|
GM Sergey Ivanov
annotates the games
of the 13th round:
|
Today it's me GM Sergey Ivanov who will try to help you to tune your PCs on the "wave" of Linares. There are 2 rounds left till the end and situation in the struggle for leadership became very heated. Kramnik is resting today, so his pursuers will try to get him. Kasparov having White in his favourite(I mean the number) 13th round will try to trample Topalov, and Leko who is playing by White too will try to defeat his opponent - outsider Vallejo. The 3rd pair looks very interesting as well: two chess romantics have to please us by a breathtaking game.
Ok, public cannot stand these draws, draws, draws anymore.... Public craves for the blood!
The round has started, please, look after the events.
Kasparov - Topalov 1/2
"Anti-Marshall" is played. Occured position must be well-known for Kasparov, since it was played in his World Championship match against Short(London 1993). In the 7th game of that match Nigel had played 14...Bf6, and after 15.b4 Ne6 16.Nf1 g6 17.Ne3 Bg7 18.Bb3 Qd8 19.h4 Bc8 20.h5 Kh8 21.Nd5 Garry developed strong initiative. Now playing 14...b4, Topalov prevents analogical move of White. Position after 17th move occured in the game Dely-Szily, Hungary 1965. Then White had chosen 18.Ne3 and soon after he had won.
One should acknowledge that here White has a little, but steady advantage: Black has no weaknesses, but there's not seen any counter chances for him and besides, his minor pieces don't have strongholds. Let'see whether Kasparov will be able to get something real from his advantage.
Kasparov prefered to lock the center by 18.d5 and started an attack on K-side. Although, he did not get anything especial from this immediately. Topalov regrouped his forces correctly (18...Ncb8, 20...Bc8) and did not succumb to provocation - in case of 22...hg5 would follow 23.Nf6 gf6 24.hg5 and White has strong attack. By move 28.Bg5 Kasparov offered a piece sacrifice, which Black already could accept. In case 28.Bf8 Nf8 29.Rg3 Bh4 White did not get anything, but deserved attention 28.Qc1!? bringing the Queen into attack. By counter-blow 29...f5!? Black freed the f7-square for his King, it was impossible to play 29...gh5? immediately due to 30.Ne6 with mate. By 31.Rg3 White tried to continue the attack. If 31.Ne6 then 31...hg4 32.Qg4 Kf7 33.Qg7 Ke8 34.f6 Rf6 35.Bg6 Rg6 36.Qg6 Ke7 37.Qg7 with perpetual check. But and after happened in the game there was no more than perpetual check. Of course White could proceed the battle, since ha had 2 pawns and serious initiative for a piece, but being in strong zeitnot Kasparov prefered not to risk and agreed for repetition of moves. Fighting draw!
An important addition: Kasparov could win on 32nd move by way of 32.Ne4! Ng4 33.Rg4 hg4 34.Qg4 Kf7 (34...Kh8 35.Qh5 Kg8 36.Qg6 Kh8 37.f6+-) 35.Qg6 Ke7 36.Qg7 Rf7 37.f6 Ke8 38.Qg8 Rf8 39.Nd6! cd6 40.Bg6 Kd8 41.Qf8 Kc7 42.Qe7 Nd7 43.f7+- (indicated by G.Kasparov).
Leko - Vallejo 1/2
In a well-known variation of Najdorf Black has chosen a rather rare 10...a5(10...b5 is more popular) with following Na6.
12...Qb8 - a very logical novelty, in case of immediate 12...Nc7 one should consider 13.Bb6 or that is maybe even more unpleasant 13.Nc5!? White reacted calmly 13.Kb1, if to play more actively 13.Na4 then Black has a perspecive pawn sacrifice: 13...Nc7 14.Nb6 a4!? 15.Ba4 Ra6 with a counter-play. But now after planned 13...Nc7 it looks like Black solved opening problems and he can think about gaining of an initiative. Such a chance Vallejo has got after 14.Bg5, now Black has a following possibility: 14...a4!? with idea 15.Ba4 (15.Na4 Nb5 16.Bf6 Na3 17.ba3 Bf6) 15...Ne4! 16.Ne4 f6! and complications are in his favour. Yeah, nothing to say, unexpected beginning of the game...
The move chosen by Vallejo - 14...Rc8 is not bad too, but later he lingered. Deserved attention 16...b5!? instead of 16...Na6, for example 17.Nb5 Nb5 18.Qb5 Qc7 19.Qd3 Rab8 with excellent compensation for a pawn. Probably Vallejo could not beleive that he can struggle for an initiative playing Black against Leko. After pieces exchange on d5 position became equal and opponents did not tempt the fate and agreed for a draw. Short, but tensive skirmish.
Radjabov - Shirov
After White offered a Queens exchange on the 9th move the game right from the opening passed into ending. Besides immediate 9...Qf3 was played 9...Qf5 10.Bb5 Bd7 11.Qf5 gf5 12.Nf3 Rg8 13.Bg3 with equal play (Engqvist - Svidler, Gausdal 1991). Occured position is typical for Grunfeld - White has a strong pawn center, under coverage of which he develops his pieces; Black has a free pieces development and tries to attack the center from different sides. The game is level.
By 12...e5 Shirov decided to destroy White's center immediately. But this move was connected with a pawn sacrifice. White's pawn c5 although was the double pawn, but it constrained Black very much. However there was 13.d5 e4 14.Be4 (poorer 14.dc6 ed3 15.cb7 Rb8 and impossible 16.bc8Q? Bc3 17.Kf1 Rb1 with mate) 14...Bc3 15.Ke2 and White has an advantage.
After transfer of the Knight on a5 White made sufficent pressure on b7-pawn and Shirov decided to sacrifice an exchange to make his pieces more active. Somewhat compensation for that he got, but it was not enough. But then zeitnot has come and White had mistaken: instead of 37.Ke2 it was necessary to play 37.Rc5 Kf4 38.Ke2 and White has to win gradually. In the game Shirov's King became active and to repel it White had to give his central pawn and position has a drawish character.
Radjabov nevertheless managed to gain a win by a delicate play. It's difficult to say even where Shirov has made a mistake. Maybe the arose endgame with the rook against the bishop was initially winning for White. Gradually the Black King was pushed off on the board's edge and the win became simply.
The second Radjabov's win in a row finally firmed his position in the middle of the table. And the question about the winner of the tournament still remains open. Everything will decide the last round. Don't miss tomorrows report!