DEA AS ee ae Sg AM WORLD CUP — MAGNUS’ FINAL TICK ONHIS TODO LST feo 1) HOW TO elk OPENINGS? atone) MAGNIFICENTS © ep Cen eny ‘ Exclusive Interview . fi ala Explogin anv} fen CHESS folie] Pa KMATE RMAN * " KER “co Ce SON eg SAL US ome) ene Uy Nar encyss ag Wad LOE MOVEMENT IN CHESS“(The] classic McFarland book: a deeply researched, lovingly produced and definitive enquiry into an area of chess with a view to being the last word on the subject”—British Chess Magazine José Raul Capablanca. A Chess Biography. Miguel A. Sanchez, 2023, [original lib. bdg. 2015] $59.95, (7 10), 568pp., 195 annotated ‘games, 55 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, indexes, 978-1-4766-9422-1 “Even the most ardent Capa fan will learn something new"—Chess Life José Rail Cerne United States Women’s Chess Champions, 1937-2020. Alexey W, Root. 2022, $49.95 paperback (7 x 10), United States 238pp., 29 photographs, 171 annotated Women Chess ‘games, 93 diagrams, 60 cross-tables, Champions, bibliography, index, 978-1-4766-8693-6 15372000, "A major accomplishment and one chess historians will gratefully appreciate. fascinating’—IM John Donaldson (Mechanies’ Institute) Mikhail Botvinnik. The Life and Games of a World Chess Champion. Andy Soltis. 2022 (original lib. bg. 2014], $49.95 (7 x:10), 284pp, 107 annotated games, 128 diagrams, 12 photos, chronology, appendices, notes, bibliography, indexes, 978-1-4766-9138. 8 Chess Journalists of America, |—English Chess Fed. Aron Nimzowitsch. On the i Aron Road to Chess Mastery, 1886- Nao 1924, Per Skjoldager and Jorn SS iaGee Nielsen. 2022 [original lib. bag. 2012], ‘sn 824 $49.95 (7x10) 468pp., 426 annotated games, 88 photos, 10 maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, indexes, 978-1-4766-9137-4, “Strongly recommended!" —Chess Today nating”—Chess. |—Chess Cafe Fasc Orders 800-253-2187 » McFarlandBooks.com Isaac Kashdan, American Chess Grandmaster. A Career Summary with 757 Games, Peter P Lahde. 2023 [original lib. bdg. 2008], $4995 (710), 360pp, 11 photographs, facsimiles, diagrams, tables appendices, bibliography, indexes, 978-1-4766-9295- .“Lahde's book is important, and he deserves our thanks for filling a longstanding void’ —Chess Life. Smyslov, Bronstein, Geller, Taimanoy and Averbakh, A Chess Multibiography with 220 Games. Andrew Sots, 2021, $65 library binding (7 10), 392pp, 44 photographs, Bei See emeteprentcetacten tie raphy, indexes, 978-1-4766-7793-4, Fate played a capricious role inthe lives of five ofthe greatest. Be reeeieeenniefeet ier Chess Rivals of the 19th Century. With 300 Annotated Games. Tony Callen. 2021, $45 paperback. (7 10), 477pp. 54 photographs, diagrams, bibliography, indexes, 978-1-4766-8072-9, More than third of the 300 annotated games analyzed by past masters and checked by powerfal engines. Fity masters with brief biographies, aneedotes and an endgame section. “A treasure trve"—Chess Tal, Petrosian, Spassky and Korchnoi. A Chess Multibiography with 207 Games. Andrew Soltis. 2020 [original ib. bg 2019), $45 7x 10), 394pp., 30 photographs, appendices, notes bibliography, indexes, 978-1-4766-8364-5. “Arguably the best ‘book Soltis has ever written”—IM John Donaldson. Chess Journalists of America. eee Ame ceaeriees Cen) Pncenty® SUBSCRIBE & SAVE! SVE | GISSUES | 100 PAGES PERYEAR | INAROW | PERCOPY RICAN, a SB ECELVA ONLY $8.33 PER STU SSes ts] mO MINOURA Ae tt mee) YU ete 12) YOUR NON-CHESS PLAYING FRIENDS WOULD PICK IT UP AND SAY, “WOW! THIS IS A CHESS AN TNe/-V4] eaiiea LS OCLC U 1010) QO aT NOLO LO) ANUSAANN OOO Soon esdial alan OTHER MONTH — ONE YOU WOULD BE PROUD TO CASUALLY LAY OUT ON YOUR COFFEE TABLE.OTs ly Latest News Y Yip Shines with Silver at World Juniors 20-year-old American, Carissa Yip, clinched silver at the World Junior Girls’ Championship in Mexico City after winning her last round, resulting, Ina three-way tle for frst place. Argentinian Candela Francisco secured gold, while Beloslava Krasteva from Bulgaria received bronze. The decisive criterion for medal distribution was head-to-head performance. Francisco secured the top spot due to her direct win against Krasteva, ‘The Open section resulted In another tie, this time between four players. Based J fon additional criteria, Mare~ Andria Maurizi from France Caruana Leading at_ wes crowed the chamlon Siver was awarded o Rutan the U.S. Championship Aenly Nestrov an bronze to uke sete rm SestiaArmrion Maken Gharbyan tended in an Sonora” Tour place The top-performing Ameren wes Have Nema Shing Tre ie for O10" place ‘With consecutive victories aver Swiercz, Xiong, and Tang, Fabiano Caruana ascended to the lead in the U.S. Championship being held in Saint Louis. He maintained this lead after a hard-fought draw ‘against Sam Sevian in the sixth round, ‘Standings after Round rane aru = Niemann pushed the limits 2Hane NEHANN 4 in his final round against 34 Lehr DOMINGUEZ, WesleyS0 3A "Nesteroy, sidestepping a move 15-7 Samuel SEVIAN, Sam SHANKLAND, Abhimanjy MISHRA 3 repetition, but ultimately lost 8-10 Dariusz SWIERCZ, Levon AFONIAN, Ray ROBSON 28 the game, dashing his hopes ‘12 eter XIONG, Anew TANG 2 fora medal. ‘while Carissa Yip had draws in her matches with bath of them, KRAMNIK ACCUSES NIEMANN! Ina recent game on Chess.com, the moves Led {6 2.d4 g5 were played, with White resigning immediatly afer. Intriguingly, Black's moves were a statement, which Whit seemingly recognized, leading to his esignation instead of the checkmate with 