Similarly to the 1st game in Moscow Ivanchuk chooses the French Defence. In my opinion this is not a very good omen since last years Vassily's results in this opening are not very impressive. This time Ivanchuk chooses more sharp continuation - Vinaver variation 3...Bb4 (we remember in Moscow he played 3...Nf6 4.Bg5 de4). The opponents outplayed a rather popular variation but on the 8th move Black chose 8...f5. Now more often is to be meet 8...Nbc6 9.Qh5 Ng6 or 8...Qa5 9.Bd2 Nbc6 - in these branches Black has more chances to intercept initiative. Note although 11...g6 weakens black squares it's practically necessary. In case 11...h6 12.Bh7! (in Yugoslavian Encyclopedia examines only 12.Bg6) 12...Kh7 13.Qf7 hg5 14.Nf3 Nf5 15.h4 g4 16.Ng5 Kh6 17.Qf5! ef5 18.Nf7 Kg6 19.Nd8 cd4? (better 19...Kf6) 20.0-0-0! and White wins (Svidler-Ionov, Saint-Petersburg 1997, rapid chess). 13.. Qf8 - Timman's idea. Queen moves on weakened K-side, strengthening it. 16. Bc1 - this manoeuvre already met, usually White played further a4 and Ba3. But Ponomariov has another idea. Alternative to the move in the text is 16. Be3. 17. Ne1 - it appears, Ponomariov prepares remove of the Knight on the e3-square. Met 17.a4 Qg7 18. Ba3 g5 19. Rb1 b6 20.a5 ba5 with complex game ( Ljukin-Berelovich, Ukraine 1996). Now Иванчук could carry out break in the centre, for example 17... e5 18.de5 Ne5 19. Nf3 Nf3 20. Bf3 Rf3!? 21. Qf3 Qf3 22.gf3 Nf5 with positional compensation for exchange. But he prefers while to not define a position. And on the following move deserved attention 18... e5, for example: 19.de5 Ne5 20.f4 Bh3 21. Ng2 gf4 22. Bf4 N5g6 23. Be3 Nf5 with not clear position. 20.f4 - White has prevented to the move e6-e5, and now can quietly to rearrange the forces. The truth, black Knight now has a good square - e4. The position while is approximately equal. By move 22.fg5!? Ponomariov decides to change pawn's structure. He plans to remove the Knight on g4-square, whence it will control the e5-square and to render the pressure on K-side of the contender. After 27. Ng4 - it is necessary to recognize, that White it was possible well to coordinate the pieces and to prevent the counter-play of the contender. Black remains only to wait, that White will undertake. 30.a4!? - the pawn's sacrifice, Wwhite expand sphere of action not only the rook, but and dark-squared Bishop, which soon will borrow the "lawful" place on the a3-square. 32.. Qc2 - the tactical fighting begins. The pieces of both contenders "have hung", but the trouble of Black that his King too open. Instead of 34... Ne4 it is bad 34... Nb5 35. Ne5 Qh3 36. Nf7 Kg6 37. Rf1, and White wins. 36... Rf2? - apparently, decisive mistake. Black has no compensation for the piece. It was necessary to play 36... Nf2 37. Nf7 Nh3 38. Kg2 g4, and Black keeps the chances of a drawn game. 41. Re1! - White passes in decisive attack. After the loss of the e6-pawn the position of Black falls. Yes, Ivanchuk can not to adapt to the style of Ponomariov play in any way. And today he was actually completely beaten. Shirov-Anand Shirov selects one of the popular branchings of Paulsen system, in which he already twice has lost to Anand in the World championship 2000 and in the tournament in Frankfurt. This persistence is worth of respect! Anand evades from continuations bringing to him earlier success: in Teheran he played 9... Bd6, and in Frankfurt - 13... c5 14. Be5 Rb6. Now he prefers at first to finish development: 13... 0-0. This move already met, and White at once moves by pawns: 14.e5 Nd5 15.c4. Shirov for the beginning strengthens the positions in the centre: 14. Qd3 Qc7 15.b3. Is obvious, that Black has to move d7-d5, and after exchange on d5 Anand has prefered to take by Knight. Probably, it was not pleasant to him, that in a case 17.. cd5 18.c4 White in the long term forms the passed-pawn on the Q-side. But also this capture has not given Black the equation, after 20 move has arisen position, in which White, having two Bishops, could develop the initiative on both flanks. By move 21... c5 Anand has sacrificed the pawn hoping that the opposite-colored bishops will help him "to come off" on a drawn game. But you see the Queens on the board, that, as it is known, at the opposite-colored Bishops only strengthens the attack. Objectively was stronger 21... e5 22. Be3 a4. Man be, White it was not necessary to give the contender an opportunity to remove the Queen on K-side - 24. Qc3!? instead of 24. Qh6. On the other hand, then his Queen was far from the main object of attack. 