Melody Amber, Round 10
Surprise, surprise: Anand has clinched first place! Ok, it wasn't really surprising, nor was his coasting in with two quick draws. So we'll have to look elsewhere for excitement today, and the blindfold game between Vasily Ivanchuk and Alexander Morozevich, two of the world's most creative players, is a good place to find it:
Ivanchuk,Vasily (2711) - Morozevich,Alexander (2741) [C13]
A typically wild Morozevich idea. To judge from the sequel, however, being new, crazy, and produced by Morozevich doesn't entail that it's good. 12.Bxc6 Rc8 13.d5 0-0 [Of course 13...exd5?? fails to win a piece, as 14.Qe3+ not only saves the Bc6 but wins the Black bishop on b7.] 14.Nd4 Kh8 15.Qd2
It's not too early to pronounce Moro's novelty a failure: White's up a pawn, is more active and Black's pawn structure fails to inspire as well. Morozevich has a gift for creating tactical chaos, but Ivanchuk is more than up to the challenge the rest of the way. 15...Ba6 16.0-0-0 Ne5 17.Qh6 Rg8 18.dxe6 Nd3+ 19.cxd3 isn't bad, but [19.Rxd3 Bxd3 20.Bd7 Bg6 21.Bxc8 Qxd4 22.exf7 Bxf7 23.Bf5 may be even better.] 19...Qxd4 Ironically, White's Bc6 is again subject to a seemingly dangerous pin, and again turns out to be immune from capture. 20.exf7 Rg7 [20...Rxc6+ 21.Kb1 Bxd3+ 22.Ka1 and the dual threats of fxg8(Q)+ and f8(Q) are decisive.] 21.Kb1 Rxf7 22.Rhe1! Bxd3+ [22...Rxc6?? 23.Re8+ with mate next move.] 23.Ka1 Qxf2 24.Bf3 At last, the bishop is safe! Material is even here, but Black's pawn and especially king weaknesses leave Ivanchuk with a decisive advantage, albeit not the sort of advantage that wins on autopilot. 24...Bg6 25.h4 Qg3 26.a3 Bc2 27.Rc1 Qg6 28.Qf4 Rfc7 29.Re6 Bb3
Fancy, but worse than [29...Rc4 By playing 30.Re8+ Rxe8 (30...Qxe8?? 31.Qxf6+ Kg8 32.Bd5+ Qf7 33.Qxf7+ Kh8 34.Qf6#) 31.Qxc4 Be4 32.Qc7 White wins a pawn, but on an open board with only major pieces Black will have some drawing chances.] 30.Rxc7 Bxe6 31.Rxa7 White has an extra pawn, better structure, a menacing rook on the 7th (beware, for example, of Be4) and no major problem with his back rank. Still, in time trouble and with a position as open as this one, all three results remain possible. 31...Rc4 32.Ra8+ Kg7 33.Ra7+ Kh8 34.Qe3 [34.Qd2! Rxh4 35.Ra8+ Kg7 36.Qe1 Rc4 37.Qxe6 Rc1+ 38.Ka2 Qb1+ 39.Kb3 Qc2+ 40.Kb4 Qxb2+ 41.Qb3 Qd4+ 42.Kb5 Qc5+ 43.Ka6 and White is winning - but in time trouble, it's wise to avoid lines of this sort.] 34...Qf5 [34...Bg8 was necessary, when White's advantage after 35.b3 (35.Ra8 Rxh4 36.Qe1 (36.Bd5?? Rh1+ 37.Ka2 Qb1+ 38.Kb3 Qd1+-+) 36...Qg5 37.Rd8 Rc4! 