Rd.3 Gelfand-Carlsen,Candidates 2013.

Before the start of the game, one of my very good friend Atul Dahale, gave me a call and said Carlsen will win today! I said lets make a bet! I believe in Gelfand's capabilities with white pieces. He will atleast make a draw! And we made a bet that the winner gets any chess book he likes from the loser!

WHITE: BORIS GELFAND.
BLACK: MAGNUS CARLSEN.
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bg5 c6 6. e3 Qa5

(W)

The Cambridge Springs Variation.

 {The Cambridge Springs variation which was very popular years ago most notably in Capablanca-Alekhine Havana match of 1927. but this is after a long time that this line has made a comeback in top level chess.} 7. cxd5 (7. Nd2  is by far the main move. Bb4 8. Qc2 O-O 9. Be2 e5 (9... dxc4 10. Bxf6 Nxf6 11.
Nxc4 Qc7) 10. dxe5 Ne4! With a very complicated position.) 7... Nxd5 8. Rc1 {this isnt played very frequently.
the main moves are Qd2 and Qb3} (8. Qd2 Bb4 9. Rc1 c5)
 (8. Qb3 Bb4 9. Rc1 c5 10. a3 But white can make a very natural move like 8. Qc2?

(B)

Black now gets a huge advantage. How?

 Bb4 9. Rc1 . Qxa2 ! and black is simply winning!
8... Nxc3 9. bxc3 

(B)

Would you capture the pawn on a2?

Ba3 (9... Qxa2 I see nothing wrong per se with this pawn capture but it just gives white a pleasant initiative for the pawn with 10. Bd3 Something that Carlsen is not aiming for.)
10. Rc2 b6 this idea with b6 has been played in just 2 games before. so we can assume that Gelfand is already in terra incognitia. 11. Bd3 Ba6 12. O-O Bxd3 13. Qxd3 O-O

(W)

Would you chose here e4 or c4?

 14. e4 (14. c4 was a safer way to expand. Because when you play e4 with the idea of playing e5 then you are signalling to black that you want to finish him off in the middlegame because any endgame would be advantgeous to black due to the queenside pawn majority and i think such a strategy is usually not so successful against a super calculator like carlsen.But both moves are good.
 14... Rfe8 15. e5

(B)

Have a look at this pawn structure and then the one below from a totally different opening.

QUEENS INDIAN VARIATION. SIMILAR PAWN STRUCTURE.

{this position reminds me of petrosian variation in queens indian which goes like
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Qc2 Be7 8. e4 Nxc3 9. bxc3 O-O 10. Bd3 c5 11. O-O Qc8 12. Qe2 Ba6 13. Rd1 Bxd3 14. Rxd3 Re815. e5

The Queens Indian Pawn structure, doesnt it resemble the game structure! This is a good way to learn how to play different openings according to me. Making the study of pawn structure.

 h6 16. Bh4 c5 17.Nd2 cxd4 18. cxd4 (18. Nc4 Nxe5!)

(B)

Nc4 is a threat now, so will you retreat your bishop or are you as ambitious as Magnus?!!

18... Rac8! {Iron nerves! Black can see Nc4 but calculates that nothing bad is happening.} 19. Nc4 Qb5!  20. f4 {Gelfand wants to just crash through Carlsen with f4-f5.}
 (20. Qxa3 Rxc4 21.Rxc4 Qxc4 22. Qxa7 Qxd4 23. Bg3 Qd5 $17) (20. Rd1 so that now Na3 is possible
but black is just in time to save everything. Bf8)

(B)

f5 is a threat, what does Carlsen do?

ignore it! 20... Rc7! {I think to make such a move, you need nerves of steel. what is carlsen doing? he is
keeping the tension. and in this battle of keeping tension he is better than most of the other chess players mainly because of his calculating ability and physical fitness.Any normal player would have retreated the bishop.} 21. Qxa3 (f5 Rec8 fe6 fe6) Rxc4 22. Rxc4 Qxc4 23. Bf2

(B)

How do you assess the position.

