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.

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.

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.

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.

Shirov – Anand

Anand meets Shirov’s aggressive main-line Sicilian Najdorf with an exchange sacrifice to damage White’s queenside. Shirov commences operations in the centre, sacrificing a pawn open lines against the Black king. But Anand takes over the initiative and with a series of threats, the attack on the White king. In desperate trouble Shirov blunders allowing Black an unstoppable mate.

Topalov – Aronian

Aronian gets an edge from the Romanishin Nimzo-Indian, but quickly goes loses it as Topalov’s fianchettoed light-squared bishop makes it hard for Aronian to develop his queenside. Topalov makes full use of his bishop pair and rook pair to prevent Aronian from completing his development. Aronian buckles under the pressure and drops the exchange and his position collapses.

Leko – Radjabov

Radjabov builds up typical kingside play on the Black side of a Sveshnikov Sicilian, but it is Leko’s pressure against the d6-pawn that gives White a slight advantage. Leko turns the screws on the position, and Black’s pawn centre collapses. The White rook enters the seventh rank, and Radjabov drops a piece.

Carlsen – Ivanchuk

Carlsen’s Bc4 line against Ivanchuk’s Sicilian Najdorf allows him thematic pressure down the d-file. In the series of exchanges leaves a semi-endgame where the d6-pawn is still weak. Ivanchuk’s queenside sortie breaks up the position and it dissolves into a rook and minor piece endgame where both parties are contented with a draw.

Anand suffered only one defeat – against Aronian. His two smooth wins over Carlsen certainly helped remove the main threat to first place. Morozevich after starting with early two losses, came back strongly in the second half of the tournament. It would have been even better had he converted his tremendous French position against Topalov in Round 7. Carlsen impressed in his second major super GM tournament – leading the tournament for most of the way. His double reverse against Anand is the only blip on his achievement here.

Topalov’s typical second-half storming comeback failed to materialise, he struggled against Morozevich, blundered against Carlsen and Ivanchuk. Since his World Championship match against Kramnik last year, Topalov has been in the doldrums. Perhaps the rest of the field are starting to understand how to play against Topalov?

Ivanchuk – Anand

Both sides get free unhindered development from a Queen’s Indian, but Ivanchuk has a small edge. Ivanchuk focuses in on the d6-hole in Anand’s position. Anand manages to stave off a White knight landing on the weak square, and by completing the hedgehog set-up he has his position solidly under control, and both players agree to a draw.

Svidler – Morozevich

Morozevich’s energetic queenside expansion in the Classical French catches Svidler off guard. Svidler plays into Black’s hands by forcing an exchange of dark-squared bishops which activates Morozevich’s knights. Svidler’s retreat tangles up his pieces. Morozevich sacrifices a pawn to open the d-file and bring his rooks in. Svidler’s king is stuck in the centre. Svidler invests an exchange in an effort to garner some counterplay, but this merely allows Morozevich to demolish Svidler’s kingside. Svidler is busted.

Leko – Carlsen

Leko handles Carlsen’s Queen’s Indian sideline comfortably, and emerges from the opening with an advantage. Through a pin on the Black rooks Leko creates a passed d-pawn for himself. Carlsen creates a neat mating cheapo, but Leko deflects it easily. Leko forces his rook through to the seventh rank with a clever tactical manoeuvre, and simplifies into a winning endgame.

Topalov – Aronian

In a Queen’s Indian position, played by both players earlier in the tournament, Topalov deviates first with 16. cxb6. Players agree to a draw shortly thereafter.

Morozevich – Topalov

Morozevich’s c3 Sicilian sidesteps any Topalov-prepared line. Morozevich plays an active positional game after Topalov allows a doubling of e-pawns. The position is reminiscent of a King’s Indian Attack or a quiet anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez. Instead of seeking activity on the kingside, Topalov seeks to neutralise Morozevich’s c-file pressure. As the queenside lines open, pieces get whittled off quickly leaving each side with two minor pieces. Morozevich’s outside passed pawn offers him a small chance of winning. He embarks on risky play on the kingside, sacrificing his e-pawn. Both sides have two passed pawns – Topalov’s is doubled on the e-file, Morozevich’s are on each wing. His a-pawn does a sterling job of holding up Black’s knight. After the exchange of knights the game spirals into a queen and pawns ending, where White’s second passed-pawn gives him a strong advantage. Morozevich shepards the pawn to promotion even after Topalov sacrifices his own.

Anand – Leko

Anand employs the 7. h3 Anti-Marshall system against Leko’s Ruy Lopez. Anand gains a tiny edge, and uses that to create some threats on the kingside. Leko defuses the threats, but is pushed onto the defensive. Anand allows a small combination which brings the game back to a balanced position, and a draw ensues.

Aronian – Ivanchuk

Aronian’s Classical approach to Ivanchuk’s Queen’s Indian Defence does contain a small drop of poison after an early central pawn advance. Aronian infuses tactical complications forcing Ivanchuk to find his way through the thicket of variations – Aronian misses a winning continuation but reaches a better endgame, Ivanchuk’s kingside pawn structure is shattered, but he defends the ending well earning a draw.

