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Alexander Motylev vs Magnus Carlsen
Biel Chess Festival (2007), Biel SUI, rd 4, Jul-27
Spanish Game: Morphy Defense. Breyer Defense Zaitsev Hybrid (C95)  ·  0-1

8
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1
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White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)better is 16...Qc7 17.Bg5 Bg7 18.Qd2 bxa4 19.Rxa4 d5 20.Nxe5 Nxe5 = +0.14 (22 ply)better is 17.Be3 Qc7 18.Qd2 a5 19.Bh6 Bxh6 20.Qxh6 b4 21.dxe5 dxe5 ⩲ +0.67 (22 ply)better is 17...exd4 18.cxd4 c5 19.axb5 axb5 20.Bd3 b4 21.Bb2 Rxa1 = -0.08 (22 ply)= +0.43 (22 ply) 22...Re6 23.Qf3 a5 24.Rad1 bxa4 25.bxa4 Ba6 26.Ne2 Rxd6 = 0.00 (23 ply) ⩲ +0.77 (22 ply)better is 25...c4 26.Kh2 Qb6 27.Qg4 Re6 28.Ne2 Rxd6 29.exd6 Qxd6 = +0.27 (24 ply) ⩲ +0.83 (23 ply) after 26.cxb4 Bc6 27.Kh2 Re6 28.Qe2 Qh4 29.Rf1 Bh6 30.Qf2 Rxd6 better is 30...Nf6 31.Qxb5 Qd5 32.c4 Qxb5 33.cxb5 Rb8 34.Rxe5 Nd7 ⩲ +0.63 (24 ply) ⩲ +1.20 (30 ply) 32...Rd8 33.Ra1 Qc6 34.Ra7 Rd7 35.Rxd7 Qxd7 36.fxg6 e4 ⩲ +1.35 (29 ply) ± +2.35 (26 ply)better is 33...Qe6 34.Rd1 hxg6 35.Qxg6 Qg8 36.Rd6 Nh7 37.Rd7 Nf6 ± +1.92 (25 ply) 34.Rf1 Ng8 35.gxh7 Nh6 36.Qg6 Re5 37.Kg1 Qe8 38.Qxe8+ +- +2.62 (28 ply) 34...Rd8 35.Qg6 Rd3 36.Rf1 Nxh7 37.c4 Be5 38.Be1 Qg8 = +0.09 (28 ply) 35.Qg6 Re6 36.Kg1 Nxh7 37.Qxe4 Qxe4 38.Rxe4 Be5 39.Re1 +- +2.79 (30 ply)-+ -4.23 (27 ply); 36.Qg6 e3 37.Kh1 Qd2 38.Re2 Qd1+ 39.Kh2 Re7 40.Qg5 Qd6 -+ -4.02 (25 ply)0-1

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

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Given 42 times; par: 46 [what's this?]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 13 OF 13 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jul-27-07  Eyal: <There weren't any particular "tactical complications" worth mentioning. Motylev blundered a piece out of nowhere. He could have done that in any position.> There were a lot of complications in the previous moves, and these things tend to have a cumulative effect, especially in time trouble; and the position where he made the blunder wasn't simple as well, though of course such a gross blunder is quite amazing in itself. Anyway, my main point was that had Carlsen played an objectively better move like 32...Ra8/d8, he might actually have made Motylev's life easier.
Jul-27-07  Ybrevo: <norami> If he was drunk, it must have been a Motylev-cocktail.
Jul-27-07  Chicago Chess Man: Look at their clocks. Carlsen had 48 minutes left, compared to Mot's 33 seconds. He may have not made the best moves at the end, but Carlsen sure knows how to build up a crushing time advantage, which in turn, seems to by a psychological advantage.
Jul-27-07  Marvol: <Sneaky: I can explain what happened here. Motylev was looking at deep and rich lines which contained the Bd6! manuveur in positions where it actually made sense. Then he pulled the classic brain-freeze, and he played the move out of order.>

I don't even think it is that complicated. I think he played exactly the move he wanted to play, but simply had missed that his knight on g3 is (still) pinned after Qxd6.

Jul-27-07  percyblakeney: Motylev's time pressure wasn't too terrible when he blundered, I think he had around 5 minutes for 6 moves. Not that bad for a strong blitz player (he had recently won 2-0 against Carlsen in the blitz tournament).
Jul-27-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: <I can explain what happened here. Motylev was looking at deep and rich lines which contained the Bd6! manuveur in positions where it actually made sense. Then he pulled the classic brain-freeze, and he played the move out of order.

