The Hateful Eight...

FIDE Candidates 2016

The most anticipated chess event of 2016 quarter one, came to an end. We all (chess lovers) witnessed the many "blunders", "brilliancies" and of course the "roller coaster ride" at the top. Indeed, one thrilling experience to all chess fans out there!

The Participants

1. Loser of the World Chess Championship 2014 match

    o Viswanathan Anand (2762) - #12

2. Top two finisher in the Chess World Cup 2015

    o Sergey Karjakin (2760) - #13

     o Peter Svidler (2757) - #16

3. Top two finishers in the FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15

    o Fabiano Caruana (2794) - #3

     o Hikaru Nakamura (2790) - #6

4. Top 2 players w/ highest ave 2015 rating, played in World Cup or Grand Prix

    o Veselin Topalov (2780) - #8

     o Anish Giri (2793) - #4

5. Wild card nomination of Organizers, FIDE rating in July 2015 at least 2725

    o Levon Aronian (2786) - #7

Memorable Encounters

Caruana - Nakamura [Rd8, Ct 2016]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. Qe2 Re8 8. Nc4 Nd7 9. Bd2 Bd6 10. O-O-O b5 11. Ne3 a5 12. Nf5 a4 13. Bg5 f6 14. Be3 Nc5 15. g4 Be6 16. Kb1 b4 17. g5 b3 18. Rhg1 bxa2+ 19. Ka1 Bxf5 20. exf5 a3 21. b3 Na6 22. c3 Bf8 23. Nd2 fxg5 24. Rxg5 Nc5 25. Rg3 e4 26. Bxc5 Bxc5 27. Nxe4 Bd6 28. Rh3 Be5 29. d4 Bf6 30. Rg1 Rb8 31. Kxa2 Bh4 32. Rg4 Qd5 33. c4  1-0

Anand - Aronian [Rd9, Ct 2016]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O d6 5. d3 Nf6 6. c3 a6 7. a4 Ba7 8. Na3 Ne7 9. Nc2 Ng6 10. Be3 O-O 11. Bxa7 Rxa7 12. Ne3 Ng4 13. Qd2 a5 14. d4 Ra8 15. dxe5 N4xe5 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. Bb3 Nd7 18. Bc2 Re8 19. f3 b6 20. Rfd1 Nc5 21. b4 Nd7 22. Bb3 Nf6 23. Qd4 Qe7 24. Nd5 Nxd5 25. Bxd5 Ra7 26. b5 Bb7 27. c4 Qe5 28. Rac1 Qxd4+ 29. Rxd4 Kf8 30. Kf2 Ke7 31. f4 f6 32. Rc3 Kd7 33. Rh3 h6 34. Rg3 Re7 35. Rg6 Bxd5 36. cxd5 Ra8 37. Kf3 Rae8 38. Kg4 Rxe4 39. Rxg7+ Kc8 40. Rd2 Kb8 41. Rc2 Rc8 42. Ra2 Rd4 43. Kf5 Rxd5+ 44. Kxf6 Rf8+ 45. Rf7 Rxf7+ 46. Kxf7 Rf5+ 47. Kg6 Rxf4 48. g3 Rc4 49. Kxh6 d5 50. Kh5 d4 51. g4 d3 52. h4 Rd4 53. Rd2 Kc8 54. g5 Kd7 55. Kg6 Rxh4 56. Rxd3+ Ke8 57. Ra3 Rc4 58. Kg7 Kd7 59. g6 c6 60. Kf6 cxb5 61. g7 Rg4 62. axb5 Rg1 63. Rd3+ Ke8 64. Re3+ Kd7 65. Re5 Rxg7 66. Rd5+ 1-0

Karjakin - Topalov [Rd12, Ct 2016]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e6 7. g4 Nfd7 8. Be3 Be7 9. g5 b5 10. a3 Bb7 11. h4 O-O 12. Qd2 Nb6 13. h5 N8d7 14. g6 Ne5 15. O-O-O Nbc4 16. Bxc4 Nxc4 17. Qe2 Rc8 18. h6 fxg6 19. Nxe6 Qd7 20. Nxf8 Bxf8 21. hxg7 Bxg7 22. Bd4 a5 23. Bxg7 Qxg7 24. Qg4 Re8 25. Qg5 Bc6 26. Qh6 Qh8 27. b3 Nxa3 28. Rh3 Bd7 29. Rg3 Qf6 30. Rh1 Re7 31. Qh4 Qg7 32. Nd5 Rf7 33. Qd8+ Qf8 34. Qxa5 Nxc2 35. Qc3 1-0

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The Clincher

Karjakin - Caruana [Rd14, Ct 2016]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O Bd7 9. f4 h6 10. Bh4 b5 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. f5 Qb6 13. fxe6 fxe6 14. Nxc6 Qxc6 15. Bd3 h5 16. Kb1 b4 17. Ne2 Qc5 18. Rhf1 Bh6 19. Qe1 a5 20. b3 Rg8 21. g3 Ke7 22. Bc4 Be3 23. Rf3 Rg4 24. Qf1 Rf8 25. Nf4 Bxf4 26. Rxf4 a4 27. bxa4 Bxa4 28. Qd3 Bc6 29. Bb3 Rg5 30. e5 Rxe5 31. Rc4 Rd5 32. Qe2 Qb6 33. Rh4 Re5 34. Qd3 Bg2 35. Rd4 d5 36. Qd2 Re4 37. Rxd5 exd5 38. Qxd5 Qc7 39. Qf5 Rf7 40. Bxf7 Qe5 41. Rd7+ Kf8 42. Rd8+ White wins.

