Greetings, gentle readers of www.crestbook.com! I am grandmaster Sergey Shipov. I invite you to delve into a central battle from the 9th round of the Wijk aan Zee 2007 super tournament. Levon Aronian significantly raised his chances of finishing first by defeating (with Black!) Teimour Radjabov.But leadership is like the many-headed Hydra. One you chop off, another arises! Exit Radjabov, enter Topalov at the head of the standings. But what is this, Levon tries to chop off this head, and become the mightiest of all! Other games of the 9th round: Tiviakov - Motylev, Navara - Shirov, Ponomariov - Karjakin, Anand - Van Wely, Carlsen - Radjabov, and Svidler - Kramnik. Pay special attention to this last pairing. Peter and Vladimir comprise serious danger for Veselin. Watch out for this new, quickly-growing head....
1.c4 |
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The game Anand - Van Wely:
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5 h6 11.Bh4 dxe5 12.fxe5 Nfd7 13.Ne4 Qxa2 14.Rd1 Qd5 15.Qe3 Qxe5 16.Be2 Bc5 17.Bg3 Bxd4 18.Rxd4 Qa5+ 19.Rd2 O-O 20.Bd6 Nc6 21.Bxf8 Nxf8 22.O-O Bd7 23.Nd6 Ne5 24.Nxb7 Qc7 25.Nd6 f6 26.c4 Bc6 27.Ra1 Nfd7 28.Qd4 a5 29.Nb5 Qb6 30.Qxb6 Nxb6 31.Rd6
Something tells me that in this position White's Exchange outweighs Black's two pawns. It's all in the piece activity...
31...Nbd7 32.Nd4 Be4 33.Nxe6
There goes the second pawn.
33...a4
But this show of optimism comes from van Wely's rubber boot. All he need do is deal with the c4-pawn. On the remaining side, the kingside, the position could be held.
34.Nc7 Ra5 35.Ra6
A strong decision. There can be no doubt of White's advantage.
35...Rxa6 36.Nxa6 Bc6 37.c5 Bb7?!
In time trouble, van Wely begins to thrash about.
38.Rc1 Nc6 39.Nc7 Nd4?
Even a grandmaster may throw away a piece.
40.Bc4+ Kf8 41.Rd1
Black resigned.
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1...e5
The English Opening. A Sicilian Defence with colours reversed. The missing tempo prevents Black from adopting the same level of activity as in a Sicilian.
2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5
The classical central break is in that same Sicilian spirit.
5.cxd5 Nxd5
Now both black bishops may develop naturally.
6.Bg2 Nb6
White threatened Nf3xe5, and if
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6...Be6 7.O-O Be7
White strikes with
8.d4!
to gain the advantage.
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7.O-O
Be7 8.Rb1
White prepares a queenside attack. The advance b2-b4 could arise as early as the very next move.
8...a5
An ounce of prevention.
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If
8...O-O 9.b4 Bxb4
, Black must take that same old punch
10.Nxe5!] |
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Levon has great experience in the play of this position. Here is a salient example:
8...Be6 9.b4 e4 10.Nxe4 Bxa2 11.Ra1 Nxb4 12.Bb2 f5 13.Bxg7 fxe4 14.Bxh8 exf3 15.Bxf3 Bd5 16.e4 Bf7 17.d4 c6 18.Bh5
and Black was not able to neutralize White's initiative inAronian-Naiditsch, Mainz 2005.]
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9.d3
The quick advance was not happening, so White returns to the
regularly scheduled development of his pieces.
9...Be6
The best square for the bishop. White's queenside gradually comes under pressure. But timing can be crucial. Topalov delays castling in favour of piece development. Apparently, he regards this as the most precise move order. I don't quite get that, as White retains chances in the variations.
10.Be3
An ancient move. But not the only move!
