Hammer's unlucky day

Arctic Securities Chess Stars began today in Norway, with Carlsen, Anand, Polgar and Hammer. Hammer was the unlucky player of the day (he missed a draw and 2 wins!). I commented his 3 games below. Don't miss Carlsen's incredible mistake against him.

[Event "Arctic Stars Prelim"] [Site "Kristiansund NOR"] [Date "2010.08.28"] [Round "1"] [White "Anand, V."] [Black "Hammer, J."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C53"] [WhiteElo "2800"] [BlackElo "2636"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "6k1/1pp3p1/2n2p1p/p1b1p3/P1N1P3/2P2P1P/1P4P1/3KB3 b - - 0 31"] [PlyCount "50"] [EventDate "2010.08.28"] {Symetrical pawn structures, same material, nothing really special, but Anand will try to put some pressure on his young opponent} 31... h5 (31... Kf7 { keeping things as they are, for now, looks more logical}) 32. g4 hxg4 33. fxg4 {now it's not symetrical any more, but it's still equal} g5 34. Ke2 Kf7 35. Kd3 Ke6 36. Nd2 Nb8 (36... Kd6 37. h4 gxh4 38. Bxh4 Ke6 { and even if e5 and f6 are on dark squares, it must be equal}) 37. b4 axb4 ( 37... Bb6 38. Nc4 Nd7 39. h4 gxh4 40. Bxh4 c6 41. Kc2 Bd8 42. Bf2 axb4 43. cxb4 Nb8 44. Be1 Na6 45. Ne3 Be7 46. Kb3 b5 47. a5 Bf8 $11) 38. Nb3 Bb6 39. cxb4 c6 40. Kc4 Nd7 (40... Na6 41. a5 Be3 42. b5 cxb5+ 43. Kxb5 Nc7+ 44. Kc4 b6 $11) 41. a5 Be3 42. b5 cxb5+ 43. Kxb5 Nb8 (43... Ba7 $11 44. Bb4 Bd4 45. Nxd4+ (45. Nc5+ Nxc5 46. Bxc5 Bxc5 47. Kxc5 Kd7 48. Kb6 Kc8 49. a6 bxa6 50. Kxa6 Kc7 51. Kb5 Kb7 $11) 45... exd4 46. Kc4 Ke5 47. Kd3 Nb8 48. Be1 Nc6 49. Bg3+ Ke6 50. Bc7 Kd7 51. Bb6 Ke6 52. Bxd4 Nxa5 $11) 44. Nc5+ {forcing a favourable exchange} Bxc5 45. Kxc5 {but despite white small advantages, it's not enough to win} Nd7+ $8 (45... Nc6 $4 46. Kb6 Nd8 {doesn't hold} 47. Kc7 Ke7 48. Bd2 Ke8 49. Bb4 Nc6 50. a6 $18) 46. Kb5 Kd6 47. Bb4+ Ke6 (47... Kc7 $2 48. Be7 Kb8 49. Kc4 b6 50. axb6 Nxb6+ 51. Kb5 Nc8 52. Bxf6 Nd6+ 53. Kc6 Nxe4 54. Bxe5+ Kc8 55. Bd4 Kd8 56. Kd5 Ng3 57. Bf6+ Ke8 58. Bxg5 $18) 48. a6 bxa6+ 49. Kxa6 {black are dominated by e4, the Bb4 and soon white king coming back, but it's still a draw} Kf7 ( 49... Nb8+ $4 50. Kb7 Nd7 51. Kc7 $22 {zugzwang}) 50. Kb7 f5 $4 { Hammer probably thought the endgame was lost, but it wasn't!!