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| Linares Round 9 |
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Round 9 (March 9, 2000)
Leko, Peter - Kasparov, Gary 1/2 37 B90 Sicilian; Najdorf
Shirov, Alexei - Kramnik, Vladimir 1/2 33 B33 Sicilian; Sveshnikov
Anand, Viswanathan - Khalifman, Alexander 1-0 42 C17 French; Winawer
SuperGM Linares ESP (ESP), 28 ii-10 iii 2000 cat. XXI (2752)
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1 2 3 4 5 6
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1 Kramnik, Vladimir g RUS 2758 ** == 1= =. 1= == 5.5 2833
2 Kasparov, Gary g RUS 2851 == ** == == 1= 1. 5.5 2807
3 Khalifman, Alexander g RUS 2656 0= == ** =1 =. =0 4.0 2730
4 Leko, Peter g HUN 2725 =. == =0 ** == == 4.0 2713
5 Shirov, Alexei g ESP 2751 0= 0= =. == ** 1= 4.0 2719
6 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2769 == 0. =1 == 0= ** 4.0 2693
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The John Henderson Report for round 9: Heads I win, Tails you lose!
HEADS I WIN, TAILS YOU LOSE!
WELL, how tight could it be at the top? Going into the last round, we have Garry Kasparov and Vlasimir Kramnik leading with 5.5/9 - with the rest of the field in joint third on 4!
Arbiter Juan Vargas
Talking to the arbiter, Juan Vargas, yesterday after play had finished, he informed me that - for the first time in Linares - there's the real possibility of the title being decided by the toss of a coin! The reason being is this: on tie-break just now, Kasparov and Kramnik have both won the same number of games, and both with the same number of Black wins! Therefore, if they have the same score at the end of the final round, the worst score against the lower group decides; and if still equal, the worst result against the second lowest group.
However, because we have a multiple tie on 3rd-6th place, we have a good chance that this will be even, too, if all the last round games are drawn. Therefore the title could be decided on the vagaries of a coin toss! Of course, this is not new in chess. Nana Ioseliani, playing Zsuza Polgar, went through to play in the women's world championship thanks to the spin of the roulette wheel after they were tied at the end of the match - well, that's what you get when you decide to play the match in Monte Carlo!
More memorable however, was the case of Britain's Michael Adams who taught us all how to 'drink like a grandmaster'. During the British Zonal held in Blackpool in 1990, there were three players tied with only one place available for the Interzonal. Unlike Monte Carlo, Blackpool is more famous for bingo, so it was felt that they should choose a lucky number and the first to pop out of the bingo machine would go. Adams, according some reports, chose 9 based on the number of beers he'd drunk the previous evening! Adams was lucky - 9 came of the bingo machine first. (I was there [MC] as IM Nigel Davies said to me at the time "Truly a great day for British Chess")
So there we have it. If all three games in the final round are drawn, then Linares will be decided by the toss of a coin.
Anand, causing a
logjam
The main reason we face this predicament is because Vishy Anand won his first game of the tournament, thus resulting in the logjam on equal third.
Anand-Khalifman (9)
Anand,V - Khalifman,A [C17]
1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Ba5 6 b4 cxd4 7 Qg4 Ne7 8 bxa5 dxc3 9 Qxg7 Rg8 10 Qxh7 Nbc6 11 f4 Qxa5 12 Nf3 Bd7 13 Rb1 0-0-0 14 Qd3 [Strangely enough, the position now transposes back into the mainline Winawer with 5 ..Bxc3] 14 ..Nf5 15 Rg1 d4 16 g4!N
Anand-Khalifman (9) 16.
g4!
