Sergey Ivanov GM Sergey Ivanov annotates the games of the 5th round:



Hello dear chess friends! Not having enough time to rest after Soccer World championship in Japan an Korea, we have to dive into the world of chess battles from the Dortmund super-tournament. Today it's me Grandmaster Sergey Ivanov, who will look with you at the hot battles under the hot german heaven.
So, today is 5th round, penultimate in the groups. This round is very important: leaders (Topalov and Bareev) can to go through to the semi-final today already, other participants (excluding Lutz as you understand), have the serious chances for this too.
In the group A today's pairs:
Shirov-Lutz 1-0
Gelfand-Topalov 1/2
Shirov of course has to win and to take the 2nd place after this round, and Gelfand's task is more difficult. As far as in the last round he plays with Shirov by black pieces then he must to try to win Topalov today.
In the group B today's pairs:
Adams-Morozevich 1/2
Leko-Bareev 1-0
If Bareev gets the draw today then he has 100% chances to go through to the semi-final (though and now I'd estimate his chances as 90%), therefore he doesn't need to try to win, but Leko needs to do it. But taking into account how Evgeny plays in this tournament it's possible to say that here the result can't be predicted. Well and for Morozevich it's his last chance today - he needs to win Adams as far as tomorrow he plays with Bareev by the black pieces. Though as we know the color of the pieces doesn't matter for Sasha...
Let's look what happened in the openings of the games.
Shirov-Lutz
Was played some "hybrid" of the Paulsen variation and English attack. Shirov repeats Topalov's moves from the 1st round. But Lutz deviates from that on the 9th move - 9...Ne7 instead of 9...Ne5. 12.Bg5!? - a new idea, White is going to damage the contender's pawn structure on the K-side, and after that to "throw" his Queen to there. Met before 12.b4 Bb6 13.Bb6 Qb6 14.e5 Nd7 15.f4 f6 16.ef6 Nf6 17.Nd4 0-0 with sharp play (Vokarev-Kotsur, Dubai 2002). Instead of 15.Qf6 deserved attention 15.fe4, keeping the initiative. And in the game after 16...Qe5! Black exchanged the Queens and equalized the game 18...Ng4, 19...Bb6 - the threats of Black seem serious, but by composed move 20.Nd1! Shirov liquidated all dangers. After 23.g3 - White has better pawn's structure, but Black has two Bishops. But White has an advantage in development, so I'd prefered his position.
Not without difficulties, but Black could develop. White has to look after the counter-play of the contender (two Bishops are two Bishops). Shirov could neutralize the strenth of pair of Bishops: 27.Rd3!?, 29.Rf3! - not so clear 29.Bf5 Bf5 30.Rf5 Rd3 31.Rf7 Rd2 with counter-play. As a result there happened the exchange of the Bishops, but the pawn's weaknesses have stayed at Black still, but he has and 1 plus: the Bishop can be strong in the play at the different sides of the board.
Shirov tried a lot to develop his little advantage and it looks he could do it... In the 2nd time control Lutz made some mistakes. For example instead of 52...Ke6 he could get the draw by - 52...Bc5 53.Rc3 Bf8. After happened in the game White could move by Knight on the f5-square and to move the Rook into the camp of the contender, Black's position became poor. It was badly to play 59...Kf8? (instead of 59...Kg6) 60.Ke4 Rd5 61.Kd5 Ke7 62.h7 and the pawn passes into the Queen. After 66.Nd6 - White position is won, Lutz even can't to pass into the Rook ending.
After losing of the 2nd pawn Lutz resigned. Now Shirov needs just not to lose to Gelfand tomorrow and he is in the semi-final!



Gelfand-Topalov
Was played well-known variation of English opening. And it's wonderful, Topalov used the novelty on the 7th(!) move already (7...a6), usually played 7...Ne5 or 7...Bc5. After forced 8.Nd6 Bd6 9.Qd6 Qb4! White has to exchange the Queens on the b4-square, or he loses the c4-pawn (10.Qd3 Ne5 11.Qd4 Nc4 12.b3 Na3!). As result White has two Bishops, but he has to make an awkward move 11.Rb1 - because of the threat Nc2. 12.Bg2!? - an interesting pawn sacrifice, but seems it's forced sacrifice because in case of exchange on the d5-square black Bishop moves to the f5-square, and White has to struggle for equalization. And now after 13.b3 the Rook comes in the game well. After 19.Na4 - both white Bishops together with the Rook press on the Q-side of Black; and he could have an advantage if he castles, but now it's not clear how to develop the Rook h1. I think White has a compensation for the pawn but no more.
After 19.Na4 the contenders agreed for a draw. Gelfand used a lot of time in the opening; now he has a half of an hour only, and Boris considered that it's impossible to play for a win in such situation, and of course it was connected with the risk. But now his chances look very illusory.

