Chessable Houska's Caro

1st GRENKE Chess Classic Baden-Baden 2013 (10)

Anand takes clear first place in Baden-Baden tournament

Naiditsch vs Anand in the final round. Photo © Georgios Souleidis.

Naiditsch vs Anand in the final round. Photo © Georgios Souleidis. | http://www.grenkechessclassic.de

World Chess Champion Viswanathan won the 1st GRENKE Chess Classic with a score of 6.5/10 half a point clear of Fabiano Caruana who couldn't covert a winning position against Daniel Fridman to take the event into a rapid and possibly blitz playoff. This is Anand's first triumph since Morelia/Linares 2008 and this win was clearly important for him (although he could only speculate when interviewed about it as Caruana was still playing) Anand won an interesting but flawed struggle against a dispirited Arkadij Naiditsch whose tournament had clearly run its course after missing a win in round 8 and losing against Fabiano Caruana. Anand followed the game Kasparov vs the World for some time and obtained what he thought was a superior position with knight and two pawns vs rook. Anand was highly critical of his 24...a5 suggesting 24...Rc7 was much better. Naiditsch managed to escape into a drawn Rook and Pawn ending but "he really underestimated the problem" according to Anand and blitzed away was lost after 33.Ke1 when 33.Ke2 would have saved the game with the key tempi becoming apparent if play followed the course of the game. Fabiano Caruana had to be patient against Daniel Fridman's exchange Slav but got some chances as Fridman got into time trouble and then blundered a pawn to a simple tactic. Then Caruana looked like he was going to convert until Fridman found the tricky 54. f5+! but recovered to get a winning position again which he would have got after 65...f4! instead 65...Ke4? 66.d5 won an important tempo and the game was drawn. Caruana has fought well but felt his bad form from Wijk aan Zee finally caught up with him. Michael Adams drew a rather strange game against Georg Meier who had the chance to win the exchange but blundered almost immediately allowing Adams counterplay. Meier decided not to win the exchange at all and the game was soon draw. Meier said afterwards "In the second half probably people thought a different player joined the tournament because the first half it was just shocking what I did." He certainly looked impressive in the second half. He finished level with his opponent Adams who played pretty well but found wins very hard to some by. A very interesting tournament altogether. Final Standings: Anand 6.5pts, Caruana 6 pts, Adams, Meier 5pts, Naiditsch 4 pts and Fridman 3.5pts.

Baden-Baden final round player quotes

Anand on the end of the tournament win drought. At the time he didn't know whether he would have to play off for the title or not.

This is ending quite a long drought. How does that feel?

Well it will depend on this obviously so it's still not happened but I'm quite happy today. This year started on a lot better note than the last two, well to be honest Wijk aan Zee 2011 was a very good result as well +4 but after that basically I went over a cliff and the next 5 tournaments were pretty awful. I think I won more games in Wijk than in those 5 tournaments put together, something like that, the statistics are just horrible so... I was happy with Wijk but obviously I ruined it in the last round and that last round kind of preyed on me today I was hoping I wouldn't do a Wang Hao again today and it went much better. But obviously I'll wait to see if I've won or not. I'll be joint first anyway but they obviously seem to have some kind of elaborate tiebreak system.

Later in the press centre in the official bulletin

After Bilbao 2011 my big problem was getting interesting positions where I had chances. This year the new problem has been exploiting those chances – against Fridman here, Hou Yifan in Wijk aan Zee or last year against Nakamura and Adams at the London Chess Classic I’ve been gifting people half points. If it wasn’t for that my results would be much better. Still, it’s a hundred times better to have the second problem! I need to work on my technique."

Caruana afterwards as described in the official bulletin

Caruana cut a disconsolate figure after the game, but retained his objectivity. Although his result couldn’t be called bad – he actually gained rating points – he was unhappy with his overall play and felt that his form had finally come back to haunt him in the last two games.