38.Qe6 Rc1+ 39.Ka2 Re1!!=) 35...Rxh4 36.Kb2 Rh1 37.Be4 Qg4 38.Qf3 Qg5 39.Qc3 is relatively small.] 35.Qh6 Crushing. 35...Qg6 36.Ra8+ [The point is that Black either loses a piece or several pawns: 36.Ra8+ Rc8 a) 36...Bc8 37.Qf8+ Qg8 38.Qxf6+ Qg7 39.Qd8+ Qg8 40.Qxg8+ Kxg8 41.Bd5+ Ouch. (41.Bb7 is only very slightly more "thoughtful".) ; b) 36...Bg8 37.Qxg6 (37.Bd5! is a needless example of computer efficiency.) 37...hxg6 38.Rxg8+ Kxg8 39.Bd5+ Kg7 40.Bxc4+-; 37.Rxc8+ Bxc8 38.Qf8+ Qg8 39.Qxf6+ Qg7 40.Qd8+ Qg8 41.Qxb6 and the bad news for Black is that even here he'll have to give up the bishop if he doesn't want to accede to the queen trade with Qf6+.] 1-0
Round 10 summary:
Blindfold:
Ivanchuk-Morozevich 1-0
Shirov-Bareev 1/2-1/2
Vallejo-Leko 0-1
Topalov-van Wely 1-0
Anand-Svidler 1/2-1/2
Kramnik-Gelfand 1/2-1/2
Rapid:
Morozevich-Ivanchuk 1-0
Bareev-Shirov 1/2-1/2
Leko-Vallejo 1/2-1/2
van Wely-Topalov 1/2-1/2
Svidler-Anand 1/2-1/2
Gelfand-Kramnik 0-1
Standings:
Blindfold:
Anand 7.5
Ivanchuk, Kramnik, Leko, Morozevich, Svidler, Vallejo 5.5
Gelfand, Topalov 5
Shirov 4
van Wely 3
Bareev 2.5
Rapid:
Anand 7
Leko, Morozevich 6
Ivanchuk, Shirov, Svidler 5.5
Kramnik 5
Bareev 4.5
Gelfand, Topalov 4
Vallejo, van Wely 3.5
Overall:
Anand 14.5
Leko, Morozevich 11.5
Ivanchuk, Svidler 11
Kramnik 10.5
Shirov 9.5
Gelfand, Topalov, Vallejo 9
Bareev 7
van Wely 6.5
Ivanchuk,Vasily (2711) - Morozevich,Alexander (2741) [C13]
Amber Blindfold Monte Carlo MNC (10), 30.03.2005
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.Qd2 b6 9.Bb5 Bb7 10.Nxf6+ gxf6 11.Qc3 c6N
A typically wild Morozevich idea. To judge from the sequel, however, being new, crazy, and produced by Morozevich doesn't entail that it's good. 12.Bxc6 Rc8 13.d5 0-0 [Of course 13...exd5?? fails to win a piece, as 14.Qe3+ not only saves the Bc6 but wins the Black bishop on b7.] 14.Nd4 Kh8 15.Qd2
It's not too early to pronounce Moro's novelty a failure: White's up a pawn, is more active and Black's pawn structure fails to inspire as well. Morozevich has a gift for creating tactical chaos, but Ivanchuk is more than up to the challenge the rest of the way. 15...Ba6 16.0-0-0 Ne5 17.Qh6 Rg8 18.dxe6 Nd3+ 19.cxd3 isn't bad, but [19.Rxd3 Bxd3 20.Bd7 Bg6 21.Bxc8 Qxd4 22.exf7 Bxf7 23.Bf5 may be even better.] 19...Qxd4 Ironically, White's Bc6 is again subject to a seemingly dangerous pin, and again turns out to be immune from capture. 20.exf7 Rg7 [20...Rxc6+ 21.Kb1 Bxd3+ 22.Ka1 and the dual threats of fxg8(Q)+ and f8(Q) are decisive.] 21.Kb1 Rxf7 22.Rhe1! Bxd3+ [22...Rxc6?? 23.Re8+ with mate next move.] 23.Ka1 Qxf2 24.Bf3 At last, the bishop is safe! Material is even here, but Black's pawn and especially king weaknesses leave Ivanchuk with a decisive advantage, albeit not the sort of advantage that wins on autopilot. 24...Bg6 25.h4 Qg3 26.a3 Bc2 27.Rc1 Qg6 28.Qf4 Rfc7 29.Re6 Bb3
