Nanjing Pearl Grand Prix Live Blog
Round 3 Live Commentary
Pairings:
[GM]Wang Yue (2738) vs. [GM] Magnus Carlsen (2782)
[GM]Vesselin Topalov (2813) vs. [GM]Peter Leko (2762)
[GM]Teimour Radjabov (2757) vs. [GM]Dmitriy Jakovenko (2742)
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Have a comment about the games, or a message for the live bloggers?
Today’s Bloggers: Jason Juett and NM Pete Karagianis
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(4:25:36 AM) Jason Juett: Radjabov may be one of the best deep calculators in the world. I can think of more than one time when he’s come up with better moves than the computers of the spectators.
(4:22:42 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: wow Carlsen is good
(4:22:48 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: he is just picking Wang apart
(4:23:00 AM) Jason Juett: For a while Wang was his nemesis.
(4:23:10 AM) Jason Juett: I think he got about 3 wins before Carlsen won one.
(4:23:28 AM) Jason Juett: But even since Amber I think Carlsen has strongly reversed that trend.
Radjabov-Jakovenko
(4:20:27 AM) Jason Juett: 25.e4 was again a thought, since he could regain the pawn immediately with Ng5+.
Radjabov-Jakovenko
(4:17:35 AM) Jason Juett: 24.e4!? looked interesting.
(4:18:12 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: with the idea of using the f-file?
(4:18:16 AM) Jason Juett: It all depends on the assessment of the endgame 24…dxe4 25.Rde1 Nf5 26.Rxe4 Nxd4 27.Rxd4
(4:18:19 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: wow Radja is committing a lot to use the d-file, then again his pawns are certainly better. He may be on the verge of a significant advantage.
Radjabov-Jakovenko
(4:12:38 AM) Jason Juett: wow, 22.e5! is pretty nice
(4:14:50 AM) Jason Juett: 23…dxe5?! would be way too dangerous after 24.Nf3 Kf6 25.e4 with ideas of both Ng5 and Rg5 with a strong initiative.
Radjabov-Jakovenko
(4:10:47 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: also there is e5 in the Radja game
(4:10:58 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: so we must have both missed the boat on …f6 and it actually being necessary
(4:11:09 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: I suggested now Nb3 to clear the d-file penetration, let’s see if he goes for it.
Topalov-Leko
(4:10:45 AM) Jason Juett: You know, maybe this will get a little troublesome for Leko with that c5-pawn never actually going.
(4:05:29 AM) Jason Juett: Okay, I looked up Radjabov’s record with the Scotch. Amazingly it seems like he only plays it in classical games. His record: 1 win, 17 draws! The one win came against Karjakin in 2005.
(4:05:57 AM) Jason Juett: This seems to really capture his way of playing with White in general.
(4:06:08 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: wow.
(4:06:25 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: Are you suggesting he is the only GM who plays to win as black instead of white?
(4:07:01 AM) Jason Juett: I’ve read before about a certain school of chess saying that with White you should play safe and with Black you play to mix things up so White can’t play for a safe edge. Perhaps Radjabov is the best example of this.
(4:08:50 AM) Jason Juett: But sometimes Radjabov does seem like he’s playing it so safe with White that he’s more like counting on his Blacks. If you consider the winning chances in this Scotch vs. a KID or Dragon for instance.
Wang-Carlsen
(4:00:15 AM) Jason Juett: Qd2 and Bb1… Any idea what Wang’s thinking?
(4:01:17 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: he probably just wanted to preserve the bishop
(4:01:42 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: for example, imagine a bishop on f5 (or a6) with no opposition
(4:01:55 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: the knight on c3 can be pushed away, which also gives white the e4 square
(4:02:22 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: Again though I agree, it was way too slow. That’s really the theme of this game, if Carlsen wins it’s because Wang spent too much time trying to get everything just right and forgot about just developing!
Wang-Carlsen
(3:54:30 AM) Jason Juett: Wang looks like he’s going to be in big trouble, with a rotten position and soon no extra pawn for it.
(3:55:28 AM) Jason Juett: It’s a nice irony that Carlsen is making good use of the a6 square in this “a6 slav without a6″.
Topalov-Leko
(3:47:55 AM) Jason Juett: oh, what do you think about the developments in Topalov-Leko, by the way? To me it looks at first like Black should be active enough to be okay.
(3:48:12 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: yeah Topa cashed in for a pawn when he should have kept building up
(3:49:39 AM) Jason Juett: Yes, specifically 22.Nb4! would have given him very strong pressure.
Wang-Carlsen
(3:34:55 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: Carlsen did sac the pawn
(3:35:04 AM) Jason Juett: Amazing.
(3:35:18 AM) Jason Juett: Wow, he is really in top form this tournament.
(3:35:48 AM) Jason Juett: I bet announcing the Kasparov cooperation has also given him a big psychological boost in addition to the preparation and training.
(3:36:19 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: good point
(3:36:25 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: these players still remember Kaspy
(3:36:31 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: and how dominant he was against them
Topalov-Leko
(3:28:29 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: Leko playing his way into passivity
(3:28:59 AM) Jason Juett: Oh yeah. I was thinking playing 20…Re8 instead of grabbing the pawn, in order to keep the rook out.
(3:29:36 AM) Jason Juett: I’m getting a strange deja-vu feeling like Topalov has won an endgame just like this before.
(3:30:05 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: i cant believe how quickly Leko got into trouble here
(3:30:32 AM) Jason Juett: A similar thing happened with these two players in an anti-Marshall endgame a couple years back.
