Round 2

Bareev - Adams [E04]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. Qa4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Nd5 8. Bxb4 Ndxb4

9. a3

The principal way. After a quiet 9.0-0 Rb8 10. Nc3 a6 11. Ne5 0-0 12. Nxc6 Nxc6 13. Bxc6 bxc6 14.Qxc6 Rxb2 15. Rab1 Rb6 it would be very hard to break Black's position.

9... b5 10. Qxb5 Nc2+ 11. Kd2 Nxa1 12. Qxc6+ Bd7 13. Qxc4 c5!

This move was introduced into the tournament practice by V. Korchnoi.

14. Qa2 Qa5+ 15. Nc3

In the game Ivanchuk - Korchnoi (Tilburg, 1989) which was first to restore to life the whole variation the opponents played 15. b4 cxb4 16. Qxa1 Rc8 17. Ne5 Bb5.

15... cxd4 16. Nxd4 Rd8 17. Rxa1

Weaker was 17. b4? because of 17... Qb6 18. e3 19. Bxc6+ Qxc6 20. Rxa1 e5, whereafter White was very bad in the game Gasimov - Doroshkievich (St.Petersburg, 1994).

17... e5

There is no 17... Qb6 18. e3 e5 because of 19. Nd5.

18. b4 Qb6 19. Nc2 Qxf2 20. Ne3 Be6+ 21. Ncd5

21... O-O

Black is over with his development. The position of White's king is too open, preventing him from making use of the potential activity of his light pieces.

22. Qc4

White surrounded the black queen, but an attempt to win it with 22. Rf1 must fail because of 22... Bxd5 or even 22... Qxg2 23. Nxg2 Bxd5 24. Qa1 Bxg2+ which is still stronger, Black having a more than sufficient compensation.

22... Bxd5 23. Bxd5 Qxh2 24. Qh4 Qf2 25. Rh1 h6 26. Rh2

With his king centralised in the middlegame White dared not try to win the game and forced a draw.

26... Qg1 27. Rh1 1/2-1/2 Draw.

Khalifman - Leko, [E34]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. cxd5 Qxd5 6. e3 c5 7. Bd2 Bxc3 8. Bxc3 cxd4 9. Bxd4 Nc6 10. Bc3

11... Bd7

P. Leko aims at the development of the queenside pieces first of all. Usually they play here 10... O-O or 10... Qc5. There are two instances from the games belonging to one of the participants of the tournament: 10... O-O 11. Nf3 Qc5 12. Rc1 Nd5 13. Bd2 Qxc2 14. Rxc2 Rd8 15. a3 h6 16. b4 a6 17. Bc4 e5 18. O-O Bf5 19. Rcc1 e4= (Kir. Georgiev - Adams, Sarajevo, 2000) and 10... Qc5 11. Rc1 Bd7 12. Nf3 O-O13. Qb1 Qe7 14. Bd3 Nb4 15. Bxf6 Nxd3+ 16. Qxd3 gxf6= (Seirawan - Adams, Bermuda (m/8), 2000).

11. Nf3 Rc8 12. a3 Ne7 13. Be2 O-O 14. O-O Bb5

The conflict is settled after White loses the so-called advantage of two bishops.

15. Rfd1 1/2-1/2

Draw.

Piket -Kramnik [E59]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 c5 6. Nf3 d5 7. O-O Nc6 8. a3 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Qc7 10. Bb2 dxc4 11. Bxc4 e5 12. Be2 e4 13. Nd2 Rd8 14. Qc2 Bf5 15. Nb3 cxd4 16. cxd4 Rd6 17. Rfc1 Re8

18. Nc5

18. Nd2 Qd7 19. Nf1 Bg4 20. Rab1 occurred in the game Taimanov - Zaichik (Riga, 1975).

18... Qe7 19. Qb3 Nd8 1/2-1/2 Draw.

Akopian Anand [D46]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. e4 dxe4 8. Nxe4 Nxe4 9. Bxe4 

9... e5

After 9... 0-0 9. 0-0 the move 10... e5?! would be less attractive because of: 11. dxe5 Nxe5 12. Nxe5 Bxe5 13. Bxh7+ .

10. O-O exd4 11. Qxd4 Qf6 12. Bg5 Qxd4 13. Nxd4 Nc5 14. Bf5 O-O 15. Rad1 Re8 16. Be3 16. Be3 1/2-1/2

Draw. This position was seen already. The game Ghitescu -Van Geet (Beverwijk, 1967) lasted not much longer and had the same result: 16... Bf8 17. Bxc8 Raxc8 18. Nb3 Na4 19. Rd2 Rcd8 20. Rfd1 Be7 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Rxd8+ Bxd8.

Junior 6 - Huebner [C04]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd7 6. Nb3 Be7 7. Bb5 O-O 8. O-O Ncb8 9. c3 b6 10. Nbd2

10. Ne1 c6 11. Be2 Ba6 12. Bxa6 Nxa6 13. Qg4 occurred in the game D. Yanofsky - L. Portisch (Munich, 1958).

10... Ba6 11. a4 c6 12. Bxa6 Nxa6 13. Qe2 Nc7 14. b3 c5 15. Re1 Nb8 16. Ba3 Nc6 17. Qd3 Rc8 18. a5 Ra8 19. Kh1 Qd7

In case of 19... Nxa5 Black has to reckon with 20. Bxc5. The simplest for Black was 19... cxd4 20. axb6 axb6 21. Bxe7 Qxe7 22. cxd4 Nb4 with an equality.

20. dxc5 1-0

Black resigned.

R. Huebner did not want to play a worse position. After 20... bxc5 (a bit worse by Black after 20... Nxa5 21. cxb6 axb6 22. Bxe7 Qxe7 23. Nd4) the move 21. Ne4 should be considered, and though the pawn would be retaken after 21... Rfb8 22. Nfg5 (no 22. Reb1? because of 22... c4!, and Black wins) 22... g6 23. Nxc5 Bxc5 24. Bxc5 Rxb3, the problems connected with the weakness of black squares on the kingside would remain unsolved.