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My opinion is based upon the following game:
10.b3 O-O
I ask the readers to allow a small move transposition)
11.Bb2 f6 12.Nd2 Qd7 13.Nc4 Nd5 14.Rc1 Rfd8 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Bxd5+ Qxd5 17.Ne3 Qe6 18.Qc2 Nd4 19.Bxd4 exd4 20.Qc4 Qxc4 21.Nxc4 a4 22.bxa4 Rxa4 23.Nb2 Rxa2 24.Rxc7 Rxb2 25.Rxe7 Kf8 26.Rc7 Re8 27.Re1
and in the endgame the chances in the position have equalized, Gulko - Bareev, New Delhi 2000
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10...O-O
11.Bxb6 cxb6
This continuation is also familiar to me. I have played such positions with both colours. The trade of the bishop at b6 leaves White with the advantage in the centre and some initiative on the light squares. Not for free, though: Black has a strong pair of bishops.
12.e3 Í
A novelty! Aronian controls the d4 square, so a black knight
may no longer enter there. White might achieve the advance d3-d4, energizing the central pawn majority.
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The standard idea is to shift the knight to c4:
12.Nd2
, which Black can prevent:
12...b5! 13.b3 |
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(Also worth consideration is
13.Nxb5
Bxa2 14.Ra1 Be6 15.Nc4 Bc5) |
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13...b4 14.Na4 Rc8 15.Rc1 Nd4 16.Rxc8 Qxc8 17.e3 Nf5 18.Qb1 Qb8 19.Nb6 Rd8 20.Rc1 Qd6 21.Nbc4 Qxd3 22.Qxd3 Rxd3 23.Bxb7 a4 24.Be4 Rc3 25.Rd1 axb3 26.axb3 f6 27.Ra1 Nd6 28.Nxd6 Bxd6 29.Ra6 Bh3 30.Bg2 Rc1+ 31.Nf1 Bxg2 32.Kxg2 Rd1
and in the game Kosten - Haslinger, Coventry 2005 a draw was agreed.
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The other known continuation -
12.Qa4
The move's author needs no introduction:
12...f6 13.Rfd1 Qe8 14.e3 Qf7 15.d4 exd4 16.exd4 Nb4 17.d5 Bf5 18.d6 Bxd6 19.Rxd6 Bxb1 20.Nxb1 Qxa2 21.Qxa2+ Nxa2 22.Nfd2 Nb4 23.Rxb6 Rac8 24.Bxb7 Rc3 25.b3
and in the endgame White converted his advantage Kasparov! - Faulks, London simultaneous exhibition 2003.
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12...b5!
A logical choice. Black is happy to say goodbye to the doubled pawns.
13.Nxb5 Bxa2 14.Rc1
Let's study this position carefully. Down the road, Black may get a passed pawn on the queenside, so White must continue energetically. But how? The central break d3-d4 suggests itself. But the weakness of the d3-pawn makes difficult the shift Nf3-d2-c4. However, just that plan may arise after some preparation.
14...a4
Topalov hurries to solidify his gains on the queenside. The a5-square may become a magnet for his pieces. The b2-pawn risks becoming an object of attack. I'm going to take advantage of the pause in the action to look around. Tiviakov - Motylev. A Caro-Kann smoothly transposed into a King's Indian Attack. The position is about even, with no complications at the moment. Navara - Shirov: Also a King's Indian Attack, but the pawn structure is quite different. It's still early to evaluate this battle, developing upon standard lines. Ponomariov - Karjakin is a complex Sicilian. The Ukrainian derby is of special interest to those reading this in Russian. Anand - Van Wely is a Poisoned Pawn Sicilian Najdorf. Vishy, for the thousandth time, has displayed the board vision of a virtuoso. In a flash, he transforms a merely good idea into a fruitful one. Today he replayed the same three-pawn sacrifice that Motylev tried against him in the second round. Anand strengthened White's play. Look at that game in the notes to move one, above. Karlsen - Radjabov is a Sveshnikov Sicilian. Not the Chelyabinsk variation (Translator's note: Welcome to the world where openings have different names in different languages. The moves played, 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 are often called the Kalashnikov Variation in English. After 5.Nb5 d6 6.N1c3, Black gave up the chance of ever transposing into a Lasker-Pelikan, Chelyabinsk or Sveshnikov--which all involve a black knight on f6--with 6...Nge7.) ... The younger player bravely grabbed a couple of pawns, but trailed in development. Svidler - Kramnik is an interesting theoretical duel in the Petrov Defence. We await the first fruit ... or bullet wound!
