Dortmund 2010 - Round 10

(1) Ponomariov,R (2734) - Le Quang Liem (2681) [B13] Sparkassen GM Dortmund GER (10), 25.07.2010 [Ponomariov/Le Quang] 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Before the game, I was in doubt as to what to play. The tournament situation dictated no risks were to be taken, so I chose a quiet line against the Caro-Kann. - Ponomariov 4...Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.h3 Qc7 7.Nf3 g6 8.0-0 Bf5!? At this point, I began to have doubts. I had prepared well with my second, Zahar Efimenko, who had played this line against Konstantin Landa in the Russian championship. It seemed however that my opponent was well prepared even here. - Ponomariov 9.Re1 [9.Bxf5 gxf5 10.Ne5 e6 with the idea of 11.-- 0-0-0 is much too risky for White. - Ponomariov.] 9...Bxd3 10.Qxd3 Bg7 11.Nbd2 0-0 12.Nb3 e6 It was unclear to me, what my opponent wanted in this game. Normally, I would offer a draw here to see where I stood, but this was not possible thanks to the Sofia rules. - Ponomariov 13.a4 Rfe8 14.g3 Ne4 15.Bf4 Qd8 16.h4 h6 17.Kg2 g5! I had underestimated this. I had thought I would swap and then mate my opponent on the h-file. This was obviously nonsense. - Ponomariov 18.hxg5 hxg5 19.Be3 f5 20.Ng1 Qf6 [Instead, the following variations were also interesting: 20...f4!? 21.gxf4 gxf4 22.Bxf4 e5 ; or 20...e5!? 21.dxe5 Nxe5 22.Qc2 f4 23.gxf4 gxf4 24.Bxf4 Qf6!? ] 21.Ne2 Rad8 22.f3 Nd6 23.Qc2 I must be better here though the position is very complicated. There are simply too many possibilities. - Le Quang 23...f4 24.Bf2 Nc4 25.g4 Kf7 26.Nd2 Qg6 27.Rac1 e5 28.Qxg6+ Kxg6 29.Nxc4 dxc4 30.Red1 exd4 [30...Rd5 31.dxe5 Rd3 32.Nd4 Nxe5 was perhaps better, but I couldn't see how Black wins. - Le Quang.] 31.Nxd4 As of now the position is equal and the draw almost inevitable. - Ponomariov 31...Ne5 32.Nf5 Nd3 33.Rc2 Bf6 34.Rh1 Rh8 35.Rxh8 Bxh8 36.Re2 Nxf2 37.Kxf2 Bf6 38.Re4 Rd2+ 39.Re2 Rd3 40.Re4 Rd2+ 41.Re2 Rd3 42.Re4 1/2-1/2

(2) Kramnik,V (2790) - Mamedyarov,S (2761) [D38] Sparkassen GM Dortmund GER (10), 25.07.2010 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.cxd5 exd5 7.e3 c5 8.dxc5 Qa5 9.Rc1 Ne4 10.Qxd5 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Bxc3+ 12.Kd1 0-0 13.Bc4 Nf6 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Ke2 b5 16.cxb6 Qxd5 17.Bxd5 Ba6+ 18.Bc4 axb6 19.a4 Bb2 20.Rc2 Rfc8 21.Nd2 b5 22.axb5 Bxb5 23.Rb1 Bxc4+ 24.Rxc4 Bf6 25.Rxc8+ Rxc8 26.Ne4 Re8 27.f4 Bd4 28.exd4 Rxe4+ 29.Kd3 f5 30.g3 Re7 31.Rb5 1-0

(3) Leko,P (2734) - Naiditsch,A (2684) [D37] Sparkassen GM Dortmund GER (10), 25.07.2010 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 c5 7.Bxc4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qa5 10.Bb5+ Bd7 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Bxd7+ Nxd7 13.0-0 a6 14.Rb1 Qc7 15.Qh5 Nc5 16.Rb4 Qe5 17.Qh4 Rd8 18.f4 Qxe4 19.Re1 Qd5 20.Qxf6 Rg8 21.g3 Rg6 22.Qh8+ Ke7 23.Qe5 Qxe5 24.Rxe5 Rc8 25.Nb3 Nd3 26.Rxb7+ Kf8 27.Rh5 Rg7 28.f5 Nf4 29.Rh4 Ne2+ 30.Kf2 Nxc3 31.fxe6 fxe6 32.Rxh7 Rxb7 33.Rxb7 e5 34.Rb6 Nxa2 35.Rxa6 Rc2+ 36.Kg1 Nc3 37.Rf6+ Kg7 38.Rf2 Ne2+ 39.Kg2 Kg6 40.Na5 Kh5 41.Nb7 e4 42.Kf1 Nd4 43.Rxc2 Nxc2 44.h3 Nd4 45.Kf2 Ne6 46.Nd6 Ng5 47.Kg2 e3 48.g4+ Kg6 49.Nc4 e2 50.Ne5+ Kh6 51.Nd3 Nf7 52.Kf2 Kg5 53.Kg3 [53.Kxe2 Kh4 54.Ke3 (54.Nf2 Ng5 55.Ke3 Nxh3 56.Nxh3 Kxg4= ) 54...Kxh3= ] 53...Ne5 54.Ne1 Kg6 [54...Kh6 55.Kf4 Nf7 56.h4 Nh8 57.Ng2 Ng6+ 58.Kg3 Ne5 59.g5+ Kh7 60.Kf2 Kg6 61.Kxe2 Kh5 62.Ke3 Ng6 63.Nf4+ Kxh4! (63...Nxf4 64.Kxf4 ) 64.Nxg6+ Kxg5= ] 55.Kf4 Kf6 56.Ke4 Ng6?? [56...Nf7! 57.Ke3 Ng5 58.h4 Nf7 59.Ke4 (59.Kxe2 Ne5 60.g5+ Kf5 61.Ke3 Kg4 62.Ke4 Ng6 63.Nf3 Nxh4 64.Nxh4 Kxg5 ) ] 57.Ke3 Kg5 58.Nf3+ Kf6 59.Kf2 [59.Kxe2?? Nf4+ 60.Kf2 Nxh3+ ] 59...Nf4 60.h4 1-0