Super Final R8: Kasparov defeats Svidler

57th Russian Championship Super Final November 14th – December 1st 2004

The Super Final of the 57th Russian is being held in the Festive Hall of the Hotel Rossija (“Rociya”), directly adjacent to the Red Square. The prize sum is US $125,000, to be paid out in rouble equivalent. The winner takes $50,000. The participants of this round robin tournament are Garry Kasparov, Alexander Morozevich, Alexander Grischuk, Peter Svidler, Evgeny Bareev, Alexey Dreev, Vitaly Tseshkovsky, Alexander Motylev, Vladimir Epishin, Artem Timofeev and Alexey Korotylev. Originally Vladimir Kramnik and Anatoly Karpov were included, but both withdrew at the last moment.

Round eight – Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Only two games were drawn today, and none could be called boring or unfought. The shortest was a 29-move Nimzo between Bareev and Morozevich, which ended with opposite colored bishops and four pawns for each side on the board. Alexey Dreev fought hard on the black side of Slav against Vladimir Epishin, but the latter, as always, defended tenaciously and, with some deft counterplay, got a draw on move 33.

19-year-old Artyom Timofeev, faced with an A13 Reti against Alexey Korotylev, seemed to be doing fine in the middle of the game, but then he lost a pawn and the exchange and was overwhelmed by his 27-year-old opponent. Alexander Motylev sacrificed an exchange early in his game against Vitaly Tseshkovsky, and looked as if he had to steer for a draw. But in a tough 73-move battle the 25-year-old used a knight and two pawns against his opponent's rook to take home the full point. The game of the day was the epic Kasparov vs Svidler, with and average rating of 2774 sitting down at the board.

Kasparov,G (2813) - Svidler,P (2735) [D10]
57th ch-RUS Moscow RUS (8), 24.11.2004
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 dxc4 4.e4 b5 5.a4 b4 6.Na2 Nf6 7.e5 Nd5 8.Bxc4 e6 9.Nf3 Be7 10.Bd2 a5 11.Nc1 Nd7 12.Nb3 h6N (the new move, played by Svidler) 13.0-0 Qb6 14.Qe2 Ba6 15.Rfc1 0-0 16.Bxa6 Qxa6 17.Qxa6 Rxa6 18.Kf1 Rc8 19.Ke2 Kf8 20.Rc2 Ke8 21.Be3 N5b6 22.Ne1 h5 23.Nd3 Nd5 24.g3 f6 25.Rac1 Kf7 26.exf6 gxf6 27.Nf4 Nxf4+ 28.Bxf4 Nf8 29.Nc5 Bxc5 30.Rxc5 f5 31.Bg5 Nd7 32.R5c2 Kg6 33.h4 Kf7 34.f3 c5 35.dxc5 Rac6

Both players are under time pressure, and Kasparov, who has been nurturing his advantage for many moves and is a pawn up, does not play the obvious 36.Be3. To everyone's surprise he opts for 36.Rd1, giving up the c-pawn. After 36...Nxc5 37.Rdc1 Nb3 38.Rxc6 Rxc6 39.Rxc6 Nd4+ 40.Kd3 Nxc6 or 37.Rd8 Rxd8 38.Bxd8 Nb3 39.Rxc6 Nd4+ 40.Kd3 Nxc6 it looks as though White has relinquished all winning chances.

But Svidler was in zeitnot too, and probably was wary of the 37.Rdc1 pin. Whatever the reason he played 36...Nb6, after which Kasparov slowly regained the advantage. 37.Be3 Nxa4. Taking the pawn may not have been the best idea. 38.Ra1 b3 39.Rd2 Nxc5 40.Rxa5 Na6 41.Rb5 Rb8 42.Rd7+ Ke8 43.Rxb8+ Nxb8 44.Rb7 Rc2+ 45.Kf1 Nd7 46.Rxb3. White has regained his material advantage and is on the attack. 46...Ke7 47.Bg5+ Kd6 48.Rd3+ Kc6 49.Rd2 Rc4 50.Ke2 e5 51.Be7 e4 52.Rd6+ Kc7 53.Rd5 Rc2+ 54.Ke3 Rxb2 55.Rxf5 exf3 56.Kxf3 Rb3+ 57.Kf4.

Black is going to be two pawns down in a hopeless endgame. 1-0. Masterfully converted by Kasparov, who took a commanding lead in the tournament with three rounds to go.

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