FIDE Hamburg Grand Prix 2019, RD1: Svidler Through After Beating Harikrishna

poster, FIDE Hamburg Grand Prix 2019, 'Hamburg Plays Chess'. — Image © World Chess.

The FIDE Hamburg Grand Prix 2019, got under way on November 5th. It is the 3rd leg of 4 in this year’s cycle. Competing are (in no particular order): Alexander Grischuk (RUS 2764), Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS 2773), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA 2777), Radoslaw Wojtaszek (POL 2728), Hikaru Nakamura (USA 2741), Peter Svidler (RUS 2719), Daniil Dubov (RUS 2676), Wei Yi (CHN 2724), Veselin Topalov (BUL 2736), Yu Yangyi (CHN 2724), Jan Kyzysztof Duda (POL 2748), Teimour Radjabov (AZE 2767), Nikita Vitiugov (RUS 2751), Pentala Harikrishna (IND 2731), David Navara (CZE 2703), Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS 2691).

The Grand Prix are of course knock-out tournaments, with the players being paired to play 2-game matches. The time control is 90 minutes for the game, with 30 minutes added after move 40. There is a 30-second per move increment from move 1.

If the match is tied 1-1, up to 4 rounds of tie-breaks will be played. These are again the best of 2 games. They will start with 25-minutes with 10-second per move increments and, if required, proceed to G10+10s, G5+3s, and Armageddon.

Round one saw Russian Grandmaster, Peter Svidler, going through in decisive fashion against Indian Grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna. Svidler made the most of his White game, out-playing his opponent in a Giuoco Piano.

   [Event "Hamburg FIDE Grand Prix"]  [Site "Hamburg GER"]  [Date "2019.11.05"]  [Round "1.1"]  [White "Svidler, Peter"]  [Black "Harikrishna, Pentala"]  [Result "1-0"]  [BlackElo "2731"]  [BlackFideId "5007003"]  [BlackTitle "GM"]  [ECO "C50"]  [EventDate "2019.11.05"]  [Opening "Giuoco Piano"]  [WhiteElo "2719"]  [WhiteFideId "4102142"]  [WhiteTitle "GM"]   { Annotations by John Lee Shaw for www.hotoffthechess.com. } 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.O-O Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.c3 a6 7.a4 h6 8.a5 O-O 9.h3 Ba7 10.Be3 d5 { A novelty, from both 10...Bxe3 (Alekseenko vs Grischuk, Isle of Man 2019, 1/2-1/2) and 10...Bd7 (Nevednichy vs Georgiev, Thessaloniki 2018, 1-0). Harikrishna is in a more confrontational mood. } 11.exd5 Nxd5 12.Bxa7 { There appears to be nothing better than this. If the bishop has to go, then it is preferable to take its opposite number with it -- especially as its opposite number is firing along the g1-a7 diagonal, right at the white King. } 12...Rxa7 { Obviously, this recapture is forced, as the e5 pawn hangs if the Nc6 takes. Putting the rook here is another feature of White's capture on a7, as Black will need to take some time in order to develop it. } 13.Re1 { The optimum move, bringing the rook onto the semi-open file, where it keeps the pressure on the e5-pawn. Alternatives, (Nbd2 for instance), are too slow. } ( 13.Nbd2 { The problem with this move, is that it allows Black to expand on the Queenside ... } 13...b5 14.axb6 { Probably the best move, but this helps Black's Ra7. } 14...cxb6 { Now the Ra7 can use the 7th rank to redeploy itself. } 15.Re1 ( 15.Bxd5 Qxd5 16.Nc4 { And Black can choose between 16...Qb5 and 16...Be6 (if 17.Nxb6 then ...Qb5), and wont be too displeased. } ) 15...b5 16.Bxd5 Qxd5 { And Black has equalised at the very worst. } ) 13...Nf4 { ! A good move, the knight is quite annoying here, giving White a few things to think about. } 14.Nxe5 { ? It strikes as a bit of a lunge, this, and results in Harikrishna getting some good activity for his pawn. However, it was the correct route if Svidler wanted to try to make the most of his White game. The more patient 14.Nbd2 is rather drawy. } ( 14.Nbd2 Re8 ( 14...Nxd3 15.Bxd3 Qxd3 16.Nxe5 Nxe5 17.Rxe5 Rd8 18.Qe1 Be6 19.Nf3 Raa8 { = } ) 15.d4 exd4 16.Rxe8+ Qxe8 17.Nxd4 Nxd4 18.cxd4 { = } ) 14...Qg5 { Developing with full effect, threatening the Ne5 and mate on g2. } 15.Ng4 h5 ( { Also possible was: } 15...Nxa5 16.Re5 Bxg4 17.Rxg5 Bxd1 18.Rgxa5 Be2 19.Na3 { This looks a strange move, but there is intent here, (namely Nb5), that just keeps White in the fight. After Nd2, White would be much worse. } ) 16.Ne3 Bxh3 { With the black pieces descending on the white King, accurate defence is essential here. } 17.Qf3 Ne5 ( 17...h4 { ? An interesting but flawed alternative, with the idea to sac the bishop on g2 and push the pawn. } 18.d4 Bxg2 19.Nxg2 h3 20.Re4 { This move is White's trump in this variation and would leave Black wishing he'd gone for 17...Ne5, like Pentala did. } 20...Qxg2+ 21.Qxg2 { (...Nxg2, Rg4!) } 21...Nxg2 22.Nd2 { Sees White much better. } ) 18.Qg3 { Proving the validity of Svidler's play, Harikrishna can not maintain his setup towards the white King. Furthermore, the black Queen is now put in her place -- as it can not capture on g3, losing a piece after fxg3 of course. } 18...Bg4 { Defence is the order of the day. This and ...Qh6 were the only respectable options. } ( 18...Qh6 19.gxh3 h4 20.Nf5 Ne2+ { ! Certainly not ...hxg3?? which would lose -- the Ne5 hanging after Nxh6+. } 21.Kg2 { Rxe2 would be a humongous blunder of course, allowing ...Qc1+ and ...hxg3. } 21...Qc6+ 22.f3 Nxg3 23.Ne7+ Kh8 24.Nxc6 Nxc6 { Sees White a little better after 25.d4 or Nd2 for example. } ) 19.Nd5 { A good move by Peter, resulting in a logical exchange sequence. } 19...Nxc4 20.Qxf4 Qxf4 21.Nxf4 Nxb2 22.Ra2 g5 23.Rxb2 gxf4 24.Re5 Rd8 25.d4 { With a small edge, despite being a pawn down -- Black's f-pawns being doubled already balancing that factor out slightly anyway. } 25...Rd6 26.f3 Bd7 { This piece is a little problematic for Black now, in that it is struggling to make itself useful. } 27.Nd2 { Preferring to develop the knight (finally) rather than grabbing the h-pawn. } 27...b6 28.Ne4 Rg6 29.Re7 { Beginning to make his presence felt. } 29...Bb5 30.d5 { ! Svidler's coordinated pieces make this a powerful move. The pawn threatens to march on, thanks to the pin by the Re7 on Black's c-pawn, which is frozen in place due to Black's Ra7. } 30...f5 31.axb6 { This is very good, but there was better available, which may have ended the game much quicker. } ( 31.d6 { ! His Ra7 and Bb5 being very badly placed, Black's position crumbles here. } 31...Ra8 { (31...fxe4 would not change very much. After dxc7 Black is in very much the same mess as with ...Ra8.) } 32.dxc7 fxe4 { Black might as well have the knight, but it doesn't help much due to the placement of his bishop. In the event of 32...Kf8 instead, then White simply replies 33.Rh7!. If 33...Kg8, then 34.Rxb5!! is deadly. } 33.Rxb5 { !! The whammy. All roads lead to Rome for White here. Black really needs to cover two threats in one, here, Rd7 (then Rd8+) and axb6 (then b7 and b8+ or c8+). As this is not possible, he can resign. } ) 31...Rxb6 { The threat of axb6 had to be answered. } 32.Nc5 Kf8 33.Rh7 Kg8 34.Rxh5 { White's command of this position is so great, that he has the luxury of being able to do some mopping up. } 34...Bc4 35.Rd2 Rd6 36.Rxf5 { A fine example of how good a player's strategy has been, is when everything seems to work out, as is the case here. } 36...c6 37.Ne4 Rxd5 38.Nf6+ Kg7 39.Nxd5 cxd5 40.Rd4 a5 41.Rdxf4 Kg6 42.Rf8 Kg7 43.Rb8 a4 44.Rff8 d4 { When one is playing moves like this, things are bad. } 45.cxd4 Bd5 46.Rfd8 { ! To the point. White wants to play Ra8, the a-pawn being the only possible spanner in the works. Of course, the secondary consideration is that as soon as the bishop moves, the d-pawn is free to march. Nicely played by Svidler. } 46...a3 47.Rxd5 { And Harikrishna resigned here. Black's a-pawn is now a mere pretender. If 47...a2, White plays 48.Rd7+!! and will ultimately end up two very nice passed pawns to the good. } 1-0

