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Round 6 (May 17, 2006)
Kamsky, Gata - Ponomariov, Ruslan 1-0 41 C88 Ruy Lopez Closed
Anand, Viswanathan - Bacrot, Etienne 1/2 50 C89 Ruy Lopez Marshall
Topalov, Veselin - Svidler, Peter 0-1 61 D87 Gruenfeld Botvinnik
Mtel Masters Sofia BUL (BUL), 11-21 v 2006 cat. XX (2745)
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1 2 3 4 5 6
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1 Kamsky, Gata g USA 2671 ** 1. 1. 0. 1. =1 4.5 2948
2 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2803 0. ** =. 1. 1= 1. 4.0 2853
3 Svidler, Peter g RUS 2743 0. =. ** =1 =. 1. 3.5 2811
4 Topalov, Veselin g BUL 2804 1. 0. =0 ** =. =. 2.5 2677
5 Bacrot, Etienne g FRA 2708 0. 0= =. =. ** =. 2.0 2635
6 Ponomariov, Ruslan g UKR 2738 =0 0. 0. =. =. ** 1.5 2540
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The sixth round of the Mtel Masters took place on Wednesday 17th May 2006. Malcolm Pein of the Daily Telegraph commentates on round 6. The American GM Gata Kamsky reclaimed the lead with victory over former Fide champion Ruslan Ponomariov in the sixth round of the MTel Masters at Sofia. This is only Kamsky’s second top class event since he came back to chess after a long break and he appears to be rapidly regaining his old strength. The tournament is a double round all play all and four games remain. Kamsky outplayed his opponent in a fashionable line that avoids the Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez and was slightly better when Ponomariov decided to sacrifice a pawn for counterplay. Kamsky spotted a tactical opportunity and ended the game with a kingside attack. Peter Svidler rehabilitated his Gruenfeld Defence and employed it to defeat the world number one Veselin Topalov in a very well played game. Topalov seemed unfamiliar with the opening and played a line which was regarded as harmless in a book on the Exchange Variation written by your correspondent in 1978. The assessment was not altered. Kamsky 1-0 Ponomariov, Ruy Lopez Anti Marshall, 8.h3, 41 moves; Topalov 0-1 Svidler, Gruenfeld Defence Exchange Variation, 61; Anand draw Bacrot, Marshall Attack, 50; Scores: 1 Kamsky (USA) 4.5/6; 2 Anand (India) 4; 3 Svidler (Russia) 3.5; 4 Topalov (Bulgaria) 2.5; 5 Bacrot (France) 2; 6 Ponomariov (Ukraine) 1.5; G Kamsky - R Ponomariov MTel Masters Sofia (6) 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 (8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 is the Marshall Attack. After 8.h3 Black's pawn sacrifice does not work. 13...Qh4 is met by Nd2-f3) 8...Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a3 Qd7 11.Nbd2 Rfe8 (11...Nd8 was played in Anand-Kamsky round 3) 12.Nf1 Nd8 (Black prepares to defend against Ng3-f5 and to play c7-c5) 13.Ng3 Ne6 14.c3 c5 15.d4 exd4 16.cxd4 d5 17.e5 (Now Black must always be careful on the kingside) 17...Ne4 18.Nf5 (18.Nxe4 dxe4 19.d5 Nc7! 20.Rxe4 c4 21.Bc2 Bxd5) 18...Bf8 19.Be3 Rac8 (19...c4 20.Bc2 c3!?) 20.dxc5 N6xc5 21.N5d4 (The isolated queen's pawn and passive Bb7 make this slightly better for White) 21...Nxb3 22.Qxb3 Nc5 (22...Rc4!? 23.Rad1 g6) 23.Qd1 a5 (23...Ne6 to exchange a pair of knights was reasonable here) 24.Qb1 Ne4 25.Rd1 b4 (25...h6 - Ponomariov was possible and if 26.Ne2 a4 27.Nf4 Ng5! undermining e5) 26.axb4 Bxb4 27.Nc2 Qe7 (27...Rc4 looks more active and if 28.Nxb4 Rxb4 29.Rxa5 Nc3) 28.Nxb4 Qxb4 29.Qa2 Ra8 (29...Rc2!? 30.Qxa5 Qxa5 31.Rxa5 Rxb2 would hold, so 30.Rdb1 would be preferred) 30.Rd4! (White has obtained the initiative. Black's queenside pawn push only weakened his position) 30...Qb5 31.Ra4 Bc6 32.Rxa5 Rxa5 33.Qxa5 Qxb2 34.Rc1  34. ...Ba8 35.Rc7 d4?? (Once again Kamsky's pressure induces a blunder 35...Qb8 was best and if 36.Bf4? Qb1+ 37.Kh2 Nxf2 but 36.Ra7! Rc8 37.Nd4 maintains pressure) 36.e6!! ( Liberating the dark squared bishop) 36...Qb1+ (36...fxe6 37.Rxg7+ Kxg7 38.Bxd4+ or 36...Rxe6 37.Rc8+ Re8 38.Rxe8 mate) 37.Kh2 fxe6 38.Qh5! Nd6 (38...Rf8 39.Qg4 wins) 39.Bxd4 Bxf3 40.Rxg7+ Kf8 41.Qh6 1-0 |
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 Kasparov Books |
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 Giant Chess Sets |
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 Chess Computers |
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 Chess Assistant |
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 Books 2000/1/2/3 |
