Linares: Round 11 Recap

Tomorrow is the second (and last) official rest day of the tournament, but vacation started early for four of the six players as the games Vallejo Pons-Adams and especially Leko-Topalov were quickly drawn:

Vallejo Pons,Francisco (2686) - Adams,Michael (2741) [A05]
XXII SuperGM Linares ESP (11), 06.03.2005

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.g3 b6 5.Bg2 Bb7 6.0-0 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.b3 0-0 10.Bb2 a6 11.e4 Nbd7 12.Qe3 Qc7 13.Nd4 Rfe8 14.Rad1 Bf8 15.Rfe1 Rad8 16.h3 g6 17.Qd2 Bg7 18.Nc2 Nc5 19.Ba1 Bc6 20.Nb4 Bb7 21.Nc2 Bc6 22.Nb4 Bb7 23.Re2 Qc8 24.Qe1 Qa8 25.Nc2 Qb8 26.Qd2 Qa8 27.Qe1 Qb8 28.Qd2 Qa8 29.Qe1 1/2-1/2

Leko,Peter (2749) - Topalov,Veselin (2757) [B90]
XXII SuperGM Linares ESP (11), 06.03.2005

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.Be2 Be7 8.f4 0-0 9.g4 d5 10.e5 Ne4 11.Nxe4 dxe4 12.g5 Qb6 13.Nf5 Qa5+ 14.Bd2 Bb4 15.Ne3 Rd8 16.c3 Be7 17.Qc2 b5 18.a4 Bb7 19.b4 1/2-1/2

Fortunately, the third game was interesting - and decisive - as Anand pulled into clear second place. Kasparov is still in the driver's seat, but as the rest of the schedule slightly favors Anand and they have yet to play their second game, we might yet have a fantastic finish!

Kasimdzhanov,Rustam (2678) - Anand,Viswanathan (2786) [B50]
XXII SuperGM Linares ESP (11), 06.03.2005

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 A side line with an innocuous reputation, though Peter Svidler once used it to defeat Garry Kasparov: 3...Nf6 4.Be2 Bg4 [4...Nbd7 5.d3 b6 6.0-0 Bb7 7.Nbd2 g6 8.d4 cxd4 9.cxd4 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 Bxe4 11.Ng5 d5 12.Bb5 Bg7 13.f3 Bf5 14.g4 h6 15.gxf5 hxg5 16.fxg6 a6 17.gxf7+ Kxf7 18.Ba4 Rh5 19.Be3 Nf6 20.Qd2 Qd6 21.Rf2 Rah8 22.Rg2 Rh3 23.Rf1 R8h4 24.Bc2 Nh5 25.Bf5 Nf4 26.Bxh3 Nxh3+ 27.Kh1 Qf6 28.Rg3 Qf5 29.Bxg5 Nxg5 30.Rxg5 Qh3 31.Rg2 Bf6 32.Qd3 Rxd4 33.Qg6+ Ke6 34.Qe8 Rc4 35.Qd8 Qf5 36.Re1+ Be5 37.Qb8 1-0 Svidler,P-Kasparov,G/Tilburg NED 1997] 5.d3 e6 6.Nbd2 Nc6 7.Nf1 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 In this somewhat passive setup, White has two obvious problems and a third, subtler problem. The obvious worries are the d3 pawn and the d4 square, and White manages to fix that in the new few moves. The other problem, which survives the resolution of the other issues (reading this, Bill?), is the problem of the queen's bishop. Right now it could find a home on e3, d2 or g5, though none of the three is both stable and useful. 9.Qa4 Bh5 10.Ng3 Nb6 11.Qd1 Bg6 12.0-0 [The insertion of 12.h4 h6 a la the Caro-Kann, probably favors Black.] 12...Be7 Black's plan of action in this position is clear: he'll castle, play Qc7, Rad8 and combine pressure on the d-pawn with the advance of the e-and f-pawns. What's not so clear is what White should do about this. Kasimdzhanov's chooses to combine a queenside space grab with a quick d4; it doesn't turn out well, but I'm not sure what he ought to have played instead. 13.a4 [13.Bf4 Might be an improvement, but Black has an edge due to his space advantage and the sensitive d3 pawn after 13...0-0 14.Ne4 Qd5 15.Qc2 e5 16.Bg5 f6 17.Bh4 c4=/+] 13...0-0 14.a5 Nd5 15.Qa4 Qc7 16.d4 cxd4 17.Nxd4 Nxd4 18.Qxd4

