An incredible round – After the big storm, all games were drawn

Kasimdzhanov 1/2 – 1/2 Svidler

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nf3 0–0 6.Be3 b6 7.Qd2 Bb7 8.e5 Ng4 9.0–0–0 c5 10.dxc5 bxc5 [10…Qc8 11.cxd6 exd6 12.exd6 Bxc3 13.bxc3±; 10…Nxe3 11.Qxe3 bxc5 12.Bc4±] 11.Bxc5 Qa5 12.Ba3 dxe5 13.Nd5 Qxd2+ 14.Rxd2 Bxd5 15.Rxd5 Ne3 [15…Bh6=] 16.Rd2 Nc6 17.Bb5 Rfc8 18.Bxc6 Rxc6 19.Nxe5 Bxe5 20.fxe5 Nc4 21.Bxe7 [21.Rd3 Nxe5 22.Rd5 Re6 23.Rhd1] 21…Nxd2 22.Kxd2 Rb8 23.Kc1 Rc4 24.Bd6 ½–½

Svidler employed a seldom used line 6…b6. On move 10, Black played an unusual 10… bxc5. Even though there were some tense moments, the game ended with the least drama among the four games today. This is a solid and uneventful start for both of them.

Adams 1/2 – 1/2 Polgar

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Bd3 b5 8.Nxc6 Qxc6 9.e5 Bb4 10.0–0 f5 [10…Bxc3 11.bxc3 Bb7 12.Qg4 Ne7 13.Bd4] 11.Be2 Bb7 12.Bh5+ g6 13.Bf3 Qc8 14.Bd2 Bxc3 15.Bxc3 Ne7 16.Bb4 Bxf3 17.Qxf3 Nd5 18.c3 Qc4 19.Rfd1 Qg4 20.Qd3 [20.Qxg4 fxg4 21.Bd6 h5 22.Rd4±] 20…Kf7 21.h3 Qf4 22.Qe2 [22.Bd6±] 22…Qc4 23.Qf3 a5 24.Bd6 [24.Rd4 Qc6 25.Bd6+-] 24…a4 25.Rd4 Qc6 26.Rad1 h6 27.R1d3± Kg7 28.Kh2 Rac8 29.Qg3 Kh7 30.Qh4 Rhg8 31.Rg3 g5 32.Qh5 Rg7 33.Qd1 Nf4 34.h4 Rh8 35.Kg1 Kg8 36.b3 axb3 37.axb3 Rhh7 38.h5 Rh8 39.Ba3 Kh7 40.Bc1 Nd5 41.c4 bxc4 42.bxc4 Nb6 43.Rd6 Qa4 44.Qxa4 Nxa4 45.Ra3 Nc5 46.Ra7 Rc8 47.Be3 f4 48.Bxc5 [Rxc5 49.Rdxd7 Rxd7 50.Rxd7+ Kg8 51.Re7 Rxe5 52.f3] ½–½

Once again, my sister did not have a very good game right out of the opening. However, she defended extremely well to hold off Mickey Adams throughout the entire game. Even though his position looked very good, he did not find a clear way to score a full point. I am puzzled to why he offered a draw on move 48. There was still some play left as White was still a little better.

Leko 1/2 – 1/2 Morozevich

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 e6 7.Be3 Be7 8.Qd2 0–0 9.g4 Nc6 10.0–0–0 Nd7 11.h4 Nde5 12.Qf2 Bd7 13.Kb1 Na5 [13…b5; 13…Qc7] 14.g5 Nec4 15.Bc1 b5 16.f4 b4 17.Nce2 Qb6 18.Rh2 d5 19.exd5 Bc5 [19…exd5 20.f5 Bd6 21.Nf4] 20.Qf3 [20.dxe6 Bxe6 21.f5 Na3+ 22.bxa3 bxa3+ 23.Ka1 Rab8] 20…Rad8 21.Nb3 Nxb3 22.axb3 Ne3 23.Bxe3 Bxe3 24.Rd3 Bc5 25.dxe6 Bxe6 26.Nc1 g6 27.Bh3 f5 28.gxf6 Bf7 29.f5 Bd4 30.fxg6 hxg6 31.Qg4 Bxf6 32.Re2 a5 33.Re4 Kg7 34.Qg3 Rh8 35.Bf5 Rh5 36.Rxd8 Qxd8 37.Be6 Bxh4 38.Qg2 Be8 39.Rg4 Re5 40.Bc4 Re1 41.Bd3 Qf6 42.Qd2 Qf2 43.Be2 Bf6 44.Rc4 Qg3 45.Rc7+ Qxc7 46.Qxe1 g5 47.Nd3 Bg6 48.Qg1 Qe7 49.Bg4 Qe4 50.Qg3 Bf7 51.Qh3 Bd5 52.Bf5 Qh4 [52…Qh1+ 53.Qxh1 Bxh1–+] 53.Qe3 Qd4 54.Qg3 Bf7 55.Qg2 Qd5 56.Be4 Qe6 57.Nc5 Qd6 58.Nd3 Be6 59.Qh1 Qd4 60.Qh7+ Kf8 61.Bf5 Bf7 62.Qh6+ Ke7 63.Qh2 Qd6 64.Qh7 Qb8 65.Bg4= Kf8 66.Qh6+ Ke7 67.Qh7 Kf8 68.Qh6+ Ke7 ½–½

This was a classic Sicilian game. White went all out on the Kingside while Black tried to counter attack on the Queenside. The game went back and forth and both players took chances to try to win. Neither player seemed to make any real bad move. Watching this game is like a two heavyweight boxers standing in the middle of the ring pounding on each other the entire 15 rounds. But at the final bell, the battle ended up as a hard fought draw.

Topalov 1/2 – 1/2 Anand

This is the game of the tournament so far. However, I am not going into so many details with this game. This is what a World Championship is all about. For those who were not fans of Topalov before, many have fully converted now. As I said before the round, Topalov has no understanding of the draw concept. He will go for the win in just about any position. Even after the sacrifice to give Topalov a Bishop pair versus a Rook and a Bishop, it did not seem that he had much. But Topalov kept on grinding. It was clear that Topalov was pushing for the win. Yes, both sides made a number of inaccuracies.

Some of the most glaring errors were:

60. Bd4? The winning move was 60. g5! Qe7 61. Qxe7 Bxe7 62. Bd4+ Kh7 63. Bxb2 Bxg5 64. Bg7 +-

75…Qf5+?? The simple draw would have been 75…Qg6+ and White cannot avoid losing the h6 pawn.

85. Qe5+? The winning move was 85.f5+ Kd5 [85…Qxf5 86.h7 Qd3+ 87.Kh4 Qe4+ 88.Qg4++-; 85…Kxf5 86.Qh7++-] 2.Qf7+ and White will win easily.

But this is what human chess is all about. Mistakes do happen. But no one can ever say that they did not fight. This is why these two are tied at the top of the rating chart. Thank you guys for an incredibly entertaining battle. You are true champions!