December 2007
Monthly Archive
Sat 22 Dec 2007
Anand has a peaceful draw against Leko. Kramnik defeats Aronian to secure second place. Svidler improves significantly on his loss against Topalov from San Luis, and Grischuk suffers another defeat. Gelfand curbs Morozevich for a well earned draw.
Anand – Leko
Anand faces Leko’s Marshall Attack and swops off Black’s dangerous dark-squared bishop. At the end of the variation black regains his pawn and there’s not much to play for, so a draw is agreed.
Kramnik – Aronian
Kramnik improves on Radjabov – Karjakin from Corus Wijk Aan Zee earlier this year in the modern variation of the Queen’s Indian. Kramnik invests an exchange as his more active pieces start to dominate. As the exchanges happen Kramnik, with two bishops for a rook, takes control of the a-file, and Black’s weak pawns are exposed. Backed by the two bishop, Kramnik’s d-pawn advances, wreacking Black’s flimsy defences. Aronian resigns.
Svidler – Grischuk
Grischuk follows Topalov’s game against Svidler from San Luis, which allows Svidler to play a strong improvement (20. Rc1!). This exchange sacrifice allows the White queen to enter Black’s kingside and put the Black king under pressure. In the ensuing slugfest Svidler has the upperhand, and he is well on his way to winning with his three minor pieces against Grischuk’s rook.
Morozevich – Gelfand
Gelfand deviates first from an old Polgar-Shirov game in the modern Petroff. Through the tactical complexities Gelfand gains an exchange for a pawn and shattered kingside pawn structure. Morozevich gains the advantage through two outside passed pawns, so Gelfand forces the draw by perpetual check with his pair of rooks.
Mon 17 Dec 2007
A draw between Gelfand and Kramnik virtually assures Anand of first place. Anand comes from behind to secure a draw in a lengthy tense struggle against Grischuk. Leko beats Morozevich in a neat positional game. A wild opening sees a balanced finish in Aronian’s game against Svidler.
Gelfand – Kramnik
Gelfand revisits the Topalov-Kramnik World Championship match, game 4 with a Semi-Slav, but Kramnik deviates first with 12…. Nf6, but White still has excellent compensation for the pawn. Kramnik slowly improves his position, while Gelfand tries to drum up play on the open b-file. As the game reduces into a double rook endgame a draw is agreed.
Grischuk – Anand
Grischuk is the next player up to test Anand’s adherence to the Anti-Moscow Gambit Semi-Slav. Grischuk plays a new move 15. d5 and the queens quickly disappear. Grischuk seizes the initiative to create a strong pin down the d-file, keeping Anand’s king right in the firing line. Grischuk keeps the upper hand in the rook and knight endgame thanks to his more active pieces. Anand is forced into a difficult defence in the ensuing endgame as Grischuk pokes and prods for a further advantage. In a tense finish all the pieces disappear, leaving Anand with a well deserved half-point.
Leko – Morozevich
Morozevich opts for a Sicilian Richter Rauzer while Leko attempts a transposition to the English Attack. They follow a Wijk Aan Zee 2007 game between Kosintseva and Atalik until Leko deviates with 12. Nxc6. Leko damages Morozevich’s pawn structure and sets to work exploiting it. He wins the Black h-pawn and thereafter his own passed h-pawn is unstoppable.
Aronian – Svidler
Its a wild Four Knights English and Aronian has to artificially castle his king. But he comes out of the opening well and makes decent use of the semi-open f-file, while Svidler does likewise on the semi-open e-file. The culmination of Svidler’s buildup is the …d5 break which suits Aronian’s purposes. The game dissolves into a queen and pawns ending with Aronian holding the initiative. But there’s very little to play for in the position, so a draw is agreed.
Mon 17 Dec 2007
Kramnik takes advantage of a momentary lapse from Leko to cut into Anand’s lead. Aronian’s novelty brings out the best in Gelfand who grabs the full point. Morozevich snares Grischuk’s king into a mating net. Anand secures a quiet draw against Svidler.
Kramnik – Leko
Kramnik finds a new move (13. Qf4) in a typical Open Catalan. Leko manages to equalise, but Kramnik retains some niggling pressure. Leko grabs an exchange but Kramnik’s piece activity gives him adequate compensation. Leko stumbles and misses a key Kramnik move, and a dynamic equality quickly becomes a serious advantage for Kramnik as his queen infiltrates the Black position. With the advance of his pawn centre Kramnik converts the advantage into a winning position.
Aronian – Gelfand
Aronian springs an aggressive novelty in the Moscow Variation of the Semi-Slav, but Gelfand quickly adapts to the new situation and exposes the weaknesses in Aronian’s position. Gelfand brings his pieces into promising positions against the White king, and Aronian is bust. Aronian extricates himself by giving up a piece, but Gelfand converts the material advantage into the full point.
Svidler – Anand
The players continue their theoretical discussion in the Anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez, but the players swapping roles and following Svidler’s game against Ivanchuk from Linares 2007. Anand deviates first with 13… Bf8. Both players play solidly and inevitably a draw is agreed.
