1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Nbd7 9.Qd2 b5 10.a4 b4 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.exd5 Nb6 13.Bxb6 Qxb6 14.a5 Qb7 15.Bc4 Be7 16.Ra4 Rb8 17.Qd3 Ra8 18.Qd2 Rb8 19.Nc1 Bd8 20.b3 0–0 21.Na2 e4 22.Kd1

A well-known position. Previously, it was considered as considerably better for White, but very recently Black has been able to find tactical chance to keep the game balanced. At the top, the position has occurred in the Anand-Topalov rapid chess game (Corsica). It seems Shirov has something in mind...

22...exf3 23.gxf3 Nd7 The move Nd7 practically forces the reply Rb4.

24.Rxb4 The key to the position is dark squares and the position of the King - will Black be able to improve coordination of his pieces.

24...Qc7 This move does not appeal much to me – the Queen is better off on a7. If after Rxb8 he plans to play Qxb8, then it is indifferent, though.

25.Ra4 Qc8. 26.Be2 Nc5. Now Rg4 looks good.

27.Rg4 Bf6 28.Nb4 Na4 29.Nc6 Nc3+.

White is still a bit better.

30.Qxc3 Bxc3. 31.Ne7+ Kh8 32.Nxc8 Rfxc8. One has to play Rc4 – White retains an extra pawn, but it is a draw.

33.Rc4.

Drawn.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qc2 Nc6 6.Nbd2 d5 7.cxd5 Qxd5 8.e4 Nb4 9.Qa4+ Qd7 10.Qxd7+ Nxd7 11.Bxa6 Nxa6 12.0–0 Nf6 13.a3 c5 14.Re1 Be7 15.Ne5.

A rather well-known variation of the Queen's Indian, which does not promise much to white. The Black’s King has been delayed in the centre, but as soon as Black solves this particular problem, all other problems will be solved for him.

15...Rc8 16.b4 cxd4 17.Ndf3 Nb8 18.Nxd4 Nfd7 19.Bf4 is the only way to struggle for an advantage.

19.Nef3 0–0 20.Bf4 Nc6 21.Rac1 Nxd4 22.Nxd4 g5. Carlsen did not dare playing e5, and now I dislike his position.

23.Nc6 Rxc6 24.Rxc6 gxf4. Strangely, this position could also occur after 19.Bf4.

25.Rc7 Ne5 26.Rxe7 Nf3+ 27.Kf1 Nxe1 28.Kxe1.

Now Black has a fairly unpleasant ending, albeit he is probably able to hold.

28...a5 29.Rb7 axb4 30.axb4. The only move is 30...Rd8.

30...Rd8 31.f3 Rd3 32.Ke2. 32…Rb3 is now possible.

32...Rb3 33.Rxb6 Rb2+ 34.Kd3 Rxh2 35.gxf4 h5 36.Rb5 h4 37.Rh5 h3 38.Kd4 Kf8 39.Ke5 Ke7 40.f5 exf5 41.Kxf5 Rb2 42.Rxh3 Rxb4 43.f4 Rb5+ 44.e5 Kf8 45.Rd3 Rb4 46.Kg5 Kg7 47.Rd7 Rb5 48.Kg4 Kf8 49.Kf5 Kg7 50.Ke4 Rb4+ 51.Rd4 Rb1 52.Rd7 Re1+ 53.Kd5 Rd1+ 54.Kc6 Rf1 55.Rd4 Kf8 56.Kd7 Rf2 57.Kd6 Rf1 58.Kd5 Ke7 59.Ra4 f6 60.Ra7+ Kf8 61.Kd6 fxe5 62.Ra8+ Kf7 63.Ra7+ Kf8 64.fxe5 Rd1+ 65.Ke6 Re1 66.Rf7+ Ke8 67.Rh7 Kf8 68.Rh8+ Kg7 69.Rd8 Ra1 70.Ke7 Ra5 71.e6 Ra7+ 72.Rd7 Ra8 73.Rd6

73…Ra7+?? 74.Ke8

Black resigns.

 
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7 10.h3 Ne5 11.f3 Nbc6 12.Bf2 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 Be6 14.Qd2 Bf6 15.0–0–0 Rc8 16.Kb1 Rg8 17.Be2 Nd7 18.Bxf6 Nxf6 19.h4 Qb6 20.hxg5 hxg5 21.a3

The fashionable treatment of the Najdorf. The Black’s King is in the centre, but the exchange of two pieces facilitates his life, although White's chances are higher, both in theory and in practice.

