Thrills and spills

2012 TRADEWISE GIBRALTAR CHESS FESTIVAL

Monday 23 January – Thursday 2 February 2012

PRESS RELEASE 23 – 1 February 2012

THRILLS AND SPILLS

Round 8 Report 31 January 2012 by Stewart Reuben

GM Adams Michael 2724 6 ½ 5½ GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2747
GM Short Nigel D 2677 5½ ½ 5½ GM Almasi Zoltan 2717
GM Hou Yifan 2605 5½ 1-0 5½ GM Le Quang Liem 2714
GM Movsesian Sergei 2700 5½ ½ 5½ GM Gopal G N 2566
GM Negi Parimarjan 2641 5½ ½ 5½ GM Sasikiran Krishnan 2700
GM Dzagnidze Nana 2535 5½ 0-1 5 GM Svidler Peter 2749

Today there were many interesting games, naturally some of them not from the top six games above. It was amazing to see Simon Williams conduct virtually a simultaneous display during the time scrambles, flitting rapidly from one game to another. There were 2700+ GMs on each of the first 9 boards, with two being paired together on board 1.

Michael Adams ENG v Shakhriyar Mamedyarov AZE

This came down to a bishops of opposite colour endgame with Michael having an outside passed pawn. We had visions of history repeating itself as he won a similar game yesterday after over 100 moves. But it was not to be, Shakhriyar set up an impenetrable barrier by move 42.

Nigel Short ENG v Zoltan Almasi HUN

Nigel didn’t try for much in the opening, starting off with 1 b3 and he didn’t achieve much either. Eventually it came down to yet another bishops of opposite colour endgame that was completely drawn.

Hou Yifan CHN v Liem Le Quang VIE

This started life as a normal Open Sicilian.

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4 e6 7.Be2 Qc7 8.0–0 Be7 9.Kh1 0–0 10.a4 Nc6 11.Be3 Re8 12.Bf3 Na5 13.Bf2 Nd7 14.Qe1 b6 15.e5 (This seems premature, saddling White with weak pawns, one of which dropped off.) 15…Bb7 16.Bg3 dxe5 17.fxe5 Rac8 18.Rd1 Bb4 19.Qf2 Rf8 20.Ne4 Nxe5 21.Bf4 Bxe4 22.Bxe4 Bd6 23.Nf3 f5 24.Bxe5 Bxe5 25.Bd3 Bxb2 (Although Black is two pawns up, White has dynamic counterplay and must, at least, regain one of the pawns.) 26.Rb1 Bc3 27.Ng5 Qe7 28.Qe3 Nc4 29.Bxc4 Rxc4 30.Rxb6 Bd4 31.Qd3 Rxa4 32.Rxe6 Qa3 33.Qe2 h6 34.Rxh6! (The computer didn’t see this for some time.) Now the best Black can hope for is a draw.) 34…gxh6 35.Qe6+ Kg7 36.Qd7+ Kg6 37.Ne6 Bc5?? (Ouch. What was he thinking of? 37…Rf7 keeps him in the game.) 38.Qg7+ Kh5 39.Nxf8 Bxf8 40.Qf7+ 1–0

Sergei Movsesian CZE v G N Gopal IND

This was a rather dull draw.

Parimarjan Negi IND v Krishnan Sasikiran IND

This reached yet another bishops of opposite colour endgame. Both players made attempts to win to no avail.

Nana Dzagnidze GEO v Peter Svidler RUS

White’s pawns became very weak and eventually the problems became insurmountable. A nice game by the highest rated player in the tournament which brought him back into contention.

Thus the British Champion Michael Adams and the Women’s World Champion Hou Yifan are tied for first with 6½/8. They met and drew in round 4.

Artur Jussupow GER v Alexei Shirov LAT

We expected Alexei to visit the commentary room after this wonderful win. Thus we got two master classes in quick succession. Artur seemed rejuvenated – he doesn’t play that much competitive chess anymore. A game where it seems a pity there had to be a result. We would have liked it to go on and on. A win for either player would disadvantage the other. Alexei said that, should it win the £1000 Best Game Prize, Artur would deserve a portion.

