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Welcome everyone to the ChessDom live coverage of the 2nd round of World Chess Championship. I am IM Miodrag Perunovic and I will be your commentator tonight. Enjoy!
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 It becomes obvious that Svilder is well prepared to meet black's Marshall attack. If white don't feel like playing against Marshall attack, he can consider two side possibilities 8.a4!? and 8.h3!? Both were also deeply explored on high level in last few years.
8... d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Leko used to try 12.d3 as white, and he even scored a fantastic win against Adams couple of years ago. He didn't just win the game but also applied an important theoretical novelty then. Apparently, time has changed and he plays this position without fear with black! Interesting decision!
12... Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 15.Qe2 Very rare move and not with the brightest results in database sample. Two wins for black and two draws. It is out of question that Svidler found some improvements here. Therefore, we might expect very interesting battle and perhaps even a theoretical revival of 15. Qe2 after this game.
15... Bg4 16.Qf1 Qh5 17.Nd2 Looking up in the database, I found only 6 games with this move order. Definitely white didn't score well and probably black should continue like in Kapengut - Malaniuk 17...Rae8 18. f3 Bh3 19. Qf2 f5 20. Re8 Re8 21. c4 Nf4!! with very unpredictable position.
17... Rae8! Keeps the tension on the board and shows his intentions! Black will try hard to take the advantage from more active pieces! There is still chance to transpose to game of Malaniuk, but whatever happens, there will be lot of sacrifices and interesting moments from now on!
18.Rxe8 Rxe8 19.f3 Bf5 20.Ne4 Well known "safe exit" for Marshall. Whenever black tries something more serious, there is relaxing Ne4! and a4! idea for white. In my opinion black has slight edge but objectively speaking it might end in a draw!
20... Bc7! Psychologically very important moment! By not taking on e4, Leko clearly shows fighting intentions - he wants to play for win!
21.Bd2 Qg6?! This tempo is nice chance for Svilder to gain advantage after active a4! Leko will have to grab some initiative pretty soon or he will be "gone with the wind"! Svidler is still thinking... he should consider above mentioned 22.a4!? or 22. Nc5!? I would go with very active a4 and a-file opening, which could be only in white's favor afterwards!
22.Re1 Seems like ok move, but there is still a question if Svidler could do better with a4!? or silicon suggestion Nc5!?
22... Bxe4 Leko forces the draw, but after 23.fe4 Re4 24.Bc2 Re1 25.Qe1 Qe6 or f5, white has better ending due to pair of bishops. Still, I doubt Svidler is going to win that ending ...
23.Rxe4 Rxe4 24.Bc2 f5 25.fxe4 fxe4 26.Qg2 In my opin ion, Svidler is having tiny edge here thanks to pair of bishops and very mobile queen... It is still possible that Svidler might win.
26... Nf6 27.Qh3 Ng4 28.Bb3+ Kf8 Svidler is looking after leaks in black's position, but not easy to find them. After possible Qf1 Qf6 Leko should easily hold the draw.
29.Bd1 e3 30.Bc1 h5 31.Bxg4!? Looks like unique possibility to go for win. White would like to play ending where e3 pawn is exposed. So Peter should find a way to grab that pawn and win the game...if not....draw is unavoidable!
31... hxg4 32.Qf1+ Ke8 33.Bxe3 Svilder is pawn up in the ending of same colored-bishops, but i am not sure if its' winning since Qg6 stands mighty!
33... Kd7 34.Qe2 Qf5 35.b3 g6 36.Bf2 Bd6 37.c4 bxc4 38.bxc4 Svilder will have to find a plan on how to win the game. The problem could be lack of space and pretty exposed king on g1, since light squares around are weak. Maybe some sacrifice like d5... but it should be equal after all...
38... Bc7 39.d5! Excellent move! Svidler is cleaning the way for either passed pawn or reaching Leko's weak pawns.
39... cxd5 40.cxd5 Bd6?! This could be a mistake?! Now white can take pawn on a6, then check on a4 and collect g4, g6, of course assuming black would take on d5. Still, there is nothing better, allowing d5 to survive would be suicide. Better try was 40...Qb1
41.a4 Finally a move :) Peter Svidler used time control to dive into deep thought. He feels this is the crucial period where he should find the winning plan. 41...Qd5 42. Qa6 Qd1 43. Qf1 might follow.
41... Qb1+ 42.Kg2 Qf5 43.Kg1 Svidler didn't want to take risks with 43. Qc4 Qf3 44. Kf1!? and offered peace to Peter Leko. Rich and possibly theoretically important game, better than the usual quick draw in Marshall :) Thank you everyone for watching! Join us again tomorrow at 15:00 EST/21:00 CET for the LIVE round 3 coverage with GM Vladimir Dimitrov.
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