FIDE World Chess Championship,
India, 13 December.
(1)
Grischuk,A (2606) - Shirov,A (2746) [B90]
FIDE WCh KO New Delhi IND (6.2), 13.12.2000
[Ivanov Sergey]
Alexander Grischuk has made a very good showing at this Championship.
But in the first game with Shirov he suffered a painful defeat and it is very
interesting how he will act in this situation today.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3
Grischuk offers to try conclusions with his opponent in a sharpest variation - English attack - 6...e6 7.Be3 b5 8.g4.
6...Qb6
No, Shirov deviates from one of the actual positions in contemporary theory, where his young opponent has showed himself as a big expert.
7.Nb3 Nc6 8.Qe2!?
A new plan. White prepares Be3 with subsequent long castle. It was used 8.Nd5, 8.Bg5 and 8.Bd3.
8...e6 9.Be3 Qc7 10.g4 b5 11.0-0-0 Bb7
Both sides develop their forces similar with English attack but there are nuances - the white Queen is located on e2 (instead of d2) and the black Knight - on c6 (instead of d7)
12.h4
Since the black King sooner or later have to find cover on the kingside , White prepare the pawn storm in good time.
12...Rc8 13.Kb1
Preventive measures - against possible tactical motives with mate threatens on the c2.
13...Nd7 14.Rg1
This move it was not necessary - energetically looks 14.g5.
14...Nce5
Possible was at once 14...b4 , offering to White to mediate on the piece's sacrifice - 15.Nd5 exd5 16.exd5 Ne7 , and it is not very clear how to continue the attack further.
15.Qf2
White don't want to see the active black Knight on c4 but permits at that a tactical blow, thanks to which the rival wins a pawn. The alternative was - 15.a3 Nc4 (possible was also 15...Be7 16.Qf2 0-0) 16.Bd4 e5 17.Nd5 Bxd5 18.exd5 Be7 with a complicated game.
15...b4 16.Na4 Nxf3!?
The combination on a distraction theme. On the immediate 16...Qc6 it was strong 17.Na5
17.Qxf3 Qc6!
A precise order of moves. If Black started with 17...Qxc2+ 18.Ka1 Qc6 , then after 19.Na5 White is okay.
18.Nac5!
White discovers an excellent resource. Now it is bad already 18.Na5? in view of 18...Qxc2+ 19.Ka1 Bxe4 20.Qe2 Qxa4 , and Black wins.
18...Nxc5?!
And Shirov makes a mistake at once. Ought to continue 18...dxc5 19.Na5 Qc7 20.Nxb7 Qxb7 , and White has to work for a while to prove that he has a compensation for a pawn.
19.Bxc5 dxc5 20.Na5 Qc7
Black has to retreat as in case of 20...Qxe4 21.Qg3 Qf3 22.Qe1 it is difficult to find an acceptable defence from the threat 23.Bg2.
21.Nxb7 Qxb7 22.Bc4
Finally Black's an extra pawn almost it is not feeling meanwhile it is a big question what to do with the King. It is difficult to hold out in the center but the castle also solve no all the problems - White previously has prepared his pawns to a storm.
22...Be7 23.Qe2 Qc6 24.g5!
White distracts no himself on moves like 24.Bxa6 - after 24...Rb8 25.g5 0-0 26.h5 Rbd8 the rival had time to consolidate his forces.
24...0-0 25.h5 Rcd8
Shirov tries to put out white pieces of the attack by the exchanges on d-file.
26.g6
Now it will be highly uncomfortably to the black King.
26...Rxd1+ 27.Rxd1 fxg6 28.hxg6
White was managed to open files on the kingside but nevertheless it is not quite enough pieces on the board...
28...Rf4??
Having been losing a lot of time on the previous calculations Shirov commits a harsh error in an already relatively simple position. After the right answer 28...hg6 (possible was however also 28...h6, and 28...Rf6) all the fight was in future.
29.Qh2
Now it is impossible simultaneously to defence from a mate and to save the Rook since in case of 29...Rh4 30.Qb8 Bf8 31.Rf1 Qd6 32.Rf8 Qf8 33.Be6 White mates all the same. 1-0
(2)
Anand,V (2762) - Adams,M (2755) [B90]
FIDE WCh KO New Delhi IND (6.2), 13.12.2000
[Ivanov Sergey]
In the first game Adams offered a draw in a position with an appreciable strategic advantage. I think that after the present game he regrets about his decision.
In chess often works the same laws as in football - "if you don't score a goal one kick the ball into your goal!"
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5
So called Meller system. In 30s Alekhin actively propagandized it. In our days it was devised an improvement - 5...b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 ("Newarkhangelsky variation").
6.c3
A logical continuation. The practice showed that other ways - 6.Ne5 or
6.Bc6 give not White an adavntage.
6...b5
In old times they continued 6...Ba7 7.d4 Nxe4 8.Re1 f5 9.Nbd2 0-0 10.Nxe4 fxe4 11.Bg5 Qe8 12.Rxe4 d6 13.dxe5 Bf5 , but later it was proved that by the way of 14.Rf4! White obtains an advantage.
7.Bc2
Now the Bishop gets a possibility to hide on the c2-square at once.
