Semi-Final Round 3 15th July 2002

PACK UP YOUR TROUBLES

Shirov couldn't save himself from an early departure

MY main ambition in life, I remember telling someone recently, was to visit as many exciting locations as my luggage. At the last count I think it was four countries ahead of me – oh the joys of being a jet-setter without the matching bank balance (or luggage for that matter)!

Sofi and husband Peter

There are some readers out there who actually believe I only go on these little jaunts for a holiday! I’m afraid being at the sharp end at the press room at these elite tournaments is too much like hard work to be considered as a holiday – for one there’s only so much time you can allocate to sightseeing and sunbathing while the players are sweating it out over the board for a few hours. Perhaps for a conscientious German it could be treated as a holiday, but certainly not for me.

Team Leko: Arshak Petrosian and Carsten Hensel

Leisure is a bit of a problem for most Germans because by definition it consists of no-one actually telling them what to do or letting you know if you are doing it properly. In order to cope, the Germans do what they are best at: they make work out of it. Watching a German relax is exhausting, and you may need a day off to get over it.

Team Shirov: Jordi Magem Badals and Igors Rausis

There’s also other out there who ask me what do the players Seconds do during play, do they go off sightseeing? Well the short answer to that is: No! I think the Seconds physically go through just as much as the guys hiring them – if not even more! You only need to look at the well-chewed fingernails and the gaunt expressions on the faces of the laptop carriers to see a free holiday it is not. You only need to look on the frowned expressions over the last few days of poor Alexei Shirov’s dedicated team of Jordi Magem Badals and Igors Rausis to see how much the impending defeat would mean to them – and when it finally came, they quietly slipped out of the press room without any commotion to start packing their luggage. As for the Leko team of Carsten Hensel (manager), Arshak Petrosian (Second and father-in-law!) and dedicated wife Sofi, the expression of joy on their faces with the early finish was almost as if they were on holiday.

Shirov,A (2697) - Leko,P (2722) [B31]

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 [A wise choice from Shirov as he avoids Leko's Sveshnikov; a line the young Hungarian would easily be able to secure a draw with. As it is, Shirov had to play for a win at all costs - this is the best line for him to try with.] 3 ..g6 4 Bxc6 dxc6 5 d3 Bg7 6 h3 Nf6 7 Nc3 0–0 8 Be3 b6 9 Qd2 e5 10 Bh6 Qd6 11 0–0–0 [ Shirov and Leko have had plenty of experience with this system over the last year - not only between themselves, but also against Grischuk: 11 g4 Be6 12 Bxg7 Kxg7 13 0–0–0 Rad8 14 Rhf1 b5 15 Ng5 h6 16 Nxe6+ Qxe6 17 Kb1 c4 18 Qe3 cxd3 19 Rxd3 Rxd3 20 Qxd3 Nd7 21 Rd1 Nc5 22 Qe3 Qe7 23 Ne2 Ne6 24 Qc3 Qc5 25 Qxc5 Nxc5 26 f3 Rc8 27 c3 Kf6 28 h4 a5 29 Kc2 Ke7 30 Rh1 Kf6 31 Rd1 Ke7 32 Rh1 ½–½ Shirov,A-Leko,P/Monaco 2002. ] 11 ..a5N [ 11 ..b5 12 Ne2 a5 13 Ng3 Re8 14 Nh4 Bxh6 15 Qxh6 a4 16 Qg5 Nd7 17 Ngf5 Qf6 18 Qxf6 ½–½ Grischuk,A-Leko,P/Dubai 2002. ; 11 ..Be6 12 Bxg7 Kxg7 13 Qg5 Nd7 14 Qg3 b5 15 d4 cxd4 16 Nxd4 Qe7 17 Nf5+ Bxf5 18 exf5 Nf6 19 Rhe1 Rfe8 20 Ne4 Rad8 21 Rxd8 Qxd8 22 fxg6 hxg6 23 Rd1 Nd5 24 h4 Qa5 25 Qb3 Nf4 26 g3 Ne6 27 Qf3 Qxa2 28 Qf6+ Kg8 29 Rd7 Nf8 30 Ng5 Nxd7 0–1 Grischuk,A-Shirov,A/Dubai 2002. ] 12 Bxg7 Kxg7 13 g4 a4 14 Ne2 b5 15 Ng3 b4 [Leko called this pawn-push "strategically bad but it's not a positional game any more. You just close your eyes and attack."] 16 Qg5 Re8 17 Nd2 a3

