On to the third round. I can’t help showing another of Toivo’s wins, so clearly it stood out. It seems he has worked on some sharp opening preparation.

Hilmir Freyr Heimisson – Toivo Keinänen
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.a3 Nc6 9.Qc2 Re8

Carlsen surprised Anand in the 2014 World Championship match with this very rare move of David Janowski’s from 1898. Anand avoided the critical test by playing 10.Bg5; later, he continued the discussion…

10.0-0-0 e5 11.cxd5

…for black. His game against Topalov in the 2016 London Chess Classic continued 11.Bg5 d4 12.Nd5 and Anand went on to win a spectacular game with 12…b5 13.Bxf6 gxf6 14.cxb5 Na5 15.exd4 exd4 16.Nb4 Bxb4 17.axb4 Be6 18.Nxd4 Rc8 19.Nc6 Nxc6 20.bxc6 Qb6, 34.0-1.

11…exf4 12.dxc6 Qc7 13.Nd5 Qxc6 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15.Rd5

Clearly white can’t contemplate 15.Qxc5 Bf5, so black is more than comfortable. Now even 15… Bxa3 16.bxa3 Be6 would be possible, white subjected to a terrible attack. But unless one knows or can calculate everything to the end, it’s understandable to take a clear and easy positional advantage.

15… Bb6 16.Ng5 g6 17.Ne4 Qe7 18.Nc3 fxe3 19.Bb5 Rf8 20.fxe3 Qxe3+ 21.Kb1 Be6 22.Rhd1

Understandable desperation. All simplification leads to a clear cut technical endgame win.

22… Bxd5 23.Nxd5 Qe5 24.Qb3 Rad8 25.Bc4 Bd4 26.a4 b6 27.Rf1

27…Bxb2

Again, some other moves may be analytically more precise, but 28.Qxb2 Rxd5 29.Bxd5 Qxd5 leaves no questions.

28.Nf6+ Qxf6 29.Rxf6 Bxf6 30.Bd5 Rd7 0-1

The rooks will shortly roam in white’s backyard.

This left Keinänen a full point in front, but there are three chasers. In the seniors, four players are tied on 2/3; how long can the equality last? The winner of the following game has maximum points in the girl’s competition.

Anastasia Nazarova – Sarabella Norlamo
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d3

The fashion – in the 1860s as well as in the 2010s.

5…d6 6.c3 g6 7.0-0 Bg7 8.Re1 0-0 9.Nbd2 b5 10.Bc2 a5

I don’t think this weakening can be justified. The additional a6-square is hardly relevant. Still, similar moves have been played by Keres and Carlsen, not to mention yours truly.

11.Nf1 Re8 12.h3 Bb7 13.Ng3 Qd7 14.Bd2 Ba6 15.d4 exd4 16.cxd4 a4

When Keres tried said ideas, circumstances were such that he could now exchange off the bishop with Nb4. Now it just drops back to b1.

17.a3 Rac8 18.Bc3

White’s position is purely optically beautiful. Black is in the usual dilemma: if she tries any plan, new weaknesses will emerge, but doing nothing is not really an option.

18…Nb8 19.d5 Qd8 20.Nd4 c5 21.dxc6

The standard sacrifice 21.Ndf5 already came very much into question.

21…Nxc6 22.Nxc6 Rxc6 23.Qf3 Rc8 24.Rad1

In these structures it is not unusual for black’s open lines and diagonals to compensate for the d6 weakness; but I would very much prefer the pawn a4 on a6 and the bishop on b7.

24…Re6? 25.Bb1

The obvious 25.e5 was also strong, if 25…Ne8 26.Be4 and on to d5.

25…Ne8 26.Bxg7 Kxg7 27.Ba2 Re7 28.Qg4 Kf8 29.e5 Qb6 30.e6 fxe6 31.Rxe6 Rf7 32.Re3 d5 33.Bxd5 Nf6 34.Qb4+ Kg7 35.Bxf7 Kxf7 36.Qe7+ 1-0