Round 9
Huebner - Anand [E08]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 c6 5. Qc2
White is overcautious. After 5. Bg2 the threat of the capture
5... dxc4 was not very dangerous because of 6. Ne5. An attempt to
gain a material advantage from the position to come after 6...
Bb4+ 7. Bd2 by force with 7... Qxd4? 8. Bxb4 Qxe5 would be
smashed with 9. Na3!, White getting a frightful initiative for
the sacrificed pawns.
5... Nbd7
White's last move allowed Black to begin an active
counterplay immediately with 5... dxc4 6. Qxc4 b5, but V. Anand
is holding to a different policy.
6. Bg2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. b3 b6 9. Rd1
White is waiting. If Black's dark-squared bishop comes to
b7, then White will play Nc3, and if to a6, then Nbd2.
9... Ba6 10. Nbd2 c5
After 10... Rc8 11. e4 there would be one of basic positions
of the Catalan Opening on the board. Knowing about White's plan
to advance e2-e4 White blows a counterstrike in the centre first.

11. e4
The German grandmaster shows his serious attitude. If he
dreamt of a draw he could have held very well his position after
11. Bb2 Rc8 12. Rac1.
11... dxc4 12. bxc4
A new move. White takes control over the important central
square d5 at once. In case of 12. Nxc4 cxd4 13. Nxd4 (if 13. e5,
then 13... Nd5) 13... Rc8 which occurred in the game Filippov -
Galkin (St.Petersburg, 1998) there were great complications after
14. Qe2 (again, the move 14. e5 to be followed with 14... Nd5 led
to a very keen play with mutual chances) 14... Qc7 15. Bf4 Bxc4
16. bxc4 e5.
12... cxd4 13. e5 Ng4 14. Qe4 h5 15. h3
There was no 15. Nxd4? because of 15... Nc5 16. Qxa8 and 16...
Qxd4.
15... Nc5 16. Qxd4 Nh6
Black has to withdraw for a while. In case of 16... Nxe5? 17.
Qxe5 Bf6 he might run up against 18. Qxh5! (much weaker was 18.
Qe1 Bxa1 19. Nb3 because of 19... Bc3! 20. Rxd8 Bxe1 21. Rxa8
Rxa8 22. Nxe1 Rd8, Black's chances better) 18... g6 (there was
no 18... Bxa1 because of 19. Ng5) 19. Qh6 Bg7 20. Nf1! Bxh6 (if
20... Qxd1, then 21. Qxg7+! Kxg7 22. Bb2+ f6 23. Rxd1) 21. Rxd8
Rfxd8 22. Bxh6, Black having serious problems, as a result.
17. Ba3 Qc7
Black does not hurry with the natural 17... Nf5. After 18. Qc3
(there was no 18. Qf4? because of 18... g5!, catching the white
queen, and in the endgame after 18.Qxd8 Raxd8 19. Bxc5 Bxc5 20.
Ne4 Ba3 Black's chances were definitely better) 18... Qc7 Black
would have had to reckon with the move 19. Nh41?.
18. Bxc5 bxc5!
Black decides consciously to slightly spoil his pawn
structure. In case of the suggesting 18... Bxc5 19. Qf4 (19. Qh4
was a blank shot, because after 19... Nf5 the pawn g3 was hung)
19... Nf5 Black would have had to reckon with the move 20. Ne4!,
because White would have developed a considerable activity for
the sacrificed pawn after Bxc4 21. Nxc5 Qxc5 22. Rac1 Rac8 23.
Rd7.
19. Qc3
Now White's queen is forced to move to a much less active
position. In case of 19. Qf4 Rad8 White had already no 20. Ne4 as
there was no compensation for the pawn after 20... Bxc4.
19... Rad8 20. Ne4 Nf5