} (50... Nf8 $8 51. Bxf8 Kxf8 52. Kc6 (52. Kc8 Ke8 53. Kc7 Ke7 54. Kc6 Ke6 55. Kc5 Ke7 56. Kd5 Kd7 $11) 52... Ke7 (52... Ke8 $4 { wanting to take the opposition, is a well known mistake} 53. Kd6 Kf7 54. Kd7 Kg6 55. Ke8 Kg7 56. Ke7 Kg6 57. Kf8 $18) 53. Kc7 Ke6 $8 { maybe the move Hammer missed} (53... Ke8 $4 54. Kd6 $18 {-52...Ke8}) 54. Kd8 Kd6 (54... Kf7 $4 55. Kd7 $18) 55. Ke8 Kc5 { and black draws because he will promote the e pawn} 56. Ke7 Kd4 57. Kxf6 Kxe4 58. Kxg5 Kf3 59. h4 e4 60. h5 e3 61. h6 e2 62. h7 e1=Q 63. h8=Q Qd2+ 64. Kf5 Qf4+ 65. Ke6 Kxg4 $11) (50... Ke8 $4 51. Kc7 Nf8 52. Bxf8 Kxf8 53. Kd7 Kf7 54. Kd6 $18) 51. exf5 e4 52. Kc6 Ne5+ 53. Kd5 Nd3 54. Bd2 Nf2 (54... Kf6 55. Be3 $18) 55. Bxg5 Nxh3 56. Be3 1-0 [Event "Arctic Stars Prelim"] [Site "Kristiansund NOR"] [Date "2010.08.28"] [Round "2"] [White "Carlsen, M."] [Black "Hammer, J."] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D42"] [WhiteElo "2826"] [BlackElo "2636"] [Annotator ",Sylvain"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "3r2k1/6pp/6b1/R7/2rp4/2B2P2/PP4PP/2R3K1 w - - 0 30"] [PlyCount "87"] [EventDate "2010.08.28"] 30. Rd1 { Hammer was quickly outplayed and is 2 pawns down, but he will fight to survive} Rd7 31. Rb5 h6 (31... dxc3 $4 32. Rxd7 $18) 32. Ba5 Rc2 { the seventh rank is always interesting for a rook} 33. h4 d3 { this passed pawn is becoming dangerous for Carlsen} 34. a4 $2 (34. Bc3 Re7 35. Re5 Rxe5 36. Bxe5 d2 37. Kf2 Bf7 38. Ke3 Bxa2 39. Rxd2 $16) 34... Re7 { and Ree2 is coming now!} 35. h5 (35. Rd2) 35... Be8 36. Rb8 (36. Rb4 Ree2 37. Rg4 Bd7 38. Rg3 Bxa4 39. Rxd3 Rxb2 40. Rd8+ Kh7 41. Bc3 Rb7 42. Rb8 Ree7 { both rooks are back from the 7th to the 2nd! Black has very big drawing possibilities}) 36... Ree2 37. Rxd3 { white took this dangerous pawn but now black rooks are at their best} Rxg2+ 38. Kf1 Rh2 (38... Rcf2+ {was another good move} 39. Ke1 Re2+ 40. Kd1 Kh7 41. Rxe8 $1 Rxe8 42. Bc3 Rg5 43. b4 Rxh5 44. b5 Rh1+ 45. Kc2 h5 46. a5 h4 47. b6 h3 48. f4 Rb8 49. Be5 Rc8+ 50. Kd2 Rh2+ 51. Ke3 Ra2 52. b7 Re8 53. b8=Q Rxb8 54. Bxb8 h2 55. Rd1 Rxa5 56. Ke4 Ra2 57. Rh1 Kg6 58. f5+ Kf7 59. Be5 Re2+ 60. Kf4 Rf2+ 61. Kg4 Re2 62. Bxh2 g6 $11) 39. Rd2 $4 { incredible, the number one in the world is human!!} ({He probably planned to put the Bishop here and mixed up in his head at the very last moment} 39. Bd2 Kf7 $1 (39... Rhxd2 $4 {is losing in this variation} 40. Rxe8+ Kf7 41. Rxd2 Rxd2 42. Rb8 $18) 40. Ke1 Bxa4 $11 { and it's equal, black rooks have sufficient activity for the pawn}) 39... Rhxd2 $4 {Hammer was really short in time, he had seconds left on the clock, and he was probably calculating some Bd2 move beforce Calsen played.