ChessVault

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.

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.

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.

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.

Anand’s exchange sacrifice pays dividends against Shirov. Topalov beats Aronian from a eccentric Nimzo-Indian. Leko bludgeons Radjabov’s Sveshnikov. Carlsen draws with Ivanchuk.

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.

Radjabov and Topalov finish with a short, but exciting draw. Kramnik’s Pillsbury attack pays off handsomely as van Wely crumbles. Aronian’s deft touches registers a superb win over Tiviakov. Svidler’s suicidal play leads to a swift win for Karjakin. Carlsen and Shirov survive a see-saw encounter. Ponomariov survives a tense game against Motylev. Navara quickly equalises against Anand.

Kramnik – van Wely

Kramnik adopts a Pillsbury attack against van Wely’s solid Queen’s Gambit set-up, as both White knights harry the Black pieces. Kramnik pries open the f-file for his rook and van Wely fails to find the most active response. This leaves Kramnik building up threat after threat against the now stranded Black king. Kramnik sacrifices the exchange to open up the Black pawn structure. Once the kingside is demolished and Black’s counter-threats neutralised, the remaining White knight gallops in to secure the result.

Radjabov – Topalov

Topalov repeats the Catalan line that effectively lost him his FIDE title. He uncorks an improvement on move 19 that looks to free his d-pawn. After White’s best response, Topalov unleashes a startling queen sacrifice – looking to unbalance the position. Radjabov declines the sacrifice and in turn sacrifices a piece himself which propels the game to a repetition of position, and a draw.

Aronian – Tiviakov

Aronian plays into a Catalan against Tiviakov’s Queen’s Indian and sacrifices a pawn for better development. Tiviakov seems bewitched by Aronian’s carefree manoeuvres and sacrifices a rook to unleash a torrent of an attack against Aronian’s king. Aronian calmly centralises his king, and Black can do nothing to threaten it. Aronian’s extra piece pushes the game to its inevitable conclusion.

Svidler – Karjakin

Svidler temporarily sacrifices a pawn to open up Black’s queenside in a Sicilian Najdorf, allowing Karjakin to pull his major pieces to work on the open files against the White king. Svidler blunders horribly, allowing Black a prosaic deflection sacrifice that Svidler cannot afford to accept. Karjakin’s attack grows in ferocity, and Svidler is helpless to stem the tide. A confidence boosting win for Karjakin.

Carlsen – Shirov

Carlsen’s anaemic Anti-Marshall system leads to a balanced position. Through some elegant piece-play Shirov gains a significant advantage, but loses time pursuing a bad plan, and the advantage swings over to Carlsen, who fails to find a better continuation in his kingside attack. The advantage swings back to Shirov again, but he gets over-enthusiastic with a piece sacrifice, and has to defend an endgame of his two knights against Carlsen’s two bishops.

Ponomariov – Motylev

Motylev’s early knight exchange in the Semi Slav leaves Ponomariov with a strong bishop aimed at Black’s weak …c6 pawn, but Ponomariov continues developing slowly, allowing Black the freeing …c5 pawn thrust which still retains him a slight edge. Ponomariov’s advantage fizzles, and Motylev directs things towards an endgame by some tactical play. Ponomariov’s two pieces for the rook is offset by the fact that Black has powerful kingside pawns, including an outside passed pawn. Ponomariov manages to peg Black back, and earns a draw.

Anand – Navara

In a tepid Anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez, Navara’s energetic central pawn sacrifice forces rapid simplification, although Black has an initiative, the advantage is with White. But Black’s position is sound enough for the points to be split.

Radjabov catches up with Topalov in first place with another King’s Indian Defence. Van Wely notches up a tidy win against Svidler. Navara outplays Ponomariov. Kramnik holds Topalov in another tenaciously solid display of defence. Shirov holds off Aronian for a well-deserved draw.

Motylev – Radjabov

Motylev gains a rapid advantage from a Gligoric King’s Indian, and castles queenside. Radjabov plays across the board gaining space on both flanks. Radjabov eventually gains access to the White position via the f-file, and wins a rook in a neat combination. Radjabov notches up another win with his King’s Indian Defence.

Van Wely – Svidler

Svidler gets caught out in his Exchange Grunfeld after trying to equalise too quickly. The swop-off of the dark squared bishops brings van Wely’s Queen uncomfortably close to the Black king. Svidler outfoxes himself in a tactical plan, and finds himself losing a piece and no way to stave off the inevitable kingside attack. He resigns. An elegant win from van Wely.

