FT article: Chess champion Magnus Carlsen leads gambit to capture ancient game

As part of the Financial Times' periodic coverage of chess, it recently published "Chess champion Magnus Carlsen leads gambit to capture ancient game". The subheading is "Norwegian fronts F1-inspired Freestyle Chess league that aims to exploit 'massive untapped potential'"

While other chess-oriented sites may provide more details, the FT.com article is actually pretty in-depth. Since the FT has no particular stake in the new chess league, it will probably have more balanced coverage in the future of the business aspects; currently, beyond the top chess stars announced, it's mostly hype. "Freestyle Chess" seems to be the latest attempt to sex up the variant Chess 960 aka Fischer Random.

It remains to be seen if the unprecedented level of chess content curently being demanded in video format, including event streaming, will translate well to the variant, which by definition will have a smaller interested audience to draw from. It's also worth noting that the Formula One circuit has largely been about prestige rather than profits, with wealthy sponsoring manufacturers also using it as a marketing mechanism for their non-F1 products. The same model won't really translate for this new league, although the perceived top-quality image for F1 is clearly what they are going for.

Annotated Game #293: Follow the needs of the position

This next first-round tournament game is instructive for how both sides fail to truly follow the needs of the position. As White, I fail to exchange off the Black knight on e4 early on in the best way, which leads to major cramping and a winning advantage for my opponent. However, later on he exchanges off his double rooks, which were dominating the position, and allows me to escape into an opposite-colored bishop endgame. Both were mis-evaluations of the position, ultimately, and what was required in it.

[Event "?"] [White "ChessAdmin"] [Black "Expert"] [Site "?"] [Round "?"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Date "????.??.??"] [ECO "D00"] [PlyCount "86"] [GameId "2099915250376807"] 1. d4 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. Bd3 e6 4. f4 {the Stonewall Attack.} (4. Nd2 {is possible, if White is worried about ...Ne4.}) 4... c5 5. c3 {the standard reaction to ...c5.} Bd6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O O-O 8. Ne5 {key occupation of the e5 outpost, also to clear the f3 square for other pieces.} Ne4 {with this, Black signals he will be going for a double Stonewall.} 9. Nd2 (9. Bxe4 $5 {exchanging immediately is another way to play, recognizing that the light-square bishop will no longer have its usual attacking purpose.} dxe4 10. Nd2 f5 11. Ndc4 $5 $11) 9... f5 10. Ndf3 $6 (10. Nxe4 {is more consistent with the needs of the position. White will need to trade on e4 at some point and if the bishop capture there is delayed, the knight capture then makes the most sense.} fxe4 11. Be2 $11) 10... Bd7 {developing rather than increasing central pressure.} 11. Bd2 $6 {this gives Black too much leeway in the center and is too slow.} (11. c4 $5 {looks messy, but is more active and leverages the presence of the Bd3.