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| Linares Round 4 |
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Round 4 (March 3, 2000)
Leko, Peter - Kramnik, Vladimir 1/2 41 B33 Sicilian; Sveshnikov
Shirov, Alexei - Khalifman, Alexander 1/2 21 C02 French; Advance
Anand, Viswanathan - Kasparov, Gary 0-1 32 B92 Sicilian; Najdorf
SuperGM Linares ESP (ESP), 5 ii-9 iii 2000 cat. XXI (2752)
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1 2 3 4 5 6
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1 Kasparov, Gary g RUS 2851 ** =. .. 1. =. 1. 3.0 2926
2 Kramnik, Vladimir g RUS 2758 =. ** =. .. 1. =. 2.5 2845
3 Leko, Peter g HUN 2725 .. =. ** =. =. =. 2.0 2733
4 Shirov, Alexei g ESP 2751 0. .. =. ** =. 1. 2.0 2750
5 Khalifman, Alexander g RUS 2656 =. 0. =. =. ** .. 1.5 2684
6 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2769 0. =. =. 0. .. ** 1.0 2578
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The John Henderson Report for round 4: BLOOD AND ANAND
BLOOD AND ANAND
APART from Hemingway's "Death in the Afternoon", there's another classic book on bullfighting that gives you a full flavour of Spain: "Sangre y arena" by Vincente Blasco Ibanez. The book was subsequently turned into two Oscar winning films (1922 with Rudolph Valentino, and 1941 with Tyrone Power), entitled "Blood and Sand".
It tells the story of a humble bullfighter who ignores his faithful girlfriend Carmen and seeks the unattainable Dona Sol des Muire, with resulting tragic consequences. Here in Linares, it's a story that we could easily translate to our own humble bullfighter, Vishy Anand, as he ignores his usual aggressive systems against the Sicilian Najdorf in preference for the more positional 6 Be2 which, to be honest, in the past he's never looked comfortable playing as White (+1, -1, =7).
Garry Kasparov winner
in 32 moves against Anand
You can always tell when Garry smells victory in his nostrils as he has this habit of walking up and down like a caged tiger. Here in Linares, the players have their own private area (No chance of me nipping in for a quick cup of tea then. Eh, Garry?), and it was from here, Kasparov was seen pounding the floor (respectfully out of sight of his opponent) as he contained his built-up energy. In the end, it was oh so easy for Kasparov, winning as Black in just 32 moves.
Anand was a shade of his former self as Garry Kasparov ruthlessly made the Indian ace pay for such a lacklustre performance. But let's not take anything away from Kasparov. When it mattered, he made all the right telling moves and was never once put under any pressure from the world no.2 who looked more like an ordinary 2500 GM never mind title challenger.
Viswanathan Anand and Elizbar
Ubilava
And, as Anand slumped to his second defeat in a row (practically unheard of at this level), up in the pressroom, we could see all hopes of title match between the two flying out the window. His second, Elizbar Ubilava, said it all for us: "It's bad. Bad…very, very bad. I just don't know what's wrong with him." Meanwhile, as the top Spanish journalist Leontxo Garcia sat pounding his laptop with the full gory details for the next day, Ljubojevic jokingly commented to him that he would need a pair of gloves to read his "El Pais" tomorrow as it would be "Hot. Oh, so, so hot, Leontxo!"
