Biel 07: Wojtaszek leader

by Alejandro Ramirez
7/27/2015 – Two of the three leaders faced each other, and it was Wojtaszek that came out on top in that game with a strong positional grind against MVL. Navara only managed a draw against Eljanov in a complicated position which dissolved into a drawn endgame. Catching him in second place is now Adams, who took a long time to convert an extra piece against now last place Rapport.
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The traditional Biel/Bienne Chess Festival is going strong in Switzerland. The festival includes a series of events, but the crown jewel is the Grandmaster Tournament, with an average rating of 2720.

Draw offers are forbidden for the first 40 moves and If two (or more) players share first place, the winner will be determined according to the results of a tiebreak played on July 31st (in the morning). 

Round Seven

Round 07 - July 26, 2015
Adams, Michael 2740
1-0
 Rapport, Richard 2671
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 2733
1-0
 Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 2731
Navara, David 2724
½-½
 Eljanov, Pavel 2723

Round 7 report by Rustam Kasimdzhanov

Play of the day by Rustam Kasimdzhanov

Adams, Michael 1-0 Rapport, Richard
It is very uncommon that you see a grandmaster have so much trouble winning up a piece:

A long, but unsuccessful, defense today for Rapport

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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Be7 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 c5 6.e5 Nfd7 7.c3 Nc6 8.0-0 h5 9.Qe2 a5 10.dxc5 Qc7 11.Bb5 a4 12.b4 axb3 13.Nxb3 Nxc5 14.Nxc5 Bxc5 15.c4 0-0 16.Bf4 dxc4 17.Bxc4 Be7 18.Rac1 Ra3 19.Rfe1 Rd8 20.Bb3 Ra5 21.Ng5 g6 22.Qe3 Bb4 23.Re2 Ba3 24.Rc3 Bb4 25.Rc1 Ba3 26.Rc3 Bb4 27.Rc4 Rad5 28.h4 b5 29.Rc1 Rd3 30.Qe4 After much maneuvering, Rapport finds himself in a difficult situation. He is less active than his opponent, who has some threats down the c-file and potentially some ideas with sacrifices on the kingside. R3d4 31.Qf3! Bb7 31...Rc4 is not something anyone wants to play, but was maybe objectively better. 32.Qg3? 32.Rec2! Seems to already put impossible problems for Black: Rc8 32...Ba3 33.Rxc6 Bxc1 34.Rxc7 Bxf3 35.Bxc1! Doesn't work for Black. 33.Nxe6 fxe6 34.Bxe6+ Kg7 35.Bxc8 Qxc8 36.Rxc6 simply wins. 32...Ba3 33.Rc3 White's position is very strong nonetheless. Bf8 34.Nxe6! fxe6 35.Qxg6+ Qg7 36.Bxe6+?! 36.Qxe6+ Kh8 37.Rg3 is completely crushing. Rxf4 38.Rxg7 Bxg7 39.Qg6 material is roughly equal, but Black is simply getting mated. 36...Kh8 37.Qxh5+ Qh7 38.Qxh7+ Kxh7 39.Bf5+ Kh8 40.Be4 b4 Time trouble is over. White has a bunch of pawns for the piece. He isn't quite winning, but its close. 41.Rc1 Rd1+ 42.Re1 Rxc1 43.Rxc1 Nd4 44.Bxb7 Ne2+ 45.Kh2 Nxf4 46.g3 Ng6 46...Ne6! The knight on g6 is not well placed. 47.f4 Rd2+ 48.Kh3 Rxa2 49.Rc8! Rf2?! This move fails tactically but this was already awful. 49...Kg7 50.h5 50.h5! Nxf4+ 51.gxf4 Rxf4 52.Kg3 Black is paralyzed. He will soon lose the bishop. Rf5 53.Kg4 Rxe5 54.Rxf8+ Kg7 55.Rf3 Rc5 56.Ba6 Rc6 57.Bb5 Rc5 58.Ba6 Rc6 59.Bb5 Rc5 60.Be8 Rc4+ 61.Kg5 Rc5+ 62.Kg4 Rc4+ The endgame is winning, but Adams takes a long, long time to do so. 63.Kf5 Kh6 64.Re3 Rc5+ 65.Kf6 Rc8 66.Ke7 Rb8 67.Rb3 Kg5 68.Bg6 Kh6 69.Kd6 Rb6+ 70.Kc7 Rb5 71.Kc6 Rb8 72.Bf7 Rf8 73.Bg6 Rb8 74.Kc5 Rb7 75.Kd4 Rb8 76.Kd3 Rd8+ 77.Kc2 Rb8 78.Kb2 Rb7 79.Re3 Kg7 80.Kb3 Kh6 81.Re5 Rb8 82.Be8 Rb7 83.Re6+ Kg7 84.Bg6 Rb8 85.Be4 Kh8 86.Re7 Rb5 87.Bg6 Rb6 88.Bd3 Rb8 89.Rd7 Rb6 90.Rd5 Kg7 91.Bb5 Kh6 92.Kxb4 Rb8 93.Kc3 Rb6 94.Kd4 Re6 95.Bd3 Re1 96.Ra5 Re7 97.Be4 Rg7 98.Bf3 Re7 99.Ra6+ Kg7 100.Be4 Kh8 101.Ra5 Kg7 102.Ke3 Rf7 103.Bg6 Rf6 104.Ke4 Rf8 105.Ra6 Rf6 106.Ra7+ Kh8 107.Bf5 Rf8 108.Kf4 Rb8 109.Kg5 Rg8+ 110.Bg6 Rg7 111.Ra5 Rg8 112.Ra4 Rg7 113.Kf6 Rg8 114.Ra7 Rg7 115.Bf7 Kh7 116.Ra8 Kh6 117.Rb8 Rh7 118.Bg6 Rg7 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Adams,M2740Rapport,R26711–02015C0348th Biel GM 20157