{Now we reach a position where it seems to me that the short term edge is with white.mainly because he is threatening the a7 pawn and also because he is going to control the c file with Rc1. However if you look deeply, all the long term static advantages lie with black. Queenside majority for black, A bad Bishop for
white and good outposts for black knight. Such positions are extremely dangerous when you play with a computer or Carlsen because they wont blunder and then they will slowly use their trumps to unravel and beat you! Thats exactly what happens in this game.Some might say position is equal but i think white is facing some difficulties)} Qc7 24. Rc1 Qb7 25. Qd6

(B)

Do u like tension? Well then try to keep it in this position!

Nf8 {Again keeping the tension. even though only for a move. Carlsen seems to be trying to win at all costs because Rc8 seemed like a normal equalising move.} (25... Rc8 26.Rxc8+ Qxc8 27. g3 (27. d5? Qc1+) 27... Qb7 28. Qe7 Qd5 29. Qd8+ Kh7 30.Qe7 Kg8 31. Qd8+ Kh7 =)
26. g3  (26. Rc7 Qe4 27. g3 Qb1+ 28. Kg2 Qxa2 29.Qc6 Rd8 30. Qb7 Rxd4 31. Rxf7 Rd2 32. Rxg7+ Kh8 33. Rf7 $3 Rxf2+ 34.Kg1 Qb1+ 35. Kxf2 Qc2+ $11 36. Kg1 Qd1+ 37. Kg2 Qe2+ 38. Kh3 Qh5+ = a long computer like variation.)
26...Rc8 27. Rxc8 Qxc8 28. d5 {atleast removing one pawn from the dark square and
giving more scope to his B.} exd5 29. Qxd5 g6 30. Kg2 Ne6

After the game my father said, A knight is always better than a Bishop in an endgame!!

{As you will see later also in this game, this Knight will dominate the Bishop on f2 mainly
because the Bishop can take active part in the game only from d4 and c5 and
both the squares are guarded by the knight.}
31. Qf3 Kg7 {f5 is not possible yet because of Ng5} 32. a3 h5 33. h4 {Prevents Ng5 in reply to f5. So now the threat is f5.} (33. h3 i think was more flexible not fixing the structure. but in any case black is slightly better.) 33... Qc2 34. Qb7 Qa4 35. Qf3

(B)

f5 is a threat now. How should Carlsen make progress?

 Let me tell you what happened here. I felt that black was better here. but the threat of f5 was irritating, so i tried to think and think but didnt find anything much. But i wanted to know the truth and so i switched on Rybka. It showed a small advantage to black only if he played b5 allowing white to carry out f5. I said to myself. this is a computer line and no human can dare play this move. If Carlsen did make this move b5 then in my eyes he would rise to a position of really a chess engine! and guess what after 5 minutes Carlsen had made his move b5!! {it takes immense guts to allow a move like f5.} 36. f5 gxf5 37. Qxf5 (37. Qxh5 Qc2) 37... Qxa3 38. Qxh5 a5

How can black king feel so safe inspite of no pawn cover?

{it might seem silly to push your queenside pawns when your king is so exposed. but here we have a perfect case of harmonius setup. the pawn defends the knight.the king defends the pawn and the pawn controls the light square g6 and the knight controls the dark square g5. if you notice, the three pieces there are like trimurti. each one individually not so strong but together they are an armor which cannot be breached.}
 39. Qg4+ Kf8 40. h5? {the last move of the time control and a bad move by gelfand. now he
cannot use that square to give checks and hence his positions becomes quite
dangerous.} (40. Qh5 Ke8 41. Qh8+ Qf8 42. Qh7 b4)

(B)

Last move of time control. time to make the most accurate move.

40... Qc1! stopping the h pawn right in its tracks!
41. Qe4 (41. Qh4 Qc6+ 42. Kg1 Qf3 43. h6 Kg8) 41... b4! {so precise is this man!} 42. Be3 (42. Qa8+ Kg7 43. h6+ (43. Qxa5 b3) 43... Qxh6 44. Qxa5 Qd2-+)

(B)

What is the way to break the perpetual check set up of white?

