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Magnus Carlsen talks about his win against Hou Yifan

After his demonstration Carlsen was briefly interviewed.

Q: How do you feel about your tournament so far?

Carlsen: "I'm very happy with the score."

Q: How about the quality of play?

Carlsen: "I mean it's OK, nothing more but definitely nothing less."

Q: We don't have to ask if you're going for tournament victory. Do you think about Kasparov's 10 out of 13 from 1999? Would that be a goal for you to equal?

Carlsen: "What did he do, 10 of 13?" Q: 10 of 13 yeah. Carlsen: "That's an attainable goal I think, so..."

Q: How about a year from now? If you would have to choose between 2900 or World Champion which would you go for?"

Carlsen: "Both."

Hou,Yifan - Carlsen,Magnus [C44]
75th Tata Steel GpA Wijk aan Zee NED (9.4), 22.01.2013
[Crowther,Mark]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3

"It was a surprise someone would actually play the Ponziani against me." - Carlsen who used it as a surprise weapon against Harikrishna in round 4. Carlsen said that maybe she was thinking of the russian chess saying about trying not to play against your own openings and hoped that this might make him uncomfortable.

3...Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.e5 Nd5 6.Bc4 Nb6 7.Bb3 d5 8.cxd4

[8.exd6 Bxd6 "And it's probably going to be more or less equal." - Carlsen.]

8...Bg4 9.Be3 f6

Seems to be new and is very much to the point.

[9...Bb4+ 1/2-1/2 Filipovic,M (2121)-Sekulic,D (2316)/Budva MNE 2009/The Week in Chess 749 (68)]

10.0-0 Qd7 11.h3 Bh5 12.e6

"What she did looks very tempting but it's probably not very good." - Carlsen.

12...Qd6

"Now she will gain some time before I get to take the pawn but basically my position is quite solid so there isn't all that much she can do."- Carlsen.

[12...Qxe6 13.Ng5 is the tactical point behind white's last. 13...Bxd1 (13...fxg5 14.Qxh5+ g6 15.Qxg5 Be7 "Seem playable but just a little bit too dull." - Carlsen.; 13...Qxe3 "But it's probably not very good." - Carlsen. 14.Qxh5+ g6 15.fxe3 gxh5 16.Ne6) 14.Nxe6 Bxb3 15.Nxc7+ Kf7 16.Nxa8 "Then white is coming out on top." - Carlsen.]

13.Nc3 0-0-0 14.a4

"14. a4 forces a5 and she can get the pieces to some nice squares but really I'm more or less defending everything and it's important I have the b4 square as once my bishop gets there my queenside will really be cemented." - Carlsen.

14...a5 15.Nb5 Qxe6 16.Bf4 Rd7 17.Re1 Qf7 18.Rc1

[18.Bc2 g5 19.Bh2 Bg6]

18...Bb4 19.Re3

19...g5!?

"Is natural just to get something going on the kingside." - Carlsen.

[19...Nc4 20.Bxc4 dxc4 was also possible and Carlsen wondered in hindsight if this might be a better continuation. Although there aren't any backrank tricks because the bishop hasn't yet been pushed back to h2 "but at least I haven't weakened my position." - Carlsen.]

20.Bh2 Nc4

"Here I don't know whether 20....Nc4 is such a good plan. Maybe I should do something like: "

[20...Re8 and although she does have some compensation I think it's a pretty good extra pawn." - Carlsen.]

21.Bxc4

[21.Bxc4 dxc4 22.g4 Bg6]

21...dxc4 22.Qc2

"Now I realised what I'd done wrong because I suddenly realised she would have 25.Be5 and I couldn't think what else to do here. She's regaining the pawn and there is still some kind of pressure." - Carlsen.

22...Bxf3

[22...Rhd8 23.Qxc4 Qxc4 24.Rxc4 Bf7 25.Rc2 Bd5 26.Ne1 "I have no problems obviously." - Carlsen who pulled a face suggesting he was hardly impressed with his position either. 26...b6 27.Nd3 Bf8 "It just didn't seem convincing to me." - Carlsen.]

23.Rxf3 Nxd4 24.Nxd4 Rxd4 25.Be5

Carlsen was worried he was in danger of losing the "whole of his advantage."

25...Rd2

[25...Rd3 It was only later that Carlsen realised this might be an alternative here. 26.Rxf6 (26.Rxd3 cxd3 27.Qxc7+ Qxc7 28.Rxc7+ "Isn't dangerous." - Carlsen.) 26...Qd5]

26.Qf5+ Qd7 27.Qxf6

[27.Qxd7+ Rxd7 28.Bxf6 Rf8 29.Kf1 c3 30.bxc3 Be7 31.Bd4 Rxf3 32.gxf3 is a technical ending that might be savable.]

27...Re8

28.Bg3

Carlsen was happy to see the bishop go here.

