Linares 2010 (2)
Weak black kingsides lead to two decisive games in Linares
IM Malcolm Pein - Wednesday 17th February 2010
Two weak black kingsides and two well played attacks led to two decisive results in the second round at Linares. Veselin Topalov outplayed Vugar Gashimov and Alexander Grischuk played a very nice game to defeat Boris Gelfand.
Two weak black kingsides and two well played attacks led to two decisive results in the second round at Linares. Veselin Topalov outplayed Vugar Gashimov and Alexander Grischuk played a very nice game to defeat Boris Gelfand.
Round one: Aronian draw Grischuk, Nimzo-Indian 4.f3 26 moves; Vallejo draw Topalov, Ruy Lopez 41, Gelfand draw Gashimov, Modern Benoni, 54.
Round two: Vallejo draw Aronian, Ruy Lopez Berlin Wall, 41 moves; Topalov 1-0 Gashimov, Slav a6, Grischuk 1-0 Gelfand, Nimzo-Indian Rubinstein,
A Grischuk - B Gelfand
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nbd7 9.Qe2 a6 10.a4
(Stopping b7-b5 and Bb7)
10...cxd4 11.exd4 Nb6 12.Bd3 Nbd5 13.Nxd5
(13.Bg5 Be7 14.Rfe1 Korchnoi-Shamkovich 1967)
13...Nxd5
(13...Qxd5 14.Bg5 Be7 15.Ne5 Qxd4 16.Rfd1 Qb6 17.Rac1 is a slightly speculative idea but White has strong pressure; 13...exd5 14.Bg5 Qd6 was solid for Black in Ivanchuk - Speelman 1991)
14.Qe4 g6
(A typical IQP position and one where the black bishop is out of play on b4 but it should be quite playable. 14...f5 15.Qe2 Bd7 16.Ne5 is also possible)
15.Bh6 Re8 16.Ne5 Bd7
(16...Bf8!?)
17.Qf3 Qe7 18.Be4 Bc6 19.Bxd5!
(A very surprising idea, at least to me. Grischuk bets that the absence of the dark bishop is more serious if the other defender of dark squares, a knight on a light square, is removed but it's quite a concession to make. Black gets a huge bishop on d5 and controls the white squares but does he generate any threats on the kingside? the answer is resoundingly no)
19...Bxd5 20.Qf4 f5 21.h4 Rac8 22.Rac1 Bd6 23.Rfe1 Qf6 24.Rc3 Rxc3 25.bxc3 Rc8 26.Qg3 Be4
(26...Rc4 27.h5 Rxa4 28.Bf4 and to hold g6 Black must exchange on e5 rather as in the game and suffer long-term on the dark squares. After 28...Bxe5 29.Bxe5 Qf7 30.Qh4 intending Re3 it looks unpleasant, seems like it might be better to let g6 go)
27.h5 Bxe5 28.dxe5 Qf7 29.Re3 Kh8
(29...Rd8 30.Qg5 Rd1+ 31.Kh2 Bc6 32.Rg3 Black has a terrible defensive task for example White can try to organise Qh4, Bh6-f5-f6 and hxg6. Black has no play against the white king)
30.Qh4 gxh5 31.Rg3 Bd5 32.a5
(After 32.Bg7+ Qxg7 33.Rxg7 Kxg7 Black has some chances to build a fortress)
32...f4
(End of fortress but if 32...Rg8 33.Rxg8+ Kxg8 34.Qd8+ mates)
33.Rg7 Qf5 34.Qe7 Qe4 35.Qf6 1-0
Boris Gelfand
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Alexander Grischuk
Final position after 35.Qf6
V Topalov - V Gashimov
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 a6 5.Qc2 g6 6.Bd3 Bg7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Nbd2 Nbd7 9.cxd5 cxd5 10.b3 Nb8 11.Ba3 Nc6 12.Rac1 Be6 13.Qb2 Re8 14.h3 Rc8 15.Rc2 Bf5 16.Bxf5 gxf5 17.Ne1 Ne4 18.Nd3 e5 19.Nxe4 dxe4 20.Nxe5 Nxe5 21.dxe5 Rxc2 22.Qxc2 Qa5 23.Bd6 Bxe5 24.b4 Qd8 25.Bxe5 Rxe5 26.Rc1 Rd5 27.a4 b5 28.axb5 Rxb5
(28...axb5 29.g3 Rd2 30.Qc8 Qxc8 31.Rxc8+ Kg7 32.Rc5)
29.Qa4 Qd6 30.Qa1 Qe5 31.Qxa6
(Black may hold after 31.Qxe5 Rxe5 32.Ra1 but with the black king so weak it makes sense to keep queens on)
31...Rxb4 32.Qh6 Rb8 33.g3 Qe6 34.Qf4 Rc8 35.Rd1! Rc6
(35...Re8 36.Rd6 Qe5 37.Rd8!; 35...Re8 36.Rd6 Qe7 37.Rd5)
36.Rd8+ Kg7 37.Kg2 h6 38.Qb8
(There is no defence now)
38...Qf6 39.Rd5 Re6 40.h4 h5 41.Rd8 Kh7 42.Rg8 f4 43.gxf4
(43.Rg5 wins immediately)
43...Qxh4 44.Rh8+ Kg6 45.Qg8+ Kf6 46.Qd8+ Re7 47.Rh6+ Kf5
(47...Kg7 48.Qh8#)
48.Qd5+ 1-0
48.Qd5+ Kg4 49.Qd1+ Kf5 50.Rxh5+
