This year’s Gibraltar Masters saw some surprising results at the top, chiefly the victory by the young Russian, Vladimir Artemiev, who netted £25,000. He came in ahead of a host of established grandmasters, including Levon Aronian, Vassily Ivanchuk, Michael Adams and Wesley So.
The winner’s style was marked by restless aggression with both black and white pieces. This week’s game shows him overwhelming a pre-tournament favourite. The notes are based on those by John Saunders in the official bulletin.
Artemiev-Nakamura: Gibraltar Masters 2019; Réti Opening
1 Nf3 Nf6 2 g3 d5 3 Bg2 e6 4 0-0 Be7 5 c4 0-0 6 b3 c5 7 Bb2 Nc6 8 e3 b6 Black decides against the double-edged 8 … d4, gaining space in the centre but falling slightly behind in development. 9 Nc3 dxc4 10 bxc4 Bb7 11 Qe2 Rc8 12 Rad1 Qc7 13 Ne1 Ne8 A new move but not one that changes the general contours of the position.
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