Heiko Kummerow vs Magnus Carlsen (2001)

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Heiko Kummerow vs Magnus Carlsen
Bayern-chI Bank Hofmann 5th (2001), Bad Wiessee GER, rd 3, Oct-29
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer. Classical Variation (B63) · 1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Jun-18-16		Sergash: Heiko Kummerow is a German FIDE master, born in 1969 (he was 32 or 33 years old when he played this game, while Magnus was 10). Rated 2307 at the time of this game (Magnus was 2072), early 2016 he is still 2244. His peak rating was 2372 in January 2012. This encounter was a miracle save for Magnus Carlsen, who had a completely lost position many times. I went through the moves with the new program Komodo 10 - 64 bits. <2...Nc6> Until then, Carlsen had only played 2...d6 or 2...e6 in this position. <10.e5> An unusual idea, apparently born in 1955. Most of the time White would play 10.f4 here. <14.Qg4N> This is the theoritical novelty in this game. Before that (4 games in my database), the only played move had been 14.Qc7 ((Bogdan Grabarczyk (2370) vs. Friedmar Schirm (2315), BL2-Ost (league) 95-96 (Germany) 1996, round 2 Griesheim against Kassel, 1-0) Nf6! 15.Qxb7 Rab8 16.Qxa7 Qb4! 17.Qa3 Qxa3 18.bxa3 Rfc8! 19.Rd3 = <16.Bd3 Qc5> White was threatening to play 17.Bxh7+! But for Black, better was 16...h6 17.Rhg1 Qc7 = or 17...Qc5 = <17...Rfd8?! 18.Bxh7+! > This is the first mistake in the game. Carlsen could have played for instance 17...b5 18.g4 (or 18.Re3 h6 =) Qb4 19.h3 a6 = Now, of course not 18...Nxh7?? 19.Rxd8+ Rxd8 20.Qxd8+ Nf8

Jun-18-16		Sergash: click for larger view DIAGRAM POSITION AFTER 19.Be4. <19.Be4 Ke7?! 20.Bxc6! bxc6 > To maintain the small advantage, the computer prefers 19.Bd3! Bxg2 20.Qg3! Bd5! 21.Rg1 Ke7! But Carlsen's reply (19...Ke7?!) was worse. He should have traded the bishops: 19...Bxe4! and now A) 20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.Rxe4 (or 21.Nxe4 Qc4 transposing) b5 = B) 20.Nxe4 Rxd1+ (stronger than 20...Qc4 21.Rxd8+! Rxd8 22.a3! with the idea if 22...Qa2 23.Nc3! Qa1+ 24.Nb1 ) 21.Rxd1! Qc4! 22.f3 (or 22.Qh8+ Ng8 23.Nc3 = / ) Qxa2! 23.Rd3! Qa1+! 24.Kd2 = / <21...Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1!> Possibly better is 21...Kf8! 22.a3 Qb6 <25...Nd5? 26.Ne4! > The first serious mistage of the game, after which Carlsen is losing... He should have played 25...Qd4! 26.Qc7+ Nd7 27.Nd1 Qa4 <26...Qb5?! 27.Qg5+! Kd7 28.Qxg7> Magnus is worsening his situation. Now White is up 2 pawns! Carlsen could have played 26...Qd4 27.Qd6+! Ke8 28.Qxc6+ Ke7 29.Nc5! still losing but by a smaller margin. <29.Qg5+> Simpler would have been 29.b3! Qe2 30.Qd4 <30.Qd8+> This smells time pressure, which explains why White will repeat the position at moves 31 and 32. Again, more efficient was 30.Qh6+! Ke7 31.Qh4+ Kf8 32.g3

Jun-18-16		Sergash: <33.Ng3?! Qc4!> White is apparently still struggling with the clock and misses 33.Nd2! Nf4 34.Qd4+! e5 35.Qe3 . But White is still winning. <35.Kb1? Qd4! > But this time, Kummerow loses his winning advantage... He could have played 35.Qd2 Ke7 36.Ne2 and White could quietly reach time control without letting go anything. <38.Nh5 f6?> After repeating the position again, Kummerow played 38.Nh5 with the threat of Qg5-d8#. Carlsen could have played 38...Ke8! 39.f3 Kd7! 40.Qc1! . Instead, he gave back Kummerow a winning advantage... click for larger view DIAGRAM after 38...f6? <39.Qh6+?! Ke8> I think that Kummerow, under severe time pressure, did not want to lose the possibility of bringing his queen back to c1 if needed. Still winning but stronger were: A) 39.Qg4! Qe5 (or 39...Qxg4 40.hxg4 with 2 pawns up) 40.c4 f5! 41.Qf3! Ne7 42.Qf4 Qe2 43.Qh6+! Ke8 44.Qh8+ Kd7 45.Qd4+ Ke8 46.Nf6+ Kf7 47.Nd7 Ng6 48.f4! B) 39.Qg7+! Ke8 40.Qg4! Qe5 (or 40...Qxg4 41.hxg4 Kf7 42.c4! Nb6 43.b3 ) 41.c4! Ne7 42.Ka2!