18 bxa3 [ After a long think at the clock, Shirov comes up with a very bold choice. After the game, Leko revealed during his press conference just why Shirov didn't play 18 b3 - he had a trick up his sleeve rather than opting for a draw: 18 b3 Qd4 19 Nc4 h6! ( "Shirov would have been happy with 19 ..Qa1+," said Leko, "because he has a good winning shot.": 19 ..Qa1+ 20 Kd2 Qc3+ 21 Ke2! Qxc2+ 22 Rd2 Qc3 23 Nd6 with a winning attack.) 20 Qe3 Ba6! 21 Ne2 Qxe3+ 22 Nxe3 ( 22 fxe3 Bxc4 23 bxc4 h5 is good for Black according to Leko.) 22 ..Nxe4! winning.] 18 ..h6! 19 Qe3 [ 19 Nc4 Qd4 20 Qe3 Be6 21 Qxd4 exd4 22 Nd6 Reb8 and Black again is crashing through.] 19 ..Be6 20 Nb3 Rxa3 21 Qxc5 Qb8! [Leko: "a quiet prophylactic move. Already, White has no hope of surviving. His king is too exposed."] 22 Kb2 Nd7 23 Qe3 Nb6 24 Ra1 c5! [Leko explained that he had some quiet ways to win, but "the position calls for something more."] 25 Kc1 [ Either of the captures loses the Queen: 25 Nxc5 Nc4+!; 25 Qxc5 Na4+!] 25 ..c4 26 dxc4 Nxc4 27 Qe1 Qa7

[Threatening to crash through with Rxb3!] 28 Qxb4 Qxf2 29 Nf5+ gxf5 30 gxf5 Rc8 31 fxe6 Ne3 [ As Leko explained afterwards, he wanted to finish the came with the crowd-pleasing 31 ..Ne3 32 Kb2 Qxc2+ 33 Kxa3 Ra8+ 34 Qa4 Qc3!! 35 Qxa8 ( 35 Rac1 Nc4#) 35 ..Nc2+ 36 Ka4 Qb4#] 0–1

Endre Vegh and Van Wely

While the Lekos enjoy their early break, if anything for the hotly-favoured Topalov team of GM Loek Van Wely and Hungarian IM Endre Vegh, there were further troubles in store as their man went down to his second successive defeat – in yet another enthralling encounter.

IM Silvio Danailov

“What can you do,” said Topalov’s manager IM Silvio Danailov later in the evening when I bumped into him when out for a walk. “The guy [Bareev] played like a God today – how the hell he saw through the complications is beyond us. But don’t worry - we are far from ready to pack our bags yet”.

Bareev,E (2726) - Topalov,V (2745) [E97]

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 Bg7 [There's no repeat of a straight Benoni from Topalov - Bareev would have been ready for it this time.] 4 e4 d6 5 Be2 0–0 6 Nf3 e5 7 0–0 Nc6 8 d5 Ne7 9 b4 [However, the Bayonet Attack, one of the most aggressive systems against the King's Indian and favoured by the likes of Kramnik and Shirov, apparently came as a shock to the Topalov team - especially since one of his Seconds, Loek Van Wely, is an expert on the White side of this. They were probably expecting one of Evgeny's fianchetto systems against the KID - however he has played this aggressive line four times before.] 9 ..Nh5 10 Re1 f5 11 Ng5 Nf6 12 f3 c6 13 Kh1 h6 14 Ne6 Bxe6 15 dxe6 Ne8 16 Qb3 Nc7 17 c5N [ 17 Be3 Kh7 18 c5 d5 19 exd5 cxd5 20 Rad1 d4 21 Nb5 Ncd5 22 Bg1 a5 23 a3 axb4 24 axb4 Nc6 25 Bc4 Ndxb4 26 Nxd4 exd4 27 e7 Nxe7 28 Qxb4 Qc7 29 Rb1 Rab8 30 Qb6 Rfc8 31 Bf7 Nc6 32 Bd5 Qxb6 33 Rxb6 Bf8 34 Bxc6 Rxc6 35 Bxd4 Rxb6 36 cxb6 Rd8 37 Bf2 Kg7 38 Rc1 Kf6 39 g4 fxg4 40 fxg4 Rd7 41 Kg2 Bd6 42 h3 ½–½ Degraeve,J-Howell,J/Groningen 1995. ] 17 ..d5 18 exd5 cxd5 19 Bb2 Qe8!