3.!8h5, Playing as White was Hans Niemann, ‘while the Black pieces were commanded by the former World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik Days after this curious incident, Kramnik released a 45-minute video on YouTube, detailing his thoughts on his frst encounter with Niemann prior to the aforementioned game, “I'm absolutely convinced that 99% of professional chess players would agree with me that some moves, given the time management, were quite unusual,” he shared. Following this, Kramnik decided to cease playing, ‘on Ches.com, citing his profile: “lust too many apparent cheaters here and the platform isn't doing, ‘enough t address this.” For those interested, the full game is provided for personal analysis. Before this recent controversy, Niemann had been fully reinstated on Chess.com, with their official statement noting: “He will be allowed to play in any and all ‘evens and willbe treated no differently from any other player” Magnus Carlsen furher noted that he was “open t0 playing against Niemann in future events, if paired. Thisall comes inthe wake ofthe resolution of the case, as a US Court dismissed the significant $100 million lawsuit brought by Niemann against Chess.com, Carlsen, and Nakamura. Sen Fa ES Ea “the ratings are frblitzonChess.com Les 05 2.018 Deb 3.865 O16 4.0-0 Boh B.d4 Dd8 6.2x08 eB Txe5 015 8. Hud toxdB QhS fe? 10.08 D4 T.Oxrd Bixh4 12.f03 6 13.Badi+ shes 14.202 5 15.0d4 247 16.44 oS TOPS Be7 1Riel B15 18.04 Bd8 20.53 bs 21.82 4 22.Bxd8e sheds 23.Bdie shes 2usbtl a6 25.bo2 Hb7 26.842 eb 294 bb7 28.003 Bhs 29.802 fc8 30.095 16 Sl.ext6 B16 32.004 Bair 33.003 Ens 34.295 8/6 35.842 847 36.808 Heb 37.012 £15 38.013 Qc3 38.80) £F6 40.82 d8 ‘Be2 Ed8 428d? Bxd2+ 43.0xd2 Be? 44.cbe? che8 16.812 a7 46.213 Sxb3 47sbd3 xa 48.8xn4 Bic8 49. xf6 oxt6 60.8h4 a4 Sigs Beds 52.203 08 53.95 fxgS 54.fxg5 eb 55.98 16 4FIDE SETS NEW RULES FOR TRANSGENDER PLAYERS, ECHOING OTHER SPORTS ‘The World Chess Federation (FIDE) has announced new regulations for transgender Soe a eres ee “oe FipE> Is reached. This conclusion Is expected within ‘wo years. Players changing their gender will also see adjustments to their titles, If they transition from female to male, their women’s titles will be abolished. transitioning from male to female will remain intact. -_ LBV However, titles eamed before Its important to note that while most chess competitions are open to everyone, these regulations especially impact the Women’s World Championship. FIDE’s stance mirrors recent policies in other sports, like swimming, which have revised their rules concerning transgender participation in top-tier female competitions. ‘SAINT LOUIS CHESS CLUB ADDRESSES ALLEGATIONS AGAINST GRANDMASTER RAMIREZ In a recent statement, the Saint Louis Chess Club responds to concems_ surrounding chess grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez, expressing that they are “deeply troubled by theallegations and accounts of misconduct.” While stressing that “we were silent on this very real and important issue for too Tong,” the club unveiled comprehensive ‘measures including annual active bystander intervention, anti-harassment and ant discrimination training, and an enhanced background check procedure. They reaffirmed their commitment to challenge the undercurrent of bias and discrimination against female players in the global chess community. Following their internal investigation, Ramirez, who had resigned earlier in March 2023, is now barred from all club-associated activites RIP Jeremy Silman (1954-2023) ‘The chess community recently mourned the loss of IM Jeremy Silman, who passed away in his West Hollywood, CA home after a long battle with a neurological condition, Introduced to the world of chess at the age of 12, Silman’s passion led him to rnotable victories at the American Open, National Open, and U.S. Open. He also played pivotal role in coaching the U.S. junior national chess team, As an author, Silman left an indelible mark He penned over 35 books and numerous articles for chess magazines and online platforms. His Influential works, such as How to Reassess Your Chess, Silman's Complete Endgame Course, and The Complete Book of Chess Strategy: Grandmaster Techniques from AtoZ, will continue tobe invaluable resources for aspiring chess players. FIDE RATINGS in October 1, ann 2023 1 [Mags Cafsen | NOR | 299 2 |Fatano Canara | usa | 2786 3 |g Lien ca | 2700 4 [kar Nakaera | sa | 2760 5 | Aleza Frown fa | 2777 6 [lanNeporniacttcn | FD | 2774 7 [ish ned | 2760 @ [Donmarss Guest | 0 | 2758 9 | Vewanatan rand | WO"] 2754 10] Westy So usa] 2758 ox 1 How ian can | 2628 2 | J Wenn cow | 2560 3 | Aksaca Govacikra | FD | 2558 4 | Hap ones wo } 2550 | LoTie ‘aN | 2550 6 [Katey Lagno | FD | 2545 7 [Alene Kostenok | Sul | 2528 [Mara Mey | xR | 2519 9 | Tan Zhong cin | 2547 10 [Ama Muzychak | UKR | 2510 1 Fobiano Cara 2106 2 | kar ara 270 2 | Way So 2158 4 [Lei Donnguez ms | teen Anion me 8 | Ray Fotson 2690 7 | San Sard 2698 @ | Same Sevan 2698 9 | saey Xo 2600 10] ay Opn 2601 1 na Kish 2697 | 2 [Ace Lee 268 3 [cass Vip 2472 4 [Aa Ztnsh 268 5 | Arie Wing 2256 6 | GurkttooinToiorova | 2860 7 | NaF 76 @ | aterna Neco 205 9 |ThaiaCavares andere | 2908 10 det u 20046 ON AND OFF THE CHESSBOARD With a significant decrease in the number of classical tournaments in which elite players can compete, its no wonder that a large part of this issue is dedicated to the World Cup Quite simply the evel