Cover Story / Millionaire Chess 2 This proved to be a more complicated exercise
than the game itself. The draw lasted only a total of 12 minutes, but the verdict on its propriety lasted over 90 minutes. Maurice consulted with on-site Chief Tournament Director IA Francisco Guadalupe, arbiters from around the world, the players, and the players’ representatives before rendering his decision. Although Maurice personally abhorred the
draw, he let it stand. Ashley feels strongly about the issue: “I think chess professionals have to realize that quick draws are profoundly deleterious to our sport. They turn off sponsors and spectators, and the act smacks of cowardice at best and collusion by the players at worst. It doesn’t matter that two high-class fighters like Nakamura and McShane are the ones who did it or that they did what they thought was best for their tournament standings. I’ve spoken to TV producers, interested politicians, and average fans and they all roll their eyes or scoff at the idea that chess can call itself a real sport when a game can be cut short by the players pretty much whenever they like.” Amy Lee adds, “I am not a chess player but it’s
not hard to see that no sponsor would be interested in putting up good money when things like this can happen in a sport.” From the point of view of players, Caruana
offered that “in a tournament where every player must pay a large entry fee and cover their travel and hotel costs, it isn’t really up to anyone to tell them they shouldn’t make a quick draw, especially if the draw might be strategically advisable when considering the tournament situation.”
MILLIONAIRE MONDAY MADNESS Meanwhile, three grandmasters with 6/7
qualified for the final four: Le, Alex Lenderman, and Yangyi Yu. Had GM Evgeny Bareev converted his advantage against GM Sam Shankland, he would have been the fourth.
FALLING JUST SHORT GM Evgeny Bareev (2664) GM Samuel L. Shankland (2725) Millionaire Chess Open (7), Las Vegas, Nevada, 10.11.2015
through. Everything was poised for the final blow with 20. Qf3 Black would have to give up a piece or allow a fatal attack after 20. ... Bg4 21. Qf4 Nh5 22. Qxf7+ Kh8 23. Bc6! Qxc6 24. Bxe7 After 20. Qd2, however, Black managed to equalize. Had Bareev won, Nakamura’s gamble with the nine- move draw would not have paid off as he would not have been able to qualify for Millionaire Monday.
20. ... h6 21. Bxh6 Bg6 22. Bg5 Nh7 23. Bxe7 Qxe7 24. Rf2 Qg5 25. Qxg5 Nxg5 26. Nd5 Kg7 27. Rbf1 Re5 28. Nf4 Rh8, Draw agreed at move 56.
The draw meant that Bareev was joined by nine other grandmasters with 51
⁄2 /7, including
Nakamura and McShane, all vying for the final playoff spot. Also among this group were So; Caruana, who was having a sub-par tournament due to drawing down several rounds; and Kamsky, who rebounded nicely after his round three forfeit. The field was pared down to nine after Israeli GM Gil Popilski declined the spot to instead be automatically seeded into the Millionaire Monday playoff for the U2550 class prize. Issues with interpreting the rules did not cease
with the resolution of the Nakamura-McShane draw. The rules were ambiguous as to the proper time control for a tiebreak of this magnitude. Most of the players read the provision as stipulating a blitz playoff, but the rules referred to a tiebreak “RR” as being subject to an Armageddon. Over some objections, it was decided that the format would be the posted G/15 d/5. The players were divided into two pools of four and five based on US Chess ratings. Nakamura had an advantage in the way the
pools were split. Caruana was in the same group as So, while Nakamura had to deal with Kamsky, Bareev, and Sergei Azarov. Advantages over the board were again eclipsed by a strange turn of events. Kamsky blundered an entire bishop in round two of the playoff against Nakamura, but Nakamura was not able to convert and had to settle for a draw. Kamsky was beaming after the draw, while Nakamura was shaking his head in disbelief at the “upsetting” turn of events.
UPSETTING GM Hikaru Nakamura (2884) GM Gata Kamsky (2752) Millionaire Chess Open 2 (Tiebreak 2), Las Vegas, Nevada, 10.11.2015
24. ... Rxb2? 25. Rxb2 Qxb2 26. Rb1! Most likely expecting 26. f4 when after 26. ...
f6 27. fxe5 fxe5 28. Qe3 Rxf1+ 29. Bxf1 Nf6 Black is doing well with three pawns for a piece.
26. ... Qa3 27. f4 f6 28. Rxb7 Nd3 29. Nf3 Ra8 30. Kh2 Nxf4 31. g5 Nh5 32. gxf6+ Nhxf6 33. Rb1 Nh6 34. Qxc4 Nf5 35. Nd4 Ne3 36. Qb4 Qxb4 37. Rxb4 Rc8 38. Nc6 Nxg2 39. Kxg2 Nxd5 40. Nxd5 Rxc6 41. Rb7 Rc5 42. Nf4 Kf7 43. h4, Draw agreed.
However, fortune was still on Nakamura’s side.
In the final, decisive match in the pool Bareev also blundered a bishop and had to go into a line where his queen would get trapped (to avoid losing the bishop). Nakamura won in 11 moves, his second shortest game of the tournament.
QUEEN’S PAWN OPENING (D02) GM Evgeny Bareev (2664) GM Hikaru Nakamura (2884) Millionaire Chess Open 2 (Tiebreak 3), Las Vegas, Nevada, 10.12.2015
1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 c6 3. Bf4 Qb6 4. b3 Nf6 5. e3 Nh5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Nd7
8. Ne5? Nxe5 9. Qxh5 9. dxe5 Qb4+ picking up the bishop.
9. ... Ng4 10. Bg3 g6 11. Qh4 Bg7, White resigned.
NAKAMURA VERSUS SO It was expected that So would be one of the
favorites in the other pool. Caruana faltered again in what he said was “unrecognizable” form. So’s main rival turned out to be Webster team member GM Aleksandr Shimanov. Shimanov had scored 2/3 in the rapids, but fell to So in the final game. It came down to the Nakamura-So match-up
WHITE TO PLAY
20. Qd2 Until this point Bareev played accurately to
exploit the f-file with a well-timed f5 break - 28 January 2016 | Chess Life BLACK TO PLAY
for the final Millionaire Monday spot. It was a familiar match-up as the two had played each other over 30 times in quick time controls. After two draws, the colors for the final game were to be determined by none other than a coin flip. Nakamura chose tails and fortune once again smiled upon him. He got the white pieces and beat Wesley in his “best game of the tournament.”
(see game on page 30)
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