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GM Konstantin Aseev
annotates the games of the 9th round:
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Hello, dear friends! The tournament gathers a speed and races to the finish. There are a lot of interesting games, but there are many crude even not mistakes, but decisions as well. Such an impression as if the sword of Damocles over the heads of participants, which presses on their will and concentration of attention and forces them to choose the wrong ways. And here I would like one more time to pay your attention to the problems of tournament time rate of play. I think the common opinion that the more time one has the better he plays does not satisfy the reality. For example, would Peter Svidler resign in the worse(but not absolutely drawn) ending if it was rapid chess? Unlikely. Or would then Bareev allow the childish blunder which happened in the game with Svidler? It is unlikely as well. In rapid chess the game is played with high concentration. But it is just a little prelude to annotations. So, what should we expect from today's round? Undoubtedly, the central games are the duels with participation of leaders. The triumphal march of Anand can be stopped on the finish by Kramnik, Adams or Topalov.
Today is the last chance for Vladimir Kramnik to struggle for the 1st place. So, the game Kramnik -Anand should have a very stubborn character. If the 1st move will be e4 then there will be more chances to win. But what a strategy will Anand choose?
In the next duel 2) Van Wely-Adams , Michael will try to neutralize the contender's advantage of white colour playing accurately. Although Loek is very active.
Peter Leko is not so far from leaders, but today it will very difficult for him to fighting against Peter Svidler with Black.
3) Svidler-Leko . At that one should recall the recent games in Mainz, although then it was the Fischer random chess. Other games in the order of significance.
4) Zhong-Topalov
5) Bologan-Akopian
6) Shirov-Sokolov
7) Bareev-Timman
The 2 last duels will be very difficult for Black. Especially it will be difficult for Jan, since he has no so much energy to the end of the tournament as his younger opponents have.
A very few time remained till the start of the round. Please keep us and we'll try to make our review excited and interesting!
Very promised opening! Sicilian with d6 and a6! Yes, my expectations were untimely. White has prefered to play in a quiet way - 6.Be2.
The way chosen by Kramnik was not played in the practice of high level. However the postion is rather insidious. White has some positional pluses, one of them is the control over the d5-square. If he will be able to bring his b3-Knight into the battle then he gets a tangible advantage.
Struggling for an initiative Vladimir has sacrificed a pawn - to win the time for coordination of his pieces. But the consequences of such sacrifice are not so clear. Position of Black is solid, but White has enough compensation. Taking into account that Kramnik uses usually well-prepared variations probably the position after 19th move is the result of home preparation. The moves of White are too natural to think so.
Due to the repetition of moves contenders had to sign a peaceful agreement. I think if the tournament situation was different then Black could play to gain an initiative by move 20...b7-b5. But in struggle for leadership in the event the draw is the more suitable result for Anand than for his opponent. It is unlikely that White could get more if he accepted the Rook sacrifice. After 24.bc3 Nc3 25.Kc2 Nd5 26.ed5 Qa5 with an initiative, for example 27.Kd3 Qd5 28.Ke2 Qg2.
Van Wely-Adams
But and here the game lost its sharpness. In NImzo Indian the variation with Queens trading is played. It is difficult to play for a win with a contender of equal strength.
After 14th move of Black Adams is planning to set his pieces harmoniously and to get development completed. If 15.Ne5 Bd6 16.Nc4 then Bc7. There are no any problems for Black. The probability of a drawn result is rather high.
Such an impression that Michael admits some micro inaccuracies. Position after 19 moves is still equal, but demands accuracy from Black.
It is incomprehensible how, but Black lost several tempos by strange move 24...Kf8(it was better to consolidate his position by 24...Bd6 or 24...Ra8). As result Adams got an ending with a pawn up at White. But it's not clear if it's enough for a win since Black has 2 Bishops and his Rook is very active.
Despite of opposite coloured Bishops it's not so easily to defence such position since the Rooks are still on the board. White has some chances to win.
White gradually strengthen the position. After a timely sacrifice by an exchange Black's castle is breaked. White has only to penetrate with his King on the kingside and the fate of the game is decided. If the result of this game will be regular one the gap between the leader and the group of persecutors will increase. But the intrigue who will be the 2nd and the 3rd keep think till the last round.