Michael Adams

"People got a bit tired today."

"I had very few opportunities when I had the advantage. When you play good players and they play well it’s not easy to win."

"Chess is always moving forward, you have to move forward to stand still. It's a tough game you can't rest on your laurels."

"Kasparov was a terrible opponent for me. I never won a proper game. He was just very, very strong. Opening wise I had a lot of problems, different level I think. "

"Carlsen, I don't have a great score with Carlsen, played a terrible game at the London Classic with him this year. With white I wasn't doing terribly before that. With black I lost a lot of games. Some of the games he played quite well against me, quite good quality games. He played quite a nice game against me in the FIDE Grand Prix in Baku. For me it was a really, really good game, a special game just to... at some moment, like a lot of these top guys, it's not only that they play well but just at some moment just all the moves coming, didn't really think, a very complicated position just sees everything, makes a few instructive moves. I don't think I played badly, somehow the pressure gets too much. All of the top guys just suddenly have the ability to flick in a few quick moves wehn they need to and they suddenly get a grasp of the position. That's a trait of the very, very top players."

FIDE GP-Baku AZE 2008.05.04

Round 12

Carlsen, M.-Adams, Mi

1-0

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 Ne4 7. Qc2 c5 8. dxc5 Nc6 9. cxd5 exd5 10. e3 Qa5+ 11. b4 Nxb4 12. axb4 Qxa1 13. Bb5+ Kf8 14. Ne2 a6 15. Bd3 Bd7 16. f3 Ba4 17. Qb2 Qxb2 18. Bxb2 Ng5 19. Nd4 Bd7 20. Kf2 f6 21. Ra1 Ke7 22. Bc2 Rhd8 23. h4 Nf7 24. Bxh7 Rh8 25. Bc2 Rxh4 26. Bb3 Rh5 27. Ne2 Bc6 28. Nf4 Rg5 29. b5 Bxb5 30. Nxd5+ Kf8 31. Nc7 Rd8 32. Ne6+ Ke8 33. Bd4 Bd7 34. Nxd8 Nxd8 35. Rh1 Ke7 36. e4 Ne6 37. Be3 Re5 38. Rh7 Kf8 39. Bc2 Bc6 40. f4 Bxe4 41. Rh8+ Ke7 42. Rb8 Nd8 43. fxe5 Bxc2 44. exf6+ gxf6 45. Bd4 f5 46. Be3 Kd7 47. Bg5 Ne6 48. Rxb7+ Kc8 49. Rb2 Be4 50. Be7 Nf4 51. Ra2 Kd7 52. Bd6 Nxg2 53. Rxa6 f4 54. Ra4 Bc6 55. Ra7+ Ke6 56. Ra6 Kd5 1-0

Georg Meier

In the second half probably people thought a different player joined the tournament because the first half it was just shocking what I did.

Naiditsch-Anand

Naiditsch,Arkadij (2716) - Anand,Viswanathan (2780) [B52]
1st GRENKE Chess Classic Baden-Baden GER (10.1), 17.02.2013

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 g6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bg7 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Nde2 Qe6

Anand did some research just before the event to see if anyone had played this before only to come across this famous game.

