Time can move awfully slowly once you’re watching a chess recreation at classical time controls, however can it really transfer in reverse?
That’s the Einsteinian time-space conundrum to ponder as we take into account the current recreation between American GM Fabiano Caruana and Dutch star GM Anish Giri from the current Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest.
Clinging to a half-point within the event’s penultimate spherical, Caruana went deep into the theoretical vault with a ready line in a stylish Giuoco Piano variation. While his opponent struggled to unravel the issues of the place over the board, Caruana was so completely “booked” within the line that — with the bonus time increments trendy chess clocks give a participant for every transfer — he managed to complete the sport with seven extra minutes of considering time than when he started. That’s like beginning the sport at midday and ending at 11:53 a.m.
Unfortunately, Giri handed the check and managed to work out an ingenious drawing line, albeit one Caruana stated later he knew was there if Black was resourceful sufficient to search out it.
In an more and more in style line, the true recreation begins on 13. Ba3!? exd4 (not being tempted by 13…d5?! 14. Bxd5 exd5 15. c4!, anchoring the bishop’s dominating publish) 14. Qb3!?, with White transferring immediately and Black laboring to keep away from the theoretical coils of Caruana’s preparation. The Dutch GM proves equal to the problem on 14…d5 15. exd5 dxc3 16. Rxe8+ Qxe8 (Nxe8 is playable, however Caruana famous later Black would then be pressured to play a dynamic place whereas an hour or extra down on the clock; as a substitute Black finds the road that White hoped he would miss) 17. Re1 (see diagram) Qxe1+!!.
After 18. Nxe1 cxd2 19. Nf3 (Kf1? Bg4! 20. Nf3 Bxf3 21. gxf3 Re8, and Black is out of the blue successful) Ne4! 20. d6 (Bb2? Bxf2+ 21. Kf1 Bf5, and once more Black is a lot better) Nxf2 21. Bxf7+ Kh8 22. Nxd2, Black has a perpetual test with 22…Ne4+ 23. Kh1 (Kf1?? Nxd2+) Nf2+ 24. Kg1 Ne4+ 25. Kh1 Nf2+ 26. Kg1.
Told he had banked seven additional minutes along with his fast play, a chagrined Caruana noticed afterward, “You don’t, unfortunately, get extra points for the time you saved up during the tournament.” One good comfort: The Giri draw, coupled with a loss by French GM Alireza Firouzja in the identical spherical, helped the American to assert clear first with a rating of 5½-3½ within the super-strong occasion.
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While intriguing, video games like Caruana-Giri present how a lot memorization and theoretical preparation at the moment are obligatory in top-level chess. With large databases, laptop engines and complex assist groups, prime GMs are usually a dozen or extra strikes into many video games earlier than the considering even begins.
More enterprising, entertaining chess today is commonly discovered farther down the scores ladder. Take, as an illustration, the current recreation on the Asian zonal event in Jakarta between Indonesian IM Anjas Novita and FM Prin Laohawirapap, the very promising Thai junior star. The play is much from good, however that’s often the case when mate is delivered so smashingly in beneath 30 strikes.
In this Accelerated Sicilian Dragon after 13. Bf2 Qg5, the Black queen appears to be like like a lonely attacker out on the kingside, however she’s going to show extremely efficient as soon as the Black rook and bishop be a part of the enjoyable.
Despite permitting a Black rook to his second rank, after 18. Rf2 Rae8 19. f4 Qf5, Novita can have a juicy goal within the blocked and remoted Black d-pawn, if solely he can consolidate his place. Unfortunately for him (and happily for us), White lets issues get out of hand on 20. Qxa7?! (Rxe2 Rxe2 21. Bxd5 Be6 22. Bxe6 Qxe6 23. Qxa7 Qd5 24. Rg1 Rxb2, and Black’s exercise is nice for equality at finest) Bc6! (already with the specter of 21…d4! 22. Qxd4 Re1+ 23. Rf1 Bxg2+! Kxg2 [Kg1 Bxf1 is no better] Qg4+ 25. Kh1 Qf3+ 26. Kg1 Qxf1 mate) 21. Raf1? (comprehensible, however higher was 21. Qd4 R8e4 22. Rxe2 Rxe2 23. Rd1 Qe4 24. Qxe4 dxe4 25. h3 and White can combat on) Qd3 22. f5? (Rxe2 Qxe2 23. Rg1 Qxb2 24. Qd4 Re4, and once more White has probabilities to save lots of the sport), and the third inaccuracy proves an excessive amount of for the protection.
Despite the stripped-down materials, the Black assault can’t be stopped within the finale: 22…d4! 23. fxg6 (nothing works now — 23. Rxe2 Qxe2 24. Rg1 Qxg2+! 25. Rxg2 Re1 mate; or 23. Qxd4 Qxd4 24. cxd4 Rxf2 25. Rxf2 Re1+) Rxf2 24. gxf7+ Kg7 (and never 24…Rxf7?, ruining all Black’s high quality work due to 25. Bxf7+ Kg7 26. Qxd4+ Qxd4 27. cxd4 Re2 28. d5 and White is healthier) 25. fxe8=N+ (cute, but it surely solely delays the inevitable) Kh6 26. Rg1 Bxg2+! 27. Rxg2 Rf1+, and Novita resigns simply forward of 28. Rg1 Qe4 mate.
(Click on the picture above for a bigger view of the chessboard.)
Caruana-Giri, Superbet Chess Classic, Bucharest, Romania, May 2023
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 d6 6. b4 Bb6 7. a4 a5 8. b5 Ne7 9. O-O O-O 10. Nbd2 Ng6 11. d4 h6 12. Re1 Re8 13. Ba3 exd4 14. Qb3 d5 15. exd5 dxc3 16. Rxe8+ Qxe8 17. Re1 Qxe1+ 18. Nxe1 cxd2 19. Nf3 Ne4 20. d6 Nxf2 21. Bxf7+ Kh8 22. Nxd2 Ne4+ 23. Kh1 Nf2+ 24. Kg1 Ne4+ 25. Kh1 Nf2+ 26. Kg1 Draw agreed.
Novita-Laohawirapap, Asian Zonal Tournament, Jakarta, Indonesia, May 2023
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Bb3 Re8 9. f3 e6 10. O-O d5 11. exd5 Nxd5 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Bf2 Qg5 14. Kh1 Bd7 15. c3 Nxd4 16. Bxd4 Bxd4 17. Qxd4 Re2 18. Rf2 Rae8 19. f4 Qf5 20. Qxa7 Bc6 21. Raf1 Qd3 22. f5 d4 23. fxg6 Rxf2 24. gxf7+ Kg7 25. fxe8=N+ Kh6 26. Rg1 Bxg2+ 27. Rxg2 Rf1+ White resigns.
• David R. Sands could be reached at 202/636-3178 or by e mail at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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