29. Re1 - on my sight, it is easier 29. Rd1 Qf6 30. Rd7 - for Black it's very hardly to be defenced. The manoeuvre of rook on the K-side does not give for White anything essential. 36.gf5 Rf5 37. Be4 - as a result of tactical skirmish White win the second pawn, but after that the rook are exchanged, and the winning appears is impossible. To continue attack it was possible by 36.g5, but after 36... Qf7 37. Rh6 Bh6 38. Qh6 Kg8 39.h4 Rd8 it is not clear, whether there is at White something real. 38.. Kh8! - exact move ensuring Black saving exchange of the rooks. Wrongly 38... Kg8? 39. Re7 Re5 40. Bd5! Kh7 41. Ra7 with a winning. And after that, as the rooks have disappeared from a board, Black without effort have reached a drawn game. It is possible once again to be surprised insights of Anand, which was not afraid to sacrifice the pawn, expecting on the opposite-colored Bishops. His decision completely was justified! Vallejo Pons - Kasparov In the four Knights system of the English White has selected a rare move 4.e4 (Basic continuation - 4.g3), entered in practice by A.Nimzovich. White interferes d7-d5, truth, at the expense of weakening of the d4-square. In further Vallejo develops light-squared Bishop on e2, is more often met 6.g3 Bc5 7. Bg2 Nd4 8. Nd4 Bd4 9.h3 Be6 10.f4 a6 11. Qf3 h6 12. Ne2 Bc5 13. Bd2 Qe7 14. Bc3 Bd7 15.b4 Ba7 with complex play (Gulko-Karpov, Reykjavic 1991). By manoeuvre 7... Ne7 and subsequent 8... c6 Kasparov designates the plans: refusing from owning of the d4-square, Black prepare break at the centre d6-d5. White has received two Bishops, but in the closed position it faster not plus, and minus. It is possible to tell, that after the opening Black has received good play. 12.. Bd7 and 13... Qc8 - looks too "insinuatingly". On my sight, it is easier and more naturally 12... h6 with further Be6, Qc7 and d6-d5 - the problems can be only at White. 15. Kh2 and 16.g3 - prophylactic against possible lunge Ng6-f4. 15... h6 - after three moves Black all the same come back to the most aggressive arrangement of the pieces. 18. Nd2 Rad8 - Black was perfectly centralized and is ready to begin active operations. And what to do for White? The movement of the central pawns results only to formation of the additional weaknesses, for example 18.d4 Rab8! (threatens b6-b5) 19.d5 Bd7 20. Nd2 Rec8, and White is compelled to pass to the defence. 19.a4: on my sight - the discrepancy, is better 19. Qb4, that on 19... d5 to have opportunity 20.c5, supporting balance. Now after 19... d5 White meets the difficulties. Apparently, there are more chances of successful defence at White after 22. Qb6 Qb6 23. Rb6 Rd3, for example 24. Rc6 (it is possible and 24. Nb1 Red8 25. Be3) 24... Rc3 25. Bf1 Rb8 26. Nc4 Rb1 27. Ne5 Rbc1 28. Rc1 Rc1 29. Rc1 Ne5 - for Black is very uneasy to win such ending. And after happened in the game 22.dc4 Nd7 Black has large positional advantage. By brilliant manoeuvres Ng6-e7-c8-d6 and Nd7-b8-c6-a5 together with the move c6-c5 Kasparov completely has held down White forces. Pawn c4 should to fall, and with it and all position of White. 31.f4 - only chance to show activity. Now is weakened and e4-pawn, but the attempt of attack on K-side can how to distract Black from relentless taking of c4-pawn. 34.. Kf8! - Kasparov removes the King in the centre, where it will fell itself in safety. Immediately to win c4-pawn it was not possible: 34.. Qc6 35.g5 hg5 36.hg5 fg5 37. Bg5 Ra8 38. Ra1!, and White keeps the position. Unfortunately, in the zeitnot the contenders began to suppose mutual mistakes. 37... Rh8 - most likely, unsuccessful manoeuvre - for rook on a line "h" there is nothing to do. It was necessary to play 37... Qc6 with subsequent Ra8 - pawn c4 eventually should be lost. 40. Qc2? - blunder, it was necessary to continue 40. Bg2 Bc4 41. Qc2, with rearrangement of the movescs there is a position from the game - White has a counterplay. Now instead of 40... Bc4? at once finished the struggle 40... Nf5 - White loses key pawn, and his position collapses. And already White could play on interception: 41.gf6 gf6 42. Bh4!? - "hangs" the pawn on e5 extremely unpleasant also threatens Qg2-g7. 42... Bb3 - whether hardly not the only answer, as is bad 42... Qd6? 43.gf6 gf6 44. Ne5! Qd1 45. Ng6 and 46. Rd1 with obvious advantage of White. After 43. Ne5! the position is unloaded and on a board arises the equal ending. |