11.Nd5 Qxe4 12.Nc7+ Kd7 13.Nxa8 Qxc4 14.Nc3

[14.Nb6+ axb6 15.Nc3 Ra8 16.a4 Ne4 17.Nxe4 Qxe4 18.Qb3 f5 19.Bg5 Qb4 20.Qf7 Be5 21.h3 Rxa4 22.Rxa4 Qxa4 23.Qxh7 Bxb2 24.Qxg6 Qe4 25.Qf7 Bd4 26.Qb3 f4 27.Qf7 Be5 28.h4 b5 29.h5 Qc4 30.Qf5+ Qe6 31.Qxe6+ Kxe6 32.g3 fxg3 33.fxg3 b4 34.Bf4 Bd4+ 35.Kh1 b3 36.g4 Kd5 37.g5 e6 38.h6 Ne7 39.Rd1 e5 40.Be3 Kc4 41.Bxd4 exd4 42.Kg2 b2 43.Kf3 Kc3 44.h7 Ng6 45.Ke4 Kc2 46.Rh1 d3 47.Kf5 b1Q 48.Rxb1 Kxb1 49.Kxg6 d2 50.h8Q d1Q 51.Qh7 b5 52.Kf6+ Kb2 53.Qh2+ Ka1 54.Qf4 b4 55.Qxb4 Qf3+ 56.Kg7 d5 57.Qd4+ Kb1 58.g6 Qe4 59.Qg1+ Kb2 60.Qf2+ Kc1 61.Kf6 d4 62.g7 1-0 Kasparov,G (2812)-The World/Internet MSN 1999]

14...Rxa8 15.Bg5 e6 16.Re1 Nd5

A pretty ugly move to make. Without the queens it's a pretty easy position to play for black according to Anand.

17.Nxd5 Qxd5 18.Qxd5 exd5 19.Rad1 h6 20.Bc1 d4

Viswanathan Anand

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Arkadij Naiditsch

Position after 20...d4

Taking the c3 and e3 squares away from his rook. Anand.

21.Rd3 Rc8 22.Rb3 b6 23.Kf1 Ne5 24.Ra3 a5

Viswanathan Anand

__r_____
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Arkadij Naiditsch

Position after 24...a5

A tactical mistake. My technique was kind of unjustly rewarded. Just insane what I do with a5. Anand.

[24...Rc7 and I'm seriously better - Anand. 25.Ke2 f5 26.Kd1 g5 Black has just so many plans. Anand]

25.b4 Rc2 26.bxa5 bxa5

[26...Nc4 27.Rf3]

27.Rxa5 Nd3 28.Ra7+ Kc6 29.Rxf7 Nxe1 30.Kxe1 Rxc1+ 31.Kd2 Rg1 32.Rxg7 Rxg2

Viswanathan Anand

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Arkadij Naiditsch

Position after 32...Rxg2

33.Ke1?

A horrible blunder - Anand.

[33.Ke2? he really underestimated the problem. Anand. 33...Rxh2 34.Rxg6 h5 35.a4 (35.Rh6) 35...h4 36.a5 h3 37.a6 Rh1 38.Rh6 Kc7 39.a7 Kb7 40.Rxd6 h2 41.Rd7+ Ka8 42.Rh7]

33...Rxh2 34.Rxg6 Rh1+ 35.Kd2

Wasting a move getting back to the second.

35...h5 36.Rh6 h4 37.a4 h3 38.a5 h2 39.a6 Kc7 40.Rh7+ Kb8

I calculated I had three [spare] moves and he had none. Anand.

41.Ke2 d3+ 42.Kd2 Ka8 43.Rh5 Ka7 44.Rh6 d5 45.Rh8 Kxa6 46.Rh6+ Kb5 47.Rh8 Kc4 48.Rc8+ Kd4 49.Rh8 Ke4 0-1

Fridman-Caruana

Fridman,Daniel (2667) - Caruana,Fabiano (2757) [D10]
1st GRENKE Chess Classic Baden-Baden GER (10.3), 17.02.2013

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Bf4 Nc6 5.e3 Nf6 6.Nc3 a6 7.Bd3 Bg4 8.Nge2 e6 9.0-0 Be7 10.Rc1 0-0 11.f3 Bh5 12.Bg3 Rc8 13.Nf4 Bg6 14.Na4 Nd7 15.Bxg6 hxg6 16.Nd3 Na5N

The exchange slav has gone through a resurgence recently as strong players have used to to press for a win.

