GM Jacob Aagaard Blasphemes Caissia at the Charlotte Chess Center GM Norm Invitational

At the website of the Charlotte Chess Center GM/IM Norm Invitational 7/24/22 – 7/28/22 one finds this:

GM Jacob Aagaard

Name: JACOB AAGAARD Current Rating: 2474 Title: GM

World’s leading chess trainers and authors, 4-time Olympiad representative, former British and Scottish national champion. 2nd CCC Norm Invitational. (https://chess.stream/Invitational/summer-2022-gm-im-norm-invitational/Default.aspx)

At one website this was found: In 2004, he co-founded Quality Chess publishing. As an author, he has written or co-written: A couple of dozen book titles are here, and this was written almost a decade ago. (https://www.chessmaniac.com/grandmaster-jacob-aagaard/)

The tournament began with the following game:

FM GAURI SHANKAR (2376) – GM JACOB AAGAARD (2474)
Round 1 | 2022.07.25 | 1/2-1/2

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 a6 6. O-O Nc6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Nbd2 Na5 9. Ne5 Nd5 10. Ndxc4 Nxc4 11. Nxc4 Nxe3 12. Nxe3 O-O 13. Qc2 Qxd4 14. Qxc7 Bf6 15. Rfd1 Qa7 16. Ng4 Bd4 17. e3 Qb6 18. Qxb6 Bxb6 19. Ne5 Bc7 20. Nd7 Rd8 21. Rac1 Ba5 22. Nc5 Rb8 23. b4 Bc7 24. Nd7 Bxd7 25. Rxc7 Bb5 26. Rxd8+ Rxd8 27. Bxb7 Rd1+ 28. Kg2 g5 29. g4 1/2-1/2

The second round produced this game:

GM JACOB AAGAARD (2474) – FM LIRAN ZHOU (2393)
Round 2 | 2022.07.25 | 0-1

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. Be2 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. a4 Nc6 11. a5 Bxb3 12. Bb6 Bxc2 13. Qxc2 Qc8 14. Qd2 Bd8 15. Qxd6 Bxb6 16. axb6 Qd8 17. Qxd8 Raxd8 18. Bc4 Rd4 19. b3 Nxe4 20. Nxe4 Rxe4 21. Bd5 Rb4 22. Bxc6 bxc6 23. Rxa6 Rb8 24. b7 Rxb3 25. Rxc6 R3xb7 26. h4 g6 27. Rfc1 Kg7 28. Rc8 Rxc8 29. Rxc8 e4 30. g3 f5 31. Kg2 Kh6 32. Rc5 Rb2 33. Rc7 e3 34. Kf3 exf2 35. Kg2 Ra2 36. Rb7 Rc2 37. Ra7 Rb2 38. Rc7 Ra2 39. Rf7 Kh5 40. Rxh7+ Kg4 41. Rg7 f1=Q+ 42. Kxf1 Kf3 43. Ke1 Re2+ 44. Kd1 Re6 45. Kd2 Kf2 46. Kd3 Re3+ 47. Kd2 Rxg3 0-1

The third round produced this GM/IM draw:

IM DEAN IPPOLITO (2361) – GM JACOB AAGAARD (2474)
Round 3 | 2022.07.25 | 1/2-1/2

1. Nf3 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 g6 4. g3 Bg7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O c5 7. dxc5 dxc5 8. Nc3 Nc6 1/2-1/2

Round four was a true “Grandmaster draw”:

GM BARTLOMIEJ MACIEJA (2518) – GM JACOB AAGAARD (2474)
Round 4 | 2022.07.26 | 1/2-1/2

1. c4 e6 2. Nf3 d5 3. b3 d4 4. g3 c5 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. O-O Bd6 7. e3 Nf6 8. exd4 cxd4 9. d3 h6 1/2-1/2

Round five saw an FM out for blood, so no short draw that round:

