Chessable Houska's Caro

4th London Chess Classic 2012 (7)

Adams missed chances as all games drawn in London Classic Round 7

Magnus Carlsen is guaranteed to exceed Kasparov's record rating after a draw with Nakamura. He is in the commentary box on Sunday. Photo ©

Magnus Carlsen is guaranteed to exceed Kasparov's record rating after a draw with Nakamura. He is in the commentary box on Sunday. Photo © |

Michael Adams missed several chances to move clear second in a marathon struggle against fellow Englishman Luke McShane. Adams had complete control of the board but a breakthrough was more complicated. However there were several clear chances. 33.f4! was good. Then later after 57...Rc3? Adams missed a win by playing 60.Rd2? (60.Re6! won) 60...Qc6? (another error 60...Rg6! draws) after which 63.Qf8! with black's king on g6 (Qf8 available in several places). The win was gone by move 65. All this is easy to say with access to a computer, Adams played really well in a truly exhausting encounter and it is sad he couldn't crown his effort with a win.

Leader Magnus Carlsen drew a Sicilian (a surprise) with black against Hikaru Nakamura (3.c3 a surprise prepared for Topalov in London earlier in the year). Carlsen sacrificed a piece for two pawns which may have given Carlsen the better chances but quite quickly he was playing just to draw. Carlsen now definitely will exceed Kasparov's 2851 rating record. Kasparov tweeted his congratulations to Carlsen on overtaking his 13 year record.

Judit Polgar was not so ambitious against Viswanthan Anand in a Sicilian and both seemed happy enough with a draw in an event that is simply going badly for them. Gawain Jones was surprised at least a bit by Levon Aronian's choice of the Gruenfeld and they followed his earlier game against Anand. Things went better for him and the game finished in a draw.

Round 7 Standings: Carlsen 17pts, Kramnik 12, Adams 11, Nakamura 9, Anand 7, Aronian 6, McShane 5, Jones 3 and Polgar 2.

Round 8 Sun 9th Dec 2012 2pm: Anand-Nakamura, McShane-Polgar, Aronian-Adams and Kramnik-Jones with Magnus Carlsen assisting commentary.

Nakamura-Carlsen

Nakamura-Carlsen. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill http://raymorris-hill.smugmug.com/.

Nakamura,Hikaru - Carlsen,Magnus [B30]
4th London Chess Classic London ENG (7.1), 08.12.2012

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3

"I guess really from the get-go we were both pretty much out of theory." - Nakamura. "I think we were both surprised by the position that came on the board" - Carlsen. "I was pretty lucky I prepared this c3 Sicilian some time ago during the Grand Prix for Topalov so I just decided to play it since I thought I could remember".

3...Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bc4 e6 6.d4 cxd4 7.cxd4 d6 8.0-0 Be7 9.Qe2 0-0 10.Rd1 Qc7 11.a3

A critical point - "It's a concept but objectively there's probably something better." - Nakamura

[11.Bd3 Ndb4; 11.Bxd5 exd5 12.Nc3 Be6 13.Bf4 "As far as I can remember a draw is usually agreed within 4 or 5 moves of this." - Carlsen.]

11...Rd8 12.b4 a6 13.Bd3

[13.h4 dxe5 14.dxe5 Nb6 15.Bd3 Rxd3 16.Qxd3 Nd7 17.Bb2 Ndxe5 18.Nxe5 Nxe5 19.Qg3 f6 20.Bxe5 fxe5 21.Nc3 Bd7 22.Rac1 Bc6 23.Qg4 Kf7 24.a4 Qb6 25.b5 axb5 26.axb5 Bxb5 27.Rb1 Ra5 28.Qh5+ Kf8 29.Qxe5 Bf6 30.Qb8+ Kf7 31.Rd7+ Kg6 32.Rxb7 Qc6 33.R7xb5 Qxc3 34.Qe8+ 1-0 Olszewski,M (2399)-Flores Rios,M (2222)/Belfort FRA 2005/The Week in Chess 560]

13...b5 14.h4 dxe5 15.dxe5 Bb7 16.Ra2 Ndxb4

Nakamura thought the game was just about equal after this and he expected Magnus to go for something more complicated. "I thought that I was going to be better in the resulting positions but that probably is the wrong evaluation." - Carlsen.