} (39... Rc1+ 40. Rd1 Rxd1+ 41. Be1 Rh1+ 42. Kf2 Rhxe1 $19) 40. Bxd2 Kf7 { Jon Ludwig has some chances now though} 41. Bc3 Bxa4 42. Rb7+ Ke6 43. Rxg7 Bb5+ 44. Kg1 Be8 45. Rh7 Kf5 46. Rxh6 Kg5 47. Re6 Bxh5 {but Carlsen's technic will now be almost flawless. It's almost the same endgame than Gelfand's first win against Leko in the match they are currently playing in Hungary!} 48. Re5+ Kh6 49. f4 Kg6 50. f5+ Kf7 51. f6 Bg6 52. Re7+ Kf8 53. Rc7 Ke8 54. b4 Kd8 55. Rc5 { all Magnus' pieces are on dark squares} Kd7 56. b5 Kd6 57. Bb4 Rb2 (57... Rxc5 58. b6 Ke6 59. Bxc5 Be4 60. Be7 $18) 58. Ba3 Ra2 59. Rc3+ Ke6 60. b6 Ra1+ 61. Kf2 Be4 62. Be7 Bh1 63. Re3+ Kf7 64. Rb3 Bb7 65. Ke3 Ra5 66. Rc3 Rb5 67. Rc7 Bh1 68. Bd8+ Ke8 69. f7+ Kf8 70. Bf6 $2 { another small flaw for the human Magnus!} Bd5 $2 (70... Rf5 {was a draw!}) 71. Bd4 Bxf7 72. b7 Be8 73. Ba7 {rapid play often leads to interesting fights!} 1-0 [Event "Arctic Stars Prelim"] [Site "Kristiansund NOR"] [Date "2010.08.28"] [Round "3"] [White "Hammer, J."] [Black "Polgar, Ju"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E53"] [WhiteElo "2636"] [BlackElo "2682"] [PlyCount "90"] [EventDate "2010.08.28"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O cxd4 8. exd4 dxc4 9. Bxc4 b6 10. Qb3 Bxc3 11. bxc3 Bb7 12. Ne5 Nbd7 (12... Qc7 { is the move usually played here} 13. Ba3 Re8 14. Bb5 Nc6 15. Rfe1 $14) 13. Nxf7 Rxf7 14. Bxe6 Qe8 $8 15. Ba3 Nf8 16. Bc4 Qd7 17. Bxf7+ Qxf7 18. c4 Ne4 19. Qd3 Ne6 20. d5 N6c5 21. Qd4 $14 Rc8 22. Rfe1 Nd6 23. Rac1 Nf5 24. Qd2 h6 25. Rc3 Qg6 26. h3 $2 (26. Qf4) 26... Nh4 27. Rg3 Ne4 28. Rxg6 Nxd2 29. Rg4 Nhf3+ 30. gxf3 Nxf3+ 31. Kf1 Nh2+ 32. Ke2 (32. Kg2 Nxg4 33. Re7 $1 { is typical computer play}) 32... Nxg4 33. hxg4 Rxc4 { white d pawn is dangerous but it seems black is now able to hold} 34. d6 Ba6 35. Kf3 Bb5 (35... Bb7+ 36. Ke3 Rc3+ 37. Kd4 Rxa3 38. Re8+ Kf7 39. d7 Rxa2 40. d8=Q Rd2+ 41. Ke3 Rxd8 42. Rxd8 Ke7 43. Rb8 Bc6 44. Rg8 Kf6 45. Rc8 $14) 36. Bb2 Rc2 37. Bd4 Rd2 (37... Bc6+ 38. Kf4 Rd2 39. Ke5 Rxa2 40. Ke6 Ra4 41. Be5 Rxg4 42. Rc1 Bb5 $11 {white will have a hard time to win this}) 38. Ke4 Kf7 39. Kd5 Be2 40. Kc6 $2 (40. Rc1 {with good winning opportunities} Bf3+ (40... Bxg4 41. Rc7+ Ke8 42. Re7+ Kd8 43. Rxg7 Bd7 44. Rg8+ Be8 45. f4 h5 46. f5 Rd1 47. f6 Rf1 48. Ke6 $18) 41. Ke5 Bxg4 42. Rc7+ Ke8 43. Re7+ Kd8 44. Rxg7 Re2+ 45. Be3 h5 46. Rxa7 b5 47. Kf6 Rc2 48. f4 $18 {and the f pawn runs fast}) 40... Bf3+ 41. Kc7 Rxd4 42. d7 Rc4+ 43. Kb8 Rd4 44. Kc7 Rc4+ 45. Kb8 Rd4 1/2-1/2