}) 11... Nxe5 $17 12. Nxe5 Bxe5 13. dxe5 Qb6 {after the central exchanges, White is left with less active pieces and Black can freely develop with additional pressure.} 14. Bxe4 {late in coming.} dxe4 15. Qb3 {naturally hoping for an exchange, to help ease the pressure on my position.} (15. c4 $5 {playing for activity, as otherwise the Bd2 is worthless. I recall considering the move, but did not look at it hard enough.} Qxb2 $2 {does not work due to} 16. Ba5 Qa3 17. Qxd7 Qxa5 18. Qxe6+ $16) 15... c4 {this is a good way of restricting c3-c4, but the queen exchange is still a net benefit for me.} 16. Qxb6 (16. Qxc4 $2 Bb5) 16... axb6 17. b3 $6 {Be1-h4 is a better idea for getting the bishop active.} Bb5 18. b4 $2 {the wrong pawn advance.} (18. a4 Bc6 19. Rfb1 $15) 18... Rfd8 $19 19. Rf2 {this finally gets the rook playing, although to a small degree.} Rd3 {Black has a straightforward plan, which is to exploit his space advantage and the open d-file and half-open a-file. His rooks are mobile, which is a large part of the advantage.} 20. Kf1 Ra3 {an unusual bind on the 3rd rank. While Black is still considerably winning, this starts to restrict his pieces as well, however.} 21. Re2 Ba4 {my opponent correctly deduces he needs to bring in the bishop as well.} 22. Be1 Be8 {evidently seeing less progress on the queenside for it, he prepares to shift the bishop to the kingside.} 23. Kf2 h6 {a correct waiting move, which also prepares ...g5. My passive defense cannot reasonably be improved upon, while Black can improve his position.} 24. Rc2 g5 25. g3 Ra8 $6 26. Rb2 $2 {still concentrating on more passive defense, although with the next move played in mind.} (26. a4 $1 {again, the idea of a freeing pawn sacrifice.} Bxa4 27. b5 $1 {Now the pin on the a-file makes things very awkward for Black.} Ra5 28. Rca2 Bxb5 29. Rxa5 bxa5 30. Rxa5 Bc6 $17 {Black is a pawn up, but White's chances are much better with the active rook.}) 26... Kf7 $6 {centralizing the king is a good idea, but this allows} 27. b5 {finally playing somewhat actively, in this case to restrict Black's bishop, although the pawn is exposed here.} Rd5 28. Rab1 Ra5 29. Kg1 $6 {this was more the result of hallucinatory threats on my 2nd rank.} (29. Rc2 Bxb5 30. Rb4 {is at least somewhat more active.}) 29... Raxb5 $6 {this allows me to exchange off a pair of rooks, which is normally better for the defender who is under pressure.} 30. Rxb5 Rxb5 $6 {and now we reach an opposite-colored bishop endgame, which is entirely drawable.} (30... Bxb5 $17) 31. Rb4 $6 {better to immediately exchange.} (31. Rxb5 Bxb5 $11) 31... Rxb4 {thankfully, my opponent continues down the same road.} (31... Ra5 32. Rxb6 Rxa2 (32... Ra7 33. Rb4 Bc6 34. Rb2 $17 {leaves Black in more active shape, although with the opposite-colored bishops it's probably still drawn.}) 33. Rxb7+ {was what we both saw, I believe, which is completely drawn.}) 32. cxb4 $11 Ke7 33. Kf2 Ba4 34. Ke2 Kf7 35. Kd2 Kg6 {my opponent apparently still thinks he has chances to break through on the kingside.} 36. h3 Kf7 (36... gxf4 37. gxf4 {and the Be1 covers the h4 square, preventing the Black king's entry.}) 37. Kc3 b5 {this essentially admits that the game is drawn.} 38. Kd2 gxf4 39. gxf4 Ke7 40. Bh4+ {still drawn, but now I get to have some more active fun with my piece first.} Kd7 41. Bf6 h5 42. h4 Kc6 43. Be7 Kd5 1/2-1/2

