Biel 2009: Morozevich starts with a 2-0 score

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: Ivanchuk, Alekseev, Gelfand, Caruana, Morozevich, Vachier-Lagrave

Statistics:

Boris Gelfand and Alexander Morozevich at the opening ceremony

Round one

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave played very aggressively against Vassily Ivanchuk, but only reached a draw by repetition after 32 moves. Top seed and oldest player Boris Gelfand had the youngest, 16-year-old Fabiano Caruana, on the ropes, but in time trouble accepted a draw offer in a practically won position.

Gelfand,B (2755) - Caruana,F (2670) [E32]
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 Rd2 28.Qe5 Nxg4+ 29.fxg4 f6 30.Qd6 d4 31.Qc6 Bd7 32.Qc4+ Be6 33.Qc6 Bf7 34.hxg7 Qe5

and with good chances to win Gelfand accepted a draw. The most exciting and only decisive game of the day was the following:

Morozevich,A (2751) - Alekseev,Evgeny (2714) [E32]
GM Biel SUI (1), 19.07.2009
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d5 7.cxd5 Ne4 8.Qc2 exd5 9.Bf4 Bf5 10.Qxc7 Qxc7 11.Bxc7 Rc8 12.Bf4 Rc2 13.f3 Nf6 14.g4 Bg6 15.h4 Rxb2 16.h5 Bc2 17.e3 Ba4 18.Rh2 Rb3 19.Ne2 Nbd7 20.g5 Ne8 21.Nc1 Rb6 22.Na2 Nf8 23.Nb4 Rd8 24.h6 Ne6 25.hxg7 Nxf4 26.exf4 Nxg7 27.Bd3 Ne6 28.f5 Nf4 29.f6

A key moment: Black was well advised to exchange the bishop on d3, but instead went for 29...h5? 30.Kf2 a5? 31.Kg3 Ng6 32.Rxh5 axb4 33.Rah1 bxa3 34.Rh7 1-0.

• Click to replay the games from round one

Round two

Alekseev and Ivanchuk drew their game in 22 moves, while Caruana and Vachier-Lagrave slugged it out for 34 moves. Once again it was Alexander Morozevich who drew blood, albeit it after a shocking blunder by Boris Gelfand:

Morozevich,A (2751) - Gelfand,B (2755) [C24]
GM Biel SUI (2), 20.07.2009
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb3 Bd6 6.exd5 Nxd5 7.0-0 0-0 8.Re1 Nd7 9.d4 exd4 10.Bxd5 cxd5 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qd3 Qb6 13.Re2 Nf6 14.Nc3 Bg4 15.Na4 Qc6 16.Nxc5 Qxc5 17.Be3 Qc4 18.Rd2 Qxd3 19.Rxd3 Bxf3 20.gxf3 Rfe8 21.Rb3 Re7 22.Rd1 Rc8 23.Bxa7 Rxc2 24.Be3 Rd7 25.Rb5 h6 26.a4 Rc4 27.b3 Rh4 28.f4 Rh5 29.Kg2 Ne4 30.Rd4

30...Rd6?? 31.Rxe4. Terrible – the pawn is pinned since the rook on h5 is unprotected. 1-0.

• Click to replay the games from round two

Current standings

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN 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.