Evgeny Alekseev, 21, wins Russian Superfinal

Jakovenko was leading alone through most of the tournament, but was caught by Alekseev when the latter won two black games in a row in rounds nine and ten. Both of the youthful GMs won five games each, both lost one game and ended the tournament with 7.5 points from eleven rounds.

The Super Final winner on tiebreak: Evgeny Alekseev, 21

Final Standings

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Dimitry Jakovenko, 23, who led the Super Final for most of the event

According to the rules a tiebreak of two rapid games were played, with time controls of 15' + 10". The first was a nerve-racking affair with winning chances for both sides.

Jakovenko,D (2671) - Alekseev,Evgeny (2639) [B90]
ch-RUS Superfinal Playoff Moscow RUS (1), 15.12.2006
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.a4 Nc6 8.Be2 Be7 9.0-0 0-0 10.f4 Qc7 11.Kh1 Bd7 12.Nb3 b6 13.Bf3 Rfe8 14.g4 Bc8 15.g5 Nd7 16.Bg2 Bf8 17.Rf3 g6 18.Rh3 Rb8 19.Qe1 Bg7 20.Qh4 Nf8 21.Rf1 Ne7 22.Qf2 b5 23.axb5 axb5 24.Ba7 Rb7 25.Bd4 b4 26.Bxg7 Kxg7 27.Nd1 Qb6 28.Ne3 h5 29.gxh6+ Kh8 30.h7 Nc6 31.f5 exf5 32.Qf4 Ne6 33.Qh4 f4

34.Nf5? 34.Nc4 was needed: 34...Qd8 35.Nxd6 and now 35...Qxd6 is impossible because of 36.Qf6+ Ng7 37.Qxd6. 34...gxf5 35.exf5 Ng7 36.f6 Nf5. Why not 36...Ne6 with a clear black advantage? 37.Qxf4 Ne5 38.Re1. Here 38.Qg5 with the threat of Rxf5 would have given White better chances. 38...Qd8 39.Rh5 Ng6 40.Rxe8+ Qxe8 41.Qe4 Qxe4 42.Bxe4 Rc7. Returning the piece. 42...Rb5 was available to hang on to it and give Black good chances of winning. 43.Bxf5 Bxf5 44.Rxf5 Rxc2 45.Rb5 Rxb2 46.Nd4 Ne5 47.h4 Kxh7 48.h5 Ng4 49.Nf5

49...Nxf6? Are we missing something? 49...Rh2+ 50.Kg1 Rxh5 looks like a clear win: 51.Nd4 Rxb5 52.Nxb5 b3–+. 50.Nxd6 Rd2 ½-½. [Click to replay]

In the second encounter Jakovenko was cleanly outplayed by the younger lad who took the title but shared the prize money for this achievement.

Alekseev,Evgeny (2639) - Jakovenko,D (2671) [C92]
ch-RUS Superfinal Playoff Moscow RUS (2), 15.12.2006
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Re8 10.d4 Bb7 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a4 h6 13.Bc2 exd4 14.cxd4 Nb4 15.Bb1 c5 16.d5 Nd7 17.Ra3 f5 18.Nh2 c4 19.Rg3 Nc5 20.exf5 Rxe1+ 21.Qxe1 Ncd3 22.Qd1 Bxd5 23.Ndf1 Nxc1 24.Qxc1 Kh8 25.Ng4 Nd3 26.Bxd3 cxd3 27.Qf4 Rc8 28.Rxd3 Rc4 29.Qg3 Be4

30.Ne5 Qf6 31.Nxc4 bxc4 32.Rd2 Bxf5 33.Qf4 Be6 34.Qxf6 gxf6 35.Ne3 f5 36.Rc2 Kg7 37.Nxc4 and with the exchange and a pawn White has an easy win. 37...Kf6 38.Nd2 d5 39.Rc6 a5 40.Nb3 Ke7 41.Nxa5 Bd7 42.Ra6 Bg7 43.b4 d4 44.Nc6+ Ke8 45.Kf1 d3 46.b5 Be6 47.Ra8+ 1-0. [Click to replay]

Links

• Official web coverage
• Live broadcast of games
• First ChessBase report on the 2006 Superfinal
• Second ChessBase report on the 2006 Superfinal
• All ChessBase reports on the Superfinal 2005