World Cup 2007. Khanty-Mansiysk - Round 5 by Malcolm Pein

The Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen looks well set to progress at the Fide World Cup after defeating Veselin Topalov’s trainer Ivan Cheparinov in the first game of their fifth round tie. A chaotic game ended with Carlsen appearing to throw away his winning chances before Cheparinov blundered at the death when in sight of a draw.

This endgame was extremely difficult, I have only scratched the surface in the analysis below but it was clearly a case of Cheparinov being the unlucky player who blundered last.

The World Cup has a prize fund of $1,600,000, $120,000 of which goes to the winner who also earns the right to a world title final eliminator against Veselin Topalov.

We pick up the Carlsen game after Cheparinov has played 43...Ra5. White is clearly better as he has three active pieces and a strong passed pawn but Black’s pawn on a7 is a long term threat.

Carlsen,M (2714) - Cheparinov,I (2670) [A48]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (5.1), 06.12.2007
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5 Bg7 4.Nbd2 d6 5.e4 0-0 6.c3 c5 7.dxc5 dxc5 8.Bc4 Nc6 9.0-0 Qc7 10.Qe2 h6 11.Bh4 Nh5 12.Rfe1 Bg4 [12...Ne5 13.Nxe5 Bxe5 14.g3 Bh8 15.f4 Ng7 16.Qf3 Be6 17.Rad1 Rad8 18.Bxe6 Nxe6 19.f5 g5 20.fxe6 gxh4 21.Qg4+ Bg7 22.Qxh4 c4 23.Kg2 fxe6 24.Qg4 Rf6 25.Nf3 Rdf8 26.Nd4 h5 27.Qxh5 Rf2+ 28.Kh3 Qe5 29.Qxe5 Bxe5 30.Nxe6 R8f6 31.Rd8+ Kf7 32.Ng5+ Kg7 33.Rd7 Rh6+ 34.Kg4 Bf6 35.Ne6+ Kf7 36.Nf4 Rh8 37.h4 Rg8+ 38.Kh3 Be5 39.Rd5 Bxf4 40.Rf5+ Ke6 41.Rxf4 Rxb2 42.h5 b5 43.Rg4 Rxg4 44.Kxg4 Rxa2 45.h6 Rh2 46.Kg5 Ke5 47.g4 a5 48.Rb1 Kxe4 49.Rxb5 a4 50.Ra5 Kd3 51.Kg6 a3 52.h7 e5 53.Rxe5 Rxh7 54.Kxh7 Kxc3 55.Ra5 Kb2 56.g5 a2 57.g6 a1Q 58.Rxa1 Kxa1 59.g7 c3 60.g8Q c2 1/2-1/2 Van Wely,L (2605)-Leko,P (2630)/Tilburg NED 1996] 13.Qe3 g5 14.Bg3 Nxg3 15.hxg3 b6 16.Nh2 Bh5 17.g4 Bg6 18.g3 Rad8 19.f4 Nd4 20.Rac1 b5 21.Bf1 gxf4 22.gxf4 Ne6 23.e5 f5 24.exf6 Rxf6 25.f5 Ng5 26.fxg6 Re6 27.Qf2 Be5 28.Rxe5 Qxe5 29.Ndf3 Nxf3+ 30.Nxf3 Qf4 31.Re1 Rxe1 32.Nxe1 Qxf2+ 33.Kxf2 Rd2+ 34.Ke3 Rd1 35.Ke2 Ra1 36.Bg2 c4 37.a3 Rb1 38.Be4 Rxb2+ 39.Nc2 Kg7 40.Ke3 Rb3 41.Kd2 Kf6 42.Nd4 Rxa3 43.Nxb5 Ra5 44.Nc7 Kg7 45.Ne6+ Kh8 46.Ke3 Ra1 47.Kd4 a5 48.Bc6! [48.Kxc4 a4 49.g7+ Kg8 50.Kb4 a3 51.Bd5 a2 52.Ka3 Rc1 53.Kxa2 Rxc3 and Black might be able to exchange all the pawns] 48...a4 49.Be8 Rg1 [49...a3 50.Bf7 Rd1+ 51.Kxc4 Rd8 52.Nxd8 a2 53.Ne6 a1Q 54.g7+ Kh7 55.g8Q# mate] 50.g5! a3 [50...Rxg5 51.Nxg5 hxg5 52.Bxa4 g4 53.Ke4 is easy] 51.Bf7 Rxg5 52.Nxg5 hxg5 53.Bxc4 Kg7