15.Nc3
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The option
15.d4
simply doesn't lead to any advantage for White. For example
15...e4 16.Ne5 Bd5 17.Nc3 Bb3 18.Nxc6 bxc6 19.Qe2 f5
and Black is just fine.
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Possibly an even better idea after
15.d4 is Qb6! 16.Qe2 Ra5 17.Nc3 Bb3 -
as Black's bishops retain their elbow room.
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15...Bb3 16.Qe2
So, Levon chooses a plan to recycle the f3-knight. At b3 the bishop will come under fire...
16...Be6
Of course, it makes no sense to trade the bishop for a knight. Now Aronian can put the ball back into his opponent's court with the lob 17.Ra1!? Then what to do with the a4-pawn? Trade it at a3, or sacrifice it?
17.Ra1
Just so.
17...a3
Refusing to philosophize with the devil.
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Let's look at the gambit
17...Qd6
followed by Rf8-d8. White is hard-pressed to defend the weakness on d3. Among the problematic variations:
18.Rxa4 Rxa4 19.Nxa4 Rd8 20.Ne1 |
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(20.Rd1? Bb3!) |
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20...Nb4 21.Nc3 |
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(21.Bxb7? Qd7!) |
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21...b6
and Black has the advantage.
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18.bxa3 Rxa3 19.Rxa3 Bxa3
The b7-pawn is now passed, but it is a long slog away from making its influence felt. I think that White can neutralize it.
20.Nb5
The b5-square is great for a potential blockade. En passant, White prepares d3-d4.
20...Be7
The bishop could be left at b4, but it appears that Veselin feared an attack by White's major pieces along the b-file. So, what now? Enough splitting hairs, it's time for White to bite the centre.
21.d4
I just finished writing the note above when Levon struck. Regrettably, the totality of pawns on the board undergoes a steady decline, while the position remains about even. Any attempt by either player to draw the weight of battle to his own side entails danger. But maybe Topalov will risk 21...d4 22.Nd2 f5 - !? That would be an interesting, fighting pawn structure ....
21...Bg4
No risk. It looks like Veselin did not like the reinforced concrete white pawn at d4. And well I understand. The move in the game leads inevitably to further simplifications.
22.h3 Bxf3 23.Bxf3 exd4 24.exd4
A tornado removes all life from the board.
24...Bf6
Loss of the e7-bishop prevented immediate capture at d4.
25.Rd1 |
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If
25.d5 Nd4 26.Nxd4 Bxd4 27.Rd1 Bc5
White will not be able to advance his passed pawn:
28.d6 Bxd6 29.Qd3 Bc7!
with complete equality.
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25...Qb6
Methodically increasing the pressure. We have our first result of the round: Svidler - Kramnik: Draw. The duellists took aim, but no shot was fired. More surprising was the second draw, where the young gunslingers Carlsen and Radjabov ran out of the bullets (pawns) necessary for further battle.
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Once again, the d4-pawn was impalatible:
25...Nxd4? 26.Nxd4 Bxd4 27.Qe4
and Black loses a piece.
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26.Qc4
Aronian tries as he might to continue the struggle.
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After
26.d5
Nd4 27.Nxd4 Bxd4
it's once again even.
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26...Rd8
No, you won't save the d4-pawn.
27.Kg2
Now nothing can hold back the c6-knight.
27...Nxd4
Mystery is dead.
28.Nxd4 Rxd4
Draw. A draw is the result of logical and excellent play by the grandmasters. Topalov remains the sole tournament leader. I'll take one last, forlorn look at the other boards: Tiviakov - Motylev: I see Black's position as the more hopeful. Navara - Shirov: White is forcing the pressure, but Black is right to ignore it. His position is quite hopeful. Ponomariov - Karjakin: White's attack is developing quicker. The older comrade is prepared to hurt the younger. And with that, please allow us to draw a close to today's online session. With you was grandmaster Sergei Shipov. Until tomorrow!
[Quick translation from Russian by Jonathan Berry.]
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