1.e4
e5
2.Nf3
Nc6
3.Bb5
a6
4.Ba4
Nf6
5.0-0
Be7
6.Re1
b5
7.Bb3
0-0
Prepared for the Marshall.
8.h3
Blatny: "It gives moral satisfaction to every Marshall Attack player when he sees that even the strongest players on earth avoid this opening." He said this about a Kasparov game, but maybe this will soon also apply to Ponomariov? [8.c3
d5!?
- Marshall]
8...Bb7
9.d3
d6
10.a3
Nb8
11.Nbd2
Nbd7
12.Nf1
Re8
13.Ng3
c6
14.Nh2
It is probably not a good idea to avoid the idea of the previous game: [RR 14.Nf5
Bf8
15.Nh2
d5
16.Qf3
Kh8
17.Bg5
h6
18.Bh4+/-
1-0 Shirov,A-Adams,M/Wijk aan Zee 1998/CBM 63 (40)]
14...d5
15.Qf3
g6!
This immobilises the Ng3 - the weakening of the dark squares is not important.
16.Ba2
Bf8
17.Bg5
h6
18.Bd2
Bg7
19.Ng4
Nxg4
20.hxg4
The white game is not convincing.
20...Nc5
21.Rad1
Rc8
22.Nf1
Ne6
23.Qg3
[23.Qh3!?
]
23...Kh7
24.Nh2
f6
25.Nf3
c5
26.Qh2?!
[26.Qh3
]
26...Nd4!
27.Nxd4
cxd4
28.c3?!
[After 28.Rc1
White is still in business]
28...dxc3
29.bxc3
dxe4
30.dxe4
Qe7
The white pieces are uncoordinated, Black is clearly better.
31.a4
bxa4
32.Qh3
White now threatens 33.Bxh6! Bxh6 34.g5. The queen should have gone to h3 in the first place.
32...Red8
Black has no difficulty in defending against the threat. [32...--
33.Bxh6
Bxh6
34.g5+-
]
33.Qf3
Rc7!
34.Bc1
Rcd7
It's not just the extra pawn - a4 is well advanced and e4 is weak. Black also has the d-file.
35.Bb1
Qe6
36.Rxd7
Rxd7
37.Bc2
Bc6
38.Rd1
Qa2
39.Rxd7
Bxd7
40.Qd1
Bb5
[40...Bxg4!?
was probably seen by Ivanchuk, but in his time trouble he must have rejected it because of 41.Qxg4
Qxc2
42.Bxh6!
But it continues 42...f5
(42...Qxc3
43.Bxg7
Kxg7
44.Qd7+
Kh6
45.Qxa4
a5
; bzw. 42...Bxh6
43.Qd7+
Bg7
44.Qh3+
Bh6
(44...Kg8
45.Qe6+=
) 45.Qd7+
Kh8
46.Qc8+
Bf8!?
47.Qxf8+
Kh7
48.f3
Qc1+
49.Kf2
(49.Kh2?
Qh6+-+
) 49...a3
50.Qxf6
Qd2+
51.Kf1
a2
52.Qe7+
Kh6
53.Qh4+=
) 43.exf5
Qxf5
44.Qxf5
gxf5
45.Bc1
Bf8
and Black should win.]
41.Be3
Qc4-+
42.Kh2
Bc6
43.Qa1
Bf8
44.Bb1
a3
[44...Bxe4
was strong enough.]
45.f3
Qb3
46.Qa2
Ba4!
White cannot really move anything, but it is technically difficult for Black to get hold of the Pc3. White has at least a queen check. Probably the best course is to go for the endgame.
47.Kg3
Kg7?
Throws away the win! Ivanchuk should have made a couple of useful moves first. [47...Be7
48.Kh3
Kg7
49.Kh2
a5
50.Bd2
Qxa2
51.Bxa2
Bc2
52.Kg1
a4
53.Bd5
Bb3
54.Bc1
a2
55.Bb2
Ba3
56.Ba1
Bc1
If the white king were closer Black would win with Kf8-e7-d6. 57.Kf2
Bxd5
58.exd5
a3-+
]
48.Qd2!
g5
Ivanchuk rejects the draw - understandable, after the game he has played so far. But he is now in danger of losing. [48...Qxb1
49.Bxh6+
Kg8
50.Qd5+
Kh8
51.Bxf8
Qe1+
52.Kh2
Qh4+=
]
49.Ba2
Qb7
50.Qd3
Be8
51.Qd5
Qxd5
[51...Qf7
52.c4
--
53.c5
]
52.exd5
Objectively this endgame should be a draw.
52...a5
53.c4
Bb4
54.c5
Kf8
55.Kf2
Bb5
56.c6
Ke7
57.Ba7
Kd8
58.Bb6+
Kc8?
[After 58...Ke7
I do not see how White can make any progress. 59.Ke3
Ba4
60.Kd3
Bb5+
61.Ke4
but there is no zugzwang.]
59.Ke3+-
a4
[59...Ba4
was the only chance 60.Kd3!
(60.Bc4
Bd6
61.Bxa5
Bc2
) 60...Bd6
(60...Bb5+
61.Ke4+-
) 61.Bxa5
Bd1
62.Bc4
Ba4
63.Kc3
Bd1
64.Kd2
Ba4
65.Kc1+-
zugzwang]
60.Ke4
Be2
61.Kf5
e4
62.Ke6
exf3
63.d6
Bxd6
64.Kxd6
While Ponomariov earned the draw in game two with a powerful display of defensive skills, in this case his win was extremely lucky. The dubious time controls introduced by FIDE simply prevented Ivanchuk from reaping the fruit of a well-played game. A great pity, also for the match, which is now probably decided. 1-0