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Round 9 - Amber highlights
Monte Carlo, Monaco - Another WC-scalp for Bulgarian ace Veselin Topalov! In round three he downed BGN World Champion Vladimir Kramnik by 1½-½, and today he won by the same margin against FIDE World Champion Vishy Anand. This was, incidentally, Anand's first loss in the rapid event.
Anand (2790) - Topalov (2718)
Amber Rapidplay (9), 2001
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5
The Sveshnikov Sicilian is still a good way to fight for the initiative as black, even at the highest level.
6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5
9.Bxf6
I think 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 is White's safest bet for a small, but lasting advantage. The text leads to very double-edged play indeed.
9...gxf6 10.Nd5 f5 11.c3 Bg7 12.Bd3 Be6 13.Qh5 0-0
14.0-0
14.exf5 Bxd5 15.f6 e4 16.fxg7 Re8 is supposed to be fine for Black.
14...f4 15.Rad1 Kh8 16.g3 Rg8 17.Kh1 Bf8 18.Be2 Rg5 19.Qf3 f5!
Active play is the name of the game in this opening!
20.gxf4 exf4 21.Nxf4 Bxa2 22.exf5 Rxf5 23.Qe4 Rf7 24.Bh5 Rf6 25.c4 Ne5
26.c5?!
This must be the wrong idea, since it potentially lets Black's passive dark-squared bishop into the game. Plonking the knight down on d5 was more logical.
26...Rc8 27.cxd6?
See my previous comment.
27...Bxd6 28.Be2 Qf8 29.Nh5 Rxf2! 30.Nc2?
White probably had to try something like 30.Rxf2 Qxf2 31.Ng3 (31.Rxd6?? Rc1+).
30...Nd3! and White resigned.
30...Nd3 31.Bxd3 Rxh2+ 32.Kg1 Qg8+ is the end of the world. 0-1
ANATOLY KARPOV IS doing reasonably well in the rapid event, but he just can't seem to get the hang of blindfold chess. In round nine it was time for another massive blunder by the ex-champ.
Almasi (2640) - Karpov (2679)
Amber Blindfold (9), 2001
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nc3 e6 5.g4 Bg6 6.Nge2 Ne7 7.Nf4 c5 8.dxc5 Nd7 9.h4 Nxe5 10.Bg2
10...d4!
This seems clearly better than 10...h5 11.Qe2 N7c6 12.Nxg6 Nxg6 13.Bg5 Be7 14.gxh5 Nf8 15.Nb5 Nd7 16.h6 Nxc5 17.Bf4 Kf8 18.hxg7+ Kxg7 and Black's king is in serious trouble. 19.0-0-0 Kf8 20.Kb1 a6 21.Nc7 Rc8 22.Bxd5 exd5 23.Rxd5 Qxc7 24.Bxc7 Rxc7 25.Rf5 Rd7 26.c3 f6 27.Rg1 Nd8 28.Qg4 Ke8 29.Rh5 Rf8 30.Rxc5 Bxc5 31.Qh5+ 1-0. Kasparov-Karpov, Linares 2001.
11.h5 dxc3 12.Qxd8+ Rxd8 13.hxg6 N7xg6
14.b4
I suppose White's bishop pair and queenside majority give him chances for the pawn, but it is by no means easy for him to establish a well-supported passer.
14...Nxf4 15.Bxf4 Nc6 16.Rb1 Be7 17.Be3 0-0 18.g5 f6 19.gxf6 gxf6?!
I prefer Black's position after the more logical recapture 19...Bxf6. The text leaves Black's king dangerously exposed.
20.Bh6 Rfe8 21.Rg1!
21...Rd4?? 22.Bxc6+ resigns. 1-0
ANOTHER GUY WHO can't seem to keep the pieces on the board, is Vassily Ivanchuk. I guess he thought Van Wely had just blundered his queen in the following position:
Van Wely (2700) - Ivanchuk (2717)
Amber Blindfold (9), 2001
36...Ne1+??
36...Nxf4+ 37.gxf4 Qc8 38.Ne3 Bxc3 and Black is better.
37.Rxe1 resigns. 1-0
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GM Einar Gausel 