allanbeardsworth

Today, to end my selection, the move of the year: a move which I suspected will still be looked at in one hundred or two hundred years, or for however long chess is played. Not for its difficulty, and nor for its beauty (but the fact that Magnus played the winning move instantly was memorable to watch live)

Magnus Carlsen v Sergey Karjakin, World Championship tie break, 30/11/16

Solution

1 Qh6+!!

Kramnik v Vocaturo, Baku Olympiad 13/9/16

It doesn’t win, and after best play, White’s advantage is slight, but still a shocker of a move.

Volokitin v Fridman, Baku Olympiad 4/9/16

Korobov v Sutovsky, 17th Karpov Poikovsky Cup, 29/7/16

So v Akobian, US Championships, St Louis 18/4/16

I am  starting the New Year with a fairly random selection of moves seen during 2016: skewed to the last few months, since I only thought of making such a selection in December, and then had to try to recall some of my favourite moments.

the move played improves Black’s position, that is all: you won’t find this particular position in any “find the winning move publication”.

Caruana v Carlsen, Baku Olympiad 11/9/16

2 dc and now 2….Bc3!!

I am starting the New Year with a fairly random selection of moves seen during 2016: skewed to the last few months, since I only thought of making such a selection in December, and then had to try to recall some of my favourite moments.

 

Anand v Adams, London Chess Classic 12/12/16

I will start the New Year with a fairly random selection of moves seen during 2016: skewed to the last few months, since I only thought of making such a selection in December, and then had to try to recall some of my favourite moments.

Today, quite extraordinarily, I am picking another move from the same game as I selected yesterday, played in the fabulous sixth round of the equally fabulous 2016 London Chess Classic.

Furthermore, the move played wasn’t the best (per the engines/in the cold light of analysis) but for sheer imagination, what can I say?

So: today, if you don’t know the position (i) try to work out the best move; (ii) try to work out the actual move played, or, alternatively, list out all the candidate moves that you would consider if you were playing White.

 

Caruana v Nakamura, London Chess Classic 15/12/16.

Solution

1 b5?!?!

Before reading on, pause and try to work out the purpose of the move.

I watched the game live, on playchess.com, and was so puzzled that I took a screenshot and stored the position to look at later. Then, that evening, Jonathan Rowson gave the explanation on Twitter:

Later, I saw further commentary (not sure where). The move is prophylactic, aimed against both the Rb8-Qb4 assault on b2 but also weakening, perhaps, any Qb4-e1+ mechanism (e.g. by playing b2-b3).  Caruana apparently mistook the position of one of White’s rooks in a long line of analysis after the engine’s choice 1 Nf7+!! which wins, and preferred to improve that move by prefacing it with prophylaxis.

Extraordinary.