Sports

Magnus greatest for 5th year in row

IDAING MO KAY VANEZZA - Edgar De Castro - The Philippine Star

November 6, 2016 | 12:00am

The FIDE has released its Nov. 2016 world rankings, and reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway was again the world’s No. 1 for the fifth year running. Carlsen did not play a single game for the period, and his rating remained high at 2853.

Fabiano Caruana, the current US champion, moved up one notch to No. 2 with 2823, replacing Russian Vladimir Kramnik, who fell to fourth with 2810. Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave rose to third spot with 2811.

The rest of the top 12 read 5. Aronian (Armenia) 6. Wesley So (USA), 7. Vishy Anand (India), 8. Hikaru Nakamura (USA), 9. Sergey Kariakin (Russia), 10. Pentala Harikrishna (India), 11. Anish Giri (the Netherlands) and 12. Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia).

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Borrowing an idea from the Germans (Bundesliga), the Chinese organized their national team tournament this year on an international basis, i.e., foreign GMs are invited and pitted against local stars and aspiring hopefuls.

Dubbed as the 2016 Chinese Chess League, most of China’s top players and some of the world’s super GMs are competing in the 12-team, double round robin event. Each match is played over five boards with two women playing on two boards. The tourney concludes next month.

For this issue, we present an interesting game from the ongoing event.

2016 Chinese Chess League

W) Yu Yangi 2736

B) Wang Yue 2724

Queen’s Gambit Declined

1. d4 d5

2. c4 c6

3. Nf3 Nf6

4. Nc3 e6

Black’s last is the popular Meran Defense, which Anand (as black), essayed successfully against Kramnik during the 2008 world championship match.

5. Bg5 Nbd7

5...dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 leads to enormous complications.

6. cxd5 exd5

7. e3 Be7

8. Qc2 0-0

9. Bd3 Re8

10. h3 Nf8

Seems passive. More aggressive and interesting is the engine’s 10...Ne4!? which could lead to an even game after 11. Bf4 Ndf6 12. 0-0 Bd6.

11. g4!? ...

This thematic pawn advance signals that a double-edged, razor- sharp middle game is in the horizon.

11... a5

Anticipating White’s next move, but the computer’s 11...h6 or 11...Bd6 is seemingly better.

12. 0-0-0 a4

13. Kb1 Qa5

13...Ne4 is considered best by the computer. E.g. 14. Bxe7 Nxc3ch 15. Qxc3 Qxe7 16. Rdg1 a3 17. b3, the game is unclear.

14. a3 Be6

15. Bxf6!? ...

Gaining a tempo and eliminating ...Ne4.

15... Bxf6

16. g5 Be7

17. Ne5! ...

The point of White’s 15th move. The Knight is firmly anchored on e5, paving the way for f2-f4.

17... Bxg5

Played out of necessity in view of the threat 18. f2-f4. The alternative is 17...Qb6 and after 18. Nxa4 Qa7 19. Nc5 Bxg5 20. f4 Bf6 21. Rdg1, White is clearly superior. After the text, White’s major pieces will play actively along the half open g file.

18. f4 Bf6

19. h4 Bxe5

20. fxe5 b5

21. Na2 Rac8

22. Nb4 Qb6

23. Rc1 Bd7

24. Rhg1 Qd8

25. Qg2 Ne6

26. Rcf1! ...

Threatening to win at once with 27. Bxh7ch! Kxh7 28. Rxf7 and the threat on g7 is difficult to parry.

26... Qe7

27. Bxb5! ...

A bolt from the blue which starts a series of sizzling combinations.

27... cxb5

Declining the sacrifice seems better, but it leaves Black with a poor game. For instance 27...Red8 28. Bxa4 Qxh4 29. Rc1 and White has the upper hand.

28. Nxd5 Qd8

29. Nf6ch Kh8

30. Nxe8 Qxe8

31. d5 ...

The tail end of White’s combination. Now he wins material on a forced move. The rest is a routine technique for White.

31... g6

32. dxe6 Qxe6

33. Qd2 h5

34. Rf6 Qe8

35. e4 Kh7

36. Rg5! ...

Intensifying the pressure on Black’s King which is now under heavy pressure.