Morelia/Linares 2007 Rounds 8-9

Morelia/Linares 2007

Morelia/Linares 2007. Rounds 8-9 3rd-4th March 2007

Round 8 (March 2, 2007)

Anand, Viswanathan     -  Topalov, Veselin       1/2   25  B90  Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Aronian, Levon         -  Svidler, Peter         1/2   16  D94  Gruenfeld Closed
Leko, Peter            -  Ivanchuk, Vassily      1/2   38  C10  French Rubinstein
Morozevich, Alexander  -  Carlsen, Magnus        1/2   42  C83  Ruy Lopez Open

Round 9 (March 3, 2007)

Carlsen, Magnus        -  Aronian, Levon         1/2   28  E15  Queens Indian
Svidler, Peter         -  Anand, Viswanathan     1/2   41  C42  Petroff's Defence
Topalov, Veselin       -  Ivanchuk, Vassily      1/2   77  B42  Sicilian Paulsen
Morozevich, Alexander  -  Leko, Peter            1-0   46  E15  Queens Indian

XXIV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (MEX/ESP), 17 ii-10 iii 2007cat. XX (2746)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Anand, Viswanathan     g IND 2779 ** 1. =. 0. == == 1. 1.  5.5  2824
2 Carlsen, Magnus        g NOR 2690 0. ** 1. == =. 1. =. 1=  5.5  2831
3 Ivanchuk, Vassily      g UKR 2750 =. 0. ** 1. =. 1= == =.  5.0  2792
4 Aronian, Levon         g ARM 2744 1. == 0. ** == =. =. =.  4.5  2737
5 Svidler, Peter         g RUS 2728 == =. =. == ** =. =. =.  4.5  2751
6 Topalov, Veselin       g BUL 2783 == 0. 0= =. =. ** =. 1.  4.0  2702
7 Leko, Peter            g HUN 2749 0. =. == =. =. =. ** =0  3.5  2665
8 Morozevich, Alexander  g RUS 2741 0. 0= =. =. =. 0. =1 **  3.5  2660
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Mark Crowther on rounds 8 and 9

Macauley Peterson http://www.macauleypeterson.com/ did a highly enjoyable two minute video of round 8 for http://www.chessvibes.com/ which in fact was a good deal more exciting than the round itself.... [Its to Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf, the version used in the film is Philip Steir's remix for the soundtrack to the film Go. I really liked it but I guess big beat might not be to everyone's taste...]

Round 8

Round 8 was the first one in Linares and it was a bit of a damp squib. The joint leader Viswanathan Anand got a tiny edge against Veselin Topalov but agreed a draw after 25 moves.

The most interesting game was probably Levon Aronian against Peter Svidler with Svidler's 9... Qa5 seeming to give black good play. Svidler decided that it was enough to equalise with black and took a draw on move 16 in a position where he was a little better.

Aronian,L (2744) - Svidler,P (2728) [D94]
XXIV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (8), 02.03.2007

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.e3 c6 6.b4 0-0 7.Bb2 a5 8.b5 a4 9.Rc1 Qa5N Seems to be new. [9...a3 10.Ba1 cxb5 11.Nxb5 Nc6 12.cxd5 Nxd5 13.Bc4 Nb6 14.Be2 Be6 15.Qd2 Ra4 16.0-0 Bc4 17.Rfd1 e6 18.Nc3 Rb4 19.Ne4 Bxe2 20.Qxe2 Na4 21.Nc5 Nxc5 22.Rxc5 Qb6 23.Qd3 Rd8 24.Rcc1 e5 25.Bc3 Rb5 26.Rb1 Rxb1 27.Rxb1 Qc7 28.Qc4 exd4 29.Nxd4 Qd7 30.Nc2 b5 31.Qc5 Bxc3 32.Qxc3 b4 33.Qc4 Qd2 34.h3 Ne5 35.Qc7 Re8 36.Nxb4 Kg7 37.Nc2 Nd3 38.Rf1 Re6 39.Nxa3 Rf6 40.Qc2 Rxf2 41.Rxf2 1-0 Monnard,L (2285)-Ricardi,P (2435)/Andorra 1991/EXT 1997] 10.Bd3 Bg4 11.h3 Bxf3 12.Qxf3 e5 13.cxd5 exd4 14.exd4 Re8+ 15.Kf1 cxd5 16.g3

Black is a little better, maybe we'll see a full game with this new idea at some point. 1/2-1/2

Peter Leko won a pawn out of the French he had against Vassily Ivanchuk but it never looked to be good enough to produce an advantage and the players agreed a draw in a sterile position on move 38.

