World Teams 2010 (8)
Aronian stops Nakamura run
IM Malcolm Pein - Friday 15th January 2010
Levon Aronian defeated Hikaru Nakamura to end his good run of results and relegate the USA to 2nd place with a round to go.
Hikaru Nakamura's wonderful run came to an end at the World Team Championships as world number five Levon Aronian managed to overcome the American's King's Indian Defence with the aid of a strong novelty in the opening and win the match for Armenia. The lead changed hands again and with one to play Russia are one match point ahead of the USA after crusing Egypt 3.5-0.5.
Russia face Israel in the last round while the USA must overcome the European champions Azerbaijan who are still just about in the hunt for gold.
Leading scores with game points in brackets: 1 Russia 13/16 (21), 2 USA 12 (19.5), 3 Azerbaijan 11 (20), 4 India 11 (17.5)
A spectacular game as Black loses nearly all his pieces but it was actually settled by a blunder on move 15.
D Lima - B Esen
7th World Team Ch Bursa (8)
Brazil v Turkey
Sicilian Defence
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Be2 Nbd7 5.d3 b6 6.Nbd2 Bb7 7.0-0 g6 8.d4!
(Threatening e4-e5, Black is two moves from castling)
8...cxd4
(8...Bg7 9.e5 dxe5 10.dxe5 Nd5 11.e6 fxe6 12.Ng5 Nc7 13.Qb3)
9.cxd4 Nxe4
(9...Bg7)
10.Nxe4 Bxe4 11.Ng5 Bc6
(11...Bd5 12.Bf3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Nf6 14.Qc6+ Nd7 15.Qc4 e6 16.Re1 with a dangerous attack)
12.d5 Bb7 13.Qd4 Rg8 14.Ne6! fxe6 15.dxe6 Ne5
B Esen
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Darcy Lima
Position after 15...Ne5?
(15...Rc8 defends)
16.Qxe5! Bg7
(16...dxe5 17.Bb5+)
17.Qf4 Bf6 18.Qa4+ Kf8 19.Bh6+ Rg7
(It's over, if 19...Bg7 20.Qf4+)
20.Rac1 d5 21.Qd7 Rb8 22.Rc7 Bxb2 23.Rxb7 Qxd7 24.Rxb8+! Qe8 25.Bxg7+ Kxg7 26.Rxe8 Kf6 27.Bf3
1-0
B Esen
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Darcy Lima
Final position after 27.Bf3
Castling queenside into the teeth of the bishop on g7 was too risky, 16...c5 opens the diagonal and White is already in difficulties.
W Sarwat - N Vitiugov
Egypt v Russia
Reti Opening
1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 d4 3.e3 Nc6 4.exd4 Nxd4 5.Nxd4 Qxd4 6.Nc3 c6 7.d3 Nh6 8.Be3 Qd8 9.d4 Nf5 10.Be2 g6 11.Qd2 Bg7 12.0-0-0 Qa5 13.Kb1 0-0 14.g4 Nxe3 15.fxe3 Rd8 16.Qc2 c5 17.dxc5
(17.d5 a6 18.Ne4 b5 19.Nxc5 bxc4 20.Qxc4 Rb8)
17...Bd7 18.Rd3 Bc6 19.Nd5 Qxc5 20.Rhd1 e6 21.Nc3 Rxd3 22.Rxd3 Rc8 23.Qd2 Bf6 24.Qe1 b5! 25.cxb5
(25.Nxb5 Bxb5 26.cxb5 Qc2+ 27.Ka1 Qxb2#)
25...Be4 26.Kc1 Bxd3 27.Bxd3 Bxc3 28.bxc3 Qa3+ 29.Kb1 Rxc3 30.Bc2 Qb4+ 31.Ka1 Qc5 0-1
