Anish Giri vs Hikaru Nakamura (2012)

Anish Giri vs Hikaru Nakamura
Tata Steel (2012) · Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation. Yugoslav Attack Main Line (B77) · 1/2-1/2

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explore this opening	find similar games	15 more A Giri/Nakamura games
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Jan-17-12		Penguincw: Nakamura still trying to recover from a negative score from Giri.

Jan-17-12		cro777: " Usually when I'm inspired I play 1.e4 and when I play 1.e4 I get inspired". (Giri) Today Giri opened the game with 1.e4. Unexpectedly, the game was an 18 move draw. What happened? Giri was very disappointed by his loss to Karjakin yesterday. " Usually when you try to play for a win and lose instead. But it did not affect my game today. I wanted to play very much and to win but it just didn't work out from the opening". (Giri) In the game predecessor, at the Amber Tournament (Blindfold) 2011, Nakamura chose against Giri the Ruy Lopez, Keres Defense. Here, in Wijk aan Zee, Nakamura surprised ("frightened") Giri with the Sicilian Dragon. Moreover, he chose the variation with <9...Nxd4> and <10...Be6> which is not popular since 1950's. 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 O-O 9. Bc4 click for larger view This crossroad is where Black's 9th move deviations are considered, but nowadays anything other than <9...Bd7> is very rarey seen. Nakamura chose <9...Nxd4>, a once popular move but very rarely played today ( Fisher played this move against Larsen at the Interzonal Tournament in Portoroz, 1958). Giri was very much surprised and was soon behind on the clock. " I did not know this variation... I tried to play critical moves with first long castle and then at least I was thinking about this h4-h5, like they usually do, but this time I got a little bit worried about his counter-play so I decided to play it safe". (Giri) 9... Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Be6 11. Bb3 Qa5 12. O-O-O Rfc8 13. Kb1 b5 click for larger view The main move in this position is <14.Rhe1!> Unfamiliar with the niceties of the variation, Giri chose <14.Bxf6> followed by <15.Nd5> trading the queens with transition to an equal endgame. 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15. Nd5 Qxd2 16. Nxf6+ Kg7 17. Nh5+ gxh5 18. Rxd2 Rc5. click for larger view In this equal endgame the players agreed to a draw.

Jan-18-12		ajile: <In this equal endgame> Really? After 19.Bxe6 fxe6 Black is left with 2 sets of doubled pawns.

Jan-18-12		Marmot PFL: <Nakamura chose <9...Nxd4>, a once popular move but very rarely played today ( Fisher played this move against Larsen at the Interzonal Tournament in Portoroz, 1958).> I believe that Larsen had black in that game. Fischer won, and commented that because of wins like his the Dragon was dying out, which proved to be premature.

Jan-18-12		cro777: <Marmot PFL: I believe that Larsen had black in that game.> That is correct. Fisher was white. He didn't have a high opinion of the Dragon. It was Larsen who played 9...Nxd4 in that game. Fischer vs Larsen, 1958

Jan-18-12		cro777: <ajile: In this equal endgame...Really?> The final position of the game (Giri offered a draw) has been seen a few times before. Position after 18.Rc5 click for larger view The move Bxe6 occurred in only one game (19.Rd4 Kf6 20.Bxe6 fxe6). It was the game between young Vietnam's players Tran Anh Tri and Ngo Thanh Tung (2000) which ended in a draw in 29 moves.

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