Ivanchuk wins Cap d'Agde

Vassily Ivanchuk wins Cap d'Agde rapid tournament with a 1,5-0,5 victory against last edition's winner Hikaru Nakamura. In this final match both games opened with a King's gambit!! I commented the first one.

V. Ivanchuk(2754) vs. H. Nakamura(2733)
Le trophée CCAS 2010 - Cap d'agde - 2010.10.31

[Event "Le trophée CCAS 2010"] [Site "Cap d'agde"] [Date "2010.10.31"] [Round "1"] [White "V. Ivanchuk"] [Black "H. Nakamura"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C30"] [PlyCount "83"] [EventDate "2010.??.??"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 $5 {wow, Ivanchuk shows another time he is a great chess player! It's the final of the tournament, he faces very strong Nakamura against whom he lost 2 years ago here, and he goes for a King's gambit!!} Nc6 $5 { good choice by Nakamura to play a rare defense to face Ivanchuk's surprise} 3. Nf3 f5 {this looks crazy but it's a solid defense! I played it a couple of times myself after having seen it in a "101 surprises in the openings" book by Burgess 10 years ago.} 4. d3 { of course white has many other possibilities but Chuky decides to play securely } d6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. g3 g6 7. Bg2 Bg7 {that's funny, one could expect wild stuff from a King's gambit but finally here is this symetrical position which leads to a positional game} 8. fxe5 dxe5 9. Bg5 h6 10. Be3 O-O 11. O-O fxe4 12. dxe4 Be6 { almost symetrical but black played h6 which is not very significant for now} 13. a3 Kh7 14. Kh1 {both player played prophylactic moves with their King} a6 ( {the computer is claiming that black could take a small edge with} 14... Bc4 15. Re1 (15. Qxd8 Raxd8 16. Rfd1 Ng4 17. Bc5 Nd4 $1 {getting the f2 square}) 15... Qe8 $1 16. Qc1 Rd8 {with a very small plus for black}) 15. Bg1 Rf7 16. Qe2 Nd4 17. Qd3 Nxf3 18. Qxf3 Rd7 (18... Ng4 {is not useful} 19. Qe2) 19. Rad1 Bg4 20. Rxd7 {white had to foresee that of course} Bxf3 21. Rxd8 Bxg2+ 22. Kxg2 Rxd8 {so, it's dead draw, isn't it?} 23. Be3 g5 {after the game a player told me that Nakamura said he played like an idiot by putting his pawns on black squares...} 24. h3 Kg6 25. g4 {whereas white are putting their ones on white...} c6 {I'm not sure if white is already winning here but it's a textbook exemple. White has the good bishop, black the bad.} 26. Rf2 b5 {ok, that's white!} 27. Rd2 Rxd2+ 28. Bxd2 Bf8 29. Kf3 h5 $2 {one could think it's good idea to exchange a pawn which was on black, but it's not sure at all, because now g5 is weak.} (29... Nd7 {must be a better defense}) 30. Ne2 hxg4+ 31. hxg4 Nd7 ( 31... Bc5 32. Nc1 Bb6 33. Nd3 Nd7 34. b3 Bd8 35. Be3 Be7 36. a4 bxa4 37. bxa4 Kf6 {black suffers but maybe he can hold}) 32. Nc1 c5 $6 { oops, another pawn on black...} (32... Nc5 {must be better}) 33. Na2 Nb8 $2 ( 33... c4 {was forced} 34. Ba5 Bd6 35. Nb4 Nb8 36. b3 cxb3 37. cxb3 Kf6 38. Nd5+ Ke6 39. b4 Nc6 40. Bb6 Nd4+ 41. Bxd4 (41. Ke3 Nc2+ 42. Kd3 Nxa3 43. Bd8 Nc4 44. Bxg5 Kf7 45. Bd8 Kg6 $11 {and black must hold}) 41... exd4 42. Ke2 Bf4 43. Kd3 Ke5 44. Nc7 Bc1 45. Nxa6 Bxa3 46. Nb8 Kd6 47. Kxd4 Bxb4 48. e5+ Ke6 49. Na6 Bc3+ 50. Kxc3 Kxe5 $11) 34. c4 $1 {Grandmaster technique in action! This blocks c5 on black and maybe seals black's fate!} bxc4 (34... Nc6 $1 35. Nc3 Nd4+ 36. Ke3 b4 37. axb4 cxb4 38. Na4 Ne6 {g5 is so weak!} 39. Kd3 Bc5 40. Ke2 a5 41. Nxc5 Nxc5 42. Be3 Nxe4 43. c5 Kf7 44. Kf3 Nf6 45. Bxg5 Nd5 { remains unclear}) 35. Nc3 Nc6 36. Nd5 Nd4+ 37. Ke3 Kf7 38. Nb6 Ke6 39. Nxc4 Be7 40. Ba5 Nb5 (40... Kf6 41. Kd3 Ke6 42. Ne3 Nf3 43. Kc4 Bf8 44. Nf1 { to play Bb6 without Nd2+} Kd6 $13 {and the outcome is still unclear}) 41. Kd3 Nd6 $2 (41... Nd4 $13 { transposes in 40...Kf6}) 42. Nxd6 {and the American player resigned, understanding that this endgame with 3 black pawns on black is totally winning for white} (42. Nxd6 Kxd6 (42... Bxd6 43. Kc4 Be7 44. Bb6 {wins a pawn and the game}) 43. Kc4 Kc6 44. Bd2 Bf6 45. Be3 Be7 46. b3 a5 47. a4 $18 { is a very wellknown zugzwang in this kind of endings!}) 1-0

