Valerij Popov GM Valerij Popov annotates the games of the 4th round:




Hello dear friends!
"Swing" on tournament in Linares owes will be finished - We wait for interesting games.
So - fourth round:

Adams - Vallejo Pons
The young Spaniard again plays the Spanish :) - Berlin variant (C67). For Micky this opening should be well familiar - even on cooperation with Kasparov... We will remember long time, how Garry could not beat Kramnik in this opening in match for the Crown of BrainGames:). Whether a choice of the opening only is successful? Ending without counterplay at the contender - one of the strongest sides of the Englishman.
In the supertournament Pako is the "fresh blood" - and consequence - novelty on 10th move! After rare 9... Ne7 (last time tested extremely 9... Bd7) - preparation 10... Bg4!? (here met only 10... Ng6). Looks risky enough - in the plans of White and so frequently enters the move h2-h3. And here after a leaving of the Knight the Bishop will be rejected with tempo. But only for the Knight the convenient square is not present. White has not finished development of the Q-side. 11. Nd4 Ng6!? 12.h3 Bd7 - and then with the tempo c5 - the position can become not clear. And most important - investigated only by Black... .Therefore another is not present - Micky goes into the concrete play: 11. Ng5!? - now the black king in near future wiil not reach the "quiet harbour" on b7.
At the same time and for the first place it is possible to struggle... The Spaniard reacts perfectly 12... Nd5! as time in time. Deserved attention immediate 13... Bd7. 14.g4!? already looks like "burning of all bridges behind". 14... Bc2 it is dangerous - the rook of White will penetrate on 7-th horizontal. Black meets this attack by sharp - 15... h5!? (I shall remind all who does not know:) - Vallejo Pons is the Star of ICC - Tack and Sunofeast - "beasts" in the blitz) To lose to him in this tournament nothing, and he passes in counterattack!
All like would pass under dictation of Micky - by smart 17. Rad1 White by a temporary sacrifice on f7 removed the rook on the 7-th line. And has begun to capture the pawns - only king - whether "naked"? Though also Black king feels uncomfortably too - 22... g5!? - active... the defence of the King. If Black will not find perpetual check(or checkmate) - white should win.It looks like not should find... Here fast end of struggle causes many questions. It is necessary to understand - Micky so simple a drawn game should not you see offer:). And if the draw - that where a mistake ? We search...

Ivanchuk - Kasparov
The game of the two vice-champions!
According to the first opening moves the basic task of White - to not lose is visible -! Strange choice of the opening - Reti (A04) shows that Ivanchuk is not ready to this tournament. And Garry wants the first victory very much. Whether Black will try "to jump above the head"?
Ridiculous 2.g3 does not allow to expect for serious struggle for an advantage. Move 5.А3 - refusal of a harmless English for the benefit of Gruenfeld. 7.. e6! instead of 7... Nf6 - improved Gruenfeld! Black achieves the equations immediately. The underlined strong 10. Qd2 is the provement. The contenders now will be to move in their camps, hoping on a mistake of the rival. Or will not be?
The contenders continue the struggle (or its visibility) - and Vassilly acts more aggressively - but whether is more correct? By 14.g4!? and then 20.f4 Ivanchuk grasps space and holds down the black Knights - weakening the pawn structure. Position does not leave from equality, but while - or any more drawn game.
Garry begins to prepare active actions on a line h - compelling Ivanchuk completely to seal the structure by the move 34.g5. The agreement on a drawn game - the only open line under the control of White - opportunity to show the activity for the black Knights will not be given. Means there was only visibility of struggle - training - yeah...:) Only they didn't think about the annotators. When will you win, sirs?

Ponomariov - Shirov
Intent attention to this duel - Ruslan will not give back White to nobody! But also here choice of the opening for us not too joyful... Ponomariov "dries" a position already by 3rd move 3. Nc3. No any sharp variants! In the answer follows 3... e5 (B30) - now of sharp struggle we shall not see, may be it's in favor of the champion FIDE. But to struggle for an advantage it is difficult now....
The aggressive move 7.h4 (alternative - 7. Nf1) - should not deceive. Thus White by force conducts the game to strong but drawn position. The Bishop against the Knight - what still is necessary for quiet ending? 10... Be6 - it is unexpected also too novelty?! Always moved only 10... h6. In spite of resourcefulness of Aleksey it is impossible to go from the drawn tendencies. 11.ed - allowed for White to play with two Bishops - but...
How unexpectedly quickly this game comes to the drawn end! Trying to use bad coordination of the white pieces after 14. Kf1 Shirov opens the game in the centre 16... d5 also sacrifices the pawn 20.. Rd4!? Then one more - 21... А4!? And after the rook sacrifice forces a drawn game by perpetual check. Very strong initiative of Black - and so all was quickly finished... And if not was anything at Black - whether was defence at White? We think together with the computer...:)