Chess by Malcolm Pein of the Daily Telegraph
Malcolm Pein writes for the Daily Telegraph (telegraph.co.uk) you can read his chess columns along with those of Nigel Short and David Norwood at their Chess Club (to read the columns you need to register which is free).
Kasparov came close to defeating Radjabov in round 9. Photo © Jesús J. Boyero Gabarre
Round 8-9 February 27-28, 2004
Garry Kasparov gifted another half point to the sixteen year old prodigy Teimour Radjabov in the ninth round at Linares. The world number one suffered a sensational defeat at the youngster's hands at Linares last year and this year he has managed to achieve two completely won positions and let them both slip to draws with inexplicable blunders in the endgame.
The world number one's latest mishap came after he had played on in a very drawish position and extracted an advantage after Radjabov lost his nerve. Once again Kasparov had plenty of time on the clock when he threw away the win, providing further evidence that he must have some psychological difficulties playing against the boy who caused him so much pain last year and who coincidentally comes from Kasparov's birthplace of Baku.
All the round eight and nine games were drawn which meant that Peter Leko, the world number four who plays Vladimir Kramnik for the world title later this year, remained in the lead. Leko drew with Radjabov in round eight and sat the ninth round out. Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik remain tied for second but Kasparov could well be back on 50%, he was in desperate trouble against Alexei Shirov in round eight but Shirov, who has never beaten Kasparov in something like thirty attempts contrived not to win an endgame with an extra pawn and a better position.
Round eight results
Kasparov draw Shirov, Ruy Lopez Anti Marshall, 50 moves;
Leko draw Radjabov, Sicilian Sveshnikov, 27;
Kramnik draw Vallejo, Sicilian Najdorf, 20
Round nine results
Vallejo draw Topalov, Sicilian Sveshnikov, 33;
Shirov draw Kramnik, Sicilian Sveshnikov, 32;
Radjabov draw Kasparov, Scotch Game, 58;
Scores: 1 Leko (Hungary) 4.5/7; 2-3 Kramnik (Russia), Kasparov (Russia) 4.5/8; 4 Shirov (Spain) 4/8; 5 Vallejo Pons (Spain) 3.5/8; 6 Topalov (Bulgaria) 3/7, 7 Radjabov (Azerbaijan) 3/8;
White has sufficient compensation for the pawn in the endgame when his knight is superior to the black bishop because all the play is on the queenside. The turning point was 36â?¦dxc5+! Followed by Be6 when play is on both sides of the board and the bishop, which has a longer range, is better than the knight.
Radjabov,T (2656) - Kasparov,G (2831) [C45]
XXI SuperGM Linares ESP (9), 28.02.2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Ba6 9.b3 g6 10.f4 f6 11.exf6 Qxe2+ 12.Bxe2 Bb4+ 13.Bd2 Bxd2+ 14.Nxd2 Nxf4 15.Rf1 Nxe2 [ 15...Nxg2+ 16.Kf2 Nf4 17.Bg4 0-0-0 18.Kg3 Nd3 19.Nf3 Rhe8 20.Rad1 Re3 21.Kh4 Rf8 22.Kg5 c5 23.Bxd7+ Kb8 24.Rxd3 Rxd3 25.Ne5 Rd6 26.f7 1-0 Rublevsky,S-Tseshkovsky,V/Krasnoyarsk RUS 2003/The Week in Chess 469 (26). ] 16.Kxe2 Kf7 17.Kd3 Rae8 18.Rae1 Rxe1 19.Rxe1 Kxf6 20.Ne4+ Kg7 21.Nc3 Kf7 22.Rf1+ Ke7 23.Re1+ Kf7 24.Rf1+ Ke7 25.Re1+ Kd8 26.Rf1 Bb7 27.Ne4 Ke7 28.Re1 Kf7 29.Kd4 h6 30.b4 d6 31.c5 Rd8 32.Re3 g5 33.Ra3 a6 34.Rf3+ Kg7 35.Re3 Bc8 36.Rc3 dxc5+!
White had sufficient compensation for the pawn in the endgame when his knight was superior to the black bishop because all the play is on the queenside. Now dxc5 followed by Be6 means play is on both sides of the board and the bishop, which has a longer range, is better than the knight. 37.Kxc5 Be6 38.Kxc6 Bxa2 39.Nc5 Rb8 40.Ra3 Bc4 41.Ra4 Re8 42.Kxc7 Re2 43.g4 Rxh2 44.Nxa6 Rb2 45.Kb6 Be2 46.Nc5 Bxg4 47.b5 Be2 48.Ne6+ Kf6 49.Nd4 h5 50.Kc5 g4 51.b6 g3 52.b7 g2 53.b8Q Rxb8 54.Nxe2 Rb2 55.Ng1
55...Rf2?? Throwing away all his hard work. [ 55...Rb1 56.Nf3 g1Q+ 57.Nxg1 Rxg1 when the white king is too far away from the h pawn to prevent its advance. Computer databases give the position as a forced win.] 56.Ra6+ Kf5 57.Kd4 Rf1 58.Ke3 White will win the g-pawn and be able to stop the h-pawn. 1/2-1/2