6th Tal Memorial 2011 (2)
Carlsen joins leaders after second round of Tal Memorial
IM Malcolm Pein - Saturday 19th November 2011
IM Malcolm Pein reports on Magnus Carlsen's win against Boris Gelfand in the 2nd round of the Tal Memorial which took him to a share of the lead.
Boris Gelfand against Magnus Carlsen. Photo © | http://www.russiachess.org
Magnus Carlsen joined the leading group at the Tal Memorial with victory over world title challenger Boris Gefand in a highly complex game which produced the only decisive result of the second round. Carlsen allowed his opponent to sacrifice material for a dangerous attack but chances were about equal, even though there was the unusual sight of Gelfand's two rooks on Carlsen's back rank. Nerves of steel were required and as Gelfand became short of time, he made a couple of errors and the game was decided.
The other four games were drawn. Ian Nepomniachtchi held knight and three pawns vs knight and four pawns against Vasily Ivanchuk.
M Carlsen - B Gelfand
Slav Defence
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4 Bg6 7.Nxg6 hxg6
(White has two bishops but Black is solidly placed and content to have exchanged his light squared bishop. He also has the open 'h' file for counterplay)
8.Bd3 Nbd7 9.0-0 Bd6 10.h3 dxc4
(This gives up the centre but Black intends to counter with c6-c5 or e6-e5)
11.Bxc4 Nb6 12.Bb3 e5 13.Qc2 Qe7 14.Bd2 0-0-0!? 15.d5! e4 16.dxc6 Qe5 17.f4 exf3 18.Rxf3 Ng4!
(Both players envisaged this after 14...0-0-0 I don't think any other sacrifices work here - Carlsen)
Boris Gelfand
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Magnus Carlsen
Position after 18...Ng4!
19.cxb7+ Kb8 20.hxg4 Rh1+ 21.Kf2 Rxa1 22.Ne2 Bc5 23.Bc3 Qe7 24.g5
I didn't see what else to do apart from g5 - Carlsen. Not 24.Bxf7 Rdd1 25.Bxg6 Rf1+ 26.Kg3 Rh1 with Qh4 to come and wins)
24...Rdd1 25.Ng3 Bd6 26.Qe2
Boris Gelfand
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Magnus Carlsen
Position after 26.Qe2
26...Rg1
(Carlsen proposed 26...Bxg3+ 27.Rxg3 Rf1+ 28.Qxf1 Rxf1+ 29.Kxf1 Nd7 30.Rf3 Ne5 31.Rf4 Kxb7= My computer agrees)
27.Qd3 Bc7 28.Ne4 Raf1 29.Ke2 Rxf3 30.gxf3 f5
(Entirely understandably, Gelfand missed that 30...Be5 31.Bxe5+ Qxe5 32.Qd8+ Kxb7 is playable 33.Nd6+ Kc6 34.Ba4+ Nxa4 35.Qc8+ Kxd6 36.Qb8+ Kd5 37.e4+ Ke6 38.Qe8+ Kd6 39.Qb8+ =)
31.gxf6 gxf6 32.Bxf6 Qh7
This looks dangerous but the black attack is insufficient
Boris Gelfand
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Magnus Carlsen
Position after 32...Qh7
33.Qb5! Rg2+ 34.Kd3 Qd7+ 35.Qxd7 Nxd7 36.Bd5 Be5 37.f4 Bc7??
(37...Bxf6 38.Nxf6 Nc5+ 39.Kd4 Rc2 40.b4 Nxb7 41.Nd7+ Kc7 42.Nf8 Black is suffering)
38.Bc6 1-0
Knight moves allows Nc5 attacking the rook on g2 and threatening Na6 mate
Boris Gelfand
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Magnus Carlsen
Final position
In Tal's honour, today's puzzle
M Tal - NN
Stuttgart simul 1958
Sicilian Dragon
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 Bd7 9.0-0-0 Qa5 10.Kb1 Rc8 11.g4 h6 12.h4 a6 13.Be2 Ne5? 14.g5! hxg5 15.hxg5 Rxh1
NN
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Mikhail Tal
White to play and win
Answer: 16.gxf6!! Rxd1+ 17.Nxd1! Qxd2 18.fxg7! 1-0
