[Event "5th Kings Tournament"]
[Site "Medias/Romania"]
[Date "2011.06.19"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Black "Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B41"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]
[PlyCount "48"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 a6 6. e4 Qc7 {[#]  This
position can also arise via the following move order: 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4
cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Qc7} 7. a3 b6 8. Be3 Bb7 9. f3 Nc6 10. Be2
Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Bd6 12. Qd2 $5 {Ivanchuk offers the pawn h2 in order to quickly
complete development, but Nisipeanu decides not to accept "the gift". Soon the
Romanian GM will sacrifice a pawn himself.} (12. g3) 12... O-O ({Nisipeanu
didn't like his king after} 12... Bxh2 13. O-O-O Bf4 14. Be3 Bxe3 15. Qxe3 {
and there is no place on the board where the black monarch won't be in danger.
White's plan here is to advance the g-pawn and increase pressure in the center
and on the kingside.}) 13. Na4 {[#]} b5 $1 (13... Bxh2 {is not a kind of move
to consider after just having castling short.}) 14. cxb5 axb5 15. Bxb5 {White
has to accept the challenge.} Bf4 16. Qc3 (16. Be3 {runs into} Bxe3 17. Qxe3
Rxa4 $1 18. Bxa4 Qa5+) 16... Qb8 $1 17. Nb6 ({After} 17. Bxf6 gxf6 ({Black can
also consider} 17... Rc8 {and if} 18. Nc5 {then} gxf6 19. Bxd7 Be5 {with
advantage}) 18. Qxf6 Be5 19. Qg5+ Kh8 {Black has compensation for the
sacrificed two pawns.}) 17... Ba6 $1 {[#]  Very inspired play by Nisipeanu.
Black's main purpose is to keep the white king on e1.} 18. Qa5 ({An
interesting alternative was} 18. Bc4 Ra7 ({Perhaps Black can consider} 18...
Bxc4 19. Nxa8 Ba6 20. Nb6 d5) 19. g3 {with the idea} Bc7 20. Bxf6 $1 Bxb6 (
20... gxf6 21. Nxd7 Bxg3+ 22. hxg3 Rxd7 23. Bxa6) 21. Bxg7) ({After} 18. Ba4 {
Black has the very sharp idea} Qb7 (18... Ra7 {might be an option as well.})
19. Nxa8 Nxe4 20. fxe4 Qxe4+ 21. Kf2 Bb7 {and in spite of being a knight and a
rook up (!) White's position is extremely dangerous. For instance:} 22. Rhg1
Rc8 23. Rae1 Qf5 24. g4 Bg3+ $1 25. Kxg3 Rxc3+ 26. bxc3 Qf3+ 27. Kh4 f6 28. Rg3
Qf4 {and Black wins.}) 18... Bxb5 19. Qxb5 (19. Nxa8 Nxe4 20. fxe4 Qb7 {offers
Black a powerful initiative.}) 19... d5 {Nisipeanu opens the position as much
as possible.} ({After} 19... Qb7 20. a4 {White consolidates.}) 20. Qe2 Be5 $1 {
Again a very precise move from the Romanian grandmaster. After other moves
White defends and remains with extra material.} (20... dxe4 21. Nxa8) (20...
Ra7 21. e5 Nd7 22. Nxd7 Rxd7 23. g3 Bg5 24. O-O) 21. Bxe5 {Ivanchuk also
chooses the best continuation.} (21. Bc5 Qc7 $1 22. Rc1 Rab8 23. Rc2 Rfe8 24.
Bd4 Qxc2 25. Qxc2 Bxd4 26. Na4 Rec8 27. Qb1 dxe4 {is again in Black's favour.})
21... Qxb6 {[#]  White is still a pawn up, but his king is still in the center.
.. The position is of dynamic equality.} 22. Rd1 {With the intention to play
23.Bd4.} (22. Qf2 Qb5 23. Bxf6 gxf6 24. Qe2 Qb6 {brings White nowhere.}) 22...
Ra4 $5 {Very creative, preventing White's intention.} ({After} 22... dxe4 23.
Bd4 exf3 ({or} 23... Qa5+ 24. Bc3 Qb6 25. fxe4 Rfd8 26. Rf1) 24. Qxf3 Qa5+ 25.
Bc3 (25. Kf2 {is doubtful, handing Black the initiative:} e5 $1) 25... Qb6 26.