Adams' technique was far from ideal, but it was good enough at the end

Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 1-0 Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime
A very clean game from Wojtaszek. MVL was never able to get any activity:

The new leader thanks to this game: Wojtaszek

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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 Bg7 5.e3 0-0 6.Rc1 Be6 Super solid. This move is largely replacing 6...c5 as the main line. 7.c5 c6 8.Bd3 Bg4 9.Nge2 9.Qc2 Wang Yue-Carlsen, 2009. 9...Re8 10.f3 Bc8 11.0-0 Nbd7 Black's only plan is e5. Luckily for him, it's impossible to avoid. 12.Bg5 e5 13.b4 Nf8 14.Bh4 Bh6 15.f4 Black's problems aren't over quite yet. He managed to break on e5 but White is trying to punish Black for his lack of space anyway. e4 15...g5!? Is a very inhuman move: 16.fxg5 16.fxe5 gxh4 17.Rxf6 Bxe3+ 18.Kh1 Bg4!∞ 16...Ng4 17.Rf6! With a wild position. 15...exd4 16.exd4 seemed much more logical to me, at least keeping the e-file open and the e4 post for the knight, potentially. 16.Bc2 Bg7 17.b5 Bd7 18.Ba4 Qc8 19.h3 Nh5 20.Rb1 f5 20...Bxh3 21.bxc6! Qg4 21...bxc6 22.gxh3 Qxh3 23.Bxc6 doesn't quite work. 22.Rf2+- 21.Qb3 Bf6 22.Bxf6 Nxf6 23.bxc6 bxc6 24.Qb7 Without a doubt White is much better, the only question is how much progress can he make. Wojtaszek slowly inches in, first bringing in some knights. Ne6 25.Nc1 Rb8 26.Qxc8 26.Qxa7 Ra8 27.Qb7 Qxb7 28.Rxb7 Ra6 perhaps gives Black a little counterplay, but it does seem like an extra pawn. 26...Rexc8 27.Nb3 Nc7 28.Na5± Black's position is simply terrible. c6 is too weak. Nb5 29.Ne2 29.Bxb5 cxb5 30.Rb3± 29...Na3 MVL decides to give up his pawn in order to get counterplay. 30.Rxb8 Rxb8 31.Bxc6 Bxc6 31...Rb2 32.Bxd7 Rxe2 33.c6 Rc2 is very unpleasant, but it was probably Black's best try. 32.Nxc6 Rb2 33.Nc3 Rc2 34.Ne7+ Kf7 35.Ncxd5 Nc4 36.Rb1 Nh5? Black's position is very difficult, but this accelerates defeat. 37.Nc6 Nd2 38.Ncb4 38.Ne5+ Kf8 39.Rb8+ Kg7 40.Rb7+ Kg8 41.c6 and Black has no real threats, despite the aggressive look of his pieces. 38...Nxb1 39.Nxc2 Ke6 40.Nc7+ Kd7 41.Nd5 Ke6 42.Ndb4 Nf6 43.d5+ Kd7 43...Nxd5 44.Nd4+ and the king cannot defend the knight. 44.d6 Nc3 45.Nd4 Nfd5 46.Na6 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Wojtaszek,R2733Vachier Lagrave,M27311–02015D8348th Biel GM 20157

Navara, David ½-½ Eljanov, Pavel
A sort of hedgehog resulted in Black heavily committing on the kingside. This was not a bad idea, and even though Black had to give up a pawn on the queenside, he had enough compensation for it. White decided to give back the pawn and reach a drawn endgame.