... after the storm, Sergey Karjakin is the new Challenger!!

    Final Standings                         Ave Elo:2777,  Cat:22

"Keep you posted regarding game comments..."

Recommended Response

More Priyomes
" Mastering priyomes is a key to success." – A. Suetin 

Priyome is a Russian term used to represent standard maneuvers in positions with certain structure and/or other defining characteristics. In game annotations, moves with exclamation points [!] suggest priyomes.

"Each would-be master should collect his own 'personal pattern bank' of priyomes. Study them and when the same patterns arise during a game apply the priyomes." – A. Suetin

"It is the most important book knowledge about middlegame techniques. They can be described in words, not moves." – A. Soltis

The Advanced Fianchetto

When Black has played ...a6 and …b5, he should always be watchful for the pawn thrust a2-a4. This move aims to force …bxa4, when the second player will be left with some serious queenside weaknesses. In addition, keep in mind that the a1-rook may become active in the process.

White's turn

Looking at the above diagram, we can observe Black played the queenside expansion 8...b5 too early (8...Bg7 was better). Now, after 9.a4! {bringing more firepower on b5 – creating additional weaknesses} he couldn't continue with ...b4, as the b-pawn would become too weak, 9...b4 10.Nd5 Nd5 11.Nc6 Qc7 12.ed5+ leaving him with a less desirable position.

Therefore, he was forced to trade on a4 9...ba4, Breaking up the pawn formation on the queenside and giving White a target to attack in Black's a-pawn. After 10.Na4, White had a slight but secure advantage as seen in the game Kasparov-Georgiev, Sarajevo 2000. 

A similar queenside structure appeared in the encounter between Ivanchuk-Vachier-Lagrave Wijk aan Zee, 2015.

White's turn

In the game, White played 15.a4! b4 Black should always aim to meet a4 with …b4, otherwise he is too weak on the queenside. 16.Nd5 e6 17.Ne3 Bb7 18.Qd2 Qc7 19.0-0-0 with a very comfortable position. Ivanchuk went on to win the game by move thirty, and his 15th move won the most important theoretical novelty for Chess Informant.

Rook's Pawn Thrust

A pawn move like h2-h4 in response to ...g6 or ...Ng6 is one significant pattern that an aspiring chess student should be acquainted with.

Caro-Kann Defense

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 de4 4.Ne4 Nf6 5.Ng3 (D)

White doesn't normally retreat the centralized knight, but trades on f6 – 5.Nf6 ef6 6.Bc4 Bd6 7.Qe2+ gives White a slight edge based on his better structure.

Black's turn

5...h5 {Initiating the corner pawn attack, in response to white's knight flight to g3.} 6.Bg5 The move 6.h4 is recommended, blocking the h-pawn's further advance. 6...h4 7.Bxf6 White should have withdrawn his knight to e2. 7...hg3! 8.Be5 (D) This was probably the position that White aimed for after 6.Bg5.

Black's turn

But, a powerful sudden move struck the board...

8...Rh2! 9.Rh2 Qa5+ 10.c3 On White's 10.Qd2, Black can win by a different blow from his valiant pawn with 10...gf2+!, etc. 10...Qe5+!! A memorable and unexpected queen manuever, enabling the courageous foot soldier to reach its promised land. After 11.de5 gh2 White had to resign the game because of the dual threat to promote into a new Queen.

Chess Task

Let's have a look at our next position below (D)

After White's 5.a4

White on his last move, advanced his a-pawn two squares forward. He is ready to move it up with a4-a5-a6(or axb6) etc., increasing the a-rook's activity. Similarly, the first player initiates a straightforward plan of chasing the light-squared bishop and/or ruining black's queenside pawns as well.

Q1. What is the best way for Black to meet this idea?

Essential Chess Quotes

All-time Favorites
" Chess is the gymnasium of the mind." – Blaise Pascal 

“ Play the opening like a book, the middle game like a magician, and the endgame like a machine. ”

– Rudolf Spielmann 

“ The most powerful weapon in chess is to have the next move. ”

– David Bronstein 

“ Weak points or holes in the enemy position must be occupied by pieces, not pawns. ” 

– Siegbert Tarrasch

“ If you don’t know what to do, find your worst piece and look for a better square. ” 

– Gerald Schwarz

“ Whosoever sees no other aim in the game than that of giving checkmate to one’s opponent, will never become a good chessplayer. ” 

– Max Euwe

“ All things being equal, the player will prevail who first succeeds in uniting the efforts of both rooks in an important direction. ”

– Eugene Znosko-Borovsky

“ I’d rather have a pawn than a finger.  ”

– Reuben Fine

“ The defensive power of a pinned piece is only imaginary. ”

– Aaron Nimzovich

“ Chess is war over the board. The object is to crush the opponent’s ego. ”

– Bobby Fischer

“ Excellence at chess is one mark of a scheming mind. ”

– Sherlock Holmes 

Inspirational chess quotes and more... @ Chess training without a board

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