Round 10

Morozevich - Kasparov [A00]

1. Nc3 c5 2. d4

Quite an original beginning of the game for such a tournament.

2... cxd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qh4 Nf6 5. Nf3 d5 6. Bg5 Qa5

Despite White’s seemingly pretentious play he managed to get good results here both after 6... e6 7. O-O-O Be7 8. e4 (Becking - Staggat, Weilburg, 1995) and after 6... e5 7. O-O-O Be6 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. e4 d4 10. Bb5 (Bachmayer - Angerer, Austria, 1998). G. Kasparov went another way: having left his e-pawn in its initial position, Black attempts to concentrate his efforts on the white king as soon as possible.

7. O-O-O Be6 8. Bd2 g6 9. e4 d4 10. e5 Ng4

Black wants to complicate the struggle. If he forced the play with 10... dxc3 11. Bxc3 Qxa2 12. exf6 exf6 13. Bxf6 (in case of 13. Qxf6 White has to reckon with 13... Rg8) 13... Bb4, then the game could have ended with a perpetual check after 14. c3 Qa1+ 15. Kc2 Bb3+ 16. Kxb3 Qxd1+ 17. Ka2 Qa4+ 18. Kb1.

11. Nxd4 Nxd4 12. h3 Bg7 13. hxg4 Bxe5 14. a3 Rc8 15. Bd3

15... Nb3+!?

Black rushes to the attack. All his pieces except the rook on h8 are aimed at White’s queenside.

16. cxb3 Bxc3 17. Bxc3 Rxc3+ 18. Kb1?

White loses the game practically in one move. After 18. bxc3 Qxc3+ 19. Kb1 (or 19. Bc2 Bxb3 20. Rd2 Qa1+ 21. Bb1 Qc3+) 19... Qxb3+ the game should have ended with a perpetual check. The inability to engage quickly his last reserve, the rook on h8, would not let Black to end the attack with a victory.

18... Rxb3 19. Qh2 Qc3!

The black queen is settled good. From the square c3 it takes part both in the attack and in the defence.

20. Qb8+ Bc8 21. Rd2 O-O 22. Qh2 h5 23. Rhd1 Bxg4 24. f3 Be6 25. g4 hxg4 26. fxg4 Bxg4 27. Rg1 Rxb2+

Having three extra pawns White can afford some material concessions. After he captures in a little combination his light-squared rival he won’t need to fear a sacrifice on g6.

28. Rxb2 Qxd3+ 29. Qc2 Qd7 30. Qd2 Qxd2 31. Rxd2 Bf3

Black’s huge pawn advantage leaves no chances to his opponent.

32. Kb2 Bc6 33. Kc3 Kg7 34. Kb4 e5 35. a4 a6 36. a5 e4 37. Kc5 Re8 38. Re1 Re6 39. Kd4 f5 40. Rh2 Kf6 41. Rh8 Rd6+ 42. Kc5 Rd5+ 43. Kb6 Rb5+ 44. Kc7 Rxa5? 0-1

White resigned.

Shirov - Leko [C65]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 Bb6 6. O-O O-O 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 d6 9. Qd3 Qe7

The Hungarian grandmaster brings in certain corrections in comparison with his game from the third round (Anand - Leko, Frankfurt, 2000). Then he chose the move 9... Bd7.

10. Nbd2 Nb8 11. Rfe1 c6 12. Ba4 Nbd7 13. Nc4 Bc7 14. Ne3 Re8 15. Nf5 Qf8 16. Rad1

White does not hurry to demonstrate his intentions concerning the centre of the board. It was much easier for Black after 16. dxe5 dxe5 that occurred in this position previously.

16... Nh5 17. Bc2 Nb6 18. b3 Be6 19. Qd2 Bd8

There was still another opportunity 19... Bxf5 20. exf5 exd4 21. Nxd4 d5. The point is that 22. f6 is bad because after 22... Nxf6 23. Bxf6 Black has a strong answer 23... Qd6!.

20. Ne3 g6 21. c4 Bxh4 22. Nxh4 c5

22... Rad8 or 22... Nf4 would allow Black to delay any critical actions in the centre.

23. dxc5

Black is ready to play with a closed pawn centre in case of 23. d5 Bd7.

23... dxc5 24. Nd5 Rad8 25. Qa5 Bxd5

The knight on d5 cannot be allowed to stay there long. After 25... Nc8 26. Rd2 White would increase gradually his influence in the centre.

26. exd5 Qd6 27. g3

There was no 27. Qxa7? because of 27... Ra8 28. Qxb7 Rec8!, and White has problems refuting the horrible threat to catch the white queen with 29... Rc7.