ofthis competition was rot only extremely high but with a lot at stake ~ qualification for the Candidates Tournament, big money prizes, ratings, reputation, etc Prestigious in every way! Indeed, for a chess aficionado ike myself, with great games, fighting chess, rmioxed formats, top secret novelties prepared athome and ready to be unleashed, the World Cup. players had more than enough incentive to ghe their best at the chessboard... AS a consequence there were major upsets. in almost every round, plenty of interesting ames, valuable novel ideas, etc, making the Battles of Baky an inspirational source of chess creativity for any ambitious player to improve his or her game. Our grandmaster contributors, John Burke, Emilia Cordova and Sarunas Sulskis have given their best to present the most captivating moments of this, early month-long competition. Andhad it not been for limitations of space, their coverage rmght have been even greater! Speaking of similar tournaments, it will be a treat to watch the forthcoming Qatar ‘Mastersand the Isle of Man Grand Swiss, since many chess fans with whom | am in contact are realy curious to see how great the margin is between the elite and “mere mortals’ There 's no doubt that the word’ best players have with good reason remained in theirown league for years, but with the present array of hungry challengers Im certain that we will be seeing more dynamic chess than the customary dry Berlins, Petroffs, Queen's Gambits, etc Plus one or plus two is good enough scare to win round-robins, but winning Swiss opens demands much more than that! ‘On a different note, the chess world has lately been faced with challenging topics such as cheating sexual misconduct, treating transgender - extremely sensitne and important matters! in order to shed more light con developing events that exploded in 2023, we asked prominent chess. promoter and {twice U.S. Women's champion, WOM Jennifer Shahade, to share her views with ACM readers, Jennifers course of action started by speaking, ‘out on social media, back in February, and this had a snowball effect that culminated in her resignation from the post of Women's Program Director at US Chess In order to reach the heights in chess, it Ismecessary to have appropriate tuition - ater all, do you remember your frst chess coach/ educator?! The role of teachers who introduce the game to juniors is often undeservedly EDITOR'S LETTER forgotten, yet it is their responsibilty to produce” ialents by providing youngsters with inital guidance that will eventually lead to significant results, The recognition of chess ‘educators and their impact on the chess community is highlighted here by means of 4 report on the New York City arganization ‘Chess in the Schools, and their initiative to establish an annual award for excellence in chess education, ‘More local chess comes from our new contributor Laurel Aronian. Laurel and her family have specialties with Americas longest-running chess tournament, and she has done her best to present the full picture of her recent experiences at Albany ~ from tiny details to notable events While preparing this issue, we received sad_news about the passing of Robert Sherwood, Ronald Lohman and. Jeremy Silman. sherwood died in August at about 70, years of age. He was a translator of a number ‘of historical tournament books published by Dale Brandreth, with the Cambridge Springs 1904 tournament being his most recent work. Lohtman passed away on 21 september. He \was the U.S, Amateur Champion in 1967, and popular vendor at tournaments. His son Shelby, CEO of American Chess Equipment, Continues in his father's Footsteps by carrying chess products to tournaments all over the USA. Incidentally, on the same date of 21 September, anather chess great has left us ~ IM Jeremy silman passed away at his home in California. May they all est in peace ~ we send our condolences to their families and friends, With our regular columns and a wealth ‘of additional instructive and. entertaining articles, we believe that this issue will offer ‘an enjoyable journey forall our readers..untl ‘our next issue #36 in December. Youts in chess, Dusan Krunic, Managing Editor torah /CEO Manage Deputy Esto. Seto Eto. etre een MECGETZ Center deren seeDesner NeNADMLOSAVLEVIC Contituthgétrs andres DYLANLOEB MCCLAIN, JONEDAAROS feeetete reer rented “UR Ee ea a ee ee ey eta wnamahesscom Covesponsene ae veehess om tothe eas eeteraomcees com Lett. ei Cec Mga 2e23E Bennie Se 2402560, ate DX ISSN 25722808he Magnificent Three (2) WITH THE BLACK PIECES, BERKES MAKES IT A BLACK DAY FOR GELFAND GM Sarunas Sulskis, ‘SMALL CHESS LECTURES (1) GM Nikola Nestorovie Unknown American Games WILLIAM MARTZ ~ ‘THE GREAT WISCONSIN MASTER ‘Andy Ansel Fiction Story (COFFEE MUG MEMORIES Alexis Levitin {Selection of Openin Chowcstiom ne zoe! | SMALL CHESS LECTURES (2) World Cup in Bakes Discover The Threats HOW To PREPARE GM Nikola Nestorovie OPENINGS? GM Emilio Cordova 2028 FIDE World Cup he Magnificent Three (3) MAGNUS’ FINAL TICK ON THE CROWN OF his To-Do List essand Finance SHINING ROSE'S" Gu John Buske cHoose WISELY GLORIOUS RIDE GM Sarunas Sulskis, Luca Barillaro Exclusive Interview Jennifer Shahade All Things Chess CHECKMATETOSILENCE LONG LIVE Chess Psychology By Josip Asik CLASSICAL CHESS! GETRICH QUICK Dylan Loeb Meclain Dr J. Corey Butler Chess Training MASTERCLASS GM Jacob Aagaad & GM Sam Shankland The Magnificent Three () PRAGG PROVES HIS