Tashir 04: Many, many missed chances

[Event "Petrosian Memorial 2014"] [Site "Moscow RUS"] [Date "2014.11.08"] [Round "4"] [White "Kramnik, V."] [Black "Gelfand, B."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D91"] [WhiteElo "2760"] [BlackElo "2759"] [PlyCount "71"] [EventDate "2014.11.03"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bg5 Ne4 6. Bf4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 8. cxd5 cxd4 9. cxd4 Qxd5 10. e3 O-O 11. Be2 Nc6 12. O-O Bf5 13. Qa4 Qa5 14. Qxa5 Nxa5 15. Rfc1 Rac8 {Technically a novelty. Earlier this year Grischuk chose to play the other rook to c8 against Carlsen. Gelfand must have felt there are reasons to keep the f8 rook where it is, maybe to go to d8.} 16. Ne1 Nc6 17. g4 (17. Bf3 $5) 17... Be4 18. Bf3 f5 $1 {Nice understanding of the position. The e4 pawn will be very difficult to attack and it severely restricts White's position, to the point where he will not be able to avoid the e5 break.} 19. Bxe4 fxe4 20. Rab1 b6 21. Rc2 e5 22. dxe5 Nxe5 23. Bxe5 Bxe5 24. Kg2 {White's awkward knight on e1 means that Black is the only one that can be better.} Kf7 (24... Rfd8 $15) 25. Rd1 Rxc2 26. Nxc2 Rc8 27. Nd4 a6 28. f4 exf3+ 29. Kxf3 b5 30. h4 Bxd4 (30... h5 {preserved some advantage, but with good play it should end in a draw anyways.}) 31. Rxd4 Ke6 32. Re4+ Kd6 33. Rd4+ Ke6 34. Re4+ Kd6 35. Rd4+ Ke6 36. Ke4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Petrosian Memorial 2014"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2014.11.08"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Ding Liren"]
[Black "Grischuk, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E60"]
[WhiteElo "2730"]
[BlackElo "2795"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2014.11.03"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 c5 4. Nf3 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. Nc3 Qc7 8.
Qd3 Nc6 9. O-O d6 10. b3 Nxd4 11. Qxd4 Ne4 12. Nd5 Bxd4 13. Nxc7 Rb8 (13...
Bxa1 {was Kramnik-Caruana, Norway 2014.}) 14. Bxe4 Bxa1 15. Be3 Be5 16. f4 Bf6
17. Bxa7 Bh3 18. Rd1 Ra8 19. Nxa8 Rxa8 20. Be3 Rxa2 {White might have a very
slight advantage because of his pressure on b7.} 21. Kf2 Rb2 22. Rb1 Ra2 23.
Bxb7 Bf5 24. Rc1 Rb2 25. c5 dxc5 26. Rxc5 Rxb3 {Through some clever maneuvers
the pawns on the queenside have been simplified and the game will now end in a
draw.} 27. Bf3 Rc3 28. Rxc3 Bxc3 29. Bc5 e5 30. e3 exf4 31. exf4 h5 32. Ke3 Bb2
33. Kf2 Bc3 34. Ke3 Bb2 35. Kf2 1/2-1/2

[Event "Petrosian Memorial 2014"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2014.11.08"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Aronian, L."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D38"]
[WhiteElo "2731"]
[BlackElo "2797"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2014.11.03"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Qc2 h6 8.
Bh4 c5 9. e3 Qa5 10. Bd3 c4 11. Bf5 g6 12. Bxd7+ (12. Bxg6 Bxc3+ 13. bxc3 fxg6
14. Qxg6+ Kf8 15. O-O Qa6 {was seen in a crazy game betrween So-Lenderman
played in the US Chess League a couple of months ago. It is not entirely clear
what is going on.}) 12... Nxd7 13. O-O O-O 14. Rae1 Nb6 15. Ne5 Bxc3 $6 (15...
