8th round van Wely - Ponomariov 1/2 Anand - Kramnik 1/2 Adams - Svidler 1/2 Bruson - Topalov 0-1 Short - Sokolov 1-0 Morozevich - Polgar 1-0 Grischuk - Leko 1/2 Annotates GM Sergey Ivanov Hello, dear chess lovers! We continue to work for you and annotate the largest chess competition of the 2005, the super-tournament in Wijk-aan-Zee. The tournament transferred the equator but to predict now who can become the winner is the ungrateful engagement. Seven players are at the top of the table and here are possible any combinations and shifts. If to talk about the outsiders here at a glance everything is clear: Alexander Morozevich is firmly settled at the bottom of the tournament table (to a huge grief of numerous admirers of his extraordinary talent). But here also I would not hurry with the conclusions. I am sure Alexander still will obtain his victories and go away from the unusual for him place. He could begin just today: Morozevich plays White vs Judit Polgar. The central game of the round must be the meeting Anand-Kramnik. But in my opinion in this game will not be a big fight: both Anand and Kramnik could be quite self-satisfied of their tournament position, thus it's still not the time to "dash with drawn swords". The main interest will present the meetings of the players who are in the leaders group: Grischuk-Leko. Bruson-Topalov and Adams-Svidler. Just here could be the fight to the death. Anand - Kramnik It seems this is just a case when one could rejoice in his own mistake: in this game judging by first moves will not be a quick draw. It was played a sharpest Cheliabinsk variation, till the 15th move the opponents repeated the game from the previous round Ponomariov-Kramnik, where Ruslan chose 16.Ra2 Kh8 17.Nce3 g6 18.h4 and arranged a dangerous attack. Anand nevertheless preferred a more calm plan with short castle. After 20.Re1 arose a position which was seen several times already in practice. Black has a few reasonable plans: Rb7 following by Rbf7 and a pressure on f2-pawn; or e5-e4 and further Ne5. Let we see which way will choose Kramnik. Vladimir chose the move 20...Rb7, and Anand supposed a pawn sacrifice 21.Bd3 (was seen 21.Nf1 Rbf7 22.Ra2 e4 23.Ng3 Bh4 with a complicated game, Virsma-Rish, Diren 2003). Kramnik took the sacrifice capturing with a rook on b3 at the 23th move. Now it's possible such a forced line: 24.Qc4 Rb2 25.Qc6 Qg5 26.Nf4 (bad 27.g3? Qh5 28.Rh4 Qf3, and Black mates) 26...ef4 27.Rf4 with an equal game. Yes, all the above line the opponents showed over the board. It was impossible to avoid it. As a result the position became absolutely equal thus a draw was quite in time. So, our preliminary forecast nevertheless turned out to be right but although the fight was short but highly strained. Both Anand and Kramnik seems gto their fighting form, so for them in this tournament everything is yet to come! Grischuk-Leko It was played a popular variation of Nimzo defence with 4.Qc2, at that White preferred calm 7.Nf3 instead of a pretentious 7.Bg5. It's interesting that in this variation Grischuk playing Black failed to obtain an equal in the opening and as a result lost to Shipov in the Russia Championship (Krasnoyarsk, 2003) and now he decided to test this system for White. It's true in that meeting Black played Ne4 with the following f7-f5, meanwhile here Leko played different: c7-c5 and Rfc8. White's advantage is minimum, usually in such structures the things end with an endgame where White tries to realize the advantage in two bishops. With 15.Nd2 White takes under his control the e4-square, later he can transfer his own dark-colored bishop on the other flank by way of f3, Nf1 (or Nb1-c3-b5) and Bc3-e1-g3. We are in for a long maneuver fight. Adams-Svidler With 6...e6 Svidler has offered Adams to compete in sharpest lines of English attack but the latter preferred to avoid this suggestion and chose a classical Sheveningen variation. On 12th move Svidler chose a rather rare 12...Bf8 and Adams replied with even more rare 13.Nde2 (mainly played 13.Nb3 or 13.Qd2). And already on the next move the game took an original contour, in the last year Wijk-aan-Zee in the game Adams-Anand followed 13...b6 14.Qe1 Bb7 15.Qf2 Nd7 16.Rad1 Rab8 17.Ng3 g6 18.Bg4, and opponents agreed on a draw. In examined game Adams placed his pieces in the same scheme but Svidler played more active 15...b5. Adams offered a pawn sacrifice in order to activate the grouping of his pieces on the kingside, Adams suggested a pawn sacrifice 17.e5!? Svidler didn't afraid and took the sacrifice although in his disposal were the others ways, for example 17...b4 18.ed6 Bd6 19.Ne4 Bf8. Immediately after Adams returned the sacrificed pawn followed an unexpected agreement on a draw. However, why unexpected? At least one could understand Adams, his position at this time hardly was better. For example, could follow: 21...Kh8 22.Nf4 e5! 23.Ng6 hg6, and White should be very accuracy, the black bishops could become dangerous. Svidler probably was today complacent after a quick yesterday's win, thus the sides dispersed to mutual satisfaction. Bruzon-Topalov It seems chess annotators overpraised Bruson, two last games: yesterday's vs Anand and today's against Topalov he played unsuccessfully. As they say "the class told on". In the game with Topalov Bruson preferred to engage no in a theoretical disput in Sicilian defence and played the King's Indian opening. Not last forever everything was going on within the framework of theory. On 11th move White could play 11.d4 (in order to justify the knight's development on a3), for example 11...ed4 12.cd4 Bg4 13.Nc2 with approximately equal chances, as it was seen many times. Instead of this Bruson preferred a general restorative move 11.Qd2, and Topalov with a strong reply 11...Bg4! (not bad by the way also 11...f5!?) removed from the agenda the move d3-d4. Even though Black gave back his lightcolored bishop but when he moved f7-f5, became clear that the initiative is on his side. The followed Bruson's maneuvers were unconvincing. For example, the transfer of the Queen on the queenside, in my opinion, White simply necessary was in one moment to play Na3-c2, in order to try nevertheless realize d3-d4. As it is white knight stood all the game on a3, from fare away watching as Black punishes with his King. Topalov concentrated all his forces on the kingside and sacrificing two pawns (26...f4!, 28...Qh4!) began a direct attack. White could avoid an immediate crash only giving away the rook for the f4-knight, on 30.Rd2 Black won at once by way of 30...Rg8! 