734. Dünya Kupası

NOT ONLY BY A TEXTBOOK

 

16/09/2011, 10:15  

 

 

Grandmaster Konstantin Landa presents the key moments of the World Cup Semi-finals.



R. Ponomariov - P. Svidler


Only Russian and Ukrainian players managed to pass the Quarter-finals. It felt like a second edition of the Chess Olympiad. Let me remind you that Ukraine won that Olympiad, and Russia finished second. The Semi-finals weren't too exciting. The first games (the Russians played White) ended in dull draws. Annotating those games makes little sense. On the second day the Ukrainians took a quick start. At some point it felt they both are going to qualify for the Final, however, it ended exactly the other way round!

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Qa4

Peter Svidler: «My textbook gives 7...Bd7 8.Qb3, and Black is fine, but when Ruslan made this move, I thought — what if he retreats to a3? I didn't dare playing 7…Nd7, because the opponent clearly prepared it at home. So if there is a 3% chance that White retreats the queen to b3, I should move the bishop to d7!»



7...Bd7 8.Qa3! «Of course! Black's position is now unpleasant» (Svidler). 8...Nc6 9.Nf3 e5 10.Be3 This move gives some life to the g7-bishop. Much stronger is 10.d5! Ne7 11.Bd3 b6 12.c4 Bg4 13.Nd2 0−0 14.0−0, and White is better. 10...exd4 11.cxd4 Qe7 12.Qxe7 Nxe7 13.Rb1 13.Rc1!? is interesting. After 13...f5 (Peter intended to play 13...0−0−0, but after 14.Bf4 c6 15.Bc4 I like White very much) 14.Rxc7 fxe4 15.Ng5 (15.Ne5 Bxe5 16.dxe5 Nd5 17.Rxb7 Nxe3 18.fxe3 Rc8 19.Rxa7 Rf8 gives enough compensation) 15...Nf5 16.Nxe4 Bc6 17.Ng5! White's chances are better, but there is a lot of play ahead. 13...0−0−0 14.Bc4 f5! Exploding White's center.



15.Ng5 The safe-looking 15.e5 allows Black to place his piece on d5 with comfort: 15...Bc6! 15...fxe4 16.Nf7 Nf5 We considered this position with Anna Sharevich during the online commentary and figured that White has an extra exchange and the bishop pair. Surprisingly, this was a very accurate assessment! Ruslan will part with one of the bishops in a couple of moves, and his position will deteriorate! 17.0−0 17.d5 is an interesting idea, not giving Black two connected passed pawns on the queenside. For example, 17...Bc3 (weaker is 17...Nxe3 18.fxe3 Bc3 19.Kd1 Rhf8 20.Nxd8 Rxd8 21.Rf1) 18.Bd2 Bd4 19.Nxh8 Rxh8 20.0−0 Re8 with approximately even chance. 17...Nxd4 18.Bxd4?! This is very dangerous! Black has three replies to the strongest move 18.Rfd1, but nothing is clear anywhere. I have a feeling that the resulting positions are okay for Black, or at least not worse. For instance, 1) 18...Bf5 19.Bxd4 Rxd4 20.Rxd4 Bxd4 21.Nxh8 Bxh8 22.Re1 Bc3 23.Re2 c6; 2) 18...Ba4!? (suggested by Peter Svidler after the game) 19.Bxd4 Bxd4 20.Be6 Kb8 (20...Bd7 favors White: 21.Nxd8 Rxd8 22.Rxd4 Bxe6 23.Rxd8 Kxd8 24.Rxb7) 21.Rxd4 Rxd4 22.Nxh8 c5 23.Kf1! (after 23.Nf7 c4 Black is better) 23...Rd6 24.Bb3 Rb6!; 3) 18...Bg4 19.Bxd4 Bxd4 20.Nxh8 Bxd1 21.Nf7 Bc2 22.Rc1 Ba4 23.Be6 Bd7 24.Nxd8 Kxd8 25.Bxd7 Kxd7 26.Re1 c5 27.Rxe4 b5. 18...Bxd4 19.Nxh8 Rxh8 20.Bd5 b5! The pawn rushes for promotion! After this move Black's advantage became apparent.



