World Cup 2007. Khanty-Mansiysk - Round 4 by Malcolm Pein

Michael Adams faces elimination from the World Championship cycle after defeat at the hands of Magnus Carlsen in the first game of their fourth round match at the Fide World Cup. Adams seems to have been undone by deep computer-assisted opening preparation at home by the Norwegian prodigy who turned seventeen at the event.

Adams played a well known pawn sacrifice which appears to give Black good compensation but Carlsen managed to consolidate after some strange looking moves which would be unnatural to play for a human player and although Adams fought back to nearly equalise at one point his two knights were gradually forced back.

Last 16 game one of two.

Karjakin draw Nisipeanu; Alekseev draw Bareev; Aronian draw Jakovenko; Akopian 0-1 Shirov; Ponomariov 1-0 Sasikiran; Svidler draw Kamsky; Carlsen 1-0 Adams; Cheparinov draw Wang Yue

A classy game from Shirov who realises that White’s long term weaknesses outweigh his short term threats.

Akopian,Vl (2713) - Shirov,A (2739) [B30]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (4.1), 03.12.2007
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.0-0 Nge7 5.b3 a6 6.Bxc6 Nxc6 7.Bb2 b5 8.c4 White wants to keep the position closed to restrict Black's pair of bishops. 8...bxc4 9.bxc4 Rb8 10.Bc3 d6 11.Na3 e5 Limiting White's bishop but restricting one of his own. However Shirov has a plan. 12.Nc2 g6! [12...Be7 13.Ne3 0-0 14.d3 Qe8 15.Rb1 Rxb1 16.Qxb1 Bd8 17.Nd2 g6 18.Nd5 f5 19.exf5 gxf5 20.f4 Rf7 21.Qe1 Rg7 22.Nf3 Qg6 23.g3 Rf7 24.fxe5 f4 25.exd6 fxg3 1-0 Akopian,V (2678)-Kasparov,G (2838)/Moscow RUS 2002/The Week in Chess 410] 13.Ne3 Bh6 14.Qa4 Bd7 15.Rfb1 Bxe3 16.fxe3 Nd4 17.Qxa6 [With hindsight we can assume that 17.Qd1 Nxf3+ 18.Qxf3 Rxb1+ 19.Rxb1 0-0 would have been better] 17...Ne2+ 18.Kf2 Nxc3 19.dxc3 White has allowed his pawn structure to be ruined in return for an extra pawn and some initiative but Shirov has seen deeper into the position 19...Ke7! 20.Nd2 [20.Rxb8 Qxb8 21.Rd1 Qc7 22.Rb1 Bc6 also gives White nothing] 20...Ra8 21.Qb7 Qa5 22.Qb2 Rhb8 23.Qc2 Rxb1 24.Nxb1 White has been driven into retreat and Shirov patiently probes the weaknesses on a2, c3,c4 and e4 24...Rb8 25.Nd2 Qa4 26.Rc1 [26.Qxa4 Bxa4 27.Rb1 Rxb1 28.Nxb1 Bc2 29.Nd2 Kd7 30.Kg3 f6 31.Kf3 Bd3 and Black might be able to take a long walk to a2 with his king] 26...Qxc2 27.Rxc2 Ba4 28.Nb3 [28.Rc1 Rb2] 28...Bc6 29.Nd2 Ba4 30.Nb3 h5!

Shirov prefers to improve his position rather than take twice on b3 which gives White drawing chances 31.Ke1 h4 32.Kd2 Bc6! 33.Kd3 f5 34.exf5 gxf5 35.Rf2 Ke6 36.Ke2 Ra8 37.Ke1 Ra4 Black regains the pawn and the game is effectively over as White will be left with four isolated pawns to Black's connected phalanx. Black's pieces are also much more active 38.g3 hxg3 39.hxg3 Be4! [Not 39...Rxc4 40.Na5] 40.Rh2 [40.Nd2 Bd3] 40...Rxc4 41.Kd2 Ra4 42.Kc1 c4 43.Na1 Ra8 44.Rd2 Rg8 45.a4 Rxg3 46.Nc2 Bxc2 47.Rxc2 Rxe3 48.a5 Kd7 49.a6 Kc7 Just in time so Black resigns 0-1

Michael Adams is out of the Fide World Cup after a 1.5-0.5 loss to the seventeen year old Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen. Adams needed to win the second game with the white pieces to stay in the match and although he held the advantage throughout he was unable to break down his opponent’s defences despite holding an extra pawn.

Carlsen, like Adams, played a counter attacking pawn sacrifice with black. He chose a recent idea in the Ruy Lopez that has created a new range of possibilities for Black. Adams was well prepared, consolidated and gradually made progress but short of time, he missed a winning chance and Carlsen clung on for more than forty moves in a position with just queens, bishops and pawns remaining.

