Round 7 September 20th 2007 by IM Malcolm Pein

Anand - Grischuk Round 7. Photo © Gerard Demuydt http://www.europe-echecs.com who have videos, photos and analysis each day.

Round 7 (September 20, 2007)

Anand, Viswanathan     -  Grischuk, Alexander    1-0   50  C88  Ruy Lopez Closed
Kramnik, Vladimir      -  Gelfand, Boris         1/2   40  D43  Anti-Meran Gambit
Svidler, Peter         -  Aronian, Levon         1/2   20  C69  Ruy Lopez Exchange
Morozevich, Alexander  -  Leko, Peter            1/2   60  C45  Scotch Game

WCh Mexico City MEX (MEX), 13-29 ix 2007               cat. XXI (2752)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Anand, Viswanathan     g IND 2792 ** =. =. 1. =. 1. 1. =.  5.0  2904
2 Gelfand, Boris         g ISR 2733 =. ** =. =. =. 1. =. 1.  4.5  2856
3 Kramnik, Vladimir      g RUS 2769 =. =. ** =. =. =. =. 1.  4.0  2799
4 Grischuk, Alexander    g RUS 2726 0. =. =. ** =. =. =. 1.  3.5  2755
5 Leko, Peter            g HUN 2751 =. =. =. =. ** 0. =. =.  3.0  2701
6 Aronian, Levon         g ARM 2750 0. 0. =. =. 1. ** =. =.  3.0  2702
7 Svidler, Peter         g RUS 2735 0. =. =. =. =. =. ** 0.  2.5  2652
8 Morozevich, Alexander  g RUS 2758 =. 0. 0. 0. =. =. 1. **  2.5  2648
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Malcolm Pein Notes Rounds 4-10 in PGN

The world number one Vishy Anand enjoys a full point lead over Vladimir Kramnik at the halfway stage of the 1.3 million dollar Fide World Championship tournament at Mexico City. Kramnik could not overcome the Israeli number one Boris Gelfand who remains undefeated and is in second place half a point behind Anand.

Anand moved clear of the field with a well crafted victory over Alexander Grischuk whose legendary impatience cost him dear when he lashed out in an uncomfortable position playing black in the Ruy Lopez.

The other two games were drawn after advantages came and went. Peter Svidler stood well against Levon Aronian but his bad form persists and after an injudicious king move his superiority evaporated and he will hope for better luck in the second half of the event. Alexander Morozevich employed the same line of the Scotch that brought him victory against Peter Svidler but was easily held at bay by Peter Leko who was slightly better for much of the game.

Round seven. Kramnik draw Gelfand, Slav Defence Moscow Gambit, 40; Svidler draw Aronian, Ruy Lopex Exchange, 20; Morozevich draw Leko, Scotch Game, 60; Anand 1-0 Grischuk Ruy Lopez Anti Marshall 8.a4 b4;

Scores 1 Anand 5/7; 2 Gelfand 4.5 3 Kramnik 4; 4 Grischuk 3.5; 5-6 Aronian, Leko 3; 7-8 Morozevich, Svidler 2.5;

Anand,V (2792) - Grischuk,A (2726) [C88]
WCh Mexico City MEX (7), 20.09.2007
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 Anand allowed the Marshall Attack and defeated Peter Svidler in round 5 after 8.c3 d5 so this is a clever choice 8...b4 9.d3 d6 10.Nbd2 Efim Geller's move popularised by Kasparov 10...Na5 11.Ba2 c5 12.c3 Nc6 13.d4 bxc3 14.bxc3 exd4 [14...cxd4 15.cxd4 Bg4!?] 15.cxd4 Nb4 16.Bb1 Bg4 17.h3 Bh5 18.g4 Bg6 Superficially Black's position may look active but his plan is very risky, long term both the Nb4 and Bg6 could be out of play 19.d5 Nd7 20.Nc4 Rb8 21.Bf4 Nb6 22.Nxb6 Rxb6 23.Nd2 Bg5 [23...Bf6!? 24.Ra3 Bd4 25.Nc4? Nxd5!] 24.Bxg5 Qxg5 25.Nc4 Rbb8 26.Qd2! Anand exchanges Black's active pieces and pressures d6 persistently 26...Qxd2 27.Nxd2 f6 28.Nc4 Rfd8 29.f4 Bf7 30.Ra3 g5!? White is more mobile so he can attack the weaknesses created by this move but just sitting tight was not much fun either 31.h4 gxf4 32.Rf3 Be8 33.Rxf4 Kg7 34.h5 Bxa4 35.h6+! Kxh6 36.Rxf6+ Kg7 37.g5 Rf8

