Awestruck

‘I can comprehend Alekhine’s combinations well enough; but where he gets his attacking chances from and how he infuses such life into the very opening – that is beyond me. Give me the positions he obtains, and I should seldom falter. Yet I continually get drawn games, even out of the King’s Gambit!’ Those words of admiration for the fourth world champion are usually attributed to Rudolf Spielmann, a strong contemporary of his in the interwar period. I am struck by the same sense of awe when I watch Shakhriyar Mamedyarov play. The grandmaster from Azerbaijan was at his sparkling best in the early rounds of the Aimchess Rapid, the latest online event in the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour. Both of the games below would be worthy of a brilliancy prize, and Mamedyarov described the game against Giri as one of the best of his career.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov-Anish Giri

Aimchess Rapid Prelims, October 2022

1 d4 Nf6 2 Nc3 d5 3 Bf4 The ‘Jobava London System’, popularised by the Georgian grandmaster Baadur Jobava, is a fashionable opening weapon. e6 4 Nb5 Na6 5 e3 Be7 6 h4 O-O 7 Nf3 c6 8 Nc3 Qb6 9 a3 c5 9…Qxb2? 10 Na4 traps the queen. 10 Bxa6 Qxa6 11 h5 h6 12 g4 Nxg4 13 Rg1 f5 14 Ne5 cxd4 15 exd4 Bf6 16 Rxg4 The sacrifice of rook for knight secures the knight’s splendid outpost on e5. Instead 16 Nxg4 fxg4 17 Qxg4 e5! turns the tables. fxg4 17 Qxg4 b5 17…Kh7 18 O-O-O prepares Qg6+ and Bxh6. 18 Bxh6 Qb7 19 O-O-O a5 (see diagram 1) Now the fireworks begin. The following knight sacrifice deflects the queen from the second rank. 20 Nxb5! Qxb5 21 Bxg7! Bxg7 22 h6 Ra7 23 Rh1! The highlight of the combination, which Mamedyarov must have seen well in advance, as he played it in a matter of seconds.