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GM Sergey Ionov
annotates the
games of the 8th round:
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Leko - Radjabov 1/2
Kramnik - Vallejo 1/2
Good evening, respected chess lovers!
The game Kasparov - Shirov is the most interesting in the today's round. Will Aleksei be able to resist to inconvenient opponent and avoid the "short castling"? Shirov did not repeat Petroff defence, which is one of his main weapons against 1.e4, since yesterday he was defeated playing with Leko this opening. Now the classical Rui Lopez was played, Black threatened by Marshall attack, but White deviated from principal 8.c3 prefering modest 8.h3.
Opponents followed the game Kasparov - Kramnik, Linares 2003 up to 19th move and only on this move White now has demonstrated a home-prepared novelty 19.Nh2 (instead of 19.N3d4).
Idea of Kasparov was in this - if natural 19...Bd5 then would follow 20.Ng4 Bа2 21.Qd8 Rаd8 22.Nf6 gf6 with destruction of Black's pawn structure on K-side. But after 19...Nd5 the Bishop a2 is still "alive" and pressing on the position of Black King on a2-g8 diagonal.
Kasparov was thinking rather long time on the natural lung of the Knight 20.Ng4, although for sure this position he had at home yet, probably it's just a psychological move.
Something wrong with home preparation of Garry Kimovich. By h5 Shirov repelled white Knight, which could threat black King and in his own turn placed his Knight on a strong position - f4. Kasparov did not find anything better than to pass into ending where his chances for a draw are problematical, since Black has an extra-pawn.
By move 34.g4 Kasparov could break pawn chain of Black on K-side and make the problems with realization of material advantage. After 1st time control passed the Rook exchange happened on d3, and this of course in favour of White, since it amends his pawn structure on Q-side and creates an additional counter-paly in view of a formed passed pawn "d".
White completely equalized the position thanks to more active disposition of the pieces. Probably somewhere in time trouble Black could play stronger and put more difficult problems before White.
Leko with Radjabov have repeated the game Lutz-Radjabov, Plovdiv 2003 up to 18th move. Now Black has used a new move 18...Rb6 instead of played before 18...Qd7.
Leko could strengthen position of his King by retreat of Bishop on g2. His material advantage will be more important factor if he can bring the Knight a3 into the game(for example through c2-b4-c6, or in case of Black's e5-e4 then on d4-square).
Leko had to play 22.f4, he did not like natural 22.Nс2, since then could follow 22...е4 23.Qе2 f4 24.Qе4 f3 25.Bf3 Qh3.
Radjabov took back the pawn and position became comletely equal. 2 Bishops of Black are compensated by a strong position of white Knight c6.
Kramnik versus Vallejo has decided not to repeat the variation of "Englsih attack", which has brought to him a success in the yesterday's game with Topalov. Now he prefered not less poisonous 6.Be2. Although and here he has used a rare continuation 10.f3. But after natural 10...Be6 he refused to jump by Knight in the center 11.Nd5 , apparently due to 11...Bd5 12.еd5 Nb4 13.с4 в5 14.а3 Bс4 . But now it's not clear what White can do after 11...d5.
Vallejo equalized position completely and has no even a shadow of problems. Moreover his position looks more preferable due to better pawn structure. It's not clear what Kramnik prepared for 18....Bb3, since on 19.Rd7 there's a reply 19...Rс7, and if 19.Bh6 Bf6 20.Rd6 Bе6.
Opponents decided that noone of them has chances for a win and agreed for a draw.