42... Qc7! so that later on queen can interpose itself with Qd8! (42... Qc8! 43. Qh7 Qc6+ 44. Kf2 b3 45.Qh8+ Ke7 46. h6 b2 47. h7 Qc2+ 48. Kf3 Qf5+ 49. Kg2 b1=Q 50. Qf6+ Qxf6 51.exf6+ Kxf6 52. h8=Q+ Ke7-/+ was maybe more accurate) 43. Qa8+ Kg7 (43... Ke7 44. h6) 44. h6+ Kh7 45. Qe4+ Kg8! (45... Kh8 46. Qa8+ Qd8 47. Qb7 attacks the f7 pawn.so black will have to repeat. Qc7 48. Qa8+ Kh7 49. Qe4+ Kg8 and we are back on track.) 46. Qa8+ Qd8 

(W)

Will you take the queen?

47. Qxd8+ ? {horrible decision. once again as i said, Carlsen's opponents are unable to withstand the pressure.But i think Gelfand has twice made this mistake of taking the queen. Once against Aronian Qb3 in round 2 and now against Carlsen in round 3. his future opponents can smell something fishy here!! 47. Qb7 was a better defense but the fact that black has the advantage is out of question. Qd3 48. Qa8+ Kh7 49. Qf3 Qc2+ 50. Kf1 Qg6 keeping control. 51. Qb7 Qd3+ 52. Kf2 Nd8 and now the queenside pawns are ready to roll.)
47... Nxd8 48. Kf3 a4 49. Ke4 Nc6 50. Bc1 Na5 51. Bd2 (51. Kd3 Nb3 52. Kc2 Nxc1 53. Kxc1 Kh7) 51... b3 52. Kd3 Nc4 53. Bc3 a3 54.g4

(B)

The game is almost over but you have a chance to play better than what Carlsen did!!

 Kh7 wins easily but even faster was 54... Ne3! Kudos if you got it! your rating will soon be 2900!! 55. g5 Kg6 56. Bd4 b2 57. Kc2 Nd2 0-1


So now i do have to give Atul a chess book but i am so glad that Carlsen won this game! For i know that i witnessed live move by move one of the best endgame squeezes ever seen!

Rd.2 Aronian-Gelfand Candidates 2013.

Lets have a look at a brilliant positional cum tactical squeeze by Aronian against Gelfand in round 2.

LEVON ARONIAN-BORIS GELFAND

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. e3

(B)

Its just move no.4 and already a critical moment according to me, what should black play?

 Nf6! (Bg7? as after d4 cd4 ed4 there is no way to stop white from playing d5.) 5. d4 cxd4 6. exd4 d5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8.Qb3 Nxc3 (8... e6 9. Bb5)

(W)

How to recapture the Knight? with the pawn or with the queen?

 You are really smart if you dodged my question with  9. Bc4!
 the game now continued Nd5!? but lets look at a classic before that.
ANALYSIS OF A CLASSIC, BOTVINNIK-FURMAN 1963
 (9... e6 {earlier people used to make
this move and this gave white a good solid advantage.} 10. bxc3 Na5 11.Bb5 Bd7 12.Qa4 Nc6)

(W)

Black is all set to push white with a6. How did Botvinnik play energetically? 

 13. d5! opening up the position before black has developed ed5 14.0-0 Be7 15.Bh6! and white had a raging initiative for the pawn!

BACK TO THE GAME.

10. Bxd5 e6 11. Bxc6+ bxc6 12. O-O 

(B)

How do you assess this position? Who do you think is better?

{i think this is one of the hotly debated position in recent years. earlier it was assumed that white has an advantage here because of blacks pawn structure weakness and lead in developement for white. but things arent so static anymore. now people value the double bishop advantage in this position. Hence this position has been defended from black side by likes of Short,Bologan,Ni hua! Its a modern day tabiya in the words of Garry Kasparov!}
 Be7 ?! 

