CARLSEN vs NAKAMURA – SINQUEFIELD CUP 2018 ROUND 9

Carlsen’s was the last game to finish in the tournament and came after hours and hours of relentless pressure.

This in itself created an interesting dilemma three players tied exactly for first place. The rules had some fairly comprehensive tie break clauses. However, these were not comprehensive enough. Clause one: take the score of the direct encounters between the players. That was three draws. Clause two: who had the most wins. All three had 2 wins each. Clause three: Who won the most games with the black pieces. None of the three had any wins with the black pieces.

The next step would be to determine the winner by means of a playoff match. This is where the problem arose. The rules state that the playoff may only take place between the top two players. If more than two players qualify for the playoff there shall be a drawing of lots to decide the players in the playoff. In other words, after 9 rounds of top level classical chess, the third place pay cheque will be determined by a “lucky draw”.

Understandably the three players put heads together and decided forego the unjust tiebreak system and instead agree to be co-champions and split the prize purse three ways.

Today’s game features a Queens Gambit Declined that includes some Q&A style annotations.

While playing through the game, scroll slowly so that when you get to the questions you can put some time on the clock (ten to fifteen minutes) and try and find the solution.

Carlsen,Magnus (2842) - Nakamura,Hikaru (2777)

6th Sinquefield Cup GCT 2018 Saint Louis (9), 27.08.2018

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.c4 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 0–0 6.e3 b6 7.Bd3 dxc4 D37: Queen's Gambit Declined: 5 Bf4 
8.Bxc4 Ba6 9.Qe2 Bxc4 10.Qxc4 c5 11.dxc5 bxc5 12.0–0 Nc6 13.Rac1 

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13...Rc8N [13...Qa5 14.Rfd1 Rfd8 15.a3 1/2–1/2 (40) Dreev,A (2664)-Zherebukh,Y (2595) Las Vegas 2016] 
14.Ne5 Qb6 15.Nxc6 Rxc6 16.b3 h6 17.Rfd1 Qb7 18.h3 Rfc8 19.Na4 Nd7 20.Rd2 Nb6 21.Nxb6! Rxb6 22.Rcd1 Bf6 23.Rd7 Qa6 24.Qe4 Be5 is the strong threat. 
24...e5 25.Bxh6 Re8 26.Qg4 Black must now prevent e4. [26.Qd5?! Rf8³] 
26...Qxa2 27.e4 Hoping for R7d6. 
27...Qxb3 28.Be3 Rb7 29.R7d6 Threatens to win with Rxf6. 
29...Be7 30.R6d5 Bf8 31.Bxc5 Bxc5 32.Rxc5 Qe6 33.Qe2 Rd7 34.Rxd7 Qxd7² Endgame KQR-KQR 
35.Rd5 Qc7 36.Qd2 Ra8 37.Rd7 Qc4 38.f3 Qc5+ 39.Kh2 Qc6 40.Rd6 Qc5 41.Ra6 Qe7 42.Qe3 Kh7 43.Kg3 Qb7 44.Qa3 f6 45.Kh2 Qc7 46.Qa1 Qb7 47.Qa5 Qd7 48.Qa2 Qe7 49.Qf2 Qb7 50.Qa2 Qe7 51.Qd5 Rb8 52.Qa5 Rb7 53.Qe1 Qd7 54.Qh4+ Kg8 55.Qf2 Qf7 56.Qa2 Qxa2 57.Rxa2 KR-KR 
57...Kh7 58.Ra6 Kg6 59.h4 Kh5 60.Kh3 Rf7 61.g4+ Kh6 62.Kg3 g5 63.h5 Kg7 64.Kf2 Rb7 65.Ra3 Kh6 66.Ke3 

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66...a5? 
Can you find an alternative for Black?

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[66...Rd7± might work better.] 
67.Rxa5+- Rb3+ 68.Kf2 Rb2+ 69.Kg3 Kg7 70.Ra7+ Kg8 71.Ra1 Kg7 72.Rf1 Ra2 73.Rf2 Ra3 74.Rd2 Ra7 75.Kf2 Kf7 76.Ke2 Rb7 77.Rd3 Ra7 78.Kd2 

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78...Ke6? 
What should Black have played instead?

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[78...Rc7 79.Rd8 Kg7] 
79.Kc3 Ke7 80.Kc4 Rc7+ 81.Kb5 Rc1 82.Rb3 Kf7 83.Kb6 

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83...Rc2? 
There was a viable alternative for Black. What was it?

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[83...Kf8 84.Kb5 Kf7] 
84.Kb7 Rc1 85.Kb8 Kg8 86.Rb6 Kg7 87.Rb7+ Kg8 intending ...Rc3. 
88.Rc7 Rb1+ 89.Kc8 Rb3 90.Kd7 Rxf3 91.Ke6 Rf4 92.h6 Kh8 93.Rb7 Kg8 94.Rg7+ Kh8 

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What was White's next move closing the net on the Black King?

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95.Kf7! Rxe4 

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White's next move forced Black's resignation within two moves. What was it?

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96.Kg6! 
Why would 96.Kxf8 have been an error?

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[Weaker is 96.Kxf6 Rxg4 97.Kg6 (97.Rxg5 Rxg5 98.Kxg5 Kh7=; 97.Kxe5 Rh4=) 97...Ra4=] 
96...Ra4 97.Rh7+ 1–0