Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2017 Archives - Chessentials https://chessentials.com/category/chess-events/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017/ Chess blog about chess tactics, chess games and chess books Tue, 29 Jan 2019 22:28:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://chessentials.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/cropped-vjeks2-2-1-32x32.png Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2017 Archives - Chessentials https://chessentials.com/category/chess-events/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017/ 32 32 Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 9 https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-9/ https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-9/#respond Mon, 01 May 2017 18:06:50 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=1959 Kramnik scores a win, Mamedyarov wins Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2nd year in a row With the development of modern computers, it has become customary to state that chess is game for young people. Former World...

Read More

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 9 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> Kramnik scores a win, Mamedyarov wins Vugar Gashimov Memorial 2nd year in a row

With the development of modern computers, it has become customary to state that chess is game for young people.

Former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik seems to be an exception to that rule. Because with his win in Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 9, he is ranked number three in the world, trailing Wesley So on the second place by mere 3 rating points.

His display of youth-like energy in Shamkir resulted with five decisive games in nine rounds. Although his tournament had it’s ups and downs, his final game against the poor Pavel Eljanov brought him the shared second place and +1 score at the end of the tournament.

On the other hand, Pavel Eljanov will try to forget this tournament as soon as possible. After getting swindled by Mamedyarov in round 3 and by Topalov in round 6, in round 9 he once again flinched at the critical moment, and turned markedly better position into a losing one.

The rest of the games in round 9 saw little excitement. Mamedyarov took no risk with White and drew his game quickly. So and Karjakin, who were half a point behind, did the same with the Black pieces which meant that Mamedyarov would repeat his last year’s success and win the Vugar Gashimov Memorial for the second year in a row.

Eljanov – Kramnik, game analysis

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 9 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-9/feed/ 0 Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 8 https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-8/ https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-8/#respond Sun, 30 Apr 2017 13:56:10 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=1944 Wojtaszek beats the leader, Topalov, Karjakin and So close up on Mamedyarov After my lamentations about the “drawing of lots” after the round 7, the players return to the well-throden paths in Vugar Gashimov memorial...

Read More

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 8 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> Wojtaszek beats the leader, Topalov, Karjakin and So close up on Mamedyarov

After my lamentations about the “drawing of lots” after the round 7, the players return to the well-throden paths in Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 8.

In the elite chess tournaments the name of the Radoslaw Wojtaszek is not that often in the centre of events. Sure, he is often invited and participating, but for most people he is better known as Anand’s second than as elite competitor.

However, in round 8 he showed why Anand hired him as he displayed one of the best pieces of opening preparation I have seen recently.

In a sharp variation of the Grünfeld he introduced the idea of GM Gajewsky (who also worked for Anand). It would appear that the 16 Qh4! idea basically refutes the whole 14… Nb4 line (see the analysis of the game below for more details).

Wojtaszek’s win has complicated the tournament situation. Before the round Mamedyarov was in comfortable position, but now three players are only half a point apart.

Sergey Karjakin is one of those players. After having a quiet, but solid tournament, in round 8 he managed to beat Eljanov in Carlsen-like-style, in an equal endgame where he had two bishops versus a rook and two pawns.

However, Eljanov, probably distressed after his previous games against Mamedyarov and against Topalov, went on to give up a pawn on the kingside for nothing. After that moment, it is doubtful if he could have saved himself:

Vladimir Kramnik can also be content after round 8 as after suffering two consecutive loses in the middle of the tournament he managed to bounce back to 50 % with a convincing win against Adams (where he didn’t give up on playing 1 e4 and Italian game).

With one round to go, it will be intersting to see the strategy of the players and whether anyone will risk playing for a win. Mamedyarov has White against Topalov, while So and Karjakin have the black pieces.

We can only wait and see.

Wojtaszek – Mamedyarov, game analysis

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 8 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-8/feed/ 0 Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 7 https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-7/ https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-7/#respond Sat, 29 Apr 2017 10:47:22 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=1941 Five games, five draws, Mamedyarov retains the lead In the previous posts we were praising the players for their fighting spirit and for the display of interesting chess. Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 7 saw...

Read More

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 7 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> Five games, five draws, Mamedyarov retains the lead

In the previous posts we were praising the players for their fighting spirit and for the display of interesting chess.

Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 7 saw different turn of events. Five games, five relatively colourless draws and virtually not a single serious mistake by any player.

Grandmaster’s chess at it’s finest.

The most interesting game in my humble opinion was the short but explosive Sicilian encounter between Radjabov and Topalov.

In a very sharp theoretical battle, Topalov played a novel move that seemed like a blunder that loses the exchange at first sight.

However,  it turned out that White can’t keep his material advantage and Radjabov had to go into an equal endgame.

Thus Topalov’s novelty virtually shut down this line for White at the moment.

The game is analyzed below.

Radjabov – Topalov, game analysis

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 7 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-7/feed/ 0 Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 6 https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-6/ https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-6/#respond Thu, 27 Apr 2017 21:17:59 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=1921 Another round, another hat-trick of decisive games, another Topalov win After scoring a spectacular win in round two, and a crushing loss in round five, after the rest day Veselin Topalov moves to +1 in...