Alexander Morozevich lost the initiative against joint leader Magnus Carlsen's Open Ruy Lopez but the game drifted to a draw on move 42.

Round 9

A better round than round 8. First to finish was Magnus Carlsen's draw against Levon Aronian. The Queen's Indian is incredibly solid and pieces were exchanged leaving a simplified position where repetition was the natural conclusion to the game. The game followed Topalov - Leko from round 2 for 27 of its 28 moves. It left the question as to whether this was a sensible strategy from Carlsen or a waste of the white pieces?

Peter Svidler caused Viswanathan Anand a bit of trouble in the Petroff Defence. Black was given a smashed pawn structure in return he had the two bishops. 30.c4 seems to have been the big chance Svidler missed after which the game was quickly drawn.

Svidler,P (2728) - Anand,V (2779) [C42]
XXIV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (9), 03.03.2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.a3 Nc6 11.cxd5 Qxd5 12.Nc3 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Bf5 14.Re1 Rfe8 15.Bf4 Rac8 16.h3 Be4 17.Qa4 [17.Nd2 Bxg2 18.Bg4 Bh1 19.f3 Bh4 20.Rf1 f5 21.Bh5 g6 22.Kxh1 gxh5 23.Rg1+ Kh8 24.Qf1 Bf6 25.Rb1 Ne7 26.Bg5 Bxg5 27.Rxg5 Rg8 28.Rxg8+ Rxg8 29.Qe2 Ng6 30.Rb5 Qc6 31.Rxf5 Qxc3 32.Rd5 Qxa3 33.Kh2 Qf8 34.Qe6 Qf4+ 35.Kh1 Rf8 36.Qe2 h4 37.Rd7 Rf7 38.Rd8+ Kg7 39.Ne4 Qxf3+ 40.Qxf3 Rxf3 41.Nc5 b6 42.Ne6+ Kf6 43.Nxc7 Rxh3+ 44.Kg1 Rd3 45.Nb5 Kg5 46.Nxa7 h3 47.Nc6 Kg4 48.Ra8 Kg3 49.Ra1 h2+ 50.Kh1 Nf4 51.Ne5 Re3 52.Rd1 Kh3 53.Nf7 Rg3 0-1 Leko,P (2763)-Anand,V (2788)/San Luis ARG 2005/The Week in Chess 571] 17...Qf5 18.Bg3 Bc2 19.Qb5 Qxb5 20.Bxb5 a6 21.Bxc6 bxc6 22.Re5 f6 23.Ra5 Bd3 24.Ne1 Bb5 25.a4 Be2 26.Nc2 c5 27.dxc5 Kf7 28.c6 Red8 29.Ne3 Rd2

30.Rb1 [30.c4 Ra8 31.Rd5] 30...Bd6 31.Bxd6 Rxd6 32.Nf5 [32.Re1 Bd3; 32.Rc5] 32...Rxc6 33.Nd4 Rb6 34.Re1 Bd3 35.Rc5 Rd6 36.Re3 Bb1 37.Nc6 Re8 38.Nd4 Rc8 39.Re2 Bd3 40.Re1 Rd7 41.f3 1/2-1/2

Alexander Morozevich scored a trademark win against Peter Leko. In a Benoni structure that emerged out of the Queen's Indian Morozevich sacrificed the exchange for attacking chances. Leko seemed to be doing at least OK but he collapsed in the run up to first time control and Morozevich accurately finished things off.

