2/4/2015 – A big day in Baden-Baden as the standings changed dramatically. Magnus Carlsen went a little haywire against Arkadij Naiditsch, sacrificing a piece and then losing an endgame where he usually would have tried to push for a win. This is the German's second victory against Carlsen in a row. Aronian and Baramidze collapsed against Caruana and Adams. Round three report.

Round 03 - February 04, 2015, 15:00 Bacrot Etienne 2711 ½-½ Anand Viswanathan 2797 Aronian Levon 2777 0-1 Caruana Fabiano 2811 Adams Michael 2738 1-0 Baramidze David 2594 Naiditsch Arkadij 2706 1-0 Carlsen Magnus 2865

Daniel King shows the game Naiditsch vs Carlsen

An exciting round in Baden-Baden, though one that was strange to say the least. The highlight is clearly Carlsen's loss against Naiditsch, which came with a number of surprises. First was the fact that the World Champion sacrificed a piece for no compensation, and that despite the fact that he outplayed Naiditsch after that he misplayed the endgame horribly. Only half a year after the Tromso Olympiad Arkadij Naiditsch is able to defeat the number one player in the World... again!

Meanwhile Aronian handled his position very strangely, allowing Caruana a win without the Italian doing anything special. Baramidze simply imploded by missing a cute trick.

Bacrot, Etienne ½-½ Anand, Viswanathan

This long, long theoretical Berlin followed a game that Bacrot himself played with black against Motylev. The game had about ten original moves before every pawn was decimated.

Anand repeated a long Berlin to obtain a draw

Aronian, Levon 0-1 Caruana, Fabiano

Aronian tried to push in this hedgehog kind of position against Caruana, but he misplayed the position very badly at certain points:

Levon Aronian, for the first time in forever,

is not in the top 10 in the live rating list

[Event "GRENKE Chess Classic 2015"] [Site "Baden-Baden"] [Date "2015.02.04"] [Round "3"] [White "Aronian, Levon"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "E39"] [WhiteElo "2797"] [BlackElo "2820"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [EventCountry "GER"] [TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"] 1. d4 {0} Nf6 {0} 2. c4 {0} e6 {0} 3. Nc3 {0} Bb4 {0} 4. Qc2 {4} O-O {23} 5. Bg5 {52} c5 {30} 6. dxc5 {30} Qa5 {30} 7. Bd2 {30} Qxc5 {30} 8. e3 {30} Qc7 {30 } 9. Nf3 {30} Be7 {30} 10. Bd3 {30} Nc6 {30} 11. a3 {30} b6 {30} 12. Nb5 {30} Qb8 {30} 13. Bc3 {30} h6 {30 The position will soon resemble a hedgehog. Black will without a doubt kick out the knight on b5 with a6 and follow up with d6. White has two main plans, try to restrain Black by castling kingside and putting his rooks on the c and d files, or pushing for an aggressive g4. Both are viable.} 14. Rd1 {30} (14. g4 $5 {Is not as bad as a computer will tell you it is.}) 14... a6 {30} 15. Nbd4 {30} Nxd4 {30} 16. Bxd4 {30} d6 {30} 17. O-O {30} Bd7 {30} 18. e4 {30} e5 $1 {30 A great strategical decision. Without a knight on c3 to jump to d5 this advance is quite safe and allows Black much needed space for his pieces.} 19. Bc3 {30} Rc8 {30} 20. Qe2 {30} Be6 {30} 21. Nh4 {30} g6 {30} 22. g3 {30} Qc7 {30} 23. Ng2 $5 {30 Sacrificing the pawn Aronian hopes to get his knight into a good square.} (23. Bd2 Bxc4 24. Bxh6 { keeps material equality and is playable.}) 23... Bxc4 {30} 24. Ne3 {30} Bxd3 { 30} 25. Rxd3 {30} Nxe4 {30} (25... b5 $5) 26. Bxe5 {30} dxe5 {30} 27. Nd5 {30} Qd6 {30} (27... Nxg3 {was riskier} 28. fxg3 Qa7 29. Rdf3 {and White has some real threats down the f and e files, it's unclear which continuation was stronger.}) 28. Qxe4 {30 White has compensation for the lost pawn as his powerful knight on d5 and his control over the d-file are strong. Also Black has no clear way of improving his awkard bishop.} Bf8 {30} 29. Rfd1 {30} b5 {30 } 30. Qf3 {30} Kg7 $6 {30 A tactical slip!} 31. Nc3 {30} (31. Nc7 $3 {Would have turned the game around.} Qxc7 (31... e4 32. Rxd6 exf3 33. Rd7 Rab8 34. R1d3 $16) 32. Rd7 Qc4 33. R1d5 $1 Be7 {there is no other way of defending against the threats on the seventh rank.} 34. Rxe7 Rf8 35. Rd6 $1 {With strong pressure.}) 31... Qe6 {30} 32. Rd7 {30} Bc5 $1 {30 Now Black starts consolidating his extra pawn. A blockading bishop on d4 would stop White dead on his tracks.} 33. Qe4 {30} Ra7 {30} 34. Rd8 $2 {30 A blunder in a position that was already very difficult.} Rxd8 {30} 35. Rxd8 {30} Bxf2+ {30 The bishop is taboo due to the fork on b6.} 36. Kg2 {30} Bb6 {30} 37. Rd2 {30} Rc7 {30} 38. Qa8 {30} Bd4 {30} 39. Ne2 {30} Rd7 {30} 40. b4 {30} h5 {30 With time control reached its clear that White is simply down two pawns.} 0-1

