History Does not Repeat itself–Two Grischuk Endgames

A curious mistake that Mark Dvoretsky would have included into his book – happened in the following game, where White voluntarily exchanged into a hopeless pawn endgame:

Robson, R. - Grischuk, A.
42nd Olympiad 2016   2016.09.10 , C67

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Nxe4 5. Re1 Nd6 6. Nxe5 Be7 7. Bf1 Nxe5 8. Rxe5 O-O 9. Nc3 Ne8 10. Nd5 Bd6 11. Re1 c6 12. Ne3 Bc7 13. Nf5 d5 14. Ne7+ Kh8 15. Nxc8 Rxc8 16. g3 Qf6 17. Bh3 Rd8 18. d4 Nd6 19. Bf4 Bb8 20. Be5 Qh6 21. Bg2 Nc4 22. Bxb8 Rxb8 23. b3 Nd6 24. Qd3 Qg6 25. Qd2 Rfe8 26. Re5 f6 27. Rxe8+ Rxe8 28. Qb4 f5 29. Re1 Rxe1+ 30. Qxe1 Qf6 31. Qe3 g5 32. f4 h6 33. a4 a5 34. Kf1 Ne4 35. c4 Kg7 36. c5 gxf4 37. gxf4 Qh4

38. Bxe4?

( 38. Bh3!? )

38. ... fxe4 39. Qf2?!

The position is objectively lost, but trading queens makes things too easy for Black.

39. ... Qxf2+ 40. Kxf2 Kf6 41. Kg3 Kf5 42. h3

42. ... h5 43. h4 e3 44. Kf3 e2 45. Kxe2 Kxf4 46. Kd3 Kg4

0-1

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Interestingly, it was pointed out to me that Grischuk had lost a pawn endgame that was a complete mirror of this position only three years earlier:

Le Quang Liem - Grischuk, Alexander
   2013 , D87

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. O-O b6 11. Qd2 Bb7 12. Rfd1 Rc8 13. Rac1 e6 14. Bh6 cxd4 15. cxd4 Qh4 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. Qe3 Rfd8 18. h3 Qe7 19. Bb5 Qb4 20. Rb1 Qe7 21. Nf4 Nb4 22. d5 Nc2 23. Qg3 e5 24. Ne2 Na3 25. Rb3 Nxb5 26. Rxb5 Ba6 27. Rb2 Bxe2 28. Rxe2 Qd6 29. Qd3 Rc5 30. Rc2 Rdc8 31. Rdc1 Kf8 32. Qa3 Qe7 33. Rxc5 Rxc5 34. Rxc5 Qxc5 35. Qxc5+ bxc5 36. Kf1 Ke7 37. Ke2 f5 38. f3 Kd6 39. Kd3 f4 40. h4 Kc7 41. Kc4 Kd6

42. Kb5

The protected passed pawn decides matters as Black is unable to defend c5 pawn in the long run and is falling into Zugzwang.

42. ... h6 43. Kc4 a6 44. a3

1-0

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'History doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes' as Mark Twain supposedly has said ...

Grischuk’s Brilliant Win from the Chess Olympiad

Grischuk – Fillipov, 2014
White to move

Solution in the Video or Ebook, or below.

Chess Tactics of the Month - Veselin Topalov - Alexander Grischuk, Stavanger 2014

Topalov, V.    --    Grischuk, A.
2nd Norway Chess 2014   2014.06.04     0-1     B90
1. Nf3 c5 2. e4 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bc1 Nf6 8. h3 e5 9. Nb3 Be6 10. Be3 Be7 11. f4 exf4 12. Bxf4 Nc6 13. Qe2 Nd7 14. O-O-O Nce5 15. Nd5 Bxd5 16. Rxd5 O-O 17. Kb1 Qc7 18. Rd1 Nb6 19. h4 Nec4 20. Rh3 Bf6 21. c3 Rfe8 22. Nd4 Qc5 23. Nf5 d5 24. e5 Bxe5 25. Qg4 g6 26. h5 Qf2 27. Nh6+ Kg7 28. Bc1 f5 29. Qf3 Qxf3 30. Rxf3 Rad8 31. g4 d4 32. hxg6 hxg6 33. Rfd3 Nd5 34. cxd4 Bf4 35. Bxf4 Nxf4 36. Rf3

 Black to move

Solution: in a Video or Ebook

Recommended for Watching - Funny Chess Moment with World No. 3 Alexander Grischuk - Video

I came across this post on the ChessQueen Blog, and it was worth sharing:
Funny Chess Moment with World No. 3 Alexander Grischuk - Video:

Play Like Grischuk – Chess World Cup Fragments

Grischuk – Genba, 2011
 White to Move. Does White’s attack succeed after 21. Bf6 gxf6 22. exf6 Rg8?

In the end of the above variation Black is able to cover up g7 with the rook – but is that sufficient?

Watching the Candidates Matches

As I am watching the World Championship Candidates matches, I am surprised to see that Vladimir Kramnik is out, despite his absolutely amazing opening preparation. In several games against Radjabov and Grischuk he seemed to have barely made any moves of his own and yet he had a very hard time against Teimur, and even a harder time against Grischuk. I suppose that proves that chess a sport still lives! Knowing most openings “down to checkmate” does not guarantee success, even when accompanied by such a skill of middlegame and endgame that Kramnik has. It does however make the games a bit harder to follow as it is very hard to tell where the game actually begins.

Alexander Grischuk is through to the finals!