Tatasteel Masters: A Positional masterpiece
"The coordination of the pieces is an essential feature of any Chess formation. But as long as there is on the board a mass of forces of different character, and when their inter-relations are complicated, disputing the files, ranks, diagonals in the zone of important squares and close to the regions of the enemy castled positions, at such times it is difficult to distinguish clearly what is coordination, and what is simply the useful drawing up of reserves from the depths of the rearguard."
- David Bronstein
Chess.....unlike free-rock climbing....is not a life threatening sport.
In free-rock climbing, the climbers put their lives on line and climb cliffs as high as almost a Kilometre....90 degrees upwards..., without any support....and no option of returning back....they just have to reach the top, (I am not hinting the other option...."slip....free-fall and death" as they would not have come to this business if that had been in their mind in the first instance!) clinging on to the crevices and if the crevices are not to be found, they need to find in distant places and reroute to the top!
They are not allowed even one slip.....why even not allowed to think anything....but....the next crevice for their fingers to cling on to....!
In free-rock climbing, the climbers put their lives on line and climb cliffs as high as almost a Kilometre....90 degrees upwards..., without any support....and no option of returning back....they just have to reach the top, (I am not hinting the other option...."slip....free-fall and death" as they would not have come to this business if that had been in their mind in the first instance!) clinging on to the crevices and if the crevices are not to be found, they need to find in distant places and reroute to the top!
They are not allowed even one slip.....why even not allowed to think anything....but....the next crevice for their fingers to cling on to....!
Then, why do players 'fear' to play complex exciting openings....without a prescience bestowed on them by some "silicon nonsense".....a sort of crutches to walk when someone has both legs hale and healthy!?
Well, one man keeps churning out incredible creations.....defying the above.....time and again!
Magnus Carlsen - Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Tata Steel, 2017
1) e4 c5; 2) Nf3 d6!! 3) d4!! cd4; 4) Nd4 Nf6 5) Nc3 a6; 6) a3!!
The double exclamation marks, are neither to denote the moves are great, nor to mock the modern day inhibition.....but just to acknowledge the fact that they were played.....instead of.....
6.....e5; 7.Nf5!? d5
A natural response, undermining the centre and forcing White's next move. The enemy Knight has entered the "zone of important squares" and it has to be undermined!
8.Bg5 d4
If 8.....de4, then 9.Qd8 Kd8 10.OOO and if Black King tries to escape on to the Queenside with 10.....Kc7? a denouement in the centre will follow...after......11.Bf6! gf6 12.Nd5 Kc6 13.Nfe7 Be7 14.Ne7 Kb6 15.Nd5 followed by Nf6 +/-
9.Bf6 Qf6?!
An over ambitious move! Black wants to retain an intact pawn structure....forgetting that you cannot have cake and eat it too!
A decade back, the now Grandmaster Arun Prasad played the more appropriate 9.....gf6! against Grandmaster R.B.Ramesh and the game ended in a well fought draw
The flipside of taking with the Queen is that it yields not only a tempo with which White brings another beast into the Black side of zone of important squares, but makes the further moves for White a free flowing script!
10,Nd5! Qd8 11.Qg4!
Meets the lame threat of .....Bf5 with a powerful counter threat. Now, Black would have rued his decision to capture on f6 with his Queen. He has to part with his best Bishop as some beautiful variations are lurking.....
Suppose, Black kicks the 'f5' Knight with 11.....g6, then 12.Qg3!!
....hitting on e5 with the age old mechanism and if now 12....Nc6 13.Nd4!! when capture with the pawn allows 14.Nc7 fork!
11.....Bf5; 12.Qf5 Bd6; 13.h4!
Having acquired an iron grip on the light squares, a humble move to cover a dark square and allow the Rook to participate in the battle via h3.
13.....Nc6; 14.Bc4 b5?
An unwarranted weakness, which allows Carlsen some free time in the middlegame to meddle with! Why give targets to someone, who will anyway keep poking you even without it!
Preferable is the straightforward .....Ne7....obviously the Knight on d5 cannot be tolerated for long....and then castles.
15.Bb3 Ne7; 16.Qg4 OO; 17.Rh3! Nd5 18.Bd5 Ra7; 19.Rg3 Qf6
Phase 1 over!
So far, Black has been able to hold on to the threats, but in the process rendered his Queen a poor defender and the Bishop on d6 is biting on dead rock of his pawn on e5, the Rook on a7 is just standing on a square and possibly rendering some support to the f7 pawn.
