Round 4

Kramnik - Kasparov [A30]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. g3

This time V. Kramnik has chosen another continuation than in his game with P. Leko in the first round, where he played 3. d4.

3... d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Nc6 6. d4 cxd4

6... Nf6 has a good reputation, too.

7. Nxd4 Ndb4 8. Nxc6 Qxd1+ 9. Kxd1 Nxc6 10. Nc3

You can encounter many well-known names among those who likes to torture Black in the position after 10. Bxc6+ bxc6.

10... Bd7 11. Be3 O-O-O 12. Ke1

In this position White tried to retreat with the king to c1 or c2 as well.

12... e5 13. Rc1 Kb8 14. f4 f5 15. fxe5 Nxe5 16. Bf4 Re8 17. Rd1 Bc6 18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. Rd7

19... g5

This move suppresses White’s minimal activity.

20. Bxe5+

The line 20. Rd8+ Rxd8 21. Bxe5+ Bd6 22. Bxh8 Rxh8 would be no trouble for Black.

20... Rxe5 21. Rf1 Bb4 22. Rf7 Rhe8 23. Rf2 Ra5 24. Kf1 Ree5

Black wants to keep the tension of the struggle in some way. After 24... Bxc3 25. bxc3 Rxa2 26. R7xf5 White would be able to co-ordinate his rooks at once.

25. Rxh7 g4 26. Rf7 Bxc3 27. bxc3 Rxa2 28. R7xf5 Raxe2 29. Rf8+ Re8 30. Rxe8+ Rxe8 31. Rf4 Rg8 32. Ke2 1/2-1/2

Draw.

Shirov - Anand [B49]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qc7 5. Nc3 e6 6. Be2 a6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Be3 Bb4 9. Na4 Be7 10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Nb6 Rb8 12. Nxc8 Qxc8 13. Bd4 c5 14. Be5 Rb6 15. Qd3 Qc6

The Indian grandmaster does not wont to stop at what he has achieved, he creates new features in this well-known position. It can be mentioned that in the first round Black managed to equalise the play soon after 15... d6 in the game Kasparov - Anand (Frankfurt, 2000).

16. Bf3 d6 17. Bc3 e5 18. a4?!

White weakens his position on the queenside. 18.b3 would look more naturally.

18... c4!

Black makes a profit on White’s inaccuracy. Now the dark-squared bishop will be riveted not just to the defence of the square d4 from the opponent’s intrusion, it will have to cover the pawn b2, too.

19. Qe3 O-O 20. a5?

Another mistake, now even more serious. Now the position of the dark-squared bishop is not just passive, it becomes vulnerable because the square b5 is available for the black knight.

20... Rb7 21. g3 Rfb8 22. Bg2 Ne8!

Having put pressure on the semi-opened b-file, Black begins to improve the knight’s position.

23. f4 Bf6 24. f5

The advance of the f-pawn can have negative consequences for White: the pawn on e4 becomes weaker.

24... Nc7 25. g4 h6 26. Qg3 Qd7 27. Rfd1 Nb5 28. Bf1 Nxc3 29. Qxc3 Rxb2 30. Bxc4 Qc7

The difference in the positions of the opponents is quite obvious. White has to defend constantly his pawns on a5, c2 and e4. Black’s heavy pieces can intrude into the opponent’s camp, in contrast to White’s.

31. Qd3 Bg5 32. Ra2

White fails to immure the white rook with 32. Bb3 because of 32... Qc5+ 33. Kh1 R8xb3! 34. cxb3 Bf4, whereafter it would be not easy for White to defend his king from Black’s threats.

32... R2b4 33. Bb3 Qc5+ 34. Kg2 Rd4 35. Qf3

35... d5?!

Hardly the break-through is well prepared. Black could have increased his opponent’s problems with 35... Rb5.

36. Rxd4?

White's answer is even worse. Now White is forced to let the black rook intrude into his camp. A mere 36.Bxd5 would have prevented Black from getting to the first horizontal, and in case of 36... Ra4 it is possible to protect c2 pawn by 37. Qe2 with an idea: if 37... Qxa5 then 38. Rda1 Rbb4 38. c3.

36... Qxd4 37. Bxd5

After 37. exd5 e4 38. Qe2 Rb4 39. h3 Bh4 white pieces are practically stalemated. The rook in a2 is especially deplorable.