27... Re7 28. Rd2 Rde8 29. Rde2 Nf6 30. Nf3 Nfd7 31. Nd2 f5

32. Qxa7!?

A waiting tactics like 32. Re3 would give nothing to White, so he pretends to be trapped into Black’s trap sending his queen into the very scorching heat.

32... Ra8 33. Qxb7 Nb8

Black shuts down the trap. Now White’s queen must die. Knowing what followed then we can offer 33... Rxa2 as the simplest way for Black. After 34. Qc6 Qxc6 35. dxc6 Rxc2 36. cxd7 Rxd7 there was an equal endgame, and in case of 34. Bb1 Black could win the white queen with 34... Rxd2 35. Rxd2 in a much more pleasant situation.

34. Qxe7 Qxe7 35. Rxe5 Qb7

White has as little as one rook and three pawns for the queen, still he has to play accurately. So, now 35... Qf6!? deserved attention, and after 36. Re8+ Kf7 37. R1e6 Qa1+ 38. Kg2 N8d7 White has nothing better than the perpetual check 39. R6e7+ Kf6 40. Re6+.

36. Re8+ Kf7 37. Nf3!

Ignoring Black’s material advantage A. Shirov still increases the pressure with quiet moves.

37... Rxa2?

It was the decisive mistake, but even after the best 37... Nc8 38. Rh8 Nd7 39. Ree8 Nf6 40. Reg8! White would have an insufficient compensation for the queen that would consist in the horrible activity of his rooks in the opponent’s rear.

38. R1e6!

A dreadful 39. Ne5+ is threatening. Black won’t suffer any long.

38... N6d7

There is no 38... Rxc2 because of 39. Ne5+ Kg7 40. R6e7+ which has been mentioned already.

39. R6e7+ Kf6 40. Rh7 Qb6 41. Ree7 1-0

Black resigned. There was no defence from 42. Rhf7#.

Kramnik - Anand [D12]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c6 3. d4 d5 4. e3 Bf5

Let us remind that in the seventh round A. Shirov preferred 4.... e6 when playing vs. V. Kramnik.

5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Bg6 7. Nxg6 hxg6 8. g3 Nbd7 9. Bg2

The pawn was never sacrificed in this position previously, they preferred 9. Qe2, 9. Qd3 or 9. Qb3.

9... dxc4 10. Qe2 Nb6 11. O-O Be7 12. Rd1 Nfd5 13. e4 Nb4

After 13... Nxc3 14. bxc3 White had a full compensation for the pawn but even now it is more than enough.

14. Be3 O-O

14... Nd3 was bad because of 15. b3 Bb4 16. Nb1, and Black’s pieces are hanging.

15. a3 Na6

Again there was no 15... Nd3 because of the thematic 16. b3.

16. d5!

The black knight went a long and not very useful way from the square f6 to a6. This fact cannot stay unpunished.

16... exd5 17.exd5 Qe8

Black was bad after 17... Nxd5 18. Nxd5 cxd5 19. Bxd5 Qc8 20. Rac1 too.

18. Bxb6

It was hardly good to stake all upon the passed pawn on the d-file with 18. d6 Bf6 19. Ne4. After 19... Qe6 Black would come to it gradually and then take it.

18... axb6 19. Re1

A mere 19. Qxc4 was good as well.

19... Bf6 20. Qxc4 b5 21. Rxe8?!

It is for nothing that White simplifies the position. The bishops of different colours begin to tell more and more definitely after the exchanges. After 21. Qg4! it would be much more complicated for Black to get a draw.

21... bxc4 22. Rxa8 Rxa8 23. dxc6 bxc6 24. Bf1

In case of 24. Bxc6 Rb8 25. Ra2 Nc5 26. Bd5 Nd3 27. Na4 Nxb2 28. Nxb2 Rxb2 an endgame with bishops of different colours would arise inevitably in which the extra pawn would not be of a critical importance.

24... Nc5 25. Bxc4 Na4 26. Ne4 Bxb2 27. Rb1 Nc3!?

V. Anand wants a draw and for the sake of a draw he is ready to part with the pawn. After 27... Kf8 28. Ng5 f6 29. Ne6+ Ke7 30. Nxg7 (if 30. Re1, then 30... Kd6) 30... f5 Black could struggle, there would be a material balance on the board but with more pieces present.

28. Nxc3 Bxc3 29. Rb7 Rxa3 30. Rxf7

30. Bxf7+ Kh7 31. Rb6 Bf6 32. Rxc6 g5 would change nothing too. Owing to the different bishops Black can easily maintain the balance even though he is missing a pawn.

30... Kh7 31. Rc7 Bf6 32. Rxc6 g5 33. Kg2 Kg6 34. Bd5 Kf5 35. f3 Ke5 36. Be6 Rd3 37. Bc8 Rd2+ 38. Kh3 Kd4 39. Kg4 Rxh2 1/2-1/2

Draw.