CG - "Problem of the Day"  
  (Friday; June 24th, 2011.) 

     GM Milos Pavlovic (2494) - GM Magnus Carlsen (2625)  
  [C78]  
  22nd Open / Reykjavik, Iceland; (R#6) / 11,03,2006.  

   ************************************************************************************    

  [A.J. Goldsby I]  

The game for the POTD. 
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1400882

Friday; June 24th, 2011. 

1.e4 e5;  2.Nf3 Nc6;  3.Bb5 a6;  4.Ba4 Nf6;  5.0-0 b5;  6.Bb3 Bc5;  
The Arch-Angel, I have seen this a few times as White. 

  r1bqk2r/2pp1ppp/p1n2n2/1pb1p3/4P3/1B3N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 0 7  

I have won a few times, but mostly against players 2000 or below. In 2001, I got a draw (as White) against FM Steven Muhammed; (2475). 
[Today, Steve is an IM.] 

     [ One popular reference gives the following continuation:   
        6...Bb7;  7.Re1 Bc5;  8.c3 d6;  9.d4 Bb6;  10.Be3 0-0;   
        11.Nbd2 h6;  12.h3, "+/="  12...Rb8;  
         and while White may have a small edge here, Black's   
         position is very playable. 

         An interesting contest would be: 
         Dmitrij Jakovenko (2627) - Evgeny Tomashevsky (2555);   
         [C78] / 58th RUS-ch [semi-finals] (R#3) / Kazan, RUS; 05,09,2005.   
         (White won, 1-0 in 61 moves. REPLAY this game, on the CG site.)  

         [ (Initial source was MCO here.) See MCO-15, page # 66;  column # 25, 
             and all (applicable) notes. ] ]  

7.c3 d6;   8.d4 Bb6;  9.a4,  (Q-side play.)   
A reasonable try, White does this in many variants of this system, the main thing is (of course!) the timing of this particular pawn thrust.  

     [ Another line is: 9.Re1 0-0;  "="  
        Andrei Istratescu (2602) - Julian Sofronie (2436) [C78] / 
        1st Niort Open (R#7), 2004. (A short draw, 19 moves.) ]  

9...Bg4;  (Maybe - '!?')   
This seems a little different, most games that I have looked at, Black puts the QB (LSB) on b7, when the second player has two pieces striking at the WK. 

  r2qk2r/2p2ppp/pbnp1n2/1p2p3/P2PP1b1/1BP2N2/1P3PPP/RNBQ1RK1 w kq - 0 10  

However - I must stress while this move, (9...Bg4); may not be a "main line," it is far from being unplayable ... in fact, Black does quite good with this B-pin here! 

10.axb5, (Pawn structure.) 
White goes for simplifications, but this seems to mostly help Black - at least the way that the game turned out. 

     [ Probably better was: >/= 10.Bg5, "+/="  
        when several engines that I tested show 
        an edge here for White. ]  

10...axb5;  11.Rxa8 Qxa8;  12.h3 Bh5;  13.Qd3!?,   
Perhaps an attempt to stir things up (by White). 

     [ Maybe better for White was: 
       13.d5 Na5;  "~"  with roughly an equal game. ]  

Now complications flare up ...   
13...exd4;  14.Bg5 Bxf3;   
So far, play has been without any significant errors. 

  q3k2r/2p2ppp/1bnp1n2/1p4B1/3pP3/1BPQ1b1P/1P3PP1/1N3RK1 w k - 0 15  

White has entered into early and vague complications ...   

15.Bxf6?,  (error/mistake)   
This turns out poorly for White, simply taking with the WQ looked to be much better than this. 

     [ White should have played: >/= 15.Qxf3 Ne5;  "="  
        when it looks equal, maybe a fuzz better for Black. ]  

(In the following line, 16.Bxg7, is unacceptable; look at the simple move 16...Bxf1; for Black.) 
15...Bxg2!;  16.Kxg2 gxf6;  17.Qxb5 Ke7; "+/=" (Maybe "/+")  
The dust has settled, Black has a clear advantage here.  

  q6r/2p1kp1p/1bnp1p2/1Q6/3pP3/1BP4P/1P3PK1/1N3R2 w - - 0 18  

Both Kings are a little uncomfortable, although I would have to say that White's King is worse off than Black's. 

18.Kh2 Ne5;  19.f4 Qxe4!!; 
A nice combination, this is far from being "an easy win" here, Black had to do a lot of good, concrete calculations to be sure that this sacrifice would work. 

  7r/2p1kp1p/1b1p1p2/1Q2n3/3pqP2/1BP4P/1P5K/1N3R2 w - - 0 20  

The opening is barely over, and now Black invests a piece, in order to get after the White King. 

     [ Or Black could have tried: RR19...Ng6!;  20.Qe2 Qc6; "/+"  with a clear edge. ]  

20.fxe5?!,  (Maybe even - '?')   
This turns out to be another error for White. Better was Nd2, although analysis will show that White probably could not save his game. 

     [ The box suggests a line which is extremely complicated, e.g.: 
       >/= 20.Nd2 Qe3;  21.fxe5 Rg8;  22.exd6+ Kf8;  23.Ne4 Qxe4;   
             24.Rf2 Qe3;  25.Qf1 Qe5+;  26.Kh1 dxc3;  27.d7 Ke7;   
             28.Re2 Be3;  29.d8Q+ Kxd8;  "-/+"  and Black will win from here. ]   

The next few moves look to be forced for both sides. 
20...Rg8!;  21.exf6+ Kf8;  22.Rf2 d3;  23.Qh5 Rg6!;  24.Qf3, hmmm  (Forced!?)   
The box wants to toss a whole Rook here, most humans would resign before playing that. 

  5k2/2p2p1p/1b1p1Pr1/8/4q3/1BPp1Q1P/1P3R1K/1N6 b - - 0 24  

We now have reached our position for the Problem of the Day. 

     [ IF White wanted to play on, he had to play: >/= 24.Qd5T,  - Fritz 12  
       (Black wins easily by trading the Queens - than munching the Rook on f2.) ]  

A (younger) Carlsen now finishes off his opponent - in fine style. 
24...Qe5+!;  25.Kh1,  
There isn't much that is good here for White ... 

     [ Or (White could have played): 
       25.Qf4 Qe1;  26.Rg2 Bg1+; 27.Kh1 Be3+;   "-/+"  
       and Black wins the WQ. ]  

25...Qe1+;  26.Rf1[],  
This is forced.   

     [ </= 26.Kh2? Qg1#. ]  

26...Rg1+!;  27.Kh2[],  
Again, White has no choice.   

     [ </= 27.Rxg1? Qxg1#. ]   

27...Qe5+!;  28.Qf4 Rxf1;  "-/+"  
The game is now over, although White waits until he is down even more material - before he resigns. 

  5k2/2p2p1p/1b1p1P2/4q3/5Q2/1BPp3P/1P5K/1N3r2 w - - 0 29  

29.Qxe5 dxe5;  30.Nd2 Rf2+;  31.Kg3 Rxd2;  32.Bxf7 Kxf7;  33.b4 Rf2;  White Resigns.   
An excellent game by Magnus Carlsen, who played sharp chess and won a fine effort against a near 2500 opponent. 

   Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby, 2011.  All rights reserved.   

Nice blog on this web-page.