Girl Power!

Once again it was quite impossible for Simon Williams to keep up with the moves in all the leading games. There was simply too much going on. But of course chess has the advantage that the games can be played through for all time, not just the moment.

Zoltan Almasi HUN v Michael Adams ENG

Although this was a very long game, it was by no means boring. The endgame was fascinating. It was said that Zoltan was very upset when he only drew.

Alexei Shirov LAT v Hou Yifan CHN

They played that most uncompromising of openings, the Poison Pawn variation in the Sicilian Najdorf. One might think that, after all these years, everything is understood about this ferociously complex tactical variation. With the growth of computer chess that is far from true. Using computers has changed people’s conception of what positions are defensible. Thus players are stronger. That is one reason so many people are rated over 2700, not inflation in the numbers.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5 h6 11.Bh4 dxe5 12.fxe5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 exd5 14.e6 Bxe6 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Be2

(One would think 16 Bd3 is more natural, so that Bg6ch would tie the g7 pawn down. Another alternative is Rxb7.) 16…Be7 (16…b5 prevents Rxb7, but neglects Black’s development.) 17.Bh5+ Kd8 18.Bxe7+ Qxe7 19.0–0 Nd7 (19…b5 is possible. But Nc6 probably runs foul of 20 c4.) 20.Rxb7 Qc5+ 21.Kh1 Rb8 22.Rxb8+ Nxb8 (That Black’s king is in the centre is adequate compensation for a mere pawn.) 23.Qe2 (23 Qe1 Rf8 is an alternative.) 23…Qb5 24.Qxb5 axb5 25.Rf7 Nc6 (25…g5 Rb7 also leads to equal material.) 26.Rxg7 Rf8 27.Kg1 Nb4 28.Rb7 Nxc2 (28…Nxa2 is also possible, but then Black won’t have two connected passed pawns.) 29.Rxb5 Ke7 30.a4 Ra8 31.Rb2 Ne3 32.Kf2 Nc4 33.Rb7+ Kd6 34.Bd1 e5 35.Rh7 Nb2 36.Rxh6+ Kc5 37.Bc2 Nxa4

Peter Svidler RUS v Parimarjan Negi IND

White never generated enough energy from the opening to warrant playing on.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE v Varuzhan Akobian USA

Another 100+ move game. White always had a small edge and it is more difficult to defend than attack. Whether black could have held the queen and pawn endgame I don’t know.

David Howell ENG v Sergei Movsesian CZE

White had a very promising position. First he had an initiative on the kingside and then play against Black’s weakened queenside. But it all came to nothing due to the Czech’s tenacious defence.

Richard Rapport HUN v Krishnan Sasikiran IND

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 b6 3.Nc3 Bb7 4.d4 e6 5.a3 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.e3 c5 8.Bb5+ Bc6 9.Bd3 cxd4 10.exd4 Nd7 11.0–0 Be7 12.Re1 0–0 13.Ne4 Rc8 14.h4(All very romantic, 14…Bxh4 15 Nxh5 Qxh4 16 Bg5 wins the queen. But perhaps 14 Bg5 eliminating the black-squared bishops was better.) 14…Bb7 15.Bb1 Qc7 16.Bd2 N5f6 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Be3 Rfd8 19.Ng5 h6 20.Bh7+ Kf8 21.Nh3 Ne5 (21…Qc6 is better. 22 Bf4 would have given White the better game for the first time.) 22.Rc1 Nc4 23.Bd2 (Probably 23 b3 was best. But Black would still have pressure against the weak d4 pawn.) 23…Rxd4 24.Bb4+ Ke8 25.Qe2 Qd7 26.b3 Ne5 27.Rxc8+ Qxc8 28.f4 Nd7 29.Bg6 Nc5 30.Bh5 Re4 31.Qb5+ Bc6 32.Qf1 Rxe1 33.Qxe1 Nd3 34.Qb1 Qd7 35.Kh2 Nxb4 36.Qh7 Nd5 0–1

G N Gopal IND v Viktor Bologan MDA

The young Indian was uncharacteristically cavalier with his pieces.

Saleh Salem UAE v Nigel Short ENG

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Nge2 d6 6.a3 Ba5 7.g3 0–0 8.Bg2 Nc6 9.0–0 Rb8 10.b3 a6 11.dxc5 dxc5 12.Qxd8 Nxd8 13.Rb1 Bc7 14.b4 Nd7 15.Ne4 b6 16.f4 f5 17.N4c3 Nf7 18.e4 Nd6 19.exf5 Rxf5 20.g4 Rf8 21.f5 Nxc4 22.Nf4 Be5 23.fxe6

(White will emerge a pawn down. 23 Nce2 was more circumspect.) 23…Bxc3 24.exd7 Bd4+ 25.Kh1 Bxd7 26.bxc5 Bxc5 27.Bd5+ Kh8 28.Rb3 (28 Bxc4 fails to Rxf4 with the threat of mate.) 28…Ne5 29.Bb2 Rbe8 30.Rh3 Bxg4 31.Rh4 Bf5 32.Rh5 Ng6 33.Rg5 Bd3 34.Rg4 Rxf4 35.Rfxf4 Re1+ 36.Kg2 Nxf4+ 0–1