73rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2011 (3)

McShane goes to 3/3 Carlsen disaster against Giri

Malcolm Pein takes a look at the 3rd round of the Wijk aan Zee tournament where English GM Luke McShane leads the B-Group with a 100% score and Magnus Carlsen had a disaster against Anish Giri.

Magnus Carlsen against Anish Giri. Photo © Frits Agterdenbos.

Magnus Carlsen against Anish Giri. Photo © Frits Agterdenbos. | http://www.chessvista.com/

A third straight win for Luke McShane put him in control of Group B at Wijk aan Zee with maximum points. McShane defeated Vladislav Tkachiev, the Kazakh Blitz Chess expert who represents France nowadays.

The result of the day, but certainly not the game of the day was the unexpected demise of the world number one Magnus Carlsen who blundered horribly and lost to the prodigy Anish Giri in just 22 moves.

Giri, 16, is the son of a Nepalese father and a Russian mother. He has been living in Holland for three years and became Dutch national champion in 2009. His performance at Wijk aan Zee 2010, where he finished first in Group B qualified him for this year's elite event. Giri appeared shocked afterwards: "Apparently ... I just won," he said "I don't think Carlsen will lose again like this in the next ten years. He just blundered away a piece."

Carlsen's strange looking eleventh move is a novelty. He confirmed afterwards that he had simply missed Giri's 20thmove .

11.Qd2 almost appeared to be a finger slip as Qe2 and Qc2 have been played here. 11.b3 e5 12.d5 e4! is good for Black and 11.b3 e5 12.dxe5 is just equal. Giri was denied a pretty finish after 22.Qxb6 e2 23.Re1 Qxc1 24.Rxc1 e1Q+ 25.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 26.Bf1 Bh3.

M Carlsen - A Giri

Gruenfeld Defence

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Nf3 Nb6 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.e3 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 10.Re1 a5 11.Qd2?! e5 12.d5 Nb4 13.e4 c6 14.a3

Anish Giri

r_bqr_k_
_p___pbp
_np___p_
p__Pp___
_n__P___
P_N__NP_
_P_Q_PBP
R_B_R_K_

Magnus Carlsen

Position after 14.a3


14...cxd5! 15.axb4 axb4 16.Rxa8 bxc3 17.bxc3 Nxa8 18.exd5 Nb6 19.Rd1?

(19.Ng5 h6 20.Ne4 f5 21.Nc5 e4 is good for Black and 19.d6 Re6 rounds up the pawn)

19...e4 20.Ng5??

(20.Ne1 Na4; 20.Nd4 Qxd5 are good for Black)

20...e3 21.Qb2 Qxg5 22.Bxe3 Qg4 0-1

Anish Giri

__b_r_k_
_p___pbp
_n____p_
___P____
______q_
__P_B_P_
_Q___PBP
___R__K_

Magnus Carlsen

Final position after 22...Qg4 attacking the rook on d1. If 23.f3 Qa4 attacking it again and Black emerges a piece ahead.

This won Game of the Day in Group B, round 3. 6.e4 is more aggressive than Carlsen's 6.Nf3, White single mindedly pushes his 'd' pawn.

R Wojtaszek - Li,Chao

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 Bg7 4.Bg2 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nb6 7.Ne2 c5 8.d5 e6 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nec3 exd5 11.exd5 Bf5 12.g4 Bxb1 13.Rxb1 Qd7 14.Ne4 Na6

(14...Nxd5 15.Nxc5 Qd6 16.Qxd5; 14...Qxd5 15.Nf6+ Bxf6 16.Bxd5)

15.g5! Qf5 16.d6 Rad8 17.Qf3 Nc4 18.Bf4 Nb4 19.Rfc1 b5 20.b3 Nd5 21.Bg3 Na3 22.Rxc5! Nxb1 23.Rxd5! Qc8

(23...Qxf3 24.Bxf3 Nc3 25.Nxc3 Bxc3 26.Rxb5 Intending Rb5-b7 and d6-d7)

24.Nf6+ Kh8 25.h4

(Making space for the king but 25.Be5 was also strong)

25...Qc2 26.Qd3 Qc1+ 27.Kh2 Nc3 28.Rc5 b4 29.d7 Qb2 30.Bh3 Qxa2 31.Rc8 a6 32.Qe3 Qe2 33.Rxc3 1-0

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