GM JACOB AAGAARD (2474) – FM AYDIN TURGUT (2360)
Round 5 | 2022.07.26 |

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. a4 Rb8 8. Nxe5 Nxe5 9. d4 Bxd4 10. Qxd4 d6 11. axb5 axb5 12. c3 O-O 13. Bg5 c5 14. Qd1 h6 15. Bxf6 Qxf6 16. Bd5 Qg6 17. Qe2 Be6 18. Bxe6 Qxe6 19. f4 Nd7 20. Nd2 Rfe8 21. Ra7 f5 22. Qh5 Rf8 23. h3 Rbe8 24. Kh1 Re7 25. exf5 Rxf5 26. Qf3 Ref7 27. Qe4 Nf8 28. Rxf7 Qxf7 29. Qd3 c4 30. Qe3 Ng6 31. g3 Rd5 32. Nf3 Ne7 33. Nd4 Nf5 34. Nxf5 Qxf5 35. g4 Qf7 36. Kg2 Rd3 37. Qe4 d5 38. Qe5 d4 39. Qe4 dxc3 40. bxc3 Rxc3 41. Ra1 g6 42. Ra8+ Kh7 43. Rb8 Rd3 44. Rxb5 Rd2+ 45. Kf3 Rd3+ 46. Ke2 Rd7 47. f5 c3 48. fxg6+ Qxg6 49. Qxg6+ Kxg6 50. Rc5 Rd2+ 51. Ke1 Rd3 52. h4 1/2-1/2

Round six produced this “gem” giving new meaning to the term “Two-mover”

GM JULIO BECERRA (2465) – GM JACOB AAGAARD (2474)
Round 6 | 2022.07.27 | 1/2-1/2

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 1/2-1/2

Too bad they could not phone it in…I mean, all that time walking to and from the CCC and the hotel could have been used for reading this:

https://www.chess4less.com/draw-the-art-of-the-half-point-in-chess—leonid-verkhovsky.html

Round seven again saw a lower rated opponent out for blood, so the so-called “Grandmaster” had to fight, producing this draw:

GM JACOB AAGAARD (2474) – IM VYOM VIDYARTHI (2391)
Round 7 | 2022.07.27 | 1/2-1/2

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 4. c4 g6 5. Qa4 Nbd7 6. cxd5 cxd5 7. O-O Bg7 8. d4 O-O 9. Nc3 Nb6 10. Qb3 Ne4 11. a4 Nxc3 12. Qxc3 Bf5 13. b3 Nc8 14. Bf4 Nd6 15. Rfc1 a5 16. e3 Qb6 17. Qb2 Rac8 18. Ne5 Bxe5 19. Bxe5 Nc4 20. Qa2 Nxe5 21. dxe5 Rc5 22. Rxc5 Qxc5 23. Qd2 Be6 24. Rd1 Rd8 25. h4 Qc7 26. Qd4 h5 27. e4 Qc2 28. exd5 Qxb3 29. Rd3 Qb1+ 30. Rd1 Qb4 31. Qxb4 1/2-1/2

Unfortunately for the so-called “Grandmaster” his next opponent had the white pieces and played like a shark smelling Grandmaster blood:

IM KASSA KORLEY (2421) – GM JACOB AAGAARD (2474)
Round 8 | 2022.07.28 | 1-0

1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 4. O-O Bg4 5. d3 Nbd7 6. Nbd2 e5 7. e4 dxe4 8. dxe4 Be7 9. h3 Bh5 10. Qe1 O-O 11. Nh4 Re8 12. Nf5 Bf8 13. a4 a5 14. Nc4 Qc7 15. Bd2 b6 16. Kh1 Nc5 17. f3 Nfd7 18. Be3 f6 19. Qc3 Rad8 20. Rfd1 Nb8 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Nxa5 bxa5 23. Bxc5 Bxc5 24. Qxc5 Rd2 25. Qc3 Qd8 26. Ne3 Bf7 27. Nc4 Re2 28. Bf1 1-0

That was brutal, was it not? Finally, we come to the last round, which produced this short draw:

GM JACOB AAGAARD (2474) – IM MICHAEL MULYAR (2347)
Round 9 | 2022.07.28 | 1/2-1/2

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 g6 5. cxd5 1/2-1/2

Playing moves three through five must have been tough on the Grandmaster who will soon be eligible for the World Senior…

What is it about the Charlotte Chess Center that makes it so conducive to producing short draws? Is it the mindset or the water? Why is it the people administering the CCC continued to invite all these quick draw McGraws type players to the Queen city?

