Biel 05: Close Calls

[Event "48th Biel GM 2015"] [Site "Biel SUI"] [Date "2015.07.24"] [Round "5"] [White "Wojtaszek, R."] [Black "Adams, Mi"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E07"] [WhiteElo "2733"] [BlackElo "2740"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez, Alejandro"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "r1r5/3nbk1p/4pn2/PNpp1p2/5Pp1/1P2P1P1/1BR4P/R4BK1 b - - 0 29"] [PlyCount "34"] [EventDate "2015.07.20"] 29... Nb8 $1 {The position is complicated. Black's last move was great, transfering the knight to the much more useful square c6. The position should be close to equal, but easier to play for Black.} 30. Be5 Nc6 31. Nd6+ $6 (31. Bc3 $1 $11) 31... Bxd6 32. Bxd6 Ne4 33. Bxc5 Rxa5 (33... Nb4 34. Bxb4 Rxc2 35. Be1 {is an extra exchange for Black, but with the two passed pawns things are not so clear yet.}) 34. Rac1 Rb8 (34... Ne5 $1 35. b4 (35. fxe5 Raxc5 36. Rxc5 Rxc5 37. Rxc5 Nxc5 38. b4 Nd7 {is probably just a winning endgame for Black.}) 35... Nf3+ 36. Kg2 Ra3 {with very real pressure on White's king and pawns.}) 35. Bd6 Nxd6 36. Rxc6 Ne8 37. Rb1 Rb4 38. Ra6 Rxa6 39. Bxa6 {Black is still marginally better, but converting seems very difficult.} Nd6 40. Bd3 Kf6 41. Kf2 e5 42. fxe5+ Kxe5 43. Ke2 Ne4 44. Bxe4 Kxe4 45. Kf2 h6 46. Ke2 1/2-1/2

[Event "48th Biel GM 2015"] [Site "Biel SUI"] [Date "2015.07.24"] [Round "5"] [White "Eljanov, P."] [Black "Rapport, R."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A95"] [WhiteElo "2723"] [BlackElo "2671"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "88"] [EventDate "2015.07.20"] 1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. Nf3 d5 7. O-O c6 8. Qc2 Ne4 9. Bf4 Nd7 10. Rad1 g5 11. Be3 Nd6 12. b3 Bf6 13. Bc1 Rf7 14. Ba3 Ne4 15. Nxe4 fxe4 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. dxe5 Be7 18. Bd6 Bxd6 19. exd6 Bd7 20. f3 exf3 21. Bxf3 Qa5 22. c5 b6 {A very unusual situation. White has a protected passed pawn on d6, but for now its support is being ripped apart. Eljanov tries to use his initiative on the f-file to keep the d-pawn active and alive.} 23. Bh5 Rxf1+ 24. Rxf1 Qxc5+ 25. Qxc5 bxc5 26. Rf7 Rd8 {awkward, but forced.} (26... Be8 27. Rc7 Bxh5 28. d7 {simply wins for White.}) 27. Re7 e5 $1 {Without activity Black cannot survive. He tries to at least push his pawns forward.} 28. g4 (28. Rxe5 Kg7 29. Re7+ Kf6 $11 {Escaping the last rank allows Black to move his bishop.}) 28... e4 29. Kf2 a5 30. h3 a4 $6 {Rapport is trying to use his passed pawns to some effect, but he is too paralyzed to use them.} (30... h6 31. Ke3 Kf8 32. Kd2 Kg8 {White simply wants to bring his king to a4 and break through there! Still, things might not be so easy.} 33. Kc3 Kf8 34. Kb2 Kg8 35. Ka3 Kf8 36. Ka4 Be8 $1 $14) 31. bxa4 c4 32. a5 c3 33. Ke1 c5 34. a6 e3 35. Rxe3 d4 36. Re7 {Black's c-pawn is not dangerous enough.} Bc6 37. a7 Rxd6 $1 {Setting a last trap.} 38. Re8+ $2 (38. Rc7 $1 Be4 39. Bf7+ Kf8 40. Bc4 Rd8 41. Bd3 $18 Bxd3 42. exd3 {is winning due to Rb7 and Rb8.}) 38... Kg7 39. a8=Q $2 {White underestimates Black's passed pawns!} Bxa8 40. Rxa8 d3 $1 {Suddenly White has to give a perpetual!} 41. Ra7+ Kh6 42. exd3 Rxd3 43. Ra6+ Kg7 44. Ra7+ (44. Ke2 c2 $17 45. Ra7+ Kf6 46. Rf7+ Ke5 47. Rf1 Kd4 {And White is the only one that will lose this endgame. Once the king comes to c3 it is very dangerous for Eljanov.}) 44... Kh6 (44... Kf6 45. Rf7+ Ke6 (45... Ke5 46. Rf2 $16) 46. Ke2 Rd2+ 47. Ke3 Rxa2 48. Rf5 $18) 1/2-1/2