TATA STEEL MASTERS 2018 WIJK AAN ZEE – ROUND 3

Besides the two decisive games in Round 3, Hou Yifan got onto the scoreboard by securing a draw with Black against Vladimir Kramnik.

Of the two decisive games of the day, first to finish was Gawain Jones with white. The victory took him into the large group of players a mere half point off the lead.

The final game of the day to finish created yet another surge of excitement in the audience. Mr Draw, Anish Giri, made his expected draw in round 3 and that allowed veteran Vishy  Anand to move up to join the Dutch player in the lead. Anand did this by beating world number two, Fabiano Caruana. Even World Champion Magnus Carlsen tweeted that Rd6 was a monster of a move.

The pairings for round 3 were as follows, with tournament points in brackets:

Vladamir Kramnik 2787 (1) vs Yifan Hou 2680 (0)

Peter Svidler 2768 (1) vs Anish Giri 2752 (2)

Magnus Carlsen 2834 (1.5) vs Yi Wei 2743 (0.5)

Gawain Jones 2640 (1) vs Baskaran Adhiban 2655 (0.5)

Viswanathan Anand 2767 (1.5) vs Fabiano Caruana 2811 (1)

Wesley So 2792 (1) vs Sergey Karjakin 2753 (1)

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 2804 (1.5) vs Maxim Matlakov (0.5)  

Here are the games from round 3:

Anand,Viswanathan (2767) - Caruana,Fabiano (2811)

80th Tata Steel Masters 2018 Wijk aan Zee (3), 15.01.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.0–0 0–0 8.c4 c6 9.Qc2 Na6 10.a3 Bg4 11.Ne5 C42: Petroff Defence: 3 Nxe5 and unusual White 3rd moves 

11...Bf5 12.b4 Nc7N [12...f6 13.Nf3 Bg6 14.Nc3 Nxc3 15.Bxg6 hxg6 16.Qxc3 dxc4 17.Qxc4+ Rf7 18.b5 cxb5 19.Qxb5 1/2–1/2 (36) Leko,P (2740) -Ivanchuk,V (2729) Monte Carlo 2006] 

13.f3 White is slightly better. 

13...Bg6 14.c5 [14.fxe4 Bxe5 15.Be3 (15.dxe5 dxe4 16.Be3 exd3µ) 15...dxe4µ] 

14...Bxe5! 15.dxe5 Ng5 16.Bb2 d4 [16...a5=] 

17.f4± Nd5 And now ...Ne3 would win. [Wrong is 17...Bxd3? 18.Qxd3 Nge6 19.f5+-] 

18.fxg5 Ne3 19.Qd2 Hoping for Rf4. 

19...Bxd3 20.Qxd3 Rf2 is the strong threat. 

20...Nxf1 21.Kxf1 Qxg5 22.Nd2! Qxe5 23.Nf3 [Reject 23.Bxd4?! Qxh2 24.Nc4 Rae8=; 23.Nc4 keeps more tension. 23...Qxh2 24.Qxd4 f6 25.Nd6 Kh8 26.Re1] 

23...Qh5 24.Qxd4 f6 25.Qc4+ Kh8 26.Bc1 Rfe8 27.Bf4 a5 28.Bd6ƒ White has the initiative. 

28...axb4 29.Qxb4 Qd5 30.Qxb7 h6 31.Kg1 Ra4 32.h3 Rc4 33.Qb2 Qd3 [33...Re3± 34.a4 Qd3] 

34.Ra2+- Qd1+ [34...Rce4±] 

35.Kh2 Rc1 36.a4 f5? [36...Re3 was called for.] 

37.Qb7 f4 38.Bxf4 Rxc5 [¹38...Qh1+ 39.Kg3 Rxc5] 

39.Rd2 Qxa4 40.Qf7 Rg8 41.Be5 Threatening mate with Ng5! 

41...Qc4  42.Rd6!  1–0

Jones,Gawain C B (2640) - Adhiban,B (2655)

80th Tata Steel Masters 2018 Wijk aan Zee (3), 15.01.2018

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.dxc5 Qxc5 [5...Bxc5 6.Ngf3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qc6 8.Qe2 0–0 9.Nb3 Nbd7 10.Bf4 Bd6 11.Nbd4 Qb6 12.Bxd6 Qxd6 13.0–0–0 Qf4+ 14.Kb1 Nb6 15.Bb3 0–1 (28) Naiditsch,A (2705)-Le,Q (2737) Riadh 2017] 

6.Ngf3 C07: French Tarrasch: 3...c5, 4 Ngf3 and 4 exd5 Qxd5 

6...Nf6 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.Qe2 Qc7 9.c3 Be7 10.0–0 b6 11.Ne4 0–0 12.Bg5 Bb7 13.Bh4 Qf4 14.Bg5 Qc7 15.Rad1 Rfd8N 16.Rfe1 Rac8 17.Bh4 Qf4 18.Bg3ƒ White is pushing. 

