The former world champ finished with four wins (he also scalped Englishmen Short, Adams and Howell, in that order) and four draws, a point and a half ahead of Nakamura and Carlsen, who tied for second-third places. (Nakamura, however, had more wins and was awarded the second prize.)
Game of the week. Here then is the game that, says British writer John Saunders who also annotates it, broke English hearts.
White: L. McShane (2671)
Black: V. Kramnik, (2800)
Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
London Chess Classic 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 Shades of the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, just down the road, where Vlad constructed the Berlin Wall that Garry Kasparov failed to breach in 2000. However, the line chosen by Luke McShane is different in character. 4.d3 Bc5 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.b3 A McShane invention which he first used against Jonathan Parker in the 4NCL (British League) last April. Bg4 7.Nbd2 Nd7 8.Bb2 f6 It is natural for Black to strongpoint the e5 pawn, to block the scope of the residual white bishop. 9.Nf1 Nf8 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Ne6 12.Ne3. Qd7 13.h4 a5 14.a4 0-0 15.h5 Bxe3 White’s last move was a signal that he was about to play Nf5, so Vlad decides to remove it from the board and further restrict the bishop. 16.Qxe3 c5 17.Qh3 Qc6 18.0-0 Nf4 19.Qh2 Qe8 20.h6 “Luke has done this before in the Ruy Lopez — to put all his pieces on strange squares, but keep a very solid structure.” (Carlsen) g5 21.g3 Ne6 22.f4!? This sets the game alight as it involves an exchange sacrifice. gxf4 23.gxf4 Nxf4 24.Rxf4 exf4 Now the position has opened up and White has full compensation for the exchange with his strong bishop on b2 and open g-file. 25.Kf2 Rf7 Stuart Conquest tried 25…Kh8 26.Qxf4 and now the very visual Qe5! “that’s fantastic!” (Lawrence Trent)…. [long pause] … “But is it any good?” (Stuart, having second thoughts, to general laughter). Dan King poured a little cold water on it, however: 27.Bxe5 fxe5 28.Qf5 with a better endgame. 26.Qh5 White keeps a number of options open. The black queenside pawns are a little loose. Qe6 27.Qxc5 Kh8 28.Qc4 28.Rg1 Rg8 29.Rxg8+ Kxg8 30.Qxa5 Qh3 31.Qa8+ Rf8 32.Qxb7 looks as though it might result in perpetual check. 28…Re8 29.Rh1 Qd7 29…Qxc4 30.bxc4 Rg8 31.e5 Rg6 32.exf6 looks quite comfortable for White. 30.Qb5 Re6 Luke’s main problem here was his shortage of time. His board position is fine. 31.Qxd7 31.Qxa5 looks quite playable. 31…Rxd7 32.Rg1 Rc6 33.Kf3 Rd8 34.Rg5 Rf8 35.Rg2 35.Rxa5 is not impossible. If Rxc2? 36.Bxf6+! and Black must play Kg8 when 37.Be7!? Re8 38.Rg5+ Kf7 39.Rg7+ Ke6 40.Bg5 is quite handy for White. 35…Rg8 36.Rh2 Rg1 Now Black’s rooks are starting to work well together, while Luke’s time allowance runs ever lower. 37.d4? It seems a shame to obstruct the glorious bishop. 37.Kxf4 is playable. 37…Rf1+ 38.Kg4 f3 39.d5 Dubious. 39.Kf5 f2 40.c4 Rb6 41.d5 keeps White in the running. 39…Rd6 39…f2 looks better for Black. 40.c4 Kg8 41.c5 f5+! Very nice. Black gets his rook into play after this. 42.Kxf5 Rg6 43.Bd4 Bd1 44.Be3 Rg2 45.Rh3 f2 By now most of the pundits had despaired of Luke’s position. In truth it is probably lost but he finds a way to fight on, albeit without too much hope. 46.Bxf2 Rxf2+ 47.Ke6 Rf7 48.d6 c6 49.Ke5 Kf8 50.Rh2 Rg1 51.b4 axb4 52.Rb2 Rg5+ 53.Ke6 Rg6+ 54.Ke5 Rxh6 55.a5 Rh5+ 56.Ke6 Rh6+ 57.Ke5 Rh5+ 58.Ke6 Ke8 59.a6 Rh6+ 60.Ke5 bxa6 61.Rxb4 Ra7 62.Rb8+ A nice little trick. The king has two moves. Which is correct? Kf7! Unsurprisingly, the former world champion makes the right choice. After 62…Kd7, White has 63.Rg8 and the unstoppable threat of Rg7+ and Rxa7 should be enough to draw. 63.Rc8 Re6+ 64.Kf5 a5 65.Rh8 Rf6+ 66.Ke5 Kg7 67.Rc8 a4 68.Rxc6 a3 69.d7 a2 69…Rxd7 is also good enough. 0–1
Puzzler.
White: Ka5, Nb5, Qc1, Bd3, pawn on d4
Black: Kd5, Ne5, pawns on a6 and f3
White to play and mate in three moves.
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