Biel 2009: Ivanchuk beats Caruana, Morozevich leads

by ChessBase
7/22/2009 – At Elo 2703 the 40-year-old Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk may be only the fifth seed in the 2009 Biel International Chess Festival, but everyone knows that he is one of the best players in the world (number three in the January 2009 list). In round three he showed his expertise in a rook and bishop ending to grind down the youngest participant Fabiano Caruana. Report and correction.

ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024 ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024

It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more.

More...

The 42nd Biel International Chess Festival is taking place from July 18th to 31st 2009. There are ten different tournaments (open, rapid, blitz, youth, Chess 960). The main event is a Category 19 double round robin tournament with six players averaging 2716 Elo points and 28.3 years of age.


Participants: Vassily Ivanchuk, Evgeny Alekseev, Boris Gelfand, Fabiano
Caruana, Alexander Morozevich, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Round three

Alexander Morozevich, who had won his first two game, was pressured by the young French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a Najdorf, with Morozevich nervously avoiding theory on move seven. The game ended one move after the time control in a draw. Boris Gelfand faced the Ragozin Defence against Evgeny Alekseev, who was able to equalise and even go on the offensive. The game was drawn in 27 moves.

Vassily Ivanchuk played the Four Knights against Fabiano Caruana, and soon was a pawn (and for a while two and three pawns) up. The Ukrainian liquidated to a rook and opposite colored bishop ending and ground down his 16-year-old Italian opponent.

Ivanchuk,V (2703) - Caruana,F (2670) [C48]
GM Biel SUI (3), 21.07.2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Ba4 c6 6.Nxe5 d5 7.d3 Bd6 8.Nf3 Bg4 9.Be3 Nxf3+ 10.gxf3 Bh5 11.exd5 0-0 12.dxc6 bxc6 13.Rg1 Nd5 14.Nxd5 cxd5 15.Rg5 d4 16.Rxh5 dxe3 17.fxe3 g6 18.Rh3 Qb6 19.Kf2 Qxb2 20.d4 Rac8 21.Bb3 Rxc2+ 22.Qxc2 Qxa1 23.f4 Qh1 24.Qc4 a5

25.Qf1 Qxf1+ 26.Kxf1 Kg7 27.f5 gxf5 28.Bc2 Rc8 29.Bxf5 Rc1+ 30.Ke2 h6 31.Be4 a4 32.Rh4 a3 33.Rg4+ Kf6 34.h3 Bc7 35.Bd5 Rc2+ 36.Kd3 Rf2 37.Rg8 Bd6 38.Ra8 Kg7 39.Ra6 Bb4 40.Ra7

Ivanchuk has concentrated his attack on the black f7-pawn, and one move before the time control Caruana goes astray: 40...Bf8? (40...Kf8 was required) 41.e4 h5 42.Ke3. Now Black is in real trouble. 42...Rf6 43.e5 Rf5 44.Ke4 Rf2 45.Ke3 Rf5 46.Ke4 Rf2

47.e6 Kg6 48.Ke3 Rf1 49.Ke2 1-0.


Correction in round one

Fabiano Caruana has informed us that his first round game against Boris Gelfand was recorded incorrectly. "The actual game ended after 33...Bd7 in view of the upcoming repetition 34.Qc4 Be6," he writes. "The position is very sharp and in severe time trouble (we both had just over a minute until move 40), it's impossible to work out the details. Analysis shows White is better after 28...Ng4, but only in many complex variations. Boris' decision to force a draw with 31.Qc6 is fully justified under the circumstances. If White had avoided 28...Ng4 with 27.Kf1 (instead of 27.Kf2), then he would have good winning chances." Here for the record is the correct game:

Gelfand,B (2755) - Caruana,F (2670) [E36]
GM Biel SUI (1), 19.07.2009
1.c4 Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Bg5 Qd6 9.f3 Bf5 10.e3 Nbd7 11.Ne2 Rac8 12.b4 Rfe8 13.Bf4 Qe7 14.g4 Be6 15.h4 Nf8 16.h5 h6 17.Ng3 N8h7 18.Qc5 Qd8 19.Qxa7 b6 20.Qa4 Ng5 21.Be2 c5 22.bxc5 bxc5 23.dxc5 Rxc5 24.Bxg5 hxg5 25.Qd4 Rc2 26.h6 Qa5+

27.Kf2 [27.Kf1 with good winning chances – Caruana] 27...Rd2 28.Qe5 Nxg4+ 29.fxg4 f6 30.Qd6 d4 31.Qc6 Bd7 32.Qc4+ Be6 33.Qc6 Bd7 ½-½


Wednesday is a free day: Alexander Chernin, Fabiano Caruana, Boris Gelfand at the Lake of Biel

Current standings

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse the PGN games.


Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register