21.01.2006
Wijk aan Zee round 7: Karjakin-Mamedyarov, Gelfand-Tiviakov
Karjakin (2660) - Mamedyarov (2709)
Wijk aan Zee Netherlands (7), 21.01.2006
Annotated by Konstantin Sakaev
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 d6 5.c3 Bd7 6.d4 g6 7.0-0 Bg7 8.Re1 b5 9.Bc2 Nf6
10.dxe5 This is all book. Exchanging the c6-knight, which blocks the c-pawn, is favorable for Black, so the normal continuation here is 10...Nxe5 11.Nxe5 dxe5 12.Be3 with White's minimal advantage.
By the way, the players met 4 times. Karjakin won a rapid game with exciting piece sacrifice. There were two 23-move draws in Pamplona and Wijk aan Zee 2005, and Mamedyarov rolled over Karjakin in Aeroflot 2005. So, the score is 2-2, or 2-1 (in Shak's favor) is classical chess.
10...Nxe5 11.Nxe5 dxe5 12.Be3 0-0 13.Nd2 Black stands slightly worse due to a weakened c5-square. The game Tiviakov-Giorgadze (Kropotkin, 1995) continued 13...Qe7 14.b4 Rfd8 15.Qe2 a5 16.Nb3 axb4 17.Bc5 Qe8 18.cb4 Nh5!, and Black obtained a counterplay that was sufficient to equalize.
13...Be6 A dubious novelty. Black's idea is to meet tempting 14.Nb3 by 14...Ng4, therefore White must choose between 14.Bb3 and unexpected 14.Nf3 - after the latter Black can't defend his e5-pawn comfortably.
14.Nf3!
14...Ng4
Black faced a difficult choice:
14...Nd7 15.Ng5.
14...Qd6 15.Qxd6 cxd6 16.Red1 Rfd8 17.Ng5; 14...Nh5 15.Ng5 Bd7 16.Bb3 Nf4 17.g3 (or 17.Bxf4 exf4 18.Nf3 with problems for Black) 17...Ne6 (17...Nh3+ is even worse: 18.Nxh3 Bxh3 19.Bd5 Rc8 20.Bc5 Re8 21.Qf3) 18.Nxe6 Bxe6 19.Bxe6 fxe6 20.Qg4 Qe7 21.h4±, White has a clear advantage.
Possibly the best is 14...Ne8 15.Ng5 Bd7 16.Bb3 Qe7 - the knight comes to d6, and Black has all the chances to conduct a successful defense.
15.Bc5 Re8 16.h3 Nh6 17.Bb3
While Mamedyarov thinks, let us assess other games. Adams got a more pleasant position, but one can't say he had serious winning chances, considering what a powerful opponent he faced. A draw as Black against Anand is not a bad result. Van Wely's position is suspicious, although there is a lot of play ahead. Leko has a big advantage against Kamsky. After one of White's knights arrives to c5, I can't find any sensible idea for Black. Topalov-Sokolov - White has a healthy extra pawn. Topalov must win this game. With his last move 17.Kf1 he prepared the f-pawn advance. Gelfand-Tiviakov - Gelfand has a standard for this variation advantage.
17...f6 18.a4 18.Bxe6+ Rxe6 deserved attention, and now 19.a4 or 19.Qb3 Qe8 20.a4. Immediate 18.a4 allows18...Bf7!, in order to bring the knight back with a tempo after exchanging on f7.
18...Qxd1 19.Bxe6+ Rxe6 20.Rexd1 Rc6 21.Rd5
The following variation is interesting: 21.b4 bxa4 22.Rxa4 Bf8 23.Bxf8 Kxf8 24.b5 Rxc3 25.bxa6, but Sergey Karjakin's continuation is stronger, as it does not offer Black any counterplay, although Shak's chances to make a draw are significant.
21...bxa4 22.Rxa4 Black's position is difficult, here is a sample line: 22...Bf8 23.Bxf8 Kxf8 24.Ne1!, and the knight goes to с5.
22...Bf8
To player49: Carlsen has good winning chances, Vescovi ended up in a difficult endgame. Aronian-van Wely is a complex game, and in my opinion, Aronian's chances are generally higher. Black must strive to carry out c6-c5, and if he manages it, then his position should be ok. In this respect, 21...Rd7 deserves attention...
23.Be3 With this move White gives up a lion's share of his advantage. Usually in such structure (pawns on е4 and е5) the presence of dark-squared bishops favors White, as his bishop is better, but this position looks like an exception. After the exchange of the bishops, the knight runs to a very good square c5, from where it protects the b2-pawn and attacks on a6.
