August 2008
Monthly Archive
Sun 31 Aug 2008
Carlsen’s powerful siege of Topalov’s position claims a well-earned point. Leko misses good chances, and goes down against Anand. Ivanchuk gets a perpetual in a battle with Radjabov. Aronian is satisfied to split the points with Shirov.
Topalov – Carlsen
Carlsen gains an opening advantage by adopting an Alekhine against Topalov, and wins a pawn. Topalov is tied in knots trying to hold off Black’s initiative. Carlsen’s passed pawn, supported by his king, keeps Topalov tied up. With the aid of some tactics, Carlsen strengthens his grip, and Topalov runs out of space and moves. A powerful performance from Carlsen.
Leko – Anand
The Sicilian Najdorf rapidly heads into an endgame with Leko slightly on top. Leko lets his advantage whittle away by taking a passive approach to the endgame. Leko finally starts seizing the initiative on the queenside, which leads to the win of a pawn, but hands the initiative and strong counterplay to Anand. Anand’s central passed pawn mass proves more powerful than Leko’s connected queenside passed pawns.
Radjabov – Ivanchuk
Ivanchuk’s Taimanov Sicilian transposes into a Classical French. Ivanchuk gets his queenside pawns moving toward the White king. Radjabov builds up in the centre sacrifices a pawn to break Black’s central pawn structure. Radjabov breaks through, demolishing Ivanchuk’s queenside, but Ivanchuk has enough counterplay to secure perpetual check.
Aronian – Shirov
After a rapier-like clash in the English Opening transposing to an Old Indian-like position, the tension eases just as rapidly, and the players take an early draw.
Sat 30 Aug 2008
Shirov outplays Topalov in the double-rook endgame. Aronian benefits from an Ivanchuk double-blunder to scoop a point from nothing. Leko’s solid play is sufficient to split the points with Carlsen. Radjabov’s activity in the Schliemann Ruy is enough to secure a draw against Anand.
Shirov – Topalov
Topalov gains a slight edge out of a Sveshnikov Sicilian. Shirov starts to take a hold of the queenside with his piece activity, forcing Topalov to reduce into a semi-endgame with a bad bishop, but Topalov manages to get into a double rook endgame. But its Shirov’s rooks that take over the board, and its the entry of his king deep into the Black position that coverts the position into a whole point for Shirov.
Ivanchuk – Aronian
Ivanchuk side-steps Aronian’s Marshall with 8.d4, and the game dissolves into a double bishop middlegame. Ivanchuk nurtures a small advantage and builds on it by circling around Black’s isolated d-pawn. Aronian blunders under the pressure, but Ivanchuk misses the win of a piece, but still has a large advantage plus two extra pawns. And then Ivanchuk trips up, dropping a piece and misses forcing a perpetual check. Aronian gains a fortuitous point.
Carlsen – Leko
Carlsen’s side-line in the Classical Nimzo-Indian gives the opening edge to Leko, but his subsequent careful play lets the opportunity to cement his advantage dissipate. Although Carlsen has a slight edge, Leko’s solid play prevents it from becoming a danger, and the points are shared.
Anand – Radjabov
Radjabov gains a pair of raging bishops plus some kingside pressure from Schliemann’s Gambit of the Ruy Lopez. Anand counters by a queenside pawn expansion, attempting to contain the bishops. Radjabov gets all his pieces developed and regains his sacrificed pawn. His centralised pieces is sufficient to convince Anand to split the points.
Tue 26 Aug 2008
Topalov outplays Ivanchuk. Anand gains a strong advantage, accepts Carlsen’s offering and converts it to a whole point in an Anti-Moscow. Radjabov’s aggression secures a quick draw with Aronian. Shirov counters Leko’s central pressure and earns a well-played draw.
Topalov – Ivanchuk
Topalov’s English Attack against Ivanchuk’s Sicilian Najdorf triggers off a game of chicken. Topalov bails out first, leaving Ivanchuk a little constricted on the dark squares. Topalov unravels his pieces first and takes the initiative on the queenside. Ivanchuk sacrifices a pawn seeking counterplay in the centre. Topalov converts to a winning minor piece ending, and he makes no mistake forcing a decisive result.
Carlsen – Anand
Carlsen challenges Anand in the Anti-Moscow Semi-Slav, reminding Anand of the painful loss he suffered against Radjabov earlier in the year in Corus Wijk aan Zee. Anand keeps his king in the centre and develops around it. Carlsen has some compensation for the sacrificed pawn. Anand gets a strongly entrenched knight deep into Carlsen’s position, and with his queenside pawns ties up Carlsen’s position. Carlsen invests an exchange to whittle down Anand’s queenside pawn phalanx. Anand forces the queens off and converts the rook vs bishop endgame.
Aronian – Radjabov
Aronian offers a fianchetto King’s Indian, but Radjabov prefers an English/Sicilian set-up and frees his position quickly. Radjabov forces a reduction of pieces by an exchange combination. Both sides are happy to split the points.
Leko – Shirov
Leko gets a trademark pressure against the backward d-pawn in a Sicilian Najdorf. Shirov wedges open the f-file for his rooks, but leaves Leko in firm control of the light squares which hold back Black’s weak hanging pawns. Shirov’s kingside play forces Leko to exchange down, and Shirov’s active king arrives to hold the Black center for a draw.
Mon 18 Aug 2008
Aronian’s interference combination leaves Anand defenceless. Leko’s two rooks for a queen exchange is refuted by Ivanchuk. Radjabov miscues against Topalov and the Berlin Wall secures another solid draw. Carlsen holds the isolated-pawn against Shirov.
Anand – Aronian
Aronian plays an early novelty in the Marshall attack, fighting for control of the e-file. Anand misses opportunities to defuse Black’s initiative and lets Aronian create a dangerous pin down the e-file, pushing Anand on the defensive. Aronian ejects another pawn to tighten the screws around the White king. Anand overlooks a tactical point, and Aronian’s exchange sacrifice turns the tables. Anand’s king faces an unstoppable mating attack, and so its time to resign.
Ivanchuk – Leko
Ivanchuk’s Centre Attack in the Ruy Lopez bypasses Leko’s Marshall Gambit. Leko gains the two bishops for the cost of a pawn. Leko offers a rook to trap Ivanchuk’s queen but ends up exchanging the queen for both of his rooks. Leko is fully developed while Ivanchuk struggles to unravel his queenside. Leko makes nothing of his advantage and the initiative swings back to Ivanchuk who finds open files for both of his rooks. The active rooks slowly infiltrate into Black’s position and pin down the Black bishops. Hemmed in by the rooks and no counterplay in a grotty position, Leko throws in the towel.
Radjabov – Topalov
Topalov gets a typically stolid position on the Black side of the Berlin Wall, Radjabov’s position looks more comfortable though. Radjabov fumbles and allows Topalov a petite combination that wins a pawn. Radjabov has some compensation for the pawn deficit in his centralised pieces. Radjabov reclaims the pawn, and retains his strong centralisation. Topalov keeps a firm grip on his cramped position, and Radjabov can make no headway. Draw.
Shirov – Carlsen
Both players head into offbeat Sicilian territory, Carlsen by adopting the Kan/Taimanov, and Shirov’s unusual development of holding back his queenside knight. The position resembles a French Open Tarrasch with Black accepting an isolated d-pawn. Carlsen preserves his dark-squared bishop, and thus can effectively challenge any isolani-blockader. Both players press hard to gain control of the dark-squares, but it’s a standoff. Carlsen takes the perpetual in the queen endgame.