[Anand wants to push the knight back as quickly as possible before Khalifman starts breaking-up White's position. If he doesn't, a classic example of what could happen is: 16 Qb5 Qc7 17 Qd3 f6 A) 18 g4 Nh6 19 exf6 e5! 20 Nxe5 (20 g5 e4) 20 ..Nxe5 21 fxe5 Qxe5+ 22 Be2 Qxh2; B) 18 exf6 18 ..e5 19 Be2 exf4 20 Qe4 Rg4 21 f7 Rf8 22 Qd5 Rg6 23 Bd3 Re6+ 24 Kd1 Nce7 25 Qa2 Rxf7 26 Rb4 Rff6 27 Ng5 Rb6 28 Rf1 Ne3+ 29 Bxe3 dxe3 30 h3 Rxb4 31 axb4 Kb8 32 b5 Bf5 33 Ne4 Bxe4 34 Bxe4 Qc5 35 Bd3 e2+ 36 Bxe2 Qe3 37 Ke1 Qd2+ 38 Kf2 Qd4+ 39 Ke1 Nd5 40 Rf3 Re6 41 Kf1 Qd2 42 Qc4 Ne3+ 43 Rxe3 fxe3 0-1 Kolar,S-Toefferl,H/Bled 1992/CBM 29 (43)]
16 ..Nfe7 [16 ..Nh6 17 h3] 17 Rg3 Be8 [17 ..Qd5 18 Qb5 Qxb5 19 Rxb5] 18 h4 Nf5 19 Rg1 Ne3 [19 ..Nfe7 20 h5!] 20 Bxe3 dxe3 21 Qxe3 Ne7 [21 ..Qxa3 22 Bc4 Ne7 23 Rb3 Qa1+ 24 Kf2 Rd1 25 Rxd1 Qxd1 26 Be2 Qh1 27 Qxa7] 22 Bc4 Bc6 23 Rb3 Kb8 24 Qxc3 Qc7 25 Be2 Nd5 26 Qc4 Qa5+ 27 Kf2 Ba4 [27 ..Rc8 28 Qd4 (28 Qe4 Qc5+ 29 Kf1 Nc3 30 Qb4 Bd5 31 Qxc5 Rxc5 32 Rb2) 28 ..Ba4 29 Rb2 Rxc2 30 Rxc2 Bxc2 31 Rc1 Rc8 32 Ng5] 28 Rb2 Rc8 29 Qd4 Rc3
[29 ..Rxc2 30 Rxc2 Bxc2 31 h5 Rc8 32 h6 Rc3 33 f5; 29 ..Bxc2 30 Rc1 A) 30 ..Bh7 31 Rb5! Qd8 (31 ..Qxa3 32 Ra1 Qe3+ 33 Qxe3 Nxe3 34 Kxe3 Rxg4 35 Rb3 Bc2 36 Rba3) 32 Rxc8+ Qxc8 33 Ng5; B) 30 ..Ba4 31 Rxc8+ Rxc8 32 h5 Rc3 33 h6]
30 Bd3 Rgc8 31 Rc1 Rd8 [31 ..Rxa3 32 c4 Bb3 33 Be2] 32 Rcb1 Bc6 33 Rb3! Rxb3 34 Rxb3 Nf6 35 Qb4! Nxg4+ 36 Kg3 Qd5 [Preventing any counterplay with ..Rg8] 37 Bh7! Qd1 [37 ..Rh8 38 Rd3 Qa2 39 Qd6+ Kc8 40 Kxg4] 38 Kxg4 Rd2 39 Kg5 Bxf3 40 Bd3 Rg2+ 41 Kf6 a6 42 Rb1 1-0
Kasparov talking to the
press Frederic Friedel, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam and Leonxto
Garcia.
After yesterday's game against Kramnik, Kasparov admitted that it had taken a "lot out of him". In an impromptu press conference after his port mortem with Leko, Kasparov said that he was feeling drained after such a complicated affair the day before with Kramnik. An animated (and quite frank) Kasparov said it was all becoming too much for him - and to think, he's still got a rejuvenated Vishy Anand to face in the final round! Yes, luck was on his side against Leko (I wonder if it'll hold for the coin toss?) as the young Hungarian built-up a nice position against Kasparov's Sicilian Najdorf, only to see the world no.1 doing his famous "Houdini" act to escape with the draw.
Leko-Kasparov (9)
Leko,P - Kasparov,G [B90]
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be3 Ng4 7 Bg5 h6 8 Bh4 g5 9 Bg3 Bg7 10 h3 Ne5 11 f3 Nbc6 12 Bf2 Be6 13 Qd2 Qa5N 14 Nb3 [14 Nxe6 fxe6 gives Black central control.] 14 ..Bxb3 15 cxb3 Nb4 16 a3 Ng6 17 Rd1 Nc6 18 Nd5 Qxd2+ 19 Rxd2 0-0 20 b4 b5 [20 ..e6 21 Nb6 Rad8 22 b5 axb5 23 Bxb5] 21 Nc7! Rab8 22 Nxa6 Rb7 23 Rd5?
Leko-Kasparov (9) 23.
Rd5?
