Ambitious rivals to the world champion, Magnus Carlsen, have fought out the elite tournament in Shamkir, Azerbaijan, which has its final round on Saturday (midday start, live coverage available for free online). At the climax four grandmasters will go head to head. The US champion and world No2, Fabiano Caruana, meets Russia’s world title challenger, Sergey Karjakin, while the best Azeri, Shak Mamedyarov, takes on the Netherlands world No6, Anish Giri.
Leaders after eight of the nine rounds were Caruana and Giri 5.5/8, with Mamedyarov 5 and Karjakin 4.5. The international top has become a battleground among near-contemporaries in their early and middle 20s. Carlsen, Caruana, Giri and Karjakin are all aged between 21 and 26.
Caruana seemed to have the tournament at his mercy when he ran away from the field in the first half. But on Thursday the American agreed a draw with Giri in a position where he had a subtle forced win and on Friday he overpressed against Mamedyarov, who found the route into a winning queen and pawns endgame. They were making comparisons with St Louis 2014, which Caruana dominated by brilliant play. Instead there is now a rerun of the 2015 Candidates final round in which Karjakin beat Caruana for the right to become Carlsen’s challenger.
Taking on the Sicilian Defence of the Azeri No2, Teimour Radjabov, Caruana chose his favourite Rossolimo move 3 Bb5 which avoids sharp lines. Black’s attempted queen’s side pawn push was well met by 17 b4! while 19 e5! restricted the bishop pair. Caruana likes to attack with his h pawn and 22 h4! and 23 h5! opened up the game with the tactical point that if 24...h4 25 f5! gives a decisive attack. This advance occurred three moves later anyway and 34 e6! launched the final assault with ideas of Qxe6 35 Nxh7! Nxg4 36 Nf6+ Bh3 37 Qh4+ and mate or Bxe6 35 Rxg7 Qxg7 36 Rxh7+. The game finish, shown in the puzzle diagram, was even more artistic.
Fabiano Caruana v Teimour Radjabov
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 g6 4 Bxc6 dxc6 5 d3 Bg7 6 h3 Nf6 7 Nc3 O-O 8 Bf4 b6 9 Qd2 Re8 10 O-O-O a5 11 Ne5 b5 12 Qe3 Qb6 13 Bh6 Bh8 14 f4 a4 15 Rhf1 e6 16 g4 a3 17 b4! Nd7 18 Nxd7 Bxd7 19 e5! f5 20 Ne2 Bg7 21 Bxg7 Kxg7 22 h4! fxg4 23 h5! gxh5 24 Ng3 Kh8 25 Nxh5 Re7 26 Nf6 Be8 27 f5 exf5 28 Rxf5 Qc7 29 Rg5 Rg7 30 Rh1 Bg6 31 Rxg4 Qf7 32 Kb1 cxb4 33 Qd4! Bf5 34 e6! Rxg4 (see puzzle diagram)
Anyone fancying the idea of one-day chess at the home of the Guardian, can enter the Kings Place Festival on Saturday 9 July. Support from financial advisers DeMontfort Bell and another backer has boosted the prize fund to a near-record £3,000. Grandmasters will compete, and there is also a special section – My First Tournament – for newcomers. Entry forms are available online and, with a limit of 250 players, a full house is likely.
3445 35 exf7 Rxd4 36 Ne8! 1-0
