12...e5! [A well-timed pawn lever which activates Black's light-squared bishop.]

[12...e6 13.0–0–0 0–0 14.Qd2 e5 15.d5 Qh4 16.dxc6 bxc6 17.Kb1 Nf4 18.Qc1 Ne6³; 12...Qd7 13.a4 e5 14.dxe5 Bxe5 15.a5 Nc8 16.Rd1 Qxd3 17.Bxd3 Nf4 18.Ne2 Ng2+ 19.Kd2 Nxe3 20.fxe3=]

13.dxe5 Bxe5 14.Qxd8+ Rxd8=/+

0–1

⚫️#250 (Endgame-Black to Move)
🔸Godena,M (2463)
🔸Moroni,L (2559)
🔸78th ch-ITA 2018

37...Rd2+ [37...Rb1 38.Rd6+ Kc5 39.Rd2 g5 40.hxg5 hxg5 41.Rd8 Rb2+ 42.Kf1 Ne2 43.Rd5+ Kb4 44.Rxe5 Ng3+ 45.Kg1 Re2 46.Rxg5 Rxe1+ 47.Kf2 Rb1 48.Kxg3 c3 49.Rg8 c2 50.Rc8 c1Q 51.Rxc1 Rxc1 52.Kf4 Rc8 53.Ke5 Kc5 54.f4 Re8+ 55.Kf5 (55.Kf6 Rxe4 56.f5 (56.g4 Rxf4+ 57.Kg5 Rf8 58.Kg6 Kd4 59.Kg7 Rf1 60.g5 Ke5 61.g6 Ke6 62.Kh7 Rg1 63.g7 Kf7) 56...Kd6 57.Kg5 Ke5 58.g4 Rb4 59.Kh5 Kf6–+) 55...Kd6 56.e5+ Kd5 57.Kg4 Ke6 58.Kf3 Rb8 59.g4 Rb4 60.Ke3 Kd5 61.g5 Rb3+ 62.Kf2 Ke4 63.g6 Rb6–+; 37...Nb5 38.Nc2+ Kd3 39.Ne1+ Kd2 40.Rxe5 Nd4 41.Rd5 Kc3 42.Rd7 Rd2+ 43.Kf1 Nxf3 44.Rxg7 Nxe1 45.Kxe1 Rd4 46.e5 Re4+ 47.Kd1 Rxe5 48.g4=]

38.Kf1 Ne2 39.g4 [39.Rd6+ Ke3 40.Rxd2 Kxd2 41.Kf2 Nf4 42.g3 Nd3+ 43.Nxd3 cxd3–+]

39...Nf4 40.Rc6 c3

0–1

🔸78th ch-ITA 2018
🔸Round 6
⚪️Sonis,Francesco (2499)
⚫️David,Alb (2555)
🔸0-1

21...Nxe4! [Clearing the f6–square for the bishop in order to put pressure on the d4–pawn.]

[21...Nd5?! 22.Nd6! Nxf4 23.gxf4 Bf6 24.Rad1 Rad8 25.d5! N×b7 25...Bxd5 26.Nxb7 Rd7 27.Na5 Bxb2 28.Nxc6 Bxc6 29.Bxc6=]

22.Bxe4 Bf6 23.Be5 Bxe5! [Ra5]

24.dxe5 Ra5! [24...Rfd8!? 25.b3 g6 26.Red1 Rxd1+ 27.Rxd1 axb3 28.axb3 Bxb3 29.Rd4 Rb4 29...Kg7 30.Rb4 Ra4-/+]

25.Rec1 Rd8-/+ [25...Rb5!? 26.b3 axb3 27.axb3 Rxb3 28.Rab1 Re3 29.Re1 Rxe1+ 30.Rxe1 Ra8-/+]

⚪️#251 (Strategy-White to Move)
🔸David,Alb (2555)
🔸Valsecchi,A (2497)
🔸78th ch-ITA 2018

Unity Chess Strategy Multiple Choice 251
public poll

C) g4 – 6
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 75%
@Ismailaqa, @mahyarebrahimi1983, @RahmaniArapardaz, S.f, Majid, ThebestBoss@_Kasyap

A) Kh1 – 1
👍 13%
Nikhil

B) Ra1 – 1
👍 13%
@vahike

👥 8 people voted so far.

⚪️#251 (Endgame-White to Move)
🔸Di Benedetto,Desiree (2271)
🔸Andolfatto,Maria (2065)
🔸78th ch-ITA 2018

Unity Chess Endgame Multiple Choice 251
public poll

C) Qc7 – 5
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 63%
@mahyarebrahimi1983, Majid, George, @Kingbosskasyap, @vahike

A) Q×f6+ – 2
👍👍👍 25%
M.s.s, اوین

B) Qd7 – 1
👍 13%
Nikhil

👥 8 people voted so far.

A big day for Magnus Carlsen as he wins his first classical game against Lan Nepomniachtchi and jumps into clear first in the #GrandChessTour Croatia.

Sam Copeland reports:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/carlsen-wins-1st-classical-game-vs-nepomniachtchi-leads-grand-chess-tour

Too easy.

Make concessions early and seek counterplay hard is not exactly what they tell you in school but some things can't be taught. (link: https://bit.ly/2XlTFRk) bit.ly/2XlTFRk

The make-or-break moment narrated by Yasser Seirawan.
Yasser "Magnus knows once he sees that move he's got this game cold & yet he just writes down the move & reaches for his pawn. Kasparov would have gotten up, done a backwards flip, come down on both feet & rubbed the pawn onto the g4-square to let you know you'd blundered & lost"

Carlsen scores his 21st win in 2019, now only 5 points away from his 2882 World Record. Still needs 3 points in his last 4 games to break the record on an official list, 2,5 to score above expected. #GrandChessTour

Some Carlsen statistics:
🏆Performance Croatia GCT: 2933
🏆Performance 2019: 2921
🏆75 games without a loss
🏆Rating performance with white: 2981 (+12 =10 -0)
🏆Rating performance with black: 2872 (+9 =16 -0)