MAMEDYAROV vs SO – SINQUEFIELD CUP 2018 ROUND 1

The 2018 Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis started on Saturday 18 August. The first decisive game of the tournament was won by Mamedyarov.

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.

Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar (2801) - So,Wesley (2780)

6th Sinquefield Cup GCT 2018 Saint Louis (1), 18.08.2018

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0–0 6.Qc2 D30: Queen's Gambit Declined: Systems without Nc3 

6...h6 7.Bxf6 Bxf6 8.h4 g6 9.Nc3 

XABCDEFGHY
8rsnlwq-trk+(
7zppzp-+p+-'
6-+-+pvlpzp&
5+-+p+-+-%
4-+PzP-+-zP$
3+-sN-zPN+-#
2PzPQ+-zPP+"
1tR-+-mKL+R!
xabcdefghy

9...c5N [9...c6 10.0–0–0 Nd7 11.Kb1 Bg7 12.Bd3 a6 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.e4 dxe4 15.Bxe4 Qb6 16.g4 Rd8 17.Na4 Qa5 18.g5 h5 0–1 (58) Jakovenko,D (2738)-Bacrot,E (2704) Montpellier 2015] 

10.dxc5 dxc4 11.h5 g5 12.Bxc4 Qa5 13.Rc1 [Better is 13.Nd2² ] 

13...Nd7 14.0–0 Bxc3 15.Qxc3 Qxc3 16.Rxc3 Nxc5 17.Ne5 b6 18.f4 Ne4 19.Rd3 Ng3 

XABCDEFGHY
8r+l+-trk+(
7zp-+-+p+-'
6-zp-+p+-zp&
5+-+-sN-zpP%
4-+L+-zP-+$
3+-+RzP-sn-#
2PzP-+-+P+"
1+-+-+RmK-!
xabcdefghy

What is White's best move in this position?

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20.Rf3! Ne4 21.Rd4 Bb7 22.f5 Nf6 23.Rf1 Rae8 24.fxe6 fxe6 25.Ng6 Rf7 26.Ne5 Rff8 27.Rd6 Bd5 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+rtrk+(
7zp-+-+-+-'
6-zp-tRpsn-zp&
5+-+lsN-zpP%
4-+L+-+-+$
3+-+-zP-+-#
2PzP-+-+P+"
1+-+-+RmK-!
xabcdefghy

Keep the attack rolling with the next move for White. What is it?

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28.Rxf6! Rxf6 29.Bxd5 exd5 30.Rxf6 Rxe5 31.Rxh6 Rxe3 32.Rg6+ Kh7 33.Rxg5 [33.Kf2+- Rd3 34.g4 (34.Rxg5 Rd2+ 35.Kf3 Rxb2±) ] 

33...Re2! 34.Rxd5 Rxb2 35.Kh2 Rxa2 36.Kh3 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
7zp-+-+-+k'
6-zp-+-+-+&
5+-+R+-+P%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+-+-+K#
2r+-+-+P+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy

36...a5? 

What was the better option for Black here?

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[36...Kh6=] 

37.g4 a4 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
7+-+-+-+k'
6-zp-+-+-+&
5+-+R+-+P%
4p+-+-+P+$
3+-+-+-+K#
2r+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy

Find the next move for White.

00000

38.g5! a3 39.Rd7+? Kg8 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+k+(
7+-+R+-+-'
6-zp-+-+-+&
5+-+-+-zPP%
4-+-+-+-+$
3zp-+-+-+K#
2r+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy

40.Rd8+?

Could you have found a better move for White?

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[40.h6!+- Ra1 41.Kg4] 

40...Kh7! 41.Rd7+ Kg8 42.Rd8+ Kh7 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-tR-+-+(
7+-+-+-+k'
6-zp-+-+-+&
5+-+-+-zPP%
4-+-+-+-+$
3zp-+-+-+K#
2r+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy

Find the killer blow for White.

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43.g6+! Kh6 44.Rh8+ [¹44.Rd7 Rc2 45.Rh7+ Kg5 46.g7 Rc3+ 47.Kg2 Rc2+ 48.Kf3 Rc3+ 49.Ke4 Rc4+ 50.Kd5 (50.Kd3) ] 

44...Kg7 45.Rh7+ Kg8 46.Ra7 Ra1 47.Kg2 Rc1 48.h6 [Weaker is 48.Rxa3 Rc5±] 

48...Rc8 49.Rxa3 b5 50.Ra7 Rb8 51.Kg3+- 1–0