Congrats Eric Hansen on your big win today

[Daryl Bertrand]

I just bought a new computer and haven't hooked my chess programs up yet. I thought today's game was explosive and I wonder if anyone can give a little analysis here? I am especially interested in Eric's 19th and 29th moves. If taking the pawn on e5 was sound from the start I'd be very impressed! Also after Qd5 was it so bad for white to take the Bg7? It seemed like the h6 pawn would prove to be a detriment in light of the double attack with the queen and bishop and the maneuver Rf1\Qf3. Maybe a strong player has some thoughts, or at least John Upper?? JK John!

[Hans Jung]

Re: Congrats Eric Hansen on your big win today

Yes definitely congratulations are in order Eric! Awesome! (Mr tricky tactician lost to better tactics!) Your move's must have been so explosive the live game went down for a while!:)

[Hans Jung]

Re: Congrats Eric Hansen on your big win today

Congratulations on finally making 2600 Eric!

[Kerry Liles]

Re: Congrats Eric Hansen on your big win today

Yes definitely congratulations are in order Eric! Awesome! (Mr tricky tactician lost to better tactics!) Your move's must have been so explosive the live game went down for a while!:)

Yes, I nearly lost my mind thinking that Eric lost on time or something like that!! Whew.
Very nice result and, GO ERIC.

[John Bleau]

Re: Congrats Eric Hansen on your big win today

Here are the moves:

Naiditsch - Hansen
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 Nf6 5. Qe2 e5 6. Na3 d6 7. c3 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. d3 Re8 10. Nc4 Bf8 11. Ne3 h6 12. Nh4 g6 13. Kh1 Bg7 14. Bd2 Rb8 15. Rae1 b5 16. f4 ef4 17. gf4 c4 18. e5 de5 19. Bc6 Re6 20. Bg2 ef4 21. Rf4 Nh5 22. Rg4 cd3 23. Qf3 Bb7 24. Qh3 Qe8 25. Bb7 Rb7 26. R4g1 R7e7 27. N3g2 Qd7 28. Re6 Re6 29. Nf5 Qd5 30. N5e3 Qa2 31 Qf3 Qb2 32 Rd1 Nf6 33 Nf4 Re8 34 Qc6 Qb3 35 Rf1 Rf8 36 h4 Qa4 37 N4g2 Ne4 38 Be1 d2 39 h5 de1=Q 40 Re1 Ng3

I'm not a strong player but I watched the game with one. 18...de5 was sound and is Houdini 1.5's favourite, though 18...cd3 and 18...Nh5 are both playable. This makes the dubious-looking 15...b5 all the more impressive, because it floats the c6N and one would imagine that there's some winning tactic somewhere for White. Up till then, White's Pf4 could be met by ...ef4, gf4, ...Ne4, attacking the h4N, but now after these moves W would play Be4 with an attack on the c6N. Hansen took some time to play the moves up to 19...Re6, which he played immediately.

After 22...cd3, we figured W was winning after 23 Qd1, but here and after the game's 23 Qf3, Black has a very slight edge. We actually thought the position might be resignable, and were stunned when we turned on the engines. White's clumsy piece configuration and exposed king fully compensate his material plus.

White's manoeuvre 25. Bb7 Rb7 26. R4g1 was optimal, but not easy to see. Both players were already in time pressure here, which favoured Black, as White, with his exposed king, had a fine line to tread, plus his time pressure was worse.

30 Nd4, 0.20, is the computer's favourite on W's 30th, while 30 Ng7 and 30 Ne3 give Black a slight edge at about -0.30.

We were surprised by 30...Qa2, which seemed to lift the bind on White, but it turns out that it was the only move to give Black an advantage. The evals hopped around between Black advantage and equality after this, but it swung dramatically and definitively after 37 N4g2 (37 c4 with uneasy equality was the only move).

[Daryl Bertrand]

Re: Congrats Eric Hansen on your big win today

Thanks for the analysis! Very cool game, I think with his wins over Naiditsch and Berkes in this tourney we are seeing continued improvement in Eric Hansen and the hope of finally having a super-GM from Canada! Looks like those bundesliga and english league games are really paying off!

[Paul Leblanc]

Re: Congrats Eric Hansen on your big win today

It was an amazing game to watch. At first I thought Eric blundered a piece losing the N on c6 but of course he sees much more than I do.
Good luck tomorrow Eric!

[John Bleau]

Re: Congrats Eric Hansen on your big win today

You're welcome, Daryl. Chess is the best spectator sport! Spectating other sports is passive, this is active, and yes, this was a really fun game to follow.