Manhem Chess Week, part 1. | CHESS AT THE BAG OF CATS

Only two days left until the start of “Manhems Schackvecka” (Manhem Chess Week), where I will participate in the round-robin GM-tournament. The top rated players are Eduardas Rozentalis, Emanuel Berg and me. Then there are a pack of young upcoming IM’s. It will be especially interesting to follow Erik Blomqvist, who is rated in fourth place. This young Swede made his last GM-norm earlier this summer and has continued to impress me with his mature playing style. In the Visma Chess Tournament he played an interesting game, against Axel Smith, that well illustrates his strengths:
   [Event "Visma GM"]  [Site "Växjö"]  [Date "2013.07.01"]  [Round "6"]  [White "Blomqvist, E."]  [Black "Smith, Ax"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "A04"]  [WhiteElo "2480"]  [BlackElo "2460"]  [PlyCount "171"]  [EventDate "2013.??.??"]   1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. e3 Nf6 (4... Bg7 5. d4 d6 6. Be2 {intending  to play d4-d5 at an opportune moment, is a bit better for White.}) 5. d4 cxd4  6. exd4 d5 {This line does not have the most positive reputation, but  considering how well prepared Axel Smith generally is, I'd say that he was  well prepared for what would come.} 7. cxd5 ({The main alternative is} 7. Bg5 {  when Lenier Dominguez has done quite well lately with} Be6 8. Bxf6 exf6 {Here  White can try either} 9. c5 {or} (9. Be2 {, but Black has good chances in  either case. It seems to me that Blomqvist's choice is the more challenging  one.})) 7... Nxd5 8. Qb3 Nxc3 9. Bc4 $1 Nd5 ({Black can also play} 9... e6 10.  bxc3 Bg7 11. Ba3 Bf8 {when} 12. Bxf8 Kxf8 13. O-O Kg7 14. Qb5 $5 {(stopping  b7-b6)} Qc7 15. Be2 Rd8 16. Rfd1 b6 17. c4 Ne7 18. Qb2 Kg8 $6 19. Ne5 {was a  bit better for White in Aronian - Stevic, Porto Carras 2011.}) 10. Bxd5 e6 11.  Bxc6+ bxc6 {This is an interesting position where Black has the bishop pair,  but also suffers from some very weak dark squares. Blomqvist is masterful in  the way he exploits these dark squares.} 12. O-O Qd5 ({It is not obvious to me  why} 12... f6 {is much less played.}) 13. Be3 $5 {Blomqvist decides to walk in  the footsteps of Anish Giri, who played in the same way against Axel Smith in  Reykjavik, earlier this year. Apart from this move, White has a lesser ocean  of moves to chose from here. Among others:} (13. Qc3 f6 $1 {This  simultaneously defends e5 and g5 and prepares Kf7, Be7, followed by g6-g5.}  14. Bf4 {The bishop is not very well placed here, but it takes away the  b8-square from the black rook. I believe the right plan here for White must  involve a re-routing of the knight on f3 (that has become quite purposeless  after f7-f6). How exactly it should be done; that I do not know.} g5 15. Bg3  Be7 16. Rfe1 Kf7 $1 {Black only has one real weakness now; the pawn on c6.} 17.  Rac1 Bb7 18. Re3 Rhe8 19. Qb3 ({It is too late to play} 19. Ne1 {due to} Rac8 {  when} 20. Nd3 c5 21. dxc5 $4 Qxg2# {would be embarrassing.}) 19... c5 $1 20.  Qc2 Qf5 $1 21. dxc5 Qxc2 22. Rxc2 Rec8 23. Rec3 Be4 24. Rc1 Bxf3 25. Rxf3 (25.  