Jun-18-16		Sergash: <41.Qh7+?! Kd6! > Wrong check and White is not winning anymore! 41.Qg7+! Kd6 42.Qf8+! Kd7 43.Qf7+! Kd6 44.Ng7! Qd1+ 45.Ka2 Qxc2! 46.Qxe6+ Kc7 47.Qe1! <42...Qe5?> For a third time, Carlsen gives Kummerow a winning advantage! The only way for Black was 42...Qxf2 43.Ka2 Ke7 (or 43...Qe3 44.Qd1! (threat: c2-c4 which would win the black knight) Ke7 ) 44.c4! Nb6 45.Qh7+! Kd6 46.Ng7! <43.Ng3> Enough to win, but 43.g4! Ke7 44.Qh7+ and Qxa7. <43...Qe1+?! 44.Ka2> Better is 43...Ke7 44.Ne2 Kf7 <45.Qd4 Qa5> Defending f2 and attacking a7, but the strongest move is 45.Ne4! Qa5 46.Qg3+! Kc8 47.c4! Nb4+ 48.Kb3 Na6 49.Qd6 <46.Ne4 e5 47.Qc4! > There was 46.h4! e5 47.Qc4 with the idea of h4-h5. <47...Qe1 48.g4!> Magnus could also have played 47...f5 48.Ng3! Ne7 49.Nxf5! Nxf5 50.Qf7+ Kb6 51.Qxf5 Qd5+ 52.b3 Qxg2 53.h4! <48...Nf4 49.Qf7+!> More commendable is 48...Qa5 49.h4 Kd7 <50.Nc3> 50.Nd6! Kc5 51.Nc8! Kd4 52.Qd7+! Nd5 53.Nd7 etc. with an easy win. <50...Qxf2> A better way was 50...Ne2 51.Na4+! Ka6 52.Qc4+! Kb7 53.Nc5+ Kb6 54.b4! planning to play Qa6+. click for larger view DIAGRAM POSITION AFTER 50...Qxf2. <51.Qxf6?> Kummerow missed a golden opportunity of quickly ending this game: 51.Na4+! and then A) 51...Kb5 52.Qb3+! Ka6 (White mates in 9 moves after 52...Ka5 53.Qb7 Qxc2 54.Nc3! Qxc3 (best move according to computer) 55.bxc3 and mate 6 moves later) 53.Qc4+! Kb7 (it is mate in 2 moves after 53...Ka5 54.b4+! Kxa4 55.Qxc6#) 54.Nc5+! etc. B) 51...Ka6 52.Qc4+! Kb7 53.Nc5+ transposing in the main variation C) 51...Ka5 gives White a mate in 9 moves this way 52.Qb7! Qxc2 53.Nc3 etc. see line A) subvariation

Jun-18-16		Sergash: <52.Qd8+ Kb7 > Why not 52.Qxe5! Qxb2+ (lesser evil for the computer) 53.Kxb2 Nd3+ 54.Kc2 Nxe5 55.g5! <57...Kb6 58.Qd8+> Better is 57...Kb8 58.Qxc6 Nd3 59.Qb5 Kc7 60.a4! Kummerow repeats the position several times starting with 58.Qd8+. He had the excellent 58.g5! . Carlsen did not repeat the position every time he could have. For instance he played <60...Kd7> while he could have played 60...Kc7. And on move <61...Kd8> instead of going for 61...Kc8. click for larger view DIAGRAM POSITION after 61...Kd8. <62.Qb3?? Qxb3+ 63.Kxb3 Nxh3 > TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE BLUNDER! For some reason Kummerow thought he would win after trading the queens... White is winning after 62.Qxa7! Kc8 63.Qa6+ Kc7 64.Qa7+ Kc8 65.Qc5 <70...Kf6> This is the only move. For instance, if 70...Kd6?? 71.g5! Nc7 72.Ke4 Ne8 73.g6! and now White wins whatever Black would play: A) 73...Nc7 74.Nb7+! Ke6 75.g7! Kf7 76.Nd8+ Kxg7 77.Kxe5 the black king is too far. B) 73...Nf6+ 74.Kf5 Nd5 (or 74...Ke7 75.g7! Ng8 76.Ne4! ) 75.Nb7+ Ke7 (or 75...Kc7 76.g7! Ne7+ 77.Ke6 Ng8 78.Nc5 ) 76.Kxe5 C) 73...Ng7 74.Nb7+! Ke6 (74...Kc7 75.Na5 Kd6 76.Nc4+ with the idea of Nxe5) 75.Nd8+ Kd7 (or 75...Kf6 76.Nxc6 ; or 75...Kd6 76.Nf7+ winning the e5 pawn) 76.Nf7 Ke6 77.Nxe5

Jun-18-16		Sergash: <83...Ne5??> For a 4th time, Carlsen gives up the game to Kummerow! The only drawing move was 83...Nf8! 84.Kd4 Ne6+! 85.Kd3 Ke5 86.g6 Nf4+ 87.Kc4 Nxg6 = (87...Nxg6 is the only move, as 87...Kxe4?? 88.g7 and White wins). click for larger view DIAGRAM POSITION AFTER 83...Ne5??. <84.Nd6+?? Kxg6 = > There goes Kummerow's last chance of getting the full point! White wins with 84.a4! Ng6 85.Kd4 Ke6 (85...Ne5 86.Nd6+! Ke6 87.Nc8! a6 88.a5! Nd7 89.g6! Kf6 90.g7! Kxg7 91.Nb6! ) 86.Nd2! Kd7 87.Nc4 the white 'g' pawn is a mortal spike in Black's chest... Finally, Kummerow offered Carlsen a truce after his move 96. This game was a miracle survival for the boy Carlsen... and his longest tournament game ever until then!

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