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Good day everyone, welcome to the Chessdom live coverage of Morelia Linares 2008. First game between Radjabov and Ivanchuk was an interesting Classical French Defence, where Radjabov tried to play for a win, but Ivanchuk secured moves repetition in the second attempt. This time, Ivanchuk doesn't have horrible blunder from previous round (as he did against Aronian in Morelia), and it is expected to see him playing more relaxed. There are more than 20 video cameras around, obviously an important day :)
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3!? This move order, designed to transpose to the main Sicilian by avoiding some lines in the process, was very popular few years ago. Topalov used it to beat Kasparov and Kamsky also played it in the key games of the 2007 World ChessCup.
3... e6 ( Most popular is 3... e5 forcing white to play some kind of closed Sicilian. Radjabov doesn't mind to allow main Sicilians, because he also plays variations other than Sveshnikov.)
4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Ndb5 ( Radjabov i s quietly agreeing to transpose to the Sveshnikov. This move order, however, can take the game into different direction with 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.e5 Nd5 which was seen in Akopian-Radjabov, 2007 ETCC on Crete. In the very emotional Armenia-Azerbaijan encounter, Radjabov clinched important win to equalise the score 2-2. Misinterpretation of the later interview, in which he referred to this match, brought him into big trouble when tabloid media rushed to condemn him. Those who had a pleasure to meet him know that Radjabov is nice and polite person.)
6... d6 ( GM Rogozenko likes to play with isolated pawn 6... Bb4 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.Nxc3 d5 9.exd5 exd5)
7.Bf4 e5 8.Bg5 Finally, the two have settled for Sveshnikov variation...
8... a6 9.Na3 b5 10.Bxf6 (10.Nd5 Be7 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 is perhaps more fashionable these days, but both methods (with or without doubled f-pawns), are having their waves of popularity.)
10... gxf6 11.Nd5 Bg7 12.c3 f5 13.exf5 ( Anand and Polgar regularly used 13.Bd3!? for some time, and black can choose between 13...Ne7 and 13...Be6.)
13... Bxf5 14.Nc2 Be6 (14... O-O 15.Nce3 Be6 16.Bd3 f5 17.Qh5 e4 18.Bc2 was heavily used in the games of Kramnik, Leko and Shirov.)
15.g3 (15.Nce3 Ne7 16.g3 Nxd5 17.Nxd5 O-O 18.Bg2 a5 19.O-O Rb8 20.Qh5 f5 21.Rad1 Kh8 22.Rd2 Bf7 23.Qd1 Qe8 is similar to the game continuation)
15... O-O 16.Bg2 f5 17.O-O a5 18.Re1 Rc8 19.Nce3 This could be novelty. (19.Na3 Ivanchuk played Na3 against Leko in 2001, but lost the game... 19... Na7 20.Qd2 e4 21.Rad1 Be5 22.Nc2 Kh8)
19... Kh8 20.Qh5 b4 21.Rad1 bxc3 22.bxc3 A common excursion in many Sveshnikov lines.! Breaking white's pawn structure... (22.Qe8!? deserved attention, but Radjabov is still thinking about playing for a win with queens on the board.) ( gives d4 square to black 22.a3!?!? with idea Nd4)
22... Ne7 Challenging white's supremacy over d5 square and preparing to press on the queenside after soon-to-follow e4.
23.c4 23...e4 is the most consistent, but 23...Nc6 with idea Nd4 also deserves consideration.
23... Nxd5!? (23... Nc6 24.Bh3!? Nd4 25.Rxd4!? Bf7 (25... exd4? 26.Bxf5 Bxf5 27.Nxf5 looks like decisive advantage for white) 26.Qf3 exd4 27.Nxf5 is incredibly interesting.)
24.Bxd5 Qf6 25.Re2!? Preparing to double on d-file, or in case of 25...Bxd5 26. Nxd5 Qe6, to support c-pawn with 27. Rc2 (25.f4!?)
25... f4! Of course, when white missed his chance to play f4. Ivanchuk might find himself in trouble soon. ( Other possibility 25... Bxd5 26.Nxd5 Qe6 27.Rc2 Rc5 with idea Rfc8)
26.Be4! Immediately exploiting the possibility to attack h7. (26.Ng4 Qe7 27.Be4 Bg8 28.Rc2)
26... Qh6 (26... Bh6 27.Ng4 Bxg4 28.Qxg4 Rxc4 would make it more complicated)
27.Qxh6 Bxh6 28.Rxd6 fxe3 29.Rxe6 exf2+ 30.Kf1 Rxc4 After a couple of forced moves, we have an equal endgame. 31. Rxf2 would certainly be a draw, but Ivanchuk can still try with 31. Rc6!? Rd4 32. Bc2.
31.Rc6 Rxc6 32.Bxc6 Bg7 33.Be4 Rf6 34.Rb2 Bf8 35.Rb5 a4 36.Rxe5 a3 37.Bf5 Rh6 38.h4 Bd6 39.Re8+ Kg7 40.Kxf2 Rf6 41.g4 h5 42.Kf3 hxg4+ 43.Kxg4 Rf8 44.Re6 Rf6 45.Re3 Bb4 46.h5 Rd6 Black should be able to easily hold the draw.
47.Be6 Kf6 48.Bb3 Rd4+ 49.Kf3 Bd2 50.Re6+ Kg5 51.Re5+ Kh6 There are lots of moves played, but unfortunately the live transmission from the playing hall is suspended at the moment. We were just informed by our correspondent from Linares that few minutes ago the game ended in a draw.
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