Alexey Shirov demonstrated his excellent endgame technique, winning a completely symmetrical rook ending with what looked only a minimal advantage. He is leading 1-0 and he will have White in the second game.

Smirin – Shirov

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.c3 Nge7 5.d4 cxd4 6.cxd4 d5 7.Nc3 dxe4 8.Nxe4 a6 9.Bf4 Ng6 10.Bxc6+ bxc6 11.Bd2 f5 12.Nc3 c5 13.O-O cxd4 14.Bg5 Be7 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Qxd4 O-O 17.Ne5 Qf6 18.Rfe1 Bb7 19.f3 Rad8 20.Qe3 Nxe5 21.Qxe5 Qxe5 22.Rxe5 Rd2 23.Rxe6 Rxb2 24.Rd1 Rc2 25.Re7 Bc6 26.Nd5 Rd8 27.Rc7 Kf8 28.Rb1 Ba4 29.Rxc2 Bxc2 30.Rc1 Rxd5 31.Rxc2 Ra5 32.Kf2 Ra3 33.Kg3 Ra4 34.Kf2 Ke7 35.Ke3 Kd6 36.Rd2+ Ke5 37.Kf2 g6 38.g3 g5 39.Ke2 Ra3 40.Kf2 h5 41.f4+ gxf4 42.Re2+ Kf6 43.gxf4 h4 44.Kg2 a5 45.Kf2 Kg6 46.Kg2 a4 47.Rc2 h3+ 48.Kf2 Kh5 49.Ke2 Kg4 50.Kf2 Kxf4 51.Rc4+ Kg5 52.Rc2 Kg4 53.Rc4+ f4 54.Rc2 Rf3+ 55.Ke2 Re3+ 56.Kf2 Ra3 57.Ke2 Re3+ 58.Kf2 Ra3 59.Ke2 Kf5 60.Kf2 Ke4 61.Rc4+ Ke5 62.Rc2 Kd4 63.Rd2+ Rd3 64.Re2 a3 65.Re8 Rd2+ 66.Kf3 Rxh2 67.Rd8+ Kc3 68.Kxf4 White resigns.

Rublevsky won his second game to advance to the second round:

Naiditsch – Rublevsky

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 d6 6.g4 a6 7.Bg2 Nge7 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.g5 Rb8 10.h4 c5 11.b3 Nc6 12.Ne2 a5 13.Bb2 a4 14.O-O Ba6 15.Re1 h6 16.g6 Qxh4 17.e5 d5 18.c4 Ne7 19.gxf7+ Kxf7 20.cxd5 Nxd5 21.Nc3 Nf4 22.Re4 Bb7 23.Rxf4+ Qxf4 24.Qd7+ Be7 25.Bxb7 Rhd8 26.Qc6 Rd2 27.Qf3 Qxf3 28.Bxf3 Rxb2 29.bxa4 Bh4 30.Ne4 R8b4 31.Rd1 Rd4 32.Rc1 Rxa4 33.Rxc5 Kg6 34.Rc6 Raxa2 35.Rxe6+ Kf5 36.Re8 Bxf2+ 37.Nxf2 Rxf2 38.Bd5 Rad2 39.Bc6 Rfe2 White resigns.

Shirov-Smirin

1.e4 g6 2.d4 Bg7 3.Nc3 d6 4.f4 Nf6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.e5 Nfd7 7.h4 c5 8.h5 cxd4 9.hxg6 dxc3 10.gxf7+ Rxf7 11.Bc4 Nf8 12.Bxf7+ Kxf7 13.Ng5+ Kg8 14.Qh5 dxe5 15.Qf7+ Kh8 16.Nxh7 Nxh7 17.Qg6 Kg8 18.Qxh7+ Kf8 19.Qh8+ Bxh8 20.Rxh8+ Kf7 21.Rxd8 Nc6 22.Rh8 Kg7 23.Re8 Kf7 24.Rh8 Kg7 25.Re8 Draw.

Shirov advanced with the score of 1.5 – .5.

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Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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