Carlsen – Svidler

Svidler adopts a super-solid Slav Grunfeld and establishes equality. Carlsen plays cautiously, until Svidler provokes him into sacrificing a pawn. After a flurry of exchanges, Carlsen embarks on a queenside advance prior to regaining his sacrificed pawn. This allows him to take control of the long white diagonal a8-h1, at the cost of allowing Svidler to develop his rooks. Svidler sparks off another tactical sequence, including Carlsen trading his queen for the two black rooks. The precarious position of Black’s knight allows Carlsen to force a draw by repetition.

Ivanchuk – Morozevich

Ivanchuk reprises the Scotch Game, the opening that almost secured him a win against Leko in the first round. Morozevich is the master of old openings, and its no surprise he emerges from the opening with an edge. Morozevich uses his edge to open queenside lines against the castled White king. Ivanchuk scrambles to secure the queenside. With a delicate knight manoeuvre, Morozevich aims his major pieces at the White king as the minor pieces disappear off the board. The pressure down the a-file gets transformed into a position where Black has strong passed pawns on the kingside. A small combination sees Black give up the two rooks for a queen, and Ivanchuk throws in the towel.

Leko – Svidler

In a standard Najdorf position Leko employs the unusual move 11. Qe1 vacating a square that can be used by a harassed White knight. Svidler has a tiny nagging edge thanks to the tangled position of White’s pieces. Leko’s manoeuvre to win a pawn opens his own position to great danger, and Svidler with the initiative builds strong pressure in the centre with his two bishops. Svidler’s combination of passed pawn and queenside pressure forces major weaknesses in Leko’s position, which collapses shortly thereafter.

Topalov – Carlsen

Topalov employs a symmetrical English – an interesting choice against the youngster. Carlsen gets an open and free position, and his minor pieces entice Topalov to retreat his queen far out on the kingside. The queen emerges deep in the heart of Black’s queenside, but Carlsen calmly forces a repetition of position and a draw.

Anand – Aronian

Anand prefers to avoid Aronian’s Marshall as the game heads into a typical anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez. Aronian’s queenside expansion ratchets open the a-file, and one set of rooks disappear. Aronian consolidates and the position is equal. A draw agreed.

Carlsen – Ivanchuk

Carlsen employs the Classical Exchange against Ivanchuk’s Grunfeld. Carlsen emerges with a clear advantage, even when both pairs of rooks are swapped off. He locks down on the dark-squares around Ivanchuk’s king. Ivanchuk’s queen is too far away from the kingside, and he can only meekly fend off White’s threats only to walk into a nasty pin on the queenside. Carlsen exploits the pin by a central advance, and wins material, which he easily converts into a win.

Morozevich – Anand

Morozevich unveils an unusual twist in a Queen’s Indian, and its enough to emerge from the opening with a tiny edge in the resulting Catalan-like structure. After Anand defuses an emerging initiative from Morozevich the game settles down into a solid middlegame where neither side can make much progress, so by repetition of position both players are satisfied with a draw.

Aronian – Leko

Leko offers a Modern Benoni, but Aronian opts for a Symmetrical English set-up. The position slides into a Maroczy bind territory, with Aronian striking first with a 16. c5 thrust to seize an advantage. Leko defends and takes over the initiative on the queenside, forcing a series of retreats from Aronian. Leko builds up a dominating position with a clear advantage. Aronian’s tenacious defence reduces Leko’s edge and winning chances. The double rook endgame brings a draw.

Svidler – Topalov

Svidler avoids the miscue that landed him in trouble against the same opponent in Corus 2007. Topalov builds up an initiative on the queenside against Svidler’s king. Svidler defends cautiously and regains the initiative, forcing Topalov into a series of exchanges that hasten the endgame. Svidler sacrifices a knight to open up Topalov’s king and forces a perpetual to settle the draw.

Anand – Carlsen

Carlsen adopts the Chigorin Closed Ruy Lopez, and Anand plays the position perfectly. Carlsen runs into a little trouble on the c-file, forcing his knight into an awkward retreat to the corner. Just when Carlsen has the queenside under control, Anand switches to a kingside attack, throwing Carlsen off balance. With a weakened kingside, Carlsen can’t prevent Anand installing a knight on e6, dominating Black’s position. Anand builds his kingside attack by feinting a threat to occupy the c-file, and Carlsen is forced to concede a protected passed pawn in the centre, and after a few more deft moves by Anand, Carlsen surrenders.

Aronian – Morozevich

Aronian employs the aggressive 7… g4 against Morozevich’s Semi-Slav and creates a complicated position. After a flurry of tactics and exchanges, the position simplifies into a four piece ending, which neither side has a strong enough advantage to achieve more than a draw.

Ivanchuk – Svidler

Ivanchuk gives the 8. h3 anti-Marshall a spin and builds a solid quiet position. This gives Svidler time to recombine his pieces and gains some play sacrificing a pawn with a thematic … d5 thrust. Ivanchuk surprises his opponent by sacrificing a piece for an attack. The piece is good enough for a draw, but Ivanchuk presses on since he has potential winning chances. After a clever manoeuvre, Ivanchuk forces the win of a piece, and this allows Svidler a perpetual check.

Leko – Topalov

Leko’s pet 7. Nf3 system is again tested against Topalov’s Najdorf. Topalov plays a strange 11… Rc8?!, but gains some initiative on the kingside. Leko engineers a queenside pawn advance, which threatens to break through. Topalov gains an edge in the race of wing attacks, but Leko neutralises the advantage in a double rook and minor piece endgame, producing a hard-fought draw.