The Russian champion Evgeny Alexeev took the lead in his tie breaker.

Alekseev,Evgeny (2716) - Bareev,E (2653) [B12]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (4.3), 05.12.2007
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 [Black gets his bishop outside the pawn chain before playing 3...e6 ] 4.Nd2 This looks rather slow but White wants to inhibit Black's counter in the centre with c6-c5 4...e6 5.Nb3 Nd7 6.Nf3 Qc7 7.Bf4 Ne7 8.Be2 c5 [8...h6 9.0-0 g5 10.Bd2 a5 11.a4 Bg7 12.Ne1 c5 13.c3 0-0 14.f4 c4 15.Nc1 gxf4 16.Bxf4 Ng6 17.Be3 f6 18.Qd2 fxe5 19.Bxh6 Rf7 20.Bh5 Bxh6 21.Qxh6 Rh7 22.Qg5 Rg7 23.Bxg6 Rxg6 24.Qe3 exd4 25.cxd4 Nf6 26.Ne2 Qxh2+ 27.Kxh2 Ng4+ 28.Kg1 Nxe3 29.Rf3 Ng4 30.Nf4 Rg7 31.Nxd5 Rd8 32.Nb6 Rxd4 33.Rc1 Bd3 34.Rd1 e5 35.Rg3 Be2 36.Rc1 e4 37.b3 Rf7 38.Rxg4+ Bxg4 39.Nxc4 Rd1 40.Rxd1 Bxd1 41.Nxa5 Be2 42.Nc2 Bd3 43.Ne3 Kg7 44.Nac4 Bxc4 45.Nxc4 Rf6 46.a5 Kf7 47.Nd2 Rf4 48.Nc4 Ke6 0-1 Fedorov,A (2611)-Lastin,A (2590)/Voronezh RUS 2007/The Week in Chess 659] 9.dxc5 Bg4 [9...Ng6!? 10.Be3 Ngxe5 11.Nfd4 Be4 12.Nb5 Qc8 13.0-0 Nxc5 and White's compensation looks insufficient] 10.Nfd4! Bxe2 11.Qxe2 The threat of Nb5-d6 ensures White stays ahead in development 11...a6 12.0-0 Ng6 13.Bg3 Bxc5 14.f4 0-0 15.c3 Rae8 16.Kh1 Bb6 17.Rae1 White has more space and a simple plan of attacking the black king. Black has little counterplay 17...Qc8 [17...f6? 18.exf6 Nxf6 19.f5 exf5 20.Bxc7; 17...Qc4!? 18.Qg4] 18.h4 Ne7 19.h5 h6 20.Bh4 Nc6 21.Qg4 With threats of Bf6 and Rf1-f3-g3 21...Kh8 22.Qg3 [If 22.f5 Ncxe5 So White makes a preparatory move] 22...Nxd4 23.cxd4 Nb8 Now we s ee why the queen went to c8, it obstructs f4-f5. The knight is on the way to attack d4 24.Rc1 Nc6 25.Qe3 Qd7 26.g4! f6! Otherwise f4-f5-f6 will be crushing 27.exf6 gxf6 28.g5 fxg5 29.fxg5 hxg5 30.Bxg5 Qh7 [30...Rf5 31.Bf6+ Kh7 would have been good for Black but this should have been good for a draw] 31.Bf6+ Rxf6 32.Rxf6 Qxh5+ 33.Kg1 Rg8+ 34.Kf1 Qh1+ 35.Ke2

35...Rg2+ [Short of time Black misses a possible draw 35...Qh2+ 36.Rf2 Qh5+ 37.Qf3 (37.Kd2 e5!) 37...Qxf3+ 38.Rxf3 Rg2+ 39.Rf2 Rxf2+ 40.Kxf2 Nxd4] 36.Rf2 Qh2 [36...Qh5+ still draws] 37.Rcf1 e5? Trying to win but blundering 38.Qf3! [In view of 38.Qf3! Rxf2+ 39.Rxf2 Qh6 40.Qf7 and Qe8+ followed by Rf7+ wins] 1-0

The Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen who turned seventeen during the tournament is the only non Russian speaker to get through to the last eight of the Fide World Cup taking place at Khanty Mansiysk in Siberia. Carlsen eliminated England’s Michael Adams in the fourth round and now plays Ivan Cheparinov

The World Cup has a prize fund of $1,600,000 10% of which goes to the winner who also earns the right to a world title final eliminator against Veselin Topalov.

