50. Kxf5??
Wesley could have saved the game with 50. e6!
50...Nd5 51. Bd4 and now:
A) 51...f4 52. Kg4 Ke7 53. Bc5+ Kxe6 54. Bxb4 Nxb4 55. Kxf4 Nd3+ 56. Ke4 Nxb2 57. Kd4 Kf5 58. Kc3 Ke4 59. Kxb2 Kd3 60. Kc1=
B) 51... b3 52. Kxf5 c3 53. Bxc3 Nxc3 54.Ke5 Ke7 55. Kd4 Na2 56. Kc4 Nc1 57. Kd5 Nd3 58. Kc4 =
50... c3 0-1
If 51. bxc3, then 51...b3
Wesley could have saved the game with 50. e6!
50...Nd5 51. Bd4 and now:
A) 51...f4 52. Kg4 Ke7 53. Bc5+ Kxe6 54. Bxb4 Nxb4 55. Kxf4 Nd3+ 56. Ke4 Nxb2 57. Kd4 Kf5 58. Kc3 Ke4 59. Kxb2 Kd3 60. Kc1=
B) 51... b3 52. Kxf5 c3 53. Bxc3 Nxc3 54.Ke5 Ke7 55. Kd4 Na2 56. Kc4 Nc1 57. Kd5 Nd3 58. Kc4 =
50... c3 0-1
If 51. bxc3, then 51...b3
54. Re7??
A strange blunder. Fabiano has completely forgotten that the e3-knight is pinned. ☺️
54. Rg1 Qe5 55. R8g6+ Kh7 56. R6g5 Kh6 57. Rxf5 +-
54... Qxe7 0-1
A strange blunder. Fabiano has completely forgotten that the e3-knight is pinned. ☺️
54. Rg1 Qe5 55. R8g6+ Kh7 56. R6g5 Kh6 57. Rxf5 +-
54... Qxe7 0-1
46... Re8?
Mamedyarov missed an opportunity to win the game.
46... Re1!+ 47. Rxe1 Qxd5 48. c8=Q Qxd6 -+
47. Qxb3 axb3 48. Rb1 b2 49. Ba3 Rc8 50. Bxb2 Rxc7 1/2-1/2
Mamedyarov missed an opportunity to win the game.
46... Re1!+ 47. Rxe1 Qxd5 48. c8=Q Qxd6 -+
47. Qxb3 axb3 48. Rb1 b2 49. Ba3 Rc8 50. Bxb2 Rxc7 1/2-1/2
17...Qd7!
Black vacates the d6-square for the knight and tries to defend against the threat of Qa4. 17...Qd7 prepares ...Nb7-d6. The game continuation avoids 17...Rae8? 18 Bd2 and White is better because he can exchange on a5, destroying Black's queenside, and if 18...Nb7 then 19 Qa4 is winning.
18.Ng3 Rae8! 19.Bd2 Nb7 20.Ne4 Nd6 21.Nxd6 Qxd6 22.Qa4?!
Boris: My opponent evaluated the position too optimistically and decided to take the a7 pawn. However, the queen on a7 will be excluded from the game, allowing Black a strong and sudden kingside counterattack.
22...Bc8 23.Qxa7 Be5! 24.h3?! Bd4!
After provoking the weakness on h3, Black is ready to sacrifice on h3 and give check on g3. In order to accomplish this, I need to pin the f2-pawn.
Black vacates the d6-square for the knight and tries to defend against the threat of Qa4. 17...Qd7 prepares ...Nb7-d6. The game continuation avoids 17...Rae8? 18 Bd2 and White is better because he can exchange on a5, destroying Black's queenside, and if 18...Nb7 then 19 Qa4 is winning.
18.Ng3 Rae8! 19.Bd2 Nb7 20.Ne4 Nd6 21.Nxd6 Qxd6 22.Qa4?!
Boris: My opponent evaluated the position too optimistically and decided to take the a7 pawn. However, the queen on a7 will be excluded from the game, allowing Black a strong and sudden kingside counterattack.
22...Bc8 23.Qxa7 Be5! 24.h3?! Bd4!
After provoking the weakness on h3, Black is ready to sacrifice on h3 and give check on g3. In order to accomplish this, I need to pin the f2-pawn.
14.Qa4!
By threatening to increase the pressure with 15 Qb5, White forces Black to take on d5.
14...Nxd5 15.cxd5 Nb8 16.Qc2!
Boris: Now that I have forced Black to play his knight back to b8, I hope to take advantage of its poor placement.
16...c6 17.Nc3 Rc8 18.dxc6! Nxc6 19.Qa4! Rab8! 20.Qb5 Be6 21.Nd5 Qf7 22.Rbc1+/=
By threatening to increase the pressure with 15 Qb5, White forces Black to take on d5.
14...Nxd5 15.cxd5 Nb8 16.Qc2!
Boris: Now that I have forced Black to play his knight back to b8, I hope to take advantage of its poor placement.
16...c6 17.Nc3 Rc8 18.dxc6! Nxc6 19.Qa4! Rab8! 20.Qb5 Be6 21.Nd5 Qf7 22.Rbc1+/=
Unity Chess Multiple Choice 627
public poll
C: N×d7 – 6
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 55%
Gavin, Evan, @Sophia_Peng, @Amflower, Zhenrui, Sanjana
B: Bc2 – 3
👍👍👍👍 27%
Vincent, @RichardPeng, Rachel
A: g4 – 2
👍👍 18%
@Ismailaqa, @YaminiG
👥 11 people voted so far.
public poll
C: N×d7 – 6
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 55%
Gavin, Evan, @Sophia_Peng, @Amflower, Zhenrui, Sanjana
B: Bc2 – 3
👍👍👍👍 27%
Vincent, @RichardPeng, Rachel
A: g4 – 2
👍👍 18%
@Ismailaqa, @YaminiG
👥 11 people voted so far.
Unity Chess Multiple Choice 628
public poll
B: f4 – 7
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 64%
Gavin, Evan, @Sophia_Peng, Yiyi, @AryanLeekha, Zhenrui, Sanjana
C: Qd2 – 3
👍👍👍 27%
Vincent, @YaminiG, Rachel
A: a3 – 1
👍 9%
@RichardPeng
👥 11 people voted so far.
public poll
B: f4 – 7
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 64%
Gavin, Evan, @Sophia_Peng, Yiyi, @AryanLeekha, Zhenrui, Sanjana
C: Qd2 – 3
👍👍👍 27%
Vincent, @YaminiG, Rachel
A: a3 – 1
👍 9%
@RichardPeng
👥 11 people voted so far.
Rd 3 at the Sinquefield Cup: Grischuk beat Nakamura after 89 moves and 6.5 hours of play (Bishop and 4 pawns vs. Bishop and 2 pawns endgame, same colored bishops) The other games, Aronian-Carlsen, Mamedyarov-Caruana, Vachier_Lagrave-So, and Karjakin-Anand, all drew.