[16...Nb4 1/2-1/2 Ungureanu,E (2302)-Iskusnyh,S (2496)/Cappelle la Grande FRA 2003/The Week in Chess 433 (42)]

17.Rxc8 Qxc8 18.Qe1 Nc4 19.b3 Nd6 20.Qd2 Nb5 21.Rc1 Qa8 22.Rc2 b6 23.Ne5 Nxe5 24.Bxe5 Qb7 25.Bg3 Re8 26.Qc1 Ba3 27.Qd2 Rd8 28.Qd3 Rc8 29.h3 Rc6 30.Kh2 Be7 31.Nb2 a5

Fridman was starting to get into time pressure which proved important.

32.Qd2 Bg5!

Provoking white to loosen his solid position and paving the way for an error.

33.Rxc6 Qxc6 34.h4 Be7 35.Nd3 Nd6

Fabiano Caruana

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Daniel Fridman

Position after 35...Nd6

36.Bxd6?

and here is comes. This is a very desirable exchange but in time pressure Fridman doesn't notice an important point.

[36.Kh3]

36...Qxd6+ 37.f4

[37.g3 Bxh4! wins a pawn just the same. Most likely Fridman expected Bxd6+.]

37...Bxh4

Most likely with best play black is just lost now but for the moment Fridman has some activity in exchange for the lost pawn.

38.Qc1 Bd8 39.Qc8 g5! 40.g3 gxf4 41.gxf4 Qc7 42.Qxc7 Bxc7 43.Kh3 Kh7 44.Kg4 Kg6 45.Ne1 Bd6 46.Nf3 f6

Michael Adams didn't like this move but it doesn't spoil anything yet.

[46...Kf6]

47.Ne1 Bb4 48.Nf3 Ba3 49.Ng1 Bc1 50.Kf3 Bd2 51.Ne2 Bb4 52.a4!

Fridman starts to set up his saving idea.

52...Bd2 53.Ng3

Fabiano Caruana

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Daniel Fridman

Position after 53.Ng3

53...Be1?

Maybe doesn't throw away the win but makes it harder.

[53...Bb4; 53...Kf7]

54.f5+! exf5 55.Ne2 Kf7 56.Nf4 g5 57.Nxd5

Suddenly white has all sorts of counterplay but as Caruana shows the bishop and this position still give him strong winning chances.

57...Ke6 58.Nc7+ Kf7 59.Nd5 Bb4 60.Nxb6

Grabbing this pawn doesn't save the game just yet.

60...g4+ 61.Kf2

Getting the right tempo and placing for the white king is quite hard in fact white may just be lost by a tempo.

61...Ke6 62.Ke2 Kd6 63.Nc4+ Kd5 64.Kd3 g3 65.Ke2

Fabiano Caruana

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Daniel Fridman

Position after 65.Ke2

65...Ke4?

Black's position is no longer winning it appears.

[65...f4 66.exf4 Kxd4 67.Kf3 Kc3 68.Kxg3 Kxb3 69.Nb6 (69.Nxa5+ Bxa5 70.Kg4 and white is a tempi behind a key saving line and is lost.) 69...Be7 70.Kg4 Bd8 71.Nd7 Kxa4 wins.]

66.d5!

saving things by a single tempi.

66...Kxd5

[66...f4 67.exf4 g2 68.Kf2 Kxd5 69.Kxg2 Ke4 70.f5 Kd3 71.Kf3 Kc3 72.Ke4 Kxb3 73.Nb6 Be7 74.Nd5 Bd8 75.Kd3 Kxa4 76.Kc4 Ka3 77.Kc3 a4 78.Kc2 Ka2 79.Nc3+ Ka3 80.Nd5]

67.Kf3 Be1

[67...f4 68.exf4 Kd4 69.Kxg3 Kc3 70.Kg4 Kxb3 71.Nxa5+ Bxa5 72.Kf5 Bc3 73.a5 holds and this is a very key idea that crops up a lot.]