[Black decides to get out of any potential danger on the d-file, whilst making way for a Rad8 and also protecting against a future Nb5.] 20 Rad1 Rd8 21 a4 a6 22 b5 Kh7 23 Ba3 Nxe6 24 bxa6 Nd4 25 Qxb7 Rb8 26 Qc7 Nc2 27 Nb5 Qd8 28 Qxd8 Rfxd8 29 c6? [ An incredible risk from Bareev - he should have opted for the safer 29 Rg1 Nxa3 30 Nxa3 where White has a small advantage.] 29 ..Nxc6 30 Rc1 Nxe1 31 Rxc6 d4 32 a7 Rb7 33 Bc5 d3 34 Bd1 e4 35 Bb6 Rxb6?! [ A time-related error. Topalov could have safely converted his obvious advantage by first playing 35 ..Ra8! ] 36 Rxb6 e3

37 Re6 [ With only a minute or so left on the clock in this extremely complicated position, Bareev makes sure he doesn't fall for Topalov's trick: 37 Rb8? e2!] 37 ..Nc2 38 g3? [ Time again: 38 Nc7! e2 39 Rxe2 dxe2 40 Bxe2 Bc3 41 a8Q and White can't lose.] 38 ..e2 [ Crucial now was the prevention of a potential Nc7, with 38 ..Ra8! and now Black is winning: 39 f4 g5 40 Kg2 ( 40 fxg5 hxg5 41 g4 f4 42 Bf3 Rxa7 43 Be4+ Kg8 44 Bxd3 Nd4) 40 ..Bf8 coming to c5 where the bishop will cover everything and also threaten everything!] 39 Bxe2 dxe2 40 Rxe2 Nd4 41 Nxd4 Bxd4 42 Rd2!

[This is what was probably missed by Topalov in the mutual "zeitnot". Black is now forced into defending a most uncomfortable rook and pawn ending - minus a pawn!] 42 ..Ra8 43 Rxd4 Rxa7 44 Kg2 g5 45 Kf2 Kg6 46 Ke2 Re7+ 47 Kd2 [ 47 Kd3? Re1! with good drawing chances.] 47 ..Re5 48 Rd3! [The rook is heading for a3 from where the passed pawn pushing up the board leaves Black helpless.] 48 ..f4 49 g4 Kf7 50 Ra3 Ra5 51 Kc3 Ke6 52 Kb4 Ra8 53 Kc5 [ 53 a5! as indicated by Bareev at breakfast today, is the technically correct way to win: 53 ..Kd6 54 a6 Kc7 ( 54 ..Kc6 55 Ka5 is much the same) 55 Ka5 Re8 56 Rc3+ Kb8 57 Kb6 Re6+ 58 Rc6 winning with ease.] 53 ..Kd7 54 a5 Kc7 55 a6 Re8

56 Ra2 [ A rather difficult position, for which we're grateful for the arrival of Joel Lautier in the press room, who managed to guide us through some of the pitfalls. The immediate advance looks to be drawish: 56 a7 Kb7 57 a8Q+ ( 57 Rd3 Ka8! 58 Rd6 Re3 and White can probably only draw.) 57 ..Rxa8 58 Rxa8 Kxa8 59 Kd5 Kb7 60 Ke5 Kc6 61 h4 ( 61 Kf5 Kd5 62 Kg6 Kd4 63 Kxh6 Ke3 64 Kxg5 Kxf3 65 h4 Kg3 66 h5 f3 67 h6 f2 68 h7 f1Q 69 h8Q Qf4+=) 61 ..gxh4 62 Kxf4 Kd5 63 Ke3 h3 64 Kf2 Kd4 65 f4 Ke4 66 f5 Ke5 67 Kg3 h5=] 56 ..Kb8 57 Rb2+ Ka8 58 Rb6 h5 59 gxh5 Re3 60 h6 Rxf3 61 h4! and now it's impossible for the Black rook to come behind the pawn on the h-file for a possible salvation. 1–0

You can contact John Henderson at: jbhthescots@blueyonder.co.uk

The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of TWIC, Chess & Bridge Ltd or the London Chess Center.