Four Way Tie at the 2022 Charlotte Classic

In the last round of the recently concluded Carolinas Classic GM Daniel Naroditsky faced IM Dean Ippolito.

newyorkmasters.com

Both players had won three games and drawn one for a total of 3 1/2 points. They were in a must win situation because GM Elshan Moradiabadi had won his first four games and taken a half-point bye in the last round. Say what?! The dude was given a 1/2 point bye in THE LAST ROUND! Say what?! For those of you new to the Royal game, the half-point bye began many decades ago when three games, usually with a time control of 40 moves in two hours, would be taken in the third round, which was the third game to be played on Saturday. Some players would take a half-point bye in the first round, with others taking a half-point bye in the fourth round in order to attend church. As the Legendary Ironman of Georgia Chess so eloquently put it once, “When I’m sitting at the board on Sunday morning I am in my church.” The excretory awarding of a half-point bye for not playing the last round game is abhorrent and should never, ever have been allowed. The awarding of a free half-point bye in the last round blasphemes Caissa and should be abolished. If a player cannot, or will not play in the final round for any reason he should be given the result he deserves, a ZERO! The games are played earlier in the tournament to arrive at the final round. It is, obviously, the most important round of the event. The awarding of a half-point for not playing the last round should never have been allowed, and it being allowed speaks volumes about those in charge of Chess these daze…

GM Naroditsky defeated IM Dean Ippolito easily when the latter played like a complete beginner by bringing out his Queen early in the game, then later retreated the Lady for no reason, and it was all over but the shouting after that ill-fated move.

Daniel Naroditsky vs Dean Ippolito
2022 CAROLINAS CLASSIC
C43 Petrov, modern attack, Symmetrical variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Nxd7 Bxd7 7.O-O Qh4 8.c4 O-O-O 9.c5 g6 10.Nc3 Bg7 11.Bxe4 dxe4 12.Be3 f5 13.Qd2 h6 14.a4 Qf6 15.Nb5 Qa6 16.d5 Bxb5 17.axb5 Qxb5 18.Rxa7 g5 19.d6 Kd7 20.Qd5 1-0
https://view.livechesscloud.com/#b15199a4-99fa-4ef8-bba5-0861e07d5f2e

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 (Although Stockfish 14.1 plays this move, SF 15 will play the most often played move, 3 Nxe5) 3…Nxe4 4.Bd3 (The most often played move, and the choice of SF 14.1, @depth 55, but SF 150007 @depth 55 will play 4 Nxe5, expecting 4…d5 5 Bd3. Then again, at the same depth SF 150007, the James Bond of programs, also shows 4 Bd3 d5 5 Nxe5) 4…d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Nxd7 Bxd7 7.O-O Qh4 (SF 14 @depth 53 will play 7…Bd6, by far the most often played move, but SF 280322 will play 7…Be7, a move that has appeared in only 127 games while holding white to 62% versus 2462 opposition. In 817 games 7…Bd6 has held white to 57% against 2465 opposition. In 291 games against 2409 opposition the move played in the game, 7…Qh4 has allowed a theoretical opponent rated 2409 to score 70% in 291 games. This was the last round game and IM Dean Ippolito was rated 240 points below GM Naroditsky, rated 2695, so maybe the lower rated IM felt he needed to pull a rabbit out of his whatever, but how could any Chess player with any four digit rating advocate any player in his right mind play a move like 7…Qh4?