White only needs to castle to bring his only dormant piece (or is it!?), the Rook on a1 to more meaningful location. But....castling straightaway has the danger of putting his King on the line....as the 6th move a3 will turn into a sore target....and to this end, Black is well prepared with his pawn on b5 and suddenly even the dull Bishop on d6 and Rook on a7 will spring into action!
So....
20.a4!!
A move, no engine will suggest you! A typical "Steinitzian move" by Carlsen.....!
Posing a question to Black: if, he pushes ....b4, then with the tension of Queenside getting blown open gone, White King will find a cozy heaven there with OOO.....as Black lacks power to blow-up White on light squares.
20.....Bb4; 21.Kf1! ba4; 22.Ra4 a5; 23.Ra1!
Now, Carlsen indulges in fortification and prophylaxis....he has all the time in the world!
23.....Rc7; 24.Bb3 Ra8; 25.Kg1! Bf8
So as to relieve the Queen of the defending duty.
26.Qh5!
Not allowing the Queen to leave!
26.....g6
Though, this move provides a target for White, it cannot be criticised. One has to be a monk to just remain and not 'do' something or the other!
These days, even to swat mosquitoes, one has to wait patiently....and imagine if you have to deal with a python which is attacking you!
"A doctor's job", Lewis Thomas - the American Physician who lived in early part of 20th century - once told an interviewer, "was to make a diagnosis, make a prognosis, give support and care - and not to meddle"......in essence, just wait.....'do nothing'..... is what he pleads!
The human body has been endowed with a normal healing process called "haemostasis".....and possibly Chess positions too, if left un-tampered or interfered with human 'wants'....may heal of its own....or atleast irritate the opponent and make him 'do' something to alter the state.....and there lies the chance of salvation!
But.....it is easier said than done, with all our sensory organs sending inputs to the brain and the sound of the clock ticking increasing the heartbeat, with every beat....!
Time for some digression.....
When talking of "positional masterpiece", I am reminded of this great game.....especially as the composition of that position is similar to what we were discussing!
Anatoly Karpov - Robert Huebner, Montreal, 1979
White is having a pleasant position, which at best translates to +/= in Chess parlance. White has a firm grip of the light squares whilst Black's control of dark squares has no significance.
And....you cannot find fault with Black's next few moves, which was carried out to give some freedom to his King and make the defence easier.....but....
32......g6; 33.Kg2!
Just in case.....Karpov puts his King on light squares! Carlsen did a similar move in his game!
33.......Kg7
Whilst, Black does essentially the same thing, the King will remain in a state of unrest.
34.Bd5 f5; 35.e4! f4?
Not a great response, sure Huebner knows that such pushes will compromise his position further. But it is not easy for such a fine player as he was, to allow his pawn remain there on f5.....
36.Qd3! Rb6; 37.Rc8!
Karpov keeps mounting pressure relentlessly! The move played x-rays on g6 point....at appropriate time with gf4 opening further lines....!
37......fg3; 38.fg3 Qd7? 39.Qc4?
A strange double blunder!
First, Black put his Queen on the most vulnerable square in time pressure and Karpov misses a huge point....and we know, Karpov seldom comes under time pressure!
39.Rg8! Kh7 40.Qe3!! attacking the b6 Rook and after 40.....Bd8 41.Rh8!! mates Black King in few moves!
The game ended in a draw!
....Returning back to Carlsen - Wojtaszek....
27.Qg4 Ra6; 28.h5 Qf4; 29.Qe2 Qf6; 30.Qb5!
Such is the nature of classical play! Every move will radiate in all directions! Now Black loses material.
30.....Qc6; 31.Qe5 Re7; 32.Qf4 a4; 33.Bd5 Qc7; 34.Qd2! Qb6; 35.Ra2!
Whilst defending b2, the move prepares to attack the a4 pawn!
35.....Rc7; 36.Rf3 Qb4; 37.Qe2 Rb6; 38.hg6 hg6; 39.g3! Kg7; 40.Kg2
Just like what happened in that Karpov game.....before the final onslaught!
40.....Rd7; 41.Qd1!
A mysterious move...a la Karpov, eying the h-file or the long dark diagonal for a mating attack and hitting on a4 pawn! Black's resistance ends in few moves!
41.....Rf6; 42.Rf6 Kf6; 43.c3 dc3; 44.Ra4 Black Resigned
A wonderful game by Magnus!
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