GM Mikhail Golubev  annotates games

Round 3

Svidler - Dominguez

In the Queen's Gambit Accepted, Svidler made a new move 17.e5!?, deviating from the game Radjabov-Kasparov, Linares 2003. This novelty was already suggested in annotations. Dominguez responded with 17...Ng4! (not good was 17...Bxg2? 18.Nb1! or 18.Ne4!, as well as 17...Nd7?! 18.Rfd1 Nxe5? 19.f4 +-) 18.Qg5 0-0 19.h3 Nh6, obtaining a playable position.

After White's 24th move the draw was agreed.

0.5-0.5

Shirov - Van Wely

Alexei Shirov spent a lot of time in the topical and acute line of the Sicilian Najdorf with 6.Bg5.

6...e6 7.f4 Nbd7 8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 b5 10.Bd3 Bb7 11.Rhe1 Be7 12.Qg3 b4 13.Nd5 exd5 14.exd5 Kd8 15.Nc6+ Bxc6 16.dxc6 Nc5, and here White played 17.Bc4!? (instead of the more known move 17.Bh4). A computer game Hiarcs9 - Fruit2, CEGT 2005 followed 17...h6 18.Bh4 Nce4 19.Qe3 g5 20.fxg5 hxg5 21.Bxg5 Nxg5 22.Qxg5 Qxc6 23.Qa5+ Ke8 24.Qf5 d5 25.Bxd5 Nxd5 26.Rxd5 Rc8 27.Rxe7+ Kxe7 28.Qe4+ Kf8 29.Qxb4+ Kg7 0.5-0.5 but Van Wely decided in favour of 17...Nfe4. Instead of the obvious 18.Bxe7+ Qxe7 19.Qxg7 Kc7 Shirov played 18.Qe3. The acute fight ended in a victory of Black.

0-1

Karjakin - Rublevsky

As usually, Rublevsky used against 1.e4 his pet Sicilian Taimanov system. After the fashionable 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.0-0 Nf6 Karjakin opted for 9.Qf3 line (more common are 9.Re1 and 9.Qe2). It seems that Black obtained a decent position after the opening. A draw was agreed after White's 27 move in the approximately equal position.

0.5-0.5

Nisipeanu - Eljanov

In the topical line of the Queen's Indian with 5.Qc2, Eljanov opted for a rare line 5...Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.e4 d5, undoubtedly prepared at home. After 8.Nc3!? (played after some 30-minues long think) 8...Bxc4 9.Bxc4 (9.e5!?) 9...dxc4 Nisipeanu decided to sacrifice a pawn by 10.0-0-0 (10.Qa4+ was safer). Using his extra pawn, Eljanov developed a terrible attack on the queenside and obtained the winning position.

0-1

Sasikiran - Ivanchuk

A long and quite important line of the Modern Benoni where Black sacrifices a pawn but exchanges many pieces and gets good chances for a draw. Sasikiran did not manage to pose any problems for Black and the game ended in a draw very quickly. Ivanchuk spent less than 20 minutes for entire game.

0.5-0.5

Onischuk - Jakovenko

In the long theoretical line of the Vienna Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, Onischuk made as it seems an imprecise move 21.Rf6. Two moves later he put this rook on f4, what he could do at once. Black equalised easily, but later made strangely looking move 27...Bd5, allowing Rf1 and Rf4. White's position became more promising, but Jakovenko defended precisely and saved half a point.

0.5-0.5