Chess World Cup 2017 Round 2 Game One - Tblisi

The massive shock in the first game of round two was in the match of Anand against Kovalyov. As Kovalyov said in the press room after the game: “If the sacrifice that Anand tried had worked this would have been the game of the year.”

Instead Anand is left with a “what might have been” feeling and the monumental task of being faced with a must win game with the black pieces just to stay in the match.

Anand was the only one of the top 16 seeded players to lose in the first game of round two. In fact, only six of the 32 games played today were decisive.

Let’s analyse all six of those decisive games, starting with Anand – Kovalyov:

Anand,Viswanathan (2794) - Kovalyov,Anton (2649)

FIDE World Cup 2017 Tbilisi (2.1), 06.09.2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 B90: Sicilian Najdorf: Unusual White 6th moves, 6 Be3 Ng4 and 6 Be3 e5 

8.Be3 h5 9.Be2 Nbd7 White is slightly better. 

10.0–0 Rc8 11.Qd2N 

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[11.a4 Nb6 12.Nd2 d5 13.Bxb6 Qxb6 14.exd5 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Bxh5 Qxb2 1/2–1/2 (106) Yu,Y (2675)-Chu,W (2257) China 2013] 11...b5 [11...Be7= keeps the balance.] 

12.Rfd1 Nb6 13.Bxb6 Qxb6 14.a4 b4 15.Nd5 Nxd5 [15...Bxd5 16.exd5 Ne4 17.Qe1=] 

16.exd5 Bd7 17.a5 Qb7! 18.Qe3 Be7 19.Qb6 Qxb6 20.axb6 Threatens to win with b7. 

20...Rb8! 21.Rxa6 Rda1 is the strong threat. 

21...Bd8 22.b7 Ke7 

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23.Nc5? [23.Ra8± Rxb7 24.Na5] 

23...dxc5µ 24.d6+ Kf6 25.Bf3 Kf5! 26.Bd5! e4 27.Re1 Bf6 28.Bxe4+ Kg5 29.Ra5 [White should try 29.h4+³ Kxh4 30.g3+ Kg5 31.Ra5] 

29...Bxb2 30.Rxc5+ 

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30...Kf6! 31.Re3 g6 32.Rf3+ Ke6! 33.Rd3 Rhd8 34.Ra5 [34.f4µ] 

34...f5 [34...h4!–+] 

35.Bf3 Bc3 36.h4 Kf6 37.g3 

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 [37.Ra8µ] 37...f4!–+ 38.Be4 [38.gxf4 Bf5] 

38...Bf5 39.Bxf5 gxf5 40.Rb5 Ke6 

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41.Kf1? [41.gxf4 might work better. 41...Rd7 42.Re3+ Kxd6 43.Rxf5] 

41...Rd7 [41...Rxd6? 42.Rxd6+ Kxd6 43.gxf4µ] 

42.gxf4 Rbxb7 [But not 42...Rdxb7 43.Re3+ Kxd6 44.Rxf5–+] 

43.Re3+? [43.Rc5] 

43...Kf6 Precision: White = 52%, Black = 80%. 0–1

Dreev,Aleksey (2648) - Carlsen,Magnus (2827)

FIDE World Cup 2017 Tbilisi (2.1), 06.09.2017

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Qb3 c5 8.cxd5 exd5 9.a3 Bxc3+ 10.Qxc3 c4 D38: Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defence (4 Nf3 Bb4) 

11.b3 4 Games 

11...Be6 12.Ne5N 

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[12.bxc4² dxc4 13.e4; 12.e3 0–0 13.Be2 Rc8 14.0–0 Nc6 15.a4 cxb3 16.a5 Qd8 17.a6 b6 18.Qxb3 0–1 (41) Skrondal,I (2277)-Hammer,J (2628) Sandefjord 2017] 

12...0–0= The position is equal. 