QUEEN 1s TOO GOOD To DIE GM Sarunas Sulskis, Chess in Schools ANNUAL, ‘ANDY LERNER AWARD FM Alec Getz Book Reviews @~ FRESH LEAVES FROM THE BOOKSHELF FM Carsten Hansen SOLUTIONS To THREATS. EXERCISES ‘THE GAME GOES ON Jon Edwards Endings START STRONG, FINISH STRONGER OM Alex Fishbein Local and State Chess LOVE NY Laurel Aronia ‘TOURNAMENT REVIEWS IM Grayson Rorrer AS Question Guide From Chess Masters for the Next Generation GM ARTUR JUSSUPOWm= 8 EAR kee Carlsen wins, Caruana qualifies for the Candidates Magnus’ Final Tick on His To-Do List World No.t player, Magnus Carlsen clinched probably his only missing title in classical chess by winning the FIDE World Cup in Baku. India’s rising star Praggnanandhaa reached the finals, eventually losing to Carlsen only in the rapid tie-breaks. Fabiano Caruana was the best American player — winning the match for third place against local hero Nijat Abasov. I By GM John Burke Since Magns hs tat he wil ho. play the y Cerne nd Abo wre sey Brame sue ins tok sone of te prs of them, they stl wed tow the Wold Cp atsen dente bss in match ay and Progg (ook doen Canna, sting up talon len ‘Aer wo draws e classical prevailed in the rapid tiebreaks. PST i as Let’s take a look at some key ‘moments his road to the finals, Certainly, Magnus’ biggest scare came in his fourth-round match against German prodigy Vincent Keymer. Carlsen lost the first classical game and had to win the second one t0 prolong the match. He pulled out a Tong endgame grind, but the game almost ended much earlier! fier weeks of play, the top four players turned out to be: former world champion Magnus Carlsen, Indian 18-year-old prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, American elite-GM Fabiano Caruana, and the local 28-year-old Azerbaijani hhero Nijat Abasov, who had a fantastic run, defeating numerous strong players, including Giri, Svidler, and Vidit Alphotosby FIDE Oy ~ games, Carlsen’s experience that Carlsen faced onJohn Burke was the 2020 US Juni Champion The young arancmastr from New Jersey had alreaay stunned the chess world 19 201 By breaking the record as youngest payer ever to surpass 2600+ ELO. Johns most notte etones include the 2018 US. Masters, the 2018 New York international Championship. {and the 2019 Washington International Open in 2021 he shared ft at the Chery Blossom Clatie in Dulles, VA, and also inthe World ‘penn Phiadeip PA 7 DEM Pe ironies ea Round 4, Game 2, WorléCup, Baku 2023 Led 05 2.013 Bc6 3.805 a6 4.204 BiG 5.03 Bc5 6.8p5 A rare move and a logical choice in a must-win game, immediately bringing Black into uncharted waters, He must decide if he wants to break the pin with ..h6 and ...g5, or do something ese 6..n6 7.84 d6 7.5 8.803 7 would be another typical method of breaking the pin. After 9.a4 we would get a fairly standard, non-theoreical Ruy Lope position, which I suspect is exactly swhat ‘Magnus was aiming, for 8.41 A novelty, but it's the only follow. up that justifies White's preceding play. ‘Magnus had surely prepared this at home. 8.03? isalazy move that would actually be a serious error. 8..g5 9.863 £a7 1022bd2 a7 This isa dream position for Black. The point is that he will be able to play ..He7 and ..0-0-0, since he has nat ‘weakened his position by playing ..bS. He ‘will not suffer the consequences of playing jg5 and weakening the kingside, since his Xing will be on the other side ofthe board. ‘Therefore, Black will be clearly better. ‘This isthe scenario White has tobe careful to avoid when he plays an early g5 in these sors of positions. Buexd4 9.2xd4 Ld7 10.%xc6 bxe6 11.0103 0-0 12.843 A very inceresting idea, White intends o castle queenside and possibly launch an attack later with g-g5, 12...2b4 Objectively, best way for Black to play was 12..He7! 13.0-0.0 Mes, breaking the pin immediately. However, its nota very obvious course af action for Black, since his queen is inviting itself to be kicked around by White's minor pieces ‘This is an example of how top players approach preparation ~ I'm sure Magnus saw this possibility before the game, but hoped that his opponent wouldn't go for it, since it’s not very obvious fora human, ‘iz ze zeae 2022 @ 2 a AYAM Bl yw ARS AsH Rae) 5 A) 14.13 We6 15.¢5 DAS! It looks weird to put the knighton te rim like this, ut .Dfd is a strong idea and White can't really take advantage of the wayward Knight. (Not 15..dxe52? 16.216 EXf6 17. $8xd7+=) B) 14.423 Mg5+ 15.f4 Wg6 The queen actualy stands very well here, and is in no danger of geting tapped, as £5 can always be met with . a5 13.2de2 White doesn’t want 10 go 13.0-0-02 &xc3, as now he would have to play 14.bxc3, ruining his pawn structure, since 14.8xc3 Qxed would lose a pawn. 13..e7 14.0-0-0 fed 15.63 85 Both sides have played logical moves, and Black has finally broken the pin with .. eS. It’s a complicated strategic position with Tots to consider. Even though Black has the semi-open b-file co work with, itis not 2023 WORLD CUP USE LU nig ‘The 2023 World Cup took place in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, from July 30 to August 24, and as always, proved to be one of the most exciting events on the chess calendar. A knockout system whittled down a total of 208 players to one eventual champion at the end. Mini-matches consisted of ‘two games of classical chess, and if that ended in a draw, the players moved on to tiebreaks of rapid games, and then blitz if necessary. The top three finishers in the event ‘would also qualify for the upcoming Candidates Tournament, which is obviously a huge prize that all the players were aiming for. easy for him 0 generate an attack against White's king, a it will ake a lt of moves before he can put pressure onthe b2 pawn, ‘As for White, he can begin 10 focus on his kingside expansion soon. There are many candidate moves here for White, and two examples are g4 (the direct approach) and S2b1 (the prophylactic approach). However, perhaps geting lost in the abundance of possiblities, Carsen commits a tactical Blunder which could have resulted in his elimination from the World Cup. 16.432 Bxe3 17.Bxe3 17.23 Wess 17..