A strange position. Black has some chances because his passed pawns are so far apart and cannot easily be dealt with 54.Kd3 [The wrong way I suspect. White wins after 54.Ke5 Kxg6 55.Ba2 A handy move as if the Black king tries to support the 'a' pawn at any point it has to travel further to disturb the bishop 55...g4 56.Kf4 Kh5 57.c4 Kh4 58.c5 g3 59.Kf3 Kh3 60.c6 g2 61.c7 g1Q 62.c8Q+ Kh4 63.Qh8+ Kg5 64.Qg7+ wins the queen; 54.Ke5 Kxg6 55.Ba2 g4 56.Kf4 Kh5 57.c4 Kh4 58.c5 e5+ 59.Ke3! g3 60.c6 Kh3 61.c7 g2 c8 promotes with check] 54...Kxg6 55.Kc2 g4 56.Kb3 Kf5 57.Kxa3 g3 [57...e5! 58.Bf1 Kf4 59.c4 e4 60.c5 e3 61.c6 g3 62.c7 g2 63.Bxg2 e2 64.c8Q e1Q is a draw] 58.Bf1 e5 [58...Ke4 59.c4 Kd4 60.Kb4 e5! draws] 59.Kb3? [59.Bg2!] 59...Kf4? 60.Bg2! Ke3 61.Kc4 Kf2 62.Be4 [62.Be4 g2 63.Bxg2 Kxg2 64.Kd5] 1-0

Shirov,A (2739) - Jakovenko,D (2710) [C89]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (5.1), 06.12.2007
[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.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d3 Bd6 13.Re1 Bf5 14.Qf3 Qh4 15.g3 Qh3 16.Bxd5 cxd5 17.Qxd5 Until the advent of computer analysis, grabbing the second pawn was considered very risky as the white squares around the white king become even more exposed. However Shirov will have subjected this line to the minute scrutiny of a duel processor. 17...Rad8 18.Qg2 Qh5 19.Be3! Bxd3 20.Nd2 Bf5 [20...Rfe8 looks better for example 21.Bd4 Re2 22.Rxe2 Qxe2 23.f3 Re8!] 21.Qc6 Be6 [21...Bh3 22.a4 Bb8 23.axb5 axb5 24.Ra5 Bd7 25.Qc5 Qg6 26.Qg5 Qd3 27.Bd4 f6 28.Qd5+ Kh8 29.Nb3 Rde8 30.Raa1 Bg4 31.Nc5 Rxe1+ 32.Rxe1 Qd2 33.Qe4 h5 34.Kg2 Bd6 35.h3 Bc8 36.Re2 Qg5 37.Ne6 Bxe6 38.Qxe6 Bb8 39.h4 Qg6 40.Qd5 1-0 Stellwagen,D (2639)-Pashikian,A (2534)/Yerevan ARM 2007/The Week in Chess 674] 22.Qxa6 Qd5 [22...Bd5 23.Qxb5 Qh3 24.Qxd5 Bxg3 25.Qg2 wins; 25...Rfe8] 23.Qb6 Bh3 24.f3

24...f5?! [There is no time for this and Shirov refutes the move if 24...Rfe8 25.Rad1 Rxe3? 26.Qxd8+] 25.Qd4! Qc6 26.Qh4 Bc5 [26...f4 27.Bd4 Bf5 28.Ne4] 27.Bd4 Black's bishop is trapped and the game is effectively over 27...Bxd4+ 28.cxd4 Qc2 29.Red1 Qxb2 30.Qxh3 Qxd4+ 31.Kh1 Rd5 32.Qf1 Rfd8 33.Rac1 Qd3 34.Qe1 h6 35.Kg2 Qa3 The pin is irritating so Shirov gives up a pawn to simplify his task with the time control approaching 36.Nb1 Qxa2+ 37.Kh3 b4 38.Qe6+ Kh7 39.Rc7! f4 [39...Rxd1 40.Qxa2] 40.Qe4+ Kh8 41.Rxd5 Qxd5 42.Qxd5 Rxd5 43.Rc2 1-0

Magnus Carlsen was rock solid in game two of his match against Ivan Cheparinov and eliminated the Bulgarian from the Fide World Cup taking place at Khanty Mansiysk in Siberia . The seventeen year old Norwegian prodigy moved into the semi finals where he will take on Gata Kamsky of the USA , a former Fide world title finalist.

Carlsen gave up a pawn to reach a double rook endgame where he was more active and held on comfortably.

Kamsky upset the form book again and defeated Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine 1.5-0.5 with victory in the second game. Kamsky had been in serious difficulties with black in game one but escaped and with white he outplayed Ponomariov, a former Fide champion, in a sharp Sicilian Defence.