21.Bxe4 c5 22.g3 a5 Attention! A pawn tsunami on the queenside! 23.Kg2 b4 24.Bd5 Kc7 25.Bc4 Kd6 26.Rfe1 a4 27.f3 Rb8 28.Re2? White created a dam on the а2-g8 diagonal, but now he forgets to strengthen it on the right side. It was necessary to play 28.g4!, after which White can survive: 28...Bb5 29.Re6 Kd7 30.Bd5! (much weaker is 30.Bxb5 Kxe6 31.Bxa4 c4) 30...b3 31.axb3 a3 32.b4! cxb4 33.Rxb4 Bf1 34.Kxf1 Rxb4 35.Ra6 Bc5 36.Ke2 Rb2 37.Kd3 Rxh2 38.f4 with equality. 28...Bf5 Breaking the defense from another side. 29.Rd1 b3 30.axb3 axb3 31.g4 Bd7 32.Re3 b2 33.Rb3 Rxb3 34.Bxb3 Bb5 Black's bishops are totally dominating: they not only help promoting their pawns, but also cut the White king off the queenside.



35.Ba2 Taking the d5-square under control. On 35.Bc2 there is 35...Kd5! 35...Kc6 Black cannot be stopped. 36.Rd2 Kb6 37.f4 Bc6 38.Kg3 Be4 39.Rd1 Kb5 40.Re1 Bd3 41.Re7 c4 42.Rd7 c3 43.Rd5 Bc5 White resigns. By this excellent victory Peter secured his promotion to the Final and a place at the Candidates Tournament.

V. Ivanchuk — A. Grischuk

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Bg5 Bb4 5.Nc3 dxc4 6.e4 c5 7.e5 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qa5 9.exf6 Bxc3 10.bxc3 Qxg5 11.fxg7 Qxg7 12.Qd2 0−0 13.Bxc4 Rd8 14.Qe3 Bd7 15.0−0 Nc6 16.Nf3 Ne7 17.Ne5 Ng6 18.f4 Rac8 19.Be2 Bc6 20.Bf3 Bd5 Black does not rush to push the White rook to f3. Less accurate is 20...Bxf3 21.Rxf3 Rd5 22.Raf1! Nxe5 23.fxe5 Rxe5 24.Qxa7 with better chances to White. 21.Kh1 A new move. Trading the rooks favors Black: 21.Rad1 Bxf3 22.Rxd8 Rxd8 23.Nxf3 h6 24.Nd4 Ne7! 25.Rf3 Nd5 26.Qc1 Qf6 with equality. Kempinski — Georgiev, Moscow 2006 saw 21.Bxd5 Rxd5 22.Qxa7 Nxf4 23.Rxf4 Qxe5 24.Raf1 Rd7 25.Qf2 f5 26.Rd4 Rxd4, and a draw was agreed. 21...b6 22.a4 h6 23.Rae1 Nxe5 24.fxe5 Qg5! 25.Qf2 Bc4 26.h4 Qg7?! After the strongest 26...Qf5 27.Qg3 (27.Rg1 Bd3!) 27...Qg6! White has some problems. 27.Re4! A very strong reply — White gives two bishop for a queen, but the Black's king becomes very insecure. 27...Bxf1 27...Kh8!? 28.Rg4 Bd3 After 28...Qxg4 29.Bxg4 Rc4 30.Bh3 playing White is very easy. 29.Rxg7 Kxg7



