GM Sergey Ionov annotates the games of the 6th round: Round 6 Anand - Kasparov Topalov - Vallejo Leko - Kasimdzhanov Free day: Adams Good evening, dear chess friends. Anand - Kasparov 1/2 The central game of the round. It's very unexpectedly that Kasparov has chosen the Cheliabinsk variation for this very important game. Before that he tried this variation twice, but unsuccessfully. The opponents have played the first moves very quickly, probably Anand is trying to follow the variation that was seen in the recent game Ponomariov-Kramnik, Wijk aan Zee 2005, which was very sharp despite of the drawn result. That forced Kasparov to fall into a long thinking. Anand did not sacrifice the pawn by 18.h4 Bh4 19.g3 in favour of 18.0-0 The novelty followed on the next move 19.Qa4. It's interesting how Kasparov will reply. Very tense situation in the game of leaders. It looks like White has some advantage after happened in the game 20. ...Rb5 21.Qb5 Nb4 22.Qa5 Na2 23.Qa2 fe4 . Further the following movement of the pawns on the Q-side is possible. Kasparov stopped the movement of the pawns so far. If b5 then Qc5 will follow. Anand has prepared activization of his Rook with following possible Rooks exchange and then he will get an ideal combination Q+N+N, besides, the Knights control the important d5-square and Black has not a counter-play. In the further White can combine the movement of the b-pawn with an attack of the central White's pawns. Vishy can already to start harvesting - 33.Nc3 Bb7 34.Ned5 but one cannot underestimate here the Bishops. Kasparov despite of the exchange of one of his Bishops(as it's well-known the strength of the Bishops sometimes is that it's possible to exchange with the profit one of them for the opponent's Knight) very successfully transfered his Queen on d4 and it seems that the pressure on f2 counterbalances the White's passed b-pawn. There must be a draw after 42.b7 Qa7 43.Qb2 e2 44.Qe2 Bg1 45.Kh1 Bd4 46.Nf6 Kg7 47.Ne8. The game has finished by other possible drawn variation. Leko - Kasimdzhanov 1/2 Opponents have played Marshall variation of Ruy Lopez very quickly. On the 17th move Black has preferred 17...Qh5 instead of the usual 17...Re6. But it was just another order of moves. 18.a4 Re6 . The ending with an extra-pawn at White, but Black has some compensation for that due to his 2 Bishops. Rustam by 24. R6e7 has freed the way to the d5-square for his Bishop, where he would have very good position. That's why Leko prevents this transfer by 25.b3 , but if is going to play further c4 then will follow Bb4 with an exchange of Bishop for the Knight and then the opposite-colored Bishops are on the board - and a draw. Kasimdzhanov has started the counter-play on time - 31. ...f5 otherwise after Knight's transfer to g3 there would not be good squares for the Bishop on the diagonal b1-h7 (it was possible as well to play h7-h5 - preventing g3-g4). Position after the 1st time control became simple and despite of the extra-pawn at White there must be a draw. Peter is still trying to "torture" Rustam. Topalov - Vallejo 1-0 Vallejo has played the variation, which was seen many times in his practice. After long thinking Topalov has showed the novelty - 17.ef7 (before that was played 17.cb3 fe6 18.Kb1) Rf7 18.Kb1 . By the novelty Topalov cleared the space for his light-colored Bishop, which has not Black's opponent. If White will be able to avoid the exchange of Black's passive minor pieces then his advantage will be clear. By 20 ...d5 Vallejo opens diagonal for his own Bishop, frees d6 for the Knight and closes diagonal a2-g8 for the opponent's Bishop - what to wish more from the only one move? . The 22th and 23th moves of Vallejo look like an adventure. It was more natural 22. ...Nbc4 to exchange the Bishop and to take g5-pawn. A series of last moves of Vallejo has spoiled not bad position and now the position looks completely hopeless.