68.Nb2 g2 69.Kxg2 Ke4 70.Nc4 Bc3

[70...Bb4 71.Kf2 f4 72.exf4 Kxf4 73.Ke2 Ke4 74.Ne3 f5 75.Nd1 Bc5 76.Nc3+ Kf4; 70...f4 71.exf4 Kxf4 72.Kf1 Bb4 73.Ke2 Ke4 74.Ne3 Kd4 75.Nc4 Kc3 76.Kf3]

71.Kf2 f4 72.exf4 Kxf4 73.Ke2 f5 74.Kd3 Bb4 75.Ne3 Bc5 76.Nc4 Bb4 77.Ne3 Bd6 78.Nc4 Bc7 79.Ne3 Bd8 80.b4!

making the draw clear.

80...axb4 81.Nd5+ Kg3 82.Nxb4 f4 83.Ke2 Kg2 84.Nd3 f3+ 85.Ke3 Kg3 86.Ke4 Bb6 1/2-1/2

Adams-Meier

Adams,Michael (2725) - Meier,Georg (2640) [C00]
1st GRENKE Chess Classic Baden-Baden GER (10.2), 17.02.2013

1.e4 e6 2.d3

Normally Adams plays the Tarrasch vs the French.

2...d5 3.Qe2 Nf6 4.Nf3 Nc6

Nc6 is a very interesting idea to mix this line up a little because otherwise we would get some quiet game. I'm basically provoking e5 and then open the position and it turns out that white's coordination is not so good. In the long term I just want to occupy the centre, it's quite a fighting choice this Nc6. - Georg Meier.

5.e5 Nd7 6.g3 f6

"I looked at this line a bit but in general it was just half done and I didn't have much time to look at it. I didn't really know this Nc6 move at all. Actually the main reason I played this is that I just wanted to get some position where we both had to think but actually it didn't really work so well as I was the only one thinking for the first few moves." Adams.

[6...b6 7.Bg2 Bb7 8.0-0 Be7 9.h4 a5 10.Re1 a4 11.a3 h6 12.h5 Nc5 13.Nbd2 Ba6 14.Qe3 Qd7 15.Rb1 Na5 16.Nf1 Rd8 17.Qd4 Rh7 18.Bd2 Ne4 19.b4 axb3 20.dxe4 bxc2 21.Rbc1 Nb3 22.Qb2 Nxc1 23.Bxc1 dxe4 24.N3d2 Bd3 25.Nxe4 Qb5 26.Qc3 Qc4 27.Qa1 Qa4 28.Qc3 Qc4 29.Qa1 1/2-1/2 Yudasin,L (2610)-Komarov,D (2600)/Reggio Emilia ITA 1998]

7.exf6 Qxf6 8.Bg2

[8.Bh3 1-0 Zhou,Y (2326)-Milnes,A (2080)/London ENG 2010/The Week in Chess 842 (56)]

8...Bd6 9.0-0 0-0 10.c4

"I was already not so happy to play c4 but then what else?" Adams.

[10.c3 e5 11.b4 a6 12.Bb2 Qe7 13.a3 Nf6 14.Qc2 e4 15.dxe4 dxe4 16.Re1 Qf7 17.Ng5 Nh5 18.Nxe4 Bg4 19.h3 Ne5 20.Qd1 Qg6 21.Qe2 Bc5 0-1 Costa,J (2131)-Sebestyen,B (2308)/Peniscola ESP 2002/The Week in Chess 414]

10...Nc5

Obviously quite a good move. Adams.

[10...Nde5 "might be quite interesting here." Adams.]

11.Nc3 dxc4 12.dxc4 e5 13.Ne4

"Already a kind of bail-out move." - Adams.

[13.Nd5 Qg6 14.Nh4 Looks a little bit random, at least for me. Meier. 14...Qf7 15.b4]

13...Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Kh8

"I think Kh8 was a good move. I think the point about Kh8 is that it leaves my queen kind of stuck where it doesn't want to be. Actually if I could get it out of the way I'd have a slightly better position." - Adams.