Oh well, we are only humans. Chess sometimes ends this way.>

Something like that (in better position with sound extra Pawn) had happen to me a few years ago in Prague team championship. Very unpleasant thing...

Poor Motylev!

Jul-27-07  acirce: <Not that bad for a strong blitz player (he had recently won 2-0 against Carlsen in the blitz tournament).>

Actually, I would say that <blitz> and <time trouble in a classical game> are two entirely different things. The problem of adapting to the new pace, the added stress after 3.5 hours of play etc. I know more than one good blitz player who completely panic in time trouble in long games.

Jul-27-07  realbrob: <Eyal> Of course, a game is usually decided by a mistake, which can be made by the loser or the winner. In this case Carlsen's mistake (32..Qe5) caused Mot's enormous blunder, and won the game. Anyway you should always play the better move because you can't rely on your opponent's (big) blunders to win.

Though as we have already said many times Motylev was in a very unpleasant Zeitnot, which is one of the worst enemies of a chess player. This doesn't necessarily mean that Carlsen's win was only about luck, because Motylev got a better position but had to use much more time.

Jul-27-07  Progman: Now, perhaps Motylev studied lines (under time pressure) after what he expected to be a Rd8, and was instead met by an for him unexpected Queen move...which totally confused him. Sometimes, psychologically speaking a second best move (or third best as Carlsen's move objectively speaking perhaps was) may turn out to be the best. Especially when opposition is in time trouble.

Actually I think Motylev blew it by not quickly take on g4 instead of wasting 6-7 minutes.

Jul-27-07  percyblakeney: Motylev dropped some points in time trouble also in Corus, I think he had two minutes for a dozen moves against Anand when he missed the drawing line.
Jul-27-07  MyCatPlaysChess: <Marmot PFL: One of the worst moves I've ever seen at GM level.>

Lets not forget what our good friend Kramnik managed to do... mate in one is always great!

Jul-27-07  dpacaba: But Motylev should have some experience in blitz/lightning games. Time trouble should not be a problem.
Jul-27-07  jdoliner: This somehow seems worse than Kramnik's mate in one though
Jul-27-07  Davolni: Was he trying to play

35. Bd6 Qxb6 36. Nf5, threatening mate on g7 and didn't see 36. ...Qf8??

OR

36. Qxg7+ Kxg7 37. Nf5+

Jul-27-07  dpacaba: <Davolni>

I think he does, however, he missed that the knight is pinned.

Jul-27-07  dpacaba: He also probably missed that the rook is protected by the knight.
Jul-27-07  Gouki: 2710 rated at age 16?!
not even Kasparov was at that rating when he was 16[or 17, i think]...

yet with play like this at his age, perhaps, just perhaps, Carlsen may very well surpass Kasparov's rating record of 2851!!

ps: horrible blunder by Motylev btw...for a 2600 rated GM it really is surprising that mistakes like this are still made; although he is human, there still isnt any excuse!

Jul-27-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <Ybrevo: <norami> If he was drunk, it must have been a Motylev-cocktail.>

Arrest that man!

Jul-27-07  percyblakeney: This is the third time Motylev has a winning position against Carlsen, the first time he won, here he lost, and the game in between was drawn: Motylev vs Carlsen, 2007
Jul-27-07  syracrophy: The same happened in this game: Lear vs Carlos Torre, 1924. White sacrificed the queen to try a knight fork, but he missed that the knight was pinned!
Jul-27-07  ahmadov: I think I have never had such a mixed feeling as I had after this game: I was happy that Carlsen won and was sad that Motylev lost...
Jul-27-07  Ezzy: There are Some moves in chess that send a shockwave through your body. Motylev must of felt this when Carlsen played 35...Qxd6.

Jul-27-07  Marmot PFL: Common sense says not to play for tactics like that in time pressure (unless you are lost anyway). He could have played safe with 35.Qg6 and protected everything. Everyone here has done the same thing I imagine- play some sharp line you don't have time to check for soundness and miss something obvious. Those are the worst kind of games to lose because one bad move ruins the work of dozens of good ones.
Jul-28-07  rogl: I think it's pretty clear what happened. Motylev saw the "elegant" combination 35. Ld6 Qxd6 36. Qxg7+ Kxg7 37. Nf5+ and 38. Nxd6 missing the little detail that the knight was pinned.
Jul-29-07  karik: Just went through the comments for this game, after 33...Qb8

<ghelsky> "white knight is pin, i think white will lose this game...."

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