Magnus Carlsen vs Anish Giri (2020)

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Magnus Carlsen vs Anish Giri
Chessable Masters (2020) (rapid), chess24.com INT, rd 3, Jul-04
Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense. Exchange Variation (D41) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 2 OF 2 · Later Kibitzing>
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.

Jul-06-20		perfidious: As the mangy cur is again brought to heel....

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.

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

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. ;-)

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!

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

Jul-09-20		yurikvelo: https://pastebin.com/and3kACX multiPV of Giri's mistakes

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.

Nov-12-21		cormier: sf 12 depth=40 +0.54 22. f3 Nc5 23. Nf5 Nxb3 24. axb3 d4 25. Qg3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oct-10-23		Gaito: click for larger view BLACK TO MOVE Anish Giri played here 23...Ne6, a move that looks logical and not too bad, yet with it Black allows the White knight to occupy f5. Black might have tried 23...Bc8 or 23...Qd7 instead, with an eye on f5 so that White's knight could not jump onto that important square.

Oct-10-23		Gaito: Kasparov once stated that "Carlsen's style is a lethal combination of Karpov and Fischer". I guess he had in mind games like this one when he said that. In this game Black was not guilty of making any big mistake, but just a few "little mistakes" or "tiny mistakes". Karpov was a master of exploiting "little mistakes" by his opponents. Here we see Magnus Carlsen as a master of exploiting very little mistakes by Anish Giri. And when the position was ripe, Magnus finished the game off just like Bobby Fischer would have done, in the most speedy, brilliant and precise way. This is a breathtaking game by Carlsen, and it was a rapid game!

Oct-10-23		Gaito: click for larger view BLACK TO MOVE In the diagrammed position Black played 25...Nc5. Not too bad, but it is in fact another "little mistake" by Anish Giri. This can only be disclosed if we analyze the position with the aid of a powerful engine. Komodo 13 suggests that Black play 25...Bd5! with the following possible continuation: 25...Bd5 26.Nd6 Bxb3 27.Nxe8 Rxe8 28.axb3 h6 29.Qg3 f6, with an evaluation of +0.77. After 25...Nc5 the engines's evaluation is +1.19.

Oct-10-23		Gaito: click for larger view / BLACK TO MOVE This position is extremely difficult to defend for Black, and more so in a rapid game with just a few minutes on the clock. Therefore, Anish Giri might be forgiven for having chosen the losing move 29...Rd8, which allowed a brilliant finish by Magnus. The engine (Komodo 13) gives the position as clearly favorable for White, and gives as the best possible defense for Black the surprising move 29...Bxf3!?, with the idea that if White then plays 30.gxf3?, then 30...Qc1+ 31.Kg2 Qc2+ 32.Qf2 Qxf5. Very likely Anish Giri would have seen all this if he had just more time to think. However, after 29...Bxf3!? White could play 30.Rc4! with an evaluation of +1.51.

Oct-10-23		Gaito: The opening moves of this game were highly theoretical (or "book moves"), which make this game an important one for the theory of the Semi-Tarrasch Defense of the QGD. click for larger view WHITE TO MOVE 17.d5, as played by Magnus is the main "book move", but some other moves have also been played in this position. For example 17.Qe1. Also 17.Qd3 has been played, (e.g. Wesley So vs. Leinier Domínguez, a game that ended in a draw.)

Oct-10-23		Gaito: click for larger view BLACK TO MOVE 18...Ne4, as played by Anish Giri is the main line (or "book move"). Some other moves have also been tried here, for example: 18...Nd7, as played in a game Carlstedt (2444) vs. Colpe (2348) which ended in a draw. I am far from being an opening expert, but I just found this information in big database available in internet (it is free).

Oct-10-23		Gaito: click for larger view BLACK TO MOVE Anish Giri played here 19...Qc7, which had been played before several times. Other moves have also been tried in the diagrammed position. In a game Yuniseky Quesada (2515) vs. Díaz Pérez (2460) from a championship of Cuba Black played 19...Nc5! which appears to be the best move, or at least the move that engine Komodo 13 suggests.

Oct-10-23		Gaito: click for larger view BLACK TO MOVE 20...a6 was apparently a theoretical novelty (but not a very impressive one). In a game Amartuvshin (2350) vs. Batchuluun (2536) the game went as follows: 20...Rxe5 21.f3 Rh5 22.h4 Nd6 23.g4 Rh6 24.Nf5 Qc5 27.Ne7+, and White won in 34 moves. What is Black's best move in the diagrammed position? The engine (Komodo 13) likes either 20...Qc5 or 20..Rcd8 (with equality in either case). In a game played at the Chennai Olympiad on July 8, 2022 between Lee (2390) and Tin (2552) there followed 20...Qc5 21.h4 b5 22.a3 Qb6 23.f3 Nc5 24.Kh1 g6 25.h5 Ne6 26.Qh4 Nxd4 27.Rxd4 Rc1+ 28.Kh2 a5, and Black won in 53 moves. All this information can be found in free databases in Internet.

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