Alexander Motylev played fearlessly at the 10th Karpov tournament recently concluded at Poikovsky in Siberia. The former Russian champion scored his best result at the top level winning with an unbeaten 7/9. In the last round a draw would have sufficed for tournament victory and so Motylev defended with the solid Petroff but then made a daring sacrifice of rook for bishop that led to a chaotic endgame.

Black's compensation is based on the activity of his king and the power of his dark squared bishop which cannot be prevented from attacking White's fixed kingside pawns but the idea does not seem fully sound to me.

V Bologan - A Motylev

Black calculates that a pawn race is inevitable after his next move

32...Kxc5 33.Rxc7+ Kd4 34.Be2

(34.Re7 Be4 35.Rxb7 Ke3 36.Kc1 Bd2+ 37.Kb2 Bc3+! 38.Kxc3 d4+ 39.Kc4 Bxb7 or 35.g4 hxg4 36.Bxg4 Ke3 37.Re6 Kd2!)

34...b5 35.Rc6 Be1 36.Rxa6 Bxg3 37.Bxb5

(why not 37.Rxf6 Bxh4 38.Rf8 idea Bxh5)

37...Bxh4 38.a4 Ke3 39.a5 Be1 40.Ra8

(40.Ra7! Kxf4 41.a6 Bf2 42.Rh7 h4? 43.Rxh4+ or 40.Ra7 Kxf4 41.a6 Bf2 42.Rh7 g5 43.Rxh5 g4)

40...Kxf4 41.a6 Bf2 42.Bc6 g5 43.Bxd5 h4 44.Kb2 h3 45.c4 Bd4+ 46.Ka3 g4 47.b4 g3 48.c5 g2

(48...Be6!! with the idea of 49.Bxe6 g2 but White may survive after 48...Be6!! 49.Rd8 Bxd5 50.Rxd5 g2 51.Rxd4+ Ke3 52.Re4+!! Kxe4 53.a7 g1Q 54.a8Q+ Ke3 55.Qe8+ Kf2 56.Qh8 h2 57.Qxf6+)

49.Rg8 Bg4

50.Rxg4+ Kxg4

(Both sides promote and the draw is forced)

51.a7 g1Q 52.a8Q h2 53.Kb3 Be5 54.Bh1 Qd1+ 55.Kc4 Qf1+ 56.Kb3 Qd1+ 57.Kc4 Qf1+ 58.Kb3 Qd1+ 59.Kc4 Qf1+ draw

At Zafra Michael Adams has 2.5/4. In this game we see an unusual sight of two black rooks en prise to two white bishops as White's piece prevail over the black queen

M Perez Candelario - D Larino Nieto

III Ruy Lopez Zafra (3)

Ruy Lopez Birds Defence

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 c6 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Qe2 d6 8.e5 dxe5 9.Qxe5+ Be7 10.Re1 b5 11.Bb3 Bb7 12.d3 Qd7 13.Bg5 Kf8 14.c3 h6 15.Bf4 Rd8 16.Nd2 dxc3 17.Qxc3 c5

(17...Qxd3 18.Rxe7 Kxe7 19.Qc5+ Kd7 20.Rd1 Kc8 21.Qxa7 wins)

18.Qa5 g5 19.Be5 Qc6 20.Ne4 Rxd3 21.Bc2 Bd8?

(21...Nxe4! 22.Bxd3 Nxf2 23.Bf1 Nh3+! 24.Kh1 Nf2+=; 21...Nxe4! 22.Bxh8? Nxf2 wins)

22.Qxa7! Bb6 23.Qxb7! Qxb7 24.Bxf6 Rd5 25.Bxh8 f5

(rook and two pieces for the queen is too much)

26.Nf6 Rd8 27.Bxf5 Kf7 28.Rad1 Qa8 29.Nd7 Ba5 30.Be6+ Kg6 31.Ne5+ Kh7 32.Bf6 Rd4 33.Bf5+ Kg8 34.Rxd4 cxd4 35.Rc1 1-0

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