Rapport vs Carlsen, Tata Steel 2017, Round 8.

Annotated Classic Game | Hot Off The Chess, www.hotoffthechess.com

We’re not going back very far at all for this week’s annotated game. It is taken from this year’s Tata Steel Chess Tournament. Round eight of the Masters group, saw World Champion, Magnus Carlsen, paired against Richard Rapport.

It was their first ever meeting and to be fair, one which not many expected to go the way it did, with Rapport winning in 33 moves. Even though Rapport would play the White pieces, the game was not something that was seen as a threat to Carlsen.

So, what happened?

Well, quite simply, Magnus Carlsen made some rather surprising errors. In a position which was quite equal, 22…Rb8 would have held the balance and seen the game heading to a draw. However, Magnus went for 22…d3(?), which was a little too much for his position. Did the World Champion misjudge the situation and believe that he was better? Did he feel the pressure to stamp some authority on the game? Did he just want to go for it and take a risk and it backfired? Did he just simply lose patience? Whatever the reason, it opened the door for his opponent.

As you will see, Richard Rapport wedged his foot well and truly in.

[Event "Tata Steel Masters 2017"]  [Site "Wijk aan Zee NED"]  [Date "2017.01.22"]  [Round "8"]  [White "Rapport, Richard"]  [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "A06"]  [WhiteElo "2702"]  [BlackElo "2840"]  [Annotator "Shaw,John Lee"]  [PlyCount "65"]  [EventDate "2017.01.14"]{Annotations by John Lee Shaw for www.hotoffthechess.com.} 1. Nf3 d5 2. b3 Bf5  3. Bb2 e6 4. d3 h6 5. Nbd2 {Not the most ambitious or 'in your face' of  openings from Rapport, but a very flexible one, which is something he likes.  It also suits Magnus Carlsen, who is not one for getting bogged down in theory,  but prefers just to play chess. This similar attitude of the players makes  this a very interesting game!} Nf6 6. c4 {So technically an English Opening,  but Black will be quite happy, here, with good presence in the position. The  danger for White in such positions is that a clear plan of how to proceed is  essential, it is very easy to become passive.} c6 {...Nc6 may have been  slightly quicker, here, proceeding to get pieces out -- making hay while the  sun shines, so to speak.} 7. g3 Be7 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O Nbd7 {A very  equal-looking position. The problem that both players have is developing their  knights, currently located on their second ranks. This is not a pressing  problem, though, so both will be relatively happy with things so far.} 10. a3  a5 11. Qb1 {This move doesn't appeal to me, personally, I am not one to impose  pins on myself or to put my Queen on the same lines as bishops, etc. However,  GM's know better and it is perfectly respectable, here. Even so, Rapport will  have to be mindful of this situation, things can change quickly in chess.  Another option, very regularly seen, is Rc1 and then Qc2-Qb1-Qa1, which sees  the bishop and Queen lined up along the long diagonal. This requires time,  though, of course, but it can be very potent.} Bh7 12. b4 axb4 13. axb4 Qb6 14.  Bc3 Rxa1 15. Qxa1 {I can't help but feel that Black's play over the last few  moves has been slightly complicit towards White in helping him solve some  Queenside issues and has validated his play so far.} Bxb4 {Without this  possibility, Black's play would be rather questionable, because White would  have the Queen and Bishop lined up along the long diagonal, as I mentioned  earlier. This can be very inhibiting to Black. However, this move forces the  exchange of dark-squared bishops, anything else being perfectly good for Black.  } 16. Bxb4 Qxb4 17. Rb1 Qd6 18. Rxb7 e5 {Equal.} 19. d4 exd4 20. Nxd4 {Believe  it or not, we are still in known territory, here. Both players seem well  prepared. Qxd4 would have been a new way to approach the position, but seems a  questionable novelty.} (20. Qxd4 c5 21. Qb2 d4 22. Bh3 Rd8 23. Qb5 g5 24. Bxd7  Nxd7 25. h3 {is about equal, but Black will probably be the happier of the two.  }) 20... c5 {This is a new move -- Merkesvik vs Kalinin, Bergen 2016,  continued 20...Ne4 for 27-move win by White.} 21. N4b3 {Nb5 was also possible,  when Black has a choice between ...Qe6 and ...Qc6 to maintain the balance. I  think ...Qe6 is probably preferable, preventing Bh3 ideas -- White's  light-squared bishop is a bystander in the game, currently and if Black can  keep it this way it will start to be a big factor.} d4 22. Bh3 {Even though  Black's last move opened up the diagonal for the White bishop, it is not very  useful. White's bishop is infact probably the least productive piece on the  board. Therefore, White wants to try to exchange it.} d3 {? A little too bold,  this. After 22...Rb8, the most likely result is a draw, but Magnus Carlsen  wanted to try for more. Unfortunately, this was a little out of context when  it comes to his position.} (22... Rb8 23. Rxb8+ Qxb8 24. Qa5 Qe5 25. Qb5 Bf5  26. Bxf5 Qxf5 27. Nxd4 Qe5 28. N4f3 Qxe2 {is equal and probably heading to a  draw.}) 23. e3 {When looking at this position, we see that there has been some  subtle but significant changes. Black's potential seems quite lessened now and  the connected knights are not helping each other -- ...Ne4 would be quite nice,  for example, but the Nd7 would fall if that was played here. The quality in  the bishops is also reversed, which sees Black's light-squared bishop now the  bystander, with White's having been allowed back into the game.} Ne5 {Seeking activity and  also enabling ...Ne4, hence White's next.} 24. Bg2 {A multi-function move.  This bishop is suddenly having a lot of influence on the position. Primarily,  it covers the e4-square. With the exposed location of the Ne5, f4 and e4 are  now very big possibilities for White.} Rc8 {? Again, quite an out of context move  from Magnus Carlsen. This is not the most active placement for the rook. It  would have been prudent to bite the bullet and return the Ne5 to d7, defending c5 with the knight (White's plan against the pawn on  c5 being Qa7 and Rc7, very potent!). More pressing than the c5-pawn, however,  is f4 and e4, aided by the Ne5 being left exposed.} (24... Ned7 25. Qa7 (25. f4  {would now be useless and would see Black better after ...Re8.}) (25. e4 {  would be slightly better} Re8 26. Qa7 {with a slight edge to White, but Black  would still be in the fight.}) 25... Rd8 26. Rc7 Qe5 {targeting c3 -- hence  White's next.} 27. Qa5 {with a very big edge, c5 will fall.}) 25. f4 Neg4 {  Engines seem to like ...Nc6 or ...Ned7 better, but Black doesn't get anywhere  from passive defence. In all honesty, his fate is no longer in his own hands  in this game, White is very much better. The only way to survive is for White  to make a mistake and the best way to enable that is to get active and fight  and try to set traps.} (25... Nc6 26. e4 Nd4 27. Nxd4 Qxd4+ 28. Qxd4 cxd4 29.  Rb3 {winning.}) (25... Ned7 26. e4 Qe6 27. Qf1 {and things are getting very  critical for Black.}) 26. e4 {with a very big plus, White begins the push.  Carlsen can only hope that Rapport suffers brainfade.} Re8 {This presents  White with few problems and I would not be surprised if it was a product of  annoyance. 26...Bg6 was interesting, when after 27.e5 Qe6, White must be  careful and go for 28.Qa7 rather than ...exf6?? which would lose painfully to  28...Qe3+. The thing is, though, after 26...Bg6, White is perfectly winning  with 27.Qa7! So, one can surmise that Carlsen figured that the best hopes were  to get two pawns for a piece and hope to catch his opponent in a perpetual or  such like.} 27. e5 {Qa7 here would squander all initiative, of course and  would be easily met with ...Bxe4.} Nxe5 28. fxe5 Rxe5 29. Rb6 {A good move,  all roads lead to Rome from here. Qa7 was also very commanding.} Qe7 30. Rb8+  Ne8 31. Bc6 Re1+ 32. Qxe1 {The only move, of course.} Qxe1+ {Netting the White  Queen, but still utterly losing.} 33. Nf1 {And here, Magnus Carlsen resigned  the game. After 33...Kf8, 34.Rxe8+ Qxe8 35.Bxe8 Kxe8 36.Nxc5, White is up two  pieces and the endgame is completely lost.} 1-0