GM Sergey Ionov annotates the games of the 7th round: Round 7 Vallejo - Leko Kasparov - Topalov Adams - Anand Free day: Kasimdzhanov Good evening dear chess friends! Certainly Kasparov today will try to improve his tournament position, the struggle in the other 2 today's games I suppose will be more quiet and restrained. Kasparov - Topalov 1/2 Kasparov again avoids the discussion in Marshall variation, to take the central pawn with the following neutralization of Black's initiative is not for him. The opportunities of White are in a3-a4 and d3-d4, with the following attack(after possible exchanges) on the pawns b5,d6,e6. The plans of the sides have changed, Black has played d6-d5 by himself. This was seen already in the game Shirov - Onischuk, New Dehli 2000, there was played 19.b4 with following Qb3 and Rad1 and with pressure on the pawn's center. Kasparov is trying to weaken b5-pawn. His plan is to prepare c4 and to get e4-square for his Knight. Despite of the expectations there was not the struggle. Of course such modest development's system h3,d3 a3 cannot to refute Marshall variation. In the final White decided that the only sourse to continue the game c4 gives nothing. So, the struggle for the 1st place to be continued. Adams - Anand 1/2 Adams one more time refused to play so-called English attack, probably he thinks that his opponent knows better the nuances of this scheme and chose the struggle with short-castling. On the 15th move Anand decided to not to weaken his Q-side's pawn structure by 15...b5, but now White, having more space, seized playing initiative, which although in case of the pair of minor pieces can be not so sufficient. Adams, threatened to play Bh4 and by this he forced Black to weaken position of his castling - 21...h6, but since the most of the Black's pieces are near his own King it's not so easy for White to create real threats. Opponents are continuing the manoeuvres in their own camps. By 22...Rc6 Black frees his Bishop of the duty to defence d6-pawn and prepares to double the Rooks on the c-file. Vallejo - Leko 1/2 It looks like by 8. ...d5 Leko solved all the opening's problems and now already Vallejo has a problem how to continue the struggle. For example already now it can be played 10.Nd5 ed5 11.Bg2 Nd4 12.Qd4 Qd4 13.ed4 with a possible draw. Leko has an advantage in development and he us trying to seize an initiative. Instead of castling it looked good to play 11...Qb3 12.Nb3 Bf5 and Black has a slightly batter position. And Anand and Topalov have got the draws today easily and they will try to conquer with Kasparov for the 1st place. Probably and Leko will be able to do that. Today's round has finished very quickly. It's possible to think that the participants have made an extra freeday for themselves. Vallejo and Leko made only 13 moves, the short skirmish Adams vs. Anand has lead to the full exhaustion of the forces.