Nobody in our quarantined, social distancing world knows what day it is anymore, but the “Any given Sunday” adage apparently still applies to online chess.
Norwegian world champ Magnus Carlsen has been on an incredible roll of late, unbeaten in forever at classical time controls and, with most over-the-board events on hold, mowing through an elite field in the preliminary round of the chess24.com rapid online invitational he is now hosting. Dutch GM Anish Giri, by contrast, has struggled mightily of late despite his gaudy 2764 rating, posting a string of indifferent results and winless in four matches in the current event.
So of course it was Giri who knocked off the champ in their rapid match Sunday, having the better of the play for most of the four games and scoring a breakthrough win in Game 2.
Out of a sharp Queen’s Gambit line, White’s novelty 12. g3 Bd6 (see diagram) 13. Rg1!? invites Black to “win” a piece with the risky 13…f4!?, opening all sorts of lines on the kingside. Instead, Black plays the cagey 13…0-0! 14. h4 f4 15. gxf4 g4! 16. Rb5 Ne7 17. f5 h5, and suddenly it’s White who has to be concerned about how the position will open up.
Black grabs the initiative on 19. Rb2 (with the idea of swinging over to the kingside, but this turns out to be a highly unfortunate square for the rook) Rxf5 20. e4 (still dreaming of the attack) Rxg5! 21. hxg5 Ng6 — the White pawn on g5 can’t be saved, and Black’s position proves much easier to play.
Perhaps unsettled by the turn of fortune, Carlsen suffers a stunning oversight, tied to that loose rook on the weird square: 22. e5 Bf8 23. Bd3 Nf4! (avoiding exchanges that would ease White’s plight) 24. Nf1 Qxg5 25. f3?? (on 25. Bb1 b6 26. Ne3 Ba6, Black has a pull but it’s still far from over) Nxd3+ 26. Qxd3 Qc1+! and there goes the rook. White is a full piece down with no compensation; Carlsen resigned seven moves later.
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There are still some kinks to be worked out, but one benefit of online tournaments is they can be organized on a dime. The Chinese Chess Association staged what it called the (deep breath) “Go World! Be Chess Smart Against COVID-19! FIDE Candidates Countries Youth Online Chess Tournament” April 18-19, featuring six teams of players younger than 16 from the countries represented at the now-halted FIDE Candidates Tournament in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
The U.S. team finished a credible fourth in the event, trailing Russia, China and a combined FIDE team. IM Andrew Hong gave the Americans a boost with some fine early wins, including a victory over Dutch squad top board FM Yichen Han in a wild Sicilian Poisoned Pawn variation.
After 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. 0-0 e6 11. Bxe6!? fxe6 12 Nxe6 Kf7!? (Qa5 13. f4 h6 14. Bh4 Kf7 is also playable), Han as White refuses the implicit draw by repetition with 16. Nxb7!? Bxb7 17. Rxb7 Nc5, when stronger now for White might have been 18. Bxf6 Nxb7 19. Qd5! (threatening 20. Qe6+ and mate) gxf6 20. Qe6+ Kd8 21. Qxf6+ Kd7 22. Nd5 Re8 23. Qxh8, and White is better.
Black emerges with a piece for two pawns, but his position is a mess. Hong must walk a defensive tightrope before consolidating: 23. Be3 Qc6 24. Bb6+?! (Rb1! Ke8 25. Qe6+ Be7 26. e5! Nd8 27. Rb8 Qc3, with ferocious complications) Ke7 25. e5 (just a little too late) dxe5 26. f4 e4 27. Qb3 Qb5!, and Black can finally breathe easier.
A clever combination seals the deal for Black: 29. Nc7 Qxb6! 30. Qxb6 Bc5+ 31. Qxc5 Nxc5 32. c4 Rc8 and Hong has simplified down to a dead-won ending. A piece down after 37. Rb7+ Ke8, Han resigned.
Carlsen-Giri, Magnus Carlsen Invitational, April 2020
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4 Ne4 7. Rc1 Nc6 8. Nd2 g5 9. Be3 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Ba3 11. Rb1 f5 12. g3 Bd6 13. Rg1 O-O 14. h4 f4 15. gxf4 g4 16. Rb5 Ne7 17. f5 h5 18. Bg5 c6 19. Rb2 Rxf5 20. e4 Rxg5 21. hxg5 Ng6 22. e5 Bf8 23. Bd3 Nf4 24. Nf1 Qxg5 25. f3 Nxd3+ 26. Qxd3 Qc1+ 27. Kf2 Qxb2+ 28. Nd2 Bf5 29. Qxf5 Qxd2+ 30. Kg3 Qxc3 31. Kh4 Qxd4 32. Rg3 Bg7 33. f4 Rf8 White resigns.
Han-Hong, FIDE Candidates Under-16 Online Tournament, April 2020
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. O-O e6 11. Bxe6 fxe6 12. Nxe6 Kf7 13. Nd8+ Ke8 14. Ne6 Kf7 15. Nd8+ Ke8 16. Nxb7 Bxb7 17. Rxb7 Nc5 18. Nd5 Nxb7 19. Nc7+ Kd7 20. Nxa8 Qa5 21. Qe3 Qc5 22. Qh3+ Kd8 23. Be3 Qc6 24. Bb6+ Ke7 25. e5 dxe5 26. f4 e4 27. Qb3 Qb5 28. Qe3 Kf7 29. Nc7 Qxb6 30. Qxb6 Bc5+ 31. Qxc5 Nxc5 32. c4 Rc8 33. Nd5 Nxd5 34. cxd5 Nd3 35. Rb1 e3 36. Kf1 Rc2 37. Rb7+ Ke8 White resigns.
• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email dsands@washingtontimes.com.
• David R. Sands can be reached at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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