Oystein Hole vs Magnus Carlsen (2002) Hole in Øen

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Oystein Hole vs Magnus Carlsen
"Hole in Øen" (game of the day Aug-22-2022)
NOR-chT final (2002), Oslo NOR, rd 5, May-12
Formation: King's Indian Attack (A07) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 1 time; par: 110 [what's this?]

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May-09-21		Messiah: Get well soon!

Sep-06-21		Sergash: Oystein Hole is a Norwegian International Master. At the time of the actual game, he really had "Carlsen's number". He beat him with the black pieces at the Gausdal IM Classic 2001, then there was a draw at the Gausdal Troll Master 2002, again playing Black. A second victory again as Black at the Asko Club Championship. And a third victory in the actual game... Carlsen was 11 years old when he played this game, while Hole was 30 years old. <1...c7-c5> Interesting to note that Carlsen seemed to have always played 1...Ng8-f6 here, always going for the symmetry. Until the actual game... Maybe this shows that Carlsen intended not to play for a draw? <2.g2-g3 Nb8-c6 3.Bf1-g2 g7-g6 > 2.e2-e4 would transpose in a Sicilian... <4.0-0 Bf8-g7 5.d2-d3> Maybe it is better to have some anchor in the centre with 4.c2-c4 Bf8-g7 as in Reti vs Maroczy, 1924, draw. <5...e7-e5!?> This move could be a little dubious. Better seem either A) 5...d7-d5 Eusebo Gomez vs. Alexander Alekhin, Simultaneous Exhibition in Madrid (Spain) 1941, 0-1. B) 5...Ng8-f6 Jorge Pelikan vs. Benito H. Villegas, Mar del Plata (Argentina) 1942, round 12, 1-0. C) 5...d7-d6 (historically the most played move) I Asmundsson vs Stahlberg, 1957, draw. <6.e2-e4?! Ng8-e7> Fear of ...e5-e4... ? More precise appear 6.c2-c4! Ng8-e7 Najdorf vs Pachman, 1962, draw; or 6.a2-a3 d7-d5! Ante Vidovic vs. Edmond Paljusaj (2224), Croatia U18 Championship in Pula 1999, group B, 1-0. <7.c2-c3 0-0 8.a2-a3! a7-a5 => historically the most played move, but maybe better are 7.c2-c4 Bernardo Wexler vs. Raul Sanguinetti, Mar del Plata (Argentina) 1957, round 15, 0-1. Or immediately 7.a2-a3 Vladimir Peresipkin vs. Boris Gulko, Semi-final USSR Championship in Kiev 1973, 1-0. <9.a3-a4 d7-d5 10.Nb1-a3 d5-d4 11.c3xd4 c5xd4! 12.Nf3-d2N Bc8-e6 13.Nd2-c4! => Because of the closed nature of the position, playing this a-pawn for a second consecutive move has no bad consequence. 12.Nf3-d2 was a novelty apparently.

Sep-06-21		Dionysius1: <9.a3-a4...Because of the closed nature of the position, playing this a-pawn for a second consecutive move has no bad consequence.> Well you say that, but it means he changed his 8.a3 plan the very next move. What was so good about 8.a3 anyway?

Sep-09-21		Sergash: <13...Ra8-a6!? 14.f2-f4 Qd8-d7 => An interesting move to keep b6 in check! <15.Bc1-d2 ⩱> The computer prefers other moves, like 15.b2-b3 e5xf4! 16.g3xf4 = Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits; or 15.Na3-b5 e5xf4 (or 15...Be6xc4 16.d3xc4 = Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits; or 15...Qd7-d8 = Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits) 16.g3xf4▢ = Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits; or also 15.Qd1-e2 e5xf4 (or 15...Be6-g4 16.Bg2-f3! = Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits) 16.Bc1xf4! = Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <15...f7-f5? ±> Better is 15...Nc6-b4! and now A) 16.Bd2-e1 Ne7-c6! ⩱ Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. B) 16.Qd1-b3 Ne7-c6 ⩱ Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. C) 16.Qd1-e2 e5xf4 17.g3xf4! Be6-g4! 18.Bg2-f3▢ Bg4-h3 and here White could play 19.Bf3-g2 Bh3xg2 20.Kg1xg2 ⩱ Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <16.e4xf5? => White gets a clear advantage here with 16.f4xe5! Nc6xe5▢ 17.Qd1-b3! Ne7-c6▢ 18.e4xf5! g6xf5 19.Ra1-e1 Be6-f7▢ ± Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <16...Be6xf5?? +-> A losing move... 16...Ne7xf5! = Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <17.Nc4xe5 +- / ±> 17.f4xe5! Ne7-d5 18.Qd1-b3! +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <17...Nc6xe5?! 18.f4xe5 +-> It is better to have a knight on that square in the end, than a bishop: 17...Bg7xe5! 18.f4xe5 Nc6xe5 +- / ± Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <18...Bg7xe5 +-> Maybe better is 18...Bf5-e6 19.Rf1xf8+! Bg7xf8 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <19.Qd1-b3+ Kg8-g7 20.Na3-c4! +-> Even stronger is immediately 19.Na3-c4! Be5-f6 20.Nc4xa5 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits.

