Round five

Round 5: Thursday, February 22nd Peter Svidler  ½-½  Peter Leko Magnus Carlsen  1-0  Veselin Topalov Alex. Morozevich  ½-½  Vassily Ivanchuk Levon Aronian  1-0  Vishy Anand Games – Report

Round 6: Saturday, February 24th Magnus Carlsen     Peter Leko Alex. Morozevich     Peter Svidler Levon Aronian    Veselin Topalov Vishy Anand     Vassily Ivanchuk Games – Report

Standings after five rounds

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Commentary by GM Mihail Marin

The following express commentary was provided by Romanian GM Mihail Marin, who is the author of a number of very popular ChessBase training CDs and articles for ChessBase Magazine. GM Marin will study the games of the Morelia/Linares tournament in greater detail and provide the full results of his analysis in the next issue of ChessBase Magazine.

Peter Svidler vs Peter Leko in round five

Svidler,P (2728) - Leko,P (2749) [C89]
XXIV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (5), 22.02.2007 [Mihail Marin]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 For the second time in this tournament, Svidler decides to allow the Marshall Attack. 8...d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Re4 g5 16.Qf1 Qh5 17.Nd2 f5. Leko does not seem to be curious to find out What Svidler had in mind after 17...Bf5 as played in the first round game Svidler-Aronian. 18.Bd1 Qh6 19.Re1 f4 20.Ne4 Bc7 21.Bf3 Bh3 22.Qd3 Rf7 23.Bd2 Raf8.

Black is perfectly mobilized and has obvious compensation for the pawn. However, White's position is quite stable, which keeps him out of immediate danger. Without a deeper analysis, the final sequence of moves remains clouded by mystery. 24.Bh1 Rg7 25.Bf3 Rgf7 26.Bh1 Rg7 27.Bf3 Rgf7 1/2-1/2. [Click to replay]

Alexander Morozevich vs Vassily Ivanchuk

Vassily Ivanchuk, veteran Super-GM from Ukraine

Alexander Morozovich from Russia

Morozevich,A (2741) - Ivanchuk,V (2750) [C67]
XXIV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (5), 22.02.2007 [Mihail Marin]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Bd7 10.h3 Kc8 11.b3 Be7 12.Bb2 h5 13.Rad1 a5 14.a4 b6 15.Ne2 c5 16.Nf4 Bc6 17.Nd5 Kb7 18.c4 Rad8 19.Rd2 h4 20.Rfd1 Rde8.

Each side has fulfilled its programmed tasks and the position can be evaluated as equal. The game will end in a draw in a rather uneventful way. 21.Re1 Bd8 22.Re4 Kc8 23.Kf1 Bd7 24.Rde2 Rh7 25.Bc1 Rhh8 26.Bb2 Rh7 27.Ke1 Rh6 28.Kd1 Rg6 29.Nf4 Rh6 30.Nd5 Rg6 31.Ke1 Rh6 32.Kf1 1/2-1/2. [Click to replay]

Vishy Anand vs Levon Aronian

Viswanathan Anand, the world's number two player

Armenian world class GM Levon Aronian

Aronian,L (2744) - Anand,V (2779) [D23]
XXIV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (5), 22.02.2007 [Mihail Marin]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qc2 dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bf5 6.g3 Nbd7 7.Nc3 e6 8.Bg2 Be7 9.0-0 0-0.