Wang-Carlsen
(3:21:33 AM) Jason Juett: I guess the Bg7 isn’t so bad because the d4-pawn blocking it isn’t rooted there forever?
(3:23:17 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: yeah
(3:23:23 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: I don’t know what Rybka thinks but i like black already
(3:23:28 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: white has to be really careful
(3:23:32 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: and we’re only on move 13
(3:25:08 AM) Jason Juett: Just for the record, Rybka’s happy with the opening for Black. Roughly =. Here 13…e5!? is a real possibility already.
(3:25:32 AM) Jason Juett: 13…e5!? 14.fxe5 f6! etc.
(3:25:47 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: lol
(3:25:57 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: didnt i say earlier I liked e5 even if you sacrifice it?
(edit: I did, but didn’t post it here. Doh!)
Topalov-Leko
(3:08:39 AM) Jason Juett: Topalov may have something, it looks like he can infiltrate on e7 and stand better.
(3:08:50 AM) Jason Juett: Actually 20.Re7! looks strong.
Wang-Carlsen
(3:10:54 AM) Jason Juett: Wow, Bxb8 looks like a major concession to me.
(3:11:11 AM) Jason Juett: Can’t Black soon get in e5 anyway if he wants?
(3:11:50 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: that’s what I was thinking, yes. White is trying to limit everything, but in the Gruenfeld you can always find a break.
(3:11:55 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: and when you break, it’s problems.
Wang-Carlsen
(3:03:14 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: Bxb8!?
(3:03:34 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: he must really want Carlsen’s bishop on e6… or better yet, he must really NOT want black playing …e5.
(2:57:50 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: so, looks like 2 boring games, and Carlsen
Radjabov-Jakovenko
(2:43:31 AM) Jason Juett: another thing to watch out for in this endgame is the sac c2-c4-c5
(2:43:54 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: yeah i actually had that happen to me as black in a similar position- by an IM
(2:44:09 AM) Jason Juett: I think that’s how Radjabov got his one Scotch win.
(2:44:18 AM) Jason Juett: Oh wait, I think he drew that one too.
(2:44:39 AM) Jason Juett: I think he won once against 4…Nf6.
(2:45:20 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: Black has equalized already in that game, after 14. …Ba6.
(2:45:31 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: I really disliked Be3, I am surprised that it is a thematic trade.
Radjabov-Jakovenko
(2:35:19 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: Radjabov’s Be3 I don’t get, was it forced?
(2:36:37 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: Jakovenko castled to avoid having to play …g6, with problems for his knight
(2:37:11 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: the idea of gxf3 and Rg1 seemed to be to limit the knight, but now if black trades on e3 he can play …c5 and …Nc6. Maybe white wants the a5 pawn now.
Wang-Carlsen
(2:33:58 AM) Jason Juett: Carlsen must be thinking about grabbing the bishop pair with 8…Nh5.
Wang-Carlsen
(2:29:11 AM) Jason Juett: it kind of reminds me of an a6 slav position without a6
(2:29:30 AM) Jason Juett: of course Black doesn’t have the weird bishop on e6 in that structure
(2:30:38 AM) Jason Juett: 8.Bd3 is the novelty, for what it’s worth, but they were already going down a very rare path not played by top players since 6…Be6!?.
Wang-Carlsen
(2:26:19 AM) Jason Juett: I don’t know about Wang’s 7.c5.
(2:26:30 AM) Jason Juett: The most common move is Qb3, which happens to be Rybka’s choice too.
Wang-Carlsen
(2:06:34 AM) Jason Juett: I think the Grunfeld is rare for Carlsen. Seems like more Kasparov influence maybe?
(2:06:34 AM) Jason Juett: 4.Bf4 is a Kramnik and Wang specialty. There are a mixture of really sharp and boring lines here.
Wang-Carlsen
(2:10:07 AM) Jason Juett: 6…Be6!? is a pretty rare move.
Radjabov-Jakovenko
(2:08:43 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: I’m disappointed in Radjabov’s opening choice
(2:12:13 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: I recall seeing something similar to it in a NiC awhile back and white plays the line to win, but not in this way
(2:12:22 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: he plays qd2-f4 instead of qf3
(2:13:02 AM) Jason Juett: Qd2 is the way Kasparov used to play it, but I remember Qf3 had some popularity a couple years back anyway.
(2:13:16 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: looks boring
(2:13:45 AM) Jason Juett: Ivanchuk won a game with it in his rapid match against Leko, whenever that was.
(2:15:24 AM) Jason Juett: 8.Be2 is a very rare move in that game.
(2:15:39 AM) Jason Juett: Ivanchuk played 7.Be2
Radjabov-Jakovenko
(2:18:02 AM) Jason Juett: Be2 seems weird if he’s not intending to take with the bishop. What do you think?
(2:18:14 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: agreed, seems like a waste
(2:18:18 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: Radjabov must want something on the g-file.
(2:19:13 AM) Jason Juett: I do trust that Radjabov knows what he’s doing, though. He must easily be the highest-rated regular proponent of the Scotch.
Radjabov-Jakovenko
(2:20:47 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: and there is Rg1
(2:21:01 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: OK I think I may see the idea
(2:21:16 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: the knight on e7 has nowhere to go for the moment, and playing …c5 to clear c6 blocks in the bishop
(2:21:25 AM) NM Pete Karagianis: so, if white induces …g6 then the e7 knight looks really bad