Gashimov Memorial 2015

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

The 'Star Tribune' reports on Wesley's performance.

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/300680061.html

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

As hot as Wesley has been in Shamkir, I'm a bit surprised that he's the 67/10 dog tomorrow against Anand. This is evidently their inaugural encounter. I also rather like the Carlsen-MVL draw odds of 33/25. Five of their past six games have been split points, with MVL winning the decisive game.

https://www.marathonbet.com/en/betting/Chess/

[Hans Jung]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

The bookies knew something there. I bet a lot of people lost money.

[Hans Jung]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

Amazing game by Vishy. He attacked like a young man!

[Wayne Komer]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

Gashimov Memorial 2015

Round Five
April 21, 2015

Carlsen, Magnus – Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime
A05 Reti, King’s Indian Attack, Spassky’s Variation

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 b5 3. Bg2 Bb7 4. Na3 a6 5. c4 b4 6. Nc2 e6 7. d4 a5 8. O-O Be7 9. d5 Na6 10. Nfd4 Nc5 11. Re1 O-O 12. e4 e5 13. Nf5 d6 14. Bg5 Nxd5 15. Bh6 gxh6 16. Qg4+ Bg5 17. cxd5 Kh8 18. h4 Bf6 19. Nce3 Bc8 20. Qf3 Bg7 21. Bh3 Rg8 22. Bg4 Qf6 23. Bh5 Bxf5 24. Nxf5 c6 25. dxc6 Rac8 26. Qd1 Rxc6 27. Qd5 Rgc8 28. Rad1 Bf8 29. Qxf7 Qxf7 30. Bxf7 Na4 31. Re2 Rc1 32. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 33. Kg2 Nc5 34. b3 Rc3 35. Kh3 Nd7 36. Be6 Nc5 37. Bd5 Nd7 38. Ne3 Nf6 39. Be6 Rc5 40. Nc4 Kg7 41. f3 Ne8 42. Rd2 Nc7 43. Bg4 a4 44. Nxd6 Bxd6 45. Rxd6 a3 46. Bd7 Rc2 47. Bc6 Rxa2 48. Rd7+ Kf6 49. Rxc7 Rc2 50. Rxh7 Kg6 51. Rc7 Kf6 52. h5 Rc1 53. Rh7 a2 54. Bd5 1-0

chessbomb kibitizing

- great game, the champion wins again

- a very honorable effort by Maxime. For a while, I thought he would hold a draw

Round 5, April 21, 2015
Caruana, Fabiano – Giri, Anish
E11 Bogo-Indian Defence (…Be7 retreat)

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Qc2 Nbd7 9. Rd1 b6 10. b3 Ba6 11. a4 c5 12. a5 Rc8 13. Qa2 Nb8 14. axb6 axb6 15. Nc3 dxc4 16. Bf4 cxb3 17. Qxb3 Bb7 18. dxc5 Nbd7 19. Ra7 Bxf3 20. Bxf3 Nxc5 21. Qb1 Ncd7 22. Nb5 Rc5 23. Bc7 Qc8 24. Bd6 Bxd6 25. Nxd6 Qd8 26. Ne4 Rc7 27. Nxf6+ gxf6 28. Qa1 Re8 29. Bc6 Re7 30. Ra8 Rc8 31. Rxc8 Qxc8 32. Qa3 Nc5 33. Qf3 Kg7 34. Rd4 f5 35. Rh4 Ra7 36. h3 Ne4 37. Bxe4 Qc1+ 38. Kh2 Ra1 39. Qh1 fxe4 40. Qxc1 Rxc1 41. Rxe4 b5 42. Re5 b4 43. Rb5 Rc2 44. Rxb4 Rxe2 ½-½

Round 5, April 21, 2015
Mamedov, Rauf – Adams, Michael
C91 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Bogolyubov Variation