Magnus Carlsen

r__r__k_
_bq_bppp
p_n_p___
_p__P___
_n_____P
P__B_N__
R___QPP_
_NBR__K_

Hikaru Nakamura

Position after 16...Ndxb4

[16...Rac8 17.Rc2 Qb6 18.g3 "When I look at it now it doesn't look too bad for black" - Carlsen. 18...a5 19.h5 axb4]

17.axb4 Nxb4 18.Rad2 Rxd3 19.Rxd3 Nxd3 20.Qxd3 Rd8 21.Qe2 Rxd1+ 22.Qxd1

Kramnik and Aronian both like black here.

22...Bxf3!?

Not the only choice here. "I was just thinking I would have a safe advantage." - Carlsen but later conceded that "Not giving up the bishop was the way to go."

[22...b4 Kramnik.; 22...h6 "I wouldn't really just Levon's judgement because he likes any position where he's material down." joked Carlsen.]

23.gxf3 Qxe5

[23...Bxh4 24.f4]

24.Qd7 Bf8

[24...Qe1+ 25.Kg2 Qxc1 and Carlsen initially miscalculated that the white knight was trapped which it isn't at all. 26.Qxe7 h6 27.Qd8+ Kh7 28.Qd3+ Kg8 29.Nc3; 24...Qd6 25.Qe8+ Bf8 26.Be3 is worse than the game for black. "White is now very much OK at least." - Carlsen.]

25.Be3 a5 26.Qe8!

Magnus Carlsen

____Qbk_
_____ppp
____p___
pp__q___
_______P
____BP__
_____P__
_N____K_

Hikaru Nakamura

Position after 26.Qe8

Otherwise white is clearly worse.

26...h6 27.Kg2 a4

Magnus is now just playing for a draw.

28.Na3 b4 29.Nc4 Qc7 30.Nb6 Qe7

"The last move that it's important for black to find I think." - Nakamura.

31.Qxa4 Qxh4 32.Qa8 Qe7 33.Qc8 b3 34.Nd7 b2 35.Nxf8 Qxf8 36.Qb7 e5 37.Qxb2 f6

Dead draw according to the players.

38.Qc2 Qf7 39.Qf5 Kh8 40.Bd2 Kg8 41.Kg3 Kh8 42.Be3 Kg8 43.Kh2 Kh8 44.Kg2 Kg8 45.Qd3 Kh8 46.f4 exf4 47.Bxf4 Kg8 48.Qe4 Kh8 49.Be3 Kg8 50.Bd4 Kh8 51.f4 Kg8 52.Kg3 Kh8 53.Be3 Kg8 54.Bd4 Kh8 55.Be3 Kg8 56.Bd4 Kh8 1/2-1/2

McShane-Adams

McShane-Adams. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill http://raymorris-hill.smugmug.com/.

Adams,Michael - McShane,Luke J [C65]
4th London Chess Classic London ENG (7.3), 08.12.2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nbd2 0-0 7.0-0 Re8 8.Nc4 Nd7 9.a4 Bd6

[9...f6]

10.Be3 Nf8 11.d4 exd4 12.Qxd4 Bg4 13.Nxd6 cxd6 14.Nd2 Ne6

Things have clearly already gone wrong for black but McShane finds a way to continue.

15.Qb4 Be2 16.Rfe1 Ba6 17.Rad1 Qf6 18.Nf1 c5 19.Qb3 Rad8 20.c4 Nf8 21.Qc2 Qe6 22.Nd2 b6 23.f3 Bc8 24.Nf1 Ng6 25.b3 Ne7 26.Bg5 f6 27.Bh4 Ng6 28.Bg3 Ne5 29.Ne3 Qe7 30.Rd2 Be6 31.Qd1 Qc7 32.h3 Qc6

Luke McShane

___rr_k_
p_____pp
_pqpbp__
__p_n___
P_P_P___
_P__NPBP
___R__P_
___QR_K_

Michael Adams

Position after 32...Qc6

33.Bxe5

[33.f4 Nf7 34.f5 Bc8 35.Nd5 looks winning.]