Morozevich,A (2741) - Leko,P (2749) [E15]
XXIV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (9), 03.03.2007

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qb3 Be7 6.Nc3 0-0 7.e4 c5 [7...Bb7 8.d5 exd5 9.exd5 c6 10.Bg2 Na6 11.0-0 Nc5 12.Qd1 cxd5 13.cxd5 Nce4 14.Nh4 Nxc3 15.bxc3 Bc5 16.Nf5 Re8 17.c4 d6 18.Bb2 Bc8 19.Nd4 Bxd4 20.Qxd4 Ba6 21.a4 Rc8 22.Rfc1 h6 23.h3 Re7 24.a5 bxa5 25.c5 dxc5 26.Rxc5 Rxc5 27.Qxc5 Rb7 28.Bd4 Rb5 29.Qc6 Qc8 30.Bxf6 Qxc6 31.dxc6 gxf6 32.Bf1 Rb6 33.Bxa6 1-0 Lautier,J (2677)-Sokolov,A (2554)/Aix les Bains FRA 2003/The Week in Chess 460] 8.d5 exd5 9.exd5 Re8 10.Bd3 Bf8+ 11.Kf1 d6 12.Kg2 Nbd7 13.h4 g6 14.Qa4 Bb7 15.h5 Nxh5 16.Rxh5 An obvious but fairly brave sacrifice. 16...gxh5 17.Ne4 f5 18.Neg5 h6 19.Nh3 Ne5 20.Nxe5 dxe5 21.Bxf5 Qf6 22.Be4 Re7 23.Qd1 h4 24.Qh5 hxg3 25.fxg3 Rg7 [25...Rf7] 26.Bd2 Qf7 27.Qe2 Bc8 28.Nf2 Bf5 29.Bxf5 Qxf5 30.Ne4 Rf7 31.Rh1 Qg6 32.Rh4 Kh8 [32...Bg7] 33.Ng5 Rf5 [33...Re7 Returning the exchange probably didn't appeal to Leko but might be best. 34.Ne6 Rxe6 35.dxe6 Re8 36.Qxe5+ Bg7] 34.Ne6 h5 35.Bg5 Kg8 36.Rxh5 Re8?! [36...Bg7 37.g4 Rf7 38.Bd2 Re8 still looks fine.] 37.g4! Rf7 38.Bh4 Its clear black is in big trouble now. 38...Bg7 39.Rg5

39...Qh6? [39...Qb1] 40.Qxe5! wins. 40...Kh8?! Loses out of hand but the game has gone anyway. [40...Qh7] 41.Rxg7! Having made time control Morozevich thought for a long time to make sure he found the best. 41...Qd2+ Going for perpetual but its not there. [41...Qxg7 42.Qxg7+ Rxg7 43.Bf6 Kg8 44.Bxg7 Re7] 42.Kh3 Qd3+ 43.Bg3 Rxe6 44.dxe6 Rxg7 45.e7 Qh7+ 46.Kg2 1-0

Vassily Ivanchuk is one of the most adventurous players in the opening. He tried the Sicilian Kan against Veselin Topalov with black. A really heavyweight struggle ensued with Topalov pressing for a long time without much of an advantage. Things had turned by move 60 and Topalov was in trouble and by move 72 he was objectively lost. But I don't imagine he was that worried as Ivanchuk only had three minutes to complete the game in a complex position and Ivanchuk steered things to a draw rather than lose on time.

Topalov,V (2783) - Ivanchuk,V (2750) [B42]
XXIV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (9), 03.03.2007

