Sigeman & Co. Chess Tournament, part 1 | CHESS AT THE BAG OF CATS

For the 21:st time the Sigeman & Co. Chess Tournament is being held in Malmö (and it’s vicinity). This is a special occasion for those who live in the neighborhood, not just because you get to see strong chess at a close distance, but also because you get to see some of the Swedish elite test their strength against strong GM:s from all around the world. Yesterday was the day that Nils Grandelius showed why he has been invited:
   [Event "Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament 2013"]  [Site "Malmö"]  [Date "2013.05.23"]  [Round "2.2"]  [White "Grandelius, Nils"]  [Black "Hector, Jonny"]  [Result "1-0"]  [ECO "C74"]  [WhiteElo "2556"]  [BlackElo "2512"]  [Annotator "Tiger"]  [PlyCount "125"]  [EventDate "2013.05.22"]  [SourceDate "2011.03.24"]   1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 d6 $5 {This is a surprising choice from Black considering that the two of the three main proponents of this system,  Ivan Sokolov and Nigel Short (the third being Yandemirov), are both playing in  this same tournament! Did Johnny get inspired during his preparations? I would  have expected that Nils would also have spent some time before the tournament  preparing against this system and therefore I would have avoided it. I do  wonder what speculations led Jonny to choose this line?} 5. c3 ({It has become  more fashionable to play} 5. O-O {lately; probably because it avoids the line  in this game.}) 5... f5 6. exf5 Bxf5 {In 2008 - when I spent a lot of time  trying to learn the basics of playing 1.e4 - I spent a day or two on this line,  trying to find some new ideas. In the end I didn't and went searching for  greener pastures on move 5.} 7. O-O (7. d4 e4 8. d5 exf3 9. Qxf3 Qe7+ (9...  Bxb1 {is possibly stronger, but quite unclear:} 10. dxc6 b5 11. Bb3 $1 {and  the show goes on...}) 10. Kd1 Be4 11. Qh3 Bxd5 12. Re1 Be4 13. Nd2 {and White  was better in Grischuk,A-Najer,E/Khanty-Mansiysk 2007.}) 7... Bd3 $1 ({Now}  7... Be7 8. d4 e4 9. d5 exf3 10. dxc6 b5 11. Bb3 {is quite awkward for Black  since the king will be stuck in the center.}) 8. Re1 Be7 9. Bc2 Bxc2 ({Not}  9... e4 $2 10. Bxd3 exd3 11. Qb3 $1 {and Black cannot defend against both Ng5  and c4, Qxd3.}) 10. Qxc2 Nf6 11. d4 O-O $5 {The second surprise of the game  and one that makes the first surprise easier to understand; Jonny has some  serious preparation up his sleeve!?} ({In the last years it has been a lot  more popular to play} 11... e4 12. Ng5 d5 {and here after} 13. f3 h6 14. Nh3  O-O 15. Nd2 exf3 16. Nxf3 Rf7 $1 17. Nf2 $1 {(played in - among other games -  Grandelius,N-Yandemirov,V/19th Czech Chladek & Tintera A Open, Pa 2008) White  is somewhat more comfortable.}) (11... exd4 12. cxd4 O-O 13. Nc3 Kh8 14. Bg5 {  led to a comfortable position for White in Korneev-Yandemirov, St Petersburg  1996.}) {Black's choice in the game is rather uncommon but has been played by  a number of strong players.} 12. Be3 {I do not like this move and I doubt that  Nils would claim that it is a strong one. Possibly he was just trying to find  a good move that was not part of Jonny's preparation. The upside of Be3 is  that it finishes development, but - on the other hand - it is slow and the  bishop is hardly optimally placed. More serious alternatives are:} (12. d5 {  This is the "main line"; has been played the most, is considered best and is  the engines first choice. The game Almasi-Winants, Wijk aan Zee 1995 continued}  e4 13. Ng5 Ne5 14. Ne6 Qd7 15. Nd2 $1 e3 16. Rxe3 Nxd5 17. Nxf8 Nxe3 18. Qxh7+  Kxf8 19. fxe3 Re8 20. Ne4 $1 Qg4 21. Bd2 Nf3+ 22. Kh1 Nxd2 23. Nxd2 Qe2 (23...  