Round 2 games
Morozevich, A – Gelfand, B [C24]
Biel (2), 20.07.2009
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb3 Bd6 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.0–0 0–0 8.Re1 Nd7 9.d4 exd4 10.Bxd5 cxd5 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qd3 Qb6 13.Re2 Nf6 14.Nc3 Bg4 15.Na4 Qc6 16.Nxc5 Qxc5 17.Be3 Qc4 18.Rd2 Qxd3 19.Rxd3 Bxf3 20.gxf3 Rfe8 21.Rb3 Re7 22.Rd1 Rc8 23.Bxa7 Rxc2 24.Be3 Rd7 25.Rb5 h6 26.a4 Rc4 27.b3 Rh4 28.f4 Rh5 29.Kg2 Ne4 30.Rd4 Rd6 31.Rxe4 1–0
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Caruana, F – Vachier Lagrave, M [D89]
Biel (2), 20.07.2009
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0–0 10.0–0 Bg4 11.f3 Na5 12.Bd3 cxd4 13.cxd4 Be6 14.Bf2 Rc8 15.Rc1 Rxc1 16.Qxc1 Bxa2 17.Qa3 Bc4 18.Bxc4 Nxc4 19.Qxa7 Qa8 20.Ra1 Qxa7 21.Rxa7 Rb8 22.Nc3 Nd6 23.e5 Nc8 24.Ra5 e6 25.f4 Ne7 26.Rb5 Rc8 27.Be1 Rc7 28.d5 Nxd5 29.Nxd5 exd5 30.Rxd5 Bf8 31.Rd8 Kg7 32.Bh4 Be7 33.Bxe7 Rxe7 34.Kf2 ½–½
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Alekseev, E – Ivanchuk, V [C15]
Biel (2), 20.07.2009
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bd3 c6 6.Qf3 Qf6 7.Qxf6 Nxf6 8.Nge2 Nbd7 9.a3 Be7 10.f3 h5 11.h4 Nf8 12.Nf4 Bd7 13.Kf2 0–0–0 14.Nce2 Ne8 15.Bd2 Bf6 16.Bb4 g6 17.Rae1 Ng7 18.c3 Bf5 19.Ng3 Bxd3 20.Nxd3 Nfe6 21.a4 Rhe8 22.f4 b6 ½–½
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Go Fabiano!
What a BLUNDER by Gelfand!
Wow, what a nasty trick Rxe4! One of the best I’ve ever seen and difficult to foresee for the opponent.
What on earth did Gelfand think when he moved his rook to d6?! Total blackout, must be one of the worst moves in his entire career.
@Anonymous 11:41AM: What’s your rating? And how many ‘tricks’ have you seen so far, if this one-mover is “one of the best ever”?
Unbelievable that this happened in a game between world top players, when Gelfand still had 3 minutes left on the clock.
that was a simple move..so simple it worked. gelfand should have played g5.
Holy smokes! How can a 2700+ player blunder like that?
Ouch. This goes to almost the same level as Kramnik’s missed mate.
Hopefully this happens once a decade. A nicely timed treat for Moro.
I don’t think the blunder mattered.
Wasn’t Gelfand’s position hopeless? His rh5 was out of play, and white was going to double rooks with rb4, after which he would take the b7 pawn. He’d have 2 connected passed pawn and an easy victory.
Rd6 didn’t matter.
Hmm strange blunder by gelfand with no time pressure? Haha Invanchuck how we doing, us Africans? Not too bad huh? That stuff coming outta the garbage cans in Buffalo N.Y. is all, but dont pay us any attention!!! hehe yall funny.
I would also say that Moro was better anyway as black’s rook on h5 is just out of play – no idea what Gelfand though when he moved it there.
Anyway, it is also not as easy as “double rooks on b-file and take on b7” as e.g. Nc3 might (just an idea) a way for black to remain in the game.
Beelze
Beetze,
After nc3 rb6, are you thinking na2? That probably would lose the knight. If nc3 rb6 ne2 might be better. White still will be able to get 2 rooks on the b7 pawn,
and with white’s rook on b6, black can’t create counterplay with rd6-g6.
I think the position is completely hopeless for black. White could even just advance pawns on the queenside to win.
Maybe nc3 rb6 ne2 rd2 d4 is a small chance, giving up a pawn to activate the h5 rook.
Precisely. The knight move would unpin the rook on the h-file and might allow black to push his d-pawn some time or the other, depending on white’s response. Sure, white still looks better but black seems to be still alive and kicking…
Beelze
Thomas,
What is your IQ ?
Ever heard of irony ?
Thomas,
What is your IQ ?
Ever heard of irony ?
Thomas,
What is your IQ ?
Ever heard of irony ?
Ok, Beelze,
I think if nc3 rb6 ne2 rd2 d4, then kf1 wins the house.
Anon @ 4:58, you are a bbit single-minded, no?! Of course, after Nc3 and Rb6 you do NOT push the d-pawn immediately (and I never said so) but would play e.g. Rf5. This way Ne2 becomes a real threat as it would attack both the rook on d4 and the pawn on f4. I am not saying this is the best way to play, however, d4 right away definitely is not – and you are right in so far that this would win easily for white.
Beelze
Beelze,
The reason I suggested ne2 right away is that otherwise b7 is lost. I”m not single-minded except in thinking that the position is +/-.
I havent’ seen any real analysis of the game yet, unfortunately—just a couple of comments that the position was innocuous.
Now, if nc3 rb6 rf5, then rdb4
Ok, Beelze,
IM Dennis Monokroussos said that black’s plan with rh5 didn’t work and that white was nearly winning even without the blunder by Gelfand.
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1248125433.shtml
Folks, I am totally with you, even having said a couple of moves earlier that the rook lift to the h-file was an obvious mistake as there is really nothing to attack.
Again, I AGREE white is better anyway. However, there is no doubt that FOR EXAMPLE Nc3 would be a better choice for black prior to the final blunder.
His goal must be to stop the qhite queenside pawns (eliminate, cripple, whatever), even at the expense of losing one pawn – after all white’s kingside pawns are in a terrible shape.
White IS better in this position anyway but there are various options for black to explore. Just saying…
Beelze