Morelia / Linares 2008. Round 4. Comments by Mark Crowther

Jacob Aagaard at the London Chess Centre

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Morelia / Linares 2008.

Round 4 (February 19, 2008)
Anand, Viswanathan	- Radjabov, Teimour	½-½	22	C63	Ruy Lopez Schliemann
Shirov, Alexei	- Topalov, Veselin	1-0	63	B33	Sicilian Sveshnikov
Ivanchuk, Vassily	- Aronian, Levon	0-1	60	C88	Ruy Lopez Closed
Carlsen, Magnus	- Lékó, Peter	½-½	41	E32	Nimzo Indian 4.Qc2

XXV SuperGM Morelia/Linares (MEX/ESP), 15 ii-7 iii 2008																	cat. XXI (2756)
					1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8
1.	Topalov, Veselin	g	BUL	2780	*	*	1	.	.	.	0	.	.	.	½	.	1	.	.	.	2½	2840
2.	Aronian, Levon	g	ARM	2739	0	.	*	*	1	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	1	.	.	.	2½	2861
3.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2799	.	.	0	.	*	*	1	.	.	.	½	.	.	.	1	.	2½	2835
4.	Shirov, Alexei	g	ESP	2755	1	.	.	.	0	.	*	*	½	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	2	2766
5.	Lékó, Peter	g	HUN	2753	.	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	*	*	1	.	0	.	½	.	2	2743
6.	Radjabov, Teimour	g	AZE	2735	½	.	½	.	½	.	.	.	0	.	*	*	.	.	.	.	1½	2680
7.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2751	0	.	0	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	.	.	*	*	½	.	1½	2664
8.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2733	.	.	.	.	0	.	½	.	½	.	.	.	½	.	*	*	1½	2677

The fourth round saw some extremely patchy play. Levon Aronian defeated Vassily Ivanchuk from a completely lost position. Ivanchuk pressurised Aronian and it led to the concession 28...f5?? which should lose almost immediately. Ivanchuk was slightly short of time and this maybe led him to overestimate Aronian's counterplay against his back rank. On move 30 he missed an immediate win, then on move 37 he hung a piece, but even this shouldn't have been a problem had be found the correct follow up. By move 40 it was Ivanchuk seeking a draw. However he couldn't hold the position and on move 60 he hung a rook in a lost position.

Ivanchuk,V (2751) - Aronian,L (2739) [C88]
XXV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (4), 19.02.2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.d4 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.e5 Ne8 11.Qxd4 Bb7 12.c4 bxc4 13.Qxc4 d5 14.exd6 Nxd6 15.Qg4 Nb5 16.Nc3 Nxc3 17.bxc3 Bd6 18.Bf4 Qf6 19.Bxd6 cxd6 20.Rad1 Rad8 21.Qb4 [21.Re3 Rfe8 22.Rde1 Rxe3 23.Rxe3 g6 24.h4 h5 25.Qb4 Rd7 26.Rd3 Re7 27.Qd4 Re1+ 28.Kh2 Qe7 29.Re3 1/2-1/2 Carlsen,M (2693)-Leko,P (2738)/Dortmund GER 2007/The Week in Chess 659] 21...Ba8 22.Re3 g6 23.Qb6 Qg5 24.Rg3 Qb5 25.Rxd6 Rxd6 26.Qxd6 a5 27.Qf4 Bd5 28.Rg5 f5?? 29.Qe5 Rd8

Ivanchuk-Aronian diagram

30.h4? Ivanchuk misses his big chance and steadily goes off the rails. [30.Qxf5 Bxb3 31.Qxb5 Rd1+ 32.Qf1 Rxf1+ 33.Kxf1 is a trivial win.] 30...a4 31.Bc2 Qb8 32.Qxf5 Bxa2 33.Bxa4 Bf7 34.h5 Qb6 35.hxg6 [35.h6] 35...hxg6 36.Qf4 Rc8 37.Rg3? Loses a piece although white's position is so good that he may even still count on being in the game. 37...Rc4 38.Qh6? [38.Qe5 Rxa4 39.Rh3 Ra1+ 40.Kh2 Kf8 41.Rh8+ Bg8 42.Qf4+ Kg7 43.Qe5+ is at least a draw.] 38...Rxa4 39.Rh3 Ra1+ [39...Qb1+ 40.Kh2 Qb8+ 41.g3 Qe5] 40.Kh2 Qd6+ 41.f4 Qf6 42.Qh7+ Kf8 43.Qh6+ Ke7 44.Re3+ Kd7 45.Kg3 Ra4 46.Rd3+ Kc6 47.Rd4 Ra3 48.Rd3 Bd5 49.Qh3 Qf5 50.Qxf5 gxf5 51.Kh3 Ra1 52.Rd2 Rh1+ 53.Kg3 Rh6 54.Re2 Re6 55.Rd2 Rg6+ 56.Kh3 Kc5 57.Re2 Kc4 58.Rd2 Be4 59.g4 Kxc3 60.gxf5 OK the position is gone but now Ivanchuk drops a rook. 60...Bxf5+ 0-1

Veselin Topalov has looked in good form so far but he was gradually strongled on the black side of a Sicilian by Alexei Shirov. Shirov has the reputation as a tactician but he's also a great endgame player. Here he took a small advantage in a double rook ending and turned it into a win as Topalov didn't really seem ever to find the right defensive plan.