¥xe3?- Missing the chancel 17-22ixedt In all faimess, this is @ prety unusual tactic Ic looks lke there is noting forcing going ‘on in the position, but suddenly. White's minor pieces tum out tobe loose, Obviously, if you giveany GM this position asa puzzle, they would find ...xed in one second, but at the board i's a completely different story a5 you have noone to alert you that an ‘opportunity exists, Keymer was just happy to go toan endgame which is close to equal and which gives hima good chance to hold a 810 2023 WORLD CUP draw. 18.8#xe5 Exe5 19.261 White is just a pawn down for nothing, and Magnus might have managed to hold the draw here, but certainly could never win, this resulting in his defeat in the match. (19,fxed Exed—* is a pretty unusual fork.) 18.Dxc3 Dh7 19.g4 Long-term, White's chances are slightly preferable due to Black's weak pawns on the queenside. In the distant future, Black’s a-pawn could be picked off, which would give White a passed pawn of his own. However, that Js years away from being a factor. At the moment, White has no way to generate pressure against that pawn, so he will ry to gain space on the kingside, maneuver around, and try to finda favorable moment tomake progress. 19..f6 20.h3 20.018 20..87 21.4 may have been Magnus’ idea if he was allowed to play it. Now that his pawn is defended, he can expand In this manner, 21..g5. 22.263 exfd 23.axf4 Qg5 24.8df1 If White manages to get his bishop tothe dd square, he could generate some pressure, but Black should stil be able to old comfortably here. 21,0g3 Deb 22.h4 S217 23.05 Bad In 4 non-confrontational positon like this, anything short of a concrete blunder could hardly be eitcized as a mistake, However, {wonder if Keymer could have been more asserive, rather than waiting passively. 23.5! Of course, hindsight is 20720, but I really like the following plan, and 1 find it instructive = ae a a a A FA 7 & Black will advance his a-pawn as far EE 50 EREPr ene) PT Eee Pa pid Game 1, World Cup, Baku 2023, 42.06 bra6 43.8a4 Be3_ 44.205 Dg5 45.82 Agh3- 46.041 223 47.2xc6+ 216 White resigned. ‘A Mqnus Cals. Paggnanarhan as allowed. If it gets to a4, it would be securely defended on a light square and would hinder White's own pawns on the queenside. The b2 pawn could then become a target. White can meet ..a6-a5 with 3-34, fixing the pawn on a dark square, but this concedes the b4 square {0 Black's rook. Black can always meet 12-3 from White with ..c5-c4, I suspect that Keymer may not have considered these ideas, because he was in a “must- draw” meniality. If the match situation were level, 1 think he would have been more assertive. 24.5hel (In case of 24.53 a5 25.04 Eeb8, Black has ideas of ..c4 and ...2bd, and his position is great) 24..a5 25.23 a4, 24.Bhel Bc8 25.83 &b7 Black hasn't done anything teribly wrong, but his bishop was arguably better placed on d7 than on 07 (due to the previous plans explained) and now Magnus has a free hand to maneuver. After winning the first game of rapid tiebreaks, Carlsen opted for a safe line as White ~ at least aiming at a favorable draw for him. B22 eee PE (eerie eed A pid Game 2, World Cup, Baku2023 14.45 2g6 15.dxe6 fxe6 16.4e2 hs 17.Wxe6 Wxe6 18.2xe6 cS 19.83 Sxe3 20.fxe3 Bled 21.263 Hxe322.Bael Exel Draw Eventually, Magnus took home his first ever World Cup title. On the ‘other hand, Pragg had to be content ‘with silver, but the numerous fans he ‘won along the way surely provided some consolation. 26.b1 The knight may be heading 10 a5 if given the chance, 26..c5 27.04 Bc6 28.b3 Bbs 29.842 Bb7 30,042 Bebs 31.263 It appears that both players have come close to an impasse. There aren't many productive plans left twill be difficult for ‘White to achieve 63-b4 under favorable conditions. The other pawn break remaining is e4-e5, so Magnus prepares and executes that. 31.8 32.2 Dd 32...f7 I'm not sure how Magnus would continue if Keymer decided to stay put. 33.4 Be! Immediately putting the rook on the e-fileto prepare for the e5 break. I don’t see how White could dream of making. progress here, 33.64 a5? A question mark may seem harsh, but this is really the first step in the ‘wrong direction, I's just too complacent ~ ‘why allow White to execute his only idea? Upon 33...847 it would take @ while before White can play e5, and by then Black wil be ready to meet it. 34.82 eB 35.£g3 Ebb8 36.2de3 £47! Right on time {o pressure the gé pawn. 34.€5 fre5 35.txe5 D7 36.044 dres 37.fixe5 a4 38.2.3 axb3+ 39.272 ‘The character of the position has totally changed, and Black faces a miserable defensive task. He is temporarily up a pawn, but the 63 pawn won't survive forever. His doubled c-pawns are weak, isolated, and easily targetable on dark squares. His g7 and M6 pawns are also fixed on dark squares, and White's bishop ‘on c3 is ideally placed to exert pressure Cn them. White also has a passed a-pawn ‘which will become more relevant as more pieces are waded. 