18...Qg4 19.Nxf6+! Bxf6 20.Ba6! Bxa6 21.Qxa6 Black must now prevent Rxd7! 

21...Nc5 22.Rxd8+ Rxd8 23.Qxa7 Nd3 [23...Qa4!² 24.Qxb6 Nd3] 

24.h3± Qc4 25.Rd1 h5 26.Qxb6 Qxa2 27.Ne5 Threatens to win with Qc7. 

27...Qxb2 28.Qc7 Rf8! 29.Nd7! Qe2 30.Ra1 Qb2?  [30...Bd8!² 31.Qc6 h4] 

31.Ra7!+- Bd8? [31...Qxc3 32.Nxf8 Qxc7 33.Bxc7 (33.Rxc7 Kxf8 34.Kf1 Ke8±) 33...Kxf8 34.Ra8+ Ke7 35.Bd8+ Kd7] 

32.Qd6 Qb1+ 33.Kh2 Re8 Strongly threatening ...h4. 

34.Qc6 h4 35.Nf6+! Bxf6 36.Qxe8+ Kh7 37.Qxf7 Threatening mate with Qh5+. 

37...hxg3+ 38.fxg3 Qh5+ would kill now. 

38...Qb8 39.Qxf6! [Weaker is 39.Qh5+ Kg8+-] 

39...Qxa7 40.Qh4+ Kg8 41.Qd8+ Kf7 Hoping for ...Nc5. 

42.Qxd3 Endgame KQ-KQ 

42...Qc5 43.h4 e5? [43...Qc7 44.c4 Qc5 45.Qd7+ Kf6] 

44.g4 g6 45.Qf3+ Kg7 46.g5 Qc4 47.Qb7+ Kg8 48.Qb4 Qd5 [¹48...Qc7 49.Qe4 Kg7] 

49.Qb8+ Kf7 50.Qa7+ Ke6 51.Qa6+ Kf5 52.Kg3 White mates. 

52...Qd1 53.Qf6+ Ke4 54.Qf3+ Qxf3+ 55.gxf3+ Kd5  1–0

Svidler,Peter (2768) - Giri,Anish (2752)

80th Tata Steel Masters 2018 Wijk aan Zee (3), 15.01.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nd4 5.Bc4 Bc5 6.d3 d6 7.Na4 C48: Four Knights: 4 Bb5, replies other than 4...Bb4 

7...b5 8.Nxd4 bxc4 9.Ne2 [9.Nf5 Bxf5 10.exf5 cxd3 11.Nxc5 dxc5 12.Bg5 e4 13.cxd3 exd3 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Qxd3 0–0 16.0–0 Qxb2 17.Qc4 Qe5 18.Rac1 Qxf5 1/2–1/2 (18) Ivanchuk,V (2710)-Cheparinov,I (2687) Varadero 2016] 

9...cxd3 10.Qxd3 Bb4+ 11.c3 Qd7 [11...Ba5!=] 

12.b3² Ba5 13.0–0 [White should try 13.Bg5² Qc6 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.0–0] 

13...Bb7= The position is equal. 

14.f3 Bc6 15.Qa6N Bb6+! 16.Nxb6 axb6 17.Qd3! d5 18.exd5 Qxd5 19.Rd1 Qxd3 20.Rxd3 0–0 21.c4 Rfe8  ½–½

Kramnik,Vladimir (2787) - Hou,Yifan (2680)

80th Tata Steel Masters 2018 Wijk aan Zee (3), 15.01.2018

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 d5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.e5 Ne4 6.Nf3 Bf5  A18: English Opening: Flohr-Mikenas System (1 c4 Nf6 2 Nc3 e6 3 e4) 

7.d3 [7.Be2 is more complex. 7...d4 8.Nxe4 Bxe4 9.Bc4 Nc6 10.0–0] 

7...Nxc3 8.bxc3 Be7 9.d4 0–0 10.Bd3 Qd7 11.0–0 Nc6 12.Re1 b6N [12...Nd8 13.Ng5 Bg6 14.e6 Nxe6 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Bxg6 hxg6 1/2–1/2 (33) Zhou,J (2578)-Sasikiran,K (2682) Hyderabad 2015] 

13.Bb5  Threatens to win with Qa4. 

13...Qe6! 14.Ng5 Bxg5! 15.Bxg5 Qg6  [15...Na5= keeps the balance.] 

16.h4 [16.e6!± Qxg5 17.Bxc6 Bxe6 18.Bxa8 Rxa8 19.Re5] 

16...a6 17.Be2 h6 18.Bf4 Qe6 19.h5 Be4 20.Bg4 Bf5 21.Bf3 Rad8 22.Qe2 Na5 23.g4 Be4 24.Bxe4 dxe4 25.Bg3 c5 26.dxc5 [White should try 26.Qxe4± cxd4 27.cxd4] 

26...Nc4!= The position is equal. 

27.Qxe4 Nd2 28.Qf4 Black must now prevent Red1. 