21. g4?!
The position is approximately equal, but White continues to
move ahead, probably still influenced with his active opening
plan. After 21. Rab1 Bb7 22. Qc2 it was much more complicated to
upset the balance of power.
21... hxg4 22. hxg4 Nh6 23. Nh2
A transition to the defence. 23. Qc2 complied better with
White's 21st move, whereafter Black's best answer
was probably the same as in the game: 23... Rxd1+! 24. Rxd1 Rd8.
If Black took the sacrificed pawn with 23... Nxg4?!, then both
sides had mutual chances in the position to arise after 24. Neg5
Bxg5 25. Nxg5 Rxd1+ 26. Rxd1 g6 27. Qe4! (there was no 27. Nxe6
fxe6 28. Qxg6+ Qg7 29. Qxe6+ Kh8 30. Qxa6 because of 30... Qh7
31. Rd2 Qh2+ 32. Kf1 Qxe5) 27... f5 (if 27... Nxe5, then White
had a draw at the least after 28. Qh4 Kg7 29. Qh7+ Kf6 30. Qh4)
28. exf6 Qh2+ 29. Kf1 Ne5 30. f7+ Rxf7 31. Nxf7 Bxc4+ 32. Ke1
Kxf7.
23... Rxd1+ 24. Rxd1 Rd8 25. Rxd8+ Qxd8 26. Bf3 Bb7 27. Kg2

27... Bxe4!
Very reasonable. Black plays without illusions. His advantage
of two bishops is hardly worth mentioning since White has a
mighty knight on e4. After its capture Black's dark-squared
bishop will be a real power, having a number of convenient
squares on the kingside owing to the advance g3-g4.
28. Bxe4 Bg5 29. Kg3
White hurries up to cover the square f4. In case of 29. Qf3 he
had to reckon both with an immediate 29... Qd2 and with a
prophylactic 29... g6, postponing Qd2 until a more convenient
situation.
29... Bd2 30. Qb2 g5 31. f3?
Losing White's game. After 31. Nf3 Bf4+ 32. Kh3 Kg7 33. Qb1
Qh8 34. Qb5 the position of the white king appeared to be very
dangerous, still there were no fatal threats by Black. So, White
was OK in case of the natural 34... Nf5+ 35. Kg2 Nh4+ 36. Nxh4
Qxh4 37. Bf3.
31... Bf4+ 32. Kg2 Qc7 33. Nf1 Bxe5
White loses a pawn as a result of his mistake on the 31st
move.
34. Qe2 Bf4 35. Bb1 Kf8 36. Qb2 Ng8 37. Qh8 Be5 38. Qh5 Qd8
39. Bh7 Bf4 0-1
White resigned. Black's queen threatens to
occupy a fine square in the centre of the board with the move
Qd4, whereas its opponent is just out of play.
Leko - Junior 6 [C48]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Bc4 Bc5 6. d3
The Hungarian grandmaster avoids the keen continuation 6. Nxe5
d5 which occurred, for instance, in the game Shirov - Kramnik
(Cazorla (m/6), 1998), as he does not want to get involved into
complications in the game with the computer.
6... c6
The computer proves to be rather persistent, a positional 6...
d6 did not suit it.
7. Nxd4
In case of 7. Nxe5 White had to reckon with 7... d5.
7... Bxd4
There was also 7... exd4 8. Ne2 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. O-O O-O
with an approximate equality.
8. Qf3 h5?!
Some obscure tricks have begun. This move only weakens
Black's kingside. 8... d5 9. exd5 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 cxd5 11. Bb3
Qc7 was suggesting itself, similarly to the game.
9. h3 d5 10. exd5 Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 cxd5 12. Bb3 Qc7 13. O-O
O-O
The computer refused to take the pawn with 13... Qxc3 as it
did not want to suffer White's attack after 14. Bg5 e4 15. Qe3.
14. Qg3 a5
Now the capture 14... Qxc3 was still worse because of 15.
Rb1!.
15. a4 Be6 16. Bh6 Ne8 17. Bd2 f6 18. f4 exf4 19. Qxf4 Nd6
20. Rae1 Bf7 21. Qd4
White queen occupies a splendid position on a pawn pedestal in
the centre of the board.
21... Qc6 22. Re7 Rfe8

