Tari gets valuable lesson from Carlsen
Every defeat can be an opportunity to learn something new. Yesterday, in round 8, World Champion Magnus Carlsen gave a valuable lesson to his compatriot, former World Junior Champion Aryan Tari.
The young Tari is probably just too young to have had time to study the great classics of chess (Steinitz era to Fischer era) and so he simply did not know that he was heading into what has long been known to be a strategically lost game when he allowed Carlsen to exchange minor pieces. The resulting position saw Carlsen’s Knight easily dominate Tari’s Bishop.
gm Carlsen,M – gm Tari,A Norway 13.10.2020 (1-0)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.d3{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A very popular sideline today in the Spanish Opening. Carlsen has lots of experience playing both sides.</strong>} b5 7.Bb3
d6 8.a4 Bd7!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Considered the most solid reply</strong>} 9.c3 Na5 10.Ba2$5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Not as popular as the alternative 10.Bc2, but theory has yet to give a final word here.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">A recent game with the alternative: </strong> } 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 cxd4
( 11...Qb8$5 {<strong style="color:black;">is much more frequently seen in master chess </strong> } ) 12.cxd4 exd4 13.Nxd4 O-O 14.Nc3 b4 15.Nce2 Re8 16.Ng3
g6 17.Re1 Bf8 18.Nf3 Bg7 19.Be3 Bg4 20.h3 Bxf3 21.Qxf3 Nd7 22.Rab1
Rc8 23.Qd1 Nc4 24.Bb3 Nxe3 25.Rxe3 Nc5 26.Bd5 Qb6 27.b3 Ne6 28.Ne2
Nc7 29.Rf3 Nxd5 30.Qxd5 Rc7 31.Nf4 Qc6 32.Re1 Bc3 33.Rc1 Rxe4
34.Qxc6 Rxc6 35.Nd5 Kg7 36.Nxc3 bxc3 37.Rfxc3 Rxc3 38.Rxc3 Rb4
39.Kf1 d5 40.Rc6 Rxb3 41.Rxa6 Rb2 42.Rd6 Ra2 43.Rxd5 Rxa4 44.g3
{1/2-1/2, Nakamura,Hi 2741 – Ding Liren 2801 , Kolkata IND 24/11/2019 Tata Steel India Rapid}
)
c5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Should he have taken the pawn on a4? The theoreticians have not yet come to a definitive decision.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">A very important game is </strong> } 10...bxa4$5 11.Nbd2 O-O 12.Bb1 Bb5 13.Bc2 Nb7 14.c4 Bd7
15.Bxa4 Bxa4 16.Qxa4 Nc5 17.Qc2 a5 18.b3 Ne6 19.Bb2 c5 20.Ra4
Nd7 21.Rfa1 Nb8 22.Nf1 Nc6 23.Ne3 Qd7 24.Bc3 Bd8 25.Qd1 Rb8 26.R4a2
g6 27.g3 f5 28.exf5 gxf5 29.Nd5 Rb7 30.Nd2 Qe8 31.f4 Qg6 32.Kh1
Nb4 33.Bxb4 cxb4 34.Nf3 exf4 35.gxf4 Rg7 36.Qe2 Re8 37.Rg1 Qh5
38.Rxg7+ Kxg7 39.Qf1 h6 40.Rg2+ Kh7 41.d4 Nc7 42.Qd1 Qf7 43.Nxc7
Bxc7 44.Qd3 Bd8 45.c5 Re4 46.cxd6 Rxf4 47.Ne5 Qd5 48.Qa6 Bb6
49.Nd7 Qf7 50.Qc4 Qxc4 51.Nf8+ Kh8 52.Ng6+ Kh7 53.Nf8+ Kh8 {1/2-1/2, Carlsen,M 2837 – Ding Liren 2774 , Saint Louis USA 11/11/2017 Carlsen-Ding Showdown G30}
)
11.Bg5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} O-O 12.Nbd2$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Curiously, this normal move had not been played yet in praxis!</strong>}
( 12.axb5$5 )
( 12.Na3$5 )
Rb8{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Reasonable is </strong> } 12...Qc7$5 )
({<strong style="color:black;">The most critical move must still be </strong> } 12...bxa4! {<strong style="color:black;">but Tari probably did not want to enter into a theoretical debate against Carlsen </strong> } )
13.axb5 axb5 14.Re1{[#]<strong style="color:black;">In this kind of position, vacating the f1-square for the Knight is typical. </strong> } b4$6{[#]<strong style="color:black;">Tari has a solid enough position against the World Champion, but does not know what to do, so he ‘forces’ the play and soon finds himself in trouble. </strong> }
({<strong style="color:black;">Black should wait and see what Carlsen can himself do. Reasonablee, for instance, seems </strong> } 14...Qc7$5 15.Bxf6 Bxf6
16.Bd5 Be6$5 )
({<strong style="color:black;">Less precise seems </strong> } 14...Ra8$6 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Bd5! )