Adams, Michael 1-0 Baramidze, David

A pretty tactical detail ruined Baramidze's pawn structure and his chance in this game:

Every chess game can abruptly end with a blunder. Today was a clear example.

[Event "GRENKE Chess Classic 2015"] [Site "Baden-Baden"] [Date "2015.02.04"] [Round "3"] [White "Adams, Michael"] [Black "Baramidze, David"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C84"] [WhiteElo "2738"] [BlackElo "2594"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "61"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [EventCountry "GER"] [TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"] 1. e4 {0} e5 {0} 2. Nf3 {0} Nc6 {0} 3. Bb5 {0} a6 {4} 4. Ba4 {0} Nf6 {9} 5. O-O {0} Be7 {6} 6. d3 {2} d6 {417} 7. c3 {9} O-O {14} 8. Re1 {28} b5 {72} 9. Bc2 {8 } d5 {23} 10. Nbd2 {92} dxe4 {47} 11. dxe4 {89} Be6 {64} 12. a4 {270} Bc5 {60} 13. Qe2 {229} Ba7 {831} 14. h3 {353} Nh5 {178} 15. Nf1 {461} Qf6 {1665} 16. Bd3 {857} Ne7 $2 {811 Oblivious to the following sequence.} (16... b4 {keeps the game interesting. Black will lose a6 but he has some compensation for it in the form of pressure on the kingside and counterattack against a4.}) 17. axb5 { 688} axb5 {302} 18. Rxa7 $1 {195} Rxa7 {12} 19. Bg5 {11} Qg6 {230} 20. Qe3 {15 A nasty double attack. White threatens the rook on g5, but with the protection of the g5 bishop he also threatens Nh4, trapping the queen!} f6 {71} 21. Qxa7 { 105} fxg5 {17} 22. Nxe5 {1549} (22. Qxc7 {was perhaps even easier.}) 22... Qf6 {29} 23. Ng4 {96} Bxg4 {100} 24. hxg4 {6} Nf4 {73} 25. Bxb5 {188 Black is down two pawns. His pressure on the kingside does not come close to compensating for that.} Nxg2 {398} 26. Kxg2 {170} Ng6 {99} 27. Nh2 {288} Nf4+ {340} 28. Kh1 {39} Nh3 {19} 29. Qe3 {310} Nxf2+ {62} 30. Kg2 {98} Qe5 {16} 31. Bc4+ {22} 1-0

Naiditsch, Arkadij 1-0 Carlsen, Magnus

This is a very difficult game to describe. Carlsen decided to sacrifice a piece in the opening for no apparent reason, and it simply did not pay off. He got compensation by outplaying his opponent, but when he finally had a good grasp on the resulting endgame he wasted too much time and the German player was able to promote his passed pawn:

