GM Mikhail Golubev annotates games
Svidler, Peter (2746) - Jakovenko, Dmitry (2711)
Aerosvit-2008 (Foros), 06/13/2008
Round 6 [C89]
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A long theoretical variation of the Marshall Attack with 16.Qd3, 17.Nd2 - this is the old main line. After 25...Be2 26.Qf5 Bg4 a draw was agreed in Marcos Nozar-Magallon Minguez, LADAC 1999, because 27.Rxe6? fxe6! loses a piece for White. But Jakovenko played 25...Re2 instead. Anyway, the draw was agreed shortly after that.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5. 1/2-1/2 |
Shirov, Alexei (2740) - Karjakin, Sergey (2732)
Aerosvit-2008 (Foros), 06/13/2008
Round 6 [D43]
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In the sharp Moscow Gambit Shirov repeated a knight sacrifice, which was introduced in the game Topalov-Kramnik, Wijk aan Zee 2008. 16...h5!? is a novelty (Kramnik played 16...Raf8). Instead of 17.Bxh5 hardly good was 17.Bxe6 Kxe6 18.Qc2 Ne7 or 17.Qd2 Bh6 (or even 17...Rag8!? 18.Qxg5+ Bf6). Shirov's 18.Qg4 Bh6 19.h4! seems to be a good idea: White preserves compensation for the piece. After 20...Bxg5 Black is ready to return the piece in order to organises a counterattack. But instead of 17.Bh4 Shirov plays 17.Ne4, preparing a possible queen sacrifice after 17...Ne3 18.Qxg5+. After 24...Rh8!? 25.Bxg5+ Kc7 Shirov could have played 26.Rf7 Rxh5 27.Nf6 Rxg5 28.Nxd7 with a possible draw after 28...Rf5! 29.Rg7 Rg5. Instead, Alexey opted for 27.Bg4. Strangely enough, the position after 29.Nd6! Rg8! is most likely drawish. Instead of the most natural 20.Raf1, as Shirov, played, there also was 30.Rd1 where 30...Rxg5!? leads to a forced draw after 31.Rf8+ Kc7 32.Ne8+. After 31...Kc7 both 32.R1f7+ and 32.Ne8+ seem to lead to equality, the first one being a bit more precise. And Shirov played 32.R1f7+!. An exciting draw!
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10. 1/2-1/2 |
Carlsen, Magnus (2765) - Alekseev, Evgeny (2711)
Aerosvit-2008 (Foros), 06/13/2008
Round 6 [E18]
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À calm line of the Queen's Indian Defence. 14.b4 is an unexpected pawn sacrifice, which is also a novelty. It is not clear what Carlsen has in mind. Instead of 16.Nd4 White could have sacrificed an exchange: 16.Rxb7 Nxb7 17.Ne5 with some uncertain compensation. In the game Carlsen also had some compensation for the pawn after 18.Qb1!, and accepted opponent's draw agreement after 18....a5. As Carlsen explained after the game, when playing 14.b4?! he just missed a move 15...Nc5!.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.Nc3 Ne4 7.Bd2 d5 8.cxd5 exd5 9. 1/2-1/2 |
Ivanchuk, Vassily (2740) - Volokitin, Andrei (2684)
Aerosvit-2008 (Foros), 06/13/2008
Round 6 [D37]
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The Queen's Gambit Declined with 5.Bf4. A move 11.Be2 is a novelty. After 15.Qc2 White obtained a typical minimal advantage. Black's only problem is his isolani pawn in the centre. Volokitin managed to nautralise White's pressure and the darw was agreed in the already equal position.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 1/2-1/2 |
Van Wely, Loek (2676) - Onischuk, Alexander (2664)
Aerosvit-2008 (Foros), 06/13/2008
Round 6 [D37]
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One more Queen's Gambit Declined with 5.Bf4 in this round. Instead of Volokitin's 6...Nbd7 Onsichuk makes another popular move, 6...c5. A novelty was 14.Bg3. The endgame, which soon arose, is marginally better for White. It seems that Van Wely gradually improved his position: Black's position after 25.Bxb7 g5 does not look safe, because the white bishop is clearly stronger than the black knight. Anyway, Onsichuk managed to hold.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 1/2-1/2 |
Eljanov, Pavel (2687) - Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter (2684)
Aerosvit-2008 (Foros), 06/13/2008
Round 6 [E00]
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The Catalan Opening with 3...Bb4+. 10.0-0 was a new move. A double-edged play started, but opponents agreed for a draw rather prematurely after 17 moves.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 c5 5.Bxb4 cxb4 6.Bg2 1/2-1/2 |