Anand-Kasparov (4)
Anand,V - Kasparov,G [B92]
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be2 e5 7 Nb3 Be7 8 0-0 Be6 9 f4 Qc7 10 Nd5 Bxd5 11 exd5 Nbd7 12 c4 0-0 13 Kh1 Rfe8 14 Be3 exf4 15 Bxf4 Bf8 16 Rc1 Qb6 17 Rc2 [TN - 17 Bd3 Ne5 18 Bb1 Nfd7 19 Qd2 g6 20 Na5 Qc7 21 b4 b6 22 Nc6 Nxc6 23 dxc6 Qxc6 24 Qf2 Re6 25 Bg5 f6 26 Bf4 Rae8 27 Bd3 Bg7 28 Qd4 f5 29 Qd5 Qc8 30 c5 dxc5 31 Bc4 Kh8 32 Qxe6 Rxe6 33 Bxe6 Qc6 34 Bxd7 Qxd7 35 bxc5 bxc5 36 Rxc5 h6 37 Rfc1 g5 38 Rc8+ Kh7 39 R8c7 Qd5 40 Bg3 Kg6 41 a4 Bd4 42 R7c6+ Kh5 43 Rd6 Qe4 44 Re1 Be3 45 h3 f4 46 Bh2 g4 47 hxg4+ Kxg4 48 Rf6 Qd5 49 Rf1 Qd3 50 R1xf4+ Bxf4 51 Rxf4+ Kg5 52 g3 ½-½ Glek,I-Svidler,P/Elista 1995/CBM 50 (52)] 17 ..g6 18 Bf3 Rac8 19 Nc1 Ne5 20 b3 h5!
Anand-Kasparov (4) 20.
...h5!
(Much like Benoni and King's Indian set-ups, Kasparov secures some space for himself on the kingside.) 21 h3 Bg7 22 Ne2 Nxf3 23 gxf3? [This is unnatural. Surely 23 Rxf3 was the correct move? For the life of me, I just can't think why Vishy didn't play it.] 23 ..Qc5 24 Rc1 b5 (Kasparov continues to chip away at Anand's position.) 25 Qd2? [The start of a bad plan from which there is no return. 25 Nd4 is the only move to survive - Ljubojevic. 25 ..bxc4 26 bxc4 Nd7 (26 ..Nxd5 27 Nb3! Ne3 28 Nxc5 Nxd1 29 Ne4) 27 Nc6 Ne5 28 Bxe5 Bxe5 Black's better, but White should easily survive with the knight on c6.] 25 ..bxc4 26 bxc4 h4! (The weaknesses are becoming all too apparent now. Kasparov prepares ..Nh5, which unleashes the powerful black-squared bishop.) 27 Bg5 Nh5 28 Bxh4 Rb8 29 Ng1 [29 Rb1 Qxc4] 29 ..Rb2 30 Rc2 Qxc4! 31 Rxc4 [31 Rxb2 Bxb2 32 Re1 Rxe1 33 Bxe1 Qxa2 is also hopeless.] 31 ..Rxd2 32 f4 Rxd5 0-1
Who'd have thought it? The world no.2's slump of two defeats in a row has left him in last position. For Kasparov, apart from the satisfaction of an easy victory against his main rival, the result allowed him to take the outright lead after Vladimir Kramnik failed to find the decisive move against the young Hungarian, Peter Leko.
Leko-Kramnik (4)
Leko,P - Kramnik,V [B33]