A relatively peacefull variation has been played. Each side plays its own opening. Black developed like in a normal Slav, while White adopted a Catalan setup. 10.Re1 Ne4 11.Qb3 Qb6 12.Nh4 In spite of the fact that this move has been played several times along the past decades, it might have come as a surprise for Anand. You do not see such abrupt changes in the character of the position at top level. 12...Bxh4 13.gxh4 Nef6 14.e4 Bg6 15.Qxb6 axb6 16.Bf4 Rfe8 17.Rad1. White's pair of bishops and his advantage of space compensate for the double pawns. 17...b5. A novelty over 17...e5 which was played in the most recent example with this line, Georgiev-Smeets, Wijk aan Zee 2007. 18.Bd6 Quite an irritating bishop. 18...e5 19.d5 Nh5 20.Bf1 f6 21.b3 Nf4. Black hurries to take advantage of the bishop's departure from the kingside, but the knight will not enjoy the desired stability on this square. 22.a4 bxa4 23.bxa4 Bf7 24.Rb1 Ra7 25.Red1 Rc8 26.Ne2 Nxe2+ 27.Bxe2 cxd5 28.exd5 Nf8 29.Bb5 Raa8 30.Be7 Ng6 31.d6. White's activity looks threatening. The next phase of the game will be played by Aronian in the best spirit of romantic chess. 31...Nxe7 32.Bd7 The pawn is more dangerous on the d-file, because it cannot be stopped by the bishop too easily. 32...Nc6 33.Rxb7 Nd4 34.Bxc8 Rxc8 35.Rdb1 Rf8 36.Rb8 Be8 37.a5 Nf3+ 38.Kf1 Nd2+ 39.Ke1 Nxb1 40.a6 Bc6 41.a7.

An incredible position. Black is lost with two pieces up... 41...Kf7 42.d7 Ke7 43.Rxf8 Kxd7 44.a8Q Bxa8 45.Rxa8 h5 46.Ra7+ Ke6 47.Rxg7 Kf5? This move shortens Black's suffering. After 47...Nc3 48.Rh7 the h-pawn would have decided the game. 48.Rg3 The knight is trapped now. There is no defence against Rb3. 1-0. [Click to replay]

Start of the game: Veselin Topalov vs Magnus Carlsen

Topalov struggling with the young Norwegian

Carlsen,M (2690) - Topalov,V (2783) [D45]
XXIV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (5), 22.02.2007 [Mihail Marin]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.b3 0-0 8.Be2 b6 9.0-0 Bb7 10.Bb2 Re8 11.Rad1 Qe7 12.Rfe1 Rac8. For some reasons, Topalov sticks to this continuation, that had led him to defeat in the second play-off game against Kramnik. From analytical point of view, the variation might be OK, but it will again prove as an "unlucky" choice. The main alternative is 12...Rad8. 13.e4 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Qxe4 Bb4 16.Rf1 Ba3 17.Bxa3 Qxa3 18.Qc2 Nf6 19.c5!?

This structure is typical for the Catalan opening, but with a very significant difference: by immediately exchanging his passive bishop, Black basically solves his opening problems. 19...Ba6 20.Bxa6 Qxa6 21.Ne5 Nd5. Black's control of this central square entirely compensates for White's advantage of development. 22.Nc4 Red8 23.a3 Rc7 24.Qc1 Ne7 25.Rd2 Nf5 26.Rfd1 b5 27.Ne5 Qc8 28.Rd3 f6 29.Nf3 Rcd7 30.Qf4 Rd5 31.Qe4 Qd7 32.R3d2. The d4-pawn is not in real danger, but its relative weakness restricts White's possibilities. If the game was played between less ambitious opponents, the most probable result would have been a draw. 32...h5 33.h4 a5 34.Kf1 Re8 35.Re1 Kf7 36.Red1 Nh6 37.Re1 Re7 38.Qf4 Rf5 39.Qd6. 39...Qc8. This looks like an attempt to play for a win, but also a bit like playing with fire. 39...Qxd6 40.cxd6 Rd7 41.Rc1 Rxd6 42.Rdc2 would have led to approximate equality. 40.Rde2. Carlsen misses the possibility of a thematic pawn break: 40.d5!? followed by d4, when Black's army would have been rather poorly coordinated. 40...Rd5 41.Qf4 Nf5 42.Re4 Rd8 43.g4. With light-squared bishops on board, this would have been a decissive attack already, because White's bishop would have largely contributed to creating decissive threats. The way it is, Black has reliable stability on light squares, ensuring him against immediate dangers. 43...hxg4 44.Qxg4 Qd7. From this moment, Topalov starts defendinc inaccurately. He should have immediately taken the h-pawn under control with 44...Rh8. 45.h5 Kg8. Here, too, 45...Rh8 should have been played. 46.Kg2 Qd5 47.Qg6 Rf8 48.h6 Qd8. 49.d5!? Better later than never! White intends to distract the enemy queen from the defence of the kingside. The immediate 49.Rg4?! would have been adequately met by 49...Qe8; At the same time, 49.Rxe6?! Qd5! would have left White with problems of coordination because of the threat ...Nh4+. 49...Qxd5 50.Rg4 Qd7 51.Rh1 Qe8 52.hxg7 Rxg7 53.Qh7+ Kf7 54.Rxg7+ Nxg7. 55.Rh6. When attacking, the natural tendency is to move the pieces "forward". However, chess geometry is special. Here, 55.Nd2 would have been the start of the knights marching forward to d6. Black would have faced a difficult defensive task. 55...Qd8 56.Qg6+ Kg8 57.Qh7+ Kf7 58.Qg6+ Kg8 59.Rh7 Qd7 60.Nd2 The same comment as after the 49th move applies here. 60...f5 61.Nf3 Rf6 62.Qxf6 Kxh7 63.Ng5+ Kg8 64.Qg6.

