Round 6.Game 4
Xie Jun is the World Champion (16.12.2000)

A draw in game four, and the Chinese player keeps her title of the World Champion. Game one proved to be decisive. All Qin’s attempts to equalise the score gave nothing.

Grischuk had a stubborn fighting with Shirov but failed to win. Russia’s last player quit the championship. Despite this defeat the Moscow grandmaster showed a splendid result in the event. Nobody had predicted his participation in the semi-final. Anand defeated Adams without trouble. Having temporarily sacrificed a piece, the Indian grandmaster soon returned it and left no chances to gain an advantage to his opponent. Thus the KO system selected two strongest grandmasters of the end of millennium from a throng of professionals. This result looks natural: Shirov plays for the title of the World Champion for the first time, Anand for the second time, but Kasparov mentioned both of them among those who are worth to play with himself. So the KO system demonstrated its objectivity. Russian amateurs are upset but it was not the system which caused the failures of our players.

Tehran is waiting for the finalists. Anand loses the advantage of host, so both grandmasters will play under equal conditions. Fourth games of the semi-finals were drawn, but the struggle was hard in both, neither Grischuk. nor Adams wanted a draw.

Grischuk - Shirov
Round 6. Semi-final. Game 4

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 c6 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Bg4 12. Rb1 Nd7 13. h3 Bh5 14. Rb5 Nb6 15. c4

Grischuk sacrifices a pawn, hoping to gain a greater activity for his pieces.

15... Bxf3 16. Qxf3 dxc4 17. Bc2 Qd7 18. a4 g6 19. Be3 Rac8 20. Rfb1 c3 21. a5 Nc4 22. Rxb7

White won back the material easily, but Black’s c3-pawn is stronger than White’s passed pawns a5 and d4.

22... Qe6 23. Bb3 Qf5 24. Qxf5 gxf5 25. Ra1 f4 26. Bc1 Rfe8 27. f3 c2 28. Kf2 a6 29. Ra4 Nb2

Rather an original method to draw a game. The knight should be taken, though probably not in the way Grischuk chose.

30. Bxf7+ Kf8

The rook can’t be taken. Black’s rook, knight and pawn are dangerous.

31. Bxb2

In case of 31. Bxb2 Shirov plays 31…c1Q and takes White’s bishop in a move with a spare tempo, thus gaining the desired perpetual check.

31... c1=Q 32. Bxc1 Rc2+ 33. Kf1 Rxc1+ 34. Kf2 Rc2+ 35. Kf1 Rc1+

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Anand - Adams
Round 6. Semi-final. Game 4

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Bc5 6. c3 b5 7. d4 bxa4 8. dxc5 Qe7 9. Qxa4 Qxc5 10. Be3 Qe7 11. h3 O-O 12. Nbd2 Bb7 13. b4 h6 14. Rab1 d6 15. c4 Qe6 16. Qc2 Ne7 17. a4

White goes ahead and can organise an attack on the queenside.

17... Nxe4

Black cools down his opponent a little, but this is even no sacrifice: the piece is returned, and tension is relieved. Not so bad, but Adams needs a victory.

18. Nxe4 Qg6 19. Nfd2 f5 20. Ng3 f4 21. Qxg6 Nxg6

Black is OK, but without queens he has no chance to achieve a victory.

22. Nge4 fxe3 23. fxe3 Nh4 24. Rxf8+ Kxf8 25. Rf1+ Ke8 26. g3 Ng6 27. Kf2 Nf8 28. Ke2 Nd7 29. Rc1 Nf6 30. Kd3 Nxe4 31. Nxe4 Kd7 32. Rf1 Ke6 33. Rf2 Bc6 34. Nc3 Be8 35. e4 Bg6 36. Nd5 Rc8 37. a5 c6

A draw is inevitable.

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