The FIDE World Chess Championship is taking place in the Hotel Potrero de
los Funes Complex, in the Province of San Luis, Argentina, from September 27
to October 16, 2005..
Round Six Summary
Veseling Topalov cannot be stopped. Today he chalked up another victory, yet
another with the black pieces. After six rounds the Bulgarian has conceded
just one draw, and even that was a lucky escape for Anand in round two. Today
it was Judit Polgar who, after playing the dubious 20.g4, was taken apart in
the ruthlessly accurate style of this man. Garry Kasparov had a succinct explanation
for Topalov's success: "He is playing chess." The result is a performance,
so far, that comes to 3157 Elo points (i.e. one could only expect someone with
that rating to score 5.5/6 in this field of players.
Anand and Svidler fought for 39 moves, with the Indian former world champion
pressing, but to no avail. Kasimdzhanov vs Leko was a complex affair but ended
in a 43 move draw. Adams vs Morozevich was even more complex, with the Russian
pressing hard when his English opponent faltered. After almost exactly six
hours and 76 moves the game ended in a draw.
Round 6: Tuesday, October 4th |
Judit Polgar |
0-1
|
Veselin Topalov |
Vishy Anand |
½-½
|
Peter Svidler |
Michael Adams |
½-½
|
A. Morozevich |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
½-½
|
Peter Leko |
|
The round six games on Playchess.com
were commented by Yasser Seirawan, who helped to set yet another server record
(at one stage 6700 visitors were logged in simultaneously). Yasser is becoming
very proficient at doing live audio commentary for on Playchess. People appreciate
that he speaks slowly and very clearly, so that even those who are not completely
fluent in English have little trouble following his comments. Here's the schedule
for the remaining rounds:
5 Oct. Round 7 |
Andrew Martin |
|
10 Oct. Round 11 |
Yasser Seirawan |
6 Oct. Round 8 |
Yasser Seirawan |
|
11 Oct. Round 12 |
Andrew Martin |
8 Oct. Round 9 |
Yasser Seirawan |
|
13 Oct. Round 13 |
Andrew Martin |
9 Oct. Round 10 |
Yasser Seirawan |
|
14 Oct. Round 14 |
Andrew Martin |
|
|
|
15 Oct. Tie-break |
Andrew Martin |
Current standings at the World Championship in San Luis
World Championship Diary: Round 6
By Nigel Short – on site in San Luis
Dinner last night: The Deputy arbiter, Herman van Riemsdijk,
saunters over. One unspecified player has officially protested that Veselin
Topalov is always playing at the same table whereas the other poor souls are
rotating places. Apparently, according to the accuser, this confers a great
advantage on the Bulgarian. I had assumed that Toppy’s excellent score
had more to do with the moves he was making on the board, but this merely showed
my great naivety. Neither the arbiters nor the other participants, however,
seem too impressed with the protest, and it is quietly dismissed.
The arbiters at the World Championship Tournament in San Luis
Lunchtime today: Silvio Danailov, the manager of Topalov,
revealed that his ward’s shocking sacrifice of yesterday had already
featured in two unknown games of the Bulgar’s analyst, Ivan Cheparinov
(with White), against Jose Iberra. The Spaniard was ill-rewarded for his ingenuity,
losing one and drawing the other, but the strength of the idea was recognised
by the team.
Veselin Topalov, who seems to be quite unstoppable
4.00pm: Jawohl! Toppy re-erects the Berlin wall. Garry Kasparov
was another attacking player who notably thought this dour defence is a suitable
opening choice against a woman, but it didn’t do him much good. I don’t
think Judit will be unduly concerned. Toppy’s success so far has come
from unbridled aggression. One wonders whether it is wise to change the mood.
Black’s knight retreat on the ninth move breaks all known chess principles
but for some reason it seems to work.
Svidler vs Anand in the foreground, Topalov vs Polgar in the back
Rooks have been treated with a lack of respect thus far. Perhaps it was Vishy’s
tortured suffering at the hands of Topalov, despite supposedly enjoying a material
plus, that prompted him to attempt to inflict similar punishment on Svidler.
This time, on the White side of a Marshall Attack, he even enjoyed an extra
pawn alongside his beautiful bishop as compensation for the heavy piece. While
admiring the new mathematics of today’s chess, this skeptical kibitzer
still can’t help thinking that bishop (three points) plus pawn (one point)
is usually not greater than rook (five points). Call me old fashioned if you
like, but what can I do?