Bf6 $5) 24. Ne4 $14 {and White was clearly better. However there might be  possibilities to improve on the Black game. I guess Jonny must have had  something prepared here.}) (12. dxe5 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 dxe5 14. Be3 {has a 2-0  score for White, but I guess that Black should be able to hold this slightly  worse endgame.}) 12... exd4 ({Black might also consider} 12... Ng4 $5) 13. cxd4  d5 14. Nc3 Bb4 {I would be quite happy if I got this position from the opening.  } 15. Rad1 {Preparation for Nf3-e5...} Qd6 16. Ne5 Rae8 17. Nxc6 ({Before it  comes to it's senses the engine gives} 17. f4 {as it's first alternative. It  might not be a really bad move, but it is the kind of move that burns bridges.  White will have to keep an iron grip on the white squares on the kingside. If  that grip slips, then the knights will enter e4 and c4 and he will be doomed.})  17... Qxc6 18. f3 $1 {Nils is robbing Nf6 of potential squares.} Bxc3 {The  saying is that queen + knight is better than queen + bishop in the endgame. It  is good to have a knowledge about these kind of principles, but it is even  more important not to take them for granted. Chess is a game of many  principles and they often collide. Ask yourself: under which circumstances is  this principle correct? One thing that must be taken into account is the  activity of the minor pieces. If the knight can become active, then yes, the  principle seems to have some bearing...} 19. bxc3 Nd7 $1 {The knight had done  it's thing on f6 and is now headed for c4.} 20. Re2 Nb6 21. Rde1 Qa4 22. Qb3  Qb5 23. Kf2 Nc4 24. Bc1 Rxe2+ 25. Rxe2 Qc6 26. Qd1 Re8 27. Bf4 $1 {This is the  right place for the bishop since it makes it harder for the knight to change  flank (it can be exchanged on d6). Also, the c7-pawn is attacked.} Rxe2+ 28.  Qxe2 Kf7 29. Qc2 g6 30. Qc1 {At this stage Black is symbolically better  (because the knight is a little stronger than the bishop), but now things  start to go wrong for Jonny. What should Black do first? Realize that there is  no real advantage here. The White king is safe and he can strive to get a  passed pawn on the kingside; the best Black can do is an endgame without  queens.} Qb6 $5 {Jonny is aiming at the juicy squares on b2 and a5. A safer  road was} (30... Qd7 31. Be5 Nxe5 32. Qf4+ Qf5 33. Qxf5+ gxf5 34. dxe5 {which  is a dead draw.}) 31. Kg3 Ke8 {Ambitious as always, Jonny intends to move the  king to the queenside and let Nils do what damage he can on the kingside.} ({  The line} 31... Qb2 32. Qxb2 Nxb2 33. Bxc7 (33. Kg4 $5) 33... Na4 34. Kf4 Ke6  35. Kg5 Nxc3 36. Kh6 Nxa2 37. Bb6 Kf7 38. Kxh7 Nb4 39. g4 Nc2 40. h4 Ne3 {  seems to be promising for Black, but that is absolutely out of range for any  human to evaluate with exactness when the time is ticking.}) 32. h4 $5 (32. Be5  {Is also good, but why allow you opponent to clarify the position when  uncertainity is your best hope of winning?}) 32... Kd7 33. Qh1 Nd6 (33... Qf6  $1 34. Qh3+ Kc6 35. Qc8 Qf7) 34. Qe1 Nf5+ {This looks nice for Black, but  unless you have a way to follow up this check can turn into a Phyrric victory  at the blink of an eye (since the f5-square is not really under Black's  control).