GM Konstantin Aseev annotates the games of the 5th round: I am very glad to greet you dear chess lovers! The 5th round today. The pairs: 1)Kasparov-Kramnik 2)Leko-Topalov 3)Radjabov-Vallejo The players of the 1st pair did not play with each other for a long time, somehow their ways did not cross lately. In this tournament Kramnik does not demonstrate anything worthwhile. His play does not go well. From the other side Kasparov, who is probably full of energy after rest day. So, the game promises to be interesting. Leko looks very concentrated and purposeful. His game promises to be interesting as well. The game of the 3rd pair is unpredictable. Waiting with you the first moves K. Aseev. 1)Kasparov-Kramnik Queen's Indian with а2-а3. The set up of Black 11...Qc7 with following 12...Nd7 is rather passive, but solid. White has some opening advantage. After natural 14.Nd2 White has a stable advantage in the center and his perspectives are better. Besides, there's the threat 15.f2-f4. After 15...Rfd8 the concrete calculating play has started. If 16.f4 then White has to take into account 16...Nb8 returning the Knight for attack of d4-pawn. After 20. h2-h3 it does not seem already that Black has no perspectives. He can double his Rooks on c-file and then to wait for the actions of White. At the same time the strategy of exchanges connected with 20...Bc3 21.Bc3 Rc3 is not justified since White has 22.a4-a5. Nevertheless, coming back to preceding annotations, probably it was better 15.Rfd1. But in this case White had to consider standart 15...c4 16.Bc2 b5. After 23 moves White has time troubles, he has only 10 minutes (against 25). This can play sufficient role, since there's the concrete play now. Maybe Kasparov feels himself not so surely? After the 1st time control passed, despite of Rooks exchange, position is still unclear. Black has weak Q-side, White has weak K-side. In case of 41.g2-g4 Nf6 White should consider the Knight sacrifice on g4 or e4. After 42.Nd3 the game keeps the strain since after 42...Ne4 43.fe4 Qe4 Vladimir has draw at least. But there is also an alternative 43...Qg4. After an inavitable repetition of moves the opponents agreed on a draw. 2)Leko-Topalov One more time Leko struggles against variation d7-d6,a7-a6. This time, trying to avoid the prepartion to the variation he played against Garry Kimovich, Peter has prefered the main line of the variation. Veselin has showed that he is well prepared to this as well. After 15...Bd8 White had the possibility to repeat the position by Qd2, but Peter is in the fighting mood, so the struggle continues. On the 17th move Leko has played interesting move - 17.Qh2. Both sides are playing the useful moves. Counter-play of Black connected with f7-f6. There's complicated positional play after 21 moves. Despite of that the position with mutual chances, however some preference should be given to White. After natural 25...Nf4 26.Bf4 Rf4 27.a3 White has two possibilities - or to push the pawn c2-c4 or to transfer the Knight to d5-square. It looks like Veselin mislead his opponent by move 25...Rf7. After 32 moves White lost the pawn and had no enough compensation for that. Black fulfiled standart transfer of the Rook to h5 and White did not find anything against this action. As result he has to struggle for a draw only. It's unlucky day for leko. White is in strong zeitnot and he lost the 2nd pawn. So, if the game will be played in normal way then the result is clear. In this duel after the time control on 45th move Topalov has an extra-pawn. And once more a combination Queen+bishop against Queen+knight (as well as vs Shirov). But his King slightly more 'well-to-do'. On the way Veselin could take g5-pawn on 40th move (40...Qg5 41.Ne6 c4-c3!? and after 42.Qd4 to find a suitable replyThere is a move-candidat on this role 42...Qe7). One can assume he wanted a definition and quiet. White activated the Queen, penetrating in the rear of the queenside and after 50 moves one can't see any plan which would allow to Black intend on a win. 3)Radjabov-Vallejo Vallejo offered to play Meran. Let's see what will be. It's difficult to hope for an advantage if one gives up his main plus - 8.cd5 cd5 9.Ne5. Probably White is trying to get some definition. However Black had no any problems here. It was possible to play 9...Ne5 10.de5 Nd7 11.f4 a6 with equal chances. But and chosen by Paco continuation gives him an acceptable position. On the 13th move White had an interesting possibility 13.Be1 with idea 13...b4 14.Qb3, and if 13...Ne4 then there's additional possibility 14.Qe2, in both cases White's position is preferable. However and in the game his chances are slightly better. There's the complicated position after 19 moves. Black has 3 pieces for 2 Rooks and a pawn of White. Although White has a little material advantage and more active position, the struggle is ahead, especially taking into account a presence of the Queens on the board! White has still better chances. I cannot understand why he has not played 24.b2-b4? Then unexpectedly followed strange exchange operation 26.Rc8? Bc8 27.Qb8. Now Black is no worse as minimum. Moreover I think he has an advantage. Here also took place unexpected events. After 43 moves the position carry out a drawn character. There are no chances for both sides for a win. Vallejo didn't manage with emotion, let out a big advantage (probably a decisive one). Something we see very few resulting games. The forces of many chess players equalized for today, it's too difficult to win now! The game became surrounded by 'shaggy' theory. And there is no any evident superiority. But many rounds is yet to come and maybe somebody will gladden us by a resulting play! In any case come on to our site! K.Aseev