Firestarter

It’s a joy to watch a player like Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who can light a fire with his bare hands. Where most are content to develop their pieces in the opening moves, he has a knack for igniting the play at the slightest provocation.

In the game below, Caruana’s move 9 h3 looks unremarkable, but Mamedyarov saw a ‘hook’ for his attack which began with 9…g5 (see diagram), since the imminent advance g5-g4 threatens to open the g-file, so that a rook on g8 can menace the White king on g1.

Mamedyarov’s vigorous assault brought him an important win on his way to tournament victory at the Superbet Chess Classic, held in Bucharest last month. The event marked a welcome return for the elite Grand Chess Tour, whose 2020 season was cancelled. Just a few days later, many of the same players travelled to Paris for the Tour’s next stop (see puzzle below). The next leg, to be held in Zagreb from 5 to 12 July, will see Garry Kasparov return to the board during the blitz portion of the event.

Fabiano Caruana–Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Superbet Chess Classic, Bucharest, June 2021

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 Nf6 4 d3 Bc5 5 Nc3 Nd4 6 Ba4 c6 7 O-O d6 8 Nxd4 Bxd4 9 h3 g5 (see diagram) 10 Ne2 10 Bxg5 Rg8 11 Bxf6 Qxf6 yields a powerful attack. After 12 Kh2 (to dodge Bxh3) Qh6 threatens devastation with Rxg2+. Or, 10 Bxg5 Rg8 11 h4 is met by 11…h6 12 Bxh6 Nh7!, when 13 Qh5 (to defend h4) sees the queen trapped by 13…Bg4 10…Bb6 11 c3 Rg8 12 d4 Nxe4 13 Bc2 d5 14 Bxe4 dxe4 15 dxe5 Qxd1 16 Rxd1 g4 Even in the endgame, Black’s active bishop pair gives White plenty to worry about.