39...e8! Stubborn defense tis gives up thec5 pawn, but Black will et counterplay in return, 40.Bxe8 fbxeB 41.805 fic6 42.8xc5 Bd7 43.84 Sxgd 44.04 Dgs 45.063 assess. One of the factors that makes this position difficult for Black to defend is the inability to simplify. He largely has to sit and watch the a-pawn carefully. I's Jnuman instinct to want to trade the knights in order to change the character of the position. However, it may tum out that the Elimination close call 36..2¢7? Both 36..0e7 and 36...8a7 were good enough to hold. 37.0d6 g6 Now 37..Ha7 is met by 38.815 winning the £7 pawn. The trick is that 38.267 doesn't work, because of 39,2c8+ #e6 40.2e5+ winning. 38.0)xb7 and White won on move 58. fewer pieces there ae, the harder itis to defend Black's weaknesses 45,..8e6 was the other option, equal in objective value to 45..23, but think far superior practically. Again, ths is only obvious in hindsight, and very dificult to judge at the board, 46.545 Bb8 47.25 a8 48,2ixb3 7 Black will aim to play 26 and create his own passed pawn, which will make his defensive task a lot more joyable S6.Ox13 2x3 47.05 BbA! An absolutely necessary move and one that Keymer clearly foresaw. The rook gets behind the a-pawn, restricting its movement. 48.2 48,2xc7 Bad 49,2c5 Ad The b3 pawn is secure, while White's pawns are stuck. 2023 worco cur ()) 48...Ba4 49,2xb3 Sd1+ 50.23 67! I'm skeptical of this decision since it restricts the mobility of Black's bishop. It ‘will now have trouble guarding the crucial 8 square, which is the promotion square for White's pawn, 50...262! S1.cidd sof7! Black should not be greedy ~ the c7 pawn isn’t that important here, 52.xc7+ ce6 The hS pawn is a weakness, and White's passed pawns are not easy to advance. 51.24 £3 52.23 Black’s position is ‘extremely critical now, but Keymer fails to recognize the key concept here. 52..$g2? The decisive mistake. 52...8€2! was the key move, correcting the mistake from a few moves ago and jettsoning the c6 pawn, which is only hurting Black, not helping, This prevents the plan that occurs in the game. 53.Exc6 G47 t's sil a tough defensive task, since this is a much worse version than the one examined a few moves back, and White can even push a6 here, but with careful play it’s stil a draw. 53.55! Now Black is instantly toast, since his kings cutoff. Mostimportantly, White's king wil get active viac5, whichis the one thing tht Black had to expressly avoid S3.nih3 53..805 54.2xd5 Forced, ‘but winning, I"don’t think either player calculated everything t0 the end here, ‘but they (correctly) intuitively felt that Black isn't in time to stop White's pawn, 54..cxd5 55.805 17 56.85! Heading to ‘support the a-pawn. Black has two approaches now — spend time creating 2 passed pawn, or make a beeline to the queenside© 2023 WORLD CUP A) 56.9657. hxg6+ srg 58.05 a2 59.06 G7 60.66 the6 61.7 WS 62.8a5+ B) 56.. trina rush andJennfer Shade In my work for Play Like a Champion, I was stunned by how many sealps Irene Sukandar has. She has a fearless style also love the elegance of many of Hou Yifan and Maia Chiburdanidees combinations ‘geniuses ofthe game! Talso am a big fin of the artist and chess master Marcel Duchamp, who I co-authored book about. And Pal Benko, who composed the most delightful endgame studies and had 28.13 warming to se the other side of things, women like ia Cramling and Anna Zatonskih succeed decade afier decade and continue to break new ground! Which players have had a profound influence ‘on you, and from whose games have you drawn insight and learning? Twas super inspired by the Polga sisters, ofcourse Juait, but really all three, Sofia because che is also ann artist. I always intrigued me that she was lower rated but had her own magical gis that were celebrated bythe whoke family. In the book 5334 by Laszlo Polgar her composition shaped in a rook is enlarged in homage tits precocious creator (Sofia ‘was at the time.) Sofi just wrote a book Sofia Polgar: Ama Dangerous Tactician that combines chess with het many beautifl 36...&xb337.Exe6 fixes 38.Wel « ‘we can play.” More than just that After 38...dg3 Sam had not seen further, as he was ready to makea decision, and After 39.8d8+ @h7 40.242 White is winning. 13 err 7a feo i317 Hollywood 2022 ‘The game entered complicated territory after 28.8112 Wg6 29.Bbel Sxc2 30.Exe7 Hxe7 31.H/xa5 and Black later ‘won the game, although Steve [Tiangi ‘Wang's nickname -Ed.} was not worse yet. SOLUTION ‘Sam fel it was a candidate move exercise a after the strong 28.3e21! Black cannot avoid losing material 26...¥g6 holds on to the piece, but after 29.8bel {5 30.Wxa5! fxgd 31.84 White is @ big pawn up and completely winning. 28.46 loses to 29.045. 28,.di{8 29.3be1 £xc2 is also met by 30.5145, winning, AAGAARD'S MASTERCLAS $ Teo Tiree 2608 Erne Ea Charlotte 2022 ‘White played 15.2264? and already stood a bit worse, although he managed to win the game later, Sam wanted to continue 15.0xc52, recognizing there was nothing more than equality after 15..dxc5. SOLUTION, But Black’s centre collapses entirely after 15,8431! “Completely. missed it as a candidate,” Sam sai. 15...a71? The ickiest defense. 1) 15...0a4 16.exd6 is just winning. 2) 15.,,2ixe5 16.Aixe5 also loses material. 3) 15..xb3 16.axb3 reveals the core of White's idea, Aer 16,.dxe5.