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Round 6 - Amber highlights
Monte Carlo, Monaco - Nine draws out of a possible twelve reminds me of Butthead's insightful comment to a less than spectacular music video:
"I don't think these guys are, like, trying very hard."
I suppose some of the contestants are already too pooped to party, but I'm sure that if we had some sort of drawing penalty, say one hour of "quality time" with a love-crazed gorilla, we'd be seeing more decisive games.
Anyway, Vishy Anand is now ahead of the pack after downing Jeroen Piket by 1.5-0.5.
Anand (2790) -
Piket (2632)
Amber Blindfold (6), 2001
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0 8.c4 c6 9.Qc2 Na6 10.a3 Re8 11.Nc3 Bg4 12.Nxe4 dxe4 13.Bxe4 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Qh4 15.g3 Qxd4 16.Be3 Qf6 17.Be4 h6
18.b4
The opening phase has been an unconditional success for White. In addition to the two bishops, he enjoys a substantial space advantage on the queenside.
18...Nc7 19.Rad1 Be5
19...a5 would have solved the a-pawn problem once and for all. It's also very logical with regards to activating Ra8.
20.Rd7 Re7 21.Rfd1
21...Rae8?
Your average, "run of the mill" blindfold blunder, I guess. Little details like a7 are easy to forget. 22.Rxe7 Qxe7 23.Bxa7
Now White should be winning hands down. I must admit I'm impressed with the amount of trouble Piket manages to cause from this point on. It's not like Black has any obvious source of counterplay, is it?
23...Ne6 24.Be3 h5 25.Rd3 Bf6 26.Qd1 g6 27.Rd7 Rd8 28.Rxd8+ Nxd8 29.Bg2 Qe5 30.Bh3 Kg7 31.a4 h4 32.b5 cxb5 33.cxb5 Ne6 34.Bg2 Qc7 35.b6
35...Qc4? 36.Bd5? Qc8
Finally, someone notices the b-pawn.
37.a5 Ng5 38.Bg2 h3
Advanced pawns like this can cause some serious grief, since White will now have to monitor his back rank.
39.Bh1 Ne6 40.Bf3 Qc3
Or else Bg4 simply mops up the h-pawn.
41.Bxb7 Qxa5 42.Bc8 Ng5 43.Bb7
Anand's original intention was no doubt 43.Bxg5 Qxg5 44.Bxh3, but I guess he noticed 44...Qb5 45.Qd6 Qb2, winning the b-pawn on account of the threat Bd4.
43...Qb4 44.Bd5 Ne4 45.Qf1 Nd2 46.Qd3 Nb1 47.b7
47...Nc3?
As far as I can see, White still has some technical problems to solve after 47...Be5.
48.Bf3
Or 48.Bf4, winning on the spot.
48...Be5 49.Bd2 Qb2
50.Bxc3 Qc1+
50...Bxc3 51.b8Q Qxb8 52.Qxc3+
51.Bd1 resigns. 1-0
ONE OF THE APPEALING things about rapid chess is that you can usually fight back, no matter how lousy your position is. It's also quite common to see the advantage swinging back and forth, like in the following game.
Almasi (2640) -
Ljubojevic (2566)
Amber Rapidplay (6), 2001
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nb5 d6 6.Bf4 e5 7.Be3 Nf6
Personally, I prefer 7...Be7, but I guess a Sveshnikov player would choose the text any day of the week. Possibly twice on Sundays.
8.Bg5 Be6 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd2 Rc8
10...d5 11.exd5 Bxd5 12.Bc4 gives White a slight edge, as 12...Bxg2 leaves Black spitting blood after 13.Rg1 Rg8 14.Qh5.
11.Bc4?
This basically loses a pawn.
11...Bxc4 12.Nxc4
12...Nd4! 13.Nxd4
13.Nca3 Qa5+ 14.Qd2 Nxc2+ 15.Nxc2 Qxb5 was certainly no improvement for White.
13...Rxc4 14.Ne2 Rxe4 15.0-0 Rg8?!
15...d5, followed by Bc5, leaves White with no compensation.
16.Qd5 Rb4 17.b3 Qd7 18.c4 Rb6 19.f4 Rc6 20.Rad1 Bh6 21.fxe5 fxe5
22.Ng3
Now White has excellent play for the pawn. Black has weak pawns, weak squares, and his pieces are poorly co-ordinated.
22...Rg6 23.Rd3 Bf4 24.Nh5 Rc5 25.Qf3 Bg5 26.Ng3 Bf4 27.Ne4 Rc6 28.c5! Kf8?
I think Black obtains reasonable compensation for the exchange after 28...d5 29.Nd6+ (29.Rxd5? Qxd5 30.Nf6+ Rgxf6 31.Qxd5 Be3+) 29...Rcxd6 30.cxd6 Rxd6. The text, on the other hand, leaves White in charge.
29.Nxd6 a5 30.g3 Qh3 31.Ne4 f5 32.Nf2 Qh6 33.Rd8+ Ke7 34.Qd5 Kf6
35.Rd7?
35.Re8!, threatening Qd8+, would have rendered Black's king completely helpless.
35...Qf8
36.Rd1?
36.Kh1 would have picked up a piece, since any bishop move allows Ne4 mate.
36...Be3 37.Rxb7 Bxf2+ 38.Kxf2 Qxc5+ 39.Qxc5 Rxc5 40.Rxh7 Rc2+ 41.Ke3 Ke6 41...Rxa2?? 42.Rd6+ Kg5 43.h4+ and Rg6 drops.
42.Rhd7
White is a safe pawn up, but in double rook endings the weaker side can often create enough counterplay to draw.
42...Rc6 43.Ra7 Rg4 44.Rd2 Re4+ 45.Kf2 a4!? 46.bxa4 Rd4 47.Rb2 Rdc4 48.h4 Rc2+ 49.Rxc2 Rxc2+ 50.Kf1 Rxa2
51.Ra6+?
51.h5 was screaming to be played. The text leaves White in serious trouble.
51...Kd5
Here comes His Majesty!
52.h5 Ke4 53.h6 Kf3 54.Kg1
54.Ke1 was probably a better shot.
54...Rg2+ 55.Kh1 Rxg3
56.Re6
A blunder, but Black wins anyway after 56.Rf6 f4 57.a5 Rg5 58.Kh2 e4 59.a6 Ra5, since White's pawns are stuck.
56...e4
56...Kf2 would have mated by force, but what the hey.
57.Kh2 Rg5 58.Rb6 e3 59.a5 Kf2 60.Rb2+ e2 and White resigned. 0-1
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GM Einar Gausel 