[Event "GRENKE Chess Classic 2015"] [Site "Baden-Baden"] [Date "2015.02.04"] [Round "3"] [White "Naiditsch, Arkadij"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B06"] [WhiteElo "2694"] [BlackElo "2862"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "121"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [EventCountry "GER"] [TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"] 1. e4 {25} g6 {0} 2. d4 {27} Bg7 {0} 3. Nc3 {9} d6 {0} 4. Be3 {21} a6 {9 Even though the Modern defense is not practiced by most top level grandmasters, it is not a bad opening; White needs to navigate it well to obtain some sort of opening advantage, and even with it the positions remain double edged.} 5. a4 { 154} Nf6 {693} 6. h3 {97} O-O {361} 7. g4 $5 {418 A typical idea, White is simply trying to restrain Black all over the board, preventing him from executing his breaks, f5 or b5.} e5 {580} 8. d5 {329} c6 {463} 9. Nge2 {243} cxd5 {75} 10. exd5 {23} Bxg4 $6 {251 Maybe an extra exclamation mark for how spectacular it is for the World Champion to do this, but another question mark for how dubious this idea is. Black sacrifice a piece for two pawns, but that's basically all there is to it.} 11. hxg4 {67} Nxg4 {2} 12. Qd2 {1356} Nd7 {71} 13. Ne4 {1009} f5 {906 Black also is able to kick out the e4 knight, but White can live without this square.} 14. Bg5 {84} Qb6 {81} 15. Bh3 {15 Naiditsch's positoin is holding together and now Carlsen is forced to trade some pieces.} Ndf6 {831} (15... Qxb2 16. O-O {looks suicidal. White has the threats of Bxg4 and Rfb1, trapping the queen.}) 16. Nxf6+ {175} Nxf6 {7} 17. Nc3 $6 {156 When you are up material, there rarely is a good reason to give your opponent counterplay. In this case giving up a pawn was not necessary.} ( 17. b3 $16) 17... Qxb2 {99} 18. Rb1 {90} Qa3 {2} 19. Rxb7 {412} Rf7 $6 {854} ( 19... Rab8 $1 20. Rxg7+ Kxg7 21. Bxf5 gxf5 22. Bxf6+ Kxf6 $1 {Is just a draw, according to the heartless monsters.}) 20. Rb3 {179} Qc5 {43} 21. Qe3 {314} Qc7 {172} 22. Qb6 $1 {102} e4 {102} 23. Qc6 {376 A little fancy, just trading was better.} Rc8 {178} 24. O-O {263} Qxc6 {161} 25. dxc6 {5} Rxc6 {8} 26. Rfb1 {33 Carlsen again has three pawns for the piece, but now the pair of bishops and the weak a6 pawn give Naiditsch an obvious target. Not only that, but with the queens off there is little counterplay for Black.} h6 {152} 27. Bxf6 {286} Bxf6 {15} 28. Nxe4 $1 {52 A trade of advantages. The endgame after fxe4 is practically very difficult so Carlsen decides to give up the pawn again.} Be5 { 52} (28... fxe4 29. Be6 Kf8 30. Bxf7 Kxf7 31. Rb6 Rxc2 32. Rxd6 {and the rooks simply destroy all of Black's pawns.}) 29. Nd2 {159} (29. Rb6 $1 {just a touch more exact.}) 29... Rxc2 {27} 30. Nf3 {7} Ra2 {161} 31. Bg2 $6 {344} (31. Nxe5 $1 dxe5 32. Rb6 Rxa4 33. Rxg6+ {White only has one pawn left, but it should be sufficient to win.} Kh7 34. Rbb6 $18) 31... Bf6 {74} 32. Nh2 {41} Kg7 {71} 33. Bd5 {47} Re7 {32} 34. Rb4 {33} Rd2 $1 {38} 35. Bc4 {2} a5 $1 {203} 36. Rb7 {8} Rd4 {82} 37. Rxe7+ {22} Bxe7 {1} 38. Bb5 {22} h5 {69 With the amount of Black pawns he has enough to compensate for the missing piece. However the most important aspect is that White has no real targets: a5 can now be easily defended by the bishop.} 39. Nf3 {28} Rf4 {9} 40. Kg2 {97} h4 {67} 41. Rd1 {586 } Rg4+ {102} 42. Kf1 {59} h3 {68} 43. Rd3 {551} Bf6 {817} 44. Nh2 {505} Rh4 { 186} 45. Kg1 {6} (45. Rxd6 Be5 46. Rd7+ Kf6 47. Kg1 Rb4 48. Rh7 $1 $14) 45... Bd4 {148} 46. Rf3 {469} Kf6 {182} 47. Nf1 {38 with Black's pieces so active and his threatening pawn on h3, it would seem as if only Carlsen is playing for a win.} Be5 {101} (47... d5 $1) 48. Ne3 {118} Kg5 $2 {165 This move is already strange. The king will have to go back to f6 so it does nothing but waste important time.} 49. Kh1 {213} Kf6 $6 {802} 50. Nc4 {64 Suddenly Black has done nothing, meanwhile White slowly brought his knight to take the key pawn on a5!} g5 {32} 51. Nxa5 {343} g4 {272} 52. Rd3 {6} f4 {218} 53. Nc4 {9 Black's pawns look threatening, but they are not queening right away.} Rh7 {140 } (53... g3 54. fxg3 fxg3 55. Nxe5 g2+ 56. Kh2 Kxe5 57. Bd7 {and the pawns start falling (Rxh3 cannot be prevented). Notice that the a-pawn is the correct color to win with.}) 54. Nxe5 {156} dxe5 {14} 55. a5 {46} Rc7 {182} 56. Ra3 {184} Rc1+ {105} 57. Kh2 {8} Rc2 {29} 58. a6 $1 {79 Well calculated, those four connected passed pawns are not as relevant as the one passed pawn on the a-file!} Rxf2+ {61} 59. Kh1 {61} g3 {89} 60. a7 {33} Rd2 {43 One last trick, if White promotes there is backrank mate.} 61. Ra1 {946} 1-0

