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Magnus Carlsen vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
London Chess Classic GCT Finals (2019), London ENG, rd 1, Dec-02
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (B95)  ·  1/2-1/2

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)7...Be7 was played in Ragozin vs L Shamkovich, 1954 (0-1)better is 9.Bd3 Be7 10.O-O O-O 11.Qe1 e5 12.Nde2 Be6 13.a3 Nc6 = +0.22 (19 ply)= -0.41 (27 ply) after 9...Bb7 10.Bd3 Be7 11.O-O O-O 12.Qe1 Nbd7 13.Qg3 Kh8 better is 10.Bd3 Bb7 11.O-O Be7 12.Qe1 O-O 13.Qg3 Nh5 14.Qh3 Nhf6 = 0.00 (27 ply) ⩱ -0.56 (23 ply)better is 11...Rc8 12.Kb1 d5 13.exd5 Bxd5 14.Re1 Bb7 15.Nf5 Ne5 = -0.19 (23 ply)= +0.38 (23 ply)better is 13.h3 h4 14.Bf2 Rc8 15.Rg1 Nh5 16.f4 Nc5 17.Qe3 Nf6 = +0.14 (22 ply)better is 13...O-O 14.h4 Rc8 15.Bg5 Re8 16.Bd3 Ne5 17.Nde2 Qb6 = -0.37 (24 ply)= +0.20 (24 ply) after 14.h3 h4 15.Bg5 Nh5 16.Bxe7 Qxe7 17.Qd2 Ng3 18.Rg1 Ne5 better is 15.Bg5 Nxe4 16.Ncxb5 axb5 17.Bxe7 Kxe7 18.fxe4 Qc5 = -0.05 (25 ply) ⩱ -0.55 (25 ply) after 15...d5 16.Bf4 e5 17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Nxd5 Bxd5 19.Bh3 O-O better is 17.Bg5 Rfe8 18.f4 Nc4 19.Bxc4 Qxc4 20.Re2 d5 21.Nb3 dxe4 = 0.00 (27 ply) ⩱ -0.53 (27 ply)better is 22.g4 h4 23.Re2 Rfd8 24.Bg2 b4 25.axb4 Bxb4 26.c3 Ba5 = -0.23 (29 ply) 22...Rfd8 23.Bg2 b4 24.a4 Qb6 25.a5 Qxa5 26.Bxe4 Rc3 ⩱ -0.73 (27 ply)= +0.35 (30 ply)better is 25...Rxc5 26.b3 Qc3 27.Bxe4 Qxe3 28.Rxe3 Bxe4 29.Rxe4 = 0.00 (35 ply)= +0.50 (29 ply)32...Qa1+ 33.Kc2 Qa2 34.Kc1 Rxc5 35.Qxc5 Rb8 36.Bxe4 = -0.08 (32 ply)1/2-1/2

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35434 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Dec-03-19  spingo: Carlsen's ceremonial opening move was played by young English cricketer Zak Middlehurst. He played 1.Nc3. Carlsen moved the knight back.
Middlehurst went around Carlsen and now played 1.Nf3 (a slight improvement).
Carlsen also took that move back and played 1.e4.

It is surprising how frequently these ceremonial opening moves gang agley.
How hard can it be?

Surely the player, or his second, could whisper to the honoured person, "Play 1.e4," or whatever. Then at least the player wouldn't have to take the move back. Perhaps that would count as <consultation>.

I am sure we will hear more from Zak Middlehurst, either on the chess board or the cricket pitch.

The best move of this game was 27.c4.

Dec-03-19  Carrots and Pizza: Carlsen plays computer looking moves with 16.Rg2 and 22.Re2!
Dec-03-19  beenthere240: Nice drawing attack by MVL.
Dec-03-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  ajk68: Maybe the ceremonial move shenanigans was a psychological ploy? Get MVL thinking about his response to Nc3, then to Nf3, before finishing with e4.
Dec-03-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  Clement Fraud: I feel sure that the black position was superior after twenty moves: had Kasparov or Topalov been playing the black position, they would each have won it.
Dec-03-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <Clement Fraud: I feel sure that the black position was superior after twenty moves: had Kasparov or Topalov been playing the black position, they would each have won it.>

I feel sure that this species of post is almost as stupid as "I can't believe there's no kibitzing for this game."

Dec-03-19  Nov8: Cuz this is the kind of game that we will lose either black or white
Dec-03-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: Incidentally, I too would rather be Black after 20 moves, but at 41 ply SF rates the position after 21....dxe4 at 0.00. And the man playing White is undefeated in his last 105 or so classical games.

<Clement Fraud> You're a lousy chessplayer, going by your bio -- compared to Carlsen, Topalov, or Kasparov you are quite extraordinarily lousy. As a consequence, your opinion that T or K would beat C in this game isn't worth a cup of warm spit.

Dec-04-19  Everett: <keypusher> related, I wonder if any top Najdorf players ever sought out Kasparov to try to glean some extra feel for it. Such an interesting opening

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