gxf3 e5 {and White will have to finish the game without the bishop on g3.})  25... Rxc5 26. Rxc5 Bxc5 27. Rc3 $6 Bd4 28. Rc7+ Kg6 {and Black slowly got the  upper hand in Pantsulaia,L (2575)-Short,N (2698)/Istanbul 2012.}) 13... Qxb3  14. axb3 Bb7 15. Rfc1 {White has a very small advantage here, mainly because  Bb7 is very passive, but also because the dark squares are weak. What I really  like about Blomqvist's games are that - unlike many other young players - he  can truly play the endgame, and in such a manner that no one goes safe.} Bd6 ({  Or} 15... f6 16. Nd2 {and the knight is headed for c4 anyway.}) 16. Ne5 O-O ({  Axel deviates from his earlier encounter with Anish Giri, from Reykjavik, 2013  } 16... Ke7 17. Nxc6+ ({It seems better for White to play} 17. Ra4 $5 Rhc8 (  17... f6 18. Nxc6+ Bxc6 19. Rxc6 a5 20. Rb6 {leaves White with a small but  clear advantage.}) 18. Nc4 Bc7 19. Bd2 {with similar play to the game. The  question is whether the king is better or worse on e7? It seems to be better,  no?}) (17. b4 $2 {is a pawn that cannot be taken, but apart from this it does  nothing to improve the White position. The main downside is that White can  forget about the Ra1-a4-b4 maneuvre for all future.}) 17... Bxc6 18. Rxc6 a5  19. Bd2 Rhb8 20. Rxa5 Rxa5 21. Bxa5 Rxb3 22. Rc2 Rd3 {was almost dead equal. I  wonder whether Axel decided to avoid this line because he feared a preparation,  or whether he thought that the king was just better off on g8 than on e7?!})  17. Ra4 $1 {This is a multipurpose move that prepares to further attack the  a7-pawn, defends the d4-pawn and gives White the option of playing Rb4 in case  Bd6 leaves the f8-a3-diagonal.} Rfc8 18. Nc4 $1 {The knight keeps an eye on  four important dark squares from here and makes it harder for Black to achieve  a break that would set the bishop on b7 free.} Bc7 (18... Be7 $5 {makes it  harder for White to reroute the bishop to c5, but White still has the  initiative, and not just any initiative at that; it is the kind that just goes  on, and on, and on.}) 19. Bd2 $1 {...heading for c5.} Kf8 ({At first it seems  better to play} 19... Rd8 {, but then you discover} 20. Ba5 $1 Bxa5 21. Nxa5  Rab8 22. f3 {when Black is far from solving the problem of the horribly  passive bishop on b7.}) 20. Rca1 a6 21. f3 {"Do not hurry", is a quote that  you have often heard. But, what does it really mean? Here, where Black is  completely passive (this is important), White does indeed not have to hurry.  Since 21.Bb4+ does not going anything immediately, Blomqvist makes a move that  further improves his position (removes mating themes from the back rank; opens  the way for the king to e3; and stops c6-c5/Bb7xg2-ideas).} Rd8 22. Bb4+ Ke8  23. Bc5 {Houdini evaluates this position as only slightly worse for Black.  From a practical point - however - it is clearly horrible for Black.} Rd5 24.  Ne3 Rdd8 ({I would play} 24... Rh5 {here. Not because it is a better move, but  because it gives White something more to think about.