(16..coh8 172xd6 x6 18.46 and White wins a piece.) 17.8x06 Axc6 18.8xd8 2x8 19.xf8 Sexf8 20.2ixe5 the win is a matter oftechnique. 16,SPh1! and White wins as theres no way for Black to defend. Black's key try was based on 16.exd6? xd6 17.8xc5 8x05! when he survives due to 18.88xd5? &xh2+, 16...2c8 17.exd6 2xd6 18.2xc5 2xd5 19.8xa7, 15 Coenen a (eae Pat Hollywood 2022Black played 19...c52, when the game ended in a draw after 20.8d5 2a4 21.Wa8+ shd7 22.8d5+ eB 23.HaB+ dT 24.Wd5+ bes, SOLUTION Sam found 19.06! 20.8xc6 B46 21. Was a7—* “and stu is hanging...” to be elementary. Sometimes your heat is filled with hate... 16 “1 suck at these irrational positions," Sam complained, He wanted to play 28.822? as Tani had done in the game. After, 28..%%¢8 29.443 White won, bout Black is fine with 29.2906! 30.04 De6= Bi.teS He6 32.Mh7 Dned 33.Exde+ xd BA.bxc5 Wr, when a draw ison the horizon SOLUTION 1. The comect first move was 28.8x{3. Sam was not happy with 28..a8!? 28...2xf3 loses immediately to both 29.2d6! and 29.8¢51 White has two wins now. But 29.85? De6! would give Black a chance to fight on after 30.¥xe6 Sxh8 with drawing chances. 29.7! Oddly this works because i defends the rook on hi 29,.We2+ 29,6 30,861, 30.h3 Weds 31.084 Bags 32.8xc8 White wins SOLUTION 2 White's even more odd win is 29.85! ‘where the queen is obviously immune due to d6+, but still the key line is 29.. 82+ 30.2h3 WeB+ 31.8g4 BxlB 32.exc8 EyhB+ 33.dg4 BxeB 34.Wxd4 and Black ‘will nt manage to construct a fortress Poe Sonne Hollywood 2022 Black did not get much out of a good start to the game after 20,.2xa2? 21.Bxa2 £5 21..cB!? might have given him a slight edge 22.82 The chances are level and White Jater won the game. SOLUTION Hopefully you chose 20.631 21.8b1 Bb8, when the white pieces are desperately dominated, sz Geena rae Charlotte 2022 Black wom this game, although after 27..B.e4?! 28.843 g6 29.82.02 he did not have any advantage. SAH GOT 4/6 0N ‘THE MIXED/STRATEGY EXERCISES... > cuess Teaininc @) I SOLUTION Sam and 1 both found 27..f41, with a significant edge for Black, t0 be automatic. Long term the h pawn will be isolated and weak, while White is tunable to block the position short term with £2-£4, $3 nn ra Hollywood 2022 Zoey is one of the most talented young female players in the USA. However, she Jos this game, partly because after 25,87h42 Geb her advantage was gone. Black won, SOLUTION Having seen a lot of examples like this, Sam and | immediately understood that White needed to play with energy and on the kingside, where her advantage lay. ‘Thus the correct way to continue was 25,g4l hxgd 26.8xg4 Leb 27.4 with a strong attack, The game is far from over, but Blackis ina desperate situation. Eee 2510 ener Charlotte 2022 [Negi (and Sam) got his queen into trouble AMERICAN CHESS MAGAZNE 24 + 2023 2930 with 18.3? 19.@xc3! White played 19.18d8!2, which was good enough to develop an attack and win the game on move 28, but the given move is even stronger. 19..88xc3 20.2)cd4 g6 White can now win after both 21BE511 ond 21.axg6!? hxg6 22.Bcl We3 23.8c7. White won, SOLUTION But Negi was right in following his intuition to exploit the weak <3- square. It is only important to bring up the inactive bishop on e7 10 achieve this. This can be done after 18..2)xc2 19.fxc2 bd, when after 20.82 Bac8 or directly 20..8c3, Black is completely level. After 15.Bad1? Dd4, Black was fine and later won the game on move 43, Also 15..f5!? would give him a good game, which is important, as this isthe idea we are up against. 15.h4? was Sam's suggestion. He was not fond of the position, but could not find anything, better After 15.15! 16.ex16 exf6 17.223 5% Black has full counterplay. The rook is ready to recapture on g7, for example. And after 18.0159 t4 Black would already stand better. SCORING A TOTAL OF 8/12 Py AAGAARD'S MASTERCLASS SOLUTION Forthiseasonstrongestis 15.04, preventing Black from playing 17-15. Then, after something like 15.844" 16.4, white will slowly build up a strong attack on the kingside, while Black finds it difficult 0 coordinate his defense Daa) cE Charlotte 2022 Black played 36...8a62, which seems abit random. After 37.3g1!? the position was sharp and fll of complexities. White could also follow Stockfish 15, when after 37.Axb6+? Dxb6 38.083 White is fine, based on 38...xad 39.Bxad Axad 40,5xad D5 41-Zal being perfectly safe for him, 1-0 SOLUTION Sam _ did not hesitate finding 36..Axa4! 37.Bxad—hxad 38.8xad b6! The key move. White retreats the bishop, the rook gets trapped. Black thus gains an extra pawn, 39.2d6+ Dxd6 40.cxd6+ soxd6 ALOE fagd 42hxgd g5 The Position opens up and Black has a decisive longterm advantage. —— ByGM Sarunas Sulskis ——— ‘This time I have selected all my games entirely from the World Cup in Baku 2023. Fittingly, the World Cup is a selection in its own right. The 200 best men and 100 women had been carefully selected by FIDE from all aver the world, Spurred on by the knockout format of the Cup, coupled with financial incentives, the players really gave thelr best. ‘The outcome of the World Cup, both Open and Women, is too well known for me to repeat it. Although the names of both Indian 18-year-old prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and to some lesser extent, Bulgarian Nurgyul Salimova, had been hitherto known to chess lovers, these two were, in my humble opinion, the brightest discoveries in Baku. ‘Their mighty efforts for worldwide recognition are reflected in two of my