Candidates : Grischuk

soon the candidates tournament will resume.

I had a post about openings https://www.chess.com/blog/thechesscorner64/world-chess-candidates-openings-review-caruana

but this week, while I logged in on chess.com, Grischuk was playing a blitz game ( 3 minutes ) against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Actually they played 5 or 6.

I'd like to present one of the games where Grischuk with Black played quite brilliantly.

Grischuk in classical chess is known to spend lots of time in the first moves, and ends up in time trouble or zeitnot, like 5 minutes for 20 moves or 1 minute for 10 moves or so. But he is extremely good under time pressure, and an excellent blitz player.

Here's the game highlights

White played 1 d4 and 2 Bg5 Trompowsky and after 3 Bf6 Grischuk plays exf6.

lets carry on :

White to play

White has the control of d4 and the double f pawns are a liability for Black. Black has the bishop pair but its not like the bishop on e6 is doing much. 

How Grischuk plays from here is highly instructive in this closed type of position.

Grischuk continued to manoeuver and now he is lauching the attack with g7-g5!?

Next position, Grishcuk plays h7-h5

Black rooks are centralized, the black queen is safe, with h7-h5 Black wants to open the h-file. Where is White's counterplay ? very difficult to play with White , there are no targets or weaknesses in the plan Black is executing.

 Position after Ne7!

Black just played Ne7! and wants to triple on the h file. Magnificent attack build-up against a very strong GM 

End of the game below

Game Report from chess.com