XXVI Linares 2009
This year the Linares 2009 tournament is being staged only in Spain –
in the previous three years the first half was in Morelia, Mexico, and next
year the first half will probably be in the Arab Emirates. The 2009 event goes
from February 19th to March 7th, with three rest days. The prize fund is 314,000
Euros, with the winner getting 100,000 Euros, followed by 75,000 and 50,000
Euros for second and third place. There are no appearance fees for the players,
so the motivation to fight for points may be unusually high. The venue is el
Teatro Cervantes de Linares, the starting time of the games is 16:00h (4 p.m.)
Spanish/European time.
Round eight report
Round 8: Saturday, 28 February 2009 |
Teimour Radjabov |
½-½ |
Vishy Anand |
Magnus Carlsen |
0-1 |
Levon Aronian |
Alexander Grischuk |
½-½ |
Leinier Domínguez |
Vassily Ivanchuk |
½-½ |
Wang Yue |
|
Levon Aronian, Armenia, vs Magnus Carlsen, Norway
Magus Carlsen met with a well-prepared opponent, Levon Aronian, who improved
on a 2007 games which Nyback won against Jaracz in Dresden 2007 (CBM
118) with a pawn sacrifice on move 14. Soon Aronian had an advantage and
was playing for a win. Carlsen defended quite heroically, for over 6½
hours and 93 moves, only to lose the point in a rook and two pawns vs rook and
pawn ending.
Anand played a Semi-Slav (Anti-Meran) against Teimour Radjabov, whose novelty
on move 16 left Black with a comfortable position. The World Champion was on
the offensive for the rest of the game, which featured a prolongued phase of
tactical fireworks, eventually leading to simplifications and a drawn rook ending,
which his Azerbaijani opponent managed to hold.
Tournament leader Alexander Grischuk got into trouble with the white pieces
against Leinier Dominguez in an Exchange Gruenfeld, when the Cuban GM managed
to neutralize his Russian opponent's strong initiative and even found himself
on the more pleasant side of a drawn ending. This game, which ended after 47
moves in a draw, merits further study.
Games under way in round eight in Linares
The audience in the theater, with headphones to follow the live commentary
Commentary by GM Mihail Marin
Please note that due to tournament games, coupled with illness, our regular
Linares commentator, GM Dorian Rogozenco, will not be able to provide us with
further annotations, probably for the rest of the event. GM Mihail Marin, who
annotated the FIDE Candidates Match Topalov vs Kamsky will take over with one
game per round. Possible another guest GM will join in next week.
Ivanchuk,V - Wang Yue [C42]
XXVI SuperGM Linares ESP (8), 19.02.2008 [Mihail Marin]
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 Bf5 11.a3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Nc6 13.Re1 Re8 14.cxd5 Qxd5 15.Bf4
Rac8
Together with the Marshall Attack, this tabyia is one of the biggest nightmares
for 1.e4 players. In practice, Black's piece activity has usually matched the
potential force of White's mobile pawn centre. The theoretical evolution has
been anything but spectacular over the past years. Players of similar level,
using similar engines, which run on computers of similar strenght will logically
find similar variations. Modern times... 16.a4!? Not this time, though!
This generally useful move, winning space on the queenside, has never been played
before and does not seem to be on the engines' list of preferences. We may call
it a human novelty. 16...Bd6 17.Be3 Na5 18.Nd2 Qe6 19.g3 h6 20.Bf3 c5
After a series of half-waiting moves for both sides, Black decides to start
concrete play. His decision is logical, because it is not easy to suggest a
way of further improving the piece placement. 21.dxc5. My personal feeling
is that this move, which spoils White's structure, is connected with an oversight
(see my comment on White's 28th move). The main alternative was 21.d5 , leading
to a structure that is characteristic for the Gruenfeled Defence! (Compare with
the game Grischuk-Dominguez, from this same round). 21...Bxc5 22.Bxc5 Qxe1+
23.Qxe1 Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 Rxc5 25.Re8+ Kh7 26.Ne4 Bxe4 27.Bxe4+ g6
We can notice certain elements that seem to compensate for the weakness of
the c3-pawn. pawns along the seventh rank are vulnerable and if White will manage
to play Bd5 the knight would be dominated. 28.Ra8. Ivanchuk took a long
time before playing this move. When playing 21.dxc5 he may have relied on 28.Re7
Kg7 29.Bxb7 Nxb7 30.Rxb7 Rxc3 31.Rxa7 when the same rook ending as in the game
would arise, only that with reversed colours. Unfortunately for White, this
line is flawed tactically. After 29.Bxb7 (??) Black wins material with 29...Kf8
30.Rd7 Ke8 and 31.Rd5 does not work because of 31...Nxb7 . Would it be this
last detail that escaped Ivanchuk's attention?! 28...a6 29.Rd8 Rc7 30.Bd5
Kg7 31.Re8 Nc4
32.Bxc4!? A remarkable decision. Ivanchuk probably felt that only White
can be worse in this position, because of his weak pawns. The ending to which
he transposes is objectively dead drawn, although at grandmaster level (up to
World Champions) it frequently ended in a win for the active side. Ivanchuk's
confident play in the final part of the game proves that he knew his lesson
well. 32...Rxc4 33.Re7 Rxc3 34.Rxb7 Rc4 35.a5 Rc5 36.Ra7 Rxa5 37.g4 Kf6 38.Kg2
Ra3 39.h4 Ke6
40.h5! Very logical play. In order to make queenside progress, Black
will need to march in with the king, sacrificing one or two kingside pawns.
Therefore, it is essential for White to bring his own candidates to promotion
closer to the back rank. 40...gxh5 41.gxh5 Kf6 42.f3 Ra2+ 43.Kg3 Ra1 44.Kg4
Ra4+ 45.f4 Ra1 46.Ra8 Kg7 47.Ra7. It is obvious now that White is out of
any danger. 47...a5 48.Kf5 a4 49.Ra6 a3 50.Ra7
50...a2 51.Ra8 Kh7 52.Ra3 Kg8 53.Ra8+ Kg7 54.Ra7 Rh1 55.Rxa2 Rxh5+ 56.Kg4
Rb5 57.Ra6 h5+ 58.Kh4 f6 59.Ra8 Kg6 60.Rh8 Rb1 61.Kg3 Rb3+ 62.Kg2 Ra3 63.Kf2
Ra7 64.Kg3 Rh7
65.Rxh7! The simplest way to a draw. The resulting pawn ending can be
found in the books. 65...Kxh7 66.f5. Black has no active plan, since
after 66.f5 Kg7 67.Kh3 (Only not 67.Kh4? because of 67...Kh6 and White is in
zugzwang) 67...Kf7 68.Kh4 he should return with 68...Kg7, in order to avoid
losing. draw. [Click
to replay]
Current standings
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