33...fxe5 34.Rd3 Rd7 35.Re2 Red8 36.Red2 h6 37.Qe1

[37.Nf5 Is a very interesting way to continue.]

37...Rf8 38.Kh2 Qc7 39.Kh1 Qc6 40.Qd1 Rfd8 41.Qe2 Rf7 42.Rd1 Rfd7 43.Nd5 Bxd5 44.Rxd5 Re8 45.Qd2 Re6 46.a5!

Finding a way to put the pressure on.

46...Qc7

[46...b5 47.b4]]

47.b4 cxb4 48.Qxb4 Rd8 49.axb6 axb6 50.Rb5 Rb8 51.Qb3 Qc6 52.Qd3 Kh7 53.Qd5 Qc8 54.Rdb1 Rf6 55.Rxb6

[55.Kh2]

55...Rxb6 56.Rxb6 Rxf3

The rook can't be taken otherwise perpetual check.

57.Rxd6 Rc3?

Luke McShane

__q_____
______pk
___R___p
___Qp___
__P_P___
__r____P
______P_
_______K

Michael Adams

Position after 57...Rc3?

[57...Rf1+ 58.Kh2 Qf8 59.Qxe5 Qf2 60.Qf5+ Qxf5 61.exf5 Rxf5 draw.]

58.Qf7 Rg3 59.Kh2 Rg5 60.Rd2?

[60.Re6 Qd8 61.h4 Rg4 62.Qf5+]

60...Qc6?

[60...Rg6]

61.Rd8 Qb6 62.Qg8+ Kg6

Luke McShane

___R__Q_
______p_
_q____kp
____p_r_
__P_P___
_______P
______PK
________

Michael Adams

Position after 62...Kg6

63.Qe8+

[63.Qf8! setting up the rook to enter decisively. 63...Qe3 64.Qe8+ Kh7 65.Qh8+ Kg6 66.Rd6+ Kh5 67.g4+ Kh4 (67...Rxg4 68.hxg4+ Kh4 69.Qd8+ Kxg4 70.Rg6+ Kh5 71.Qf8 Qe2+ 72.Rg2) 68.Rxh6+ gxh6 69.Qxh6+ Rh5 70.Qxh5#]

63...Kh7 64.Qg8+

[64.Qh8+ Kg6 65.Qf8]

64...Kg6 65.Rf8?

The win finally goes.

[65.Qf8 with a win similar to the above line.]

65...Qb3 66.Qf7+ Kh7 67.Qg8+ Kg6 68.Qf7+ Kh7 69.Qf1 Qg3+ 70.Kh1 Qe3 71.Qf3 Qc1+ 72.Qf1 Qe3 73.Qf3 Qc1+ 74.Kh2 Qxc4 75.Re8 Qc2 76.Re6 Qc8 77.Re7 Qd8 78.Rf7 Rg6 79.Rf8 Qg5 80.Rf5 Qe7 81.Rf7 Qg5 82.Rf5 Qe7 83.Rf7 Qg5 84.Rf5 1/2-1/2

Polgar-Anand

Polgar-Anand. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill http://raymorris-hill.smugmug.com/.

Polgar,Judit - Anand,Viswanathan [B90]
4th London Chess Classic London ENG (7.2), 08.12.2012

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.0-0 b5 8.Bb3 Be7 9.Qf3 Qc7 10.a3 0-0 11.Qg3 Bd7 12.Bh6 Ne8 13.Rad1 Nc6

Not very ambitious according to Polgar.

14.Nxc6 Bxc6 15.Rfe1 a5

[15...Kh8]

16.Bg5

Polgar would have preferred to wait for Kh8 but didn't exactly know what the alternative might be.

[16.Re3]

16...Bxg5 17.Qxg5

"As long as you know to be careful [of some attacking setups] I don't think the position is anything." - Anand.