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. d4 Bg4 10. Be3 exd4 11. cxd4 Na5 12. Bc2 Nc4 13. Bc1 c5 14. b3 Nb6 15. Nbd2 cxd4 16. h3 Bh5 17. g4 d3 18. Bxd3 Bg6 19. Nd4 d5 20. Bb2 Rc8 21. Rc1 dxe4 22. Nxe4 Nxe4 23. Bxe4 Bxe4 24. Rxe4 Bf6 25. Rxc8 Nxc8 26. Qc2 Nd6 27. Re1 Qd7 28. Rd1 Rc8 29. Qd3 Rd8 30. Qf3 Nc8 31. Rd2 Ne7 32. Bc3 Qc8 33. Ne2 Bxc3 34. Qxc3 Rxd2 35. Qxd2 h6 36. Ng3 Qe6 37. Qd8+ Kh7 38. Qd3+ g6 39. Ne4 Qe5 40. Qf3 Kg7 41. b4 Nd5 42. a3 Nf4 43. h4 Ne6 44. Qe3 Nd4 45. Qd3 Ne6 46. Qe3 Nd4 47. Qd3 f5 48. gxf5 gxf5 49. Nc5 Kf7 50. Qe3 Qxe3 ½-½

Round 5, April 21, 2015
Anand, Vishy – So, Wesley
C84 Ruy Lopez, Closed (6.d3)

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.Nc3 d6 9.a3 Nb8 10.Ng5 Nc6 11.Ba2 Nd4 12.Ne2 Nxe2+ 13.Qxe2 h6 14.f4 hxg5 15.fxg5 Ng4 16.g6 Bg5 17.h3 Bxc1 18.Raxc1 Nh6 19.Qh5 Be6 20.Bxe6 fxe6 21.g4 c6 22.Rxf8+ Qxf8 23.Rf1 Qe7 24.g5 Rf8 25.gxh6 Rxf1+ 26.Kxf1 Qf8+ 27.Ke2 gxh6 28.Qg4 Qf6 29.h4 d5 30.h5 d4 31.b4 Kg7 32.Qf3 Qe7 33.Kd1 Kg8 34.Qf2 Kg7 35.c3 dxc3 36.Kc2 Qc7 37.Qc5 Kg8 38.Qe3 a5 39.Qh3 axb4 40.Qxe6+ Kf8 41.axb4 Qa7 42.Kxc3 Qa3+ 43.Kc2 Qa4+ 44.Qb3 Qa7 45.d4 1-0

Game summation by Alexander Delchev on chess bomb:

Very sharp opening concept by Anand. Suddenly with the novelty 10. Ng5 he initiated a double-edged situation on the board. The positional knight sacrifice on f7 was in the air. Many interesting options remained behind the scene. So's reaction was quite unexpected - moving back to c6 his knight for a second time was one of the most original moves I have ever seen. Later he could successfully reject white's aggression playing 14...ef4 instead of 14...h6 or 15...Bg4 instead of 15...Ng4. It was not easy to find the best moves over the board as the position was very tense. Anand also missed the best continuations a few times. Finally, it all ended up in a queen endgame where black should have moved his queenside pawns with extreme care as to prevent white's king of penetration. His last mistake was the unfortunate idea of d5-d4 after which white's win was a way too simple.
____

The game that went on for more than six hours:

Round 5, April 21, 2015
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar – Kramnik, Vladimir
D41 QGD, Semi-Tarrasch (5.cxd5)

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 O-O 11. Rc1 b6 12. Bd3 Bb7 13. O-O h6 14. Qe3 Nc6 15. Rfd1 Rc8 16. h4 Ne7 17. h5 Qd6 18. d5 Rxc1 19. Rxc1 Rc8 20. Re1 Rc3 21. Qd2 Rc5 22. Bb1 Kf8 23. Qd3 Rc8 24. a3 e5 25. Qb3 Rc5 26. Qb2 f6 27. Ba2 Bc8 28. Nd2 Bg4 29. Nc4 Qd7 30. d6 Nc6 31. Nxb6 axb6 32. Qb3 Be6 33. Qxe6 Qxe6 34. Bxe6 Nd4 35. Bg4 Rc6 36. d7 Ke7 37. Rb1 Rd6 38. Kh2 b5 39. a4 bxa4 40. Rb8 f5 41. exf5 Nc6 42. Ra8 a3 43. Rxa3 Nb8 44. f6+ gxf6 45. Ra7 Nxd7 46. Bf5 Ke8 47. g3 Rd2 48. Kg2 Nc5 49. Bg6+ Kd8 50. Ra5 Ne6 51. Ra8+ Ke7 52. Re8+ Kd6 53. Rh8 Nc5 54. Rd8+ Nd7 55. Kf3 Ke7 56. Re8+ Kd6 57. Bf5 e4+ 58. Ke3 Rd3+ 59. Kxe4 Nc5+ 60. Kf4 Rd4+ 61. Kf3 Rb4 62. Rh8 Ke5 63. Bg6 Ne6 64. Rxh6 f5 65. Rh8 Kf6 66. Ra8 Rb3+ 67. Kg2 f4 68. g4 Kg5 69. Bf7 Kh4 70. Bxe6 f3+ 71. Kh2 Rb2 72. Ra3 Rxf2+ 73. Kg1 Re2 74. Bd5 f2+ 75. Kf1 Rd2 76. Bf3 1-0

