The 2nd round of Biel got into action today with some truly great matchups - this is a small lineup, but with Carlsen, Mamedyarov, MVL, Svidler, and Navara in the lineup, we're going to be treated some amazing chess. 

The first game to end was Navara-Mamedyarov - both of these gentlemen have styles of play that are fantastic for us spectators, and today's game was a well fought strategic dogfight. Mamedyarov is a frequent champion of the Open Spanish - this is a welcome change of pace from Berlins and anti Marshalls, and immediately creates a combative strategic imbalance. Viktor Korchnoi, a legend who is quite closely connected with combative chess, played the Open Spanish with great success. Today's game featured an early liquidation of the central tension - Mamedyarov chose the relatively rare 13...Rb8 (more normal is developing the bishop to either e7, c5, or b4) and after 17. Ng3 the players were on their own. 18. Be3 Rd8 19. Bg5!? was a very clever two step from Navara's bishop, and Mamedyarov chose to forfeit the right to castle to trade off the aggressive White prelate. Navara attempted to break through to the exposed Black king, and Mamedyarov seemed to allow some chances - 21...Ne6? seems inaccurate, and moving the very well placed knight doesn't make sense to begin with. Navara's main chance seems to have been 23. Nf5+ Ke8 24. Qh6, offering the e pawn to smash through to the exposed Black king. After 23. Qb4+, Mamedyarov was able to stabilize to an endgame that also seemed favourable for White. 29. Ra5 seems more accurate, keeping all of White's active pieces on the board to harass Black's position. 29. Rca1 allowed Black time to stabilize. The game eventually liquidated enough pawns to keep Black out of any further trouble, and the players found their way to peace just after the time control.

Svidler-Georgiadis featured some quite excellent play from the Swiss underdog (although Dennis has informed me that he's claiming Georgiadis for his Greek homeland, at least for the purposes of rooting) - Svidler brought out the Rossolimo, and seemed to be trying the same tact of Mamedyarov's game from the 1st round in just trying to outmaneuver his lower rated opponent. Georgiadis played well, however, and Svidler seemed to intentionally provoke some complications with the slightly suspect 17. Qe4 - Georgiadis went for 17...Nxc3, when it looks like the calmer 17...Nf4 leaves White with some problems to solve. The game settled back down with both sides having pawn structure warts, but Georgiadis having the bishop pair (especially his light squared bishop, whch aimed quite ominously at the kingside). The game continued with some fluctuations and liquidations - Georgiadis perhaps began his descent with 33...Qd2? (the calm 33...bxa4 looks best, when the game still looks balanced). Svidler managed to lodge his queen right on the Black king's porch, and developed some dangerous pressure. 38...Qd5 allowed the dangerous blow 39. Nxh6+!, but Svidler allowed some dangerous counterchances with 42. Kh1?! (42. Nf2 is safer, anticipating Black's blow). 44...Rxh3 would have been a more accurate continuation for Georgiadis, when it's a very difficult position for White to convert the extra knight. After 44...Qd3?! 45 Ne3!, Svidler was able to consolidate his position and switch to the attack, and Georgiadis was overwhelmed in short order. Still, up to a certain point, Georgiadis played quite well!

For the 2nd round in a row, Magnus the Great played the showcase game of the round, this time against MVL, one of his direct rivals for the very top of the roost. One of Carlsen's strong suits is his ability to play any opening at any time, and today he trotted out the Pirc. MVL responded with a quite offbeat 4. Bf4, and the game went into a 150 Attack with the slightly odd position of the bishop on f4 instead of its traditional e3 (although this has its point as well - stops ...e5, and prepares e5 for White). 8. e5 looks a bit premature, however (my database shows this as a new move - on move 8!), and Carlsen traded into an endgame with a structure that wouldn't look out of place in a French or perhaps a Taimanov Sicilian. 

As an aside, I'm not sure I like MVLs general opening choice - Carlsen deployed an opening that allows for a sharp and direct battle (completely within MVLs oeuvre - he's a spectacular attacking player!), yet MVL very quickly went into a quiet ending (which is much more in Carlsen territory). The game continued along perfectly logical lines, with Carlsen developing a normal queenside minority expansion and MVL staying solid in the centre. MVL played the excellent move 24. g4! - it was vital to achieve kingside counterplay before Carlsen's queenside play reached dangerous proportions. The kingside pawns were quickly liquidated, and a double rook ending was reached where it looked to be heading towards a well deserved draw. 

And yet...people who play Carlsen rarely get these well deserved draws, do they? Fischer had an aura of intimidation about him, where it seemed like strong grandmasters and world champions would suddenly fall apart when playing him. Carlsen seems to have this same aura - his reputation as an endgame grinder takes root in the minds of his opponents, and the fear of being relentlessly ground down influences their play. I know this sounds like absolute mystical nonsense, but I can't see another explanation. 32. Rgh4? is not a move MVL would usually play - very clear was 32. Rh6, with Rf6 and Rg7 on the cards for counterplay that keeps the balance. Carlsen immediately responded with 32...Rg8, taking possession of the open invasion line that MVL just abandoned. In short order, Carlsen established both of his rooks on the 2nd rank - however, even after his misstep, MVL still had very serious counterplay, and he accurately avoided disaster. Carlsen managed to eliminate both of White's far pushed pawns, and Black was a pawn up in a position where the exposed kings made progress incredibly difficult. Carlsen did quite well, but lost some of his progress with 53...d2?! - White managed to snap off the dangerous d pawn, and eventually the e pawn. MVLs final mistake was 70. Kf2 (70. Re2 keeps White struggling), and Carlsen very accurately converted his a pawn afterwards. As a caveat, I will say that it will be very difficult to annotate this game - a proper analysis of this endgame would take on Huebnerian proportions and reams of paper, and I'm simply limited to a comprehensive yet brief sketch. Another classic endgame performance that will find its way into textbooks - if this is the form Carlsen is in when he plays Caruana in November, we're sure to see an amazing contribution to chess art.

With that, Carlsen takes a very early lead with 2/2 - Svidler and Mamedyarov both sit on 1.5/2, Navara and MVL sit on 0.5/2 (thanks to Carlsen!), and Georgiadis is taking his learning bumps at 0/2. We'll see you for Round 3!