} 35. Kh3 $1 Qf6 36. Be5 Qe7 37. g4 Ng7 $2 {This is a horrible move  and I could be wrong when I say this: it is easier to commit this kind of  mistake if you think in terms of principles rather than treating every  position as unique! With a misplaced knight in Q+N vs. Q+B, the Q+B is much  stronger; in THIS position. Keep your generalizations to a minimum.} 38. Qb1 $1  b5 (38... Kc8 39. f4 Qd7 40. Qd3 {and White is in the driving seat since he is  the first who will be able to create a passed (and not blockaded) pawn.}) 39.  Qb3 ({Also possible is} 39. a4 {, but there is nothing wrong with Nils's move.}  ) 39... Kc6 (39... c6 40. a4 Kc8 41. axb5 axb5 42. Kg3 {leads to another  position where the bishop dominates the knight. The worst case scenario for  White is that he will have to exchange the knight, but more likely - not.}) 40.  a4 {Now White has a clear advantage because the black pawn majority on the  queenside has become crippled and unfit for creating a passed pawn. Also, the  a-file gets opened to White's advantage and the knight on g7 is seriously out  of play.} Qf7 41. axb5+ axb5 42. Kg3 Ne8 43. Qb4 Qd7 44. Qf8 $5 {An excellent  move from a practical point of view. White keeps up the pressure and does not  show his cards just yet.} ({Nils could also have tried} 44. f4 Kb7 ({(the  point is that} 44... Nd6 $2 45. Qc5+ Kb7 46. Qxd5+ {is bad for Black}) 45. f5  gxf5 46. gxf5 Nd6 47. Bxd6 cxd6 48. Qb1 {with some advantage.}) 44... Kb7 $6 ({  Black is drifting towards a really bad position and it is time to find some  speedy counterplay and keep the king as central as possible!} 44... Nd6 $1 45.  h5 (45. Qa8+ Kb6 46. Qb8+ Ka6) 45... gxh5 46. gxh5 Nc4) 45. Qg8 Ka7 46. Qf8 Kb7  47. h5 {Nils gets tired of jumping around and initiates un petit combination..  .} ({When I came to this stage of my comments I called Stellan Brynell to ask  what the players had said about this position and he did not make me any the  wiser. However, he said that Ulf Andersson did not like this move and preferred  } 47. Kf4 $5 {a move that - I am proud to say - was my own first intention.  After} Nd6 48. Bxd6 cxd6 {it looks like White is just winning, but there are  some hidden possibilities for Black. For instance:} 49. Kg5 (49. Qg8 Kb6 50.  Qxd5 Qc7 {leads to the main line...}) (49. Ke3 Qe6+ 50. Kd2 h5) 49... Qc7 50.  Qg8 (50. Kh6 Qxc3 51. Kxh7 b4 {and the b-pawn is very dangerous.}) 50... Kb6  51. Qxd5 Qe7+ 52. Kf4 Qc7 53. Qb3 d5+ 54. Ke3 Qe7+ 55. Kd3 Qe1 56. Qa3 {and  White keeps some winning chances.}) 47... gxh5 48. Qf5 $2 (48. gxh5 Nd6 49.  Bxd6 cxd6 50. h6 Qc7 51. Qg7 Kb6 {leads nowhere for White (!!) since} 52. Qxc7+  Kxc7 53. Kf4 Kd7 54. Kf5 Ke7 {i a dead draw!}) 48... Qc6 $2 ({I have tried in  vain to understand why Black did not play} 48... Qxf5 49. gxf5 Kc6 50. Kh4 (50.  f6 Nd6 51. Kh4 Nf7 52. f4 Kd7 53. Kxh5 Ke6 54. Bxc7 Kxf6 {is risky only for  White.}) 50... Nd6 51. Bxd6 Kxd6 52. Kxh5 Ke7 53. Kh6 Kf6 54. Kxh7 Kxf5 55. Kg7  {and now} Ke6 ({and} 55... Kf4 56. Kf6 Kxf3 57. Ke5 Ke3 58. Kxd5 Kd3) 56. Kg6  c5 57. f4 cxd4 58. cxd4 b4 59. f5+ Kd7 60. f6 b3 {holds a draw. I guess a  combination of tiredness and respect led Jonny to "believe" in his opponents  move.}) 49. Qxh5 {Now the pawn structure completely favors White.} Nd6 ({  Jonny's last chance was} 49... h6 50. Bf4 Nd6 51. Bd2 Qc4 52. Qxh6 Qf1 53. Qe3  {although Nils should win this too.}) 50. Qxh7 Kb6 51. Qd3 Nc4 52. g5 {The  rest is simple.} Qe6 53. f4 Nxe5 54. dxe5 c5 55. g6 b4 56. cxb4 c4 57. Qd4+ Kb5  58. Qc5+ Ka4 59. Qd6 Qf5 60. g7 Qd3+ 61. Kg4 Qh7 62. Qd7+ Ka3 63. Qf7 {and  Black resigned.} 1-0
Today there is also new material under “coaching”.