ODT150217

=**Younger generation comes to fore**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 4.

The 2015 Tata Steel Masters held last month at Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands was won by Magnus Carlsen of Norway. Carlsen started badly with two draws and a loss, before a six-game winning streak propelled him into the lead. Four more draws over the closing rounds were enough for outright first on 9/13. Although this was a convincing victory for the 24 year old world champion, an ominous sign was the four players sharing second on 8½ were his age or younger. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (24, France), Anish Giri (20, Netherlands), Wesley So (21, USA) and Ding Liren (22, China) have all made significant advances into the top ten of the world rankings. Many expect Carlsen's crown to come under challenge from one of these players, along with 22 year old Fabiano Caruana of Italy. Today's game is the sixth win of Carlsen's streak, from the ninth round at Wijk aan Zee. He is White against Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan. media type="custom" key="27173056" **1.e4 e5** **2.Nf3 Nc6** **3.Bb5 Nf6** **4.d3** Deviating from the main lines of the Ruy Lopez Berlin Defence starting 4.O-O Nxe4. **4... Bc5** **5.O-O d6** **6.Nbd2 O-O** **7.Bxc6 bxc6** **8.h3 h6** **9.Re1 Re8** **10.Nf1 a5** The game Adams-Kramnik 2013 continued 10... d5!? 11.exd5 Qxd5 and Black was able to activate his pieces and won despite his weak queenside pawns. **11.Ng3 Rb8** **12.b3 Bb4** **13.Bd2 Ra8** **14.c3 Bc5** **15.d4 Bb6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**16.dxe5 dxe5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**17.c4 Nh7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**18.Qe2 Nf8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**19.Be3 c5?!** This strange looking move, reducing the power of his dark squared bishop to that of a pawn, seems motivated around a strategy of placing his knight on the d4 outpost. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20.Rad1 Qf6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**21.Nh5 Qe7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22.Nh2! Kh7** The threats from the two knights mean Black is unable to realise his plan and so suffers from the absence of his bishop in defence. 22... Ne6 23.Bxh6! gxh6 24.Ng4 Kh8 25.Nxh6 Nd4 26.Qe3!, and the queen enters the kingside with a winning attack. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**23.Qf3 f6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**24.Ng4 Bxg4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**25.Qxg4 Red8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**26.Qf5+ Kh8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27.f4 Rxd1** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**28.Rxd1 exf4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**29.Bxf4 Qe6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**30.Rd3 Re8** Allowing a brilliant flourish by the world champion. But after 30... Qxf5 (30... a4 31.Rg3! breaks through on g7) 31.exf5 Re8 32.Kf2 Re7 33.Re3! Rxe3 34.Kxe3 the poor bishop and weak queenside pawns leave black little hope in the ending. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**31.Nxg7!! Kxg7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**32.Qh5 Nh7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**33.Bxh6+ Kh8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**34.Qg6 Qg8** Or 34... Rg8 bringing about today's diagram, when 35.Rd8! forces mate. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**35.Bg7+ Qxg7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**36.Qxe8+ Qf8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**37.Qe6 Qh6** Hoping for a perpetual check. If 37... Ng5 38.Qf5 and 39.e5 follows as in the game. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**38.e5 Qc1+** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**39.Kh2 Qf4+** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**40.Rg3** Black resigns, as after 40... Ng5 41.Qe7! the threat of 42.exf6 means he will lose his knight.

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


 * Solution:** 1.Rd8! Nf8 (1... Rxd8 2.Qg7#; 1... Qf7 2.Qxf7; 1... Qe8 2.Rxe8 etc.) 2.Rxf8 Qf7 3.Qxf7 and 4.Qg7#.