[The defining moment of the game. Afterwards, Leko's trainer, GM Amador Rodriguez, believed that Peter should have played: 23 Rc2 Nd4 (23 ..Nge5!?) 24 Bxd4 Bxd4 25 Kd1 Nf4 26 Nc7 Bxb2 27 Rxb2 Rxc7 28 Bxb5 Rfc8 29 Kd2 Nxg2] 23 ..Na7! After the slip-up, there's no second chances with Kasparov! 24 Bxa7 Rxa7 25 Bxb5 Bxb2 26 0-0!? [An interesting choice from Leko. Whilst some in the pressroom debated the merits of 26 a4 or even Ljubojevic's 26 Kd2, afterwards at dinner, Leko told me that neither was convincing. 26 a4 Nf4! 27 Rd1 Nxg2+ 28 Kf2 Nf4 29 Rd2 Bc3 30 Rc2 Bd4+ 31 Ke1 (31 Kg3 Nh5+ 32 Kg4 Nf6+ 33 Kg3 Nh5+ 34 Kh2 Be5+ 35 Kg2 Nf4+ 36 Kf2 Bd4+) 31 ..Rfa8 32 Rc6 Ne6 33 Kd2 Be5 with ..Nd4 looming.; 26 Kd2 Nf4! 27 Rb1 Nxd5 28 exd5 Be5 29 Bd3 Bf4+ 30 Kd1 Rc8 and you can see what he means.] 26 ..Bxa3 27 Rb1 Rc8 28 Bf1 Bc1 29 Rb3! [Preventing ..Be3+] 29 ..Bf4 30 Rd1 e6 31 b5 Rb7 32 Nb4 h5 33 Kf2 h4! [Fixing the Kingside pawns] 34 Ra3?! [34 Rdb1 Leko felt he could play on a bit after this move. But eventually his instincts told him that Kasparov would be able to hold this in similar style to the game after 34 ..Ne5] 34 ..Rc5 35 Be2 Ne5 36 Rb1 Kg7 37 Rab3 Bg3+ ½-½
Kasparov and Leko discuss their
game.
After Kramnik sacrificed his pawn against Shirov, we felt in the pressroom that Vlad was on to something as a stunned Shirov looked as if he was a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. However, it wasn't as promising as it looked, and once the Queen's came off, it was really never going to be anything more than a draw.
Shirov-Kramnik (9)
Shirov,A - Kramnik,V [B33]
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 Bxf6 gxf6 10 Nd5 Bg7 11 Bd3 Ne7 12 Nxe7 Qxe7 13 0-0 0-0 14 c4 f5 15 Qf3 Re8 16 Rfe1 b4N [It may be a novelty from Kramnik, but it just transposes back into the mainline. 16 ..f4 17 Qh5 b4 18 Nc2 Rb8 19 b3 Rb6 20 h3 Kh8 21 a3 bxa3 22 Rxa3 Rg8 23 Kf1 Bf8 24 b4 Rg5 25 Qf3 d5 26 exd5 Rh6 27 c5 Rxg2 28 Kxg2 Qg5+ 29 Kh2 Bxh3 30 Qxh3 Rxh3+ 31 Kxh3 Qh5+ 32 Kg2 f3+ 33 Kg3 Bh6 34 Re4 f5 35 Rh4 Qg5+ 36 Kxf3 Qxh4 37 Ke2 Qg4+ 38 Ke1 Qf4 39 d6 Qc1+ 40 Ke2 e4 0-1 Egger,J-Sosa Macho,J/Rancagua 1993/Juniors (40)] 17 Nc2 f4 18 Be2!? Rb8 19 b3 Kh8 20 Qh5 d5!
Shirov-Kramnik (9) 20. ...d5!
[This was a move that seemed to have caught Shirov by suprise. Kramnik's pawn sacrifice opens the position up for his active pieces.] 21 cxd5 [21 exd5?! e4 22 Rad1 (22 Bd3?! exd3! 23 Rxe7 Rxe7 24 Qg5 Re8! 25 Re1 Bb7 26 Ne3 fxe3 27 fxe3 Re5 28 Qg3 Rbe8) 22 ..Bc3 23 d6 Qd7 24 Rf1 Rg8 25 Kh1 Bb7 and White has to contain a dangerous Black attack.] 21 ..Rb6 22 Rad1 a5 23 d6 Rxd6 24 Rxd6 Qxd6 25 Rd1 [25 Qxf7?! Rf8 26 Qc4 Be6 27 Qb5 Qd2] 25 ..Qg6 26 Qxg6 hxg6 27 Bc4 Be6 28 Bxe6 Rxe6 29 Rd5 Rc6 30 Ne1 Rc1 31 Kf1 f5 32 f3 Bf6 33 Kf2 [33 Ke2 Bh4 34 Rd1 Rc3!] ½-½
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(1) Shirov,A (2751) - Kramnik,V (2758) [B33]
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(2) Anand,V (2769) - Khalifman,A (2656) [C17]
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(3) Leko,P (2725) - Kasparov,G (2851) [B90]
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