13.e3 Nc6 14.Be2 Nxe5 15.dxe5 Qg6 16.0–0 d4! 17.exd4 [17.Qxd4 Rfd8] 

17...cxb3 18.Bf3 Hoping for d5. 

18...Rac8 19.Qe3! Qg5ƒ White is under pressure. 

20.Rab1 Qxe3 21.fxe3 Rfd8 22.Bxb7 Rc3 23.d5 Bd7 White must now prevent ...Rb8. [Weaker is 23...Bxd5 24.Rfd1±] 

24.Rf4 a5 Strongly threatening ...Rb8. 

25.Kf2? [25.d6³] 

25...Rb8–+ 26.Bc6 Bxc6 27.dxc6 Rxc6 KRR-KRR 

28.Rd4 [¹28.Rb2] 

28...Rc2+ 

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Black has a decisive advantage. 

29.Kf3 b2 30.Rdd1 Rb5 31.a4 Rxe5 32.Rd8+ Kh7 Precision: White = 58%, Black = 100%. 0–1

Vachier-Lagrave,Maxime (2804) - Grachev,Boris (2654)

FIDE World Cup 2017 Tbilisi (2.1), 06.09.2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e5 Nfd7 5.e6 [5.d4 e6 6.dxc5 Nc6 7.Bf4 Bxc5 8.Bd3 h6 9.Bg3 g5 10.h3 a6 11.Qd2 b5 12.a3 Bb7 13.0–0 Qe7 14.Ne2 Rg8 15.c3 h5 16.Ned4 h4 17.Bh2 1–0 (34) Mozharov,M (2555)-Najer,E (2646) Moscow 2014] 

5...fxe6 6.Bb5 Black must now prevent Ng5. B29: Sicilian: 2 Nf3 Nf6 (Nimzowitsch Variation) 6...Nc6 [¹6...a6 7.Bxd7+ Bxd7] 

7.0–0 g6N 

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7...Qc7 8.Re1 Nd4 9.Nxd4 cxd4 10.Ne2 e5 11.c3 Qb6 12.Qb3 1–0 (22) Peuraniemi,P (2474)-Krasevec, A (2292) ICCF corr 2000] 

8.Qe2 The position is equal. 

8...Bg7 9.Qxe6 Nb6 [9...Nde5!= keeps the balance. 10.Qxd5 Qxd5 11.Nxd5 Nxf3+ 12.gxf3 Kf7] 

10.Bxc6+± bxc6 11.Qxc6+ Bd7 12.Qxc5 d4 13.Ne4 [13.Nxd4 Rc8µ] 

13...Rc8 14.Qa3 0–0 15.d3 [Wrong is 15.Qxa7? Bc6–+] 

15...h6 16.Re1 Kh7 [16...Rf7± 17.Bd2 (17.Qxa7 Ra8=) 17...Rxc2] 

17.c4 [And not 17.Qxa7 Rxf3 18.Bxh6 (18.gxf3 Ra8=) 18...Kxh6=] 

17...dxc3 18.Nxc3 Bc6 19.Qxe7 [White should play 19.Rxe7+- Rc7 20.Rxc7 Qxc7 21.Ne4] 

19...Bxf3 20.gxf3 Rc7 21.Qxd8 Rxd8 22.Bf4 Rf7 23.Be3 Bxc3 24.bxc3 Rxd3 25.Bd4 Nd5 26.Rad1 Rdxf3 27.c4ƒ Black is under strong pressure. 

