Bareev-Leko 1-0 A variation of Nimco Defence with 4.Qc2 where White in the early stage gets an advantage of two Bishops at the expense of some lag in the pieces development and Black tries to use this circumstance together with an advance position of the Queen and arranges a counterplay against c4-pawn. On the 13th move Bareev has chosen immediate 13.0-0. More popular in the last time is 13.Qb3 or 13.b4 trying instantly to neitralize a positional threate Ba6. This game was crowned with a complete triumph of Whit's strategy. The 13th Black's move Ba6 (perhaps more correct was immediate 13...cd4 14.Qd4 Nc5) he met with a novelty 14.b4 Despite Leko managed to remove the Whit's advantage in two Bishops the difference between the strange of white and black Bishops remained appreciable. The darksquared Bishop of White realized an unpleasent pressure along the diagonal h4-d8 and in perspective after the preparation the movement of the white pawn threatened also to pawns on the Black's queenside meanwhile the lightsquared Black's Bishop set against the pawns barrier f3-e4. Trying to solve the positional problems by a tactical way Leko obviously has miscalculated somewhere and turned out to be in an unhappy position already to 26th move. He was forced to sacrifice two Exchange but he has not gained sufficient compensation and Bareev confidentely led his big advantage to the victory. Lutz-Shirov 1/2 Classical Chigorin variation in Ruy Lopez. Black has chosen a popular its variety associated with an exchange cxd4 and an advancement of pawns on the queenside aspiring due to this counterplay to distract White from the concentration of his forces on the kingside. Nevertheless thanks to a more active disposition of cental pawns and a possession of more space White keep the initiative. Long time Lutz kept a pressure forcing Black to engage in laborious defence of the pawns e5 and b5 but just when he managed to attack both pawns by the Rook Shirov solved all his problems by the Knight's move from the edge of the board on the c4. Foremore already White has had to reduce Black's activity. Trading all dangerous partner's pieces White has gained this aim. After that the game safely floated to a drawn harbor. The game Topalov-Gelfand 1-0 started with a surprise. Boris has used Caro-Kann Defence instead of Najdorf variation in Sicilian Defence which served him faithfully many years. Topalov following to his aggressive style has chosen a fashionable continuation associated with an advancement of the pawns on the kingside. A novelty was 11.÷b5. Till now in the game Nataf-Peterhaine Nilsen, Esberg 2001 followed was 11.Bd3 Bd3 12.Qxd3 g6 13.Ng3 Rxh4 and Black has obtained a perfect position. Despite of Qeens exchange the incandescence of the battle don't descends. White temporarly has two extra-pawns but one of them Black will win back and besides White should adjust the coordination of his forces. Capturing the c2-pawn Black has cleared the way for his d-pawn to a dizzy career. The pawn obtained the 2nd rank and now already White should sacriface the material to stop its movement. Despite to some material gains of Black the position remaind unclear. The passed d-pawn is stopped while White's pawn's phalanx on the kingside needs an extra attention. Besides Black has problems to enter in the play the Rook on h8. In a complicated position Gelfand didn't find a satisfactory continuation. The sequel which he has chosen allowed White to put into the game his last reserve the a4-Knight. The whites Rook, Bishop and Knight arranged an attack on the black King and having no the possibility to defence from irresistible threates Gelfand was forced to lay down arms. Morozevich-Adams 1/2 The position on the board after 12th move has been met in two Morozevich's games this year. With Karpov in Prague and with Shirov in Monaco. Both his partners preferred 12.NÓ6 and two times Morozevich got a perfect game. Adams played 12.c5 and after 14th move in the game began unimaginable complicates. White sacrificed the Exchange for a pawn and has got a compensation in view of an outpost on e5 and a pawn's phalanx on the kingside. Adams preferred to defuse the atmosphere and returned the Exchange. After 23th White's move he could force the draw by 23.Bxg4 with a perpetual check but also could continue the fight setting hopes on the weakened position of the white King. He preferred a draw since White consolidate his forces and Black has not the reason to fight for a victory. |