17...Rb8

[17...b4; 17...Qb7]

18.e5 dxe5

[18...a4 19.Ba2 dxe5 20.Qxe5 Qxe5 21.Rxe5 Nf6 22.Rc5 Rfc8 23.f3 Kf8 24.Ne2 Ke7 25.Nd4 Bd7 26.Rxc8 Rxc8 27.c3 1/2-1/2 Gobet,F (2360)-Pinter,J (2535)/Thessaloniki 1984 (72)]

19.Qxe5 Qb6

[19...a4 20.Ba2 b4 was possible according to Polgar. 21.axb4 Rxb4 22.b3 (22.Qxc7 Nxc7 23.Rd6 Bb7 24.b3) ]

20.a4 bxa4 21.Bxa4 Rc8 22.Bxc6 Rxc6 23.Na4 Qc7 24.c3 Nf6 25.Rd4 Rc8 26.Qxc7 R6xc7 27.Red1 g6 28.Rd8+

[28.Nb6 Rb8 29.Rd8+ Rxd8 30.Rxd8+ Kg7 31.Ra8 Rc5]

28...Kg7 29.Rxc8 Rxc8 30.Rd6 Rc4 31.b3 Ne4 32.Ra6 1/2-1/2

Viswanathan Anand

________
_____pkp
R___p_p_
p_______
N_r_n___
_PP_____
_____PPP
______K_

Judit Polgar

Position after 32.Ra6

Jones-Aronian

Jones-Aronian. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill http://raymorris-hill.smugmug.com/.

Jones,Gawain C B - Aronian,Levon [D70]
4th London Chess Classic London ENG (7.4), 08.12.2012

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.f3 d5

A surprise from Aronian who hasn't played the Gruenfeld since the previous Olympiad. "I did have some look at it this morning but only briefly." - Jones who said that he thought that he wouldn't go as badly wrong as he did against Anand a second time around.

4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nb6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.Be3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.0-0-0 Qd6 10.Nb5

"There are quite a lot of tries for white but not many successful ones." - Jones. "The only trouble was I couldn't remember my analysis." - Aronian.

[10.Kb1 1-0 Aronian,L (2825)-Caruana,F (2770)/Moscow RUS 2012 was a smashing win for Aronian on the white side of this.]

10...Qd7 11.Bh6 Bxh6 12.Qxh6 a6 13.Nc3 Nxd4 14.f4 c5

[14...f6 15.h4]

15.Nf3

[15.h4]

15...f6 16.h4 Qe8

Jones was following the Hammer game below.

[16...Qg4 17.h5 g5 18.fxg5 Nxf3 19.gxf6 Qg5+ 20.Qxg5+ Nxg5 21.fxe7 Re8 22.Rd6 Nd7 23.Nd5 Nxe4 24.Re6 Ng5 25.Re3 b5 26.h6 Bb7 27.Rh5 Nf7 28.Nc7 c4 29.Be2 Rac8 30.Nxe8 Rxe8 31.Rf5 Nxh6 32.Rf4 Kg7 33.Bh5 Nf6 34.Rg3+ 1-0 Hammer,J (2630)-Erdos,V (2624)/Achaea GRE 2012/The Week in Chess 922]

17.h5 Bg4 18.Nxd4 cxd4 19.hxg6 Qxg6 20.Rxd4 Rac8

Levon Aronian

__r__rk_
_p__p__p
pn___pqQ
________
___RPPb_
__N_____
PP____P_
__K__B_R

Gawain Jones

Position after 20...Rac8

"Basically this looks equal." - Aronian. "I spent half an hour here trying to find a way to keep things interesting." - Jones.

21.f5

[21.Qh4]

21...Qxh6+ 22.Rxh6 Rfd8 23.Rxd8+ Rxd8 24.Rh4 h5 25.Be2 Bxe2 26.Nxe2 Rc8+ 27.Kb1 Nc4 28.Kc2!

Otherwise white is in danger of being worse.

