Shamkir R4: 3.5/4!

[Event "Vugar Gashimov Mem 2015"] [Site "Shamkir AZE"] [Date "2015.04.20"] [Round "4.2"] [White "Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Black "Anand, Viswanathan"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D43"] [WhiteElo "2783"] [BlackElo "2791"] [PlyCount "75"] [EventDate "2015.04.17"] [SourceDate "2015.02.07"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. g3 {Kramnik had used this with success against Giri last year in Qatar.} dxc4 6. Bg2 Nbd7 7. O-O b5 8. e4 Bb7 9. e5 Nd5 10. Ng5 {If White doesn't play actively he runs the risk of simply being down a pawn.} h6 11. Nxe6 fxe6 12. Qh5+ Ke7 13. Ne4 Qe8 14. Bg5+ N5f6 { this is the first time this move has been since in GM-level play.} (14... hxg5 15. Qxh8 Kd8 16. Qg8 Qg6 {was Lalith-Ding Liren from the India-China Summit, 2015.}) 15. exf6+ gxf6 16. Bxf6+ (16. Qxe8+ Rxe8 17. Bf4 {keeps some pressure, but with the queens off one has to wonder how dangerous this is for Black.}) 16... Nxf6 17. Nxf6 Qxh5 18. Nxh5 Kf7 {White has some pressure on the diagonal, against the e-pawn and it seems like he is clearly better. However, upong a deeper inspection it is not so easy to play for either side. Black's pair of bishops and counterplay is also quite real.} 19. a4 a6 20. axb5 axb5 21. Rxa8 Bxa8 22. Ra1 Be7 23. Nf4 Bb7 24. Ra7 Rb8 25. Be4 Kf6 26. Ng6 c5 $1 {Black can't sit back and wait until White gets in f4 and Ne5 and every move he wants to make.} 27. Rxb7 (27. Bxb7 Kxg6 $15) 27... Rxb7 28. Bxb7 Kxg6 29. dxc5 Bxc5 { oposite colored bishops, the rest is dead drawn.} 30. Ba6 Bd4 31. Bxb5 Bxb2 32. Bxc4 e5 33. f3 Kf6 34. Kg2 Bc1 35. Bd3 Bb2 36. Bc4 Bc1 37. Bd3 Bb2 38. Bc4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Vugar Gashimov Mem 2015"] [Site "Shamkir AZE"] [Date "2015.04.20"] [Round "4.4"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Mamedov, Rauf"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B38"] [WhiteElo "2788"] [BlackElo "2658"] [PlyCount "81"] [EventDate "2015.04.17"] [SourceDate "2015.02.07"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 d6 {The Maroczy isn't seen at the top level very often. Mainly because most of the time Black ends up suffering for no real reason.} 7. f3 {Not the most common move order, but it makes sense. It avoids some of the quick Nxd4 ideas.} Bg7 8. Be3 O-O 9. Be2 Nh5 $5 {A typical idea in these structures, though not in this specific move. f4 is a little lose and changing pieces is almost always good.} 10. g3 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Be6 12. f4 {I have the feeling taking on d4 would have given better rpactical chances, but the computer disagrees with me.} Nf6 13. O-O Rc8 14. b3 {White has a nice space advantage everywhere.} Qa5 15. f5 Bd7 16. a3 e6 17. b4 Qd8 18. fxg6 $1 (18. fxe6 Bxe6 $1 {does not have the same effect.}) 18... fxg6 (18... hxg6 19. e5 dxe5 20. Bxe5 $16 {and there are problems with the knight on f6 lacking defense.}) 19. e5 $1 (19. Bxa7 {seems to be possible, but it hands the initiative over to Black after} Bc6 {and even though it shouldn't compensate a full pawn, it is, from a practical point of view, better to keep material even and a strong position.}) 19... dxe5 20. Bxe5 Bc6 21. b5 Ne4 22. Qxd8 $1 Rcxd8 (22... Rfxd8 {was a better choice. The endgame looks bad, but it might be holdable.} 23. bxc6 Nxc3 24. cxb7 Nxe2+ 25. Kg2 Rb8 26. Bxb8 Rxb8 27. Rad1 $16) 23. Rxf8+ Rxf8 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 25. Rc1 Nxc3 26. Rxc3 Bd7 {Material is even, but Black's position is horrible. White's pawns on the queenside are fast and Black's e-pawn is more of a weakness than anything.} 27. c5 Rc8 28. a4 Kf6 29. Kf2 Ke5 30. Ke3 Be8 31. Bf3 $16 Rc7 32. Kd3 g5 33. Kc4 h5 34. a5 g4 35. b6 $1 axb6 36. axb6 Rd7 37. Re3+ Kf6 38. c6 {The b ishop has been attacked for a few moves, but Black has no time to take it. White's pawns simply march forward.} bxc6 39. Bxc6 Rd8 40. Bxe8 Rxe8 41. b7 (41. b7 Rb8 42. Rb3 Ke7 43. Kc5 Kd7 44. Kb6 {is very obviously lost.}) 1-0