Arkadij Naidtisch shares first place with Fabiano Caruana

The World Champion will have time to reflect on

what he was thinking as tomorrow is a free day

Standings

Replay Round Three Games

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Schedule

Round 01 - February 02, 2015, 15:00 Caruana Fabiano 2811 ½-½ Anand Viswanathan 2797 Bacrot Etienne 2711 ½-½ Baramidze David 2594 Aronian Levon 2777 ½-½ Carlsen Magnus 2865 Adams Michael 2738 ½-½ Naiditsch Arkadij 2706 Round 02 - February 03, 2015, 15:00 Anand Viswanathan 2797 ½-½ Naiditsch Arkadij 2706 Carlsen Magnus 2865 1-0 Adams Michael 2738 Baramidze David 2594 ½-½ Aronian Levon 2777 Caruana Fabiano 2811 ½-½ Bacrot Etienne 2711 Round 03 - February 04, 2015, 15:00 Bacrot Etienne 2711 ½-½ Anand Viswanathan 2797 Aronian Levon 2777 0-1 Caruana Fabiano 2811 Adams Michael 2738 1-0 Baramidze David 2594 Naiditsch Arkadij 2706 1-0 Carlsen Magnus 2865 Round 04 - February 06, 2015, 15:00 Anand Viswanathan 2797 - Carlsen Magnus 2865 Baramidze David 2594 - Naiditsch Arkadij 2706 Caruana Fabiano 2811 - Adams Michael 2738 Bacrot Etienne 2711 - Aronian Levon 2777 Round 05 - February 07, 2015, 15:00 Aronian Levon 2777 - Anand Viswanathan 2797 Adams Michael 2738 - Bacrot Etienne 2711 Naiditsch Arkadij 2706 - Caruana Fabiano 2811 Carlsen Magnus 2865 - Baramidze David 2594 Round 06 - February 08, 2015, 15:00 Anand Viswanathan 2797 - Baramidze David 2594 Caruana Fabiano 2811 - Carlsen Magnus 2865 Bacrot Etienne 2711 - Naiditsch Arkadij 2706 Aronian Levon 2777 - Adams Michael 2738 Round 07 - February 09, 2015, 15:00 Adams Michael 2738 - Anand Viswanathan 2797 Naiditsch Arkadij 2706 - Aronian Levon 2777 Carlsen Magnus 2865 - Bacrot Etienne 2711 Baramidze David 2594 - Caruana Fabiano 2811

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04.02.2014 Round 3 Daniel King 05.02.2014 Free Day 06.02.2014 Round 4 Daniel King 07.02.2014 Round 5 Oliver Reeh/Dorian Rogozenco 08.02.2014 Round 6 Simon Williams 09.02.2014 Round 7 Mihail Marin

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All photos: Georgios Souleidis