23...Rb8 Now Black is very close to equality.
24.Ra2 Nf7 25.Nd2 Nd6 26.Rc5
Now 26...Rbb6 is interesting, but the most natural is 26...Rxc5 27.Bxc5 Ne8 28.Bxf8 Kxf8 29.Nc4 Nd6 30.Nxd6 cxd6, and Black should be able to hold with precise play. We could turn to another game, rather than follow Karjakin squeezing out his minimal advantage... Post your suggestions!
26...Rxc5 27.Bxc5
27...f5? Mamedyarov is an active player! But now White can reply 28.Bxd6 Bxd6 29.exf5 gxf5 30.Nc4 Kf7 31.Rxa6 Ke6 32.Ra5!, with good winning chances.
28.Bxd6 cxd6 29.f3 Kf7 30.Kf2 Ke6
After a natural 31.Kе2 Black's position is bad - d5 is impossible, and Rb6 falls under Nc4 and Ne3.
31.Nc4 Rc8 An unimportant change in the move order: 32.Ne3 Rc6 33.Ke2.
32.Ne3 Bh6 33.Nd5
About Sokolov's knight sac: two connected central pawns is often a great force! But not in this case. Topalov wins.
33...Bg5
On 34.Rxa6 fxe4 35.fxe4 Rf8+ White continues 36.Ke2 (36.Kg3!?) 36...Bh4 37.Kd3 Rf2 38.c4 Rxg2 39.c5 Rxb2 40.Rxd6+ Kf7 41.c6, and the pawn queens.
34.g3
Black resigned. In principle, his position is objectively lost. 1-0
Topalov wins. Aronian just blundered badly, reversing the evaluation. Ivanchuk-Bacrot: White has a big advantage in the endgame, this is a risk-free from Ivanchuk. Leko wins against Kamsky. Gelfand has a significant advantage.
Now we will comment Gelfand-Tiviakov game.
Gelfand (2723) - Tiviakov (2669)
Wijk aan Zee Netherlands (7), 21.01.2006
Annotated by Konstantin Sakaev
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.Nc3 Ne4 7.Bd2 f5 8.d5 0-0 9.Qc2 exd5 10.Nxd5 Nc6
Tiviakov enjoys positions of this kind - he likes outflanking the opponent, while Boris Gelfand, being a classical style player, prefers central actions.
11.0-0 a5 Otherwise White plays b2-b4 at some point, blocking Black's queenside.
12.Rad1 Bf6 (12...Nb4!? 13.Bxb4 axb4 +=) 13.Be3 On 13.a3 Gelfand, in my opinion, was worried about 13...a4, diminishing the value of White's queenside pawn structure.
13...Nb4 14.Qb1 14.Nxf6+!? led to minimal advantage: 14...Qxf6 15.Qb1!, but not 15.Qb3 c5! forcing White's a2-a4. In this case Black obtains an excellent game after playing d7-d5.
14...Nxd5 15.cxd5 g6 16.Qc2
White has a small but stable plus.
16...Rc8 17.Nd4 Ba6 Obvious 17...Qe7 is stronger.
18.Bxe4 fxe4 19.Qxe4 Qe8 In the variation 19...Bxd4 20.Bxd4 Re8 21.Qf4 Bxe2 22.Bc3 c5 23.dxc6 Rxc6 24.Qd4 Rxc3 25.bxc3 Bxf1 26.Qd5+ Kh8 27.Kxf1 Black struggles to make a draw. It is possible that White's play in this line can be improved.
20.Qc2 Qe5 21.Qb3 Bb7
22.Nb5 There also was a curious tactical shot 22.Nc6!? - after 22...Qf5 23.Nxa5 Ba6 24.Nc4 Qg4 25.Rc1 Qxe2 26.Rfe1 Qh5 27.d6 Black can't use the a8-h1 diagonal to his favor.
22...Qxb2 23.Qxb2 Bxb2 24.Rd2 Be5 25.f4 Bf6 26.Rc1 Bd8 26...c5 27.Nd6 Rb8 28.Bf2, and White's pawns advance.
27.Na7 Ra8 28.Nb5 Rc8
29.Na7 One could play for advantage by 29.a4, fixing the queenside structure. Also interesting is 29.g4, seizing space and depriving the enemy rook of the f5-square.
29...Ra8 30.Nb5 Gelfand's time trouble tells. Game drawn. ½-½
... Today's online comes to an end. And tomorrow we'll take Topalov-Gelfand - definitely the most interesting game of the day! See you soon!
