Over the last days, most of the players started showing signs of fatigue. Some of the games ended in draws after a relatively small number of moves and some of them were not too consistent. Fortunately, the last day was a true delight from the spectator's point of view. All games were rich in strategic and tactical content and the final outcome of the match remained uncertain for a long time. Grischuk outplayed his opponent with Black in the first game and starting with a certain point never gave him a chance for survival. Rublevsky displayed superb opening preparation in the second game, where he obtained a very promissing position with Black. However, his nerves let him down at the critical moment and he went for a tempting forced line which led to simplifications and an inevitable draw. Instead, he could have squeezed his opponent in a long game, but this is history already... In the third (last) game, Rublevsky pushed a little too hard in an approximately equal position. On the 26th move he overlooked Black's simple tactical resource and went down quickly - in the game and in the match as well.
1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
Nc6
3.d4
exd4
4.Nxd4
Bc5
5.Nxc6
Qf6
6.Qf3
bxc6
7.Qg3
h5
8.h4
Nh6
9.f3
d5
10.Nc3
Bd4
11.Bd2
Rb8
12.0-0-0
Be5
13.f4
A new step in the theoretical dispute initiated by the 4th game of the match.
13...Bd4
14.Qd3
Bg4
15.e5
Bxc3!
16.Qxc3
[We are familiar already with this kind of pseudo queen sacrifice. In case of 16.exf6
Bxb2+
17.Kb1
Bxf6+
18.Kc1
Bb2+
19.Kb1
Black can force an immediate draw or play on with 19...Bxd1!?
]
16...Qe6
17.Re1
0-0
18.Be3
Rfd8
The opening is over and time has come to draw some conclusions. Each part has important strategic achievements on one of the wings, where the opponent's structure is safely blocked. From static point of view, White's perspectives are better, because Black's quenside pawns are not only immobile but also weak! However, Black is much better developed and this detail weights quite heavily in the positional balance. White needs to develop his king's bishop in such a way that it does not get exchanged, which would increase the significance of his kingside weakneses in radical way. However, this is not easy to achieve, as the further course of the game shows. These kind of complex startegic evaluations is quite typical for the Scotch Opening. The absolute truth is not easy to discover, which partly explains why it used to be such a terrible weapon in Kasparov's hands.
19.Qc5
[White needs to block the c6-pawn by physial means in order to prepare Ba6. The careless 19.Ba6?
would unexpectedely lose to 19...d4!
20.Bxd4
c5!!
(But not 20...Qxa2
because of 21.Bc4
Qa1+
22.Kd2
Qxb2
23.Qxb2
Rxb2
24.Kc3
when White remains in control. The exchange sacrifice 24...Rxc2+
does not work because of 25.Kxc2
Rxd4
26.Kc3
Rxf4
27.Rhf1
and White has every chance to win this.) After 20...c5!! White loses a bishop, for instance 21.Bc4
cxd4!
]
19...a5
Just in time. The bishop will not enjoy the desired stability on a6 any more. Needless to say, White is not interested in "winning" the a-pawn because this would open lines for Black's attack.
20.Kb1
a4
21.Bd3
Bf5
22.Rc1?!
[Too optimistic. As a compensation for the exchange of the light-squared bishops, White hopes to get pressure along the c-file, but Black counterplay will prove much stronger. It would have been wiser to play 22.Be2
although Black can more or les force a draw in this case with the perpetual pursuit starting with 22...Bg4
]
22...Bxd3
23.cxd3
Nf5
24.Bf2
From strategic point of view, this is a complete triumph for Black. However, he still needs to work out some tactical details.
24...Rb5!
25.Qxc6
Rdb8
26.Qxe6
Rxb2+
27.Ka1
fxe6
28.Rb1
a3!
In case of general exchanges on b1, White would soon have captured the a4-pawn, creating a very dangerous queenside passer.
29.Bc5
Nxh4!
Harvest time.
30.Rxb2
axb2+
31.Kb1
Nxg2
32.f5
Nf4
33.fxe6
Nxd3
34.Ba3
Nxe5
My first thought in this position was: "Even I would win this!" The rest of rthe moves were played by inertia.
35.Kc2
Nc4
36.Bc5
Nd2
37.a4
b1Q+
38.Rxb1
Nxb1
39.a5
Rb5
0-1