Shirov,A (2755) - Topalov,V (2780) [B33]
XXV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (4), 19.02.2008

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c3 Bg5 12.Nc2 0-0 13.a4 bxa4 14.Rxa4 a5 15.Bc4 Bd7 16.0-0 Ne7 [16...Rb8 1/2-1/2 Anand,V (2779)-Radjabov,T (2729)/ Wijk aan Zee NED 2007/The Week in Chess 637 (42)] 17.Ra3 [17.Ra2 1/2-1/2 An and,V (2779)-Radjabov,T (2728)/Mainz GER 2006/The Week in Chess 615 (34)] 17...Nxd5 [17...Rc8 1/2-1/2 Smeets,J (2525)-Khairullin,I (2543)/Hoogeveen NED 2006/The Week in Chess 625 (104)] 18.Bxd5 Rb8 19.b4 axb4 20.Nxb4 Qb6 21.Qe2 Bb5 22.Bc4 Rfc8 Now white has a tiny advantage in the ending due to his good knight against inferior bishop but the pair of rooks should make the position still a draw. Perhaps black shouldn't have made this exchange. 23.Bxb5 Qxb5 24.Qxb5 Rxb5 25.Rd1 g6 26.g3 Kg7 27.Nd5 Rc4 28.Ra7 Bd8 29.Rd7 Ba5 30.Re1 Bb6 31.Nxb6 Rxb6 32.Re3 Black should hold but Shirov is a very good endgame player and he puts the pressure on. 32...Rc8 33.Rf3 Rf8 34.Kf1 g5 Black needs to set his kingside correctly, I'm not sure he does this correctly. 35.h4 g4 36.Rf5 h6 37.Ke2 Rc6 38.Kd2 Kg6 39.h5+ Kg7 40.Kd3 Rb6 41.Rc7 Rb1 42.Kc4 Rd1 43.Kb5 Kg8?! 43...Rc1 and Shirov didn't see how to make progress. 44.Rf6 Rd2 44...d5 with complications was the move Shirov expected. 45.Kc6

Shirov-Topalov diagram

45...Kg7 White seems to end up with a winning position after this. Both the white rooks are active whereas only one of black's is and now there are weaknesses and a running pawn. [45...Rd3 seems much better.] 46.Rg6+ Kh7 47.Rxg4 Rxf2 48.Kxd6 Re8 49.c4 Rd2+ 50.Kc6 Rf8 51.c5 Rd4 52.Rb7 Kh8 53.Kb5 Rd1 54.c6 Rc1 55.Kb6 Rc8 56.c7 Re8 57.Ra7 Rb1+ 58.Kc5 Rc1+ 59.Kd5 Rc2 60.Ra6 A nice tactical point. 60...Kh7 61.Rc6 Rd2+ 62.Kc5 Ra8 63.Rh4 White simply bounces his rook around to the queenside.1-0

Magnus Carlsen and Peter Leko contested a Classical Nimzo-Indian and there was some intricate play but Leko never seriously seemed in much difficulty.

Carlsen,M (2733) - Leko,P (2753) [E32]
XXV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (4), 19.02.2008

