2008 Amber Blindfold/Rapid
Big guns travel to Nice, France to compete in the 2008 Amber Blindfold and Rapid tournament. Primarily the same permutation of players as in Corus and Linares, these players are playing in the luxurious the Palais de la Mediterranée which is five-star accommodations.
Videos from the Official site: https://www.amberchess2008.com
Games (ChessBase PGN): Blindfold & Rapid
Check this wild blindfold game out! Morozevich had to calculate some pretty amazing lines.
Morozevich,A (2765) – Topalov,V (2780) [D31]
Amber Blindfold Nice FRA (2), 16.03.2008
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4 c6 6.e3 Bd6 7.Nge2 Ne7 8.Bxd6 Qxd6 9.Ng3 0-0 10.Bd3 Nd7 11.Qc2 Nf6 12.0-0-0 Bd7 13.Kb1 c5 14.dxc5 Qxc5 15.e4 d4 16.Nce2 Qb6 17.Nxd4 Ng4 18.h3 Rac8 19.Qe2 Ne5 20.Bc2 N7g6 21.Bb3 a5 22.Ngf5 a4 23.Bd5 a3 24.b3 Nf4 25.Ne7+ Kh8 26.Qe3 Nxg2 27.Nxc8 Rxc8 28.Qg3 Qc5 29.Qxe5 Qc3 30.Nc6 Qf3 31.Nb4 Nf4 32.Rhg1 f6 33.Qe7 Bg4 34.Rc1 1-0 (see game)
Here’s how to beat Kramnik with black… play the Budapest!
Kramnik,V (2799) – Mamedyarov,S (2760) [A52]
Amber Rapid Nice FRA (3), 17.03.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5 3.dxe5 Ng4 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.e3 Ngxe5 6.a3 a5 7.f4 Ng6 8.Bd3 Bc5 9.Qh5 d6 10.Nf3 a4 11.Bd2 0-0 12.Ne4 Qe8 13.0-0-0 f5 14.Nxc5 dxc5 15.Kb1 Nge7 16.Qh4 h6 17.Bc3 Be6 18.Rhg1 Rd8 19.Ka1 Rxd3 20.Rxd3 Bxc4 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.g4 Ng6 23.gxf5 Rxf5 24.Rc3 Bf7 25.Qf2 Qe6 26.b3 axb3 27.Nh4 Rh5 28.Kb2 Qf6 29.Nxg6 Bxg6 30.e4 c4 31.Qd2 Qd4 32.Qxd4+ Nxd4 33.Rcg3 Rxh2+ 34.Kb1 Kf7 35.Rxg6 c3 36.Rg7+ Ke8 37.R7g2 Rxg2 38.Rxg2 Nf3 39.Kc1 Nd2 0-1 (see game)
Just look at the beauty of Ivanchuk’s 14th move, I am impressed by this game, looks like a game from the Morphy era. Karjakin should resign early but his efforts can only be seen as tryin to spoil the brilliance.
Ivanchuk (2751) – Karjakin (2732) [B87]
Amber 2008 Rapid NICE (4.3)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bb3 b5 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Qf3 Qc7 10.e5 Bb7 11.exd6 Bxd6 12.Qe3 Bc5 13.0-0-0 Nc6 14.Qxe6+!! fxe6 15.Nxe6 Qe5 16.Nxg7+ Kf8 17.Ne6+ Kf7 18.Rhe1 Qxe1 19.Nxc5+ Kg6 20.Rxe1 Kxg5 21.Nxb7 Nd4 22.Nd6 Rhf8 23.f3 b4 24.Nce4+ Nxe4 25.Rxe4 Nxb3+ 26.axb3 a5 27.Rg4+ Kf6 28.Ne4+ Ke5 29.Rh4 a4 30.bxa4 Rxa4 31.Nc5 Ra1+ 32.Kd2 Rg8 33.g3 Rf1 34.Ke2 Rb1 35.Rxb4 Kd5 36.Ne4 Kc6 37.h4 Rh1 38.Rc4+ Kb6 39.b4 Rd8 40.Rc5 Ra8 41.c3 Ra2+ 42.Ke3 Re1+ 43.Kf4 Rf1 44.Rh5 Ra8 45.Rh6+ Kb5 46.Nd6+ Ka4 47.Rxh7 Kb3 48.Rc7 Rd8 49.Nf5 1-0 (see game)
Got another one for you! Amazing blindfold game!
Aronian,L (2739) – Gelfand,B (2737) [D13]
Amber Blindfold Nice FRA (3), 17.03.2008
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bf4 Nc6 6.Nf3 a6 7.Rc1 Nh5 8.Bd2 Nf6 9.e3 Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 e6 12.Qg3 Nh5 13.Qf3 Nf6 14.Bd3 Bd6 15.g4 Rc8 16.g5 Nd7 17.Qg2 Nb6 18.f4 Nb4 19.Bb1 Nc4 20.a3 Nc6 21.0-0 h6 22.g6 f5 23.Be1 Qf6 24.e4 Ne3 25.e5 Nxg2 26.exf6 Ne3 27.Rf2 Nxd4 28.Bd2 Nc4 29.Nxd5 exd5 30.Bc3 Bc5 31.Kh1 0-0 32.f7+ Kh8 33.Bxd4 Bxd4 34.Re2 Bxb2 35.Rxc4 dxc4 36.Rxb2 c3 37.Re2 b5 38.Bxf5 Rcd8 39.Bc2 a5 40.Kg1 a4 41.Kf1 b4 42.axb4 a3 43.Bb3 Rb8 44.Ke1 Rxb4 45.Re8 Rb8 46.Rxf8+ Rxf8 47.Kd1 Ra8 48.Bd5 Rd8 49.Kc2 h5 50.Bc6 Rf8 51.Kxc3 a2 52.Kb2 Rb8+ 53.Ka1 h4 ½-½
(Final Position!! See game!)