27...Nb4 28.Rd2 R3f4? [28...Rc7± keeps fighting. 29.Re3 Rxe3 30.Bxe3 Kg7] 

29.Re8+- g5? [29...Rf8 30.Rxf8 Rxf8] 

30.Be5 

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White is clearly winning. 30...Rg4+ 31.Kf1 Nc6 32.Bb2 Rgf4 33.Rh8+ Kg6 34.Rd6+ Kf5 35.Rxc6 Kg4 36.h3+! Kxh3 37.Rhxh6+ Kg4 38.Rhf6 Rb7 39.Be5 Kf3 40.Bxf4 Precision: White = 68%, Black = 48%. 1–0

Kramnik,Vladimir (2803) - Demchenko,Anton (2650)

FIDE World Cup 2017 Tbilisi (2.1), 06.09.2017

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.b3 Bg7 4.Bb2 0–0 5.Bg2 d6 6.d4 Nbd7 7.0–0 Re8 8.a4 A49: 1 d4 Nf6 2 Nf3 g6 3 g3: Anti-King's Indian systems [8.c4 e5 9.dxe5 Ng4 10.Qd2 dxe5 11.h3 Nh6 12.Ng5 Nf8 13.Qxd8 Rxd8 14.Nc3 f6 15.Nf3 Ne6 16.Rfd1 Bd7 17.e3 Nf7 18.Rd2 0–1 (42) Mirzoev,A (2541)-Demchenko,A (2645) Konya 2017] 8...Rb8 9.c4N 

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[9.Na3 a6 10.Qd3 e5 11.dxe5 Ng4 12.Nc4 Ngxe5 13.Nfxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Bxe5 15.Bxe5 dxe5 16.Qxd8 Rxd8 17.Rad1 1/2–1/2 (17) Regis,G (2129)-Mueller Ludwig,K (2089) Germany 2005] 

9...e5 10.dxe5 White has an edge. 

10...Ng4 11.a5 dxe5 12.h3 Nh6 Threatens to win with ...e4. 

13.e4 f6 14.b4 Nf8 15.Nc3 Be6 16.Qe2 Qc8 17.Kh2 Nf7 18.Rfd1ƒ White is pushing. 

18...c6 19.Bc1 f5 20.Be3 b6 21.axb6 axb6 22.Rac1 Qc7 23.Nd5 cxd5 [¹23...Qb7] 

24.cxd5± Qe7 Hoping for ...Bd7. 

25.dxe6 Nxe6 26.exf5 gxf5 

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27.Qb5! f4 28.gxf4 [Inferior is 28.Bxb6 Qb7µ] 

28...exf4 29.Rd7 Qf6 30.Bd2 Rbc8 31.Rxc8 [Don't take 31.Qxb6?! Rxc1 32.Bxc1 Ne5+-] 

31...Rxc8 32.Qxb6 Rc2 33.Qb7 Bf8 34.Qe4 Qg6 35.Qd5 Qf6 36.h4 Strongly threatening Bh3. 

36...Bg7? [36...Rc7 37.Bh3 Rxd7 38.Qxd7 Ned8] 

37.Bh3+- Nf8 38.Rb7 h6 39.Bg4 Rb2 40.Bh5 Ng6 41.Bxg6 Qxg6 42.Rb8+ [¹42.h5 Qf6 43.Bc3 Rxf2+ 44.Kg1 Rd2 45.Bxd2 Kh8 46.Rb8+ Nd8 47.Bc3] 

42...Bf8 43.Ne5 Rxd2 

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 44.Rxf8+! Precision: White = 78%, Black = 41%. 1–0

Fedoseev,Vladimir (2731) - Inarkiev,Ernesto (2694)

FIDE World Cup 2017 Tbilisi (2.1), 06.09.2017

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Be2 0–0 8.Nb3 d6 9.g4 a6 B72: Sicilian Dragon: 6 Be3, lines with h3+Bc4 and sidelines [9...d5!?; 9...Be6 10.g5 Nd7 11.h4 Nb6 12.f4 Nc4 13.Bxc4 Bxc4 14.Qf3 Nb4 15.Rh2 Qc7 16.Bd4 Bxd4 17.Nxd4 0–1 (34) Tomczak,J (2585) -Moranda,W (2588) Poland 2015] 

10.h4N 

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[10.g5!? Nd7 11.f4=; Predecessor: 10.g5 Nd7 11.Qd2 b5 12.h4 Bb7 13.h5 Rc8 14.f4 0–1 (39) Wu,C (2377)-Escalante Ramirez,B (2302) Khanty-Mansiysk 2016] 

10...b5 11.h5 b4 The position is equal. 