Navara – Ponomariov

Ponomariov adopts the Open Tarrasch variation of the French Defence. Navara chooses an unusual kingside fianchetto and gains a tiny edge after the exchange of queens. Navara nurses this edge and penetrates the Black position by taking control of the d-file. In the ensuing rook and minor piece endgame, White’s queenside passed pawns prove to be too strong for Black. Ponomariov is forced to sacrifice his bishop to rid the White queenside passers, and Navara keeps control of the position to register a nice win.

Karjakin – Carlsen

After following a long line of Open Ruy Lopez theory the end result is a balanced position, and after a short kingside pawn storm a three-fold repetition delivers a draw.

Topalov – Kramnik

In a Bf4 Queen’s Gambit, Kramik emerges from the opening with a slight disadvantage. In the queenless middlegame Topalov increases his advantage with typical direct play. Kramnik’s tenacious defence leads to a potential repetition of position, which Topalov draws back from, allowing Kramnik to equalise the position with a prepared 36… g5. More tenacious defence from Kramnik resolves the position into a draw.

Tiviakov – Anand

Tiviakov emerges from a Classical Caro-Kann with a slight edge. He builds up pressure on the kingside, but Anand looks to have things firmly under control and a draw is agreed in 27 moves.

Shirov – Aronian

Aronian’s solid play in an Anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez neutralises any White opening advantage. Aronian’s knight makes a surprising sortie giving Black a big e-pawn and a sizable advantage. Shirov puts up a stubborn and active defence, and succeeds in reducing Aronian’s advantage. Creating a passed a-pawn convinces Aronian to settle for a draw.

Topalov blunders away a winning position against Svidler. Carlsen wiggles out of van Wely’s grasp and earns a draw. Aronian’s piece play overcomes Karjakin’s resistance. Motylev fails to capitalise after Navara’s weak response to his piece sacrifice.

Svidler – Topalov

Svidler gets into a bad position from a Sicilian Najdorf (apparently forgetting that Topalov plays …h5 variations, even at a late stage of the opening). He finds himself in the unenviable position of allowing Black to open the b-file after exchanging minor pieces on c4. Svidler battles valiantly against his disadvantage, but Topalov builds his attack confidently. Topalov crashes through the queenside at the White king, but with Svidler on the verge of resigning he stumbles into a series of bad moves, and suddenly Svidler has a winning rook endgame.

Carlsen – van Wely

Both players emerge from the Sicilian Najdorf opening with a solid position. White’s initial attack is rebuffed, and van Wely’s attack down the c-file forces an entry into White’s position. But Carlsen has the position under control to stems the attack. Van Wely takes a big edge into the endgame, and Carlsen defends doggedly, giving up a knight to remove a dangerous passed pawn. The long bishop and rook versus a rook endgame finally ends up in Carlsen sacrificing a rook to force a stalemate.

Aronian – Karjakin

Aronian follows Kramnik-Anand in an Open Catalan, until Karjakin deviates with 15… Bd6. He allows the …c5 break which allows him to gain control of the c-file and the c6 square. In a typical fluid piece-play position, Aronian turns the screws on Karjakin’s position, and from an equal position Aronian grinds out an advantage. Building up pressure, Aronian binds up Karjakin’s king until the threat to decoy the Black queen forces Karjakin to resign.

Kramnik – Radjabov

Radjabov’s King’s Indian Defence is solid enough against Kramnik’s Gligoric system. Radjabov sacrifices a pawn to open the kingside lines, Kramnik’s counterplay on the queenside is sufficient to hold the balance, and he returns the pawn to equalise the position where a draw is agreed.

Anand – Shirov

Shirov deviates from a 1994 Anand-Ivanchuk Petroff opening with 16… Rfd8 giving Anand an edge from the opening. Shirov manages to equalise the position after sacrificing a pawn to start some threats against the White king. White’s smashed pawn structure not helping him in the endgame so Anand satisfies himself with a draw.

Navara – Motylev

Motylev equalises out of a classical Queen’s Gambit Slav. In a balanced position Motylev sacrifices a piece to dismantle White’s centre, and emerges with active play against the now-exposed White pieces. In the complications Motylev holds the advantage, but doesn’t find enough to convert it into a win, and settles down for a draw instead.

