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Alexei
Shirov vs. Boris Gelfand 4.3
Black is completely helpless - the knight
on b6 is in danger and there is another threat
which can hardly be met... 23...Ra5 24.Re8+
Rxe8 25.Qxc7 Rxb5 26.Qxb7 1-0
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Michael
Adams vs. Peter Svidler 4.4r
24.b4 White launches an aggressive
series of moves that allow him to gain an
important grip on the position. 24...Be7
25.g5 Rd7 26.f6 Bd8 27.Nb3 and White's
active pieces and the target on e4 were the
long-range ingredients for eventual victory. |
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Alexei
Dreev vs. Veselin Topalov 4.4
Black needs a draw to qualify for the next
stage of this rich knock-out event. So what
does he do? Play a Benoni type line and sacrifice
three pawns... After 15...Nd7!? 16.Bxd6
Re8 17.Qd2 Ne5 18.Bxc5 h3 19.Kf2 hxg2 20.Kxg2
f4!? 21.Qxf4 Ng6 Black appeared to have
a dangerous attack but Dreev weathered the
storm and went on to win. |
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Evgeny
Bareev vs. Boris Gulko 4.4
White has a clear initiative and decides an
apparent mistake is the best way forward:
25.Nxd6! Qe7 26.Bxe5 Rc2?! 26...Qxe5
27.Nxc8 Bxc8 and white's pawn wedge + rook
are worth more, but here some resistance is
still possible. 27.Bd3 Qxe5 28.Bxc2 Qxd6
Or 28...Nxd6 29.f4 Qe7 30.e5 Nc8 31.Qxe7 Nxe7
32.Ra1, winning. 29.Qxd6 Nxd6 30.Ra1
This invasion is lethal. 30...Be8 31.e5
Nxb5 32.Ra8 1-0 |
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Veselin
Topalov vs. Alexei Dreev 4.5
White has pressed hard to attack in a very
complicated game. The central blockade and
bad bishop on h6 give Topalov dangerous compensation,
when this match took another melodramatic
twist ... 42...Rc8?? 43.Rxh6 1-0 |
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Corina
P eptan-Qin Kanying 4.3
Favorite Qin gets an amazing gift: 17...Bxg5
18.Nd5?? Qd8 and white had lost a piece.
The women's playoffs were terribly one-sided. |
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