Svidler-Leko
Leko offered the Sveshnikov variation. Svidler usually reacts 3.Bb5 on that.
There is a rather boring position after 13 moves. It seems to me that White could struggle for an advantage by 11.b2-b4, with a certain pressure. Here is the 1st result. The draw. Svidler likes to play in happy-go-lucky style, but the closed character of the position did not let him to play in such style. White decided to take a break before final rounds.
Zhong-Topalov
In my opinion Topalov chose risky variation. But statisics of this variation is not so bad.
Veselin has chosen the way, where he could win Anand in Dortmund 2001. Now he played more cautiously(and better) 13...Be7(instead of 13...e5?) Black has no any problems after 19 moves.
From 20th to 25th moves contenders exchanged 4 pieces each. Position became simpler. The chances are equal.
In equal ending the opportune agreement for a draw followed.
Bologan-Akopian
Bologan did not play the principal way, turning to the Meran variation.
Such a sensation that Akopian worked very hard preparing to this tournament. Today he leads theoretical dispute in the principal branching of Meran variation. One should recall that Vladimir played this variation playing with White(for example the draw against Gary Kimovich) In essence the play begins after 20 moves here. Bologan is well-prepared as well. So, we are still watching the home preparation.
Despite of lack of pawn it is easier to play such position by White. Open character of position, a pair of Bishops. Powerful compensarion.
After 33 moves White had forced win by way of 34.Qb4 Qe5 35.Qb5 Qg3 36.Kf1 and Black has to resign. But Viorel was in zeitnot. Will he be able to keep the tension of struggle? He has found the very winning continuation, but on the 36th move he has mistaken crudely. There was immediate win after 36.Bc3. But and now White has good chances for a win, so I am not going to criticize Viorel too much. I would like to add that Akopian could act more precise playing 27...Rh3, excluding additional possibility for White - 29.Qd3. Then White would have to play 28.Rg2(28.bc4 Rg3 29.Rg2 Rg2 30.Qg2 Qg2 31.Kg2 bc4 32.Ra8 Nb8). And 28...c3 after that.
After 1st time control position in this game was determined. There's the technically won position. There are not so many problems with the realization of advantage. Probably it's possible to drop the curtain already now. But let's wait. Who knows maybe White is very tired or any other attendant circumstance? Of course White has to win.
Shirov-Sokolov
Ivan Sokolov decided to puzzle his contender chosing a variation with bad reputation. Aleksei declined a promising way connected with 7.d2-d4, where White has to be well prepared. However and the other way does not promise easy life for Black.
Ivan has not got any compensation for a huge advantage of White in development. Such an impression that Black did not solve opening problems and he is close to the defeat.
After quiet 16.Qe3 White has a serious, probably decisive advantage. But such a nature of Aleksei, he always has a way with words if there is the possibility to play brilliantly! Then he rushes immediately. His decision 16.Nf7 keeps an advantage for him, but now the pieces of Sokolov come to life somehow.
But the game lasted only several moves after my last annotations. Sokolov could not secure his King and his position has fallen to pieces up to 26th move. One more provement of necessarity to choose opening correctly, especially playing in such tournament.
Bareev-Timman
Jan Timman in one of the versions of Nimzo Indian has given to White an advantage in the center(standart advantage of 2 Bishops). White has better chances from the opening.
Evgeny got a serious advantage, but his 16th move is very original. He has played 16.Ke2 instead of natural 16.Qe2. However and here White has an edge.
With an ulterior motive Timman has chosen this variation. Moreover he understands that Black has some problems there(especially if to recall his win with White over the very Morozevich!). But position is solid. Besides, there are not so many variations to calculate. White has to play vigorously to use his advantage.
The plan of Jan for this game was executed in full volume. Despite of a stable advantage of White, Black could prepare counter-play gradually. The advantage of White did not dissappear, no, just he had to act more precisely at the certain moment. But Evgeny lost his head when the concrete play had begun. Meantime after 30.bc5 Nc5 31.Qc3 Rfg7 32.fe5 f4 33.ed6 (or 33.g4) White had chances for a win. On the 31st move the preventive move 31.Nh3 was necessary. But White already did the step on the ruinous way and he could not come back. As result an offensive defeat.
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