Baku 2.1: Fights continue!

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2015"] [Site "Baku AZE"] [Date "2015.09.14"] [Round "2.24"] [White "Wei, Yi"] [Black "Vovk, Yuri"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C11"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "73"] [EventDate "2015.09.11"] [SourceDate "2015.02.07"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O a6 11. Qf2 Bxd4 12. Bxd4 b5 13. Be3 Qa5 14. Kb1 b4 15. Ne2 Qc7 16. Ng3 {following a Caruana-Meier game from 2013.} (16. Nd4 { is more common and was played in Caruana-Meier in 2014.}) 16... a5 17. Nh5 f6 { A new move - the computers seem to like it but the game is still sharp. Black's attack on the queenside is growing but White already has real threats on the kingside.} 18. Qg3 Rf7 19. Bb5 $1 {I like this move with which White gets a bit of control all over the board.} fxe5 $6 {I don't see the need to take on e5 if Black isn't ready to capture twice.} (19... a4 20. exf6 Nxf6 21. Nxf6+ Rxf6 $13) 20. fxe5 Ba6 21. Bxc6 Qxc6 22. Bh6 Rc8 (22... Nc5 23. Bxg7 Ne4 {is a computer suggestion that is not for us flesh golems.}) 23. Rc1 g6 {The computer here insists on Nc5, saying it is the only good move.} (23... Nc5 24. Bxg7 Ne4 25. Qg4 Nf2 26. Qh4 (26. Qg5 Rf5 27. Qe7 Rf7 $11) 26... Nxh1 27. Bf6 Kf8 $1 28. Qg5 { and apparently Black somehow survives this onslaught by cooly retreating the knight to f2...}) 24. Nf4 $1 {Now White's attack succeeds.} Kh8 25. h4 Nc5 26. h5 Ne4 27. Qh4 gxh5 28. Qxh5 Qe8 29. Rh4 (29. Bg5 $1) 29... Rb7 30. Qg4 Qg8 31. Qh3 Qf7 $6 (31... b3 32. axb3 a4 {had to be tried, even if it doesn't work.}) 32. Nxe6 Rg8 33. Nd4 Qf2 34. Rg4 Re8 35. Be3 Qf7 36. e6 Qf6 37. Nf3 1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2015"] [Site "Baku AZE"] [Date "2015.09.14"] [Round "2.9"] [White "Eljanov, Pavel"] [Black "Ipatov, Alexander"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E60"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "6k1/5p1p/p5p1/2n1P3/1p5P/6P1/PP1r1PB1/2R3K1 b - - 0 29"] [PlyCount "16"] [EventDate "2015.09.11"] [SourceDate "2015.02.07"] 29... Nd3 {White's a pawn uo but Black is rather active and comes up with a clever resource.} 30. Rc8+ Kg7 31. Rd8 $1 Rd1+ {Otherwise Black is just stuck} 32. Bf1 Nxf2 $6 (32... Nxb2 33. Rxd1 Nxd1 34. Bxa6 {It is hard to believe that Black will survive with a pawn down and bishop vs. knight, but this was the only chance.}) 33. Rd6 $1 {A beautiful idea. Black cannot move his knight because he loses the rook, and can't move the rook because it loses the knight, and can't trade because he can't stop the pawn!} Nh3+ 34. Kg2 Ra1 35. Bc4 {now the knight is just stuck on h3.} Rc1 36. b3 Ng1 37. Rf6 1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2015"] [Site "Baku AZE"] [Date "2015.09.14"] [Round "2.8"] [White "Ding, Liren"] [Black "Inarkiev, Ernesto"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D35"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2nr1r1k/1p3qnp/p1p2p2/6p1/PP1PPN2/1B1R3Q/6PP/5RK1 b - - 0 27"] [PlyCount "24"] [EventDate "2015.09.11"] [SourceDate "2015.02.07"] 27... Qe8 {Obviously, White has the initiative, but now his knight is attacked, and if he moves it to e6 the knight will get traded and White will lose some of his advantage.} 28. Qh6 $1 {No fear!} Qxe4 (28... gxf4 29. Rh3 Qxe4 {leads to lines considered below}) 29. Rh3 Ne7 (29... gxf4 30. Rxf4 $1 Qb1+ 31. Rf1 Qe4 32. Rh4 Qd3 33. Bc4 {The queen gets kicked around - h7 must remain defended.} Qc2 34. Ba2 $1 {And there is no good defense against Bb1. Best is:} Rxd4 35. Bb1 $1 Rxh4 36. Qxh4 Nf5 37. Qh3 $1 $18 {and after White takes on f5 there will be a fork on c8 and h7.}) 30. Bc2 $1 {Most precise!} Qxc2 31. Nd3 {Beautiful block. h7 cannot be defended.} Kg8 32. Qxh7+ Kf7 33. Ne5+ Ke6 34. Qxc2 {The queen is lost and with it the game. Inarkiev keeps fluttering around for only a few more moves.} fxe5 35. Rh6+ Kd7 36. Rxf8 Rxf8 37. dxe5 Ne6 38. Rf6 Re8 39. Qh7 1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2015"] [Site "Baku AZE"] [Date "2015.09.14"] [Round "2.6"] [White "Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Black "Bruzon Batista, Lazaro"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A14"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "8/1k6/4K3/1r6/3B4/8/8/2R5 w - - 0 112"] [PlyCount "11"] [EventDate "2015.09.11"] [SourceDate "2015.02.07"] 112. Kd6 Ka6 113. Bc5 {Black has been holding on to dear life for a while now. He is only 12 moves away from a draw because of the 50-move rule!} Kb7 {Losing, according to the tablebases...} (113... Ra5 $1) (113... Rb3 $1) 114. Ra1 Rb3 115. Ra7+ Kb8 $4 { Black's position is lost but this loses the game because White now mates before the 50-moves rule applies.} ( 115... Kc8 116. Kc6 Rb2 117. Rf7 Rd2 118. Rg7 Rd1 119. Ra7 Rb1 120. Ba3 $1 Rb3 121. Bd6 $1 Rc3+ 122. Bc5 Rb3 123. Rc7+ $1 Kb8 124. Re7 $1 Ka8 125. Re4 Rb1 126. Ra4+ Kb8 127. Bd6+ {with mate would have violated the 50-move rule! (125 was the limit).}) 116. Kc6 Rh3 117. Ra1 {Black can't stop Bd6+ and mate. If Rc3 then simply Rf1 with mate next.} 1-0