23. Rxf7!
Having overwhelmed the computer in the positional play, P.
Leko begins the tactical realisation of his positional plan.
23... Nxf7 24. Bxd5 Qd7 25. Rb1 Rad8 26. c4 Qxa4 27. Rxb7
Rd7 28. Rxd7?
What a pity. The last-year winner of the Dortmund
super-tournament could have caught hold of the first place this
year too if he played 28. Bxf7+! Rxf7 29. Qd5 now. Black would
hardly be able to defend from the threats of White's pieces in
the presence of the horrible binding on the diagonal a2-f7, so,
White had an extra piece after 29... Ref8 (not better was 29...
Qa1+ 30. Kf2 Ref8 31. Bf4 Qa3 with 32. c5 ! Qc3 33. Bd6) 30. Bf4!
Qe8 (if 30... Qxc2, then 31. Bd6) 31. Bd6 Qe1+ 32. Kh2 h4 33. c5
(after 33. Bxf8 Qg3+ there was only a draw) 33... f5 34. Re7 Qf2
35. c6 f4 36. c7 f3 37. Qxf7+ Rxf7 38. c8Q+ Kh7 39. Qg4.
28... Qxd7 29. Bxa5 Re2 30. Bb6
White could have kept the pawn if he played 30. c3.
30... Qe8 31. Bc7
Now 31. c3 was already late because of 31... Re1+ 32. Kh2 (if
32. Kf2, then 32... Qe2+ 33. Kg3 Rd1 was unpleasant) 32...Qb8+
33. g3 h4.
31... Rxc2 32. c5 Kh8 33. Bg3 Qd8 34. Bf2 Rc1+ 35. Kh2 Qb8+
36. g3
If 36. Bg3, then 36... Qb1.
36... Nh6 37. Kg2 Rc2 38. Be4 h4 39. Qe3
In case of 39. gxh4 Qf4 40. Kg1 Nf5 41. Qd8+ Kh7 42. Qd4 White
had to reckon with 42... Kh6
39... f5 40. Bd5 hxg3 41. Qxg3 Qb5 42. Qe3 Qb4 43. d4 Qb2
44. c6 Kh7 45. Qf4 Qa3

46. Be4!?
In general, the position can be estimated as approximately
equal. White's advantage of two bishops and extra pawn are a
sufficient compensation for the exchange. White could have fixed
the position with 46. Bf3. With the move in the game he begins a
combination, trying to advance his passed pawns.
46... Rxf2+ 47. Kxf2 fxe4 48. c7
White hurries too much. He should have taken the pawn on e4
too if he wanted a draw. After 48. Qxe4+ g6 49. d5 Nf5 (if 49...
Qxh3 50. Qe7+ Kg8 51.c7, then the draw is more or less evident)
50. Qe5 Black had no convenient ways to strengthen his position.
48... Qa8 49. d5
49. Ke3 looked not badly.
49... Qa7+ 50. Kg2 Qa2+ 51. Qf2 Qc4 52. d6 Qc6 53. Qf8?!
Another untimely move. After 53. Kf1 Kg6 (with the idea to
introduce the knight into the play) 54. Qf8 Qc1+ 55. Ke2 Qc2+
Black had nothing but a perpetual check both after 56. Ke1 and in
case of 56. Kf1. After the move in the game the situation gets
much more complicated.
53... e3+!
Black's e-pawn is introduced into the play against the white
king.
54. Qf3
No other way. If 54. Kg1, then 54... e2. In case of 54. Kg3
the move 54... e2! was also very strong (after 54... Qxd6+ 55.
Qxd6 Nf5+ 56. Kf4 Nxd6 57. Kxe3 Kg6 58. Kf4 a draw was the most
probable result), Black to win after 55. Kf2 Qe4 56. Ke1 Qc2 57.
Qe8 Qd1+.
54... Qc2+