Read More

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 6 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> Another round, another hat-trick of decisive games, another Topalov win

After scoring a spectacular win in round two, and a crushing loss in round five, after the rest day Veselin Topalov moves to +1 in the tournament once again with a win against Pavel Eljanov in Vugar Gashimov Memorial round 6.

True, compared to his second round encounter, the game against Eljanov was not a smooth ride.

After missplaying the White side of the Queen’s Indian line that first appeared in Korthscnoj’s games,  Topalov found himself in serious trouble.

Eljanov built an appreciable kingside pressure and also created the weak a4 – c4 pawn duo on the queenside.

However, by releasing the tension too early on his 35th move, he let Topalov back in the game. And then the familiar scenario happened, in which side that was pushing was unable to readjust to the changes in the position.  Eljanov went on to lose convincingly in the end as he spoils another great position after letting Mamedyarov swindle him in round 3.

Not the best day in the office for the Ukrainian super GM

Wesley So also moved to + 1 and thus built up on his round 5 success.

He managed to do what Carlsen couldn’t in the World Championship Match as he outplayed Karjakin “The Defender” from an even position in the endgame.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov did something similar to Vladimir Kramnik, who also had a vastly superior position early in the game, but failed to find the strongest continuation.

Vladdy being Vladdy, refused to settle for a draw afterwards, and transposed into inferior endgame instead.

Mamedyarov displayed some marvellous endgame technique and won the game convincingly.

Since I have given up on improving my endgame technique after reading Fundamental Chess Endings and Understanding Chess Endgames, and understanding nothing,  I have decided to analyze the Topalov game instead.

Topalov – Eljanov, game analysis

 

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 6 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-6/feed/ 0 Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 5 https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-5/ https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-5/#comments Tue, 25 Apr 2017 18:23:23 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=1887 Karjakin wins a brilliancy, So returns to 50 percent, Mamedyarov misses a chance to increase his lead In the Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 5, a couple of tournament trends continue. So far, every single...

Read More

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 5 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> Karjakin wins a brilliancy, So returns to 50 percent, Mamedyarov misses a chance to increase his lead

In the Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 5, a couple of tournament trends continue.

So far, every single round, except round 4, saw exactly two decisive games, and round 5 was not an exception.

Also, almost every round so far has witnessed either a brilliant attacking game, or a game with dramatic mistakes.

Round five saw both.

Let’s start with the Mamedyarov’s game against the out-of-form Harikrishna. After losing yesterday while being a rook up (see round 4 report once again), the Indian played a very uninspiring opening and already after 14 moves found himself in serious trouble.

However, in the complicated middle game position, Mamedyarov, quite uncharacteristically, missed a very strong tactical continuation and let the Indian escape:

Wesley So made Vladimir Kramnik fight against his own weapons as he played the Catalan opening against it’s main proponent.

Vladdy chose a solid but passive approach in which he gave up his bishop pair.

He suffered slightly but came close into equalizing, but then made a big missjudgement after which So never let him back in the game:

However, the play of the day award goes to Sergey Karjakin for his sacrifical crush of Topalov.

If we haven’t praised him a couple of days ago, maybe it would have never happened, but this is probably going to far.

It could be said that for Topalov the Caro Cann’t.

Karjakin – Topalov, game analysis

 

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 5 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-5/feed/ 2 Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 4 https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-4/ https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-4/#respond Mon, 24 Apr 2017 20:08:33 +0000 https://chessentials.com/?p=1872 Kramnik shows who’s the Vladdy, Adams misses a win After Wesley So’s terrible blunder in round one, Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 4 saw two more games that might be legitimate candidates for Chessentials’ Featured...

Read More

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 4 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> Kramnik shows who’s the Vladdy, Adams misses a win

After Wesley So’s terrible blunder in round one, Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 4 saw two more games that might be legitimate candidates for Chessentials’ Featured Sundays. 

The main story of the day is surely the game between Vladimir Kramnik and Pentala Harikrishna.

Few remember that Vladimir Kramnik was a fearless attacker b efore he became World’s greatest expert on the boring 1 Nf3, 1 c4 and Catalan systems.

In the 90s he didn’t hesitate to sacrifice a rook even against the greatest ever, and today he reminded us of his youth by sacrificing the full house.

The sacrifice, which was not fully correct, posed great practical problems for the Indian player, who played uncertainly and went on to lose rather quickly and without resistance.

To be honest, he didn’t commit any serious blunder, but was rather outplayed. But still, I have a hunch that he still might wonder what just happened there.

On the other hand, I am pretty certain that Michael Adams will be kicking his head against the wall after today’s game.

Because after playing brilliantly and sacrificing a pawn (nobody does this positional pawn sacrifices like Mickey), he came close to reaping the rewards of his instructive play.

However, at the critical moment, he missed the problem-like solution on a theme of domination that would have left his opponent completely paralyzed:

Naturally, it is hard to criticize Mickey for missing this sequence, but I think that it is not impossible to calculate that for a player of 2700+ standard.

Back to the Vlad the Impaler. We will now take a look at another brilliant game he is going to add to his impressive chess biography.

Kramnik – Harikrishna, game analysis

The post Vugar Gashimov memorial 2017 round 4 appeared first on Chessentials.

]]> https://chessentials.com/vugar-gashimov-memorial-2017-round-4/feed/ 0