| Jul-05-20 | | Ulhumbrus: The computer evaluations indicate that errors were made by both players, errors that could have changed the outcome. However the errors were small enough for the commentators to consider this game a masterpiece. Instead of 19...Qc7, 19...Nc5 20 Nd4 Qd7! covers the f5 square. On 21 Bc2 Ne6 the N on d4 is tied to the defence of the bishop on c2 and so is not free to go to f5. |
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Jul-06-20
 | | An Englishman: Good Evening: The game follows such well-known paths in the Semi-Tarrasch that the praise slightly puzzles me. The sequence of d5, e5, and finally Nd4 has appeared before (didn’t Kmoch call it a “sweeper-sealer” pawn sacrifice?). Can’t deny that the finish looks like Fischer at his best. |
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Jul-06-20
 | | perfidious: As the mangy cur is again brought to heel.... |
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| Jul-06-20 | | SChesshevsky: <...for the commentators to consider this game a masterpiece...> Certainly nice play by Magnus. But Giri not seeming that familiar with the opening and going way down on the clock probably influenced the outcome more. It feels like whites always a bit better in these semi-tarrasch exchange variations. Blacks best drawing chances seem to be if one has put the time into working out clear equalizing ideas like I believe Leko and the Chinese like Ding and Wang Hao have done. Or be extremely clever and dynamic like Kramnik. Even in those cases, draws aren't usually simple. Without some clear ideas and being way behind on the clock, the chances for a bad semi-tarrasch result probably go up significantly. |
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| Jul-06-20 | | Ulhumbrus: <SChesshevsky>
In the game Kasparov vs Najdorf, 1982 Stockfish indicates that it took just one mistake - the wrong rook by ...Rae8 instead of ..Rfe8 - to give White an advantage instead of equality One alternative to 18...Ne4 is 18...Nd7 offering to return the pawn at once eg 19 Bxd5 Bxd5 20 Qxd5 Nf8 |
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Jul-06-20
 | | AylerKupp: <SChesshevsky> It feels like whites always a bit better in these semi-tarrasch exchange variations.> I agree, but it's more than just a feeling, certainly at the top level. The ChessTempo database has 2,015 games where both players are rated 2400+ after 1.d4 Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5. It has White winning 30.1%, drawing 55.9%, and losing 14.0%. That's a scoring % of 58%, more than the usual 55%. It always seemed to me that in this opening Black works very hard and must play accurately in order to just to hold a draw. It's like a Grunfeld, Exchange variation but without the dynamic play provided by Black's Bg7. Why would Black players play this at the top level, particularly if they are hoping for a win? Perhaps this is one example of hope springing eternal. Oh well, maybe when I become a top player I'll be able to answer that question. ;-) |
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| Jul-07-20 | | MordimerChess: A lot have been said already about the game and variations. But remember - we always need two players to create a masterpiece :D My video analysis:
https://youtu.be/jnGXiG4ngE0
Enjoy! |
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| Jul-07-20 | | SChesshevsky: <...Why would Black players play this at the top level, particularly if they are hoping for a win?...> Probably some players like the semi-tarrasch as by passing the exchange lines with e3 or Bg5 can allow Black a freer version of the QGD. Though it's probably true that wins with Black in the exchange version might be more flukes than anything else. Maybe trying to be too tricky with Black just increases losing chances. An example might be:
