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Loek van Wely vs Hikaru Nakamura
Tata Steel Group A (2013), Wijk aan Zee NED, rd 8, Jan-20
Bogo-Indian Defense: Wade-Smyslov Variation (E11)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-20-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  tamar: Van Wely on how he let Nakamura escape
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx6N...
Jan-20-13  SirRuthless: Because Nakamura is a fighter and he is tricky. A tricky fighter...Great explanation...
Jan-20-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  tamar: He did point to Naka making quick moves and putting him to a decision on move 60. Obviously he chose wrong.
Jan-20-13  SirRuthless: 60.a5!? was probably drawing too..
Jan-21-13  MrQuinn: Looking at the up and down quality of Nakamura's play, Shipov has sized him up pretty well: "...a bold, aggressive, impetuous player, a danger to all without exception." He adds however "...it’s become clear that he’s not fated to rise higher and fight for the title." In other words, Naka is top ten, but no more than that. The Larson/Morozevich of his generation. Tricky and daring, great entertainer, but lacking a certain depth of play that makes world champions.
Jan-21-13  thomastonk: <SirRuthless: 60.a5!? was probably drawing too..> Yes, I agree. White's problems can be seen after 60.a5 Rg5 61.Ra8 Re5+ 62.Kd4 Rf5:


click for larger view

After 63.Bd5 Rxh5 White can still choose between different setups of rook and pawn in the a-file before he exchanges bishops on c4, but I think they are all drawn. Are there other attempts?

Jan-21-13  Nerwal: 60.a5 ♖g5 61.♖a8 ♖e5+ 62.♔d4 ♖f5 63. ♗d5 ♖xh5 64. ♗xc4 ♗xc4 65. ♔xc4 is indeed a Vancura-style draw (black checks from the side and the white king has nowhere to hide), but 64. ♖d8 is interesting. Now white is threatening to push the a pawn and black's rook and bishop are badly placed to stop it. Plus, after 64... ♖h6 65. ♗xc4 ♗xc4 66. ♔xc4 the rook endgame is now won since the side checks will soon come to an end. The endgame ♖+♗+a pawn vs ♖+♗ doesn't seem to offer much of a chance for black either.
Jan-21-13  thomastonk: <Nerwal> 64.♖d8! is a very good idea!
Jan-21-13  SirRuthless: 64...Rh6 is not forced. There is 64...Rh4+ 65.Kc3 Bf5 66.a6 Rh3+ 67 Kb4 Rb3+ 68.Kc5 Ra3 ... eventually the Black LSB controls a8 while the black rook prevents the white B from covering the white King from checks from the R, meaning there is no win in this line. Nakamura was genius to push the game in this direction. White looks like he should be winning but this is smoke and mirrors with accurate play. I did use houdini to find this solution, but optically, it does make sense...
Jan-21-13  Nerwal: Indeed this type of position


click for larger view

very much looks like a draw. Now the question is whether black can reach it by force from the line 64...♖h4+ 65.♔c3 ♗f5 66.a6 ♖h3+ 67 ♔b4 ♖b3+ 68.♔c5 ♖a3 69. ♗xc4.


click for larger view

It's far from clear he can, because at the start all black pieces, ♖a3, ♗f5, ♔h7, are badly placed. One possible line is 69. ♗xc4 ♖a1 (after 69... ♗e4 70. ♖d4 the poor position of the black rook tells immediately, and black has already no good move left) 70. ♔b6 ♖b1+ (70... ♗e4 71. ♗d5, then the white king goes to b8 to escape checks, the white bishop to b7, the white rook to d7, after which road has been cleared for a7-a8) 71. ♔c7, and here it seems that 71... ♗e4 72. ♗d5, 71... ♖a1 72. ♖d4, and even the tricky 71... ♖c1 72. ♖d4 ♗e6 73. a7 ♗xc4 74. ♔b6 ♖b1+ 75. ♔c5, all win for white as black is unable to keep control of the long diagonal.

Jan-21-13  Dragi: Fisher would not let this opportunity ... Never ...but finally it is a main difference between solid GM and immortal chess player

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