28...bxc5 29.Re3 Nc4 30.Re4 Nd2 31.Re3 Nc4 32.Re4 Nd2  ½–½

Carlsen,Magnus (2834) - Wei,Yi (2743)

80th Tata Steel Masters 2018 Wijk aan Zee (3), 15.01.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Qc2 c5 7.0–0 cxd4 8.Nxd4 E06: Closed Catalan: Early deviations

8...Na6 [8...Nc6 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.Rd1 Ba6 11.b3 Qb6 12.Nd2 Rfd8 13.Bb2 Rac8 14.Rac1 h6 15.e3 c5 16.cxd5 exd5 17.Nf3 d4 0–1 (40) Ding,L (2774)-Carlsen,M (2837) Saint Louis 2017] 

9.cxd5 Nb4 10.Qb3 e5 11.Nb5 Nbxd5 12.N1c3 Be6 Strongly threatening ...Ne3! 

13.Nxd5 Bxd5 14.Bxd5 Qxd5 [Don't go for 14...Nxd5? 15.Rd1+-] 

15.Bg5 Qxb3 16.axb3 a6N 17.Nc3 h6 18.Bxf6 Bxf6 19.Nd5 Rac8 20.Rac1 e4 21.Rc4 Rxc4 22.bxc4 Bxb2= Endgame KRB-KRN 

23.Rb1 Ba3 24.Rxb7 Rc8 25.Ra7 Rxc4 26.Rxa6 Bf8 27.Ra8  Black must now prevent Ne7+. 

27...g6 28.e3 Kg7 29.Kg2 h5 30.h3 Bd6 31.Rd8 Be5 32.Re8 Bd6 33.Rd8 Be5 34.g4 hxg4 35.hxg4 Rc5 36.g5 Rb5 37.Kh3 Rc5 38.Ne7 Rc2 39.Kg2 Rc7 40.Rg8+ Kh7 41.Re8  aiming for Nd5.The position is equal. 

41...Rc5 42.Rc8 Rb5 43.Rf8 Kg7 44.Rg8+ Kh7 45.Rf8 Kg7 46.Rg8+ Kh7  ½–½

So,Wesley (2792) - Karjakin,Sergey (2753)

80th Tata Steel Masters 2018 Wijk aan Zee (3), 15.01.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 0–0 7.e3 h6 D38: Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defence (4 Nf3 Bb4) 

8.Bh4 Bf5 9.Qb3 Bxc3+ White has an edge. 

10.bxc3 Nbd7 11.Be2 c5 12.dxc5 g5 13.Nd4N [ 13.Bg3 Nxc5 14.Qb4 Nfe4 15.0–0 1/2–1/2 (35) Aronian,L (2801) -Wojtaszek,R (2737) Heraklio 2017] 

13...Bg6 14.c6 bxc6 15.Nxc6 Qe8! 16.Bg3  aiming for Bd6. 

16...Nc5 17.Qb5 Nfe4 18.0–0 Rc8 19.Nd4 Nxc3 20.Qa5 Nxe2+ 21.Nxe2 Qa4 22.Qxa4 Nxa4 23.Rfd1 Rfd8 24.Be5 Re8 25.Bd4 Rc2 26.Kf1 a6 27.h4 gxh4 28.Nf4 Nb2 29.Rdc1 Rxc1+ 30.Rxc1 Nd3„ Black is not keeping still 

31.Nxd3 Bxd3+= Endgame KRB-KRB 

32.Kg1 Bc4 33.a3 Rb8 34.Kh2 Rb3 35.Ra1 Rd3 36.Kh3 Rd2 37.f3 Bd3 38.Rg1 Bc2 39.Kxh4 Rd1 40.Rxd1 Bxd1 KB-KB 

41.Kg4 Be2 42.Kf5 h5 43.Kg5 Bf1 44.g3 Be2 45.e4 Bxf3 46.exd5 Bxd5  ½–½

Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar (2804) - Matlakov,Maxim (2718)

80th Tata Steel Masters 2018 Wijk aan Zee (3), 15.01.2018

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Be2 Bd6 7.Qc2 0–0 8.0–0 dxc4 9.a4 e5 10.Bxc4 exd4 D46: Damengambit (Halbslawisch) 

11.exd4 Nb6 12.Bb3 Nbd5 13.Bg5 Be6 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Qd3 [15.a5 Qc8 16.Bxf6 Qxc2 17.Bxc2 gxf6 18.a6 1/2–1/2 (29) Svidler,P (2741)-Giri,A (2769) Shenzhen 2017] 

15...Be7 16.Ne5 Ne4 17.Bxe7 Qxe7 18.f3 Nd6N 19.Rfe1 Rac8 20.a5 Qg5 21.Rad1 Rfd8 22.g3 [Nur nicht 22.Bc2? Bf5–+] 

22...Nc4 23.Bc2 g6  zielt auf ...Lf5 ab. 

24.Nxc4 Rxc4 25.Bb3  ½–½