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5! (This can come as a psychological shock for a chess-player - facing his favourite system! Leko has been playing the Pelican for as long as he's been playing chess. Kramnik, despite preferring the Richter Rauser these days, has a good record with the Pelican.) 6 Ndb5 d6 7 Bg5 a6 8 Na3 b5 9 Bxf6 gxf6 10 Nd5 Bg7 11 g3 f5 12 exf5 Bxf5 13 Bg2 Be6 14 c3 0-0 15 0-0 Rb8 16 Nc2 a5 17 Qe2 Ne7 18 Rad1 TN [18 Rfd1 Nxd5 19 Bxd5 Qb6 20 Ne3 Rfd8 21 Qh5 Qc7 22 Rd2 b4 23 c4 a4 24 b3 a3 25 Rad1 h6 26 g4 Qe7 27 Kg2 Bf6 28 Bxe6 fxe6 29 Qxh6 Bg5 30 Qg6+ Kh8 31 Rd3 Rd7 32 Nf1 Qg7 33 Qxg7+ Kxg7 34 Rxd6 Rf7 35 Rd7 Rbf8 36 Ng3 Kg6 37 Rxf7 Rxf7 38 Rd6 Rf4 39 Rxe6+ Kf7 40 Rxe5 1-0 Jackova,J-Ciganikova,A/Ostrava 1999/CBM 70 ext (40)] 18 ..f5 19 Nce3 Kh8! (Not only moving the king out of harms way, but also vacating the g-file for his rooks.) 20 a3 Qd7 21 Nxe7 Qxe7 22 Nd5 Qf7 23 Rd2 e4 (This is the key to the Pelican set-up: activating the dark-squared bishop. Kramnik is now going to place it on e5 from where it's going to be the lynch pin of his attack.) 24 Rfd1 Be5 25 f4 exf3 26 Qxf3 Bxd5 27 Rxd5 [27 Qxd5 Qg7] 27 ..Qg7 28 Rf1 f4! (This move drives a wedge through White's position to cause Leko all sorts of problems.) 29 g4 Rg8 30 h3 h5 31 Qe4 Qf6 (The dark-square dominance from Kramnik is impressive.) 32 Bf3 Rg7 33 Rf2 Qh4 34 Rdd2 Rbg8 35 Rh2 Re7 36 Rde2 b4! 37 axb4 axb4 38 Rhg2 [38 cxb4!? Rc7 39 Rc2 (39 Re1 Rc4! 40 Qxc4 Qxe1+ 41 Qf1 Bd4+ 42 Kg2 Qxb4 43 Kh1 Bxb2) 39 ..Rxc2 40 Rxc2 (40 Qxc2 Qe1+ 41 Kg2 Qg3+ 42 Kf1 Qxf3+) 40 ..Qg3+ 41 Rg2 Qxh3 42 gxh5 Rxg2+ 43 Bxg2 Qxh5 and White only slightly worse off.] 38 ..bxc3?
Leko-Kramnik (4) 38.
...bxc3?
Kramnik and Leko are all smiles after their
drawn game.
[Kramnik had totally missed Leko's 40th move, Ra2, saving the game. During the post mortem, he kept on muttering "There has to be win here...it's a position for the computer to work out." Just then the Australian GM, Ian Rogers, suggested 38 ..Ra7 (which nicely side-steps Leko's defence of Ra2). "Of course," said Kramnik, "that's it!" The rest now falls into place: 38 ..Ra7! 39 Re1 bxc3 40 bxc3 Ra4! A) 41 c4 Rxc4 42 Qxc4 Qxe1+ 43 Kh2 hxg4 44 hxg4 (44 Bxg4 f3+) 44 ..Ra8; B) 41 Qe2 Ra2 42 Qf1 Rxg2+ 43 Kxg2 hxg4 44 hxg4 (44 Bxg4 f3+ 45 Kxf3 Rf8+) 44 ..Qg3+ 45 Kh1 Rg7; C) 41 Qxa4 41 ..Qxe1+ 42 Kh2 hxg4 43 hxg4 Rb8 44 Qa2 Bxc3] 39 bxc3 Ra7 40 Ra2! Rag7 41 gxh5 Rxg2+ ½-½
In the second draw of the day, the FIDE world champion Alexander Khalifman decides to take a safety-first policy with Alexei Shirov.
