ODT150303

=**Carlsen does it again**=




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

Fresh from his victory in the Tata Steel Masters covered in the previous column, Magnus Carlsen went on to win the elite 3rd GRENKE Chess Classic in Baden Baden, Germany last month. Carslen again faltered in the third round, losing to the number one German player GM Arkadij Naiditsch. However Carlsen isn't the best payer in the world for nothing, winning his next two games to rejoin Naiditsch in the lead. These two finished the eight-player round-robin tied for first on 4½/7 ahead of Fabiano Caruana of Italy and Michael Adams of England on 4 points. The playoff to decide the tournament winner was also very close: Carlsen and Naiditsch exchanged wins in the rapid games, followed by two draws in the blitz. Carlsen broke the deadlock in the 'armageddon' tie-break game to clinch overall victory. Today's game is from the fourth round at Baden Baden. Carlsen is Black against his adversary from the recent world championship rematch, India's Vishy Anand. media type="custom" key="27225714" **1.d4 f5** **2.g3 Nf6** **3.Bg2 e6** **4.c4 c6** **5.Nf3 d5** The Stonewall Dutch Defence is rarely seen at the highest level these days, though it was part of the repertoire of world champion Mikhail Botvinnik in the 1950s. Carlsen has played it several times, though tellingly not in his world championship matches with Anand. His choice indicates his need to play for a win. Black establishes a knight outpost on the e4 square at the expense of a weak e-pawn and a hemmed in light-squared bishop. **6.O-O Bd6** **7.b3 Qe7** **8.Ne5 O-O** **9.Nd2 a5** **10.Bb2 Nbd7** **11.Qc2 a4** Activating the a8 rook, which is otherwise restricted by the bishop on c8. However, Black is not anxious exchange pawns yet, as White would exchange rooks and control the open file. **12.Ndf3 Ne4** **13.e3** A previous game Goganov-Sandipan 2013, continued 13.bxa4 eliminating the a-pawn, but after 13... Bxe5 14.dxe5?! Nb6 Black infiltrated on the queenside and won.. **13... a3!?** It's far from clear that this is the best move - the advanced pawn could become a liability. Carlsen is playing to unbalance the position. **14.Bc3 Nxe5** **15.Nxe5 Bd7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**16.Nxd7!** A paradoxical exchange of a strong knight for weak bishop, but with a concrete plan in mind. White eliminates the possibility of 16... Bxe5 so as to keep his pawns intact and expand on the queenside. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**16... Qxd7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**17.c5 Bc7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**18.b4 h5** Black needs to generate kingside counterplay. Carlsen regretted this particular move after the game in favour of 18... g5 with the idea of 19... g4 to secure the e4 outpost. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**19.Be1 e5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20.dxe5 Bxe5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**21.Rd1 Qe6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22.f3 Nf6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**23.Bh3!?** Taking up the challenge to win the f-pawn. A safer alternative was 23.Rd3 protecting the e3 pawn. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**23... g6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**24.e4 dxe4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**25.fxe4 Bb2!** Showing why Carlsen is such a difficult opponent. Black will win the a2 pawn, making the position very sharp, as his own a-pawn becomes a monster in any ending. Before that, the black king will come under severe pressure, but Carlsen believes he can cope. He prefers this to the safer alternative of 25... Ng4 26.exf5 Rxf5 27.Rxf5 gxf5 when Black should be able to defend. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**26.exf5 Qxa2** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27.Bf2** Crucially, there is no time for 27.fxg6?? Bd4+ winning the queen. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27... g5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**28.Rfe1 Qf7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**29.Re6 Ng4!** The best defence, playing to eliminate the dangerous f-pawn. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**30.Bxg4 hxg4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**31.Rg6+ Kh7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**32.Rd7?** Having to choose between many alternatives each move has eventually exhausted Anand and he makes a fatal mistake. 32.Re6! was the only move to keep the balance (32.Rxg5?! Bf6 33.Rxg4 Rfd8! and Black is winning, e.g: 34.Rxd8 Rxd8 35.Rc4 a2! 36.Qxa2 Rd1+ 37.Kg2 Qd5+ 38.Kh3 Rd2 etc.) 32... Bf6 (32... Kg8 33.Rg6+ and 32... Qxf5 33.Rd7+ Kh8 34.Rh6+ lead to perpetual check) 33.Rxf6! Qxf6 34.Rd7+ Rf7 35.Bd4 Qxd4+ 36.Rxd4 a2 37.Rd1 a1=Q 38.Rxa1 Rxa1+ and the Q vs 2R endgame is equal. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**32...Qxd7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**33.f6 Qd1+!** Ruthlessly snuffing out White's attack. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**34.Qxd1 Kxg6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**35.Qd3+ Kh6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**36.h4 gxh3** White resigned, as Black will capture on f6 and then promote his a-pawn.

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


 * Solution:** 1... Qa2+! 2.Kc2 (2.Kxa2 b1=Q+ 3.Ka3 Qb3#) 2... b1=Q+ 3.Kc3 Qbb3+ 4.Kd4 Qe3#.