This win gave Svidler a crucial lead going into the second game. He would play black, but only needed to draw, of course. This he did, in another Giuoco Piano, to win the match 1.5-0.5.

Other 1.5-0.5 victors, were: Veselin Topalov, who came through against Hikaru Nakamura, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave over Wei Yi, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who bested Ian Nepomniachtchi.

This left the other match-ups to be settled in tie-breaks, seeing Navara winning both rapid games against Vitiugov, to go through 3-1. Also deciding things in the rapids, were Alexander Grischuk, seeing off Radoslaw Wojtaszek, and Yu Yangyi sending Dmirty Jakovenko home.

The tussle between Teimour Radjabov and Daniil Dubov was the last decided. The two had deliberately headed to tiebreaks, drawing their first two games in 18-moves and 15-moves. Points were also split in their first four tiebreak games, which saw them playing blitz. If things still stayed level, then it would be up to Armageddon to separate them.

As it turned out, this was not needed. Daniil Dubov got on top of things rather quickly as with the black pieces in the first game, winning in 37-moves. This demanded that Teimour Radjabov also scored as Black in game 2 — their eighth match game in total.

Radjabov did not do at all badly in the game, almost levelling the score in a Queen’s Indian. Unfortunately for him, the clock was his undoing. In the diagram position, below, the Azerbaijani has the winning 57…e2(!) when after 58.Kd2 b3 would win.

Teimour went for 57…b3(??) instead, which allowed Dubov to force the draw with 58.Bxe3. From here, Black can make nothing of his b-pawn and so cannot win. Dubov went through to round 2, where he would be paired against fellow Russian, Peter Svidler.

Full round-2 Pairings:

Topalov vs Vachier-Lagrave
Grischuk vs Navara
Dubov vs Svidler
Yu vs Duda

Round-2 will be played November 8-10.