28.12.2005
Round 9: Khalifman-Rublevsky, Bareev-Svidler
*Feel free to send your questions to Konstantin: sakaev@e3e5.com. Please also include your name and location.*
Live commentary by Konstantin Sakaev
Khalifman, A (2653) - Rublevsky, S (2652)
ch-RUS superfinal Moscow, Russia (9), 28.12.2005
According to my databse, Khalifman played as White with Rublevsky only twice, and won both games. Judging by the opening, ex-world champion is determined to play for a win today.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.f4
A rare but dangerous for Black move.
7...Bb4 8.Bd3 Qb6
White should now play 9.0-0 Nxd4 10.Na4 Qc6 11.c3 with strong initiative.
Carl Berg from Lakewood, Colorado asks: "Why didn't GM Khalifman continue his game in the 8th round? I thought his a-pawn would hold the White queenside majority in check, and his centralized pieces seemed superior in their placement." Well, in the final position in which a draw was agreed, Black indeed had no problems, but Khalifman was clearly unmotivated to play on, and the advantage wasn't so great to solve the game all by itself...
Back to the position in the game. I just realized that after 9.0-0 White must be aware of the possibility 9...Bc5! After 10.Na4 Bxe4 11.Nxb6 Bxe3+ 12.Kh1 Bxb6 three minor pieces are not weaker than a queen! There is something to think about...
Instead of 8...Qb6, Black usually plays 8...0-0 or 8...d6. Here is one of Rublevsky's rapid games: 8...0-0 9.Qf3 d6 (9...e5!? deserved attention) 10.a3 (more natural and strong is 10.0-0) 10...Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qc7 12.0-0 e5 13.Nxc6 Qxc6 14.f5 d5 15.exd5 Qxc3 16.Rab1, and White has the initiative, Balogh,C-Rublevsky,S/Bastia 2004.
9.0-0 Bc5 10.Na4 Bxd4 11.Nxb6 Bxe3+ 12.Kh1 Bxb6 13.e5 Nd5 14.Qe1
The position is very complicated, and it is difficult to give a definite assessment. Three pieces in such positions are usually stronger than the queen, but Black still has to spend a lot of tempi to complete the development. On the other hand, White's light-squared bishop is not the best piece to support queen - having a dark-squared bishop on a knight on e4 would be better.
Game drawn. ½-½
Draw! Probably, Alexander Khalifman disliked his position. White had to take certain risk if he continued the game, which was not to Alexander's liking. It is a pity - the Petersburg grandmaster had come to the game in obviously combative mood, but alas - an opening surpsise led to peace negotiations.
Motylev has a good game after the 14th move. After 14...Nh4 or 14...Qb6 Black has a clear advantage. A pleasant choice!
Morozevich-Dreev. Dreev stands slightly worse. Volkov has an advantage against Tomashevsky. The opening choice and subsequent maneuvers of Tomashevsky are very dubious.
Bareev-Svidler.On the 12th move Bareev made a combative move 12.Rd1, and eventually got an edge. There are 21 moves played. We are tuning to this game...
Bareev,E (2675) - Svidler, P (2740)
ch-RUS superfinal Moscow, Russia (9), 28.12.2005
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 Na6 8.Be2 c5 9.d5 e6 10.0-0 exd5 11.exd5 Nb4 12.Rd1
A combative move, as the reader already knows from the notes to Volkov-Svidler. 12.Bg5 (1/2-1/2 Volkov -Svidler, 7th round) leads to a position that is very close to a draw: 12...Nbxd5 13.Rad1 Nxc3 14.Rxd8 Nxe2+ 15.Qxe2 Rxd8 16.Qe7 Be6 17.Bxf6 Rd7 18.Qxc5 Bxf6 19.b3 b6 20.Qe3 Rd5 21.h3 Rad8 22.Re1 Kg7 1/2-1/2 Bareev,E-Svidler,P/Moscow 2004.
12...b6 13.Bg5! Sound and strong decision. Earlier Bareev played differently: 13.Qb3 Bf5 14.Ne1 (it is very irritating to make such a move) 14...Re8 (interesting is 14...a5!? with the idea 15.a3 a4 16.Nxa4 Nbxd5) 15.Bg5 Qd6? (correct is 15...h6) 16.a3 Ng4 17.Bxg4 Bxg4 18.f3, and White has a decisive advantage, Bareev,E-Sutovsky,E/Sochi 2005.
13...h6 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Rd2 Ba6 16.Qb3 Bxe2 A novelty, although it does not change anything too drastically: Black stands structurally worse, and his b4-knight just looks pathetic. I do not really understand what had Peter expected during his preparation. An earlier game in this line continued 16...Qd7 17.Bxa6 Nxa6 18.Re1? (correct is 18.Qc4 with a clear advantage, the exchanges on the e-file favor Black) 18...Rfe8 19.Rde2 Rxe2 20.Rxe2 Nc7 21.Ne5 Bxe5 22.Rxe5 Re8 with equality, Lputian,S-Kalantarian,N/Yerevan 1995.
17.Nxe2 Qd7 18.Qc4 Rfe8 19.Rad1 a5 20.Nc3 Na6 21.d6!
The a6-knight is misplaced, and the pawn on d6 supported by the rooks is very strong.
21...Nb4 22.a3 Bxc3 23.bxc3 Nc6 24.Rd5 Preventing a possible simplification Nc6-e5. Apart from other things, Black will also be troubled by a weak pawn on b6.
24...Re6 25.h3 A useful prophylactic move.
25...Rae8 26.Qb3 Rb8 27.a4 Fixing the weakness on b6 forever.
27...Rb7 Black has practically no useful moves, but maybe 27...Kg7. Peter's 27...Rb7 allows 28.Nd2!, and 28...Rxd6 is bad due to 29.Ne4 Rxd5 30.Nf6+ Kg7 31.Nxd7 c4 32.Qb1 Rbxd7 33.Rxd5 Rxd5 34.Qxb6, and White gradually wins.
28.Qc4 Evgeny preferred a strengthening move.
28...Kg7 29.Qf4 It is not clear yet, what plan White is going to carry out. Although there is no need to rush in such position. It is possible to return to c4 with the queen, for example.
29...Rb8 30.Qc4 Quite reasonable. It is by no means a draw offer, of course.
30...Rb7 31.Qa2
31...Qd8 Black wants to play Rb7-d7, but White can prevent it: there is a strong reply: 32.d7. It may have been better to stay still by 31...Rb8.
32.d7 Ne7 33.R5d3 Ng8 34.c4 Ne7 35.Qb2+ Kh7 36.Ne5 Kg8 37.Rd6.
Black resigned. 1-0.
Morozevich-Dreev. Morozevich just missed a winning continuation 38.Rg1! with decisive attack. However, his position remains winning.
Volkov-Tomashevsky. Volkov retains an advantage, although it is less significant compared to the situation after the opening.
See you tomorrow! Good-bye!
