Strong moves

In the diagram below you see a position from Carlsen - Wang Yue (Bazna 2010). White has rook for bishop, but the position is not easy to play for White and it would take a long time to realize the advantage. Fortunately - from Magnus point of view - Black blundered with his last move 45.- g6-g5?

Now White played the amazing move 46.g4! This is a tactical shot since the following moves are forced: 46.- hxg4 47.h5! (the idea behind g4; now White has a passed pawn) 47.- Be4 48.Rc7! f5 49.h6 f4 50.h7 g3+ 51.Ke1 f3 52.h8-Q f2+ 53.Ke2 (53.Kd2) Bd3+ 54.Ke3 1-0

With games like this Magnus Carlsen proves that he will be the next World Chess Champion. At least I have no doubt that this is going to happen.

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Horrible endgame technique

Below you see a position from Bologan - Motylev (Poikovsky 2010). Black played 61.- f4?? which loses on the spot (61.- g5 is draw).

Black's idea is hard to understand. Fixing the pawn f3 on a white square? Now White has an easy way to win. 62.Bc3+ Kg5 (62.- Kf7 loses the pawn f4 and the game after Kd4-Ke4-Bd2) 63.Bxg7 Kxh5 64.Bd4 Kh4 (maybe Black is dreaming about winning the pawn f3 and sacrificing the bishop for the d-pawn, but this is not going to happen) 65.Bc5 (65.Bf2+ is better) Bb8 66.Kd4 Kg5 (66.- Kg3 67.Ke4 loses the f-pawn after White's d6, d7, Bd6, Bxf4+) 67.d6 a5 68.Kd5 a4 69.Bb6 1-0

Horrible.

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Tactis (33)

White forces a win in Jakovenko - Bologan (Poikovsky 2010).

Solution (diff. ♠♠♠○○): 1.d6 Rd2 2.d7!! Rxd7 (2.- Kg7 3.Bf5 Nc5 4.Re8 Nxd7 5.Re7+ +-) 3.Be8! winning an exchange (1-0, 58.)

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Blunder (13)

Not many people would call the World Championship 2010 between Anand and Topalov boring. Yesterday in game eight Anand even delivered one of the worst moves in the history of the WC and - as a bonus - he lost an endgame with uneven bishops. You can't get more for your money.



In the diagram position Anand with the black pieces blundered with 54.- Bc6?? 55.Kh6 Kg8 (with the bishop still on b5 or a4 black could have protected the pawn h7 with the bishop) 56.g4 1-0
A bit early to resign one would say, but the way to win is quiete simple as shown in the diagram below:

White plays the bishop to g7, pushes the pawn on g6 and after the exchange on g6 his king has a free path to e7 since the black king cannot follow because the square f8 is attacked by the Bg7!

Coming back to move 54. GM Shipov gives an easy line how black could have saved the draw: 54.- Ke8 55.f4 Kd7 56.g4 Bd3 57.f5 exf5 58.gxf5 h6+! 59.Kg6 Bc2 (diagram below).


If White continous Bg3, Kf6-e5, f6 Black blocks the white squares with Bg6 and possibily Ke6 and there is nothing to do for White anymore.

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Tactics (32)

Black to move forces a win in Delekta - Geller (Capelle la Grande 1992).

Solution (diff. ●●○○○): 1.- Qxg3!! (2.hxg3 g5! and Rh6# is not to prevent anymore) 0-1

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Tactics (31)

White moves and wins in Graf - Carlsen (Spanish League 2004).

Solution (diff. ●●○○○): 1.Bc6! Wins a piece after the next move Rd8+ 1-0

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Blunder (12)

In the diagram below we see a position from Sharafiev - Gabrielian (Russian League 2010). White to move is a piece up, but Black creates some pressure with his d-pawn. Now White makes a big mistake by trying to solve the problem of the d-pawn immediately with 33.Re3??

Now Black played 33.- Qxe3+!! (34.Qxe3 d2 -+) 0-1

What a pity! Good moves for White would have been 33.Ne4, 33.Kh2 or 33.Nh1