SPOT ON CHESS PUZZLES: MARATHON CHESS GAME (Vidit’s Round 12 win!)

In a Marathon you have to pace yourself. But there are times where you either have to put distance between yourself and your pursuers or you have to make gains on the leader. Such was the drama of today’s round twelve Marathon chess match between Grandmasters Vidit of India and Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan playing white and black pieces respectively.

Grandmaster Abdusattorov employed a faulty plan with his 11. …Bc4 and the new Indian number one chess player did not let him off the hook despite the apparent counter-play that the second player drummed up. It was all illusory and GM Vidit ended up converting a nice technical pawn up win.

With Gukesh blundering away a winning game with a careless three fold repetition of position which was claimed drawn by Praggnanandhaa immediately we now have a five way tie for first place between Grandmasters Gukesh, Vidit, Giri, Abdusattorov and the Chinese Super GM Wei. There is everything to be played for in tomorrow’s final round 13 of the 2024 edition of Tata Steel Masters. With Praggnanandhaa and Firouzja both on 7 points they are both “theoretically” within striking distance of sharing first place should one of them win in their personal round 13 encounter on Sunday January 28th (tomorrow) and provided that everyone else only merely draws.

The Moves from today’s featured game:

GM Vidit Santosh Gujrathi versus GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Tata Steel Masters, Wijk aan Zee NED. Round 12, Saturday 0127.2024
ECO: E51 Opening: Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3

1.d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. e3 O-O 6. Bd2 b6 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Rc1 Be7 9. g3 Nbd7 10. Bg2 Ba6 11. Qa4 Bc4 12. b3 Bd3 13. Ne5 Nxe5 14. dxe5 Ne4 15. Qd4 Nxc3 16. Bxc3 Bg6 17. Bxd5 c6 18. Bg2 Qc8 19. e6 f6 20. Qd7 Ba3 21. Rd1 Bf5 22. Qxc6 Bxe6 23. Qxe6+ Qxe6 24. Bd5 Qxd5 25. Rxd5 Rfc8 26. Kd2 Rc7 27. Kd3 Rac8 28. Bd4 Kf7 29. Rd1 Ke6 30. e4 Rc2 31. Rd2 Rc1 32. f4 Bb4 33. f5+ Ke7 34. Re2 Rd1+ 35. Ke3 Rcc1 36. e5 fxe5 37. Rxe5+ Kf7 38. g4 Rc7 39. Re6 Rd7 40. Be5 Rg1 41. Kf3 Rd3+ 42. Kf4 Bd2+ 43. Ke4 Rd7 44. Bg3 Bb4 45. Rc6 Bc5 46. g5 Kf8 47. g6 hxg6 48. fxg6 Re7+ 49. Be5 Re8 50. Kf5 Rf1+ 51. Kg4 Rg1+ 52. Kh5 Be7 53. h4 Rh1 54. Bg3 Rd8 55. Rce6 Bc5 56. Bc7 Rc8 57. Bf4 Rd1 58. R2e4 a5 59. Kg4 Rg1+ 60. Kf5 Rd8 61. Bg5 Rf1+ 62. Kg4 Rg1+ 63. Kh5 Rc8 64. Rc4 Ra8 65. Rf4+ Kg8 66. Rfe4 Rf8 67. Re2 Rgf1 68. Re8 Bb4 69. Rxf8+ Kxf8 70. Rc2 Bc5 71. Kg4 Rg1+ 72. Kf5 Rf1+ 73. Ke6 Ke8 74. Re2 Rg1 75. Re5 Kf8 76. Rd5 Re1+ 77. Kf5 1-0

Thanks for tuning in, enjoy tomorrow’s chessboard hostilities in the final round of Tata Steel Masters! ~ S.