30.Bb7! Black simply missed this move. 30...Bf5 31.Bxc8 Rxc8



32.Qd4 After this Black is out of danger. It would be extremely unpleasant for Grischuk to face 32.g4!, especially considering his time trouble. The game could continue 32…Bxg4 33.Qf6 Kg8 34.Qxh6 Bf3 35.Kh2 Rxc3 36.Qg5 Kh7! 37.Qd2 Ra3 38.Qd7 Kg7 39.Qxa7 Be4. And yet, I feel Black's drawing chances are higher than White's winning chances. 32...h5! 33.Kh2 Rc5 34.c4 Ra5 35.Qd7 Rc5 36.Qd4 Ra5 37.Qd8 Bg4 The riskier-looking 37...Rxa4 is possible: 38.Qf6 (38.Qg5 Bg6 39.g4 Ra2 40.Kg3 Ra3 41.Kf4 hxg4 42.h5 Rf3 43.Kxg4 Rf5=) 38...Kg8 39.Qg5 Bg6 40.g4 Ra2 41.Kg3 Ra1 42.Kf2 Ra2 43.Kf3 hxg4 (taking the pawn with check!) 44.Kg3 Ra3 45.Kxg4 Ra1 46.Qe3 Rh1 with equality. 38.Kg3 Rxa4 39.Qc7 White changes his plan. The king's light-square march yields nothing: 39.Qf6 Kg8 40.Kf4 Rxc4 41.Kg5 Kf8 42.Qh8 Ke7 43.Qb8 Kd7 44.Qxa7 Kc6 45.Qxf7 b5, and Black is okay. 39...a5 40.Qxb6 Rxc4 41.Qxa5 Bf5 42.Qd8 Rg4 43.Kf2 Game drawn. The most interesting part of the match was still ahead.

A. Grischuk - V. Ivanchuk

Grischuk had an opening advantage and a pleasant ending, but Vassily Mikhailovich managed to hold for a long time, and almost solved his problems. 36...a5 37.bxa5 Ke6! Defending the g5-pawn at any costs is critical! 38.Rxg7 Rxa5 After 38...Kf6 39.Rd7 Rxa5 40.Rd3 g4 a draw is inevitable. 39.Kh3 White's last chance is activating the king. And here the Ukrainian suddenly collapses. 39...Kf6 39...Kf5 draws immediately 40.Rf7 Kg6 41.Rf3 Ra4. 40.Rxb7 Rxa3 41.Kg4 Ra4 42.Kh5



42...g4?? An unbelievable move! Black draws easily by 42...Ra2 43.Rb6 Kf7 44.f3 Ra3 45.Kg4 Ra5. 43.Rb6 Kf5 44.Rb8. Black resigns.


In the second game Ivanchuk easily equalized the score — Grischuk's position after the opening was just hopeless.

V. Ivanchuk - A. Grischuk

1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.g3 Qb6 6.Nc2 Ne5 7.b3 Qc6 8.f3 Nf6 9.Bb2 Qc7 10.Nc3 a6 11.f4 Ng6 12.e4 d6 13.Qf3 b6 14.0−0−0 Bb7 15.Kb1 Be7 16.g4



16...e5? This move creates even more problems for Black. 17.g5 Nd7 18.f5 Nf4 19.Rg1 g6 20.Ne3 Nc5 21.h4 Bc6 22.Rg4! An excellent maneuver — White wants to remove the main defender of the d5-square.



22...Qb7 23.Rxf4 exf4 24.Ned5 0−0−0 25.b4! Na4 26.Nxa4 Bxa4 27.Rc1 Kb8 28.b5! gxf5 29.Qa3 The rest is easy.



29...fxe4 30.bxa6 Qxa6 31.Nxe7 Qa7 32.Bxh8 Rxh8 33.Qxd6 Qc7 34.Qf6 Rd8 35.Nd5 Qd6 36.Qxf4 Qxf4 37.Nxf4 Rd2 38.Be2 Rd4 39.Nd5 Kb7 40.Rf1 Rd2 41.Rxf7 Ka6 42.a3 Black resigns. The players proceeded to the 10-minute games.