ANALYSIS OF THE RECENT GAME GIRI-AXEL 2013.
(12... Qd5 { is the main move in this position. While Gelfands move Be7 has been played only in 2 games.} 13. Be3 {was what Giri tried against Axel Smith in 2013 and i dont like what Axel played now} (13. Qc3 {is given in old sources as the move that gives white an advantage.})

(B)

What do you think should black play?

13... Qxb3 ?! {the queen on d5 is good, why to take on b3? instead f6 stopping Ne5 is a better option.} 14. axb3 {this is like the grunfeld or nimzo samisch variation b6 pawn sacrifice where the two rooks attack blacks weaknesses on a and c file.} Bb7
15. Rfc1 Bd6 16. Ne5 Ke7 (16... Bxe5 17. dxe5 {This is quite a depressing position with all the dark square weaknesses. The white B will be a monster on d6.}) 17. Nxc6+ Bxc6 18. Rxc6 {I seriously have no idea why a black player would aim to have such a position in which he is a pawn down and faces a long
and hard defense! Giri was able to convert his advantage later})
13. Be3 (13. Bf4 Qd5 was the continuation between Jakovenko-Gelfand Eilat 2012 which ended in a draw. Aronian surely must have come prepared!)  (13. Bh6 f6) 
13... Qd5 14. Rfc1

(B)

I dont know what you will play here but after looking at Giri-Axel there is one move that you will definitely not make! What is it?

 Qxb3 ?! {this is the move that one shouldnt make.How can a strong player like
Gelfand make a move like this? in an instant he opens the a1 rook which bears
down on the a7 pawn.Now we get a very similar pawn structure as Giri-Axel.} (
14... f6 {preventing Ne5. What is the problem with this move?i think there is none} 15. Nd2 O-O =)
15. axb3

(B)

Its your chance to be in Gelfand's Shoes. I dont think he played the best move here. Can you?

 Bb7?!  (15... f6 preventing Ne5 is important i think in this variation.16. Rxc6 Kd7! {prevents Rc7.} (16... Bb7 17. Rc7) 17. Rc4 (17. Rac1 Bd6 18. Nd2 Bb7 19. R6c3 Rhc8 {white because of being a pawn up holds some edge. But look, black is so well co-ordinated that a draw should not be out of his reach.})
17... Bb7 18. Rca4! {forcing a6 and weakening the b6 square which
the N will exploit.} a6 19. Nd2 +=)
16. Ne5 O-O

(W)

Finally its your turn to be Aronian! Do you think the c6 pawn should be snapped?

 17. Ra4! keeping the pressure (17. Nxc6 Bxc6 18.Rxc6 Rfb8 19. Rc3 a5 = {aronian must have realised that here its absolutely not possible to win. and why is it so? i think because white took a pawn which
was a traitor because it hemmed in the b7 B.})
17... Rfd8 {continuiting active play.}

(W)

All of whites pieces are developed. What to do next?

18. Nc4! {the N comes into a5. white is probing all the soft spots of black. one slip and he will fall. thats what happens.} Bf6? This according to me, not the computer was the fatal mistake. (18... Kg7 {i think it is important for the B to keep control of the b4 square. because Rb4 will really cause black discomfort.})
 19. Na5 Rd7 

(W)

Tighten the screws now!!

20. Rb4! the pressure keeps increasing! Ba6 21. Nxc6 {Now just look, earlier, when white would take on c6, black would exchange his B for N and then put a rook on b file and attack the b3-b2 pawns. But here white has a rook on b4. Hence we can say that white's play has been a total success.} Rb7

(W)

You need to put on your world class thinking cap and find Aronian's next move!

22. h3! {levon realises this is the right time to get rid of the back rank
weakness.But how do these players find time to make a little move like this when all of the battle is going on, on the other wing. To answer that question i think you will have to wait a few years till i reach that level!! } Kg7 (22... Rc8? 23. Ra4 +- {white just wins the game.}  23. Rxb7 Bxb7 24.
Ne5 

the rook wants to enter on c7 now, how to prevent it?