Training quote of the day #51: John Nunn

  

From John Nunn's Best Games 1985-1993, Batsford Chess Library, 1995:

It is curious that I have always played best when the result didn't really matter; if there is some additional stress, such as often occurs in the last round of an Olympiad, the result has usually been disastrous. I know some people who operate the reverse way, and achieve their best results when put under pressure. I think the difference is in the level of stress which a normal game of chess engenders in an individual. Some stress is essential for a good performance, and in my case I find a normal game creates just the right level of adrenalin for optimal play. When other factors are added, the balance shifts and my play deteriorates.

Annotated Game #292: Play like a Class player

This final-round tournament game has an all-too-familiar trajectory: emerging well from the opening - which I had learned from previous failure - and then beginning to make sub-optimal moves in the early middlegame, which lead to an increasingly difficult and eventually lost position. Here the common theme I spotted was play that is stereotypical of a Class player: waiting to activate the rooks, passive rather than active defense, and rushing to exchange pieces. On the positive side, after identifying these characteristics from recent live games, instead of being just words on a page the lessons will hopefully stick.

[Event "?"] [White "Class C"] [Black "ChessAdmin"] [Site "?"] [Round "?"] [Annotator "ChessAdmin/Dragon 3.2"] [Result "1-0"] [Date "????.??.??"] [ECO "B15"] [PlyCount "85"] [GameId "2099915250376806"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. f3 {the Fantasy variation, which seems to be more popular these days.} g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. Be3 Qb6 6. Qd2 Qxb2 {this temporary pawn grab is key to the opening line, as is returning it at the right moment.} 7. Rb1 Qa3 8. Bd3 Nd7 {returning the pawn} 9. exd5 Ngf6 10. dxc6 bxc6 {although the c-pawn is isolated, it holds Black's position together by fighting for d5 and b5, while restricting White's Nc3.} 11. Nge2 O-O $11 12. Bh6 {this plan to exchange the Bg7 is not dangerous and Black can respond in various ways. As is often the case in similar fianchetto positions, the engine's first choice is to exchange immediately, although that leaves a positional hole. The point is that it cannot be exploited by White.} Ba6 {is also a solid choice, developing Black's last minor piece.} (12... Bxh6 13. Qxh6 {without a dark-square bishop or a knight able to pair with the queen, the dark-square weaknesses are not exploitable.} Ba6 14. Rb3 Qa5 15. Bxa6 Qxa6 $11) 13. Bxg7 Kxg7 14. Bxa6 {White's strategy seems to be focused just on exchanging pieces at this point. This gives the queen a good square.} Qxa6 $15 {the engine even evaluates Black as slightly better. The queen is on an effective diagonal and useful file. Meanwhile Black has no real weaknesses.} 15. O-O Nb6 $11 {The first sign of Class-level play creeps in, leaving the rooks still not playing; activating either of them would have been better. I was more concerned at the time about dominating d5.} (15... c5 $5 {is also an interesting idea. The point is that if} 16. dxc5 (16. d5 Nb6 {and now Black has the easier game, simply working to target the d-pawn.}) 16... Nxc5 {Black now has the d- and c-files for excellent play with his rooks.}) 16. Qg5 {a bit of a waste of time, although it does pin the Nf6 temporarily.} Rad8 {it's good to get the rook in the game.} (16... h6 {is the simplest method of countering White's last move.}) 17. Rfe1 {lining up against the e-pawn.} Qc4 {not a bad move, but it is unnecessarily commital, and it would be better to activate the other rook, which is not currently playing.} (17... Rfe8) (17... Nbd5 $5 {occupying the central post would also be useful.}) 18. Qa5 {my opponent does well to immediately take advantage of the hole left by my previous move on the queenside. Things are now more awkward for me, if still level.} Nbd5 (18... Nfd5 {might be a slightly better version of the idea. In both cases, the a-pawn cannot be snatched by the Qa5 due to the attack on c3.}) 19. Qa4 {forcing the exchange.} Qxa4 (19... Ne3 $5 {is another, slightly more creative way of handling it.}) 20. Nxa4 {now White's pieces appear more active, although this is partly illusory.} Rb8 {not a bad move, but unnecessarily complicated in terms of the needs of the position.} (20... Rfe8 {activates the other rook and supports the e-pawn.}) 21. Rb3 Rxb3 $6 {here's where I really start losing the thread of the game. Another Class player bad practice is to exchange pieces whenever possible, rather than looking to maintain the tension.} (21... Rb4 $11) 22. axb3 $14 {White now has two pawn islands to Black's three, and the a-pawn is vulnerable.} e6 $6 {here I was too worried about the e-pawn, and not enough about White's knight coming to a powerful outpost.} (22... Nd7 $14) 23. Nc5 $16 {from this point on, it is an uphill battle in the endgame.} Ra8 24. Ra1 Ne8 {with the idea of getting the knight more into play, but this is too passive.} (24... Ne3 25. c4 a5 {admitting the pawn is lost, but trying to improve things positionally somewhat.} 26. Nb7 a4 {hoping for bxa4 is probably the best chance.}) 25. c4 Ne7 $6 {again with the overly passive choice for defense.} (25... Nb4 $16) 26. Kf2 $18 {from here it really is "a matter of technique" for White, who has a major space and structural advantage, with no Black counterplay.} Nc7 27. g4 g5 28. Ng3 f6 29. Nce4 Ne8 30. Ke2 Kf7 31. Kd3 Rb8 32. Kc3 Rb7 33. Ra6 Rc7 34. Nc5 Nc8 35. Nge4 {it's instructive to see how White continues squeezing Black's weaknesses and does not need to rush things.} Ned6 36. Ra2 Nxe4+ 37. fxe4 Ne7 {the last major mistake, as now the half-open f-file spells Black's doom.} 38. Rf2 Rc8 39. Nd7 Ng8 40. Nxf6 Nxf6 41. e5 Re8 42. Rxf6+ Kg7 43. Kb4 1-0

Training quote of the day #50: John Nunn

 

From John Nunn's Best Games 1985-1993, Batsford Chess Library, 1995:

I decided that I had still not fully recovered from the overdose of chess at the end of 1988, and that the best cure would be a complete rest from the game. Thus, my 'preparation' for the Rotterdam World Cup was to not look at a chessboard for a month.

The playing conditions and organization at Rotterdam were excellent, and the tournament attracted a good turn-out of spectators.

As I arrived in Holland, I was extremely nervous about how my plan would turn out, but in fact it succeeded beyond my expectations. I felt enthusiastic about playing chess for the first time in many months and I had plenty of energy for the games. Fortunately, most of my opponents challenged me in openings with which I was very familiar, and after six games I had scored five draws and one win.