A. Grischuk - V. Ivanchuk

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 6.Be2 Nge7 7.0−0 Ng6 8.g3 Be7 9.h4 0−0 10.h5 Nh8 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.b4 Be7 13.b5 Na5 14.h6 f5 15.hxg7 Kxg7 16.Kg2 Ng6 17.Rh1 Rf7 18.Bh6 Kh8 19.Nbd2 Qc7 20.Rc1 Rg8 21.c4 d4 22.Bd3 b6 23.Nxd4 Qxe5 24.N2f3 Qc7 25.Ng5 Bxg5 26.Bxg5 e5 27.Qh5 Bc8



28.c5 A typical «All in». Alexander was not satisfied with 28.Nc6 Nxc6 29.bxc6 Qxc6 30.Kg1 Bb7 31.Rh2.
28...exd4! Black accepts the challenge and takes the loose knight. 29.cxb6 Bb7 29...Qxb6 30.Rc6 Qb7! is quite strong. 30.Kg1 Qe5 31.Rc7 Rxc7 32.bxc7 Rg7 33.Rh2



33...Rxc7?? The second blackout of Ivanchuk! He simply overlooked that the c1-square is protected! Maybe Sasha Grischuk learned to hypnotize the opponents? I don't think their blunders against Grischuk can be explained solely by his luck! Black could reveal the bluff by 33...f4 34.gxf4 Nxf4, and wins. 34.Qxg6 Rc1 35.Bxc1 On 35.Bf1 Ivanchuk prepared a checkmate: 35...Rxf1 36.Kxf1 Qxb5 37.Ke1 Qb1 38.Ke2 Bf3 39.Kxf3 Qe4#, but unfortunately for him the rook was taken by the bishop. So Black resigned. The last game was relatively comfortable for Grischuk, who made a draw without much trouble and advanced to the Final. We are looking forward for two very interesting matches: the World Cup Final between two good friends Grischuk and Svidler, and the 3rd Place Match between historical rivals Ivanchuk and Ponomariov. Ruslan and Vassily already played a match for the chess crown — the FIDE Championship Final in January 2002! Since there are only three tickets to the Candidates Tournament, we can expect a very bloody 3rd Place Match!

733. Dünya Kupası

UKR v UKR too!

Svidler exploits Grischuk clock handling to win first game of World Cup Final

 

Mark Crowther - Friday 16th September 2011

Peter Svidler was at a loss to explain his fourth win in a row with the black pieces after defeating Alexander Grischuk in just 30 moves in the first game of the World Cup final in Khanty Mansiysk. He was certainly not admitting to planning anything so devious as giving Grischuk an interesting Sicilian side-line to look at and allowing his opponent to self-destruct on the clock. Planned or not this is exactly what happened. Whilst, by his own admission, he stood worse out of the opening Svidler maintained disciplined clock handling and a dynamic position which was too hard for white to work out to a concrete advantage at this time control (if indeed such a level of advantage existed). Once Grischuk started living on his 30 second increment Svidler used his time advantage well to obtain a winning position in only three or four moves. 4 games in the final. Ivanchuk-Ponomariov drawn in 3rd-4th playoff for Candidates place.

Svidler and Grischuk struggle to explain the result. No mention of the clock.

 

Peter Svidler beat Alexander Grischuk

Svidler won with black against Grischuk. Svidler worked as a second for Grischuk in the Candidates and is a good friend of his and so knows his game well. He chose an unsual Sicilian Kann and soon had a significant edge on the clock. Afterwards Svidler described his position as "seriously bad" but less we forget, this time control of 90 mins + 30 seconds per move is at least 10 minutes less than normal classical time controls and black's pragmatic clock handling plus some excellent practical play set up the win.

Reasons for success today?
Svidler: I don't really know why. I think the reason for that is that playing against your close friend is very hard.

It isn't clear to me how white gets a big advantage against 16...0-0 sacrificing a pawn. White used about 17 minutes on 17.Rxd7 and 18.Nd6? so that Grischuk had 7 minutes and black 34 minutes + 30 seconds per move to reach move 40. White probably had to sacrifice the exchange after 17.Rxd7 anyhow but Grischuk was upset to be forced into it when he missed 18...Nb6. The position was probably dynamically equal after that but once Grischuk started living on his 30 second increment his position disintegrated in just three or four moves.

Svidler won with black against Grischuk.