Standing After Round Five

Carlsen 4
So 3.5
Anand 3
Kramnik 2.5
Mamedyarov 2.5
MVL 2
Caruana 2
Giri 2
Mamedov 2
Adams 1.5

The next round is on Thursday, April 23
with Adams-MVL, Giri-Carlsen, Kramnik-Caruana, So-Mamedyarov and Mamedov-Anand
______
Alejandro Ramirez sums up the day’s action for ChessBase:

What an amazing day in Shamkir! Three decisive games, all three absolutely beautiful. Carlsen played with unbelievable technique from start to end against MVL. Mamedyarov somehow tricked Kramnik in an equal position and then played perfectly to wrap up the endgame. Anand came with a brutal new idea in the Spanish, sacrificed a piece and won beautifully against So.

And this comment on Caruana-Giri:

What a miss from Fabiano Caruana. He obtained a crushing position against Anish Giri's passive pieces. Despite being up a pawn, it seemed that the Dutch's position was holding on by a thread. Caruana had the chance of destroying his opponent's defenses and gaining material with the move 23.Be3!, but he missed it and he was unable to get anything. Giri survived by the skin of his teeth.

[Eric Hansen]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

My predictions were way off this round but I was happy to mention that Anand was capable of out-preparing So. Feel free to listen to them here: https://youtu.be/Z-17bAOxUmo

[Hal Bond]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

Really enjoying this tournament! Carlsen, So and Anand are my favorites. Looking for Carlsen to win the tournament, with Anand and So each making a statement. All good so far. I agree with you Hans, that Anand attacked with youthful zeal, but then he had to switch gears to reel in the ending which I thought was quite impressive. Are we headed for Carlsen - Anand III ?

[Kerry Liles]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

... Are we headed for Carlsen - Anand III ?

I hope not. It is time for someone else to challenge Carlsen - not sure who exactly, but another match between them would be boring I think.

[Eric Hansen]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

I think you were perfect with your predictions last round Eric! Congratulations. I have a suggestion to add some interest to your videos. How about choosing what you consider the best position of each round and having a little discussion. Just one position - a little taste of chess.

Thanks for the input, Hans. I'll consider that for the next tournament but it's not too easy to add a chess position without altering the format! Here are our round 6 predictions after getting smoked in round 5 https://youtu.be/IFWkZpv91ec

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

Carlsen remains winless against Giri in 8 career matches after their 7th consecutive draw today (Giri having won their inaugural game at Tata Steel 2011 in just 22 moves).

[Jack Maguire]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

Caruana's win against Kramnik redintegrates his number 2 ranking and 2800 status.

http://www.2700chess.com/

[Hans Jung]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

Ok Eric, thanks for the reply. (not as easy as I thought)

[Tom O'Donnell]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

It's pretty interesting to watch Caruana in the post-mortem press conferences. He is exceptionally mild-mannered. This round he was almost obsequious to Kramnik.

[Hans Jung]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

Good insights on Anand and the game(s) and good discussion. I notice the views are up. Cheers.

[Hans Jung]

Re: Gashimov Memorial 2015

Nice win by Caruana over Kramnik. I notice Kramnik chose the Torre Attack (cant fault the opening).