Nakamura beats Howell to take lead in London after 5

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3rd London Chess Classic 2011 (5)

Nakamura beats Howell to take lead in London after 5

IM Malcolm Pein - Saturday 10th December 2011

IM Malcolm Pein looks at Hikaru Nakamura's defeat of David Howell which took him into the lead in the 3rd London Chess Classic after 5 rounds.

Nakamura against Howell. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill.

Nakamura against Howell. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill. | http://www.rmhphoto.eu

Hikaru Nakamura took the lead at the 3^rd London Chess Classic after outplaying David Howell in the fifth round. Nakamura has 10 points from five games and his remaining games are against; Luke McShane, Nigel Short and Michael Adams. His last two games are with white.

The US number one had the temerity to beat an Englishman, in an English tournament, with the English Opening. Howell allowed himself to become too passive and when times were level at a critical stage, he thought for too long and with just a minute left on the clock, he allowed a combination.

H Nakamura - D Howell

English Opening

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Bb4 4.Nf3 Bxc3 5.bxc3 Nc6 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 Re8 8.d3 e4 9.Nd4 exd3 10.exd3 Nxd4 11.cxd4 d5 12.Be3 h6

(12...Be6 13.h3 h6 was solid for Black in Botvinnik-Basman Hastings 1966, Black held the draw)

13.h3 b6

Basman's plan looks better

14.Rc1 Qd7 15.Bf4! Bb7 16.Be5 Nh7 17.c5 Rac8 18.h4

White's bishops are working harder than Black's minor pieces

18...Nf8 19.Kh2 bxc5 20.Bh3 Ne6 21.Rxc5

(21.Qg4 cxd4 22.Qxg7+ Nxg7 23.Bxd7 Rxe5)

21...f6 22.Bf4 Qd8

(22...Qf7)

23.Ra5 c5 24.Rxa7 Qb6 25.Ra4 Nxd4! 26.Qh5

(26.Bxc8 Bxc8 with Qe6 next)

26...Qc6

(26...f5!? 27.Rxd4!? cxd4 28.Bxf5)

27.Rb1!

David Howell

Hikaru Nakamura

Position after 27.Rb1!

27...Ra8?

Howell was low on time and the position is difficult

28.Rxa8 Rxa8 29.Bg2

(29.Re1! and Re7 wins 29...Rxa2 30.Re8+)

29...Ne6?

(29...Rd8 30.Qg6 Bc8 31.Bxh6 Nf5)

David Howell

Hikaru Nakamura

Position after 29...Ne6?

Answer:

30.Rxb7 Qxb7 31.Bxd5 Qc8 32.Bxh6! Ra6

(32...gxh6 33.Qg6+ Kh8 34.Qxh6+ Kg8 35.Qg6+ Kh8 36.Qxf6+ Kh7 37.Bxa8 Qxa8 38.Qxe6)

33.Be3 Rd6 34.Bxc5 Rxd5 35.Qxd5 Kf7 36.Be3 Qa6 37.Qc4 Qa8 38.d4 1-0

The heavyweight game of the day by rating was Levon Aronian v Magnus Carlsen. Carlsen dropped to second after holding a draw with black but Aronian missed some promising continuations, see below.

It was a bad day for England as Nigel Short went astray against Vishy Anand in a level position. It was Anand's first win in fourteen attempts. Michael Adams was ground down by Vladimir Kramnik.

L Aronian - M Carlsen

Slav Defence

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.e3 Bf5 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 h6

(6...e6 7.Nh4 exchanges the bishop, this move preserves it)

7.Qb3 Ra7

(7...b5!? 8.c5 Nbd7 9.a4 e6 10.Qa3)

8.cxd5 cxd5 9.Bd2 e6 10.Ne5 Be7 11.Rc1 0-0 12.0-0 Nfd7 13.Nxd7 Nxd7 14.a4 Nb8 15.e4! dxe4

(15...Bxe4 16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.Be3 b6 18.Rfd1 Rc7 19.Bxh6!)

16.d5 Nd7 17.Be3 Bc5

(17...Nc5 18.Qc2 Ra8 looks more solid)

18.Nxe4! Bxe3 19.Qxe3 Qb6

Magnus Carlsen