[28.Bc3 was more of a worry to Carlsen. 28...Rd1+ 29.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 30.Kh2 Qd6+ and black is better but white keeps some drawing chances.; 28.Qxg5? Rd1+ 29.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 30.Kh2 Rxe5 31.Qxe5 Bd6 32.Rf8+ Kd7 33.Rf7+ Kd8 (33...Kc6 34.Rf6 and white wins!) 34.Rf8+ Bxf8 is an important variation in keeping control of the position,.]

28...Rd4

Carlsen has a really comfortable position which he was playing quickly and getting a huge advantage on the clock. In practical chess white is in huge trouble. Carlsen liked the fact he was controling some key central squares.

29.Rf1

[29.Qxg5 Bd2; 29.b3 h5! is the winning idea for black with the idea of h4. (29...c3 30.Rfxc3 Bxc3 31.Rxc3 c6 is pretty good compensation for white for the exchange. "although black is still better."; 29...Rd1+ 30.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 31.Kh2 c3 32.Rxc3 Bxc3 33.Qxc3 also still compensation for white.) ]

29...g4

"I was trying to play it simple. She still has drawing chances here because my pawns are a little weak and I would like to have a couple more moves like b6 and Kb7 or something like that to consolidate." - Carlsen.

30.hxg4 Rxg4 31.Rf4

was a problem for Carlsen who couldn't see a way to keep his pawn.

31...h5!

Played after some thought by Carlsen. The opening of the h-file proves advantageous soon.

32.Rxg4 hxg4 33.Rc1 c3

Carlsen gives back the pawn. "I don't have to but I like this idea anyway." Hou Yifan was down to about 2 minutes plus 30 seconds a move until first time control.

[33...b6 34.Rxc4 Bc5 35.Qh4 Kb7 36.Qxg4 Re1+ 37.Kh2 Qh7+ 38.Bh4 Kb8 39.Rxc5 with perhaps more mess than he wants.]

34.bxc3 Bc5 35.Qg5

[35.Qf4 "I think she should definitely have gone 35.Qf4 here." - Carlsen. 35...Bd6 exchanging the bishops is still good for black but "still I think it's a better chance." - Carlsen. 36.Qc4 Bxg3 37.fxg3 although when Carlsen got here he thought black should be winning and indeed it looks terrible for white.]

35...b6 36.c4 Re4

[36...Kb7 Tucking the king onto a better square was certainly possible and maybe best but Carlsen poses more problems as Hou Yifan's clock goes below 2 minutes (+ 30 seconds per move.)]

37.Qg6 Re2 38.Kf1?

38...Qd2!

This leads to a decisive simplification into a won ending.

[38...Ra2 39.Re1 Kb7 was what the computer wanted as the queenside will fall, but it is fixed and falling sometime anyway. Carlsen doesn't want to give Hou any activity.]

39.Qxg4+

[39.Qg8+ Kb7 40.Qd5+ Qxd5 41.cxd5 Re4 42.Ra1 might be a little bit better than the game.]

39...Kb8 40.Qxe2

[40.Qg8+ Ka7 41.Qf7 Rxf2+ (41...Re7 42.Qf4 Be3!!) 42.Bxf2 Qxc1+ isn't very effective. 43.Be1]

40...Qxc1+ 41.Qe1 Qxc4+ 42.Qe2 Qxa4 43.Be5

43...Bd4!?

This seems to be over-egging the pudding. "Then I tried to simplify a bit, but perhaps I just made it more difficult because I think I lost some of my advantage. But fortunately I never really let it go and somehow I managed to win in the end." - Carlsen. It is hard to forsee either a defence nor counterplay after

[43...Qc6 although Carlsen says that exchanging bishops was the right idea "it wasn't as easy to win as I thought."]

44.Bxd4

[44.f4 Qa1+ 45.Qe1 Bxe5 46.fxe5 Qxe1+ 47.Kxe1 Kc8 is trivial.]

44...Qxd4 45.g4 Qd5

Carlsen hasn't lost his winning advantage but he has to be a good deal more precise than he wanted to be after this simplification.

[45...a4 46.g5 a3 47.g6 and it's not so easy for black to queen his pawn. 47...Qd5 48.Qe8+ Kb7 49.g7 a2 50.Qa4 and Carlsen wasn't so sure although he does have options to exchange the two passed pawns or play b5.]

46.Qe8+

[46.Kg1 a4 47.f4 and black is always one step ahead according to Carlsen.]

46...Kb7 47.Qa4

Carlsen hadn't seen this idea.

47...b5?

"Was just a blunder, I hadn't seen she could go Qe1 at all." - Carlsen.

[47...Qc6 was very possible as taking queens off loses for white.]

48.Qxa5 Qd1+ 49.Qe1 Qxg4 50.Qe5 Qc4+

51.Kg2?

