Amber 2010 (9)
Carlsen closes in on Ivanchuk at Amber
IM Malcolm Pein - Friday 26th March 2010
Magnus Carlsen cut Vasily Ivanchuk's overall lead to just half a point with two rounds and four games to play of the 19th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament at Nice. Carlsen defeated Lenier Dominguez 1.5-0.5 as Ivanchuk drew twice with Vugar Gashimov.
Magnus Carlsen cut Vasily Ivanchuk's overall lead to just half a point with two rounds and four games to play of the 19th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Tournament at Nice. Carlsen defeated Lenier Dominguez 1.5-0.5 as Ivanchuk drew twice with Vugar Gashimov.
An impressive game from Levon Aronian, winner of the last two Amber tournaments. 8.Bh3 is such a creative move. It looks ridiculous but White wants to harass the black bishop on e4 with his knight without allowing it to exchange itself on g2. A far-sighted decision that proves its worth.
Computers assess the position after 27.Bd3 as roughly equal whereas a strong GM would say that Black faces a miserable defence. I was commentating on this game for ICC with GM Varuzhan Akobian; he pronounced it 'technically winning'. White's position is impregnable on the kingside and he can slowly advance with four pawns v two, supported by the bishop . Black's bishop is out of play and his 'd' pawns stymied.
L Aronian - R Ponomariov
English Defence
1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 b6 3.d4 Bb7 4.a3 f5 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.g3 Ne4 7.Nxe4 Bxe4 8.Bh3!
Ruslan Ponomariov
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Levon Aronian
Position after 8.Bh3!
8...Bd6 9.0-0 0-0 10.d5 Bxf3 11.exf3 e5
(If Black could organise a7-a5, Nb8-a6 and Qf6 he would have some control but White acts first)
12.Qc2 Qf6 13.b4! c5 14.dxc6 Nxc6 15.Bb2 Nd4
(15...a5!?)
16.Bxd4 exd4 17.Rad1
(Black's pawn structure is damaged beyond repair)
17...a5 18.c5 Be7 19.cxb6 axb4 20.axb4 Kh8
(20...Bxb4 21.Qc4+)
21.b7 Rab8 22.Qc7 Qc6 23.Qf4 Bxb4 24.Bxf5 Rxb7 25.Qg4 Bc3 26.Be4! d5 27.Bd3 g6 28.f4! Qf6 29.Rb1! Re7 30.Rb5 Rd8 31.Rfb1 Kg7 32.Rb7 Rde8 33.f5 Rxb7
(33...g5 34.R7b6 Qf7 35.f6+)
34.Rxb7+ Re7 35.Rxe7+ Qxe7 36.fxg6 h6 37.Qf5 Bb4 38.Qxd5 Bd6
(38...Bc5 39.Kg2 followed by f4 and h4)
39.Qxd4+ Be5 40.Qd5 Bc7 41.Kg2 Bb6 42.h4 Kf6 43.Qc6+ Qe6 44.Qf3+ Kg7 45.Qb7+ Kf6 46.Be4
(46.g7 Bd4 47.Bh7 also wins)
46...Bd8 47.Qb2+ 1-0
Ruslan Ponomariov
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Levon Aronian
Final position after 47.Qb2+
White promotes the 'g' pawn.
Overall scores after 9 of 11 rounds.
1 Ivanchuk 12;
2 Carlsen 11.5;
3-4 Kramnik, Grischuk 11
5 Gelfand 10.5;
6 Karjakin 10;
7 Gashimov 9.5
8 Svidler 9;
9 Aronian 8;
10 Ponomariov 7.5;
11-12 Smeets, Dominguez 4;
Vasily Ivanchuk leads the Rapid with 6.5/9, Alexander Grischuk leads the Blindfold with 7/9.