Peter Leko (left) debates the Sveshnikov with Rustam Kasimdzhanov
One of the reasons that Soviet grandmasters in their heyday were so strong
was that they possessed great patience. Those accustomed to standing in bread
queues for three hours every day thought nothing of shuffling around interminably
in some tedious endgame. People from the West, by contrast, placed greater
value on their own time and tended to blunder when they thought they were wasting
it.
Nothing is boring for young Hungarian Super-GM Leko
Peter Leko is of course Hungarian, and not from the Soviet Union, but he nevertheless
has something of the same mentality. The concept of something being “boring”
is quite alien too him. He thinks nothing of forever analysing the same strategically
limited variation of the Sveshnikov. This, of course, gives him a fantastic
advantage and has made him one of the finest players in the world today. In
this round we have seen a small novelty – a supposed improvement on his
game with Anand. It scarcely sets the pulse racing, but what the hell? This
style of chess is extremely effective and will doubtless keep the aficionados
of this opening happy.
5.00pm: The battle of the tail-enders has erupted into an
exchange of tactical blows after a normal Sicilian Scheveningen. If Adams missed
Morozevich’s 16…Bd5!? (which he probably didn’t in fact)
he would have suffered temporary tachycardia* . After a sharp sequence we have
now reached a position with Adams having two rooks against a queen –
normally an advantage. It is rightly said however that queen and knight combine
very well together. It will be on this that the Russian is pinning his hopes.
Judit Polgar vs Veselin Topalov
5.30pm: The guy is incredible! Topalov is a pawn ahead after
Judit mistimed her kingside advance. It must admitted that victory far from
assured, due to his semi-useless doubled c-pawns. But he must have excellent
chances. Should a knight descend upon the d4 outpost things will be very bleak
for White.
The fight for second place is a gripping one. Anand has swiped a couple of
queenside pawns but at the cost of losing co-ordination. Svidler appears to
have ample activity. His paucity of pawns mean though that it will not be at
all easy for him to win. My guess is that a draw is the most probable result.
Vishy Anand hard at work
6.00 pm: The World Champion has been engaged in a philosophical
debate as to the respective merits of knights and bishops. In Chigorin style
he has sided with the cavalry over the clerics. Interestingly he seems to winning
the argument, although whether he scores the full point, against so accomplished
a defender as Leko, remains to be seen.
Anand pressing the clock
Anand-Svidler ended in a draw, after the Saint Petersburger returned the exchange
to liquidize. The final position was about as sterile as you can get. It was
a good tussle though and one of some theoretical importance.
Peter Svidler and Vishy Anand in the press conference
Morozevich will be striving hard to avoid the fate that befell Leko in game
one of his match with Kramnik when slowly, inexorably, the rooks combined to
overpower the queen. Isolated pawns tend to get picked off steadily in such
situations. He must be careful.
Is there no way to stop this Bulgarian? Judit Polgar
Judit’s position has me humming the old blues song “Goin’
Down Slow”. Actually I suspect she may be goin’ down rather fast
from this point onwards. The black knight has descended upon d4, as anticipated,
with awesome effect. With no prospect of counterplay, the groaning edifice
will surely collapse before too long.
6.30pm: Moroz wisely keeps his minor piece from being exchanged.
I am not quite sure why Mickey did not take it while he had the chance. Three
results are still possible although, given the limited material left, one would
expect a draw as by far the most likely.
Rustam Kasimdzhanov in his game against Peter Leko
7.15pm: Kasim-Leko ends in a draw. Nothing much happened
over the last few moves. If anything Black had the edge, but with all the pawns
on one wing and White having an unassailable grip on e4, peace was logically
concluded.
Moroz, meanwhile, bamboozled Adams with his swirling knight. The Englishman
had to shed the exchange to stave off mate. The position though should still
be drawn if White can give up his bishop for the Black passed pawn, as he should
then be able to erect an impenetrable fortress.
Toppy has been making slightly heavy weather of his advantage, but is still
well on track for victory. His passed g-pawn should decide matters in a manner
highly reminiscent of his game yesterday.
Cheerful in defeat: Judit Polgar in the press conference
8.30: Judit resigns. He made a bit of meal of it but got
there in the end. Incredible! A two point lead for Topalov after only six rounds.
