GM Mark Taimanov annotates the games of the 11th round: Good evening, dear friends!    There the games of 11th round are played in Linares.    Decisive phase of competition is coming. Maybe dissapointments of numerous admirers of chess art of the outstanding chessplayers will be dispelled? For the present time, alas, there are just a few events in this tournament happened: only six victorious achievements in 33 games, and 6 rounds has brought the draws only...    First impressions of the today's round encourage us. In principal battle Leko - Kramnik , partners astonishingly quickly have played the sharp variation of Sveshnikov system in Sicilian, having made 18 moves in half of an hour, and bravely have started uncompromised theoretical disput.    Kramnik has used a novelty by first - on the 15th move instead of traditional 15... 0-0 he has brought his Rook into the battle - for an attack of d5-pawn. However his central pawns hang.    Struggle here promises to be interesting. And really the events here developed very enthrallingly with full accordance to the plans. After short skirmish in the center partners achieved their own targets - White has taken weak f4 pawn, Black gained d5 pawn. At that Leko had the posibilities to attack Black's pawns weankesses d6 and b5, and the trump of Black was the activity on K-side. To the 28th move perspectives of Kramnik looked more preferable. Sharp opening is played in the game Radjabov - Topalov . In Catalan youthful grandmaster has sacrificed a pawn for an active play in the center. As it turned out White due to his active pieces has got certain compensation for a sacrificed pawn, but no more than just a compensation. Position of Black stayed solid and Radjabov had to resort to the one more virulent break 15.d5. After skirmish in the center the game to the pleasure of White was open and pieces of White became more active and Black had to do the best to get interaction of his forces. At least Radjabov could be satisfied by his position, since for material loss he had noticeable initiative and as it well-known he acts in such situations very surely. The game Shirov - Vallejo is played in a rather unexpected way. In classical variation of Grunfeld defence Spanish grandmaster refused of usual method of attack of White's pawn center, instead of that he, by sudden exchange sacrifice, is trying to gain an initiative without regard to material loss. I recall an old anecdote. One well-known chessplayer was asked: "Did you sacrifice the piece or it was just a blunder?". "The final result will show that", - ne answered, "If I win then it's a sacrifice, if I lose then it's a blunder". According to the course of the struggle follows that playing 14...Rfd8 Vallejo probably missed the reply 15.c6, after which he did not get enough compensation for an exchange. At least Shirov has good chances for a win in occured ending.