8

White (Carlsen) To Play

25. e5

Very nice.  Doubled strength down the ‘d’ file encourages an elimination of the Bishop on ‘c6’

Bxg2 26. Qxg2 dxe5

White (Carlsen) To Play

An interesting moment.  Strongest may now be ‘Qh3’ which hits the ‘d7’ Knight with a battery.  Notice that the Knight must move as the defending squares available to the Rooks are all dark; currently covered by the ‘a5’ Bishop.  This means that the Knight must move – say ‘Nf8’ when ‘fxe5’ still puts Black in a nice bind and no Pawn sacrifice.  I must point out that Carlsen’s move still puts good pressure on the Black position, and just because it parts with a Pawn does not make it worse.

27. Nd5 !?  e4 28. Bc3 f6 29. Kh1 Kh8 30. Rg1 Bf8 31. Ne3 Qc6 32. Rd5 Qe6 33. Rh5 Qf7 34. Qh3 g6 35. Rh4 Rb6 36. f5 Ne5 37. Nd5 Rd6

White’s build up on the King side has been most impressive.

38. fxg6 Nxg6 39. Bxf6+ Rxf6 40. Rxh7+ 1-0

Final Position

There is a Knight fork stinger which liquidates to an easily winning ending.

 

 

Vladimir Kramnik vs Jan-Krzysztof Duda

Tata Steel Masters 2019
Date “2019.01.20”
Round “8”
White “Duda, Jan-Krzysztof (POL)”
Black “Kramnik, Vladimir (RUS)”

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. O-O d6 6. c3 a6 7. a4 O-O 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 Ba7 11. Nbd2 Nh7 12. h3 h5 13. d4 h4 14. Bh2 g4 15. hxg4 Bxg4 16. dxe5 dxe5 17. b4 h3 18. b5 Ne7 19. gxh3 Bxh3 20. Nxe5 Kg7

With (20… Bxf1 21. Qg4+ Kh8 22. Nxf7+ Rxf7 23. Bxf7) and White has ‘Be5+’ hovering over the position.

21. Nxf7 Rxf7 22. Bxf7 Bxf1 23. Bb3 Bh3

Maybe ‘Bd3’ instead?

24. Be5+ Nf6 25. Bxf6+ Kxf6 26. Qf3+ Bf5

Poor Kramnik; he’s getting hammered.

27. Rd1 Qc8 28. exf5 Qxf5 29. Ne4+ Kg7 30. Qxf5 Nxf5 31. Rd7+ Kh6 32. bxa6 bxa6 33. Rxc7 Bb8 34. Rf7 Nh4 35. Rf6+ Kg7 36. Kf1 Ra7 37. Rb6 Be5 38. Bd5 Ng6 39. c4 Bd4 40. c5 Nf4 41. Bb7 Nd3 42. Bxa6 Bxc5 43. Re6 Nf4 44. Nxc5 Rc7 45. Re4 1-0

Final Position

 

 

Vladimir Fedoseev vs Samuel Shankland

Tata Steel Masters 2019
Date “2019.01.20”
Round “8”
White “Fedoseev, Vladimir (RUS)”
Black “Shankland, Samuel L (USA)”

1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 Bf5 3. Bb2 e6 4. g3 h6 5. d3 Nf6 6. Nbd2 Be7 7. Bg2 O-O 8. O-O c6 9. Re1 Bh7 10. e4 a5 11. a3 Na6 12. Qe2 b5 13. Rad1 Qb6 14. Bh3 dxe4 15. Nxe4 Nxe4 16. dxe4 Rad8 17. Ne5 Bf6 18. Bg2 Nb8 19. c4 b4 20. axb4 axb4 21. Nd3 Bxb2 22. Nxb2 c5 23. Qe3 Qc7 24. Bf3 Qe7 25. Na4 Na6 26. h4 Qc7 27. Kh2 Qe5 28. Bg2 Bg6 29. f4 Qc7 30. Bf3 Qa7 31. h5 Bh7 32. Rd3 Rxd3 33. Qxd3 Nb8 34. Qd6 Rc8 35. Rd1 Kh8 36. Qb6 Qe7 37. Nxc5 e5 38. Qd6 Qa7 39. Bg4 f5 40. exf5 exf4 41. gxf4 Na6 42. f6 Rg8 43. Qxa6 Qxc5 44. fxg7+ Rxg7 45. Rd8+ Bg8 46. Qxh6+ Rh7 47. Qf6+ Rg7 48. Rd4 Qe7 49. Qxe7 Rxe7 50. Rd8 Re3 51. h6 Re1 52. c5 1-0

Final Position

 

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