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5 Bg7 4.Nbd2 0–0 5.c3 d5 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Bd3 Re8 8.0–0 e5 (Shirov didn’t know the theory and, as a result, got into time trouble.) 9.e4 exd4 10.cxd4 dxe4 11.Nxe4 h6 12.Qb3 Re7 13.Ne5

(After an hour’s thought. Alexei suggested this may be a record think for this type of time control where each player has two hours for 40 moves including the 30 second increment.) 13…hxg5 (Black thought for 27 minutes before playing this. 13…Nxe5 14 Nxf6ch Kh8 15 dxe5 hxg5 may be better.) 14.Nxf7 Nc5 15.Nxf6+ Bxf6 16.dxc5 Rxf7 17.Bxg6 Qf8 18.f4! g4 19.f5 (2 Bishops are often a superior force to Rook and 2 pawns. But the position can’t be thought of as having been stabilised.) 19…Bd7 20.Rf4 Bc6 21.Kh1 Rd8 22.Rxg4 (The 2 bishops are mighty beasts, even against those 3 passed pawns.) 22…Bd5 23.Qh3 Rg7 24.Bh7+ Kf7 25.Bg6+ Ke7 (Had Alexei played 25…Kg8, White would probably have repeated and been satisfied with a draw. But he wanted more from the game, in order to get back into contention. He didn’t want to think for long as that would have given Artur time to think.) 26.Qa3 Kd7 27.Rd1 Kc8 (Our silicon friend suggests 27…Qe7. As Simon pointed out. ‘Hasn’t Black now castled twice in the same game? Isn’t that illegal?’) 28.Qxa7 c6 29.Qa8+ Kc7 30.Qa5+ Kb8 31.Ra4 Be5 32.h3 (Possibly 32 Re1.) 32…Kc8 33.Re1 (33 Kg1.) 33…Bxg2+ 34.Kxg2 (Panicking. Kg1 was best and Black still has some work to do.) Qxf5 35.Rg4 Rxg6 36.Qb4 Rd4 0–1

Viktor Laznicka CZE v David Howell ENG

One would have thought David would be shattered today after the bitter disappointment of his loss to Mickey Adams. Instead he gritted his teeth and won against a member of the 2700 club. This will have raised the stock considerably of the young Cardiff University student.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qc2 dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bf5 6.g3 e6 7.Bg2 Nbd7 8.e3 Be7 9.0–0 0–0 10.Rd1 Ne4 11.Qe2 Qb6 12.Nc3 Rfd8 13.Ne1 Nxc3 14.bxc3 Bg6 15.e4 c5 16.Be3 Qa5 17.Nd3 Qxc3 18.dxc5 Rac8 19.Rab1 Nxc5 20.Rbc1 Na4 21.Nf4 Qb4 22.Rxd8+ Rxd8 23.Nxg6 hxg6 24.e5 Bc5 25.Bg5 Rd7 26.Qc2 b5 27.h4 a6 28.Bf3 Rd4 29.Qb3 Qa5 30.Kg2 Qb6 31.Rh1 (31 Be3 was probably best of the many choices.) Rb4 32.Qd3 Rb2 33.Kh3 Rxf2 34.Be4 Qc7 35.h5 Qxe5 36.Qd8+ Bf8 37.Rd1 f6 38.Bxg6 fxg5 39.Rd7 Rf3 0–1

Varuzhan Akobian USA v El Debs Felipe De Cresce BRA

The American’s entry for the £1000 Best Game Prize.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.a4 e6 6.e4 Bb4 7.Bxc4 Nxe4 8.0–0 Nf6 9.Qe2 0–0 10.Rd1 Nd5 11.Rd3 Nd7 12.Bg5 f6 13.Bd2 Re8 14.Re1 Nf8 15.h4 Bd7 16.h5 Bd6 17.Ne4 Nf4 18.Bxf4 Bxf4 19.g3 Bc7 20.h6 g6 21.Qd2 f5 22.Qc3 Ba5 23.b4 Bxb4 24.Qxb4 fxe4 25.Rxe4 Re7 26.Qxb7 Qb8 27.Rb3 Qxb7 28.Rxb7 Kf7 29.Ne5+ Ke8 30.Rf4 a5 31.Rb3 g5 32.Rg4 c5 33.dxc5 Bxa4 34.Ra3 Nd7 35.Rxg5 Nxe5 36.Rg8+ Kf7 37.Rxa8 Bc6 38.Rh8 Nxc4 39.Rxh7+ Kg8 40.Rxe7 Nxa3 41.Rxe6 Bd5 42.Rd6 Be4 43.c6 Nb5 44.Rd8+ Kh7 45.c7 1–0