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Bd3 Bc5 6.Nb3 Ba7 7.Qe2 d6 8.Be3 Nc6 9.f4 Nge7 10.0-0 0-0 11.c3 [11.Bxa7 Rxa7 12.N1d2 b5 13.Nf3 Qb6+ 14.Qf2 Qxf2+ 15.Rxf2 Rc7 16.a3 e5 17.fxe5 Nxe5 18.Nbd4 Bb7 19.Rd2 Rfc8 20.Re1 g6 21.c3 Kg7 22.Bb1 Nc4 23.Rf2 Nc6 24.Nxc6 Bxc6 25.Ba2 Bb7 26.Bxc4 bxc4 27.Rd2 Re8 28.Rxd6 Rxe4 29.Rxe4 Bxe4 30.Nd2 Bd3 31.b3 a5 32.Rd4 Kf6 33.bxc4 Bf5 34.Rd5 a4 35.Kf2 Rb7 36.c5 Ke7 37.Ke3 Rb2 38.c6 Rb6 39.Rc5 Kd6 40.Rxf5 1-0 Megaranto,S (2492)-Kasimdzhanov,R (2672)/Doha QAT 2006/The Week in Chess 633; 11.c4 Bxe3+ 12.Qxe3 d5 13.N1d2 d4 14.Qg3 e5 15.f5 f6 16.c5 Kh8 17.Nc4 Bd7 18.Rf3 a5 19.Nd6 Nc8 20.Qh4 Nxd6 21.cxd6 b6 22.g4 Be8 23.Kh1 Qxd6 24.g5 fxg5 25.Qxg5 Qf6 26.Qg4 Nb4 27.Nd2 Nxd3 28.Rxd3 Rc8 29.Nf3 g6 30.fxg6 Bxg6 31.Nh4 Qc6 32.Re1 Bxe4+ 33.Rxe4 Rf4 0-1 Lane,G (2442)-Gonzalez Zamora,J (2524)/Calvia ESP 2004/The Week in Chess 520] 11...b5 12.N1d2 Bxe3+ 13.Qxe3 Rb8 14.Kh1 Qb6 15.Qe2 a5 16.a3 Bd7 17.Rf3 Ng6 18.g3 Rfd8 19.Rd1 Nce7 20.h4 h6 21.Kh2 Be8 22.Rg1 Nc6 23.h5 Nf8 24.g4 e5 25.g5 hxg5 26.fxg5 Rb7 27.Qf1 Ne6 28.h6 g6 29.Nc1 Qc7 30.Qf2 Qe7 31.Qh4 b4 32.Nc4 bxc3 33.bxc3 d5 34.exd5 Rxd5 35.Re3 Qc5 36.Rf1 Rb2+ 37.Rf2 Rxf2+ 38.Qxf2 Qe7 39.Be4?! [39.Qf6] 39...Rd1 40.Qc2 Rd8 41.Nd3 Nxg5 42.Bxc6 Bxc6 43.Ndxe5 Qf6 44.Nxc6 Qxc6 45.Qe2 Qc7+ 46.Ne5 Rd5 47.Kg2 Ne6 48.Qc4 Qe7 49.Kg3 Qg5+ 50.Ng4 Rc5 51.Qe4 Rf5 52.Rf3 Kh7 53.c4?! a4! 54.Qe3 Qe7 55.Qc3 Qc7+ 56.Kf2 Rxf3+ 57.Qxf3 Qc5+ 58.Ne3 f5 59.Qb7+ Kxh6 60.Qd5 Black is now clearly better but Ivanchuk has only half an hour to complete the game. 60...Qe7 61.Qe5 Qh4+ 62.Kf1 Ng5 63.Qh8+ Nh7 64.Qe5 Nf6 65.Ke2 Kg5 66.c5 Qh5+ 67.Kd3 Qf3 68.Kc4 Qb7 69.Qc3 Ne4 70.Qb4 Qa6+ 71.Kd4 Qf6+ 72.Kd5?

72...Kf4 [72...Nc3+ is the computer win but with only three minutes left Ivanchuk probably already has to settle for the draw. 73.Kc4 Qe6+ 74.Kd3 Ne4 75.Kd4 Ng3 76.Qb7 Ne2+ 77.Kd3 Nc1+ 78.Kd2 Nb3+ 79.Ke2 Nxc5] 73.Qd4 Qf7+ 74.Kc6 Qe8+ The position is objectively drawn, Ivanchuk makes sure. 75.Kb6 Qb8+ 76.Ka6 Qa8+ 77.Kb6 Qb8+ 1/2-1/2