Alexander Grischuk on his blunder with 18.Nd6 I think that after the blunder of a rook this is the logical result. It is actually a classical blunder as described in many chess books. Nb6 is not a threat at the moment but there are other threats like Qc8 and Nd6 defends again Qc8 or Qe8 and other threats but in turn it lets black to play Nb6 trapping the rook. After this I didn't get a very bad position, it was slightly better, but still I lost. 

Neither player seemed interested in talking about Grischuk's clock handling as being the major factor in the game's result. Puzzlingly none of the journalists pressed either player on it. Although today's position was terribly complicated it was completely unnecessary for Grischuk to be down to just his increment by move 24, by far and away his worst time trouble so far in an event where he has had many such episodes. In the game the more than 20 minutes on 10.e5 and the 17 minutes on 17.Rxd7 and 18.Nd6 together cost him the game. A pragmatic and simpler decision of say 17.Rxd7 and 18.Nc3 in 5 minutes may have even won him the game.
Tiredness or a developing addiction to time-trouble? That's the real question about Grischuk's play today. Grischuk had play-offs in rounds 2, 4, 5 and a very difficult one in round 6 against Ivanchuk. Svidler just rounds 2 and 3. So one must at least consider that Grischuk is almost out of gas in such a long event, especially compared to Svidler.

Svidler on his success with black in this event
Generally speaking with white I get absolutely nothing here and most of white games end in a draw in about 20 moves. I do have a strangely good result with black here so far. Mainly because my matches consist of one non-interesting white game and then the black game in which things happen. I get a dubious position, ranging from dubious to seriously bad like today, and then so far I've been doing OK regardless. I really don't know why. 

Svidler won with black against Grischuk.

Grischuk,Alexander (2746) - Svidler,Peter (2739) [B43]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (7.1), 16.09.2011
Light comments by Mark Crowther

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 b5 6.Bd3 Qb6 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.0-0 Qb8 9.Re1 Bd6 10.e5N

Peter Svidler

Alexander Grischuk

Position after 10.e5

This seems to be new. Plenty of alternatives here. Grischuk had about 43 minutes left for the remaining 30 moves (+ 30 seconds per move). [10.Qe2 seems to be the main line.; 10.Bg5; 10.a4 also very common.; 10.Qd2; 10.h3] 10...Bc7 [10...Nxe5 11.Nxe5 Bxe5 12.Rxe5 Qxe5 13.Qf3 d5 14.Bf4 Qf6 is just one of the very dangerous possibilities for white if he grabs on e5.] 11.Bf4 Nge7 12.Qe2 Ng6 13.Bg3 Bb7 14.Rad1 [14.h4 b4 15.Na4] 14...Nce7 15.Be4 Bxe4 16.Nxe4 White has 24 mins left, Black 45 mins. 16...0-0

Peter Svidler

Alexander Grischuk

Position after 16....0-0

Sacrificing d7 to get some activity. 17.Rxd7 White is better but black has counter-play.  17.Nc5 was an alternative but probably neither simpler nor better. 17...Nd5 18.Nd6? 

Peter Svidler

Alexander Grischuk

Position after 18.Nd6

In trying to meet ideas like Qc8. Grischuk overlooked Nb6 and his Rook has no retreat square. Most probably white has to give up the exchange anyhow. White's position was so good that he gets full compensation. But to go from 24 mins to 7m 21 seconds in the last two moves, one of which was a miscalculation, effectively cost Grischuk the game. 34 mins left for black. 18.Qd2 Qc8 19.Rxd5 exd5 20.Nd6 Bxd6 21.exd6 Qf5 22.Re3 Rac8 23.Rd3 18.Rd1 is probably best with 18... Qe8 19.Rxc7 Nxc7 20.Nd6 Qe7 21.h4 18.Nc3 is probably the simplest to calculate for Grischuk 18... Nxc3  (18...Qc8 19.Rxd5 exd5 20.Nxd5 Rd8; 18...Qe8 19.Rxd5 exd5 20.Nxd5 Ba5) 19.bxc3 Qb7 20.h4 with something of an edge for white. 18...Nb6 19.Rxf7 Rxf7 20.Nxf7 Kxf7 21.Ng5+ Kg8 22.Nxe6 

