24.12.2005
Round 6: Svidler-Khalifman
*Feel free to send your questions to Konstantin: sakaev@e3e5.com. Please also include your name and location.*
Live commentary by Konstantin Sakaev
Svidler, P (2740) - Khalifman, A (2653)
ch-RUS superfinal Moscow, Russia (6), 24.12.2005
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.c3
8...0-0!?
A rare idea employed by Kamsky in the game against Smirin in Khanty Mansiysk. Smirin did not manage to obtain an advantage. More popular move is 8...d6.
9.d4
According to the clocks, Svidler is not prepared to this move. One can say that Khalifman experiment worked. By the way, I witnessed Svidler and Khalifman discussing this idea, and they did not find anything really promising for White.
9...Bb6 10.axb5 axb5
Here is the aforementioned game: 10...axb5 11.dxe5 Ng4 12.Bf4 Qe7 13.Qd5 Bb7 14.Qxb5 Ba8 15.Qc4 Ncxe5 16.Bxe5 Nxe5 17.Nxe5 Qxe5 18.Nd2 Kh8 19.Nf3 Qf4 20.Rae1 Rbe8 Ѕ-Ѕ Smirin,I-Kamsky,G/Khanty Mansyisk 2005/The Week in Chess 578 (20)
11.dxe5 Ng4 12.Bf4
12...Qe8 Surprisingly, it is Khalifman who deviates from that game first!
13.Nd4 It is difficult to expect an advantage playing with the same piece for too long. One had to consider brining the queen's knight into play. The essence of Black's idea is to vacate the e7-square for the knight: on 13.Qd5 he plays 13...Ne7! The b5-pawn is immune, and Black transfers the knight to g6 with gain of a tempo and obtain an excellent play.
13...Ngxe5 Also possible is 13...Ncxe5. I prefer the capture with this knight, as the g4-knight keeps an eye on f2, which is quite disturbing for White.
14.Nxb5 14.Nxc6 is well met by 14...dxc6!, and Black's pieces are very active. Probably one could consider 14.Re1!?
14...d6 14...Bxf2+ is safer: 15.Rxf2 Rxb5 16.Na3 Rb8.
Let us take a look at other games. Except the game Tomashevsky-Rublevsky, White retains a small opening plus in all encounters. Tomashevsky has to fight for equality - the compensation for a sacrificed pawn is not too great.
15.Ba4 Peter wants to keep an extra pawn. A majority of players would have preferred to complete the development here: 15.N1a3 Ng6 16.Bg3 (interesting but risky is 16.Nxd6!? cxd6 17.Bxd6) 16...Qxe4, and now 17.Bd5 or 17.Re1, with a slight pressure.
15...Bg4 The alternative is 15...Bd7, keeping the b5-knight "X-rayed".
16.Qc2 f5!? Very ambitious and very interesting. 16...Qe6 looked more natural, keeping the central pressure with the pieces. Black has a decent compensation for a pawn, because it is not easy to complete the development for White: 17.Nd2 Be2!
Khalifman's unobvious moves 15...Bg4! and especially 16...f5! are very strong, White now falls under a very strong attack. In my opinion, he has to "tank" his moves 13.Nd4 and 15.Ba4 for it.
17.Nd2 Finally! The knight enters the play on 17th move. Still, with the a4-bishop and the b5-knight being so far from their king, White is not feeling safe. Now 17...Qg6 is very strong!
17...Qg6 18.Nd4! White's best chance! It is vital to lower Black's attacking potential at any cost. It was psychologically difficult to make this decision, as White returns extra material and begins to fight for a draw. Here is an example of how the game could continue after a "normal" reaction: 18.Bb3+ Kh8 19.Bd5 Bh3 20.exf5 Bxf5 21.Qa4 Ne7 22.Bxe5 (also bad is 22.Bb3 Bd7) 22...Nxd5 23.Bg3 Bd3, and White is in trouble.
18...Nxd4 19.cxd4 Bxd4 20.exf5 20.Bb3+ did not help either: 20...Kh8 21.Bxe5 dxe5 22.Kh1 fxe4 23.Nxe4 Rxb3 24.Qxb3 Qxe4 25.f3 Qf4, and the position reminds of Bareev-Volkov game with colors reversed.
20...Bxf5 21.Qxc7 Bd3 Black wins material and is very close to winning the game.
Let us evaluate positions in other games. Tomashevsky-Rublevsky. This is very close to a draw, as Black can't hold the extra pawn: 23...Re4 24.Rd1!
Morozevich has advantage, the endgame is difficult for Zvjaginsev. One could evaluate it as +/-.
Kramnik stands slightly better, but probably it is nothing serious - Black is close to equality.
Motylev-Jakovenko. A complex struggle for three results. It is very likely that everything will be decided in Motylev's time trouble.
Volkov's position is dangerous. He'll have to fight hard for a draw.
22.Bxe5 dxe5 23.Nf3
23...Bxf1 23...Qf6! is even stronger, but psychologically it is very difficult to refrain from securing a material advantage, although it gives White more saving chances.
24.Rxf1 Qf7 25.Qxf7+ Rxf7 26.Bc6 Kf8 27.b3
Khalifman gave White saving chances. The move 24...Qf7 looks imprecise to me, exchange of queens favors White more. One should have played 24...Qf6, then Kh8, and the position is won. Now White strives for an endging with the light-squared and pawns on g3 and h4 against Black's rook with g- and h-pawns. This endgame is drawn. Black must keep the e4-pawn. This may be a lengthy game...
27...Rc7 28.Bd5 h6 29.h4 Rc5 30.Bc4 Ra5 31.Rd1 Ra1 32.Rxa1 Bxa1 33.Nd2
Svidler fortifies the knight on e4. White is already close to a draw. After the knight comes to e4, and the kingside pawns advance to f3 and g3, it is completely unclear how Black can break thorugh.
33...Rd8 34.Ne4 Rd1+ 35.Kh2 Re1 36.Bd5 Rd1 37.Bc4 Rd4 38.f3 Rd1 39.h5 Bd4 40.Kh3 Rg1 41.g3
41...Ke7. Game drawn. 1/2-1/2
Morozevich-Zvjaginsev.
More precise was 40...Rc2, but after 40...Rb2 Black must hold if after 41.b6 he finds 41...d4! (but not 41...Kc8 42.Re7) 42.cxd4 Rb3+ with the draw.
Kramnik-Bareev. Kramnik blundered by 38.Ra2??: 38...Rxa5! After 38.Rb2 or 38.Rd2 White could hope to make a draw, although his position is worse due to an awkward position of his king. Now Bareev wins, Kramnik has absolutely no chances.
Motylev blundered and must lose now. Dreev lost most of his advantage, and the position is now close to equality. See you on Monday!
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