Sep-12-21		Sergash: [To answer <Dionysius1> : 8.a2-a3 was possibly played with the intention of pushing b2-b4, but when Carlsen replied with 8...a7-a5 to prevent it, Hole had to adapt and went for 9.a3-a4, in his turn preventing b7-b5. Action-reaction, threat-block. :?) ] <20...Be5-f6 21.Nc4xa5 +-> A little better could be 20...Ra6-e6 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <21...Rf8-b8 +-> More commendable are either 21...b7-b5 22.a4xb5 Ra6-b6 +- Δ Rb6xb5 Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits; or 21...Ra6-b6 22.Qb3xb7 Qd7xb7 23.Na5xb7 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <22.Na5-c4 +-> Enough for the win, but stronger is 22.Bd2-f4 Rb8-c8 23.Na5xb7 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <22...Ra6-e6 +-> The lesser evil here seems to be 22...Ne7-d5 23.Nc4-e5! Bf6xe5 24.Qb3xd5! Qd7xd5 25.Bg2xd5 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <23.Bd2-f4 Rb8-e8 +-> 23.Nc4-b6! Qd7-d6 24.a4-a5 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <24.Ra1-e1?! Ne7-d5! 25.Re1xe6▢ Re8xe6▢ +-> Again 24.Nc4-b6! Qd7-d8 25.a4-a5 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <Position after 25...Re8xe6> click for larger view <26.Nc4-e5?! Bf6xe5▢ 27.Qb3xd5▢ Qd7xd5 28.Bg2xd5 Be5xf4▢ 29.Rf1xf4▢ ±> According to the computer, the very best move here, one that seems difficult to see, is 26.g3-g4! Bf5xg4 27.Nc4-e5▢ Bf6xe5 28.Qb3xd5▢ Qd7-c7 (or 28...Qd7xd5 29.Bg2xd5 Be5xf4 30.Rf1xf4▢ Re6-d6 31.Bd5xb7▢ Rd6-b6 32.Bb7-d5▢ Bg4-d1 33.a4-a5▢ Rb6-b5 34.Rf4xd4 Rb5xa5 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits) 29.Rf1-c1! Qc7-e7 30.Bf4xe5▢ Re6xe5 31.Qd5xd4 Bg4-f5 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits.

Dec-06-21		Sergash: <29...Re6-b6? 30.b2-b3 Kg7-f6 31.Bd5-c4 Kf6-e5 +-> The only playable move here is 29...Re6-e1+▢ 30.Kg1-f2 Re1-b1▢ 31.Rf4xd4▢ Rb1xb2+ 32.Kf2-e3▢ Kg7-f6 +- possibly winning for White still... Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <32.Kg1-f1?! g6-g5 33.Rf4-f2 +-> Probably enough for the win, but stronger is 32.a4-a5! Rb6-b4 33.h2-h4 +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <33...Bf5-g6?! 34.Kf1-e1 Ke5-d6 35.a4-a5! Rb6-b4 +-> The best defense here appears to be the trade of the rooks: 33...Rb6-f6! +- Δ Bf5-h3+ Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <36.Rf2-f6+ Kd6-c5 +-> 36.Ke1-d2! +- Δ Kd2-c2 Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. <37.Rf6-e6 Bg6-f7 38.Re6-e5+! Kc5-d6 39.Re5xg5 Bf7xc4 40.b3xc4! Rb4-b1+ +-> 37.Ke1-d2! +- Stockfish 14 AVX2 64 bits. In the final position, White could announce a mate in 12 moves. That was a 3rd win in 4 games for Hole against the the boy Magnus, the 4th game being a draw.

Aug-22-22		Teyss: <Sergash> Thanks for these interesting comments. Reassuring to see that even top players were children once. Apparently øen means island in Norwegian (also Danish and Swedish). Could our fellow Scandinavians confirm?

Aug-22-22		moronovich: Right <Teyss> Ø, means island. Cheers,mate !

Aug-22-22		MissScarlett: <Hole in Ã˜en> I wondered if this would show properly on the front page. I'll settle for 50%.

Aug-22-22		paavoh: As most of you know already, his full name is Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen. Nice pun, IMO.

Aug-22-22		offramp: I'm afraid the pun has not caught the ethos of our times. FAIL ⭐/10.

Aug-22-22		perfidious: Curious how there are no 'comments' by a certain poster in those games won by Carlsen.

Aug-22-22		Teyss: <moronovich> Thanks mate. <paavoh> You're right, forgot. That makes the pun a bit better than I first thought.

Aug-22-22		Cheapo by the Dozen: It's too bad that the front page won't show the Hole shebang.

Sep-10-22		Korora: <Ø, means island.> And is the exact same word as the Latin "aqua" ("water"), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ékʷeh₂ (one of at least three words for "water", and h₂ represents a mystery consonant that was probably guttural).

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