Bf5 16. e4 dxe4 17. g4 Be6 18. Rxe4 $13) 16. bxc3 Qa4 17. Qb1 Qe8 (17... Bf5
18. e4 $1 {A surprisingly strong sacrifice. The main point is to gain access
to the kingside for the queen.} Bxe4 19. Qc1 Kh7 20. f3 Bf5 21. Be7 $18) 18. f3
Kg7 19. h3 h5 20. e4 f6 21. exd5 fxe5 (21... Bf5 $1 22. Qc1 fxe5 23. Rxe5 $13)
22. Rxe5 Qa4 {Black must seriously have underestimated White's resources in
this position. There are many moves that keep the pres sure, but only one that
finishes the game.} 23. Rfe1 (23. Re7+ Rf7 24. Qe1 $1 Bf5 {The trick is
figuring out the move here, which is not obvious, but very aesthetically
pleasing.} 25. Bf6+ $3 {and the game is over. There is no way to respond to
this move.} Kg8 (25... Kxf6 26. Qe5+ Kg5 27. Rxf7 $18) 26. Rxf7 Kxf7 27. Qe7+
Kg8 28. Qg7#) 23... Bf5 {suddenly Black stabilizes.} 24. Qc1 Rf7 25. g4 hxg4
26. hxg4 Bd3 (26... Bd7 27. Qg5 $1) 27. Re7 {White retains an attack, Black is
not out of the water yet.} Nxd5 28. Rxf7+ Kxf7 29. Qg5 Qc6 30. Re5 Rf8 31. Rxd5
Kg8 {At the end of the day Leko is up a pawn and still keeps pressure on the
position.} 32. f4 Qa4 33. Re5 $1 {importantly guarding e1.} Re8 34. Rxe8+ (34.
Kh2 $1 Qc2+ $2 35. Kg3 $18) 34... Qxe8 35. f5 Kh7 36. Bg3 gxf5 37. gxf5 $6 (37.
Be5 $1 Qg6 38. Qe7+ Kg8 39. g5 {kept pressure.}) 37... Qf7 38. Qh4+ Kg8 39. f6
Qg6 40. Kf2 Kf7 {Now the king is safe and the game will end in a draw.} 41. Be5
Bb1 42. Qg3 Qc2+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Petrosian Memorial 2014"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2014.11.08"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Morozevich, A."]
[Black "Inarkiev, E."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D36"]
[WhiteElo "2724"]
[BlackElo "2688"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "2014.11.03"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. Qc2 Be7 7. e3 Nbd7 8.
Bd3 Nh5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nge2 (10. Nf3 Nf4 {is known to be somewhat
uncomfortable for White.}) 10... g6 11. O-O-O Nb6 12. Rde1 (12. Kb1 {is by far
the most common move.}) 12... Be6 13. f3 O-O-O 14. g4 Ng7 15. Nf4 h5 16. h3 Kb8
17. Rhg1 Qd6 18. Bf1 hxg4 19. hxg4 Rh7 20. a4 a5 21. Qb3 Nd7 22. Kb1 Rh2 23.
Na2 g5 24. Nd3 f6 25. Qc3 b6 $6 26. b4 $1 {White's advances on the kingside
have yielded nothing, it's a good idea to open a front on the other side while
Black still has an awkward knight on g7.} axb4 27. Naxb4 Rc8 28. Rc1 Kb7 29. e4
{Something clearly went wrong in Black's position. The pressure on the
queenside is piling up.} dxe4 30. fxe4 c5 $1 {Resourceful and forced.} 31. e5
$6 (31. a5 $1 {was actually very strong. This would destabilize the c5 posiion
and force Inarkiev to find some kind of defense.}) 31... fxe5 32. Nxe5 Ka7 $1 {
Now it is  White that has to be careful as his king becomes exposed. With e5
hanging and the king position being exposed more and more it is Morozevich
that has to be careful not to overstep.} 33. Qd3 Nxe5 34. Qa6+ Kb8 35. dxe5 Qd8
$2 (35... Rb2+ $3 {would have been brilliant.} 36. Ka1 (36. Kxb2 Qd4+ {gets
quickly mated.}) 36... Qd8 $1) 36. Nc2 (36. Rg2 $1 {leaves Black in a
basically lost position. If he retreats White's rook will swing to the
queenside with fatal consequences.}) 36... Bd5 (36... Rc7 $1 $17) 37. Rd1 Ne6
38. Bc4 (38. Bg2 Nd4 $1 $11) 38... Bxc4 39. Qxc4 Nd4 40. Nxd4 cxd4 41. Qxd4 $4
(41. Rxd4 $11) 41... Qc7 $4 {Missing a quick mate.} (41... Rc1+ 42. Kxc1 (42.
Rxc1 Qxd4) 42... Qc7+ 43. Kb1 Qc2+ 44. Ka1 Qa2#) 42. Qd6 Ka7 43. Qxc7+ Rxc7 44.
Rc1 Rxc1+ 45. Kxc1 Re2 46. Rf1 Rxe5 1/2-1/2