Another triumph for Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen won his third consecutive international tournament by easily taking first place in the Kings double round robin in Medias, Romania. The Norwegian star scored an undefeated 71/2-21/2, finishing two points ahead of Boris Gelfand (Israel) and Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan).

Carlsen’s five victories (three with Black) in Medias displayed his new-found versatility. Once he won by taking the initiative with a new idea in a sharp opening. Twice he managed to increase a minimal advantage in an endgame. He also rescued an inferior middlegame with a not entirely sound counterattack and gradually took command of a slightly favorable one thanks to superior maneuvering. The prodigy has matured. And, at age 19, he’s still improving.

Carlsen’s performance boosted his world’s-best rating by 13 points, to 2826. Only Garry Kasparov, who peaked at 2851, ever achieved a higher rating.

Local news

The 50th Pacific Southwest Open continues through Monday at the Hilton Hotel, 5711 W. Century Blvd. in Los Angeles. A one-day tournament of 90-minute games begins at 10 a.m. Monday.

John Daniel Bryant and IM Enrico Sevillano scored 41/2-1/2 to share first place in the Bakersfield Class Act II last weekend in Bakersfield. They drew their last-round encounter. Joel Banawa took third prize with 4-1. Jesse Turner and Alexander Pearson were top under-2000, while Russell Bik and Isaac Ruddell tied for top under-1600 in the 31-player tournament. Kenneth Poole directed for the Bakersfield Chess Club.

Jesse Victoria won the top section of the Mount Wilson Open, which finished June 25 at the Pasadena Chess Club. Yuting Chen and Jennifer Lu led other sections of the 57-player tournament.

The club meets at 7 p.m. Fridays in the Boys and Girls Club, 3230 E. Del Mar Blvd. in Pasadena. On Friday, the club will begin the four-round Liberty Open. Call Randy Hough at (626) 282-7412 for details.

The Oak Tree Open, a six-round tournament, begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Arcadia Chess Club. The club runs tournaments continuously on Monday evenings in the Senior Citizens building, 450 S. Santa Anita Ave. in Arcadia. For more information, call Mel Clark at (626) 447-9355.

