Chess Strategy

Magnus Carlsen - Ivan Cheparinov
2007 World Cup, Khanty-Mansiysk

I was annotating this game for Chessdom, and since there were some wonderful ideas in the unbalanced endgame, I decided to share them here.

If we strictly count the units, material is even, but in the actual games evaluation depends on many relative factors such are pieces’ coordination, king safety, passed pawns etc. Two important features for White are advanced pawn on g6 and ‘one extra piece’ on the board as Knight, Bishop and King can cooperate with great effect. Black, on the other hand, has possibility to create distant passed pawn on the queenside and his Rook is pressing on the weak “a” and “c” pawns.

41.Kd2?!
If White is forced to play this kind of backward move, then something is not right. Actually, Kd4 was playable and much stronger in this position. 41.Kd4! e5+ (41…a6 42.a4! e5+ (42…bxa4 43.Kxc4 and there is another passer) 43.Kxe5 Rxc3 44.Nd4 and White pieces will promote g-pawn to Queen) 42.Kxe5 Rxc3 43.Kf5! Rb3 44.Nd4 Rxa3 45.Ne6+! Kg8 46.Nf4! with multiple threats Nh5-Bd5 or Kf6-Bd5. There is no defence.

41…Kf6?
Cheparinov was probably reluctant to play 41…e5 in order not to permanently weaken d5 and f5 squares, but it was the only move. Control over the d4 square proved to be of key importance, as White will use it to transfer the Knight and King into the offense.

42.Nd4!
Magnus Carlsen is immediately jumping on the opportunity. White, of course, has to give some concession in figure of passed a-pawn for Black, but his Knight is now moving to a more aggressive position.

42…Rxa3 43.Nxb5
Nc7 and Ne8+ is a serious threat.

43…Ra5
On 43…Rb3 44.Nxa7 White can simply eliminate the passer and then continue with regular plan of pushing Black King back. Pawn c4 will also fall.

44.Nc7
44.g5+ deserves attention 44…hxg5 45.Nc7 now g5 is blocked and there is no Rg5 45…Kg7 46.Ke3 and King is heading to help White pieces occupy d5 square.

44…Kg7
Hard to suggest anything better - 44…Rg5 45.Bf5 and Ne6…; 44…e6!? to cover d5 and f5, but not even this would help 45.Ne8+ Ke7 46.g7 Rg5 47.Bh7 Rxg4 48.g8Q Rxg8 49.Bxg8 Kxe8 50.Bxe6

45.Ne6+ Kh8 46.Ke3! Ra1
After the Knight has taken ideal position, it is time to include the King. 46…Re5 47.Nd8 Kg7 48.Kd4 Kf6 49.Bf5 h5? 50.g5+!

47.Kd4! a5
Cheparinov will try to march his passed pawn, but it seems slow at the first glance.

48.Bc6
Obvious idea is Be8-f7 and g7+. Alternative line would go along 48.Kxc4 a4 49.Kb4 a3 50.Bd5 a2 51.Kc5 Rc1 52.Bxa2 Rxc3+ 53.Kd4 Rg3

48…a4
48…Rg1 49.g5! to cover g-file for Black Rook.

49.Be8 Rg1!?
Subtle move with interesting idea behind. Cheparinov is defending persistently.

50.g5 a3!

The whole point of Rg1! Black will wait for tempo loss Bf7 and only then take on g5, immediate 51. g7+? Kg8 is even winning for Black! Resulting endgame is not so clear as black will have two distant passed pawns.

51.Bf7 Rxg5 52.Nxg5 hxg5 53.Bxc4 Kg7
On 54. Bf7 Kf6 with idea e6. The ending is very interesting because Black King and pawns will try to keep White pieces busy without allowing c-pawn advance.

54.Kd3
54.Ke5!? Kxg6 55.Ba2 Trying to set some sort of zugzwang 55…e6!?

54…Kxg6 55.Kc2 g4 56.Kb3 Kf5
56…e5 demands good calculation, if it works, the game is draw. 57.Bd5 Kf5 58.c4 (58.Bg2? e4! 59.Kxa3 e3 60.Bf1 g3 is winning for Black!) 58…e4! with g3-g2.

57.Kxa3

57…g3?
57…e5 or 57…Ke4 had to be played. The thing is that Black has to cover a8-h1 diagonal and advance with other pawn first before dropping a move on g-pawn. This tempo loss is of decisive difference and White is winning. However, we are about to witness series of mistakes by two 2700+ players. This should comfort you after the future misplayed endings

58.Bf1?
Returning the favor. It was better to take possession of the long diagonal and force Black to e5-e4, which is too slow anyway. 58.Bd5! e5 59.Bg2 is better because it takes away f3 square from Black King! Now Black can’t have both King and Pawn on e3.

58…e5?
58…Ke4! 59.Bg2+ Kd3 and by attacking c-pawn, Black is gaining important tempis for e-pawn advance and final draw.

59.Kb3? [59.Bg2!] 59…Kf4? [59…Ke4! 60.Bg2+ Kd3!] 60.Bg2
Finally! With the help of some ’shoulder bouncing’ by the King, White is winning.

60…Ke3 61.Kc4!
No more Kd3 , White King is catching with Black e-pawn and cutting Black King away from the c-pawn.

61…Kf2 62.Be4 1-0

An instructive endgame, hopefully.

Download lesson in PGN file

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