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 A KNIGHT STORY

gm  Ivanchuk,V

gm  Mamedyarov,Shak

 

Vladimir Petrov Mem  Jurmala  2015.3.8  Actually, a rapid tournament.  Position after White’s 17th move (17.h4) attacking the Knight on g5. White is hoping that the Knight will retreat, when he can follow up with a timely Rg1 and Bb2 with Kingside chances. However, the tournament winner (Ivanchuk) was in great form and found some clever tactical themes that allowed him to take the offensive…

 

HOW DOES BLACK GET A BIG EDGE?

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Canabate

 Millan

Jaen Open  February 2015  Position after 30 moves. At first sight it seems that Black has everything under control…in chess first impressions are rarely reliable.

WHITE TO PLAY AND WIN!

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ANOTHER KNIGHT STORY

gm  Schlosser, P

gm  Karjakin,S

 

Vladimir Petrov Mem  Jurmala  2015.3.7  The rapid tournament. Position after 17 moves. As with most of these d3-Spanish Openings, very little other than ‘cat and mouse‘ play  is going on. Black’s last move (17…Bg4) aims to get some Kingside play (18.Nd2 Nh5!?), something that Karjakin’s next move prevents…

18.Ng5!?

With an obvious threat on f7…

18…Bh5  19.Re3!?

Planning to slide the Rook to g3 or h3, depending on circumstances… 

 

19…h6

Politely asking the Knight to declare its intentions… White should now continue 20.Nf3 with a messy fight.

20.Ne6??

THE WINNING BLUNDER!!

 

Yes, that is right!  Black emerges a piece up after 20…PxN! 21.BxP+ Bf7! (overlooked by both players). BUT, remember, this is a rapid game!

20…Re8?

Defending the attacked Rook…

 

21.Rg3!

Karjakin has ‘stolen’ the advantage!

 

21…Bg6?!

White has a number of ways of winning.  Probably the most crushing is 22.Rxg6! and if 22…PxR 23.Bxa6!! winning the house, the Queen  and/or all of Black’s important pieces!  The discovered check theme of the Queen on a2 is worth close study…BUT, it must be admitted that Karjakin’s way of winning is also pretty brutal:

22.Nxg7!

This is, after all, a ‘Knight’-story!  White threatens both RxB and NxR. If Black plays 22…KxN then 23.Bxf7 brings down the house…

22…d5 (Desperate, but what else?) 23.NxR

1-0!

Black has had enough!  What a hero that Knight was!!

 

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Vladimir Petrov Mem  Jurmala  2015.3.8 Mamedyarov,Shak–Ivanchuk,V: 17…Nxf3! 18.Kxf3 e4+ 19.Bxe4 (There is little better. After 19.Ke2 Black simply takes the Bishop and follows up with …Ne4) 19…Nxe4 20.Bb2 (Taking the Knight on e4 will allow a Queen check on f6, snaring the Rook) 20…f5 And Black was able to win the game  21.Rg1 Rf7 22.Ke2 Qe6 23.Rac1 f4 24.Qd3 fxe3 25.f3 Nd2 26.Qd4 Rcc7 27.Qxa7 Qh3 28.Qxe3 Rce7 0-1

Jaen Open  February 2015  Millan—Canabate: 31.Rd8+!!  Be8 (Ofcourse the idea is that after 31…Qxd8 32.Qxe5+ Qf6 33.Qxf6# ) and now 32.Ba4! would win a piece and with it the game.  In the game White played the imprecise 32.Qc4 (threatening mate) when 32…Kg7! and Black is back in the game.  Infact, he even won the game when White played further inaccuracies.