Judit Polgar – Sergey Karjakin
World Cup – Round 3
LIVE commentary by the Chessdom team
Sergey Karjakin defeated Wesley So after tiebreak games yesterday. Judit broke the resistance of Movsesian in classical games and with an extra rest day meets the top seeded player with white.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Ruy Lopez on the board today, also known as Spanish opening
3… Nf6 The Berlin Defence, 3…Nf6, has long had a reputation for solidity and drawishness and is sometimes called “the Berlin Wall”.
4. O-O Nxe4 Main line here in the Open Berlin employed nowadays is 4.O-O Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3
5. d4 Nd6 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Nc3 Ke8 10. h3 h5 11. Rd1 Be7 So far following the game that Polgar and Karjakin played at Chess Olympiad 2010.
12. Ne4 And this is Polgar to build on the mentioned game first! Clearly a more aggressive approach by Judit, aiming for center control. The Olympiad 2010 game ended in a quick draw after 12. Ne2 Be6 13. Nf4 Bc8 14. Ne2 Be6 15. Nf4 Bc8 ½-½, not the aim of Polgar this time.
12… Bd7 13. b3 A good approach for white is exchanging material and aiming for extra pawn. An option here for such tactics was Bg5
13… h4 14. Bg5 And there it is a move later, denying black the possibility to have (or maneuver with) the bishop pair.
14… Rd8 15. c4 b6 16. Rd2 16. … Bc8 will be invitation for many exchanges that will put the game in a more drawish situation after for example 17. Rxd8+ Bxd8 18. Rd1 Bxg5 19. Nexg5
16… Bc8 What other choice does white have than the line mentioned above? 17. Bxe7 Rxd2 18. Nexd2 Kxe7 is certainly not better, and 17. Rad1 Rxd2 18. Bxd2 invites for a plan started earlier with b6, with idea 18…c5
17. Rxd8+ And Judit has no other choice but to go for the exchanges. 17. … Kxd8 18. Rd1+ Ke8 19. Bf4 Bb7 is the second alternative, with the bishop moving to the diagonal earlier, but 20. Nc3 will prevent the …c5 opening of the line.
17… Kxd8 18. Rd1+ Ke8 19. Bf4 Judit did not exchange the bishops. She needs material if she wants to keep the chances for a full point in the game. Decision time for Karjakin, Rg8 or Bb7 or prepare via c5 now… all are possible moves?
19… c5 This c5 gives chances for the mentioned Nc3-Nd5 or Nb5 manuver
20. e6 Bxe6 21. Bxc7 A long line might shed some light into the storm here ( 21. Bxc7 Bc8 22. Nc3 Bb7 23. Nd5 Rh5 24. Bb8 a6 with the bishop penetrating via 25. Ba7 Nd4 26. Nxd4 Bxd5 27. cxd5 Rxd5 28. Bxb6 cxd4 29. Rxd4 Rb5 30. Bc7 Rc5 31. Bf4 Rc2 32. Rd2 Rxd2 ) . White is a pawn up, but black’s king is a little closer to the action.
21… f6 The plan of Karjakin is clear, after 22. Bb8 to continue …a6 23. Bc7 b5 and if 23. Ba7, then … Bd8 works fine.
22. Bb8 a6 23. Ba7 Bd8 Nc3-Na4 jump is now in the air. Judit needs to find pressure in order to continue looking for the full point.
24. Nc3 24. … Ne7 25. Na4 Nc8 26. Bxb6 Bxb6 27. Nxb6 Nxb6 might be the only way for Karjakin to stay put on the queenside. 24. … Kf7 25. Na4 b5 26. cxb5 (26. Nxc5 bxc4 27. Nxe6 Kxe6 28. bxc4 Be7) axb5 27. Nxc5 Ba5 28. Nxe6 Kxe6, but high technique will be required ahead.
24… Kf7 25. Na4 b5 26. Nxc5 Bc8 Karjakin will be looking for bishop pair activity to compensate the pawn missing. That is why Judit has to try to limit it, and aim for movements on the dark squares.