Ponomariov – Tiviakov

Ponomariov faces Tiviakov’s Accelerated Dragon, but its Black that gains an edge, which is enough for Ponomariov to accede to a draw.

Karjakin repeats a Leko novelty, but Anand steers a course to a win. Topalov refutes a Carlsen piece sacrifice to win. Shirov makes no headway against Ponomariov. Aronian survives a lost position against van Wely.

Karjakin – Anand

In an English Attack against Anand’s Najdorf, Karjakin employs an idea Leko experimented with against him in last year’s tournament. Karjakin sacrifices his queen for a rook and knight, an initiative and the advantage of landing the Black king in a difficult position. Anand defends solidly, and in the endgame his queen proves superior to the White rook and knight. Its the White king that finds itself in a dangerous position. Anand forces White into a passive defence, and powers his way to a win in the endgame.

Topalov – Carlsen

Carlsen’s Ragozin Defence nets him an exchange against Topalov’s Queen’s Gambit. Carlsen offers a piece sacrifice that Topalov refutes by a surprising queen retreat. Topalov emerges from the opening skirmish with a clear advantage, and the result is not in doubt.

Van Wely – Aronian

Van Wely quickly gains an advantage against Aronian’s Ragozin Defence, but his slow kingside play allows Aronian to activate his pieces restoring the equilibrium of the position. Aronian overplay his position, and van Wely gains a substantial advantage. But van Wely allows Aronian a nice combination to resolve the position into a drawn endgame.

Tiviakov – Navara

A short draw in a Steinitz Ruy Lopez when the pieces get swept off the board. The position resembles a Classical Kings Indian Defence.

Shirov – Ponomariov

Ponomariov’s Najdorf takes on some of the positional aspects of a Sveshnikov Sicilian. Black’s rampant e-pawn counterbalances White’s pressure on the queenside. Shirov plays for an endgame, but when it eventually arrives he finds Ponomariov’s defence good enough to settle into a draw once an opposite coloured bishops endgame arrives.

Radjabov – Svidler

Svidler opts for the Sicilian’s Kan System rather than a Najdorf against Radjabov. Svidler crunches through the Maroczy bind with a tactical manoeuvre. The pieces disappear quickly, and both players satisfy themselves with a draw.

Motylev – Kramnik

Motylev’s uninspired 5. Nc3 against Kramnik’s Petroff leads to a quiet short draw.

Anand plays Motylev’s three pawn sacrifice in the Poisoned Pawn Sicilian, and wins against van Wely. Ponomariov wastes no time bludgeoning through to Karjakin’s king. Shirov’s tactical power clocks up his first win in this tournament against Navara. Aronian comfortably holds Topalov to a draw.

Anand – van Wely

Van Wely follows Anand’s game against Motylev from earlier in the tournament, and Anand repeats Motylev’s three pawn sacrifice. Van Wely follows Anand’s recommendation of giving up the exchange to defuse the immediate threats. But van Wely fails to play accurately, and Anand gains the advantage which grows to very promising proportions. Van Wely blunders a piece under the pressure, and resigns.

Ponomariov – Karjakin

Ponomariov’s aggressive play against Karjakin’s Najdorf gives him a thematic edge, and he uses the advantage to speed up his kingside pawn storm. Karjakin retreats into his shell giving Ponomariov a free hand to stir up threats against the Black king. An exchange sacrifices blows open Black’s defence, and the black king is dragged to his demise.

Carlsen – Radjabov

Radjabov’s aggressiveness in the Kalashnikov Sicilian prevents Carlsen from gaining any edge, and a quick draw ensues.

Svidler – Kramnik

In a main line Petroff Svidler’s edge is neutralised by Kramnik, and a short draw is agreed.

Aronian – Topalov

The game is balanced from an English Four Knights, and both sides create threats. But the game remains balanced right up to where the players split the points.

Navara – Shirov

Navara emerges with a King’s Indian Attack position against Shirov’s Slav set-up. Karjakin stumbles into a tactical pin and loses a pawn, and Navara’s desperado allows Shirov to call on his phenomenal tactical abilities. Shirov’s pieces dominate, pushing White into retreating back behind his pawns, and White resigns when is queen is decoyed from protecting the kingside.

Tiviakov – Motylev

Tiviakov’s King’s Indian Attack makes no impression on Motylev’s Caro Kann. Neither player emerges with the advantage as the game slowly edges through the hours. The players agree to a draw once time control is reached.