As to todays start of a grandiose tournament I have no doubts that we have to expect an excited event. The winner could become everybody having a certain fortune. Excepting probably the veteran Jaan Timman and still inexperienced T.Radjabov and M.Krasenkov. And hardly this men company will let through a woman on the top although she is able to defeat over the board even Garry Kimovich. What we can expect from the 1st round? Naturally the central meetings are two duels: Ponomariov-Bareev and Kramnik-Ivanchuk. Everybody has his own stimulus on this tournament but for Ruslan and Vladimir is important to gain a self-affirmation on the threshold of the future (very soon) matches. They should perform suitably and hit as minimum in top three. But it is difficult because there is a strong competition and the rivals also have big prides. The rest duels are: Viswanathan Anand - Teimour Radjabov Judit Polgar - Vesselin Topalov Mihail Krasenkow - Anatoly Karpov Alexei Shirov - Jan Timman Alexander Grischuk - Loek van Wely So, I am waiting along with you the online transmission... Ponomariov-Bareev In this duel there was an expected Caro-Kann with 4. h2-h4 which now is not a popular variation. Bareev tried to strengthen the game playing 8...dc4. (After 8...Bg5 9.hg5 Qg5 10.Rh5 Qe7 11.Cd5 ed5 12.f4 in the game A.Minosian-S.Savchenko (Elista,98) White has got a little bit better chances. Ponomariov played 10.Qh5 and took upon himself a heightened obligations. Maybe he missed 13.Qf8? Now in the endgame White have to prove that has a compensation for the exchange. Despite Bareev has realised the material davantage not in the least ideally nevertheless he keeps chances on a success. After the 42th move Black has an extra-exchange but on the board remaind too few material. The last touch of the 1st round. Will it be find a study way for a White's rescue? The miracles sometimes happen but not today. With a correct play Evgeny obtained a merited victory and Ponomariov was forced to stop the resistance. Kramnik - Ivanchuk 1/2 Kramnik decided to make a surprise for Ivanchuk choosing e4 on the 1st move! One can note that he earlier also use to start with King's pawn succesfully. Further he has went to a principal Rauzer system (here he also is not a novic, there more that we could watch how he plays this variation with black. But playing 9.f3 White has narrowed the game passing into the endgame with an extra-pawn. But Black has a rather standard counterplay which is sufficient to equal the chances. After 21...h5 on 22.Nd3 there is 22...Bb5 Ivanchuk gained draw without any serious problems. Well, what happened in the rest duels? Anand has got in French defence a doubtful position but the game goes on still on 3 results. Radjabov could play for a win with a natural 22...Rc7, but Radjabov prefered to play more reliably. 1/2 The prompt to interpret originally the Chelyabinsk variation lead Judit to a position without a pawn but with the chances on a draw (the bishops are with different colors). Just a draw was fixed on the 35th move. It's unclear how one can realized an extra-pawn.1/2 Krasenkov with white launched a too much wide play and appears a feeling that he has failed to 22th move. The game has continued only 8 moves. After 23.Bb5 with a sacrifice of the exchange for a pawn Anatoly Evgenievich captured an initiative and White couldn't offer any resistance and hold out only 30 moves. It will be not easy for Mikhal in this tournament. In such tournaments everybody seems who is a weak link. 0-1 Alexei Shirov to the 18th move has got better chances but it seems to me that he should press otherwise. After 25 moves Jan keeps the defence. Shirov failed to find a line which could bring him to a success. But it is possible to say that Timman neutralized a white color by good defence. 1/2 Luke against Alexander Grischuk to the 28th move has only to solve a problem of the darkcolored bishop. After 28...f6-f5 despite of the Black's pawns structure weakness he managed to enliven both bishops and taking care Alexander led the game to draw.1/2 Thanks to all who was with us today. Everything is only begins! |