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 b6 7.Bg5 Bb7 8.e3 d6 9.Ne2 Nbd7 10.Qc2 c5 11.Rd1 cxd4 12.Rxd4 h6 13.Bh4 Qc7 14.Nc3 d5 15.Bg3 e5 16.cxd5 Bxd5 [16...Nxd5 17.Rc4 Qb8 18.Be2 N7f6 19.0-0 Ba6 20.Nxd5 Nxd5 21.Bf3 Rd8 22.Rd4 Bxf1 23.Rxd5 Ba6 24.Bxe5 Qc8 25.Rxd8+ Qxd8 26.Bxa8 Qxa8 27.Qa4 Bb7 28.f3 f6 29.Bc3 Bd5 30.e4 Be6 31.h3 a6 32.Kf2 b5 33.Qd4 Qc6 34.Qa7 Qd6 35.e5 fxe5 36.Qe3 Bc4 37.Bxe5 Qd3 38.Qc5 Qc2+ 39.Kg1 Qb1+ 40.Kh2 Qg6 41.a4 Bf1 42.Qf2 Bd3 43.a5 b4 44.Qb6 Qg5 45.Bg3 Bb5 46.Qd6 b3 47.Qe6+ Kh7 48.Qxb3 h5 49.Qb4 Qg6 50.Qd4 Bf1 51.Qf2 Bd3 52.Be5 Qg5 53.Qe1 Qg6 54.Kg1 Bb5 55.Qh4 Kg8 56.Qe7 Kh7 57.Qc7 Kg8 58.Qe7 Kh7 59.Bc3 Kg8 60.Qe1 Kh7 61.Kh1 Kg8 62.Kh2 Kh7 63.g4 hxg4 64.hxg4 Bc6 65.Qe2 Qd6+ 66.Kg2 Qf4 67.Qd3+ Kg8 68.Qd8+ Kf7 69.Qd1 Qxg4+ 70.Kf2 Qh4+ 71.Ke3 Qg5+ 72.Kf2 Qh4+ 73.Ke3 1/2-1/2 Bareev,E (2653)-Grischuk,A (2715)/ Khanty-Mansiysk RUS 2007/The Week in Chess 682] 17.Be2 Rac8 18.e4 Bc6 19.f3 Nh5 20.Rd2 Nxg3 21.hxg3 Nf6 22.0-0 Qe7 23.Rfd1

Carlsen-Leko diagram

White has a tiny initiative but as the game shows it doesn't really amount to a whole lot. 23...Bd7 24.Ba6 Rc7 25.Qd3 Be6 26.Qd6 Bb3 27.Nb5 Qxd6 28.Rxd6 Bxd1 29.Nxc7 Ba4 30.Rd3 Rb8 31.b3 Bd7 32.Nb5 Bxb5 33.Bxb5 Rc8 34.Ba6 Rc1+ 35.Kf2 Kf8 36.Rd8+ Ke7 37.Ra8 Rc7 38.g4 h5 39.gxh5 Nxh5 40.Bc4 Nf4 41.g3 They tried and now its time to stop.1/2-1/2

Viswanathan Anand didn't make any progress against Teimour Radjabov's Schliemann Defence and a draw was agreed on move 22.

Anand,V (2799) - Radjabov,T (2735) [C63]
XXV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (4), 19.02.2008

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 Bc5 7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.Nxe5 0-0 9.Bg5 Qe8 10.Bxf6 Rxf6 11.Nd3 Bd4 12.Nd2 [12.Nc3; 12.c3] 12...Ba6 Black has surely equalised even before they've left theory. [12...d6 13.Kh1 Qg6 14.Qe2 Ba6 15.Rab1 Raf8 16.f4 (16.f3 Qg5 17.Rfd1 1/2-1/2 Spassky,B (2590)-Antunes,A (2320)/Thessaloniki 1988) 16...Bb6 17.c4 d5 18.b3 Re8 19.Ne5 Qg3 20.Ng4 1-0 Meijers,V (2425)-Goessling,G (2150)/Werther GER 1999] 13.Rb1N [13.c4 d5 14.exd5 cxd5 15.Nb4 dxc4 16.Nxa6 Rxa6 17.Nxc4 c5 18.Qc2 Re6 19.Rad1 Rb8 20.b3 Rb7 21.Ne3 Qb5 22.Qd3 g6 23.Rfe1 Qxd3 24.Rxd3 Ra6 25.Re2 Kf7 26.h4 Bxe3 27.Rdxe3 Rc6 28.Rc3 Rbc7 29.Rec2 Ke6 30.Rc4 Ra6 31.g3 Kd5 32.Kg2 Rac6 33.Kf3 a5 34.Re4 Rf6+ 35.Ke3 Rb7 36.f4 Kd6 37.Re5 Rb5 38.Rc4 Rf5 39.Ke4 Rxe5+ 40.fxe5+ Kc6 41.g4 Rb7 42.Ra4 Ra7 43.h5 gxh5 44.gxh5 Ra6 45.Rc4 Ra8 46.Rc2 Rf8 47.Rd2 a4 48.e6 Rf1 49.Ke5 axb3 50.axb3 Kc7 51.e7 Re1+ 52.Kf6 Rf1+ 53.Ke6 Re1+ 54.Kf7 Rf1+ 55.Ke8 Rf5 56.h6 1-0 Cigan,S (2370)-Srebrnic,V (2220)/Slovenia 1995] 13...d6 14.c4 c5 15.b4 Qf7 16.Kh1 Rf8 17.f4 Bxc4 18.Nxc4 Qxc4 19.bxc5 dxc5 20.e5 Rb6 21.Rc1 Qd5 22.Qf3 c6

Anand-Radjbov diagram