Moves like 18...Rfd8, 18...Bc5 and 18...Bf6 are all obvious and probably good, but Anand's move is even more ambitious: 18...f5!? This move seizes control over the e4 square but even more importantly, it ensures that the Bc1 never sees the light of day, as Be3 will now be met by ...f4. 19.Qa4 [19.Nh5!?] 19...Rad8 20.Rd1 f4!

This is a move even a good player might be afraid to make, as it seems to cede the e4 square in perpetuity. It does turn out that the e4 square becomes the focal point of much of the rest of the game, but Black's advantages in space and development, combined with White's weak back rank leave White unable to maintain control over that square. 21.Ne4 Qe5 22.Bf3 [22.f3 gives rise to a new set of problems, but maybe it's worth the risk to keep control over e4.] 22...b5 23.Qc2 [23.axb6 Nxb6 and White's pieces are overloaded, unable to cover both d1 and e4. 24.Qc2 (24.Rxd8 Nxa4 25.Rxf8+ Kxf8 26.Rxa4 Qb5-+ 27.Rxa7? Bxe4 28.Bxe4 Qe2) 24...Bxe4-+] 23...Nf6 White can't maintain the blockade of e4 due to his weak back rank, and that in turn is the consequence of the shut-in Bc1. 24.Nxf6+ Qxf6 25.Qb3 Rxd1+ 26.Qxd1 Rd8 27.Qe2 White is trying to reestablish control over e4, but his lack of space and retarded queenside development will cost him yet again. 27...Bd3 28.Qe1 e5 29.Be2 [I think 29.h3 is an improvement, giving the White king a flight square in case of 29...e4 30.Bxe4 Bxe4 31.Qxe4 Rd1+ (32.Kh2). Still, White's position remains bad after 29...Bc2 threatening 30...e4 (31.Bxe4? Rd1) 30.Kh2 Bb3-/+ with a bind.] 29...Bxe2 30.Qxe2 e4

So much for the e4 blockade! The rest is an instructive massacre. 31.g3 e3! 32.fxe3 [Maybe 32.Kg2 deserves consideration, trying now to blockade the f3 square, though White is lost just the same after 32...Qf5 33.fxe3 Qe4+ 34.Qf3 Qc2+ 35.Kh3 Rd6] 32...f3 33.Qxb5 This move looked at first like a case of Anand-assisted suicide, but there don't seem to be any improvements, as after [33.Qc2 f2+ 34.Qxf2 Rd1+ 35.Kg2 Qc6+ 36.Kh3 (36.Qf3 Rg1+ 37.Kf2 Rf1+-+) 36...Qe6+ 37.g4 Bd6 with the idea of ...Rh1 38.e4 Rd3+ 39.Be3 Qh6+-+ Black wins the hapless bishop.] 33...f2+ 34.Kg2 Rf8 35.Qd5+ [35.Qf1 Qf3+ 36.Kh3 Qf5+ 37.Kg2 Qe4+ 38.Kh3 Rf5 with mate in no more than three moves.; 35.Kf1 Qf3-+] 35...Kh8 36.Kf1 Qh6 37.Bd2 At last the bishop is "developed"! [37.h4 Qg6 38.Bd2 Qxg3 39.Qg2 Qd6 and White can't prevent both ...Qxd2 and ...Qd3+/#.] 37...Qh3+ 38.Qg2 Qf5

Utter domination. 0-1

Standings after Round 11:

Kasparov 6.5/9
Anand 5.5/9
Topalov 5/9
Leko 5/10
Adams 4.5/10
Kasimdzhanov 3.5/10
Vallejo Pons 3/9

Pairings for Round 12 (Tuesday):

Topalov-Kasimdzhanov
Anand-Vallejo Pons
Adams-Kasparov
Leko - bye