 Bd8 was Gelfand's choice.
 (24... Bxe5 25.dxe5 a5 26. Rc5 Bd5 27. Bd2 Bxb3 28. Bxa5+/- {though opposite coloured Bs i
think white has excellent winning chances.})
(24... Rc8! {i like this move.the rook exchange will retain excellent drawing chance.This according to me is the best move.} 25. Rxc8 Bxc8 26. b4 Bxe5 27. dxe5 a6 {and then put the B on b5! how the hell will white win.}) 25. b4 Rc8

(W)

Formulate a plan for Aronian now to win this endgame.

26.Bh6!! {Did you fall for my tricky question? its a tactical error by Gelfand and a player of Aronians class wont miss such a chance. But how does a challenger to world crown, make such a gross oversight even when he wasnt in acute time trouble? I think the thought of defending continuously got to Gelfand and he lost some of his optimisim thus overlooking this excellent tactic!} (25... f6 26. Nc6 Bb6 27. b5 {white retains good pressure.}) (25... Bd5 {might have been a better defense.})
 Kg8 {The black king is now so cramped for space!} (26... Kf6 27. Bg5+ ! Kxg5 28.Nxf7+ Kf6 29. Rxc8 Bxc8 30. Nxd8 Bd7 31. f3 e5 32. d5 Ke7 33. Nc6+ Bxc6 34.dxc6 Kd6 35. b5+- ) (26... Kxh6 27. Nxf7+ Kg7 28. Rxc8 Bxc8 29. Nxd8 +-) 27.Rxc8 Bxc8 28. Nc6 Bf6 (28... Bb6 29. Ne7+) 29. b5  29... Bd7 

(W)

Another one of those boring endgames! Is it really so?? White to play?

 30. g4!! {what a powerful stroke!! I was thinking that Aronian will show his great technical and positional skills to win this endgame but he finishes of things in a great tactical manner.} g5 (30... a6 $5 31. g5 axb5 32. Nb8 Bxd4 33.Nxd7 Bxb2 white should win this position. But now after g5, to make it easier for you to guess Aronian's next move i want to show off my own skills for a bit!

ANALYSIS OF S.NITIN-SAGAR SHAH 2012.
Black has an overwhelming advantage but here i found an accurate of getting things to the finish line.

(B)

How should Black play in Aronian Style?!

g5! Bg3 h5! gh5 g4 Be2 Bh6!

The small tactical continuation, gives black so much activity that the rest is just walk in the park. As i played this game 6 months ago, do you think Aronian borrowed this idea from my game!!! High hopes!

31. h4 gxh4 32. g5 Bxc6 (32... Bg7 33. Bxg7 Kxg7 34. Nxa7) (32... Bh8 33. Ne7#) 33. bxc6 Bd8

(W)

Its your last chance to play like Aronian, Dont miss it!

34. Kg2! Simplicity is the best. (34. g6 if we are too nervous then we make moves like this which complicate the win.opponent is devoid of counterplay, why to hurry? fxg6
35. Bf4 {but why to complicate})
34... Bc7 35. Kh3 the saddest part is that the black king cannot come out without losing a pawn.white will gobble h4 then walk his king over to the other side and just win!
I am tempted to say some superb play by Aronian but more than that i think Gelfand really had an
off day, missing a lot of defensive possibilities! 1-0

Rd.1 Ivanchuk-Grischuk, Candidates 2013.

 

     Ivanchuk at the start of the game in London!

   

This was according to me the best game of Round1 and hence i decided to annotate it.
You can have a chess board with you to play over the moves or you can answer the questions posed to you in later diagrams! All in all i hope you get inspired by the play of both white and black!
1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4

(w)

The starting position of Open Catalan.