15.Nc4 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( {<strong style="color:black;">Another good plan, but different, is </strong> }15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Bd5 g6 17.Ra2 {<strong style="color:black;">followed by Qa1 </strong> } )
Nxc4 16.Bxc4{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} bxc3$6
( 16...Qc7$5 ) 17.bxc3 Qc7
( {<strong style="color:black;">Much safer is to preserve the Knight: </strong> }17...Ne8! 18.Ra7 Bxg5 19.Nxg5 Nf6!{<strong style="color:black;">And the Knight keeps White’s initiative at bay </strong> } )
18.Qc2 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Connecting Rooks. Carlsen is not in a hurry to force the play as he no doubts senses that Tari is not comfortable with his position.</strong>}
( 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Nd2 Bg5!{<strong style="color:black;">and Black is ready to exchange his Bishop for the Knight when it comes out to e3. </strong> } )
Bb5$6 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Probably the decisive mistake! Tari is handing Carlsen the game on a platter. He needed to preserve this Bishop for a while.</strong>}
( 18...h6! )
19.Bxb5! Rxb5
20.Bxf6!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Carlsen does not need to be asked twice! He knows that his Knight will be much stronger than Tari’s Bishop</strong>} Bxf6 21.Nd2{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Heading over to c4, and if he gets the chance, later to d5 via e3. The rest of the game by White reminds me of Capablanca: slow strangulation of the Black pieces; denying any counterplay, and finally a mating attack.</strong>} Qc6 22.Qa4$5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Not really necessary, but Carlsen probably wanted to rule out any d5. In winning positions such as this, it is often wise to prevent any unnecessary counterplay </strong}
Rfb8 23.Nc4 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">This Knight does not even allow Black to play his Rook to the 7th rank.</strong>} Be7 24.g3 Qc8
25.Qd1{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Carlsen realizes that there is more to be had on the Kingside</strong>}
g6 26.Kg2 Bf8 27.Qf3!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Progress. There is no better square for the White Queen.</strong>} Rb3 28.Rec1{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Black is running out of threats</strong>} Qe6 29.Ra7!{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} R8b7{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Black has little choice but to exchange, but this plays into White’s plans…</strong>} 30.Rxb7 Rxb7
31.Ra1!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Carlsen’s technique is worth studying. Playing on both sides of the board (a Capablanca favourite strategy in such positions) and keeping the defence uncertain as to where the next blow will come.</strong>} h5 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Probably this should be avoided, but it is hard to recommend anything better</strong>}
( 31...Rb8 32.Ne3 )
32.Ra8 Kg7 {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 32...h4$6 33.gxh4!{<strong style="color:black;">followed by h5 </strong> } )
33.Ne3 Rc7 34.Nd5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Now that Carlsen has placed all of his pieces on their best squares, he is now ready to begin an advance of pawns on the Kingside. Black is helpless to stop it.</strong>} Rc8 35.Ra7 Rb8 36.h3! Rd8 37.g4!{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} hxg4 38.hxg4
Rd7 39.Ra8 f6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">There are only bad options.</strong>}
( 39...Rb7 40.g5! Rd7 41.Nf6 Rb7 42.Qg3! ) 40.g5!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The finish is very pretty.</strong>}
f5 41.Qh3 Rf7 42.Re8 Qxe8 43.Qh6+ Kg8 44.Qxg6+ Kh8 45.Nf6!{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 1-0
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Photos of Altibox tournament by L. Ootes.