In the other semi final Alexei Shirov plays another prodigy Sergey Karjakin. Shirov was at his most impressive and followed up his win we saw on Saturday with victory in the second game after his opponent Dmitry Jakovenko blundered as he strove to create complications. Karjakin needed a Rapid Chess tie break to overcome the Russian champion Evgeny Alekseev

Jakovenko,D (2710) - Shirov,A (2739) [A29]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (5.2), 07.12.2007
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Nc3 Nb6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 In many cases the English Opening is a Sicilian Dragon Defence in reverse where White is playing with an extra move 8.b3 But this is slightly unusual 8...0-0 9.Bb2 Bg4 10.h3 Bh5 11.d3 Re8 [11...Kh8 12.Rc1 f5 13.Kh2 Bf6 14.Nd2 Rb8 15.Nc4 Nd4 16.Qe1 c6 17.Ba3 Re8 18.Kh1 Nd5 19.Nxd5 cxd5 20.Nd6 Be7 21.e3 Nc6 22.Nb5 Qb6 23.Bxe7 Qxb5 24.Rc5 Qa6 25.Bd6 Rbd8 26.Bc7 Rc8 27.b4 Rxc7 28.b5 Qb6 29.Qc3 Nd4 30.Rxc7 Nxb5 31.Rb1 Qxc7 32.Qxc7 Nxc7 33.Rxb7 Rc8 34.Rxa7 Be2 35.Ra3 Nb5 36.Rb3 Nc3 37.d4 e4 38.a3 h5 39.Kh2 Nd1 40.a4 Bc4 41.Ra3 Nxf2 42.Kg1 Nd3 43.Bf1 Ba6 44.Ra1 Rc2 45.a5 h4 46.gxh4 Kh7 47.Rb1 Ra2 48.h5 Bc4 49.h4 Kh6 50.Rb8 Kxh5 51.Rh8+ Kg4 52.Rg8 Ra1 53.Rxg7+ Kxh4 54.a6 Nb4 55.a7 Rxf1+ 56.Kg2 0-1 Nadera,B (2404)-Torre,E (2527)/Makati PHI 2002/The Week in Chess 392] 12.Rc1 Bf8 13.Ne4 Nd7 Preventing Ne4-c5 pressuring the queenside 14.g4 Bg6 15.Ng3 a5! Intending to open a file for the rook on a8 16.d4 [Usually a good move but flawed here if 16.a4 Nb4] 16...e4 17.Ne5 [17.Nd2 e3! 18.fxe3 Qg5] 17...Ndxe5 18.dxe5 Qh4 19.e3 [Presumably White now found to his chagrin that 19.Nxe4 Bxe4 20.Bxe4 Qxh3 21.e3 Nxe5 22.Bxe5 Rxe5 23.Bxb7 Rg5 24.Bxa8 Rxg4+ is good for Black] 19...Rad8 20.Qc2 Nb4

21.Qe2 [21.Qxc7 Nd3 22.Rc2? (22.Rb1 Nxf2 23.Rxf2 Qxg3 24.Qxb7? Bc5!) 22...Rc8 wins material.] 21...c6 22.Nxe4 Nd3 23.Rc4 Nxe5 24.Bxe5 Rxe5 25.Rd1 [25.f4 Rxe4 26.Bxe4 Qg3+ 27.Qg2 Qxe3+ 28.Qf2 Qxf2+ 29.Kxf2 b5! is another typical 'sting in the tail' tactical point] 25...Rxd1+ 26.Qxd1 b5 27.Rd4 c5 Winning material and the match 28.Rd5 Rxe4 29.Bxe4 Bxe4 30.Rd8 Qe7 31.Rb8 b4 32.Qe2 Qd6 33.a4?? Hanging the rook but the position was lost 0-1

Karjakin,Sergey (2694) - Alekseev,Evgeny (2716) [B90]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (5.4), 08.12.2007

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.f3 Be6 9.Qd2 Nbd7 10.g4 0-0 11.0-0-0 Qc7 12.Kb1 b5 13.g5 Nh5 14.f4 exf4 15.Bxf4 Nxf4 16.Qxf4 Rac8 17.Nd4 Nb6 18.Bd3 Qc5 19.Nf5 Rce8 20.Nxe7+ Rxe7 21.e5! d5 [21...Qxe5 22.Qh4 g6 23.Rhe1 Qg7 24.Ne4] 22.h4 Nc4 23.h5 d4 24.h6

24...g6? [24...Qxe5 25.Bxh7+ Kxh7 26.hxg7+ Kxg7 27.Qh4 Bf5 28.Qh6+ Kg8 29.Nd5 Bxc2+ 30.Kc1 f6 31.g6] 25.Nd5 Qxd5 26.Bxc4 Qxc4 27.Qf6 1-0