27. cxb5 axb5 28. a4 bxa4 29. bxa4 Re8-Re7 for black will take the rook of Karjakin in the action zone. Keeping it on the 8th rank will protect the light square a8 though.
29… Re8 30. Rb1 g5 31. Bb6 Be7 Possible 32. a5 Bxc5 33. Bxc5 Re6 34. Rb8 Ba6
32. a5 Bxc5 33. Bxc5 Re6 If only Judit could put the knight into action to support the pawn advance…
34. Rb6 Ng7 And there comes an inaccuracy from Karjakin, letting the knight into action via Nd4. But again, will the material of Judit be sufficient, or she needs to make a king walk? A good endgame lesson ahead!
35. Be3 Judit believes the knight on e6 will be enough to hold for Karjakin and improves the bishop
35… Nf5 36. Rb8 Karjakin needs to keep the opposite color bishops to protect the a8 square and block the pawn advance. Following this, from the two best options Re8 or Nxc3, the first is to be preferred.
36… Re8 37. Ra8 Bb7 38. Ra7 Re7 39. Bc5 Rd7 40. a6 Bc6 Time to exchange the rooks and bring the knight via d2.
41. Rxd7+ Bxd7 42. Nd2 Ke6 43. Nc4 Bc6 44. Nb6 Nd6 45. Bxd6 Kxd6 46. a7 Kc7 47. a8=Q Bxa8 48. Nxa8+ Kb7 49. f4 1-0
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Judit broke the “Berlin Wall”.
:-))
Brava!
Best regards
Stef
Of course Kosteniuk is the only chess queen and she can beat everyone blindfolded. Kosteniuk is clearly better than Judit.
Good result!!
All ‘Chess Queens’ hail Empress Judith!
This is it, Judit!
Karjakin has to take the risk tomorrow, so get use of it! Beat him again! She deserves the ELO points!
Judit saves the honor of the Hungarian professional chess players fancy company (Leko, Almasi, Berkes, are you listening?) A woman with two little children at home…
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The references to queens, empresses and princesses are corny and silly.
Strong effort by an excellent player who seems to be taking her game to yet a higher level.
Great game. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s match!
Btw, Susan I wish you wouldn’t approve the comments of that anon 8:01 spammer who seems to be either a die-hard Kosteniuk fan or else baiting us to get angry with his/her comment.
—
Just a chess player
BAM! Game face, baby! Bring it on home tomorrow. Karjakin’s good with white, which Judit knows of course. Can’t wait to see what she she has prepared.
PS Susan, I’ve been saying “BAM!” after each of Judit’s wins so far, and it’s been working. It should be Judit’s catchphrase! It’s perfect because that’s how she plays. BAM!
It is so great to see Judit once again fighting on a top level! Her kids are getting older, and she can probably focus more on chess now. It will be exciting to follow her in the future.
What a great player she is!
“… she can beat everone blindfolded. Kosteniuk is clearly better than Judit”.
This is hardly worth getting excited over…
GREAT!!!
Now hold with Black, Judit!
Great Judit! You have an amazing sister, Susan!
That was a good game.
Curiously, the computer analysis at chessdom says 20. e6 was a mistake; yet that’s the move that ultimately pries the queen side open, and wins a pawn.
The computer says 20… Bxe6 was a mistake and prefers 20… fxe6. but that just looks bad pawn structure.
GMs here, what are your thoughts? how do you evaluate the e6 break?
Well played by Judith. Wishing her all the best to advance all the way to the cup glory…
Go Judith…many chess fans are rooting for you…
the odds were against you but u did it. congrats judit
…is the only chess queen and she can beat everyone blindfolded. Kosteniuk is clearly better than Judit.
Whoever who said this please save this comment if there is news related to Kosteniuk. Right now this is Judit’s moment. Well done Judit!
Obviously Judit actual ELO should be much more than what it is. She has a persistent style that wears down an opponent, forcing him commit mistakes. An essential quality of a great player.