The idea is that black can get a “super-rook” and continue to check the white king all over the board. Capturing the rook will result in a stalemate.
Nice one Daaim ,interestiing Chess at last but what was Kramnik playing against Shak??
How long will this impasse last? Kramnik and Topalov are still not shaking hands after their famous “Toiletgate” match. Kasparov and Shirov did not shake hands for many years, but later reconciled. In their 5th round encounter, the two drew the blindfold game while Kramnik won the rapid game brilliantly with a queen sacrifice.
Kramnik, V (2799) – Topalov, V (2780)
Amber 2008 Rapid NICE (5), 0020
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Na6 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5 Qe8 10.Re1 exd4 11.Nd5 d3 12.Bxd3 c6 13.Ne7+ Kh8 14.Nxc8 Rxc8 15.Bf1 Nc5 16.Qxd6 Nxe4 17.Qa3 f5 18.h3 Ne5 19.Bf4 Nd7 20.Qxa7 Bxb2 21.Rab1 Bg7 22.Qxb7 Ndc5 23.Qb6 Rf7 24.Ng5 Rb7 25.Qxb7 Nxb7 26.Rxb7 Kg8 27.c5 h6 28.Bc4+ Kh8 29.Be5 hxg5 30.Bxg7+ Kh7 31.Bf8+ Kh8 32.Be7 Rb8 33.Rxe4 1-0 (see game)
Nice win by Carlsen over Anand. Watch the tactical fireworks leading upto a winning ending for the 17-year old.
Carlsen, M (2733) – Anand, V (2799)
Amber 2008 Rapid NICE (7), 0022
1.c4 e5 2.g3 c6 3.d4 e4 4.d5 Nf6 5.Bg2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qe7 7.Nc3 0-0 8.a3 Bc5 9.e3 d6 10.Nge2 cxd5 11.Nxd5 Nxd5 12.cxd5 Nd7 13.0-0 Nf6 14.Bc3 Bg4 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.b4 Bb6 17.Bxe4 a5 18.bxa5 Rxa5 19.Bxh7+ Kxh7 20.Qb1+ g6 21.Qxb6 Rfa8 22.Qd4 Qf3 23.Nc3 Re8 24.h3 Bf5 25.Qf6 Kg8 26.Rab1 Rxe3 27.Rxb7 Bc8 28.Qd8+ Kg7 29.Qxc8 Rxc3 30.Rxf7+ Kxf7 31.Qd7+ Kf6 32.Qd8+ Kf5 33.Qxa5 Rxa3 34.Qb4 Ke5 35.Qd2 Rd3 36.Qg5+ Qf5 37.Re1+ Kxd5 38.Qxf5+ gxf5 39.Kg2 Ra3 40.h4 Kd4 41.h5 d5 42.h6 Ra7 43.Kf3 Rh7 44.Re6 Kc3 45.Rc6+ Kd3 46.Kf4 Rf7 47.Kg5 Ke2 48.Rd6 1-0 (see game)
Levon Aronian has virtually clinched the tournament and is now up 2.5 points on the field. He leads in both forms… blind and rapid. Aronian is a favorite here since he graciously agreed to an interview in Turin, Italy. He is a friend of Amon Simutowe and actually told me to “keep the drum beating” after the interview.
Official Site: https://www.amberchess2008.com/
Aronian has won the Amber tournament with 14½ points.
1. Aronian 14½-7½; 2-5. Kramnik, Leko, Carlsen, Topalov, 12-10; 6-8. Anand, Ivanchuk, Morozevich 11-11; 9. Karjakin 9½-12½; 10-12. Gelfand, Mamedyarov, Van Wely 9-13
Interesting game in round 10 by Anand. Look at 20…Ba1 and 21…c5!? I just so happens that Anand found this move by accident in analysing with Fritz some time back.
Gelfand (2737) – Anand (2799)
Amber 2008 Blind NICE (10), 0026
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.a3 Bd6 10.0-0 0-0 11.Qc2 a6 12.b4 a5 13.Rb1 axb4 14.axb4 Qe7 15.e4 e5 16.dxe5 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Bxe5 18.Ne2 Qe6 19.f4 Ra2 20.Qd1 Ba1!? 21.e5 c5! 22.exf6 Bd4+ 23.Rf2 Bxf2+ 24.Kxf2 Qd5 25.Bb2 Qxg2+ 26.Ke1 c4 27.Bc2 Bf3 28.fxg7 Re8 29.Be5 f6 30.Bxh7+ Kxh7 31.g8Q+ Kxg8 0-1 (see game)