[14...Bf5 15.Qd5+ Be6 16.Qb5 "I just couldn't figure out exactly what is happening." - Meier.]

15.Bg5 Qf7

[15...Bf5 "Instead of Qf7 there was a funny line" - Meier. 16.Qd5 Qg6 17.c5 Be4 18.Nh4 and white is just much better. 18...Qxg5 19.Bxe4 Be7 20.Nf3]

16.Be3

[16.c5 "Is obviously a critical position." - Adams. 16...Bxc5 17.Nxe5 Nxe5 18.Qxe5 Bxf2+ 19.Kh1 Bg4 was about equal and a line that Adams considered.]

16...Bf5 17.Qd5 Qxd5

[17...Be6 18.Qb5 is still a murky variation. 18...Bxc4 19.Qxb7 Bxf1 20.Ng5 Qe7 21.Rxf1 Nd4 22.Qe4 g6 23.Bxd4 exd4 24.Qxd4+ Be5 25.Qe3 Rae8 26.Bc6 Bxb2 27.Bxe8 Qxe3 28.fxe3 Rxe8]

18.cxd5 Nb4

Georg Meier

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Michael Adams

Position after 18...Nb4

19.Nd2?

[19.Ng5]

19...Bd3?!

"I understood Mickey blundered the exchange and I just went Bd3 without thinking too much." Meier.

[19...Nc2 "first and I can take the exchange in a much better way." - Meier. 20.Rac1 Bd3 21.Rfd1 Be2 and he's keeping his bishop. "This is what I thought would happen in the game, I just didn't stop to think." - Meier. 22.Rxc2 Bxd1 23.Rc4 Be2 24.Rc1 Bg4]

20.Be4! Bxe4

having blundered Meier decided to play solidly because "he realised what he had just done."

[20...Bxf1 would still win the exchange but Meier didn't really think this was all that clear.; 20...Bxf1 21.Kxf1 c6 "I'm very passive and this bishop on e4 is quite strong. I mean of course I'm better but I thought Mickey blunders and instead of winning, I immediately blundered back." - Meier.]

21.Nxe4

Now it's all dead level again.

21...Nxd5 22.Nxd6 cxd6 23.Rad1

"Mickey found a forced draw immediately, there's not much I can do." Meier.

23...Nxe3 24.fxe3 Rxf1+ 25.Kxf1 Rd8

[25...Rf8+ 26.Ke2 Rf6 27.Rc1 g5 28.Rc7 Rh6 29.h4 gxh4 30.gxh4 Rxh4 31.Rxb7 and black at leasat has an extra pawn but probably it's going to be a draw.]

26.Rc1 Kg8 27.Rc7 Rf8+ 28.Ke2 Rf7 29.Rc8+ Rf8 30.Rc7 Rf7 31.Rc8+ Rf8 32.Rc7 1/2-1/2

1st GRENKE Chess Classic Baden Baden GER (GER), 7-17 ii 2013 cat. XIX (2714)
1 2 3 4 5 6
1. Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2780 * * ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 ½ 1 2811
2. Caruana, Fabiano g ITA 2757 ½ ½ * * ½ 0 1 ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 6 2777
3. Adams, Michael g ENG 2725 ½ ½ ½ 1 * * ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ 5 2712
4. Meier, Georg g GER 2640 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ * * 0 1 ½ 1 5 2729
5. Naiditsch, Arkadij g GER 2716 0 0 0 0 1 ½ 1 0 * * ½ 1 4 2641
6. Fridman, Daniel g GER 2667 ½ 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 0 * * 2613
Round 10 (February 17, 2013)
Adams, Michael - Meier, Georg ½-½ 32 C00 French Defence
Naiditsch, Arkadij - Anand, Viswanathan 0-1 49 B52 Sicilian Rossolimo
Fridman, Daniel - Caruana, Fabiano ½-½ 86 D10 Slav Defence

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