Peter Svidler

Alexander Grischuk

Position after 22.Nxe6

White has a piece for three pawns but his lack of time, and the fact that his opponent had plenty decides things. If the clock situations were reversed then most likely white would win. 22...Qc8 White: 2 mins 44 secs. Black: 24 minutes. 23.Qg4 Down to 27 seconds after consuming over two minutes here. 23...Ra7 Black down to 16 minutes 17 seconds here having used 7 or 8 minutes on this move. Of course Svidler has this luxury. 24.Rd1?! Played with just 3 seconds to spare. Now the tide quickly turns in Svidler's favour. Now he has much more time and a better position which is easier to play. Grischuk has to live off his 30 second increment and this proves impossible. [24.b3 keeping the knight out of his queenside is best.] 24...Na4! 

Peter Svidler

Alexander Grischuk

Position after 24...Na4

Svidler didn't get caught up in Grischuk's time problems and spent 2 minutes deciding on playing this excellent move. 25.h3? Protecting the white queen but simply grabbing material safely is now winning for black. [25.b3 is objectively much better. 25...Nc3 26.Rd3 Ba5  (26...Bb6) ] 25...Nxb2 26.Rd5 Probably white should remove the dark squared bishop but he is still substantially worse. [26.Nxc7 Rxc7 27.Rd6] 26...Bb6 27.Rd6 

again two seconds to spare. 27...Nc4 

Peter Svidler

Alexander Grischuk

Position after 27...Nc4

The game is over. 28.Qf5 Again played with two seconds to spare. 28...Rf7 29.Qe4 Nxd6 30.exd6 Nf8! A final accurate move extinguishing all hope.

0-1

Vassily Ivanchuk draw Ruslan Ponomariov

Ponomariov drew with Ivanchuk. Vassily Ivanchuk threw away a nice edge against Ruslan Ponomariov at the first time control with 41.Kf3 insteade of 41.Bxf4 and a draw was agreed just a few moves later.

Ivanchuk,Vassily (2768) - Ponomariov,Ruslan (2764) [A22]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (7.1), 16.09.2011

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.g3 Bb4 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 Bxc3 7.bxc3 Re8 8.Rb1 e4 9.Nd4 d5 10.cxd5 Qxd5 11.Nb5 Qd7 12.d3 a6 13.Nd4 Nd5 14.Bb2 Nxd4 15.cxd4 e3 16.Qc1 c6 17.Be4 Qg4 18.f3 Qe6 19.Qc5 b6 20.Bxd5 cxd5 21.Qc7 Re7 22.Qd8+ Re8 23.Qc7 Re7 24.Qf4 f6 25.Ba3 g5 26.Qd6 Qxd6 27.Bxd6 Rb7 28.Rfc1 Bd7 29.g4 Kf7 30.Kg2 h5 31.h3 Rh8 32.Rb2 Ba4 33.Bh2 hxg4 34.hxg4 Kg6 35.a3 a5 36.Bd6 b5 37.Rc6 Ra8 38.Be5 Rf7 39.Rb6 Rc8 40.f4 gxf4

Ruslan Ponomariov

Vassily Ivanchuk

Position after 40...gxf4

Ivanchuk has an advantage as both players make first time control. But now, as he immediately identified at the press conference after the game, Ivanchuk throws away his winning chances. 41.Kf3? [41.Bxf4 and white is risking nothing in playing for a win.] 41...Rc1! Equalising straight away. 42.Bxf4 Rf1+ 43.Kg3 Rg1+ 44.Kf3 Rf1+ 45.Kg3 Rg1+ Black thought about taking this draw offer for a while but he isn't better.

1/2-1/2

FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS Sun 28th Aug 2011 - Tue 20th Sep 2011 Round 7 Results

Match	Score	Name	FED	Res	Name	FED
1	0-1	Grischuk, Alexander	RUS	0-1	Svidler, Peter	RUS
2	0.5-0.5	Ivanchuk, Vassily	UKR	1/2	Ponomariov, Ruslan	UKR