Round 5. Game 1
Challengers can be counted on the fingers (12.12.2000)

Khalifman ventured on a keen variation or the Marshall Attack in the quarter-final where Black loses 2 pawns but keeps sufficient resources to equalise. No doubt that the position was prepared at home. At some moment Anand played Bd2 instead of Be3. Still even this novelty turned to be harmless. A draw was achieved rather soon. The Ruy Lopez in Grischuk’s performance gave no dividends. Having exchanged a pair of pieces, the grandmasters refused to look for any further chances. In our opinion White could have arranged an attack on Black’s king but he did not want to. Two players demonstrated their will to win. In the traditional Sicilian which Topalov likes so much Adams gained a positional advantage very quickly and won a pawn. Then he almost easily advanced his two pawns, opposed to a poor passed pawn by Topalov, and won the game. Bareev overwhelmed Shirov with White in a complex middlegame without queens. Now the Spanish grandmaster must win the second game at all costs. By women the situation is simpler. Kovalevskaya had an advantage but lost it, then lost a piece and almost lost the game. By the endgame the board was nearly empty, and the extra bishop of the Chinese player gave her no chance to win. A draw, as the result. Another pair played a well known variation of the French Defence. Maric underestimated the endgame chances of her opponent and lost.

Bareev, Evgeny - Shirov, Alexei
Round 5. Game 1

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 dxc4 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. O-O a6 7. dxc5 Qxd1 8. Rxd1 Bxc5 9. Nbd2 b6 10. Be2 Bb7 11. Nc4 Nbd7 12. Nd4 O-O 13. Nb3 Be7 14. f3 a5 15. e4 a4 16. Nd4 Bc5 17. Be3 Rfd8 18. Kf2

White is better, but Black’s position is far from losing. Shirov will spoil his position in several moves.

18... Kf8 19. Nb5 Ke7 20. Bxc5+ bxc5 21. Nc3 Ba6 22. Rac1 Bxc4 23. Bxc4 Ne5 24. Be2 Rdb8 25. Rd2 g5 26. g3

Opportunely White can take c4-pawn. The knight will be forced to go away from e5. Bareev centralises his king.

26... c4 27. Ke3 a3 28. Rb1 axb2 29. Rbxb2 Rxb2 30. Rxb2 Ra3 31. Rb7+ Kd6

This position is already extremely hard for Black. He holds while he keeps his knight on e5, but the passed pawn on a2 can become dangerous. Bareev moves his king not forward, but back, and has a chance to win a rook.

32. Kd2 Kc5 33. f4

This is the climax. If the knight retreats, then the kingside falls. Shirov sacrifices by an exchange just out of grief, he has no good moves already.

33... gxf4 34. gxf4 Rxc3 35. Kxc3 Nxe4+ 36. Kb2 Nc6 37. Rxf7 c3+ 38. Kc1 Nb4 39. Rc7+ Kd5 40. a3 Nc6 41. Bf3

1-0

Anand, Viswanathan - Khalifman, Alexander
Round 5. Game 1

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 12. Re1 Bd6 13. d3 Qh4 14. g3 Qh3 15. Re4 Qf5 16. Nd2 Qg6 17. Re1 f5 18. a4 Rb8 19. axb5 axb5 20. Ne4 fxe4 21. dxe4 Bg4 22. Qd4 Bf3 23. exd5 c5 24. Qh4 Rbe8 25. Bd2

Be4 26. Re2 Qf5 27. Bf4 c4

28. Rxe4 Rxe4 29. Bc2 Bxf4 30. Bxe4 Qxe4 31. gxf4

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