Bxf6 gxf6 27. Qg4+ Kh8 28. Qd4 Qxd4 29. Rxd4 Rfb8 30. Rd2 {White can claim an
edge.}) 23. Qf2 (23. Bxf6 gxf6 24. exd5 exd5 25. Rxd5 {is asking for troubles:}
Rc8 {and White is defenseless against Black's activity.}) 23... Qb5 24. Qe2 Qb6
1/2-1/2


[Event "5th Kings Tournament"]
[Site "Medias/Romania"]
[Date "2011.06.19"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Radjabov, Teimour"]
[Black "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D37"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. d4 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 {[#]} b6 {This
continuation is less popular than 6...c5 and 6...Nbd7.} 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Nxd5
Qxd5 9. Bd3 Qa5+ 10. Ke2 (10. Nd2 Ba6 {is equal.}) 10... Ba6 11. a3 c5 12. b4
Bxd3+ 13. Qxd3 Qa4 (13... cxb4 14. axb4 Qd5 (14... Qxb4 $2 15. Rhb1) 15. b5 {
gives White an advantage.}) 14. bxc5 (14. Rhc1 {has been played before. Then
Black keeps equal chances with 14...Nd7, but not} cxb4 $2 15. axb4 Qxb4 $2 16.
Rcb1 {and White catches the queen.}) ({At the press-conference Radjabov
revealed that during the game he was calculating sharp variations starting with
} 14. h4 Nd7 15. Ng5 Nf6 16. Be5 c4 17. Qb1 g6 18. h5 Nd5 19. hxg6 {when Black
should continue} f6 (19... Nc3+ {can lead to a nice mate:} 20. Kf1 Nxb1 21.
gxh7#) {and now probably the strongest move for White is} 20. Kf1 {defending
from the fork on c3. My computer says the position is .... equal. Here is why:}
fxe5 21. Nf7 Bf6 22. Qe4 Bg7 23. Nh6+ Kh8 24. Nf7+ Kg8 {with a draw by
repetition. When seeing such variations one can hardly avoid thinking about
the draw death for chess.}) 14... bxc5 15. Rhc1 Nd7 16. Qc4 {[#]} Qa5 {Carlsen
keeps the queens on, trying to use the fact that the opponent's king is in the
center. But the position is very close to equal anyway.} (16... Qxc4+ 17. Rxc4
Nb6 18. Rc2 Rfc8 19. dxc5 Rxc5 20. Rxc5 Bxc5 {is equal.}) 17. dxc5 ({After} 17.
Qc3 Qa6+ 18. Qc4 {Black might consider} Qc6) 17... Nxc5 18. Nd4 Rac8 19. Qb5 ({
Another possibility was} 19. Kf1 Rfd8 {and only now} 20. Qb5 {when Black
cannot avoid the exchange of queens, with an equal endgame.}) 19... Qd8 (19...
Qxb5+ 20. Nxb5 a6 {would be just bad in view of} 21. Na7 Ra8 22. Nc6 Bf6 23.
Rab1 {and White is clearly better.}) 20. Nc6 Qd7 21. Nxe7+ Qxe7 {[#]} 22. Be5 (
{Somewhat better is} 22. Rc4 {preparing to double the rooks on the c-file.})
22... Ne4 $1 23. f3 (23. Qb4 Qh4 24. Bg3 Qg4+ 25. Kf1 {is also about equal.})
23... Qg5 24. fxe4 {[#]  Black has many ways to force a draw.} Rcd8 (24... f6
25. Rxc8 Rxc8 26. Qd7 Qxg2+ 27. Ke1 Qg1+ 28. Ke2 Qg2+ $11) (24... Qxg2+ 25. Ke1
(25. Kd3 $2 Rfd8+ 26. Bd4 Rb8 {leads to troubles for White.}) 25... Qg1+ 26.