12.Nd5 e6 13.Nb6 Rb8 14.Nxc8 Qxc8 [14...Rxc8= 15.Bxa6 Rb8] 

15.Qxd6± 

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And now hxg6 would win. 15...e5 16.0–0–0 a5 17.hxg6 hxg6 18.g5 Rd8 19.Qc5ƒ Keeping Black busy. [Don't play 19.gxf6 Rxd6 20.Rxd6 Bf8³] 

19...Nd7 20.Qd5 Nb6 21.Qb5 Nd5 22.Qa4 [Inferior is 22.exd5 Rxb5 23.Bxb5 Nd4µ] 

22...Nxe3 23.fxe3 Qc7 [23...Rxd1+± 24.Rxd1 Ra8] 

24.Bc4 Nd4 [¹24...Rbc8 25.Rdf1 Rf8] 

25.Nxa5+- [25.exd4 Qxc4 26.Nxa5 Qa6±] 

25...Ra8 26.exd4 Qxc4 27.Nxc4 Rxa4 28.dxe5 Re8 29.Kb1 Bxe5 30.Nb6 Ra7 31.Nd5 Kg7 32.Rh3 Ra4 [32...Rb8 was necessary. 33.Rdh1 Rd7 34.Rh7+ Kg8] 

33.Rdh1 aiming for Rh7+. 

33...Rd8 [¹33...Ra5 34.Nxb4 Kf8] 

34.Rh7+ Kg8 35.Ne7+ Kf8 36.Nc6 Re8 

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 37.Rh8+! Precision: White = 86%, Black = 57%. 1–0

Navara,David (2720) - Cheparinov,Ivan (2695)

FIDE World Cup 2017 Tbilisi (2.1), 06.09.2017

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 d5 4.e5 d4 5.exf6 dxc3 6.bxc3 Qxf6 7.Nf3 e5 8.d4 Nc6 A18: English Opening: Flohr-Mikenas System (1 c4 Nf6 2 Nc3 e6 3 e4) 

9.Bg5 Qg6 10.d5 Nb8 11.h4 h6 12.h5 Qd6 13.Be3 Nd7 14.Qa4 [14.c5!? Nxc5 15.Bb5+ Nd7 16.c4=] 

14...Qa3N 

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[Predecessor: 14...c6 15.Rd1 1–0 (67) Nakamura,H (2787)-Caruana,F (2795) Saint Louis 2016] 15.Qb3 [15.Qc2 with more complications. 15...Bc5 16.Bc1 Qa5 17.Bd3 0–0 18.0–0] 

15...a5 [15...Qa5³] 

16.Qc2 Qd6 17.Bd3 Be7 18.Rd1 a4 19.0–0 0–0 20.Rfe1 b6 21.Bh7+ Kh8 22.Bf5 Qf6 23.g4 Qd6 24.Bc1 a3 25.Bxd7 [Better is 25.Qe2² ] 

25...Bxd7= 26.Nxe5 Ba4 27.Qf5 Bxd1 28.Nxf7+ Rxf7 29.Qxf7 

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29...Bh4! And now ...Bc2 would win. [29...Qd7?! 30.Re6±] 

30.g5! [30.Rxd1? Rf8–+] 

30...Ba4? [Avoid the trap 30...Rf8? 31.Re8+-; 30...Bxg5= 31.Bxg5 (31.Rxd1? Bxc1 32.Rxc1 Rf8–+) 31...hxg5 32.Rxd1 Rf8] 

31.Re7+- 

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31...Bxf2+? [31...Rg8 is more resistant.] 

32.Kh1 Precision: White = 66%, Black = 59%.[Stronger than 32.Kxf2 Qh2+ 33.Ke3 Rg8=]  1–0