The position looks so joyless for Black, that Topalov resigned. He probably saw that he has no perpetual after 64...Qd5+ 65.f3 but obviously missed that after 65...e5 the queen's access to g8 is opened. After 66.Qh7+ Kf8 67.Qh8+ Qg8 White has nothing better than take a draw by perpetual with 68.Nh7+. 1-0. [Click to replay]

Sofia Leko, in the audience watching her husband's progress

IM Manuel León Hoyos, Ivanchuk's hastily appointed second

The Peters, Svidler and Leko, analysing their game, watched by Leko's coach and father-in-law grandmaster Arshak Petrosian, who also captained the Armenian Olympiad Gold medal team

Videos by Nadja Woisin

• Vídeo of the analysis between Svidler and Leko
• Video of a discussion between Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian

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Schedule and results

Round 1: Saturday, February 17th Vassily Ivanchuk  ½-½  Peter Leko Veselin Topalov  ½-½  Vishy Anand Peter Svidler  ½-½  Levon Aronian Magnus Carlsen  1-0  Alex. Morozevich Games – Report	Round 2: Sunday, February 18th Peter Leko  ½-½  Alex. Morozevich Levon Aronian  ½-½  Magnus Carlsen Vishy Anand  ½-½  Peter Svidler Vassily Ivanchuk  1-0  Veselin Topalov Games – Report
Round 3: Monday, February 19th Veselin Topalov  ½-½  Peter Leko Peter Svidler  ½-½  Vassily Ivanchuk Magnus Carlsen  0-1  Vishy Anand Alex. Morozevich  ½-½  Levon Aronian Games – Report	Free day: Tuesday, February 20th
Round 4: Wednesday, February 21st Peter Leko  ½-½  Levon Aronian Vishy Anand  1-0  Alex. Morozevich Vassily Ivanchuk  0-1  Magnus Carlsen Veselin Topalov  ½-½  Peter Svidler Games – Report	Round 5: Thursday, February 22nd Peter Svidler  ½-½  Peter Leko Magnus Carlsen  1-0  Veselin Topalov Alex. Morozevich  ½-½  Vassily Ivanchuk Levon Aronian  1-0  Vishy Anand Games – Report
Free day: Friday, February 23rd	Round 6: Saturday, February 24th Magnus Carlsen     Peter Leko Alex. Morozevich     Peter Svidler Levon Aronian     Veselin Topalov Vishy Anand     Vassily Ivanchuk Games – Report
Round 7: Sunday, February 25th Peter Leko      Vishy Anand Vassily Ivanchuk     Levon Aronian Veselin Topalov     Alex. Morozevich Peter Svidler     Magnus Carlsen Games – Report	Transfer to Linares, Spain

Links

• Official web site
• All games played so far
• All ChessBase reports on Morelia 2007
• ChessBase reports on Morelia/Linares 2006