Kd2 Rfd8+ 27. Bd4 Rxd4+ 28. exd4 Qf2+ 29. Qe2 Qxd4+ 30. Qd3 Qf2+ 31. Kd1 Qg1+
$11) (24... Rxc1 25. Rxc1 f6 26. Qd7 Qxe5 27. Rc7 f5 28. exf5 Rxf5 29. Rc8+ Rf8
30. Rxf8+ Kxf8 $11) 25. Qb2 Qxg2+ 26. Ke1 Qg1+ 27. Ke2 Qg2+ 28. Ke1 Qg1+ ({
Both players came to the conclusion that} 28... Qxe4 {does not offer Black
real winning chances.}) 29. Ke2 1/2-1/2


[Event "5th Kings Tournament"]
[Site "Medias/Romania"]
[Date "2011.06.19"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E12"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco"]
[PlyCount "93"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 {The Petrosian Variation. White prepares
Nc3 and wants to avoid the pin after Bb4.} Bb7 5. Nc3 {[#]} d5 {Otherwise
White will play d4-d5 himself.} ({For instance} 5... Be7 6. d5 {followed by
e2-e4 secures White advantage in the center. Here one can notice the
importance for White of not being pinned with Bb4.}) 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qc2 Nxc3
8. bxc3 Be7 9. e4 O-O 10. Bd3 c5 11. O-O Qc7 ({Another standard plan in this
variation is} 11... Qc8 12. Qe2 Ba6) 12. Qe2 Nc6 13. Be3 ({After} 13. d5 exd5
14. exd5 {Black can consider a positional pawn sacrifice:} c4 $5 15. Bxc4 Na5
16. Ba2 Bf6 17. Bb2 Rac8 {with the idea 18...Nc4. Then White should probably
prevent it with} 18. Nd2 {It remains unclear if Black has a full compensation.
Probably only future practice can give an answer to it.}) 13... Rfd8 {[#]} 14.
h4 {White is trying to expend on the kingside.} e5 $1 15. d5 Na5 16. h5 ({Of
course White would be happy to fortify his center with} 16. c4 {but this would
allow} Nb3 17. Rab1 Nd4) 16... c4 17. Bc2 {[#]} Nb3 $1 ({After} 17... h6 18.
Nd2 $1 {White prevents the maneuver Na5-b3-c5.}) 18. Ra2 ({As the players
established after the game, in case of} 18. Bxb3 cxb3 19. c4 f5 $1 20. exf5 b5
$1 21. cxb5 Bxd5 {Black is doing fine.}) 18... h6 19. Nh2 {The American GM
transfers the knight to f5, but as we'll see this doesn't promise White much.
The position is about equal.} Bd6 20. Rb1 Nc5 21. Nf1 (21. Qxc4 Ba6 22. Qb4 {
leaves Black with many attractive options. One possibility is} Nd3 23. Qa4 Bc4
24. Bb3 b5 25. Qa6 Bxb3 26. Rxb3 Qc4 27. Qxb5 Qxe4 {with initiative.}) 21...
Ba6 ({A more ambitious continuation is} 21... f5 $5) 22. Ng3 Bf8 23. Nf5 Nd3 {
[#]} 24. g3 ({At this moment Hikaru missed a good chance to get an advantage
by continuing} 24. a4 {If then} Bc8 25. Bxd3 cxd3 26. Qxd3 Bxf5 27. exf5 Rac8 {
White continues} 28. a5 $1 (28. Rb3 Qc6 $1) {and in case of} 28... Qxc3 (28...
bxa5 $1) 29. Qxc3 Rxc3 30. axb6 axb6 31. Bxb6 Rxd5 32. Ra8 {Black has serious
backrank problems.}) (24. Qg4 {doesn't bring anything due to the obvious} Kh8 (
{or} 24... Kh7)) 24... Bc8 25. Qf3 Bxf5 26. Qxf5 (26. exf5 Qd7 $1 27. f6 Qxd5
28. Qg4 Rd6 29. fxg7 Bxg7 {is just better for Black.}) 26... Bc5 27. Qf3 Bxe3
28. Qxe3 Nc5 29. Rb4 Nb7 30. Ba4 Nd6 31. Bc6 Rab8 {[#]  No side can do much in
this equal position.} 32. a4 Rf8 33. g4 Kh7 34. f3 Qe7 35. Rh2 Qf6 36. Kf2 Rbc8
37. Ke1 Rc7 38. Kd1 Rd8 39. Ke2 Qe7 40. Rh1 Qf6 41. Ra1 Qh4 42. Rbb1 Qh2+ 43.
Qf2 Qf4 44. Qe3 Qh2+ 45. Qf2 Qf4 46. Qe3 Qh2+ 47. Qf2 1/2-1/2