7...d6 8.a4
More actively looks 8.d4!? , and for Black is not so easy to get an equality. For example: 8...Bb6 9.h3 0-0 10.Be3 Bb7 11.Nbd2 Re8 12.Re1
Rb8 13.a3 h6 14.Qe2 d5 15.Nxe5? Nann-Hector, Oxford 1998
8...Bg4 9.h3 Bh5 10.d3
The question about the move d2-d4 for the time being is removed from the agenda. The alternative - 10.b4 Bb6 11.axb5 axb5 12.Rxa8 Qxa8 13.Na3 with a complicated game, Svidler-Benjamin (Luzern 1997)
10...0-0 11.Nbd2 b4 12.a5
Always is useful to capture space and to expand zone of the activity of your pieces. Besides in the endgame a6-pawn could to become weak.
12...Rb8 13.g4!N
Adams is a great expert in outplaying this variation, at that with both colors. So, in the game against Benjamin (Luzern 1997) he continued 13.Re1 Qc8 14.Nf1 b3 15.Bb1 Rb5 16.Ng3 Bg6 17.d4? and has gained some advantage. And in a recent game with Svidler (Neum 2000) he played with black pieces and after 13.Qe2
bxc3 14.bxc3 d5 15.d4! exd4 16.Qxa6 dxc3 17.Qxc6 cxd2 18.Nxd2 it was tied a very sharp battle. Therefore Anand waiting no a strengthening from the rival in known variations first goes away and employed a not bad novelty. For Black is difficult to use the weakness of the kingside meanwhile White now has liberated hands for the activity literally throughout the board.
13...Bg6 14.Nc4
It is important to take the e5-pawn under control. On 14.Bb3
it is possible a blow on the center - 14...d5!
14...bxc3 15.bxc3 Qc8
Black hardly can find an intelligible arrangement for his pieces. On 15...Re8 is extremely unpleasant a bunch - 16.Ba4. Nevertheless better looks 15...Qe7 16.Ba4 Nd8
16.Ba4 Na7?!
A doubtful maneuver. It is nothing to do for the Knight at a7. Much more naturally it was to retreat in the center - 16...Ne7 , and in case of for example 17.Bg5 Qe6 18.Bb3 it is possible 18...Nxg4! 19.hxg4 (19.Bxe7 Nxf2) 19...Qxg4+ 20.Kh2 Rxb3 , passing to a counter-attack.
17.Be3
The white Knight (in contrast to his black brother on a7) will occupy
now an ideal position on the e3-square. It would be obviously prematurely 17.d4?!
exd4 18.cxd4 Bb4 19.e5 Nxg4!
17...Bxe3 18.Nxe3 c6
Maybe nevertheless it was deserve to make with this Knight an activ move - 18...Nb5
19.Qd2 Qc7 20.c4 c5?
A hard strategic mistake. It is clear the Black's desire to transfer nevertheless his Knight in the center - over c6 on d4, but all his pieces are located so unhappy that there is no any chances to realize this plan. Ought to continue 20...Nd7 , planning further to play Nc5, and the a7-Knight to transfer on e7 over c8. In this case Adams would has been keep a defencible position.
21.Nh4 Kh8
It is necessary to spent a tempo for the retreat of the King since is impossible immediate
21...Nc6? in view of 22.g5 Nh5 23.Nd5 Qc8 24.Bxc6 Qxc6 25.Ne7++-. It seems to me that Black nevertheless should pull the Knight closer to the center (and conjointly to cover a weak b6-point) - 21...Nc8 22.g5 Nh5 23.Nd5 Qd8 24.Rab1 Rxb1 25.Rxb1 Nf4
26.Nxf4 Qxg5+ 27.Nhg2 exf4 28.Qxf4 Qd8 White stands certainly better but one can't see a decisive invasion yet.
22.g5
Looks good also 22.f4!? with an attack on f-file.
22...Nh5 23.Nd5 Qd8 24.Rfb1
The strong point b6 now is very apropos to White.
His positional advantage is obvious. Take a comparison between the location of the Knights - white on d5 and black on a7.
24...Nf4
A desperate attempt to weak a running knot.
25.Nxf4 Qxg5+ 26.Nhg2 exf4 27.Rb6!
A triumph of White's strategy. He has nowhere to hurry, and on the replacement of one Knight in the center soon will come another.
27...Rbd8 28.Qxf4 Qe7 29.Rab1
The activity of the pieces is more important than the material. A clumsy 29.Rxa6 f5 allowed Black to reveal a likeness of a counter-play.
29...Nc8 30.Rb7
White inexorably has it one's own way - no one move like 30.Ra6.
30...Qe6 31.Qg5
It was possible at once to play 31.Qg3 , but Anand for justice
come to the conclusion that an additional weakness of the g6-point will not disturb him.
31...h6 32.Qg3 Qf6 33.Nf4 Ne7
Black tries a last chance.
34.Kg2!
Brilliantly! With an iron hand Vishi Anand leads his army to victory. Any variations like 34.Rxe7 Qxe7 35.Qxg6 Qc7 36.Qf5 Qxa5 (and the passing a-pawn gives Black a certain counter-play) are useless for White.
34...Ng8 35.Nd5 Qe6 36.Bd1
White threatens from all sides - Bg4, R1b6
etc. Becoming tiered of a hopeless defence Adams resigned herewith full board of pieces and a material equality. All the game from the beginning to the end is a magnificent strategic Anand's achievement! 1-0
