MAMEDYAROV vs KARJAKIN – SAINT LEWIS RAPID 2018 ROUND 7

The 2018 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament was won by Nakamura. However round 7 of the Rapid tournament gave us a short, but action packed game.

Today’s game features a powerful King side attack using the Bishop pair out of an English Opening 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.

Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar (2754) - Karjakin,Sergey (2793)

GCT Saint Louis Rapid 2018 Saint Louis (7), 12.08.2018

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 Be7 [3...d5 4.b3 c5 5.Bb2 Nc6 6.cxd5 exd5 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bc3 Qb6 10.Bb5 0–0 11.Nxc6 Bxc3+ 12.Nxc3 bxc6 13.Be2 c5 14.0–0 Be6 15.Na4 1/2–1/2 (81) Sambuev,B (2522) -Wei,Y (2753) Tbilisi 2017] 
4.Nc3 0–0 5.b3 b6 6.Bb2 A13: English Opening: 1...e6 
6...Bb7 7.Qc2 

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7...c5 8.Ng5N [8.Be2=; 8.Be2 Nc6 9.Rd1 Rc8 10.0–0 a6 11.Qb1 0–1 (31) Gaehler,M (2341)-Kurmann,O (2426) Switzerland 2016] 
8...h6 9.h4 [9.Nf3³] 
9...Re8 [9...Nc6µ] 
10.0–0–0 

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Can you find an improvement on castling long for White?

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[Better is 10.Bd3!= ] 
10...Nc6 11.a3 Kf8 12.Nh7+ Kg8 13.Ng5 Kf8 [13...Na5µ 14.d4 cxd4 15.Rxd4 Rc8] 
14.f4 

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14...Rc8 
How would you have dealt with 14...hxg5?

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[Much weaker is 14...hxg5?! 15.hxg5 Ng8 16.Rh8±; 14...Na5= keeps the balance.] 
Find the next move and exploit Blacks King side weakness.

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15.Bd3!± d5 

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[¹15...Qc7] 
16.Bg6! hxg5 17.hxg5 
What is the immediate threat to Black created by White in this position?

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And now Nxd5 would win. 
17...Ng8 

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Hoping for ...d4. 
18.Bh7‚ White mounts an attack. [18.Nxd5!+- Intending Bxg7+! and mate. 18...Nd4 19.exd4 fxg6 20.Ne3] 
18...Nf6 [18...d4!²] 
19.gxf6 Bxf6 

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20.g4 [White must play 20.cxd5+- exd5 21.Bf5] 
20...Ke7? 
Can you find the improvement that Black missed?

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[20...dxc4² 21.bxc4 Nd4 22.exd4 Bxh1] 
21.g5 Bxc3 22.dxc3 Rh8? 

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[22...Qd6 is more resistant. 23.cxd5 exd5] 
23.cxd5+- White is clearly winning. 
23...exd5 24.c4 d4 25.Qe4+ Kd6 26.exd4 Kc7 27.dxc5 White threatens Be5+ and mate. 
27...Qe8 28.Bxg7 1–0