21...Kf8 22.Bd3 Qc5 23.g3 b5 24.f4 He intends to push the Bishop back with f5. White also threatens with 25.e5 de 26.fg5 and the Knight has good post on e4.

24...Ng4 There are many possibilities here, e.g. Rh5 or Rh7.

25.Rde1 b4 I don't like the move. White has a small advantage in the endgame if Black survives that long. 26.Na4 Qc6 27.Qxb4 Nf2 Rh2. 28.Rh2 Black has nothing. As soon as the Knight returns to c3, White's position becomes impregnable. 28...Nxd3 29.cxd3 gxf4 30.gxf4 Black's game is almost hopeless.

30...f6 31.Nc3 Rg3 32.e5 dxe5 33.fxe5 f5 Lautier: Leko has a winning game, the question is - how fast? 34.Rh8+ Bg8 Lautier: Black is beyond hope. 35.Rf1 Qe6 36.Rh5 Kg7 37.Rhxf5 Rg2 38.Qb7 Rg3 39.R5f3 Rg5 40.d4 Rd8 41.Qe4 Qg4 42.Rf4 Qg2 43.Ka1 Bc4 44.Rc1 Qxe4 45.Rxe4

45…Kg6 46.Rf4 Bb3 47.Ne2 Ba4 48.Rf2 Rg4 49.d5 Rh8 50.Nf4+ Kf5 51.Nd3+ Kg6 52.Nc5 Bb5 53.Nxa6 Rh5 54.Nc7 Ba4 55.e6 Bb3 56.Rf3 Bxd5 57.Nxd5 Rxd5 58.Rc7 Rb5 59.Rf2

Black resigns.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.e4 b4 10.Na4 c5 11.e5 Nd5 12.Nxc5 Nxc5 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.0–0 h6 15.Nd2 Nc3 16.Qc2 Qd5 17.Nf3 Rd8 18.Ne1 Bd4 19.Bd2 Nb5 20.Nf3 Bb6 21.Bc4 Qc5 22.Be3 Qc6

A very interesting handling of a well-known variation. Mamedyarov has been know to play only those variations which he has analyzed very far. Most likely he had this position standing on his table at home. Here the price of each move is very high - both to white and black. After the game we are going to ask Gelfand what is the deep meaning of his maneuver 21... Qc5 23.Qe2 Looks like Black's position become cramped. 23...Nc7 24.Rac1 Bxe3 25.fxe3 0–0 26.Bd3 Qb6 27.Nd2 Ba6 28.Bxa6 So Gelfand has got away with it.

Drawn.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bc1 Nf6 8.f3 Qb6 9.g4 Nc6 10.Nb3 e6 11.Bf4 Qc7 12.Qd2 Ne5 13.Be2 Be7 14.Bg3 b5 15.g5 Nfd7 16.h4 Nb6 17.Qd4 0–0 18.0–0–0

A fresh position, with the Bishop on g3, where it has some prospects, but, most importantly, it is not susceptible to blows from Knights on c4. Usually the Bishop is placed on e3, where it prevents the Queen from retreating to the King's side. Here, however, it has a free way to run where it would like to. 18...Rd8 Also, a sharp position, though a crisis is to come in the next 5 moves. 19.a3 Nec4 20.Bxc4 bxc4 21.Nd2 e5 22.Qe3 Be6 23.Kb1 O.K. it is very important to hide his King on a1 to avoid a mating attach. When Black doubles his Rooks along the b-file, White should play Rdb1. 23...Rab8 24.Ka1

He was just in time to hide his King, which would not have happened if Black had played Rb8 earlier. If Grischuk delays a bit longer, he gets a difficult position. He should either break through with d6-d5 or find some serious (concrete, not abstract) counterplay on the Q-side. White should get in Rhel, followed by Nf1, Qc1, Ne3 - one of the possible plans. 24...Qc6 25.Rb1 Na4 26.Rhd1 Rd7 27.f4 Lautier: White has a favorable position. It is hard for Black to get counterplay. 27...exf4 28.Bxf4 Rdb7 29.Nxa4 Qxa4 30.Qc3 g6 31.h5

The situation has changed – now White must seek salvation.

31…gxh5 32.Rh1 Bf8 33.Rxh5 Bg7 34.e5 d5 35.Be3 Bf5 36.Bd4 Bxc2 37.e6 Bxb1 38.Nxb1 fxe6

White resigns.