{the open catalan is the most logical choice that black has in this position. If he
wanted to play the closed catalan with c6, then it would have been more useful
to insert a check with Bb4. But after giving Bb4+ Bd2 Be7, black cannot then
take dc4 as then Bd2 is a free tempo up in the open lines of catalan.}
 7. Qc2 a6 8. Qxc4 b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Bg5!?

I call this the Konopka line! Very Positional!

{this is according to me underestimated weapon in whites hands. When white plays this line, he risks very little and
black has to play accurately to equalise.Good positional players like Ulf
Andersson and Michal Konopka have made a living out of this line.} (10. Bd2 {
is the main line which everyone is playing these days thanks to efforts of
Kramnik and books by Avrukh and Bologan.})
  10... Nbd7 {the entire battle revolves around, the fact whether black can get in c5 or not.}
 11. Bxf6 ! {to remove blacks control from the c5 square.} Nxf6 (11... Bxf6 12. Ng5!) 12.
Nbd2 Rc8 13. Nb3 (c5 is stopped. black needs to find other ways) Be4!?

How do the two move Qc3 and Qc1 differ from each other?

{there are mainly 2 moves in this position Qc3 and Qc1.
Ivanchuk has played before Qc3 against Kosintseva in 2010. But maybe here he
will choose the safer Qc1.} 14. Qc3 (ivanchuk choses the riskier move.)
 (14. Qd2 {is not particularly good as you have to keep control on the c5 square.} c5 =)
IMPORTANT ANALYSIS VARIATION. 
if you look through this variation carefully you will understand the dangers awaiting black in this opening.
(14. Qc1!?(instead of Qc3) c5 {black has executed c5 but somehow, white retains an initiative. Have a look at this typical variation.} 15. dxc5 Qc7 (15... a5 16. a4) 16. Rd1 Bxc5
17. Nxc5 Qxc5 18. Qxc5 Rxc5 19. Rac1

(B)

This equal looking position isnt so equal!

{Because of the weakness of the back rank, white seizes the c file.} Rxc1 20. Rxc1 Rd8 21. Ne5 Bxg2 22. Kxg2 h6 23. Nd3!

Thats the dream position for any white player in this variation.

{excellent position for the N. it blocks the d file and the N defends the
b2 pawn. at the same time, the rook is going to infiltrate on the c file on
weak squares like c7 and c6. the a6 b5 pawn structure is a weakness in this
position and the combined effort of the white N and the R will cause great
havoc.})

14... Nd5 15. Qd2

PREVIOUS GAME OF IVANCHUK IN THIS LINE. (Analysis)
(15. Qa5 (instead of Qd2 as in the game) {This was the continuation in the game
Ivanchuk-Kosteniuk 2010.} Bb4 16. Qxa6 c6 {threat is Ra8-Rb8.} 17. Ne5 Bxg2 18.
Kxg2

(B)

Ivanchuk had grabbed a pawn against Kosteniuk but what is blacks best move?

Ne7! {i dont think white can expect more than a draw in this variation as his queen is trapped.}
(18... Qc7?! {Kosteniuk made this inaccurate move and ivanchuk later won. But Grischuk wouldnt have made such a mistake}) 19. e4 f6 (19... Ra8 20. Qb7 Rb8 21. Qd7 $16) 20. Nd3 Ra8 21. Nxb4 $6 {Bacrot was desperate to win against an unknown player called Stern.} (21. Qb7 Rb8 22. Qa7 {its best for
white to take a draw.}) 21... Rxa6 22. Nxa6 only black can be better. {Bacrot-Stern 2012.})

(B)

What should black play here?

15... c5! {Exactly!! the freeing move is executed in good circumstances and I think black has equalised in this line.} 16. dxc5 Bxc5 17. Nxc5 Rxc5 18. Rac1 Rxc1 19. Rxc1 

(B)

Black is very close to equalising but he must make one more accurate move. what is it?