Now Carlsen doesn't see "many drawing chances for white".

[51.Ke1 Was Carlsen's suggestion here. "I believe I'm winning.... [but it will take some work] but this was definitely the better try" - Carlsen. 51...Qd3 "Ah but now she's still running [the f-pawn] There are more drawing chances than I thought." - Carlsen.]

51...Qc6+ 52.Kf1 b4 53.f4 b3 54.f5 Ka6!

The very best. Black can't avoid precise calculation in this position and Carlsen gets it right.

[54...Qc1+ 55.Kg2 Qc2+ 56.Kg3 c6 57.Qe7+ Ka6 58.Qa3+]

55.Qa1+

[55.f6 b2 56.Qxb2 Qh1+ 57.Ke2 Qg2+ 58.Kd3 Qxb2 is a very important point of this move.]

55...Kb6 56.Qh8 Qc1+ 57.Kg2 Qc2+ 58.Kh1 b2 59.Qb8+

Checks will follow but not perpetual check.

59...Ka5 60.Qa7+ Kb4 61.Qb7+ Ka3 62.Qf3+ Qb3 63.Qa8+ Qa4 64.Qf3+ Ka2 65.Qd5+ Ka1 66.Qe5 c5

The c-pawn will help shield the black king and finally queen the pawn.

[66...c5 67.f6 Qd4 is the immediate point.]

0-1

Official video of Round 9

Tables

75th Tata Steel GpA Wijk aan Zee (NED), 12-27 i 2013																cat. XX (2732)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2861	*	½	½	.	1	1	½	½	1	.	.	.	1	1	7	2943
2.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2772	½	*	1	½	½	.	½	1	1	.	½	.	½	.	6	2870
3.	Aronian, Levon	g	ARM	2802	½	0	*	.	½	½	1	.	½	.	.	½	1	1	5½	2793
4.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2769	.	½	.	*	.	½	½	.	½	1	½	½	½	1	5½	2783
5.	Harikrishna, Pentala	g	IND	2698	0	½	½	.	*	½	½	½	1	.	1	.	½	.	5	2797
6.	Karjakin, Sergey	g	RUS	2780	0	.	½	½	½	*	.	½	.	1	½	½	.	1	5	2777
7.	Leko, Peter	g	HUN	2735	½	½	0	½	½	.	*	1	.	½	½	½	.	.	4½	2753
8.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2781	½	0	.	.	½	½	0	*	.	½	.	1	1	½	4½	2721
9.	Van Wely, Loek	g	NED	2679	0	0	½	½	0	.	.	.	*	1	.	1	1	½	4½	2727
10.	Wang, Hao	g	CHN	2752	.	.	.	0	.	0	½	½	0	*	½	1	½	1	4	2663
11.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2720	.	½	.	½	0	½	½	.	.	½	*	½	½	0	3½	2631
12.	L'Ami, Erwin	g	NED	2627	.	.	½	½	.	½	½	0	0	0	½	*	.	½	3	2610
13.	Sokolov, Ivan	g	NED	2663	0	½	0	½	½	.	.	0	0	½	½	.	*	.	2½	2593
14.	Hou, Yifan	g	CHN	2603	0	.	0	0	.	0	.	½	½	0	1	½	.	*	2½	2586

Round 9 (January 22, 2013)
Nakamura, Hikaru	- Giri, Anish	½-½	42	B40	Sicilian Classical
Karjakin, Sergey	- Harikrishna, Pentala	½-½	40	C67	Ruy Lopez Berlin
Leko, Peter	- Anand, Viswanathan	½-½	25	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Wang, Hao	- Caruana, Fabiano	½-½	57	D11	Slav Defence
L'Ami, Erwin	- Aronian, Levon	½-½	66	A35	English Symmetrical
Sokolov, Ivan	- Van Wely, Loek	0-1	39	E46	Nimzo Indian Rubinstein
Hou, Yifan	- Carlsen, Magnus	0-1	66	C44	Scotch Gambit

