Monday November 13th 2006

Round 4

Ruslan Ponomariov stayed at the head of the field in the fourth round of the Mikhail Tal Memorial at Moscow. The leader defended a passive but blocked position against Shakriyaz Mamedyarov for 80 moves and the game ended in a curious state of equilibrium.

Svidler draw Carlsen, Ruy Lopez Breyer, 29; Morozevich 1-0 Grischuk, Sicilian Najdorf, English Attack 6.Be3, 35; Shirov 0-1 Aronian, Ruy Lopez, Marshall Attack, 58; Leko 1-0 Gelfand, Slav Defence, 79; Mamedyarov draw Ponomariov, Queen’s Indian, 80;

Scores: 1 Ponomariov (Ukraine) 3/4; 2-4 Svidler (Russia), Aronian (Armenia), Leko (Hungary) 2.5 ; 5-6 Gelfand (Israel), Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) 2; 7-9 Carlsen (Norway), Shirov (Spain), Morozevich (Russia) 1.5; 10 Grischuk (Russia) 1;

Game Notes in PGN

Mamedyarov,S (2728) - Ponomariov,R (2703) [E16]
Tal Memorial Moscow RUS (4), 10.11.2006
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Nbd2 Bb7 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 Be7 8.b3 c5 9.dxc5 bxc5 10.Bb2 d6 11.Qc2 Nbd7 12.Rad1 Qc7 13.e4 Bc6 14.Rfe1 Qb7 15.h3 a5 16.a4 Rfb8 17.Nh2 Ne8 18.Ba1 Bf6 19.Bxf6 Ndxf6 20.f4 Ra6 21.Nhf3 Qe7 22.Kh2 e5 23.f5 Rab6 24.Re3 h6 25.g4 Nc7 26.Rg1 g5 27.Bf1 Kg7 28.h4 Rh8 29.hxg5 hxg5+ 30.Bh3 Nfe8 31.Nf1 f6 32.Qd2 Ra6 33.Ng3 Kf8 34.Nh5 Rg8 35.Rd1 Ra7 36.Ne1 Na6 37.Nc2 Qd8 38.Bg2 Nb4 39.Nxb4 axb4 40.Rd3 Rd7 41.Kg3 Rh8 42.Bf3 Rhh7 43.Rh1 Kg8 44.Rd1 Kf8 45.Kf2 Kg8 46.Bg2 Kf8 47.Rh1 Kg8 48.Rdh3 Rdf7 49.R1h2 Qe7 50.Bf3 Qd8 51.Qc1 Qe7 52.Qh1 Bb7 53.a5 Ba6 54.Qd1 Bb7 55.Qa1 Ba6 56.Qh1 Bb7 57.Ng3 Rxh3 58.Rxh3 Rh7 59.Rxh7 Qxh7 60.Qa1 Ba6 61.Qa4 Kf8 62.Nf1 Qb7 63.Ne3 Ke7 64.Qa1 Kd8 65.Qh1 Qg7 66.Nd5 Kd7 67.Qh5 Kd8 68.Be2 Kd7 69.Qg6 Qxg6 70.fxg6 Bc8 71.Kg3 Kc6 72.Ne7+ Kc7 73.Nf5 Be6 74.g7 Kb7 75.Kf2 Ka6 76.Kg3 Kxa5 77.Kf2 Kb6 78.Kg3 Kc7 79.Kf2 Kd7 80.Ke3

White has managed to open the a file and h file but the rooks and queens came off and in the position below neither side can do anything. The white bishop is trapped behind the pawn chain and the white knight is tied to the defence of the g7 pawn. The black bishop cannot take the knight else the g7 pawn promotes and moving to f7 or g8 allows Nh6 and a move of the black knight allows Nh6 winning. 1/2-1/2

Shirov,A (2720) - Aronian,L (2741) [C89]
Tal Memorial Moscow RUS (4), 10.11.2006
[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.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Re4 g5 16.Qf1 Qh5 17.Nd2 Bf5 18.f3 Nf6 19.a4 Nxe4 20.Nxe4 Qg6 21.Nxd6 Qxd6 22.Bxg5 Qg6 23.Qc1 Bd3 24.axb5 axb5 25.Rxa8 Rxa8 26.Kf2 Bc4 27.Bxc4 bxc4 28.g4 Re8 29.Bf4 Qd3 30.Kg3 Qe2 31.Qb1 Qe1+ 32.Qxe1 Rxe1 33.Bd6 Rg1+ 34.Kf2 Rb1 35.Ba3 Kg7 36.Kg3 Kg6 37.h3 h5 38.Kh4 Rg1 39.Bc5 Rg2 40.Ba3 f6 41.gxh5+ Kf5 42.f4 Rg8 43.Bd6 Ke6 44.h6 Kxd6 45.Kh5 f5 46.h7 Rh8 47.Kg6 Ke7 48.Kg7 Ke8 49.Kg6 Kf8 50.h4 Ke7 51.Kg7 Ke8 52.Kg6 Kf8 53.h5 Ke7 54.Kg7 Ke8 55.Kg6 Kf8 56.h6 Ke8 57.Kf6 Rxh7 58.Kg6 Rf7

Levon defeated Alexei Shirov with a fiendish trap in the endgame. In the position below White seems to be winning but he resigned instead because after: [58...Rf7 59.h7 Rf8 60.Kg7 Rh8!! 61.Kxh8 (61.Kg6 Ke7 62.Kg7 Ke6 63.Kg6 (63.Kxh8 Kf7) 63...Kd5 64.Kg7 Rxh7+ 65.Kxh7 Ke4 also wins for Black.) 61...Kf8 he is in zugswang and must play losing pawn moves d4-d5 and b2-b3.] 0-1

Position after 58...Rf7 0-1

Another famous Tal win.

Spassky,Boris V (2640) - Tal,Mihail (2615) [E14]
Montreal Montreal (10), 1979
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.e3 Bb7 5.Bd3 d5 6.b3 Bd6 7.0-0 0-0 8.Bb2 Nbd7 9.Nbd2 Qe7 10.Rc1 Rad8 11.Qc2 c5 12.cxd5 exd5 13.dxc5 bxc5 /\d5-d4 14.Qc3 Rfe8~~ 15.Rfd1 d4 16.exd4 cxd4 17.Qa5?! [17.Qxd4 Nc5-/+; 17.Nxd4!] 17...Ne5 18.Nxe5 Bxe5 19.Nc4 Rd5 20.Qd2 Bxh2+! 21.Kxh2

21...Rh5+! [21...Ng4+? 22.Kg3+/=] 22.Kg1 [22.Kg3 Ne4+ 23.Bxe4 Qh4+ 24.Kf3 Qxe4+ 25.Kg3 Qh4#] 22...Ng4 [22...Ng4 23.Re1 Rh1+ 24.Kxh1 Qh4+ 25.Kg1 Qh2+ 26.Kf1 Qxg2#] 0-1