}) 25. Kf2 f6 26. Re1 Kf7  27. Nc4 Rd7 28. h4 Re8 29. Re2 ({Axel has defended very well up to this point.  My engine's first choice} 29. Rb4 Bc8 30. Nb6 Bxb6 31. Rxb6 Bb7 32. b4 {is  clearly silly. How will White make progress?}) 29... e5 $6 {This is exactly  what White i hoping for. Suddenly Black will have more than one weakness, which will clearly improve White's winning chances.} ({It is better to play}  29... h5 {when there are no weaknesses on the kingside and Black can concentrate on defending the queenside. Although White is  still better I find it hard to believe that it can be won against a decent  defence.}) 30. Rb4 $1 Bc8 31. dxe5 fxe5 $6 {Ouch! Now the Black position  becomes even more ugly. In a passive and slightly worse position like this, it  is important to constantly search for possibilities to simplify the position.  Here, one such chance is:} (31... Bxe5 $1 32. Nxe5+ (32. Nb6 a5 $1) 32... Rxe5  33. Rxe5 fxe5 34. Rb8 Rd2+ $1 35. Ke3 Rc2 36. Rxc8 (36. b4 Bd7 37. Rh8 Kg7 38.  Ra8 Be6 39. g4 Rxb2 40. Bd6 Rb3+ 41. Kf2 Bd5 {and the Black pieces are no less  active than their White counterparts.}) 36... Rxc5 37. Kd3 h5 {This rook  endgame is a bit better for White, but Black should be able to draw it.}) 32.  Bb6 $1 Bd6 33. Ra4 $5 (33. Nxd6+ Rxd6 34. Bc7 Rd5 35. Rb8 Rb5 36. Rxb5 cxb5 37.  Bxe5 {wins a pawn, but hardly the game after} a5 $1) 33... Bb8 $1 34. Nd2 Rd3  35. Rc4 Bd7 36. b4 Bd6 37. Ne4 Be7 38. g3 Rc8 (38... Rd1 $1 39. Bc7 Bf8 {is  passive, but leaves Black with more chances of survival.}) 39. Bc5 $1 {Now  things turn from bad to worse. It is clearly in White's interest to exchange  the dark squared bishops.} Re8 40. Bxe7 Rxe7 41. Nc5 Rd1 42. Nxa6 Bf5 43. Nc5 (  {I do not see the reason why White cannot just play} 43. Rxc6 $1 {After} Bd3  44. Re1 Rxe1 45. Kxe1 Bxa6 46. Rxa6 Rb7 47. Ra4 Ke6 48. Ke2 Kd5 49. Kd3 {White  is close to winning.}) 43... Bh3 44. Rce4 Rf1+ 45. Ke3 Rb1 $6 (45... Bf5 $1 46.  Rc4 Be6 47. Nxe6 Rxe6 48. Rec2 Rf6) 46. g4 $1 Bf1 47. Rd2 Bb5 {One might think  that Black can be happy for finally stabilizing the bishop, but now there are  weaknesses around the black king.} 48. Kf2 $1 {This keeps all the trumps.  After} (48. Nd7 $5 Re1+ 49. Kf2 Rxe4 50. fxe4 g5 51. h5 Re6 52. Ke3 h6 {White  is clearly better, but there is a weakness on g4 and e5 can no longer be  attacked.}) 48... Rf1+ 49. Kg2 Rb1 50. Nd7 Kg7 51. Nxe5 Ra7 52. Kg3 Ra2 53. Rf4  $2 ({Here White can win with a direct attack:} 53. Rd7+ Kf8 54. Rd8+ Kg7 55.  Nd7 Bc4 56. Re7+ Bf7 57. Rf8) 53... Ra7 54. Rfd4 Re1 55. Rd7+ Rxd7 56. Nxd7 (  56. Rxd7+ $5 Kf6 57. f4 Re3+ 58. Kf2 Re4 59. Kf3 Rxb4 60. Rxh7 {is also  winning.}) 56... h6 57. Nc5 {The rest is rather simple.} Bc4 58. Rd7+ Bf7 59.  Rc7 Rg1+ 60. Kf4 Rb1 61. b3 Rd1 62. Ke3 Rd6 63. Ne4 Re6 64. Kd4 Kf8 65. Kc5  Re5+ 66. Kxc6 Bxb3 67. Nc5 Re3 68. b5 Bd1 69. b6 Bxf3+ 70. Kd6 Kg8 71. b7 Bxb7  72. Rxb7 Rh3 73. Ne4 h5 74. g5 Kf8 75. Ke6 Re3 76. Ke5 Re1 77. Kf6 Ke8 78. Re7+  Kf8 79. Re5 Rf1+ 80. Kxg6 Rf7 81. Kxh5 Rh7+ 82. Kg4 Ra7 83. h5 Ra1 84. Kf5 Rf1+  85. Kg6 Rf6+ 86. Kxf6 {1-0}
Will Erik score another success in Gothenburg?