ODT150609

=**Grand Prix a US success**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 5.

The FIDE Grand Prix concluded with the fourth leg in Khanty-Mansyisk, Russia last month. Uppermost in many of the contestants minds were the two qualifying spots in the next Candidates tournament to decide the challenger to world champion Magnus Carlsen. The tournament was jointly won by Dimitry Jakovenko (Russia), Fabiano Caruana (Italy) and Hikaru Nakamura (USA) on 6½/11. The same three took the top three places in the Grand Prix: Caruana 370 points, Nakamura 347 points and Jakovenko 310 points. Caruana and Nakamura join the defeated challenger Viswanathan Anand of India in the next Candidates tournament and these three are currently ranked 2-4 in the world behind Carlsen. Caruana, who has dual US/Italian citizenship, has announced he will switch to playing under the US flag. He and Nakamura represent the best chance the USA have had to challenge for the world crown since the days of Bobby Fischer. Today's game from the fourth round at Khanty-Mansyisk features Caruana with the black pieces against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France. media type="custom" key="27610020" **1.d4 Nf6** **2.c4 e6** **3.Nf3 d5** **4.Nc3 Bb4** The Ragozin Defence was a favourite of the young Fischer, before it fell out of favour. Its reputation has been revived in recent years. **5.cxd5 exd5** **6.Bg5 Nbd7** **7.Rc1 c6** **8.e3 Qa5** **9.Bd3 Ne4** **10.O-O Nxg5** **11.Nxg5 Nf6** **12.Qc2 h6** **13.Nf3 Bd6** **14.Ne5 Ng4** **15.Nf3 Nf6** **16.h3 O-O** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**17.Ne5 a6!** The players have been following the game Gelfand-Jakovenko 2009 (with the inclusion of the extra moves 14 and 15), which continued 17... c5?! 18.Nb5! Bxe5 19.dxe5 Nd7 20.f4 and the knight outpost on d6 was very strong for White. The move played removes this possibility. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**18.f4 c5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**19.g4!?** Threatening to undermine the support of the black d-pawn. White's ambitious plan exposes his king, and so requires very precise play from here on. 19.Rfd1 looks equal. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**19... cxd4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20.exd4 Be6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**21.Qb3 b5!** Black's idea is to sacrifice a pawn to open lines to the White kingside. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22.f5?!** Taking the bait. 22.Rfd1 Qb6 23.Kg2 Qb7 is still level. Black responds with an important zwischenzug. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22... Qb6!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**23.Nf3 Bc8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**24.Kg2** Not 24.Nxd5? Nxd5 25.Qxd5 Bb7 26.Qb3 Bf4! and the black pieces swarm into the empty space behind the white pawns. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**24... Bb7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**25.Na4 Qa7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**26.Nc5 Rac8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27.a4?** Allowing Black to carry out his idea. The best chance lay in 27.Nxb7 Qxb7 28.a4 b4 trying to keep lines closed. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27... Bxc5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**28.dxc5 d4!** After this pawn sacrifice clearing the a8-h1 diagonal, White's position is very difficult to defend. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**29.axb5 axb5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**30.Qxb5 Bc6!** Not allowing 30... Nd5 31.c6!? sacrificing the exchange to block the diagonal. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**31.Qb6 Qd7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**32.Kg1 Rfe8** Bringing the last piece into the attack. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**33.Rce1 Rxe1** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**34.Nxe1 Re8** A good alternative was 34... Qe8! 35.Ng2 Nd5 36.Qb3 Ne3! winning the exchange as taking the knight 37.Nxe3? Qxe3+ 38.Rf2 Qxh3 39.Re2 Ra8 ends badly. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**35.Ng2 Nd5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**36.Qb3 Ne3** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**37.Nxe3 dxe3** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**38.Qc4 Qc7!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**39.Qf4** The threat of 39... Qg3 mate wins a piece, as 39.Rf4 e2 has the same result. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**39... Qxf4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**40.Rxf4 e2** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**41.Bxe2 Rxe2** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**42.Rb4 Rg2+** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**43.Kf1 Rc2** White resigns, as 44.Rb8+ Kh7 45.b4 Bg2+ and all his kingside pawns will fall.

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**0-1**


 * Solution:** 1.Nf6+ Kg7 (1... Kh8 2.Qf8#) 2.h6+! Kxh6 3.Qf8+ Kg5 4.Rf5+! gxf5 5.Qg7#.