CARLSEN WINS SHAMKIR CHESS 2018 ROUND 9

Heading into the final round of the Gashimov Memorial in Shamkir we all knew that the only player standing between Carlsen and a third title was Ding. However, it would be a big challenge to topple the World Champion with the Black pieces.

They played a Rubenstein, Four Knights and after 4…Nd4 5.Nxd4 it was obvious where the game was headed and the handshake came after just 20 minutes.

Karjakin beat Topalov to claim third place after 8 consecutive draws in the earlier rounds. But it was Radjabov who secured the Giri award by securing a draw in all nine of his games.

Carlsen,Magnus (2843) - Ding,Liren (2778)

5th Shamkir Chess 2018 Shamkir (9), 28.04.2018

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 

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4...Nd4 5.Nxd4 exd4 6.e5 dxc3 7.exf6 Qxf6 8.Qe2+ Qe7 9.dxc3 Qxe2+ 10.Kxe2 The position is equal. 

10...Bc5 C48: Four Knights: 4 Bb5, replies other than 4...Bb4 [10...a6 11.Bd3 d6 ½–½ (11) Sedlak,N (2547)-Indjic,A (2574) Mali Losinj 2017] 

11.Be3 [11.Kf3 with more complications. 11...c6 12.Re1+ Be7 13.Bd3 d5 14.a4] 

11...Bxe3 12.Kxe3 c6 13.Bd3 d5 14.Rae1 

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14...Ke7N [14...Be6 15.f4 0–0–0 16.Kd2 Rde8 17.Re5 Kc7 18.Rhe1 ½–½ (27) Cortlever,N-Szabo,L Zaandam 1946] 

15.c4 dxc4 16.Bxc4 Rd8 17.Rd1 Be6 18.Bxe6 Kxe6 19.Rhe1 

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19...Rxd1 20.Rxd1= Endgame KR-KR 

20...Re8 21.f4 f5 22.Kf3 Re7 23.Re1+ Kf6 24.Rd1 Ke6 25.Re1+ Kf6 26.Rd1 Ke6 27.Re1+  ½–½