Peter Svidler was eliminated by Gata Kamsky whose results continue to improve. Kamsky retired for many years after failing to wrest the Fide title from Anatoly Karpov in 1996. The first Rapid Chess tie break was drawn but then Kamsky won with black after Svidler lost a pawn. Former Russian champion Dmitry Jakovenko eliminated Levon Aronian, one of the favourites, also in the tie breaks.

Evgeny Bareev went down fighting in the tie breaks after pushing too hard for the win.

Bareev,E (2653) - Alekseev,Evgeny (2716) [A63]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (4.4), 05.12.2007
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 [Alekseev lost horribly with 5...b5 to Kramnik at the Tal Memorial last month] 6.Nc3 g6 The sharp Modern Benoni, ideally suited to Rapid Chess 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 Nbd7 10.a4 a6 11.Nd2 Nh5 Black wants to start a kingside attack with f5-f4 12.Nce4 Ndf6 13.Nxf6+ Qxf6 [13...Nxf6 14.Nc4 Re8 15.a5 Bf8 16.Re1 Bd7 17.e4 Bb5 18.b3 Bg7 19.Bb2 Bxc4 20.bxc4 Nd7 21.Bxg7 Kxg7 22.f4 f6 23.Bh3 Re7 24.Ra2 Qc7 25.Qa1 Rae8 26.Rae2 Nf8 27.Bg4 h5 28.Bh3 Nd7 29.Be6 Nf8 30.e5 fxe5 31.fxe5 dxe5 32.Rxe5 Kh7 33.Qb1 Nxe6 34.dxe6 Qd6 35.Rxh5+ Kg7 36.Rd5 Qc6 37.Qb2+ Kg8 38.Qf2 Rxe6 39.Rf1 Qc7 40.Rxc5 Qe7 41.Rd5 Re2 42.Qf3 Re1 43.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 44.Kg2 Rf8 45.Qd3 Rf2+ 46.Kh3 Qe6+ 47.g4 Qf6 48.Rd8+ Kh7 49.Rd7+ Kh6 50.Qe3+ g5 51.Kg3 Rf1 52.h4 Qf4+ 53.Qxf4 gxf4+ 54.Kg2 Ra1 55.Kf3 Rxa5 56.Rxb7 Rc5 57.Rb6+ Kg7 58.Rxa6 Rxc4 59.g5 Rc3+ 60.Kxf4 Rc4+ 61.Kg3 Rb4 62.Rf6 Ra4 63.Rf4 Ra6 64.Kg4 Rb6 65.Rd4 Ra6 66.Rd7+ Kg8 67.Kh5 Rb6 68.g6 Rb8 69.Kh6 Ra8 70.h5 Rb8 71.Rd5 Ra8 72.Kg5 Rb8 73.h6 1-0 Mikhalevski,V (2572)-Charbonneau,P (2509)/Montreal CAN 2005/The Week in Chess 561] 14.Nc4 Rb8 15.Nb6 Qd8 16.a5 White has a slight edge as has immobilised Black's queenside pawns 16...Bd7 17.Bg5 f6 18.Bd2 f5 19.Rb1 Bb5 20.b4 cxb4 21.Rxb4 Qe7 22.Re1 Rbe8 23.Qb3 Nf6 24.Rxb5 [Quite a strong sacrifice but 24.Bc3 would keep a little pressure] 24...axb5 25.Qxb5 Ne4 26.Bxe4 fxe4 27.Be3 White's position is solid and his pieces well placed but he fails to find an active plan from here 27...h5 28.Rb1 Kh7 29.Qd7 [29.Nc4! targeting b7 and d6 was promising for example 29...Rc8 30.Qb4 Rfd8 31.h4] 29...Bh6 30.Bd4 Bg7 31.Bxg7 Kxg7 32.Qxe7+ [32.Qa4 e3] 32...Rxe7 33.Nc4 Ref7 34.Nxd6 Rxf2 35.Re1 [Still playing for a win 35.Nxe4 Rxe2 36.Rxb7+ Kh6 37.Nd6 g5 38.a6 Re1+ 39.Kg2 Re2+ =] 35...e3 36.Nxb7 h4! 37.Nc5 [37.gxh4 R8f4 38.d6? Rg4+ 39.Kh1 Rxh4 40.Kg1 Rhxh2 41.d7 Rfg2+ 42.Kf1 Rg5! and mate] 37...Kh6

38.d6? Bareev must have been very short of time 38...h3! A mating net appears 39.Ne4 Rg2+ 40.Kh1 Rxe2 41.Rd1 [41.Rxe2 Rf1# mate] 41...Ra2 [41...Ra2 42.d7 e2 43.Rg1 Rf1 44.d8Q Rxg1+ 45.Kxg1 e1Q# mate] 0-1