Chessable Lowenthal Sicilian

Arctic Securities Chess Stars 2010 (Final)

Magnus Carlsen wins the Arctic Securities Chess Stars 2010

Anand and Carlsen in the final. Photo ©

Anand and Carlsen in the final. Photo © | http://bit.ly/chessnrk

Magnus Carlsen won the Arctic Securities Chess Stars in Kristiansund. This rapid tournament was covered live on Norwegian Television. He beat World Chess Champion Viswanthan Anand 1.5-0.5 in the final. Anand hadn't played since he retained his title in Sofia in May and was impressive in the group stages winning all his games against Polgar and Hammer. However in the final he was ground down in the first game and made so little headway in the second on the white side of a Ruy Lopez he agreed a draw after just 27 moves. Jon Ludvig Hammer beat Judit Polgar 1.5-0.5 to win the Bronze final.

Carlsen wasn't very impressive on day two of the Arctic Securities Chess Stars but he got off to a quick start by beating Anand with white in the first game of the final. Anand chose a rock solid Schlechter-Gruenfeld structure. Carlsen pressed without obtaining anything clear but his position was a lot easier to play. Eventually he exploited some inaccuracies from Anand and in the end in a terrible position Anand blundered to end the game immediately.

White: Carlsen, Magnus

Black: Anand, Viswanathan

Arctic Stars Final Kristiansund NOR (1)

Date: 30 Aug 2010

Result: 1-0

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 c6 6. O-O d5 7. Nbd2 Bf5 8. b3 Ne4 9. Bb2 Na6 10. Nh4 Nxd2 11. Qxd2 Be6 12. Rac1 Qd7 13. Nf3 Rfd8 14. Rfd1 Nc7 15. Qa5 Ne8 16. e3 Bg4 17. Rd2 Bxf3 18. Bxf3 e6 19. Rdc2 Nd6 20. a4 f5 21. Qe1 a5?

Fingered as a very bad move by Anand as it loses a pawn.

22. Bc3 dxc4 23. Bxa5 cxb3 24. Rb2 Rdc8 25. Rxb3 Bf8 26. Rcb1 Ra7 27. Kg2 Nc4 28. Bb4 Bxb4 29. Rxb4 Nd6 30. Qc3 Rca8 31. Qc2 Ra6 32. h4

Viswanathan Anand

r_____k_
_p_q___p
r_pnp_p_
_____p__
PR_P___P
____PBP_
__Q__PK_
_R______

Magnus Carlsen

Position after 32.h4

32...h5?!

(This provides a long term weakness, Anand now can't afford any break-through on the Kingside. 32... h6 seems much more flexible)

33. e4 R8a7 34. exf5

(34. e5 Nf7 35. Be2 Ra5 36. Qb3 Qd5+ is equal.)

34... Nxf5 35. Re1 Ra5 36. Qb3 Kf7 37. Re4 Ne7 38. Qc2 Nd5 39. Rc4

White has a lot of threats to check.

39...Ra8

(39... Nb6)

40. Re5 Ne7

(40... Kg7 41. Be4 Qf7)

41. Bxh5!

Viswanathan Anand

r_______
_p_qnk__
__p_p_p_
r___R__B
P_RP___P
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__Q__PK_
________

Magnus Carlsen

Position after 41.Bxh5

Begging to be played.

41...Rxe5 42. dxe5 Qd5+ 43. Bf3 Qxe5 44. Re4 Qd6 45. h5 Rf8 46. Qb2 b5 47. axb5 cxb5 48. Qxb5 Nf5 49. Qb7+ Kf6 50. Qh7 gxh5 51. Bxh5 Qd5 52. Bf3 Qd2 53. g4

Viswanathan Anand

_____r__
_______Q
____pk__
_____n__
____R_P_
_____B__
___q_PK_
________

Magnus Carlsen

Position after 53.g4

53...Ng7?

It isn't a total shock that Anand collapses after a long defence but he can play on with: 53... Qg5 54. Qd7 Ng7

54. g5+

Re3 does the job too. 1-0

Anand was required to win game two. The opening was a Ruy Lopez closed, Breyer, Borisenko variation which led to a position where both players bashed out the early moves. However it soon became clear that pieces would be exchange on the queen-side and a sterile position would result and the game was agreed drawn in just 28 moves.

White: Anand, Viswanathan

Black: Carlsen, Magnus

Arctic Stars Final Kristiansund NOR (2)

Date: 30 Aug 2010

Result: 1/2

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. h3 d6 9. c3 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. a4 Bf8 14. Bd3 c6 15. b4 Nb6 16. axb5 axb5 17. Rxa8 Bxa8 18. Nb3 Bb7

Seems to be unusual. Alternatives: 18... Qc7, 18... h6, 18... Nfd7 and 18... Qb8.

19. dxe5 dxe5 20. Be3 Bc8 21. Qc2 Qc7 22. Na5 Bd7 23. Rc1 h6 24. Nd2 Na4 25. Ndb3 Rb8 26.Ra1

Magnus Carlsen

_r___bk_
__qb_pp_
__p__n_p
Np__p___
nP__P___
_NPBB__P
__Q__PP_
R_____K_

Viswanathan Anand

Position after 26.Ra1

26...c5

Played after prolonged thought.