Morozevich – Grischuk
Morozevich offers up a Four Knights English Opening, and Grischuk equalises quickly, his strongly posted knight compensates for Morozevich’s two bishops. Grischuk builds pressure against White’s backward d-pawn. This causes Morozevich to part with his bishop pair in reclaiming the temporary pawn deficit, and his rooks start to assert their dominance. Grischuk misplays his knight, and in trying to activate his pieces he falls into serious trouble. Morozevich liquidates the central pawns leaving him with two connected passed pawns on the queenside. Grischuk’s pieces look dangerous, but Morozevich finds the nail that hinders Black’s piece activity. In a flurry of tactics Morozevich snares the Black king into a mating net.
Sun 16 Dec 2007
Anand extends his lead by beating Morozevich in a tremendous battle and an exquisite finish. Kramnik has an easy draw against Grischuk. Leko’s edge against Aronian isn’t enough for a decisive result. Svidler holds Gelfand with very little trouble.
Anand – Morozevich
Morozevich plays into a well-trodden path of the Sicilian Najdorf. Anand takes control of the d5-square after removing Morozevich’s light-squared bishop. Morozevich counters with a break down the f-file. Anand finds a clever manoeuvre to regroup his remaining knight, with a slight advantage. Anand manages to hold Black’s kingside threats, and creates his own initiative on the queenside. Anand avoids the proffered repetition of position and breaks through on the queenside, whilst conceding the battle for the h-file. Anand’s knight on d5 dominates the position, and he uses that to infiltrate with his queen and remove Black’s central pawns. In the race of passed pawns its Morozevich’s pawn that queens, but Anand finishes off with an exquisite domination of the queen by his own rook and knight.
Leko – Aronian
Aronian emerges from a Queen’s Indian with a Sicilian-like Hedgehog, and a balanced position. Leko gets an advantage thanks to his passed and advanced d-pawn, but Aronian manages to blockade it with a bishop. Aronian sacrifices a pawn to activate his rook, which neutralises Leko’s immediate threats. Aronian rounds up and removes the isolani at the cost of allowing a White rook on the backrank. Aronian takes over the initiative, but the game heads into a rook and bishop ending. Draw agreed.
Grischuk – Kramnik
Out of a slightly unusual 3.d4 Petroff, Grischuk follows a misanalysed idea and finds his plan of keeping the Black king in the centre miscarries after an obvious exchange. Grischuk offers a draw.
Gelfand – Svidler
Svidler is goaded into a Russian Grunfeld via an English opening move order, but its not enough to throw Svidler off as he holds the balance. A draw agreed.
Sun 16 Dec 2007
Anand secures his hold of first place with a tough draw against Kramnik. Aronian struggles but overcomes Grischuk in a well calculated finish. Svidler’s enterprising play is almost enough to dispatch Morozevich, but in the tense struggle, Svidler misses the winning continuation. Leko allows a perpetual check.
Kramnik – Anand
The Anti-Moscow Gambit appears again, Anand seemingly comfortable on the Black side after a brilliant win against Aronian in round 2. Kramnik unveils a new move (17. b3), and gets a knight into d6. This convinces Anand to sacrifice the exchange. In the intricate semi-endgame, Kramnik tries to prise open Black’s king. Anand defuses that initiative, so Kramnik switches to exploiting the weak pawns on the kingside, while Anand activates his pieces against the White kingside position. The position returns to balance, and with Anand holding a slight advantage, Kramnik offers a draw.
Aronian – Grischuk
Aronian plays an unorthodox Queen’s Gambit Declined and heads into a Catalan. Grischuk comes out fighting, but the game quickly settles down into a typical Queen’s Gambit structure. Grischuk sacrifices a pawn to fire up his kingside attack, but Aronian’s knights keep the position under control, allowing him to pursue his central ambitions. That gives Grischuk the opportunity to push forward against Aronian’s kingside. Grischuk misses an opportunity to push forward with his hanging pawns, handing the initiative back to Aronian. Grischuk parts with the exchange to hang onto his pawn centre, but Aronian quickly returns it to break it up. In the endgame with seven isolated pawns Aronian cleans up with an elegant mating attack.
Gelfand – Leko
In the well-trodden paths of the Catalan, the players reach a balanced and solid position. Leko’s queenside pawn expansion goes to naught, and he provokes a piece sacrifice on the kingside that enables Gelfand to force a perpetual check.
Svidler – Morozevich
Against Morozevich’s Caro-Kann, Svidler opts for the modern 5. Ng5 treatment. Morozevich produces the first new move by adopting a sideline continuation (15… c5) that hasn’t been seriously tested before. Svidler tries to use his slight advantage to open up kingside operations against the uncastled Black king. This allows Morozevich some counterplay and a space advantage on the queenside which equalises the position. Morozevich manages to untangle his kingside and complete his development. Svidler neutralises Morozevich’s queenside space and prepares to engage the now (artificially) castled Black king, but he misses the most direct continuation by playing an intermezzo which forces Morozevich into a slightly better position. Svidler’s initiative fizzles, and Morozevich emerges with a clear advantage. Svidler sacrifices a pawn to activate his pieces and open lines for an attack, but misses a winning continuation, and has to give back his extra pawn. There’s no more to play for and a draw is agreed.