Shirov-Khalifman (4)
Shirov,A - Khalifman,A [C02]
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 e5 c5 4 c3 Qb6 5 Nf3 Nc6 6 a3 Nh6 7 b4 cxd4 8 cxd4 Nf5 9 Bb2 Be7 [9 ..Bd7 10 g4 Nfe7 11 Nc3 h5 12 g5 Nf5 13 Na4 Qd8 14 Bd3 h4 15 Rc1 Be7 16 Rg1 g6 17 Bxf5 exf5 18 Nc5 Rb8 19 Qe2 Be6 20 Qe3 Qb6 21 Qd3 Kf8 22 Bc3 Kg7 23 Nd2 a5 24 b5 Na7 25 a4 Bxc5 26 dxc5 Qxc5 27 Ke2 Nc8 28 Bxa5 Qa7 29 Bc7 Ra8 30 a5 d4 31 Nc4 Ne7 32 Bb6 Qb8 33 Qxd4 Nd5 34 Nd6 h3 35 Rgd1 Rh5 36 Qc5 Nxb6 37 Qxb6 Rxg5 38 Rc7 Qh8 39 Nxf7 Qh5+ 40 Kd2 Bxf7 41 Rxf7+ Kh6 42 Qf6 Rg2 43 Qg7+ Kg5 44 Ke3 Qg4 45 Rd4 1-0 Shirov,A-Kramnik,V/Monte Carlo 1997/CBM 57 ext (45)] 10 Bd3 a5 11 Bxf5 exf5 12 Nc3 Be6 13 b5 a4 14 bxc6!?
Shirov-Khalifman (4) 14.
bxc6!?
Shirov uncorked a new idea but Khalifman
survived.
[TN - Until the latest Shirov earthquake, the usual had been 14 0-0 Nb8 15 Bc1 Nd7 16 Rb1 0-0 17 Nxa4 Qa5 18 Nc5 Nxc5 19 dxc5 Bxc5 20 Qd3 d4 21 Bb2 Rfd8 22 Bxd4 Qa4 23 Rfd1 Rd5 24 Rd2 Rad8 25 Rbd1 h6 26 Qc3 Bxd4 0-1 Campora,D-Dokhoian,Y/Hoogovens-B 1989/CBM 12 (26)] 14 ..Qxb2 15 0-0 bxc6 [After a 40 minute think about whether to take the piece or not, Khalifman decided that he didn't quite like the atmosphere on Planet Shirov! In the post mortem, Shirov uncorked to Khalifman and his second, GM Alexei Lugovoi, what would have happened: 15 ..Qxc3 16 cxb7 Rb8 17 Qxa4+ Bd7 18 Qa7 Qc7 (18 ..0-0 19 Rfc1 Qb2 20 Rab1 Qxa3 21 Qxa3 Bxa3 22 Rc7) A) 19 Rab1 Bc6 A1) 20 e6 f6 (20 ..fxe6 21 Ne5 0-0 22 Rfc1 Rxb7 23 Rxb7 Qxb7 24 Nxc6 Qxa7 25 Nxa7 Bxa3) 21 Rfc1 Rxb7 22 Qa8+ Bd8 23 Qa6 Rxb1 24 Rxb1 Ke7 25 Rc1 Kd6 26 Ne5 fxe5 27 dxe5+ Ke7 28 Rxc6; A2) 20 Rfc1 20 ..Rxb7 21 Rxb7 Qxb7 22 Qxb7 Bxb7 23 Rc7 Ba6 24 Ra7 Be2; B) 19 e6! B1) 19 ..Bxe6 20 Rab1 Bd6 21 a4!; B2) 19 ..Bb5 20 Rfc1 Qxb7 21 Qxb7 Rxb7 22 a4 Be2 23 exf7+ Kxf7 24 Ne5+ Ke8 (24 ..Ke6 25 Re1) 25 a5 Ba6 26 Rc8+ Bd8 27 Ra8; B3) 19 ..fxe6 20 Rab1 Bd6 21 Rfc1 Qd8 22 Qa6 Bf4 23 Rc5 0-0 24 Ne5 Bxe5 25 dxe5 f4 26 Qd6 f3 27 g3 Qe8 28 Rc7 Qg6 29 Rb3 Qe4 30 Qb4 leading to an unclear position.] 16 Nxa4 Qb5 17 Nc3 Qc4 18 Ne2 0-0 19 Rc1 Qa6 20 Rc3 Rfc8 ½-½
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(1) Anand,V (2769) - Kasparov,G (2851) [B92]
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(2) Shirov,A (2751) - Khalifman,A (2656) [C02]
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(3) Leko,P (2725) - Kramnik,V (2758) [B33]
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