Vallejo - Kramnik 1/2 Ponomariov - Radjabov 1/2 Kasparov - Leko 1/2 Kasparov - Leko 1/2 In this game Kasparov has decided to avoid the theoretical discussion in Cheliabinsk variation and prefered the less known rare line, in which his contender was defeated in this event already - in the game with Anand. However on the 6th move Kasparov has chosen 6. Rе1, instead of 6. Nd4 played by Anand, а and on the next move rare 7.Bc4, instead of usual 7.e5 Nb5 8. ef6 Nc3 9. fg7 Bg7 10. dc3 with complicated play. Leko responsed 7. ...d6, admitting happened in the game 8.Nd5 Nd5 9. ed5. Seems, he did not like more natural 7. ...e6 because of 8.e5 d5 9.ef6 and despite of 2 Bishops Black has serious problems in midgame due to bad position of his King. All the struggle was about the pawn d4. White pressed on it by Bishop and Queen and tried to distract black Queen by movement of the pawn "a". Besides White doulbled by Rooks on the e-line, preparing the exchange sacrifice on e5. But Leko has prepared the same sacrifice on the c4 and has got suffucient counter chances. After 29.d6 to the draw led 29. ...Bd1 30. Qb7 Qe2 31. d7 Qе1 32. Kh2 Qе5 with perpetual check. In response to 30. Rd2 was possible simple Qb3 with Queen's exchange and draw. However Leko has prefered 30. ...d3 forcing the white Rook to be out of play, and Kasparov had to agree with the drawn result. Ponomariov - Radjabov 1/2 The game continues the discussion in another "anti-Cheliabinsk" line with 3....e5. On the 8th move Black has chosen 8. ... Bg4, instead of 8. ...ef4 9.Bf4 h6 10.Nf3 Be6 that was considered before as the equalization. However in two games of Israeli championship 2002 Sutovsky - Smirin and Smirin - Avrukh after 11.Nd5 Bd5 12.ed5 Black had serious problems. It was dangerous to play 9. ...Nd4 instead of 9....ef4 10.Bf4 Nd4, due to 10.fe5 de5 11.Qh4 with threats Rf6 and Nf7. By moves h3 and g4 Ponomariov has limited the light-squared Bishop of Black, but I am not sure if he got a lot from that. For example Black could play simply 16. ...Nb3 17.ab3 Nd5 18.ed5 Bg5 19.Bg5 Rаe8 with equal play. Up to 25th move Radjabov has got the initiative. Surely, it was possible somewhere to improve the play of Black. But in the game White could get the strong passed pawn "c" which insured him from any problems. Vallejo - Kramnik 1/2 From the first moves there was very sharp struggle despite of the rather quiet variation chosen by Vallejo. On the 4th move it was logical to play 4. ...d5, but then the reverse Sicilian could appear and Kramnik, who started to play 1.e4 just recently, has prefered to play 4. ...g6. After 7....d5 (it was possible to play 7. ...0-0 with equal chances) the position became very unclear. Althouhg this variation met in the practice of another strong GM, who was coach of Kramnik some time (Bistric - Bareev, Bosnia 1999). So I suppose the variation was well-known for Kramnik. On the next move Kramnik has used the novelty 8. ...h6 (Bareev had played 8. ...0-0 9.Nd5 Bg4 - sacrificing the pawn). After 9.Qе2 Black has lost the right for the castle, but he did make it artificialy and White now has to solve the problem of his own development. But soon after the struggle has finished. I suppose Kramnik did not see how to get the chances for a win in the following variation 13. ...Be6 14.Rс1 (14.Qb7 Rb8 15. Qс7 Rb2 looks dangerous) Qb5 15.Bb5 Bd5 16.Bc6 Bc6 17.Ne5. |
