FIDE WCC R7-2: Kasim in the lead

by ChessBase
7/8/2004 – Learn to pronounce the name, find out where Uzbekistan is. Rustam Kasimdzhanov has won the second game in the final of the FIDE world championship in Libya. It was a tough Petroff with Michael Adams missing a chance to save the game on move 40. Illustrated report...

ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024 ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024

It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more.

More...

Links

Results of Semifinals

FIDE World Championship finals
1
2
3
4
5
6
TB
Tot
Kasimdzhanov, Rustam UZB 2652
½
1
Adams, Michael ENG 2731
½
0
½

Schedule

6 July Tuesday Final Match Game 1 14.30
7 July Wednesday Final Match Game 2 14.30
8 July Thursday Final Match Game 3 14.30
9 July Friday Rest Day
10 July Saturday Final Match Game 4 14.30
11 July Sunday Final Match Game 5 14.30
12 July Monday Final Match Game 6 14.30
13 July Tuesday Final Match Tie-breaks 12.30
13 July Tuesday Closing Ceremony 18.00

Note that local time in Tripoli is the same as in Central Europe. The start of the games is generally at 14:30h, which is GMT + 2 and translates to 13:30 London, 8:30 a.m. New York, 16:30 Moscow, 18:00 New Delhi, 20:30 Hong Kong, 21:30 Tokyo, 22:30 Melbourne, and 03:00 a.m. (on the next day) in the French Polynesia-Marquesas Islands of Taiohae.

Finals – Game two report


Adams and Kasimdzhanov just before the start of game two


The players alone on the stage of the theatre in Tripoli


Rustam Kasimdzhanov, just before playing 8.c4


A grimly determined Michael Adams after playing 8...Nb4

Pictures by courtesy of FIDE (© FIDE.com)

Kasimdzhanov,R (2652) - Adams,M (2731) [C42]
FIDE WCh KO Tripoli LBA (7.2), 07.07.2004
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.c4 Nb4 9.Be2 0-0 10.Nc3 Be6 11.Ne5 f6 12.Nf3 Kh8 13.a3 Nxc3 14.bxc3 Nc6 15.Nd2 Na5 16.cxd5 Bxd5 17.c4 (the novelty) Bf7 18.Bb2 f5 19.Bc3 c5 20.d5 Bf6 21.Qc2 b6 22.Bd3 Bxc3 23.Qxc3 Nb7 24.Nf3 Nd6 25.Ne5 f4 26.Rfe1 Bg8 27.Nc6 Qg5 28.Qe5 Qxe5 29.Nxe5 Rfe8 30.a4 g6 31.g3 fxg3 32.hxg3 Kg7 33.f4 Re7 34.a5 b5 35.cxb5 Bxd5 36.Bf1 Nf5 37.Ra3 Nd4 38.Rd1 Rd8 39.Rc3 Be6.

Michael Adams is in a dire position, and tries to extricate himself from the white onslaught by retreating his bishop. This looks like a clever trap. White cannot play 40.Rxc5, because the rook on d1 is not protected and would fall to 40...Nf3+ 41.Kf2 Rxd1.

To avoid the knight check Kasimdzhanov played 40.Kf2?, walking into the trap, which Vishy Anand (and Fritz) immediately spotted: 40...Nxb5! 41.Rxd8 Nxc3 and suddenly Black is a pawn up and better. But Adams had not set a trap and missed this continuation. Instead he played 40...Rc8? and Kasimdzhanov moved the rook out of the line of fire to maintain his advantage: 41.Rb1 g5 42.b6 axb6 43.axb6 gxf4 44.gxf4 Bd5 45.Bd3 Rf8.

Rustam Kasimdzhanov was in time trouble and apparently wary about working out all the tactics after 46.Rxc5. Naturally the spectators on Playchess.com were able to do so, especially since everyone had a chess engine running. Black has a few options:

  • 46...Rxe5 but then after 47.Rc7+ the black king must move to the f-file (or get mated, e.g. 47...Kg8 48.Rg1+ or 47...Kh8 48.Rxh7+ Kg8 49.Rg1+ with mate to follow). But 47...Kf6 unpins the white f-pawn, which can play 48.fxe5+, and White has the exchange and will win.

  • 46...Rxf4+, but after 47.Kg3 with two pieces hanging Black again loses the exchange;

  • retreating the bishop does not save the day either, for instance 46...Bb7 47.Rc7 Rxc7 48.bxc7 Bc8 and Black has little hope of survival.

White chose the "safer" 46.Ke3, after which White had the defensive resource 46...Ne6, which according to Anand would have offered much greater resistance than Adam's move: 46...Nc6? White can simply take the pawn and has a decisive advantage. 47.Rxc5 Nxe5 48.fxe5 Bb7 49.Be4 Rff7 50.Bxb7 Rxb7.

From now on our German friend Fritz was trembling with anticipation, wanting desperately to finish things off with Rg1+ and 1-0. But Kasimdzhanov selected a more conservative path: 51.Ke4 Rfd7 52.Rc6 (Fritz: 52.Rg1+ and 1-0) Kf8 53.e6 Rd2 54.Rf1+ Ke8 55.Rc8+ and 1-0 because White picks up the rook on b7 after 55...Ke7 56.Rf7+ and 57.Rxb7.

Previous reports


General information

The FIDE site, which is being hosted by Libya Telecom And Technology, contains the schedule, list of players, results tree, games, reports, pictures and videos. The start page is http://wcc2004.fide.com and http://wcclibya2004.com.

Live coverage

The live game transmission from Tripoli, requires you to have Java Virtual Machine installed on your PC. This program is distributed free of charge by Sun Microsystems (and is useful for many other applications). Visit the Java check page to see if you have everything required for the live coverage and install Java if you don't. To follow the games click on "Live coverage" in the link list above. Then click on the "View" button. The games will also be covered and discussed on the Playchess.com server.


Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register