27.bxc5 Nxc5 28.Nxc5 1/2

Arctic Stars Final Kristiansund
Carlsen, Magnus - Anand, Viswanathan 1-0 54 D78 Gruenfeld 3.g3
Anand, Viswanathan - Carlsen, Magnus ½-½ 28 C95 Ruy Lopez Breyer
Arctic Stars Final Kristiansund (NOR), 30 viii 2010
Name Ti NAT Rtng 1 2 Total Perf
Carlsen, Magnus g NOR 2826 1 ½ 2993
Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2800 0 ½ ½ 2633

Jon Ludvig Hammer more than equalised against Judit Polgar in a Scotch Four Knights but he didn't gain much of an advantage and the game ended in a repetition.

White: Polgar, Judit

Black: Hammer, Jon Ludvig

Arctic Stars Bronze Final Kristiansund NOR (1)

Date: 30 Aug 2010

Result: 1/2

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 cxd5 9. O-O O-O 10. Bg5 c6 11. Na4 h6 12. Bh4 Be6 13. c3 Be7 14. Re1 Nd7 15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. f4 f5 17. Qe2 Rae8 18. Qf2 Qd6 19. Rad1 Nf6 20. Nc5 Bc8 21. Qd4 g5 22. Rf1 Nh5 23. fxg5 hxg5 24. c4 Nf4 25. cxd5 cxd5 26. Rf3 Qe5 27. Qxe5 Rxe5 28. Bf1 Ne6 29. Nxe6 Bxe6 30. Ra3 Rf7 31. Kf2 f4 32. h3 Kg7 33. Re1 Rxe1 34. Kxe1 Rb7 35. b3 Bf5 36. Ra6 Rc7 37. Be2 Rc1+ 38. Kd2 Rc2+ 39. Kd1 Be4 40. Bf3 Rb2 41. Ke1 Kf7 42. Bh5+ Ke7 43. Bf3 Kf7 44. Bh5+ Ke7 45. Bf3 1/2

Judit Polgar's year's of relative inactivity to have a family have severely damaged her playing strength which was solid top 10 at one stage. Here she was completely busted just out of the opening. Hammer missed a direct win early on but still found a win in the endgame. Polgar accelerated the loss with a terrible last move.

White: Hammer, Jon Ludvig

Black: Polgar, Judit

Arctic Stars Bronze Final Kristiansund NOR (2)

Date: 30 Aug 2010

Result: 1-0

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O d5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Ne5 O-O 9. Nc3 Na6 10. Bg5 Ne4 11. Bxe7 Qxe7 12. Rc1 c5 13. e3 Rac8 14. Re1 Rfd8 15. Bh3 Ra8 16. Qa4 Nc7 17. Nc6 Bxc6 18. Qxc6 Nxc3 19. bxc3 c4?

Judit Polgar

r__r__k_
p_n_qppp
_pQ_____
___p____
__pP____
__P_P_PB
P____P_P
__R_R_K_

Jon Ludvig Hammer

Position after 19...c4?

Losing material

20. e4 Rd6 21. exd5 Qd8 22. Qxc4 Nxd5 23. Re5 Rb8 24. Rce1 a5 25. Bg2 Nf6 26. Re7 Qf8 27. Qc7 Rbd8 28. Bc6 h5 29. h4 g6 30. a4 Qg7 31. R1e5 Ng4 32. Re8+ Kh7

Judit Polgar

___rR___
__Q__pqk
_pBr__p_
p___R__p
P__P__nP
__P___P_
_____P__
______K_

Jon Ludvig Hammer

Position after 32...Kh7

33. Rxd8

33. Rxh5+!! gxh5 34. Be4+ Kh6 35. Rxd8 Rxd8 36. Qf4+)

33... Qf6 34. Re2 Rxd8 35. Kg2 Rd6 36. Bf3 Kg7 37. Qe7 Rd8 38. Qxf6+ Nxf6 39. Bc6 Rd6 40. Bb5 Nd5 41. Rc2 Rd8 42. Kf3 Kf6 43. Ke4 Nc7 44. Bc6 Ke7 45. Rb2 Rb8 46. Bd5 b5 47. axb5 f5+ 48. Ke5 Rxb5 49. Rxb5 Nxb5 50. c4 Nc3 51. c5 a4

Judit Polgar

________
____k___
______p_
__PBKp_p
p__P___P
__n___P_
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________

Jon Ludvig Hammer

Position after 51...a4

52. Be6 a3 53. d5 a2 54. d6+ Kd8??

Very bad and losing immediately, however 54... Ke8 55. Bxa2 Nxa2 56. Kf6 Nc3 57. Kxg6 is still winning.

55. c6 1-0

55. c6 a1=Q 56. c7+ Ke8 57. c8=Q#

Arctic Stars Bronze Kristiansund
Polgar, Judit - Hammer, Jon Ludvig ½-½ 45 C45 Scotch Game
Hammer, Jon Ludvig - Polgar, Judit 1-0 55 E17 Queens Indian
Arctic Stars Bronze Kristiansund (NOR), 30 viii 2010
Name Ti NAT Rtng 1 2 Total Perf
Hammer, Jon Ludvig g NOR 2636 ½ 1 2875
Polgar, Judit g HUN 2682 ½ 0 ½ 2443

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