37... Rb1 38. c3 Qg1+ 39. Kh3 Rf1 40. Qg3 Qh1 41. Rf2 Re1 42. Rf3 Re2 43. Bc4 Rxh2+

White agrees to an extra pawn and continuation of the attack. In case of 43... Bf4 he was afraid that White would manage to build a solid fortress after 44. Bxe2 Bxg3 45. Rxg3 Qxe4 46. Bxa6.

44. Qxh2 Qxf3+ 45. Qg3 Qh1+ 46. Qh2 Qxe4 47. Qe2 Qh1+ 48. Qh2 Qc6 49. Qe2 Bf4 50. Qf1 Qc5 51. Qd3

In case of 51. Bxa6?? White would be mated after 51...Qe3+ 52. Kg2 (52. Kh4 Qg3+) 52... Qg3+.

51... Qxa5 52. Kg2

52. Bxa6 is bad again because of 52... Qa2 53. Qe2 Qa1.

52... Qc7

53. Qd5?

It is to no purpose that White parts with his pawns as easy. After 53. Bxa6 Qc6+ 54. Kg1 e4 55. Qb5 or 55. Qc4 he could defend persistently.

53... a5 54. Qa8+ Kh7 55. Qd5 g6!

Now the black king can come into the play. One extra pawn should be enough to win in the endgame with bishops of different colours, because White would be not able to cope with several passed pawns by Black.

56. Qxf7+ Qxf7 57. Bxf7 gxf5 58. gxf5 Kg7 59. Bd5 Bd2 60. c4 Bb4 61. Bc6 Kf6 62. Kf3 Kxf5 63. Bd7+ Kf6 64. Ke4 Ke7 65. Ba4 Kd6 66. Bd1 Bc5 67. Kd3 Bd4 68. Ke4 Kc5 69. Kd3 Kb4 0-1

White resigned.

Morozevich - Leko [C34]

1. e4 e5 2. f4

The King’s Gambit is a ferocious weapon when played by A. Morozevich.

exf4 3. Nf3 h6 4. d4 g5 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. g3 fxg3 7. hxg3 d6 8. Bc4 Nf6 9. Qd3 Nc6 10. Bb3

10. Be3 occurred previously with a good play by Black after 10... Na5.

10... Bg4

In case of 10... Na5 White would answer with 11. Ba4+.

11. Rf1 Na5 12. Ba4+ Nd7 13. Nd5 c6

Black could have arranged great complications with 13... b5!? 14. Bxb5 c6 15. b4 Bh3 (an immediate 15... a6 is bad because of 16. Ne3 Bxf3 17. Nf5 O-O 18. Qxf3 ) 16. Rf2 a6 17. Bxa6 (in case of 17. Ba4 there is 17... cxd5 18. Bxd7+ Bxd7 19. bxa5 Qxa5+ 20. Bd2 Qb5) 17... cxd5 18. exd5 O-O.

14. Ne3 Be6 15. c3 b5 16. Bc2 Nc4 17. b3 Nxe3 18. Bxe3 Nb6 19. Kf2 d5 20. e5 Bf8 21. Kg1 Be7 22. Rf2 Kd7 23. Ne1 h5 24. Qf1

24... h4

Black tries to open up files on that side of the board where the white king is sheltered. With his extra pawn he could have not hurried with decisive actions, having played, for example, 24... Kc7.

25. g4

White resists the plan of his opponent.

25... h3

If Black wanted to complicate the play, he should have ventured on 25... Bxg4!?. After 26. Rxf7 Bh5 27. Qf5+ Kc7 28. Rg7 Rg8 29. Qxg5 Qd7 the white king would feel less convenient in the open area than its black opponent.

26. Bf5

White has cemented his kingside totally. The long manoeuvres that followed then could not change much.

26... Qg8 27. Kh2 a5 28. Nd3 Kc7 29. Qe2 a4 30. Raf1 axb3 31. axb3 Ra3 32. Bc1 Ra1 33. Rf3 Nd7 34. R1f2 Qa8 35. Bb2 Ra2 36. Nc1 Ra7 37. Qd3 Ba3 38. Bxa3 Rxa3 39. Bxe6 fxe6 40. Qg6 Qg8 41. Qc2 Qh7 42. Qb2 Rha8 43. Rf7 Qe4 44. Qd2 Qxg4 45. Rg7 Ra1 46. Rff7 Rd8 47. Rxg5 Qe4 48. Rf4 Qb1 49. Rg1 Rda8 50. Rf7 Qe4 51. Qf2 Rd8 52. Re1 Qg6 53. Rg1 Qe4 54. Re1 Qg6 55. Rg1 Qe4 1/2-1/2

Draw.