Shakhriyar Mamedyarov stands as the winner of the FIDE Grand Prix in Riga. He beats Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a nerve-wracking tie-break thanks to a win in the last Armageddon game. With this victory in the second leg of the Grand Prix Series, he earns 24,000 euros and shares the lead with Alexander Grischuk in the overall standings with 10 points.
19.g4! [Undermining the black pawn chain and opening the g-file for his rooks.]
[19.Bxe6 Qxe6 20.g4 0–0 21.gxf5 Qxf5 22.Rh2 Rae8 23.h4²; 19.h4 h5 20.f3 Bxc4 21.Nxc4 0–0–0 22.fxe4 fxe4 23.Kb1 Kb8 24.Qf2 Ka8 25.Rc1 Qe6² /=]
19...Bxc4 20.Qxc4 Nh4 21.Rhg1± [¹21.d5! cxd5 22.Qxd5 Rd8 23.Qb3 Qf7 24.gxf5 Qxb3 25.axb3 Nxf5 26.Nxe4±]
1–0
[19.Bxe6 Qxe6 20.g4 0–0 21.gxf5 Qxf5 22.Rh2 Rae8 23.h4²; 19.h4 h5 20.f3 Bxc4 21.Nxc4 0–0–0 22.fxe4 fxe4 23.Kb1 Kb8 24.Qf2 Ka8 25.Rc1 Qe6² /=]
19...Bxc4 20.Qxc4 Nh4 21.Rhg1± [¹21.d5! cxd5 22.Qxd5 Rd8 23.Qb3 Qf7 24.gxf5 Qxb3 25.axb3 Nxf5 26.Nxe4±]
1–0
84.f5! [84.Re6 Ra8+ 85.Re8 Ra3 86.Kg8 Ra6 87.Rf8 Rb6 88.Rd8 Rc6 89.Rd3 Ra6 90.Kf7 Ra7+ 91.Ke6 Kg7=; 84.Rc8 Ra3 85.Kg8 Ra7 86.Rc3 Ra6 87.Kf7 Ra7+ 88.Ke6 Ra6+ 89.Ke5 Ra5+ 90.Ke4 Ra4+ 91.Ke3 Kg7=]
84...Ra6 [84...gxf5 85.Re6+ Kh7 86.Re7+ Rxe7 87.Kxe7 Kg6 88.Ke6 Kg7 89.Kxf5]
85.Kf7 Ra7+ 86.Re7 Ra3 [86...Ra6 87.f6 Rb6 88.Re8 Kh7 89.Ke7 Rb7+ 90.Kf8 Rb1 91.f7+–]
87.f6?? [87.Re6 Ra7+ 88.Ke8 Ra8+ 89.Kd7 Ra7+ 90.Kc6 Kh7 91.Rxg6±]
87...g5! 88.hxg5+ Kxg5 89.Re5+ Kh6 90.Kf8 Kg6 91.f7 Ra8+?? [91...Kf6! 92.Re7 Ra8+ 93.Re8 Ra7=]
92.Re8 Ra7 93.Re6+ Kh7 94.Rf6 Ra8+ 95.Ke7 Ra7+ 96.Ke6 Ra6+ 97.Kf5 Ra5+ 98.Kf4 Ra4+ 99.Kf3 Ra3+ 100.Kg2
1–0
84...Ra6 [84...gxf5 85.Re6+ Kh7 86.Re7+ Rxe7 87.Kxe7 Kg6 88.Ke6 Kg7 89.Kxf5]
85.Kf7 Ra7+ 86.Re7 Ra3 [86...Ra6 87.f6 Rb6 88.Re8 Kh7 89.Ke7 Rb7+ 90.Kf8 Rb1 91.f7+–]
87.f6?? [87.Re6 Ra7+ 88.Ke8 Ra8+ 89.Kd7 Ra7+ 90.Kc6 Kh7 91.Rxg6±]
87...g5! 88.hxg5+ Kxg5 89.Re5+ Kh6 90.Kf8 Kg6 91.f7 Ra8+?? [91...Kf6! 92.Re7 Ra8+ 93.Re8 Ra7=]
92.Re8 Ra7 93.Re6+ Kh7 94.Rf6 Ra8+ 95.Ke7 Ra7+ 96.Ke6 Ra6+ 97.Kf5 Ra5+ 98.Kf4 Ra4+ 99.Kf3 Ra3+ 100.Kg2
1–0
14.f3! [A clever move. Alireza attacks the opponent's central knight and sets up a trap.]
