6th Tal Memorial 2011 (9)
Carlsen wins Tal Memorial on tie-break after beating Nakamura
IM Malcolm Pein - Monday 28th November 2011
Magnus Carlsen edged out Levon Aronian on tie-break after both finished on 5.5/9. Carlsen was lucky in the sense that the tie-break was number of games played with black something out of control of the players but both Aronian and Carlsen have reason to be pleased to win one of the strongest events in history. Malcolm Pein takes a look at Carlsen's final round win against a dispirited Hikaru Nakamura relegated the US player to clear last place.
Carlsen in action against Hikaru Nakamura in the final round. Photo © | http://www.russiachess.org
Magnus Carlsen has done it again. The world number one took the Tal Memorial at Moscow with a last round win over the American Hikaru Nakamura and with 5.5/9, edged out the world number three Levon Aronian on tie break.
And so the show moves to London this week for the London Chess Classic at Olympia. Play begins this Saturday at 2pm at the Olympia Conference Centre. Tickets are still available from londonchessclassic.com and for readers who cannot attend, the moves and commentary will be relayed from telegraph.co.uk./chess
H Nakamura - M Carlsen
Queen's Indian
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qc2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 c6 8.0-0 d5 9.Ne5 Nfd7 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Bf4 Nxe5 12.dxe5 0-0 13.Rd1 Bb7 14.Nd2 Nc6 15.Nf3
Magnus Carlsen
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Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 15.Nf3
(15.h4 Rc8 16.Qa4 Qc7 17.Rac1; 15.e4 d4 16.Nb3 g5 17.Bc1 Rc8)
15...g5! 16.Be3 g4 17.Nd4 Nxe5 18.Bh6 Re8
The computer recommends Qd2-f4 here and White may have some play but Nakamura loses his composure
19.e4 Bc5 20.Nb3 Rc8 21.Nxc5 Rxc5 22.Qa4
(22.Qe2 Qf6 23.Bf4 Nf3+!)
22...Bc6 23.Qd4 Qf6 24.Bf4 dxe4 25.Bxe4 Nf3+ 26.Bxf3 Qxd4 27.Rxd4 Bxf3
This looks technically won and Carlsen duly won
Magnus Carlsen
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Hikaru Nakamura
Position after 27...Bxf3
28.Rd7 Rd5 29.Rxd5 exd5 30.Be3 Re4 31.Re1 d4 32.Bd2 Rxe1+ 33.Bxe1 Be2 34.f4 gxf3 35.Bf2 d3 36.Be1 Kg7 37.Kf2 Kf6 38.Ke3 Kf5 39.h3 h5 40.Bd2 Bf1 41.Be1 Bxh3 42.Kxd3 Bf1+ 43.Ke3 Kg4 44.Kf2 Bb5 45.Bc3 Bc6 46.Be5 b5 47.Bb8 a6 48.Bc7 f5 49.b3 Bd5 50.Bd6 f4 51.gxf4 h4 52.f5 Kxf5 53.Ke3 Kg4 54.Kf2 h3 55.Ke3 Be4 56.Kf2 Bb1 57.a3 Ba2 58.b4 Bf7 0-1
Magnus Carlsen
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Hikaru Nakamura
Final position after 58...Bf7
White can hold the two passed pawns, but he daren't leave them and so Black can bring his king to the queenside and take on a3.For example 58...Bf7 59.Bc7 Bd5 60.Bh2 Kf5 61.Ke3 Ba8 62.Bg3 Ke663.Bh2 Be4 64.Bg3 Kd5-c4-b3. Not 63.Kd4 h2 promoting a pawn.