28...Ne3+ 29.Kd2 Nc4+ 30.Kc2 Ne3+ 31.Kd2 Nc4+ 1/2-1/2

4th London Chess Classic 2012 London ENG Sat 1st Dec 2012 - Mon 10th Dec 2012
Leading Round 7 (of 9) Standings:
RkNameFEDRtgGms123456789PtsPerf
1Carlsen, MagnusNOR28487*131333317.03045
2Kramnik, VladimirRUS279561*3113312.02960
3Adams, MichaelENG271060*1313311.02861
4Nakamura, HikaruUSA27606101*3139.02811
5Anand, ViswanathanIND2775610*11317.02731
6Aronian, LevonARM281560101*316.02698
7McShane, Luke JENG2713600110*35.02645
8Jones, Gawain C BENG26447001010*13.02536
9Polgar, JuditHUN27056000011*2.02476
9 players
4th London CC Open London ENG Sat 1st Dec 2012 - Mon 10th Dec 2012
Leading Round 8 (of 9) Standings:
RkNameTiFEDRtg12345678PtsTPR
1Melkumyan, HrantGMARM264911111½½½6.52671
2Van Kampen, RobinGMNED257011½1½1½16.52620
3Hebden, Mark LGMENG254711½1½½116.52584
4Williams, Simon KGMENG2515111½1½1½6.52625
5Rowson, JonathanGMSCO258611½½11½½6.02537
6Hillarp Persson, TigerGMSWE25461½111½½½6.02540
7Gundavaa, BayarsaikhanIMMGL2530111011½½6.02497
8Hawkins, JonathanIMENG2507111½½½1½6.02511
9Schneider, DmitryIMUSA24771½11½½1½6.02501
10Boruchovsky, AvitalIMISR244811011½½16.02438
11Hamitevici, VladimirIMMDA2440111½1½½½6.02530
12Kiik, KalleIMEST24371½½1½11½6.02427
13Zhou, Yang-FanIMENG2419111101016.02505
14Sarakauskas, GediminasIMLTU240811½1½0116.02464
15Ferguson, MarkIMENG240211½101=16.02423
16Houska, JovankaIMENG2396½111½½1½6.02512
17Bates, Richard AIMENG237011½01½116.02416
18Roberson, Peter TFMENG2350111½½1½½6.02565
19Gunajew, RafalFMPOL2260½110111½6.02396
20Holzke, FrankGMGER2521½1½½11015.52368
21Arkell, Keith CGMENG2470110½½1½15.52358
22Cherniaev, AlexanderGMRUS2460101½01115.52297
23Pert, Richard GIMENG24541½½0111½5.52304
24Sadzikowski, DanielIMPOL24491½11½½105.52437
25Bartholomew, JohnIMUSA2427½111½1½05.52445
26Golubka, PetrIMUKR2418111½½01½5.52414
27Hanley, Craig AIMENG2412111½01015.52425
28Gullaksen, EirikIMNOR238411½1½01½5.52399
29Rendle, Thomas EIMENG23811½11½½015.52381
30Ansell, Simon TIMENG237711½½1½015.52483
31Weber, TomFMLUX23721101½½½15.52353
32Szabo, BenceHUN2365110½11015.52396
33Radovanovic, JovicaFMSRB23611½1010+15.52311
34Richardson, John RFMENG2320½110½11½5.52349
35Kvisvik, BredeFMNOR2316½11001115.52272
36Zimmermann, JulianFMGER229911011½½½5.52424
37Rudd, JackIMENG22881011011½5.52351
38Guerrero, AndresVEN2206101½11105.52389
39Shaw, JohnGMSCO2435111010½½5.02380
40D`Costa, Lorin A RIMENG241711½1½½0½5.02374
41Slavin, AlexeyIMRUS23971½0011½15.02167
42Schneider, IgorFMUSA237611001½1½5.02300
43Kojima, ShinyaFMJPN2340110110105.02355
44Chapman, Terry P DENG2279==1½=½1½5.02348
45Dukaczewski, PiotrIMPOL2274110100115.02290
46Coleman, David JCMENG2268½10110½15.02227
47Roe, Simon JENG22651½½100115.02204
48Player, Edmund CENG2248110101105.02253
49Berry, NeilFMSCO22471½½½½1½½5.02311
50Tan, JustinAUS223911½01½015.02307
243 players

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