Position after Ippolito leads with his chin, err, Queen

Imagine you were giving a young student a lesson when they suggested a move like 7…Qh4? How would you respond? That is exactly my point. I knew, you knew, and GM Naroditsky knew IM Ippolito was going down after bring out the Queen that early. What? You think you are going to trick a player about to enter the elite world of 2700 rated Grandmasters by playing a second rate Chess move? Dude shoulda played a solid, “seemple” move, as IM Boris Kogan was so fond of saying, like 7…Bd6, and maybe have a shot at drawing the game. The move is so ridiculous that a Chess teacher would excoriate a student unmercifully for playing such a poor move. I lost interest in the game after seeing this move, and you have probably lost interest in this post…and I do not blame you!) 8.c4 O-O-O 9.c5 g6 (The most often played move has been g5, with 151 games showing at the ChessBaseDataBase, against which white has scored 67%. In the 53 games with 9…g6 having been played white has scored 75%) 10.Nc3 Bg7 11.Bxe4 (The CBDB contains 23 games with 11 g3; 15 with 11 Ne2; 6 with 11 Be2; and only 2 with the move played in the game, 11 Bxe4, but it is the choice of SF 14.1. 365Chess does not contain the move considered best by Stockfish) 11…dxe4 12.Be3 f5 13.Qd2 (This is a TN. One game has been played with 13…h6 having been attempted. SF 14.1 will, given the chance, play a TN of its own with 13…Bc6)
I usually stop here but let us continue a few moves further on up the road…the game continued with 14.a4 before IM Ippolito played a horrible move, retreating his Queen with 14…Qf6?

Position after Ippolito retreated his Queen from h4 to f6 for no reason

The game, for all intents and purposes, was over when Ippo removed his grip from the Queen. The comment at Lichess.org is, “Blunder. 14…a6 was best.” The it shows 14…a6 15.Nd5. But here’s the deal…There is an arrow in the position showing the Rook moving from h8 to f8, and a line beginning with 14…Rhf8 15 g3 Qh5, etc. So which is it, Lichess, 14…a6 or 14…Rhf8? Inquiring minds want to know the TRUTH, as it was known in those long ago days… Where have I heard that before?…
https://lichess.org/broadcast/2022-carolinas-chess-classic–championship-section/round-5/E2tBybjJ

Heinz Offenborn 2098 (GER) vs Bernd Bachmann 2030 (GER)
GER T224-C43-S email 2015
C43 Petrov, modern attack, Symmetrical variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Nxd7 Bxd7 7.O-O Qh4 8.c4 O-O-O 9.c5 g6 10.Nc3 Bg7 11.Bxe4 dxe4 12.Be3 f5 13.Qd2 h6 14.a4 c6 15.Rfc1 a6 16.Nb5 cxb5 17.c6 Bxc6 18.axb5 axb5 19.g3 Qe7 20.d5 Be5 21.Bb6 Rd6 22.Rxc6+ bxc6 23.Ra8+ 1 – 0

Milan Horvat 2203 (SLO) vs Frantisek Sochor 2437 (CZE)
ICCF Slav Cup3 email 2008
C43 Petrov, modern attack, Symmetrical variation
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.Nxe5 Nd7 6.Nxd7 Bxd7 7.O-O Qh4 8.c4 O-O-O 9.c5 g6 10.Nc3 Bg7 11.Bxe4 dxe4 12.Be3 f5 13.Qd2 h6 14.a4 c6 15.Rfc1 a6 16.Nb5 cxb5 17.c6 Bxc6 18.axb5 axb5 19.d5 Be5 20.g3 Qe7 21.Ra7 Bc7 22.Rxc6 bxc6 23.Qc3 Qd7 24.Bf4 Rh7 25.Rxc7+ Qxc7 26.Bxc7 Rxc7 27.dxc6 e3 28.fxe3 Ra7 29.Kg2 Kc7 30.Qf6 Rd2+ 31.Kh3 g5 32.Qxf5 Kxc6 33.b4 Rad7 34.Qc5+ Kb7 35.Qxb5+ Kc7 36.e4 R7d4 37.Qc5+ Kb7 38.b5 g4+ 39.Kh4 Rxh2+ 40.Kxg4 Rxe4+ 41.Kf3 Ree2 42.Qc6+ Kb8 43.b6 Rhf2+ 44.Kg4 Rf7 45.Qd6+ Kc8 46.Qd5 1 – 0

GM Alexander Shabalov and IM David Brodsky also finished in a tie for first place, with each winning $600. The plaque went to the dude who received a half point bye for not playing a game in the final round, GM Elshan Moradiabadi, aka, the ‘Hat Man’:

GM Elshan Moradiabadi on the Magnus Carlsen Tour Finals | US Chess.org
new.uschess.org