38.Rxd6 The two connected pawns will give White a winning position but it was more accurate to play [38.Rxf8! Kxf8 39.Nxd6 Ke7 40.Nf5+ which was much stronger but White must still play vigorously to force victory 40...Kf7 41.Kf2! (41.Rc1?! Kg6 42.Rxc5 Nxd5!) 41...Kg6 (41...c4? 42.Nd6+) 42.Kf3 Kxg5 43.Rg1+ Kf6 44.Kf4 Nxd5+ (44...c4 45.e5+ Kf7 46.Nh6+ Ke7 47.Rg7+ Kd8 48.Nf7+ Kc7 49.d6+ Kc6 50.Be4+ Kb6 51.e6 c3 52.d7 Kc7 53.d8Q+ Rxd8 54.Nxd8+ Kxd8 55.Ke5+-) 45.exd5 Rb4+ 46.Be4 Rxe4+ 47.Kxe4 Bc2+ 48.Kf4 Bxf5 49.Rc1 looks insufficient for Black] 38...Bc2? [38...Bb5! 39.Ne3 Rbe8! 40.Rd1 (40.Nf5+ Rxf5) 40...Kh8 Intending Rg8 - Notkin Chess Today] 39.Ne5 Rf4 40.Rf6! Rh4 [40...Rxf6 41.gxf6+ Kxf6 42.Nd7+] 41.d6 Bxb1 42.Rxb1 Rxe4 43.Rf7+ Kg8 44.Re7 Rd8 45.Rd1 c4 46.d7 Rf4 47.Rf1! Rff8 [47...Rxf1+ 48.Kxf1 Kf8 49.Rxh7 Kg8 50.g6 Nd5 51.Nf7 Rxd7 52.Nh6+ Kf8 53.Rxd7] 48.Rxf8+ Kxf8 49.Rxh7 c3 50.Ng6+ [50.Ng6+ Kg8 51.Rh8+ Kg7 52.Rxd8] 1-0

Gelfand defended very resourcefully against Kramnik who played a new move in the opening. As in yesterday’s game in this line the Black king is deprived of a safe haven but as late as move 33 from the position below Gelfand played the surprising 33…0-0-0! which Kramnik admitted afterwards he had forgotten about. The game concluded.

Gelfand

Kramnik
Position after 33.Qxg2

33...0–0–0! 34.Qa2 f5 35.Qxa3 fxe4 36.Qxd6 Rxd6 37.fxe4 Bxe4+ 38.Kg1 Bd3 39.Bxe5 Rg6+ 40.Kf2 Bxb5 draw

Svidler,P (2735) - Aronian,L (2750) [C69]
WCh Mexico City MEX (7), 20.09.2007
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.0-0 f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4 c5 8.Ne2 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bd7 10.Nbc3 0-0-0 11.Be3 Re8 12.Rd2 Bc6 13.Rad1 b6 14.f3 Bd6 15.Bf4 Bxf4 16.Nxf4 Nh6

17.Kf2 [17.g4 Nf7 18.Kf2 Nd6 19.b3 a5 20.Ncd5 Kb7 21.h4 c4 22.h5 cxb3 23.cxb3 Bxd5 24.Nxd5 Rd8 25.h6] 17...f5 18.exf5 Nxf5 19.Re1 Rxe1 20.Kxe1 g5 1/2-1/2