Adams-Morozevich
Here was played quiet variation of Petrov defence. It looks Morozevich became the main specialist in this opening - he plays it by White and Black. Two days ago Leko playing with Morozevich, chose sharp 9.Qc2, Adams prefered queit 9.Re1. Seems Adams doesn't pretend to an advantage - after 14.Qb3 Black has no any problems. More active 14.Bg5 Qc7 15.Be7 Nb6 16.Bd6 Qd6 17.Qb3 Rae8 18.c4 with some pressure of White (Ivanchuk-Gelfand, Lvov 2000). 17...Rad8 - Morozevich puts his pieces at the center. Met 17...Qb6 18.Qc2 Qa5 19.Bc3 Qh5 20.Nh4 b5 with equal play (Timman-Akopian, Groningen 1996). 21...b5 - standart plan for such pawn structure, Black takes the d5-square under the control. But already his next move showes the agressive purposes of Morozevich - 22...b4!?. Black moves his Q-side's pawns, despite of white protected passed pawn at the center. The game goes on for 3 results. An alternative is - 22...Qa6. Yeah, it looks Morozevich scared Adams. 32...Qa4! - a strong manoeuvre, after the Queen's exchange the black passed pawn "b" becomes dangerous, and the white passed pawn "d" is under the control of black Bishop. 34.Qc2?! - White is confused, better was 34.Rc2. After 36.Ra4 - Black can pass to the very pleasant ending (I'd say close to won ending) - 36...Qc2 37.Nc2 b3 38.Na3 (only move) Bd6.
Morozevich chose a very strong plan: 39...g6, 40...Bg7 - he moves the Bishop to the central d4-square. Now Black has to find the way to move the Rook to the 1st horizontal. And White has no any counter-play, he just has to wait and see. The win of Black is the question of time.
The draw on the 46th move. Strange..If Morozevich could not move the Rook to the 1st horizontal then why didn't he try to start the play on the K-side: King moves to the f5-square with following f7-f6, g6-g5 etc.? Of course only the detailed analys can show whether Black has any chances for a win in this ending, but I have such feeling as Morozevich didn't use all his chances in this ending. And it's a pity, now his perspectives are very problematically, especially the his main competitor - Leko can try to win Bareev very long.
As it turned out the position was repeated 3 times that's why the draw! Look: after 43rd move (43.Ra7), after 45th (45.Ra7), and after 47th (47.Ra7!) position was repeated 3 times. Yeah! Fortune is on the Adams's side.

Leko-Bareev
The contenders played quiet variation of Caro-Cann defence. Black has reliable but passive position. Bareev beleives in his star! 12...Bb4 - attempt to simplify the position, which of course doesn't find the White's understanding. More popular 12...Qc7. 14.c4 - very logical novelty, met before 14.Ne4 Ngf6 with the exchanges. Black has restrained position and of course he needs the exchanges.
After 17.Nf5 - white takes contender's Bishop, but now the pawn h5 is weak. In case of 17...Bd8 18.Nh6! gh6 19.Bh6 Re8 20.Ne5 White has strong attack. But White constantly threats by the next moves and Black can't to take the h5-pawn. 21...b5 - now the c6-pawn became weak, but Bareev simplified the position and passes into the ending where White has the weak pawn(d4) too. On the 25th move the contenders exchanged by the weak pawns, but Black has the difficulties still because of the activity of the White pieces. By the move 27...Nc4 Bareev came into the tactical battle, more reliable was 27...Nfd5.
On the 29th move Black admitted the mistake: 29...Rb8, Knight b2 is pinned now and Black has to lose this Knight. It was better 29...Rd8 30.Re6 Nd3 with the chances for a draw. 31.Be3! - key move, which allowed for White to get the cooperation of his pieces and to take the Knight b2. Though Black got 2 pawns for this Knight. The White's chances to win are equal to Black's chances to get the draw. For White it's necessary to add his Knight into the game and to try to exchange the Rooks and he could do it.
Leko won. He demonstrated his technical posibilities very well.
Very unclear situation is in this group now. Even Morozevich has the chances to go through to the semi-final if Adams and Leko will play in a draw and Morozevich will win Bareev then all participants of this group will have 3 scores and then we are expected by the tie-breaks...
Take care, play chess and good bye!