31.Rf3 Rg3, without any sacrifices and beauties. The way chose by Topalov was more complicate but elegant. Especially nice the move 31...Rd6!, cutting off the white queen from the defence. Black's idea was in such line: on 32.Rf5 follows 32...Nf4! 33.Kg1 Qe1 34.Bf1 Rg6 with the mate. In this game Topalov showed how to play against Bruson and as a result reached a clear first place. This is a serious sign for the rest players! Van Wely-Ponomariov It was played an old westfalen variation but in a "modern adaptation". Instead of 7.e3 White play 7.Qc2. The idea: on a standard 7...c5 8.dc5 Qa5 there is a reply 9.Bd2! Ponomariov chose a firm 7...0-0 8.a3 Bc3 9.Qc3 c6, creating a carlsbad structure. Van Wely played further without any pretentious and attempts to fight for an advantage. So, desired an attention 10.Nd2!? (with idea to play f2-f3 and transfer darkcolored bishop on f2). The move 13.Ne4 is a novelty (was seen 13.Qc2 Nb6 14.Bd3 Bf5), but here Black has not any problem. When Black raised his second knight on e4 and began follow White's darkcolored bishop van Wely was forced to agree on the exchange of all light pieces. The draw became inevitable. This game is a recurrent proof that the variation which was played is quite inoffensive for Black. White should look for anything new. Morozevich-Polgar God bless, Morozevich such as begins to scramble out of a pit hole where he drove in by himself. Today we have seen former Morozevic: nonstandard, original, pertinacious to reach the aim. The opening as always was unusual - Grunfeld defence with change color. Black's move 6...e5, I have to admit looks risky, more reliable usual continuations 6...Nc6 or 6...Be7. The order of the moves chose by White 8.Bg5 and 9.Nc3!? the best, stronger than "theoretical" 9.e4. And after the reply 9...h6?! Black at once face with difficulties, better was 9...Be7, for example 10.e3 h6 11.Bf6 Nf6 12.Qe2 Qb6 with a complicated game(Yandemirov-Lugovoi, St.-Petersburg 2003). Black inevitably lost a pawn, the question is in which redaction, as it's bad a natural 13...Rc8 because of 14.c3! dc3 15.Qf3!, and Black needs a good advice. Polgar preferred to give away b7-pawn and pass to a rook+bishop endgame, depending on different colored bishops. The arose position was rather nonstandard and it seemed that thanks to a counterplay on the kingside Black has good chances on a draw. But Morozevich interpreted the position very well, deserve the attention on his maneuvers with the rook on the queenside as well as King's transfer along the 1st rank close to d4-pawn. Black was able to keep a passive stance, defending d4-pawn but Polgar likes to play actively, she changed the pawns d4 and g3. And at this moment became clear that White should win, his passing pawns are more advanced and Black has a bad King. Morozevich had many ways to win and he chose the most technical giving away a rook for the bishop (54.Rf2!), after that the white passing pawns became irrepressible. A tactical basis of this line is very simple: 55...Rf6 56.Kb5 Rg6 57.b7, and it's impossible to avoid the appearance of a new Queen. A very important Morozevich's victory. With a good start, Alexander, we all root for you! Grischuk-Leko When there were changed the rooks and later the Queens along an opened a-file, arose a lightpices endgame, where White had 2 bishops and a knight and Black two knights and a bishop. White had a space advantage but how he could break in Black's camp is incomprehensible. The only real weakness b6-pawn defended easily with the a8-knight. During 40 moves Grischuk tried to find the ways for a break, maneuvered with the pieces on the kingside but Leko played correct. So, the status quo betwen these players from a leading group remained the same. Short-Sokolov It seems White gradually begins to fit a key to "impenetrable Berlin wall". In examined meeting Black failed to obtain the equalization in the opening. On 14th move White employed a logical novelty: 14.c3 (earlier was seen 14.a3 and 14.g4), now in case of 14...Bd5 possible simply 15.Rfe1. When White managed to move f-pawn his advantage became obvious. In my opinion Black should not play 22...Ba3, better 22...a5 23.c4 Be4 24.Re4 a4, recovering no a-file for a possible counterplay. Most likely Sokolov's idea includes in the move 24...Bb2, but on closer examination turned out to be that after 25.Rd2 Be4 26.Rb2 Black has big problems (particularly with the lightcolored bishop). In the game it turned out for Black with a loss of pair tempos, which give White a possibility with 29.e6! completely to capture the initiative. Once more strong move: 31.Bf2! led the game to a hard for Black rook endgame where he had a triple of pawns on c-file meanwhile White had practically an extra passing g-pawn. Even without b-pawn White's position would be winning. Soon the resistance of Ivan Sokolov was broken. A clear and convincing Nigel Short's victory. Now admirers of Berlin variation have at leisure to think about.