An interesting draw in Navara-Eljanov

Standings

Round Seven Games

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1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.a3 Bc5 7.Nb3 Bb6 8.e4 0-0 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bh4 d6 11.Be2 a5 12.0-0 a4 13.Nd2 Nd4 14.Nf3 e5 15.Nxd4 Bxd4 16.Nb5 Bc5 17.Bxf6 Qxf6 18.Bg4 Be6 19.Qe2 Qg6 20.h3 Rac8 21.Kh1 f5 22.exf5 Bxf5 23.Bxf5 Rxf5 24.Rad1 Rf4 25.Nc3 Rcf8 26.f3 Rh4 27.Nxa4 Bd4 28.Nc3 Bxc3 29.bxc3 Rc8 30.Qd3 Qxd3 31.Rxd3 Rhxc4 32.Rxd6 Rxc3 33.Rb1 Rc1+ 34.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 35.Kh2 Rc3 36.a4 Rc4 37.Rb6 e4 38.fxe4 Rxe4 39.a5 Re5 40.Rxb7 Rxa5 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Navara,D2724Eljanov,P2723½–½2015A3348th Biel GM 20157
Adams,M2740Rapport,R26711–02015C0348th Biel GM 20157
Wojtaszek,R2733Vachier Lagrave,M27311–02015D8348th Biel GM 20157

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Photos by: Marie Boyard, Simon Bohnenblust, Christian Ostermeier and Pascal Simon

Commentary on Playchess

Danny King live in Biel

We will be bringing you interviews, photos, reports and videos from Biel, and of course we will have live commentary on our website, www.playchess.com

Day Date Round German English
Saturday July 25 Round 6 GM Klaus Bischoff GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Sunday July 26 Free    
Monday July 27 Round 7 GM Klaus Bischoff GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Tuesday July 28 Round 8 GM Klaus Bischoff GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Wednesday July 29 Round 9 GM Klaus Bischoff GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Thursday July 30 Round 10 GM Klaus Bischoff GM Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Round 01 - July 20, 2015
Adams, Michael 2740
1-0
 Navara, David 2724
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 2733
½-½
 Rapport, Richard 2671
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 2731
½-½
 Eljanov, Pavel 2723
Round 02 - July 21, 2015
Rapport, Richard 2671
½-½
 Adams, Michael 2740
Eljanov, Pavel 2723
0-1
 Navara, David 2724
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 2731
½-½
 Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 2733
Round 03 - July 22, 2015
Navara, David 2724
1-0
 Rapport, Richard 2671
Adams, Michael 2740
0-1
 Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 2731
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 2733
1-0
 Eljanov, Pavel 2723
Round 04 - July 23, 2015
Navara, David 2724
1-0
 Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 2733
Rapport, Richard 2671
½-½
 Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 2731
Adams, Michael 2740
0-1
 Eljanov, Pavel 2723
Round 05 - July 24, 2015
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 2733
½-½
 Adams, Michael 2740
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 2731
½-½
 Navara, David 2724
Eljanov, Pavel 2723
½-½
 Rapport, Richard 2671
Round 06 - July 25, 2015
Navara, David 2724
0-1
 Adams, Michael 2740
Eljanov, Pavel 2723
½-½
 Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 2731
Rapport, Richard 2671
0-1
 Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 2733
Round 07 - July 27, 2015
Adams, Michael 2740
1-0
 Rapport, Richard 2671
Wojtaszek, Radoslaw 2733
½-½
 Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 2731
Navara, David 2724
0-1
 Eljanov, Pavel 2723

 

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Grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez has been playing tournament chess since 1998. His accomplishments include qualifying for the 2004 and 2013 World Cups as well as playing for Costa Rica in the 2002, 2004 and 2008 Olympiads. He currently has a rating of 2583 and is author of a number of popular and critically acclaimed ChessBase-DVDs.

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