8.45: Morozevich is convincing no one with this futile exercise.
I wish he would just give up so that I can go for dinner. Gosh! Apparently
he heard me. Draw agreed.
Morozevich and Adams at the press conference after their marathon
* Tachycardia: Noun; an abnormally rapid beating of
the heart, with a resting heart rate of over 100 beats per minute.
All photos: FIDE (Casto Abundo), Word Chess Championship
Press
Full schedule
Round 1: Wednesday, September 28th |
Peter Leko |
0-1 |
Veselin Topalov |
A. Morozevich |
½-½ |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
Peter Svidler |
½-½ |
Michael Adams |
Judit Polgar |
0-1 |
Vishy Anand |
|
|
Round 2: Thursday, September 29th |
Veselin Topalov |
½-½ |
Vishy Anand |
Michael Adams |
½-½ |
Judit Polgar |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
½-½ |
Peter Svidler |
Peter Leko |
½-½ |
A. Morozevich |
|
|
Round 3: Friday, September 30th |
A. Morozevich |
0-1 |
Veselin Topalov |
Peter Svidler |
1-0 |
Peter Leko |
Judit Polgar |
1-0 |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
Vishy Anand |
1-0 |
Michael Adams |
|
|
Round 4: Saturday, October 1st |
Veselin Topalov |
1-0 |
Michael Adams |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
1-0 |
Vishy Anand |
Peter Leko |
1-0 |
Judit Polgar |
A. Morozevich |
0-1 |
Peter Svidler |
|
|
Free day: Sunday, October 2nd |
|
Round 5: Monday, October 3rd |
Peter Svidler |
0-1 |
Veselin Topalov |
Judit Polgar |
½-½ |
A. Morozevich |
Vishy Anand |
½-½ |
Peter Leko |
Michael Adams |
½-½ |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
|
|
Round 6: Tuesday, October 4th |
Judit Polgar |
0-1 |
Veselin Topalov |
Vishy Anand |
½-½ |
Peter Svidler |
Michael Adams |
½-½ |
A. Morozevich |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
½-½ |
Peter Leko |
|
|
Round 7: Wednesday, October
5th |
Veselin Topalov |
- |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
Peter Leko |
- |
Michael Adams |
A. Morozevich |
- |
Vishy Anand |
Peter Svidler |
- |
Judit Polgar |
Games –
Report |
|
Round 8: Thursday, October
6th |
Veselin Topalov |
- |
Peter Leko |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
- |
A. Morozevich |
Michael Adams |
- |
Peter Svidler |
Vishy Anand |
- |
Judit Polgar |
Games –
Report |
|
Free day: Friday, October 7th |
|
Round 9: Saturday, October
8th |
Vishy Anand |
- |
Veselin Topalov |
Judit Polgar |
- |
Michael Adams |
Peter Svidler |
- |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
A. Morozevich |
- |
Peter Leko |
Games –
Report |
|
Round 10: Sunday, October
9th |
Veselin Topalov |
- |
A. Morozevich |
Peter Leko |
- |
Peter Svidler |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
- |
Judit Polgar |
Adamas |
- |
Vishy Anand |
Games –
Report |
|
Round 11: Monday, October
10th |
Adamas |
- |
Veselin Topalov |
Vishy Anand |
- |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
Judit Polgar |
- |
Peter Leko |
Peter Svidler |
- |
A. Morozevich |
Games –
Report |
|
Round 12: Tuesday, October
11th |
Veselin Topalov |
- |
Peter Svidler |
A. Morozevich |
- |
Judit Polgar |
Peter Leko |
- |
Vishy Anand |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
- |
Michael Adams |
Games –
Report |
|
Free day: Wednesday, October 12th |
|
Round 13: Thursday, October
13th |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
- |
Veselin Topalov |
Michael Adams |
- |
Peter Leko |
Vishy Anand |
- |
A. Morozevich |
Judit Polgar |
- |
Peter Svidler |
Games –
Report |
|
Round 14: Friday, October
14th |
Veselin Topalov |
- |
Judit Polgar |
Peter Svidler |
- |
Vishy Anand |
A. Morozevich |
- |
Michael Adams |
Peter Leko |
- |
R. Kasimdzhanov |
Games –
Report |
|
Tie-breaks: Saturday, October 15th |
|
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