Carlsen vs Kramnik, 2016 But seems white has enough out of the opening that passivity probably dooms black as well. Seems the trick is to just get enough counter play to draw. A tricky balance. Feels great when accomplished but really frustrating when lost. Couple interesting counter play draws were:
Gelfand vs Kramnik, 2017 Mamedyarov vs Ding Liren, 2019 |
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| Jul-09-20 | | yurikvelo: https://pastebin.com/and3kACX
multiPV of Giri's mistakes |
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| Jul-23-20 | | tonsillolith: That knight on <f5> is really well placed. It serves so many different purposes in the final sequence, including enabling the <30. e6> push by protecting both queen and rook. It comes quite close to having all four rear moves serving defensive purposes and all four forward moves serving attacking purposes. |
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| Nov-12-21 | | cormier: sf 12 depth=40
+0.54 22. f3 Nc5 23. Nf5 Nxb3 24. axb3 d4 25. Qg3 |
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| Nov-13-21 | | cormier: sf 12 depth=48
+1.03 25... Bd5 26. Nd6 Bxb3 27. Nxe8 Rxe8 28. axb3 h6 29. Qg3 f6 30. Re1 Rf8 31. Rdd1 f5 32. f4 Qf7 33. Qf3 a5 34. Qc6 Rb8 35. Rf1 Qe7 |
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| Nov-13-21 | | cormier: sf 12 depth=38
+1.05 24... h6 25. Qg3 Kh8 26. Re2 Rd7 27. Nd6 Rxd6 28. exd6 Qc5+ 29. Kh2 Rd8 30. Rc2 Qxd6 31. Qxd6 Rxd6 32. Rcd2 Nc7 33. Bc2 Bc6 34. Kg3 Kg8 35. Bd3 b5 |
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| Nov-13-21 | | cormier: sf 12 depth=41
+1.14 24. Nf5 b5 25. Nd6 Re7 26. Qg3 h6 27. Nf5 Red7 28. Nxh6+ Kh8 29. Nf5 d4 30. Red3 Bd5 31. Bxd5 Rxd5 32. f4 Rc5 33. Qg4 Rc2 34. Nd6 Rxd6 35. exd6 Qxd6 |
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| Nov-13-21 | | cormier: sf 12 depth=46
+0.42 23... b5 24. Nf5 Nxb3 25. axb3 d4 26. Qg3 f6 27. exf6 Qxg3 28. Rxe8+ Rxe8 29. Nxg3 gxf6 30. b4 Rd8 31. Kf2 Kf7 32. Ne2 d3 33. Nf4 Rd4 34. Nxd3 Rd5 35. Ke3 Rxh5 +0.67 23... Qe7 24. f4 Kh8 25. Bc2 Ne6 26. Nf5 Qc5 27. Qf2 d4 28. Ree1 d3 29. Bb3 Qxf2+ 30. Kxf2 Kg8 31. Nd6 Re7 32. Bxe6 fxe6 33. Rxd3 Rc7 34. Ra3 a5 35. Nxb7 Rxb7 +0.67 23... h6 24. Nf5 Kh8 25. Nd6 Rf8 26. Bxd5 Bxd5 27. Rxd5 Ne6 28. Red3 Nf4 29. Nxf7+ Qxf7 30. Rxd8 Nxd3 31. Rxd3 Re8 32. Rd6 Qxh5 33. f4 Qf5 34. Qe3 Qb1+ 35. Kh2 Qxa2 +0.86 23... Kf8 24. f4 h6 25. Qg3 Ne4 26. Rxe4 dxe4 27. Nf5 Rxd1+ 28. Bxd1 Rd8 29. Qxg7+ Ke8 30. Qg8+ Kd7 31. Qxf7+ Kc8 32. Nd6+ Kb8 33. Qxc7+ Kxc7 34. Kf2 e3+ 35. Kxe3 Bxg2 +0.99 23... Qd7 24. Bc2 Qc7 25. Nf5 Ne6 26. Bb3 h6 27. Qg3 d4 28. Red3 Bd5 29. Nxh6+ Kh8 30. Nf5 Bxb3 31. axb3 f6 32. f4 fxe5 33. fxe5 Nc5 34. Rxd4 Rxd4 35. Rxd4 Qxe5 |
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| Nov-14-21 | | cormier: depth=50
+0.28 23... b5 24. Nf5 Nxb3 25. axb3 d4 26. Qg3 f6 27. exf6 Qxg3 28. Rxe8+ Rxe8 29. Nxg3 gxf6 30. Rxd4 a5 31. Rd7 Bc6 32. Rd6 Rc8 33. Nf5 Kf7 34. Nd4 Be8 35. Rb6 a4 |
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| Nov-14-21 | | cormier: depth=55
+0.53 23... b5 24. Nf5 Nxb3 25. axb3 d4 26. Qg3 f6 27. exf6 Qxg3 28. Rxe8+ Rxe8 29. Nxg3 gxf6 30. b4 Rd8 31. Kf2 a5 32. bxa5 b4 33. Rb1 d3 34. Ke1 Rd5 35. Rxb4 d2+ 36. Kd1 Ba6 37. Rb2 Rxa5 38. Rxd2 Bc4 39. Ke1 h6 40. Rc2 Bf7 41. Ne4 f5 42. Ng3 f4 43. Ne2 Rf5 44. Kf2 Kh7 45. Rd2 Bc4 46. Rd7+ Kg8 47. Rd4 Bxe2 48. Kxe2 Kg7 49. Rc4 Rxh5 50. Rxf4 Ra5 51. Kf2 Ra2+ 52. Kg3 Ra6 53. Rc4 Rd6 54. Rc8 Kg6 |
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| Nov-14-21 | | cormier: depth=57
+0.40 23... b5 24. Nf5 Nxb3 25. axb3 d4 26. Qg3 f6 27. exf6 Qxg3 28. Rxe8+ Rxe8 29. Nxg3 gxf6 30. b4 Rd8 31. Kf2 a5 32. bxa5 b4 33. Rb1 d3 34. Ke1 Rd5 35. Rxb4 d2+ 36. Kd1 Ba6 37. Rb2 Rxa5 38. Rb6 f5 39. Kxd2 f4 40. Ne4 Bf1 41. g4 fxg3 42. Nxg3 Bg2 43. Rb3 Kg7 44. Ke3 Kh6 45. Rb2 Ra3+ 46. Kf4 Bxf3 47. Nf5+ Kxh5 48. Rh2+ Kg6 49. Nh4+ Kf6 50. Nxf3 Ra4+ 51. Ke3 Kg7 52. Kd3 Ra6 53. Ke4 Rb6 54. Nd4 Ra6 55. Nf5+ Kh8 56. Ne3 Ra7 57. Kf4 Rc7 58. Nf5 |
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Kibitzing
sac: 30.e6