GM Mikhail Golubev  annotates games

Round 8

Dominguez - Jakovenko

The first 24 moves in the Sicilian Sveshnikov were made by opponents in some 15 minutes.

(It is curious whether Black could try 23...Bd2+ if White would have played 23.Rb1). After 25.Ra7! White obtained a very good compensation for the pawn. He does not risk losing the game at all. After 29...Rf1! White could try 30.Ra2 Rxf2 31.Kg3 Re2 32.Kf3 Re3+ 33.Kf2 Rd3 34.Ke2 Rxd5 35.exd5 Bb4 36.Raa7 but then 26...Rc8! 37.Rxf7 Rc2+ equalises. Later, instead 30...Rxf7 possible was 30...Bf4+ 31.g3 Rxf2+ 32.Kg1 Be3 33.Rxg7+ Kh6 34.Rh7+ Kg6 35.Rag7+ Kf6 36.Kh1 Rc8 37.Rf7+ Kg6 38.Rhg7+ Kh6 39.Rxf2 Bxf2 40.Rg5 where White hardly can have much. In the game Jakovenko experienced certain problems, but managed to hold after the long defence.

0.5-0.5

Shirov - Onischuk

A known line of the Catalan Opening. The move 11...Qc8 is not particularly popular, but Onischuk already played like this - in particular against Bareev this year. The capture 15...Nxf6 is a novelty (in 1981, Jon Speelman took on f6 with the bishop). By playing 21...f6! and 22...c5 Black solved his main strategic problem, getting rid of the weakness on c6. But after that Onischuk 'forgot' to regain the pawn, probably underestimating 25.a3!. After that White was clearly better. Later Onischuk somehow managed to activate his forces and regain the pawn on the queenside.

0.5-0.5

Svidler - Sasikiran

One of the main lines of Breyer System of the Ruy Lopez Defence: White has a slight territorial advantage in the very complex position. The move 19.Kh1 appears to be new. Position before this move occurred, in particular, in the game Almasi-Sasikiran, Corsica rapid 2005. After 25...f5 Black's position looks good: if 26.Ne2 g5 with attacking chances, therefore Svidler made a less ambitious move 26.exf6. Gradually Black developed a certain initiative. In the time trouble Sasikiran performed unsuccessfully. As it seems he missed a good chance 35...Nxg3!. After 39...h5?! 40.Nh6+! Svidler was already better. Soon the queens endgame with an extra pawn for White arose. Nevertheless, Black managed to save half a point.

0.5-0.5

Karjakin - Nisipeanu

An interesting line of the Sicilian Scheveningen. 12.Kb1 seems to be new. Nisipeanu immediately sacrificed exchange on c3, aiming to get a positional compensation. После 13...d5 Karjakin decided to return the exchange: 14.Rxd5!?. In can be observed that Nisipeanu's position after the opening looks satisfactory. Opponents agreed for a draw after 18...Nd5 when Black's position was somewhat more promising.

0.5-0.5

Rublevsky - Ivanchuk

The Fischer Attack in the Sicilian Najdorf (which was recently twice used by Rublevsky in the Candidates Match versus Ruslan Ponomariov). Ivanchuk opted for a relatively rare line with 7...Be7; Rublevsky responded with a principled 8.g4. Instead of Rublevsky's h2-h4 White more often tried Rh1-g1, but it is hard to judge what is objectively better. On the 12th move Ivanchuk introduced a logical novelty. Few moves later it became clear that Black has excellent prospect on the queenside. (One can find some analogy with a well-known game Fischer-Larsen, Palma de Mallorca 1970). After series of strong moves (20...f5!, 22...a4, 24...f4!) Ivanchuk was clearly better. On the 33rd move White had a difficult choice. Possibly already at this point Rublevsky planned transition to a worse, but not hopeless queens ending. White could try to defend, using stalemate ideas, but Rublevsky decided to take the black b4 pawn on the move 49. After that, Ivanchuk managed to win.

0-1

Van Wely - Eljanov

Eljanov opted for the Ragozin Defence (which is nowadays often used by Levon Aronian). White castled queenside, Black castled kingside and an acute position emerged with each side hoping to attack the enemy's king. However, these attacks did not happen: the game developed in a positional way and Black, having a strong bishop of g7, gradually obtained a slight advantage. It seems that on the 32nd move Eljanov blundered a pawn: after 33.cxb6, the line 33...Qxd2 34.Qxd2 Rxd2 35.bxa7 Rd8 36.Rc1 Ra8 37.Rc7 would have been dangerous for him. But even without a pawn Black's position seemed to be playable. On the 38th move, 38...b5!? (suggested in the press-centre by Pavel's father, master Vladimir Eljanov) probably deserved attention. On the 53rd move Van Wely sacrificed an exchange. This proved to be enough for a victory. The line 57...f4 58.gxf4! gxf4 59.Nxc8 e3 60.fxe3 f3 61.Ne7+ Kf7 62.Nf5 +- could not save Eljanov. One move earlier, a curious practical chance for Black was 56...h5 57.gxh5 (or else 57.Nxb6 Rb8) 57...f5 58.Nxb6 f4 59.gxf4 e3 60.fxe3 g4 61.Nxc8 g3.

1-0