Tal Memorial 2007. Moscow - Round 1 by Malcolm Pein

Round 1

A wild 40 move draw between Vladimir Kramnik and the 16 year old Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen was the highlight of the first round of the Tal Memorial at Moscow. Carlsen varied from his bad loss to Kramnik at Dortmund in July and held his own in the resulting complications. Tal would have appreciated the many sacrificial ideas in the game.

The recently deposed world champion Vladimir Kramnik caused a stir, not least in India with recent comments in an interview with Izvestia. Kramnik stated that he felt he had only loaned the world title to Vishy Anand who outscored him at the WCC tournament in Mexico in September and that he was looking forward to the head to head match later in the year.

Anand denied Kramnik’s claim that the match would take place in Germany this September. Undoubtedly he must be hoping sponsorship can be found in India.

Alexei Shirov, a fellow Latvian and in many ways the modern Mikhail Tal was the only loser of the round as his sacrifice proved unsound and left Peter Leko an easy task. The game between the Russian champion Evgeny Alekseev and the world number two Vasily Ivanchuk ended prematurely in a draw after 32 moves with lots of play left in the position.

Kramnik,V (2785) - Carlsen,M (2714) [E05]
Tal Mem Moscow RUS (1), 10.11.2007

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.d4 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 White's plan to play Rc1, prevent Black achieving c7-c5 and then use the squares c5 and c6 which have been weakened by b7-b5 10...Bd6 [After 10...Nc6 11.e3 Nb4 12.Bxb4 Bxb4 13.a3 Be7 14.Nbd2 Rc8 15.b4 Black was in a bind and lost horribly in just moves in Kramnik Carlsen,Dortmund] 11.Bg5 Nbd7 12.Nbd2 [12.Rd1 Qb8 13.Bxf6 Nxf6 14.Nbd2 Rc8 15.Ng5 Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Qb7+ 17.Kg1 c5 18.Nde4 Nxe4 19.Nxe4 Qb6 20.d5 exd5 21.Rxd5 Be7 22.Rad1 Qe6 23.a4 h6 24.e3 bxa4 25.Qxa4 Rab8 26.Qc2 Rb4 27.Nd6 Bxd6 28.Rxd6 Qe4 29.Qxe4 Rxe4 30.Rxa6 Rb4 31.Ra7 Rxb2 32.Rdd7 Rf8 33.Rac7 Rc2 34.Rd5 g6 35.g4 c4 36.Rdc5 Re8 37.Rxc4 Rxc4 38.Rxc4 Re5 39.h4 Kg7 40.Kg2 Kf6 41.Kg3 Ra5 42.Rc6+ Kg7 43.Rd6 g5 44.Rd4 Rb5 45.f3 Rb3 46.Re4 Rb2 47.Re5 Kf6 48.Ra5 Re2 49.e4 Kg6 50.Rb5 Kf6 51.Rb8 Kg7 52.Ra8 Kh7 53.Ra1 Kg6 54.Rh1 Kg7 55.Rh2 Re1 56.Rd2 Rh1 57.h5 Ra1 58.Kf2 Ra3 59.Ke2 Kf6 60.Rd6+ Kg7 61.Rd3 Ra4 62.Ke3 Kf6 63.f4 1/2-1/2 Speelman,J (2570)-Browne,W (2540)/Wijk aan Zee 1983/MCD] 12...Rc8 13.Nb3 c5! 14.Bxf6 Nxf6 [14...Qxf6 15.Ne5 cxd4 16.Nxd7 Qd8 17.Nbc5 Bxg2 18.Nxf8 Bxf1 (18...Bxf8 19.Kxg2 Rxc5 20.Qd3) 19.Qxh7+] 15.Nxc5 Be4 16.Qc3 e5!

Black has the initiative as the Nc5 is vulnerable 17.e3 [17.Nxe5 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Bxe5 19.dxe5 Ne4 is good for Black] 17...Bxc5 18.dxc5 Qd5 19.Rad1 Later on we will see that White needs a rook on f1 to defend f2 19...Qa8 20.Nh4 Bxg2 21.Nxg2 Ne4 22.Qxe5 Rxc5 23.Qd4 Rc4 [23...Rc2 24.f3 Ng5 25.e4 Ne6 26.Qe5 with some chances to consolidate] 24.Qd3 Ng5 25.b3 [If 25.f4 Ne4 Black's superior pieces and the slightly weakened white king give Black play for the pawn] 25...Rc5 26.h4 [26.Ne1?? Nh3# mate] 26...Nf3+ 27.Kh1 Qc8 Threatening mate. White must play accurately 28.Nf4 Qg4 29.Qd7 [29.Rc1 Rf5 Threatening Rxf4 and Qh3+ is better for Black] 29...Rf5 30.Rd5 Rxf4! 31.exf4 f5! 32.Qe6+ Kh8 33.Qxf5! [The only way to keep the game going 33.Kg2 Nxh4+ 34.Kh2 Nf3+ is a draw] 33...Qxf5 [33...Rxf5 34.Rd8+] 34.Rxf5 Rxf5 35.Rd1 g5 [Flashy, also 35...Kg8 36.Kg2 Nxh4+ 37.gxh4 Rxf4 =] 36.hxg5 Nxg5 37.fxg5 Rxf2 38.a4 bxa4 39.bxa4 Ra2 40.Rd4

1/2-1/2

Also in Moscow, a friendly match between Yugoslavia and the USSR was won narrowly by the Soviets. These matches happened regularly in the times the two countries existed. Many of the great names who participated in the 1950s, 60s and 70s played this time. Viktor Korchnoi defeated Svetozar Gligoric on top board.