Today’s games

GM Wang Yue (China)-GM Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Medias, Romania 2010: 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 The Exchange variation against the Gruenfeld Defense. Nxd5 5 Bd2 A quiet idea introduced by Smyslov. Usual is 5 e4 Nxc3 6 bxc3, bolstering d4. Bg7 6 e4 Nb6 7 Be3 0-0 Now Black can meet 8 f4 or 8 Be2 by 8…Nc6, with counterplay. 8 Bb5!? Be6 The more natural 8…a6 9 Be2 Nc6 may grant White an edge after 10 d5 Ne5 11 Bd4. 9 Nge2 Harmless. The critical line 9 d5 Bd7 10 Be2 c6 11 Nf3 cxd5 12 exd5 Bg4 13 Bd4 is White’s best chance to preserve a tiny advantage. c6 10 Bd3 Nc4 11 Bxc4 Bxc4 12 0-0 Nd7 Black’s easy development and pair of Bishops makes up for White’s pawn center. 13 Qd2 Qa5 14 Rfd1 Rad8 15 Bh6 Bxe2 16 Nxe2?! White should maintain equality with 16 Bxg7 Kxg7 17 Qxe2 e5 18 d5 or 16 Bxg7 Bxd1 17 Bxf8 Nxf8 18 Rxd1 Ne6 19 d5. Qxd2 17 Bxd2 Nb6 18 Bc3 Rd7 Applying pressure to d4. 19 b3 f5 20 f3 Rfd8 21 Re1! Not 21 Kf2? fxe4 22 fxe4 e5 23 Ke3 because Black gains material by 23…exd4+ 24 Bxd4 Bh6+ 25 Kf3 c5. fxe4 22 fxe4 e5 23 dxe5 White must accept a shattered center, but his position remains defensible. Rd3 24 g3? Letting Black’s miniscule advantage become decisive. White must have feared 24 Rac1 Bh6 25 Rc2 Be3+ 26 Kh1 Rd1, but 27 Ng1!, followed by Rc2-e2, defends solidly. Nd7! 25 e6 Bxc3 26 Nxc3 Ne5 27 Red1 Also 27 Rec1 Re8 is unbearably passive for White. Kf8 28 Rac1 Ke7 Threatening 29…Rxc3. 29 Rxd3 Rxd3 30 Rc2 A futile attempt to guard the second rank. Nf3+ 31 Kf1 Nd4 32 Rc1 Kxe6 33 Rd1 Entering a lost Rook endgame. However, neither 33 Na4 Rd2 34 Nc5+ Ke5 35 Nxb7 Rxh2 nor 33 Ke1 Ke5 34 Nd1 b6 35 Nf2 Re3+ 36 Kf1 Re2 would save White. Rxc3 34 Rxd4 Rc2 35 a4 Instead, 35 Ra4 a6 36 h4 Ke5 leaves White without a useful move. Rxh2 36 a5 Rh5! To parry 37 Rb4 with 37…Rb5. 37 b4 Rh2 38 a6 b5 39 e5 No better is 39 Rd8 Ra2 40 Rh8 h5 41 Rh6 Kf6 42 e5+ Kxe5 (easier than 42…Kg7 43 e6) 43 Rxg6 Rxa6 44 Rg5+ Ke4 45 Rxh5 Kf3 46 Ke1 Ra4, as Black obtains connected passers. Ra2 40 Rd6+ Kxe5 41 Rxc6 Kf5 42 Rc7 After 42 Rc5+ Kg4 43 Rxb5 Rxa6, Black wins on the Kingside. Rxa6 43 Rxh7 Kg4 44 Kf2 White cannot save his g-pawn after 44 Rb7 Ra1+ 45 Kf2 a6. Ra2+ 45 Ke3 g5 46 Rg7 Rb2 47 Rxa7 Kxg3, White Resigns.

IM Andranik Matikozyan-Dale Haessel, National Open, Las Vegas 2010: 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nf3 Nxe4 5 Nc3 A fashionable counter to the Petroff Defense. Nxc3 6 dxc3 Be7 7 Bf4 Nc6 8 Qd2 Be6 9 0-0-0 Qd7 10 Kb1 a6 11 h4 h6 12 Be2 0-0-0 A safe spot for Black’s King. 13 Nd4 Nxd4 14 cxd4 d5 15 h5 Bf6?? Black’s first mistake is fatal. After 15…Bd6 or 15…Bf5, he has little to fear. 16 Qa5! Black can no longer guard c7 by bringing his Bishop to d6. In addition, White threatens 17 Bxa6 bxa6 18 Qxa6+ Kb8 19 Rd3, mating. Bf5 After 16…c6 17 Rd3 Rde8 18 Rb3 Qd8 19 Qa4, White will sacrifice at a6 or b7. 17 g4! Making Rh1-h3-b3 possible. Rde8 A good try. Black cannot stand 17…Be4 18 Bxa6 Bxh1?! 19 Bb5. 18 Bb5! Also strong is 18 Bxa6 bxa6 19 Qxa6+ Kd8 20 gxf5 Qxf5 21 Bg3, with an extra pawn and the attack. c6 19 gxf5 Bd8 Letting White reach an easily won endgame. However, 19…Re4!? 20 Bg3 cxb5 would fail anyway, to 21 Rd3 Bxd4 22 f3 or 21 Rd3 Rxd4 22 Rxd4 Bxd4 23 Rd1 Bf6 24 a4! Qd8 25 Qb4. 20 Qxa6 bxa6 21 Bxa6+ Qb7 22 Bxb7+ Kxb7 23 Rhe1 The rest is anticlimactic, as White merely advances his extra pawns. Bh4 24 Bg3 Bf6 25 c3 Kc8 26 b4 Kd7 27 a4 Ra8 28 a5, Black Resigns.