Chess with Sam Collins

Sharjah Grand Prix 2017

The FIDE Grand Prix event in Sharjah was jointly won by top GMs Alexander Grischuk, Maxime Vachier Lagrave and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, each with 5.5/9. The tournament attracted some criticism for its high number of draws. The following game is a striking example of how easy it is to blunder, even for world-class players.

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.e3 Nf6 4.d4 cxd4 5.exd4 d5 6.Nc3

By transposition, the players have ...