1. e4 e5 2. f4!? wow, Ivanchuk shows another time he is a great chess player! It's the final of the tournament, he faces very strong Nakamura against whom he lost 2 years ago here, and he goes for a King's gambit!! 2...  Cc6!? good choice by Nakamura to play a rare defense to face Ivanchuk's surprise 3. Cf3 f5 this looks crazy but it's a solid defense! I played it a couple of times myself after having seen it in a "101 surprises in the openings" book by Burgess 10 years ago. 4. d3 of course white has many other possibilities but Chuky decides to play securely 4...  d6 5. Cc3 Cf6 6. g3 g6 7. Fg2 Fg7 that's funny, one could expect wild stuff from a King's gambit but finally here is this symetrical position which leads to a positional game 8. fxe5 dxe5 9. Fg5 h6 10. Fe3 O-O 11. O-O fxe4 12. dxe4 Fe6 almost symetrical but black played h6 which is not very significant for now 13. a3 Rh7 14. Rh1 both player played prophylactic moves with their King 14...  a6 ( the computer is claiming that black could take a small edge with 14... Fc4 15. Te1 ( 15. Dxd8 Taxd8 16. Tfd1 Cg4 17. Fc5 Cd4! getting the f2 square ) 15... De8! 16. Dc1 Td8 with a very small plus for black ) 15. Fg1 Tf7 16. De2 Cd4 17. Dd3 Cxf3 18. Dxf3 Td7 ( 18... Cg4 is not useful 19. De2 ) 19. Tad1 Fg4 20. Txd7 white had to foresee that of course 20...  Fxf3 21. Txd8 Fxg2+ 22. Rxg2 Txd8 so, it's dead draw, isn't it? 23. Fe3 g5 after the game a player told me that Nakamura said he played like an idiot by putting his pawns on black squares... 24. h3 Rg6 25. g4 whereas white are putting their ones on white... 25...  c6 I'm not sure if white is already winning here but it's a textbook exemple. White has the good bishop, black the bad. 26. Tf2 b5 ok, that's white! 27. Td2 Txd2+ 28. Fxd2 Ff8 29. Rf3 h5? one could think it's good idea to exchange a pawn which was on black, but it's not sure at all, because now g5 is weak. ( 29... Cd7 must be a better defense ) 30. Ce2 hxg4+ 31. hxg4 Cd7 ( 31... Fc5 32. Cc1 Fb6 33. Cd3 Cd7 34. b3 Fd8 35. Fe3 Fe7 36. a4 bxa4 37. bxa4 Rf6 black suffers but maybe he can hold ) 32. Cc1 c5?! oops, another pawn on black... ( 32... Cc5 must be better ) 33. Ca2 Cb8? ( 33... c4 was forced 34. Fa5 Fd6 35. Cb4 Cb8 36. b3 cxb3 37. cxb3 Rf6 38. Cd5+ Re6 39. b4 Cc6 40. Fb6 Cd4+ 41. Fxd4 ( 41. Re3 Cc2+ 42. Rd3 Cxa3 43. Fd8 Cc4 44. Fxg5 Rf7 45. Fd8 Rg6 = and black must hold ) 41... exd4 42. Re2 Ff4 43. Rd3 Re5 44. Cc7 Fc1 45. Cxa6 Fxa3 46. Cb8 Rd6 47. Rxd4 Fxb4 48. e5+ Re6 49. Ca6 Fc3+ 50. Rxc3 Rxe5 = ) 34. c4! Grandmaster technique in action! This blocks c5 on black and maybe seals black's fate! 34...  bxc4 ( 34... Cc6! 35. Cc3 Cd4+ 36. Re3 b4 37. axb4 cxb4 38. Ca4 Ce6 g5 is so weak! 39. Rd3 Fc5 40. Re2 a5 41. Cxc5 Cxc5 42. Fe3 Cxe4 43. c5 Rf7 44. Rf3 Cf6 45. Fxg5 Cd5 remains unclear ) 35. Cc3 Cc6 36. Cd5 Cd4+ 37. Re3 Rf7 38. Cb6 Re6 39. Cxc4 Fe7 40. Fa5 Cb5 ( 40... Rf6 41. Rd3 Re6 42. Ce3 Cf3 43. Rc4 Ff8 44. Cf1 to play Bb6 without Nd2+ 44... Rd6 and the outcome is still unclear ) 41. Rd3 Cd6? ( 41... Cd4 transposes in 40...Kf6 ) 42. Cxd6 and the American player resigned, understanding that this endgame with 3 black pawns on black is totally winning for white ( 42. Cxd6 Rxd6 ( 42... Fxd6 43. Rc4 Fe7 44. Fb6 wins a pawn and the game ) 43. Rc4 Rc6 44. Fd2 Ff6 45. Fe3 Fe7 46. b3 a5 47. a4 +- is a very wellknown zugzwang in this kind of endings! ) 1-0