SHAMKIR CHESS ROUND 8

There were some very interesting outcomes in round 8. Ding beat Topalov for his second successive victory of the tournament moving to a clear second place with one round to play. Topalov, however, has gone from tournament leader to third place within 48 hours.

The other big result of the day was Carlsen’s win with Black against Giri. This is the first time in 7 years that Carlsen has a plus score against the Dutch GM out of their 20 encounters. Strangely, Giri made his game losing blunder after thinking for 28 minutes.

One thing that we have come to expect from Ljubojevic at the press briefing is to fire obscure questions at tired players that have nothing to do with the game or tournament. Today was no different. His first question to the World Champion was about how he would deal with “fake news.” Carlsen to his credit responded with: “It’s very difficult after the games to take on the issues of the world and I’m sure that people, chess fans and others, maybe some are interested in hearing our opinions on these things. But I don’t think this is the right setting to get the most coherent answers.”

Ljubo didn’t seem to take the hint and followed up with: “But the question was about your reaction. Would you be silent, take legal action, or talk to your press officer?” Carlsen simply referred to his earlier reply.

Carlsen faces Ding with White in the final round in Shamkir, the only player capable of preventing the World Champion from securing his third successive Gashimov Memorial title.

Giri,Anish (2777) - Carlsen,Magnus (2843)

5th Shamkir Chess 2018 Shamkir (8), 27.04.2018

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.0–0 Be7 8.a3 a5 9.d3 0–0 10.Be3 Be6 11.Rc1 a4 A29: English Opening: Four Knights Variation with 4 g3 

12.Nd2 f5 13.Bxb6 cxb6 The position is equal. 

14.Nxa4 Bg5 And now ...Bxd2 would win. 

15.Nc3 e4! 

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16.Kh1N [16.dxe4 Bxd2; or: 16.Rb1 Ne5 17.Nb3 Ng4 18.Qc2 Be3 19.dxe4 1–0 (36) Nepomniachtchi,I (2742) -Aronian,L (2809) Geneva 2017] 

16...Qd7 17.Rb1 Rad8 18.Nc4 Qf7 19.b3 exd3 20.exd3 f4 aiming for ...f3. 

21.Ne4 Be7 ...f3 is the strong threat. 

22.gxf4! Qxf4 23.a4 Nb4 Black has compensation. 

24.Qe2 Qh6 25.Rbd1 Nd5 26.Rg1 [White should try 26.Qd2 ] 

26...Kh8 [Better is 26...Rf4!µ Threatens to win with ...Rh4. 27.f3 Rdf8] 

27.Bf1 Rf4 28.Ne5 [28.f3³] 

28...Rdf8 [28...Rh4µ 29.f3 Ne3] 

29.f3!³ Rh4 30.d4 Nf4 31.Qd2 Bxb3 32.Rb1 Bxa4 33.Bb5 Bxb5‚ Black attacks. 

34.Rxb5 Qe6 35.Qb2 

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35...Bd8! 36.Ng5 

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[36.Re1³] 36...Qe8!–+ [Resist 36...Bxg5 37.Rxg5 Rf6 38.d5³] 

37.Rb3 Bxg5 [Black should play 37...Rf5–+ 38.Ne4 Rfh5] 

38.Rxg5³ Ne6 39.Rg4 Rxg4 40.fxg4 Qd8 [¹40...Qa4 White must now prevent ...Qa5. 41.Kg2 b5] 

41.Rh3? [41.Rf3µ] 

41...Qd5+–+ Black is clearly winning. 

42.Kg1 Qe4 43.Qb4 Rf6  0–1

Ding,Liren (2778) - Mamedov,Rauf (2704)

5th Shamkir Chess 2018 Shamkir (8), 27.04.2018

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Nf6 7.0–0 Be7 8.Nc3 0–0 9.Bg5 c4 10.e3 D34: Tarrasch Defence: 6 g3 Nf6 7 Bg2 Be7 [10.Ne5 Be6 11.Rc1 h6 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.f4 Ne7 14.e4 Bxe5 15.fxe5 Qd7 16.Qd2 Rac8 17.Rcd1 b5 18.a3 Rcd8 19.exd5 Bxd5 1/2–1/2 (103) Kramnik,V (2769)-Giri,A (2768) London 2014] 

10...Be6 11.b3 

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11...cxb3N [11...Qa5 12.Qc2 h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.bxc4 dxc4 15.Rab1 Bf5 16.Ne4 Be7 17.Rxb7 Nb4 1–0 (40) Relange,E (2478)-Pecot,L (2225) France 1999] 

12.Qxb3 The position is equal. 

12...Na5 13.Qb2 Ne4 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Nd2! Nc4 17.Nxc4 Bxc4 18.Rfc1 Rac8 19.a4 g6 20.a5 Rc6 21.Bf1 b5 22.axb6 Rxb6 23.Qa3 Qxa3 24.Rxa3 Bxf1 25.Kxf1± Endgame KRR-KRR 

25...a6 26.Rc5 f5 27.h3 Rff6 28.Kg2 h5 29.Raa5 Kg7 30.Rc7+ Rf7 31.Rc8 h4 32.Re8 hxg3 33.Kxg3 Rb3! 34.Kg2 Rb2 35.Rxa6 With the idea Ree6. 

35...f4! 36.exf4 [Don't play 36.Rxe4?! fxe3 37.Rxe3 Rbxf2+ 38.Kg3 Rf1±] 

36...Rxf4 37.Ra7+ Kh6? 

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[37...Kf6=] 

38.Kg3!+- Rf6 

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39.h4! g5 40.Rh8+ Kg6 41.Rg8+ Kf5 42.Rxg5+  1–0