55. Kf1?
This seems to be the crucial mistake. After 55. Kg1Qc1+ (in
case of 55... e2 thre was a good 56. Kf2) 56. Kg2 Qc1+ 57. Kg1
there was no evident winning solution for Black.
55... Qc4+ 56. Kg2 Qe6!
Suddenly Black managed to co-ordinate his pieces.
57. Qc6
After 57. Qe2 Nf5 58. Qh5+ Kg8 Black's knight had time to
get to the white passed pawns. After 57. Qb7 Qa2+ the play would
have developed similarly.
57... Qa2+ 58. Kh1 Nf5 59. Qe4 Qa1+ 60. Kh2
In case of 60. Kg2 the solution was 60... Qb2+ 61. Kf3 Qf2 62.
Kg4 g6 63. Kg5 Qg3+ 64. Qg4 Qxg4+ 65. Kxg4 (if 65. hxg4, then
65... Nxd6) 65... e2 66.c8Q e1Q
60... Qb2+ 0-1
White resigned. In case of 61. Kg1 (if
61. Kh1, then 61... g6 ) the solution was 61... Qf2+ 62. Kh1 e2.
Khalifman - Kramnik [E05]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O
dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Bg5 Bd5 11. Qd3 Be4
A well known variation of the Catalan Opening was played.
Usually Black struggles for an equality in this variation with
11... c5 12. Nc3 Bc6 13. Rfd1 cxd4 14. Nxd4 Bxg2 15. Kxg2 Nbd7!.
12. Qd1
After 12. Qe3 Bc6 13. Nc3 Black had more grounds to struggle
for an advantage. In particular, the FIDE World Champion A.
Khalifman played so himself against J. Lautier in the inter-zonal
tournament in Biel in 1993.
12... c5 13. dxc5
After 13. Nbd2 Black equalised the game easily with the
super-precise 13... Bd5! with the idea that if 14. dxc5 Nbd7 15.
b4, then 15... a5! (Miles - Ribli, Szeged, 1997).

13... Qxd1?!
A strange move, all the more that it was made by V. Kramnik. A
draw could have been achieved with 13... Bxc5 14. Nc3 Bc6 15. Ne5
Bxg2 16. Kxg2 h6 17.Qxd8 like in the game Polugaevsky - Geller
(Leningrad, 1977).
14. Rxd1 Bxc5 15. Nc3 1/2-1/2
Draw. The last round has
its own rules. Objectively, White's position is more pleasant.
White's chances were preferable after 15... Bc6 16. Ne5 Bxg2
17. Kxg2 Be7 (it's not easy for Black to develop his queenside,
because in case of 17... Nc6? there is 18. Bxf6 gxf6 19. Nd7) 18.
Rac1 h6 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Nc4 Nc6 21. Ne4.
Akopian - Adams [A30]
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. g3 b6 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O e6 6. Nc3
Be7 7. Re1 Ne4 8. Nxe4 Bxe4 9. d3 Bb7 10. e4 O-O
The opponents played a variation of the English Opening. An
exchange of the knights, possible in case of 10... Nc6 11. d4
Nxd4 12. Nxd4 cxd4 13. Qxd4, cannot guarantee an easy
equalisation for Black after 13... O-O 14. Bf4 d6 15. Qd2 Qc8 16.
b3 as it was shown in the game Ehlvest – Lindberg, Stockholm,
1998).
11. d4 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Nc6 13. b3
If White wanted to get more than a draw he had to continue
with 13. Nb5!?.
13... Nxd4 14. Qxd4 Bc5 15. Qc3 1/2-1/2
Draw. There
were at least three games where opponents continued to play in
this position, and not all of them had a peaceful result. Still,
as it was already noted, the last round has its own rules.
Piket - Bareev [D47]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3
dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. O-O b4 10. Na4
Two rounds ago E. Bareev defended his position after 10. Ne4
Be7 11. Nxf6+ Nxf6 12. e4 O-O 13. e5 Nd7 14. Be4 Rb8 15. a3 bxa3
16. b4 f5! 17. Bd3 Nb6 18. Bxa3 Nd5 (Khalifman - Bareev,
Dortmund, 2000).
10... c5 11. dxc5 Bxc5 12. Nxc5 Nxc5 13. Bb5+ Ke7 14. Bd2
a5 15. Nd4 Qb6

16. a3
16. Qe2 occurred in this position previously. The move in the
game does not create any problems for Black, still, it does not
spoil White's position either.
16... b3 17. Rc1 Rhd8 18. Qe2 e5 19. Nf5+ Kf8 20. Bc3 Nce4
21. Ng3 1/2-1/2
Draw.