75th Tata Steel GpB Wijk aan Zee (NED), 12-27 i 2013																cat. XV (2620)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Movsesian, Sergei	g	ARM	2688	*	½	0	.	.	½	½	1	1	1	.	.	1	1	6½	2790
2.	Naiditsch, Arkadij	g	GER	2708	½	*	.	1	½	1	0	.	1	0	1	1	.	.	6	2735
3.	Rapport, Richard	g	HUN	2621	1	.	*	0	½	.	1	1	½	½	½	.	.	1	6	2745
4.	Smeets, Jan	g	NED	2615	.	0	1	*	½	0	.	1	.	½	1	½	1	.	5½	2695
5.	Dubov, Daniil	g	RUS	2600	.	½	½	½	*	1	.	0	.	.	½	½	1	1	5½	2694
6.	Timman, Jan H	g	NED	2566	½	0	.	1	0	*	½	.	½	.	1	1	.	1	5½	2703
7.	Tiviakov, Sergei	g	NED	2655	½	1	0	.	.	½	*	0	.	1	.	1	1	0	5	2666
8.	Edouard, Romain	g	FRA	2686	0	.	0	0	1	.	1	*	½	1	.	.	½	0	4	2575
9.	Turov, Maxim	g	RUS	2630	0	0	½	.	.	½	.	½	*	.	½	½	½	1	4	2579
10.	Van Kampen, Robin	g	NED	2581	0	1	½	½	.	.	0	0	.	*	0	½	.	1	3½	2552
11.	Grandelius, Nils	g	SWE	2572	.	0	½	0	½	0	.	.	½	1	*	1	0	.	3½	2534
12.	Ipatov, Alexander	g	TUR	2587	.	0	.	½	½	0	0	.	½	½	0	*	1	.	3	2491
13.	Nikolic, Predrag	g	BIH	2619	0	.	.	0	0	.	0	½	½	.	1	0	*	1	3	2496
14.	Ernst, Sipke	g	NED	2556	0	.	0	.	0	0	1	1	0	0	.	.	0	*	2	2407

Round 9 (January 22, 2013)
Naiditsch, Arkadij	- Timman, Jan H	1-0	40	C77	Ruy Lopez Anderssen
Smeets, Jan	- Edouard, Romain	1-0	35	C07	French Tarrasch
Dubov, Daniil	- Ernst, Sipke	1-0	50	E33	Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2
Tiviakov, Sergei	- Van Kampen, Robin	1-0	36	B18	Caro Kann
Turov, Maxim	- Movsesian, Sergei	0-1	46	D15	Slav Defence
Grandelius, Nils	- Rapport, Richard	½-½	70	C18	French Winawer
Ipatov, Alexander	- Nikolic, Predrag	1-0	42	E21	Nimzo Indian 4.Nf3

75th Tata Steel GpC Wijk aan Zee (NED), 12-27 i 2013																cat. X (2476)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
1.	Brunello, Sabino	g	ITA	2572	*	½	½	1	1	1	.	½	1	.	.	1	.	1	7½	2751
2.	Peralta, Fernando	g	ARG	2617	½	*	1	.	½	.	½	1	1	.	.	1	½	1	7	2684
3.	Swinkels, Robin	g	NED	2508	½	0	*	.	½	½	.	½	½	.	.	1	1	1	5½	2566
4.	Klein, David	m	NED	2445	0	.	.	*	1	.	½	0	1	1	0	.	1	1	5½	2536
5.	Mekhitarian, Krikor Sevag	g	BRA	2543	0	½	½	0	*	½	1	.	.	½	1	.	.	1	5	2526
6.	Kovchan, Alexander	g	UKR	2579	0	.	½	.	½	*	½	1	½	½	.	.	½	1	5	2520
7.	Burg, Twan	m	NED	2492	.	½	.	½	0	½	*	.	0	1	½	½	1	.	4½	2488
8.	Bitensky, Igor	m	ISR	2400	½	0	½	1	.	0	.	*	.	½	½	1	.	0	4	2430
9.	Gretarsson, Hjorvar Steinn	m	ISL	2516	0	0	½	0	.	½	1	.	*	1	½	.	½	.	4	2457
10.	Romanishin, Oleg M	g	UKR	2521	.	.	.	0	½	½	0	½	0	*	1	½	1	.	4	2417
11.	Admiraal, Miguoel	f	NED	2321	.	.	.	1	0	.	½	½	½	0	*	0	½	½	3½	2371
12.	Goryachkina, Aleksandra	wg	RUS	2402	0	0	0	.	.	.	½	0	.	½	1	*	½	½	3	2339
13.	Van Der Werf, Mark	m	NED	2450	.	½	0	0	.	½	0	.	½	0	½	½	*	.	2½	2323
14.	Schut, Lisa	wm	NED	2295	0	0	0	0	0	0	.	1	.	.	½	½	.	*	2	2267

Round 9 (January 22, 2013)
Mekhitarian, Krikor Sevag	- Schut, Lisa	1-0	28	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Burg, Twan	- Peralta, Fernando	½-½	86	B09	Pirc Defence
Bitensky, Igor	- Goryachkina, Aleksandra	1-0	34	B23	Sicilian Closed
Gretarsson, Hjorvar Steinn	- Brunello, Sabino	0-1	43	D17	Slav Defence
Romanishin, Oleg M	- Kovchan, Alexander	½-½	21	A15	English counter King's Fianchetto
Admiraal, Miguoel	- Klein, David	1-0	40	E06	Catalan
Van Der Werf, Mark	- Swinkels, Robin	0-1	77	D10	Slav Defence

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