14...Nc5? [Black falls into the trap. He should have instantly continued his plan on the queenside:]
[14...c5™ 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.fxe4 Rxf1+ 17.Kxf1 d4! △N×e5 18.Nd2 Nxe5 19.cxd4 cxd4 20.Nf3 d3 21.Bxd3 Qxd3! (21...Nxd3?? 22.Bg5!+– △Rd1) 22.Qxd3 Nxd3 23.Ke2 Nb4=]
15.f4! [△f5]
15...Bd7 16.f5 Ne7 17.Bg5?!± [¹17.f6! gxf6 18.exf6 Ng6 19.Qh5+– △Qh6]
14...Nc5? [Black falls into the trap. He should have instantly continued his plan on the queenside:]
[14...c5™ 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.fxe4 Rxf1+ 17.Kxf1 d4! △N×e5 18.Nd2 Nxe5 19.cxd4 cxd4 20.Nf3 d3 21.Bxd3 Qxd3! (21...Nxd3?? 22.Bg5!+– △Rd1) 22.Qxd3 Nxd3 23.Ke2 Nb4=]
15.f4! [△f5]
15...Bd7 16.f5 Ne7 17.Bg5?!± [¹17.f6! gxf6 18.exf6 Ng6 19.Qh5+– △Qh6]
Unity Chess Strategy Multiple Choice 264
public poll
C) b×c5 – 6
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 60%
@mahyarebrahimi1983, Nikhil, Atilla, @Steve1234567890qwerty, @SophiaCat_does_Chess, Arianna
A) Rad8 – 4
👍👍👍👍👍 40%
Max, Majid, @MerissaWongso, @Kasyapat1
B) Nc3
▫️ 0%
👥 10 people voted so far.
public poll
C) b×c5 – 6
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 60%
@mahyarebrahimi1983, Nikhil, Atilla, @Steve1234567890qwerty, @SophiaCat_does_Chess, Arianna
A) Rad8 – 4
👍👍👍👍👍 40%
Max, Majid, @MerissaWongso, @Kasyapat1
B) Nc3
▫️ 0%
👥 10 people voted so far.
Unity Chess Endgame Multiple Choice 264
public poll
C) Nc3 – 5
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 63%
Max, Nikhil, @Steve1234567890qwerty, @MerissaWongso, @Kasyapat1
A) R×b4 – 2
👍👍👍 25%
@SophiaCat_does_Chess, Arianna
B) Ra7 – 1
👍 13%
S.f
👥 8 people voted so far.
public poll
C) Nc3 – 5
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 63%
Max, Nikhil, @Steve1234567890qwerty, @MerissaWongso, @Kasyapat1
A) R×b4 – 2
👍👍👍 25%
@SophiaCat_does_Chess, Arianna
B) Ra7 – 1
👍 13%
S.f
👥 8 people voted so far.
In the Hotel Kurhaus, The Hague, 23rd February 1948 - the Soviet delegation for the FIDE World Championship match-tournament.
Standing: Kotov, ?, ?.
Seated: Postnikov, Smyslov, Bondarevsky, Keres, ?, Flohr, Lilienthal.
@UnityChess
Standing: Kotov, ?, ?.
Seated: Postnikov, Smyslov, Bondarevsky, Keres, ?, Flohr, Lilienthal.
@UnityChess
“Above all else, before playing in competitions a player must have regard to his health, for if he is suffering from ill-health he cannot hope for success.”
🔸 Mikhail Botvinnik
@UnityChess
🔸 Mikhail Botvinnik
@UnityChess
Uhlmann vs Fischer Leipzig chess Olympiad.
This was they're second incounter in which Uhlmann went for the four pawns attack against the Kings Indian and Bobby at one point decided to trade off some peaces and go in to his favourite Bishop vs Knight end-game and he won the game.
@UnityChess
This was they're second incounter in which Uhlmann went for the four pawns attack against the Kings Indian and Bobby at one point decided to trade off some peaces and go in to his favourite Bishop vs Knight end-game and he won the game.
@UnityChess