Fancy, but worse than [29...Rc4 By playing 30.Re8+ Rxe8 (30...Qxe8?? 31.Qxf6+ Kg8 32.Bd5+ Qf7 33.Qxf7+ Kh8 34.Qf6#) 31.Qxc4 Be4 32.Qc7 White wins a pawn, but on an open board with only major pieces Black will have some drawing chances.] 30.Rxc7 Bxe6 31.Rxa7 White has an extra pawn, better structure, a menacing rook on the 7th (beware, for example, of Be4) and no major problem with his back rank. Still, in time trouble and with a position as open as this one, all three results remain possible. 31...Rc4 32.Ra8+ Kg7 33.Ra7+ Kh8 34.Qe3 [34.Qd2! Rxh4 35.Ra8+ Kg7 36.Qe1 Rc4 37.Qxe6 Rc1+ 38.Ka2 Qb1+ 39.Kb3 Qc2+ 40.Kb4 Qxb2+ 41.Qb3 Qd4+ 42.Kb5 Qc5+ 43.Ka6 and White is winning - but in time trouble, it's wise to avoid lines of this sort.] 34...Qf5 [34...Bg8 was necessary, when White's advantage after 35.b3 (35.Ra8 Rxh4 36.Qe1 (36.Bd5?? Rh1+ 37.Ka2 Qb1+ 38.Kb3 Qd1+-+) 36...Qg5 37.Rd8 Rc4! 38.Qe6 Rc1+ 39.Ka2 Re1!!=) 35...Rxh4 36.Kb2 Rh1 37.Be4 Qg4 38.Qf3 Qg5 39.Qc3 is relatively small.] 35.Qh6 Crushing. 35...Qg6 36.Ra8+ [The point is that Black either loses a piece or several pawns: 36.Ra8+ Rc8 a) 36...Bc8 37.Qf8+ Qg8 38.Qxf6+ Qg7 39.Qd8+ Qg8 40.Qxg8+ Kxg8 41.Bd5+ Ouch. (41.Bb7 is only very slightly more "thoughtful".) ; b) 36...Bg8 37.Qxg6 (37.Bd5! is a needless example of computer efficiency.) 37...hxg6 38.Rxg8+ Kxg8 39.Bd5+ Kg7 40.Bxc4+-; 37.Rxc8+ Bxc8 38.Qf8+ Qg8 39.Qxf6+ Qg7 40.Qd8+ Qg8 41.Qxb6 and the bad news for Black is that even here he'll have to give up the bishop if he doesn't want to accede to the queen trade with Qf6+.] 1-0
Round 10 summary:
Blindfold:
Ivanchuk-Morozevich 1-0
Shirov-Bareev 1/2-1/2
Vallejo-Leko 0-1
Topalov-van Wely 1-0
Anand-Svidler 1/2-1/2
Kramnik-Gelfand 1/2-1/2
Rapid:
Morozevich-Ivanchuk 1-0
Bareev-Shirov 1/2-1/2
Leko-Vallejo 1/2-1/2
van Wely-Topalov 1/2-1/2
Svidler-Anand 1/2-1/2
Gelfand-Kramnik 0-1
Standings:
Blindfold:
Anand 7.5
Ivanchuk, Kramnik, Leko, Morozevich, Svidler, Vallejo 5.5
Gelfand, Topalov 5
Shirov 4
van Wely 3
Bareev 2.5
Rapid:
Anand 7
Leko, Morozevich 6
Ivanchuk, Shirov, Svidler 5.5
Kramnik 5
Bareev 4.5
Gelfand, Topalov 4
Vallejo, van Wely 3.5
Overall:
Anand 14.5
Leko, Morozevich 11.5
Ivanchuk, Svidler 11
Kramnik 10.5
Shirov 9.5
Gelfand, Topalov, Vallejo 9
Bareev 7
van Wely 6.5
posted by Dennis Monokroussos @ 7:00 PM
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