selections. PRAGG PROVES HIS QUEEN IS TOO GOOD TO DIE The first installment of my column deals with Praggna’s Round 2 heroic feat against the Frenchman Maxime Lagarde, Actually, it was the young Indian's first game in Baku as thanks to his high seeding he didn’t need to play in Round 1. However, before {getting into a mission of praise, 1 would also like 10 say a few words about Lagarde. lt’snotthe frsttime the poor French GM hashitthe pages of our magazine and my column in particular. Mostly thanks to my unwavering efforts, he usually enters our magazine on the losing side. Yet I've come to appreciate his natural propensity for violent king hunts, notwithstanding the amount of material shed on this noble goal. Lagarde's determination often provokes powerful counterattacks and results in wild complications all over the board. Ina similar vein, I think Pragg should be thankful to his bold opponent for opportunities he'd kindly offered him for a spectacular counterattack with the black queen ladged deep in White's rear on gl. This win by Black was so good ~ and instantly acclaimed by the chess media ~ that it undoubtedly gave the ‘young Indian star the wings of confidence to soar high and mighty. In fact, as high as to reach the very final of the World Cup and, thereby, secure his (qualification for the Candidates" Tournament despite his tender age. Round 2, Game 1 FIDE World Cup, Baku 2023 Led €5 2.03 De6 3.25 Dge7 Quite a rare Ruy Lopez. sideline, undoubtedly Prage’s specialty for the World Cup. It seems to have served its initial task‘well as the surprised Frenchman now took nine minutes to ponder his choice. 4.2)¢3 This move has been trending lately although in general it’s behind the classic 4.0-0 and 4.c3 in popularity 4..26 Meanwhile Prag follows the classic strategy endorsed by the legendary aul Keres in other branches of the Ruy Lopez. ‘The black knight is transferred to g6. From here it protects e5, heads to {4 and doesn’t obstruct his queen’s view along the d8-h4 diagonal. The drawback, however, is that the knight may become harassed by the h2-h4-h5 rook’s pawn run. It’s not advisable to ask the white bishop to declare its intentions by 4..6 as it may then turn its attention towards the black king by means of 5. 24 5.d4 On an immediate 5.h4 Lagarde was probably concerned with 5...d4 6.45 D4 7.2xe5? Wg when Black is already close to winning. SuAxdd 6.2xd4 exdd 7.8xd4 06 8.e2 Bb6 The point. ‘9,3 The queen swap on Black’s terms 9.Wxb6?! axb6 has so far found few followers. The dumb comer rook would then” suddenly. become a flourishing businessman Lagarde, however, had an alternative 10 the retreat by 9.£e3 Yxb2 (Nevertheless, Black has a safer path to tread ~ 9.x 10.Sxd4 D4) 10.81 Sarunas Sucks a nine-tine fhampion af Lithuania and 2 Feqular member of hs country’s rations tam, Asa teenager, he sluled a the Satine Kasparov Chess Academy and later grasuate rom the Kaunas Calage of Management and Law He ques thre times fo the knoekoout Word Championship. ie welry atte traditions 7022/28 Hastings Chess Congress payer Sorunaes9 FIDE toner, Biter, wrter ana passionate hess promater AA) 10,.1xc2? is unlikely, though, despite 2opearancesitdoesn’tlose the queen | the spot ~ 11.841 (11.248 5; 11.0-0) 1L...c5 12,8c4 Bes. | B) 10...Wa3 11.0-03. 9..{8e7 10.64 After a deep think Lagarde | comes up with an aggressive move which, according to my database, is a novely. 10.0-0 is the customary move which, however, is less demanding on Black ~ | 10..0-0, 10,.0-0 Praga. spent some good 20 minutes on this simple move. He could have counter-struck Lagarde immediately by 10..d5 ILexdS Sh, but probably decided to bring in the rook to proceed | more forcefully with his counterattack From this you can glean both the drive and ambition of the 18-year-old Indian star! Lagarde must have already achieved | notoriety with ACM readers due to his | fearless uncompromising style. I's not the first time T have chosen and highlighted | his games. Nevertheless his unrelenting straightforward pursuit of an enemy king is often asking for rouble and generates sparkling courteratacks in return. Alas, | way to9 often atthe expense of this valiant French GM. 11.451 I is high time for Pragg to strike in the center as Lagarde has burned his bridges with 10.14 and Lhd, Pawns simply no longer count ‘The greedy H..dxh4+? just helps White to open up the h-file for his atack. A) Yet, knowing Lagarde’ ferocious style, one cannot rule out even the incredible exchange sacrifice 12Exhd! Oxhd 13.8 g3 26 (13...gt + 14.81) 14.15 }e7 15.4n6 Wad 16.5d1 W16 17.206! and Lagarde would have heroically achieved his aim 1B) 1243 Be? 13.403 Wxb2 14@028, 12.h5 On 12.¢xd5 Black's counterattack flows smoothly after 12..2xh4 13.g3 215 14,8442 FaeB!?, the point being 15.gxh4 Axhdt 16.Exh4? (16.ced1 872) 16... gL mate, 13,283! Lagarde sets his queen against the black king, thereby displaying the main point of his strategy. Praggnanandhaa now faces a tough challenge, Will he take his Knight to the comer now? Both 13.Wxe4? Ah4+ 14.cbd1 Bd8+ 15.842 (15.43 Sig4+) 15..Wxb2 16.561 ‘Wxc3-+; and 13.@xe4 D4, give Black an easy time. 13..Dh4! No way! Pragg only goes forward, White is forced to take’ the offering since refusal would signal a complete failure of his strategy. ‘The knight’s shameful desertion 13.,,8h8? would have empowered White ~ as after 14.8e3 Wxb2 15.804! Wxal+ 16.242 e3+ 17.cbxe3, he is winning, THE MacNiFicent THREE >) I a