Qa8! Making way for the rook to c8. {this variation was played in Mumbai in the game
Miroshnichenko-Humpy 2009.} 20. Bf1!? {white wants to move his N. this is a novelty but hardly a dangerous one} (20. Qd4 {was the main move.} Nf6 21. Rc7 (21. Qc5 !?) 21... Rc8! {after this move i think black equalises.}
 20... Bxf3 {most principled.} (20... Rc8 21. Ne5! {was the reason why the B on g2 was
removed.}) 21. exf3 Rc8

(W)

Do you think white should exchange the rooks? What do you think should be his move?

{i think if the rooks are exchanged, black wont have any problems. here white should play Rd1. But ivanchuk was not concerned with the rook exchange.} 22. h4!? This is a move which i cannot explain. Its just that it feels right to push this pawn up the board and make some more breathing space for the king.
(22. Rd1 Qc6 23. f4 Qc2 24. h4)
 22... h5 23. Bd3 Rxc1+ 24. Qxc1 Qd8 25. a3 g6 26. Be4 Qf6 {it seems to me that white has a microscopic edge but somehow, black seems to hold the balance easily.}

(W)

Can a master like Ivanchuk squeeze a win out of such a position? Against me, Yes but not against Grischuk!!

 27. Qd2 Kg7 

(W)

Its technique time folks! What do you think should white play?

28. f4?!
(28. Kg2! {i and one of my friend sohan were of the opinion that this move removing the king
from g1 is more important than f4. maybe it is. the result wont have changed
but then good technique is all about fining even the minisculy better move as
you never know when they can add upto a big advantage.}) 28... Nb6

(W)

If Steinitz was white he would have made his move without thinking! Can you do the same?!!

29. b3!(Knights must be denied of advanced posts!)
Nd5 (29... Qa1+ 30. Kg2 Qxa3 $2 31. Qd4+ and the knight falls. a small tactical point to be noted.)       30. Kg2 Qa1

(30... Qc3 {this endgame seems a little dangerous for black so i like the way Grischuk played.} 31. Qxc3+ Nxc3 32. Bb7 a5 33. Ba6 Kf6 34. Kf3 Ke7 35. Ke3 b4 36. axb4 axb4 37. Kd4 Kd6 38. Kc4 Nd1 39. f3 Ne3+ 40. Kxb4 Nf5 41. Bd3 Nxg3 42. Kc4 {white seems to have a small edge})

(W)

What should white do now?

31. Bxd5 {I think this was very necessary. As Capablanca had said a century ago, the N and Queen for a deadly combo! Before that happens Ivanchuk gets rid of the pesky beast!} exd5 32. Qxd5 Qxa3 33. Qe5+ (33. f5 gxf5 34. Qxf5 Qxb3 35. Qxh5 a5 36. Qg5+ Kh7 37. Qf5+ =) 33... Kg8 34. Qe8+ Qf8 {
i like the fighting spirit of both the players. Both wanted to fight till the end.}  35. Qc6 Qb4

(W)

Imagine yourself in Ivanchuk's shoes. You have around 30 seconds in your clock to make the last 5 moves. there is a perpetual available with Qe8. What would you do??

36. f5 ! {Its moves like this that make me respect a player like Ivanchuk. He is down but not out! He doesnt submit to the draw. Instead fights on with whatever little time he has got!! He is playing chess not the candidates tournament! the exclamation mark is given only for his courage! the
position is still drawn.} Qxb3 37. fxg6 Qe6 38. gxf7+ Kxf7 39. Qb7+ Kg6 40. Kf3

(B)

Its always fun when top players reaching a pawn ending? Is black winning after Qf7? Assess.

 Qf7+ 41. Qxf7+ Kxf7 {it always interesting to see pawn endgames in such top
level battles. but here there aint any blood left in the body!} 42. Ke4 a5 43.
f3 a4 44. Kd3

(B)

None of them could win but they didnt leave a single chance to fight on! Hats off to the true Chess masters!

{white will have 2 passers on the kingside, black has 2 on the queenside! So signing a truce is very logical. I loved the fact that even in the first round, both players were read to play such a hard fought battle.}
1/2-1/2