Selected games

(1) Gelfand,Boris - Amonatov,Farrukh [E94] World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.2), 24.11.2009 [PHN] 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 c6 8.d5 Na6 9.Be3 Ng4 10.Bg5 f6 11.Bh4 c5 12.Ne1 Nh6 13.Nd3 g5 14.Bg3 f5 15.exf5 Bxf5 16.f3 Bg6 17.Be1 Nf5 18.Bd2 Nd4 19.Nf2 Nxe2+ 20.Qxe2 h6 21.Nfe4 Nc7 22.Rab1 b6 23.a3 Ne8 24.b4 Nf6 25.bxc5 bxc5 26.Rb7 Rf7 27.Rfb1 Rxb7 28.Rxb7 Rb8 29.Rxa7 Rb2 30.Qd1 Qb6 31.Nxf6+ Bxf6 32.Qa4 Qd8 33.Ne4 Bxe4 34.fxe4 Rb1+ 35.Kf2 Qf8 Gelfand played an excellent strategig game, and is completely winning. Fritz 12 points out the prophylactic 36 Kg3! as the easiest way to progress. 36.Ra8? Bd8+ 37.Kg3? [37.Ke3 Rg1 38.Qd7 Qf4+ is a draw by perpetual.] 37...Rf1! 38.Be3 Re1! 39.Qb3 Re2! 40.h3 ' Amonatov's tactic of making a quick draw as White almost pays off, as he is now one move away from eliminating the top seed. 40...Qf1?? [40...Kg7 Once again a prophylactic king move is required. It threatens 41...Qf1 and White's only clearly insufficient try is 41 Rxd8.] 41.Rxd8+ Black resigns as he probably missed [41.Rxd8+ Kg7 42.Qb7+ Kg6 43.Rg8+ Kh5 44.Rxg5+ ] 1-0

(2) Svidler,Peter - Nyback,Tomi [C88] World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.2), 24.11.2009 [PHN] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.a4 Na5 11.Ba2 c5 12.Nbd2 b4 13.c3 Rc8 14.Nf1 bxc3 15.bxc3 c4 16.Bg5 cxd3 17.Qxd3 Qc7 18.Ng3 g6 19.Rab1 Bc6 20.Bh6 Rfd8 21.Be3 Nd7 22.Qxa6 Nc5 23.Bxc5 dxc5 24.Bd5 Ra8 25.Qe2 Bxd5 26.exd5 Rxd5 27.Nxe5 Bf8 28.Ng4 Bg7 29.Ne4 Rdd8 30.Nef6+ Kh8 31.Ne8 Svidler beautifully exploits the weakness of the back rank in the following. 31...Qf4 32.g3 Qf5 33.Nd6! Rxd6 34.Qe8+! 34...Rxe8 35.Rxe8+ Bf8 36.Rxf8+ Kg7 37.Rbb8! Rd1+ 38.Kh2 Rh1+ 39.Kxh1 Qd5+ 40.Kg1 f5 41.Rfd8 1-0

(3) Radjabov,Teimour - Sakaev,Konstantin [D37] World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.2), 24.11.2009 [PHN] 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Qc2 c5 8.0-0-0 Radjabov desperately need to win, and tries this risky continuation. 8...cxd4 9.Rxd4 Qa5 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Bd3 Nc5 12.Rd1 Be6 13.Ng5 Nxd3+ 14.Qxd3 g6 15.Ra4 Qb6 16.Nxe6 fxe6 17.Kb1 Nh5 18.g3 Rac8 19.Qb5 A bad sign, but White's attack had come to a standstill. 19...Qxb5 20.Nxb5 a6 21.Nd4 Kf7 22.Bh6 Rfe8 23.Nf3 Kg8 24.Ng5 Rc6 25.Rad4 Nf6 26.h3 e5 27.R4d2 e4 28.Rc2 Rxc2 29.Kxc2 Rc8+ 30.Kb3 Rc6 31.f3 Rb6+ 32.Kc2 Rc6+ 33.Kb1 b5 34.g4 Bf8 35.Bxf8 Kxf8 36.fxe4 Nxe4 37.Nxe4 dxe4 38.Rd4 Re6 39.h4 Ke7 40.Kc2 Re5 41.g5 a5! Ends White's dream of entering with the king, and Black's own majesty has a clear path toward White's kingside. 42.Kb3 Ke6 43.a4 Kf5 44.Rd7 Kg4 45.Rxh7 Rd5 46.Rh6 Rd3+ 47.Ka2 bxa4 48.Rxg6 Kxh4 49.Re6 Rxe3 50.g6 Kh3 51.g7 Rg3 52.Rxe4 Rxg7 53.Re5 Rb7 54.Rxa5 Rb4 55.Rg5 Kh4 56.Rg2 Rb3 57.Rc2 Kg5 58.Rc4 Kf5 59.Rxa4 Rb8 60.Rc4 Ra8+ 61.Kb3 Ke6 62.Rc5 Kd6 63.Rc4 Kd5 64.Kc3 Kd6 65.b3 Kd5 66.Kb4 Rb8+ 67.Ka3 Ra8+ 68.Ra4 Rb8 69.Rh4 Ra8+ 70.Ra4 Rb8 71.Rc4 Ra8+ 72.Kb2 Ra5 73.Rc8 Rc5 74.Rh8 Kc6 75.Ka3 Kb7 76.Ka4 Rg5 77.b4 Rf5 78.b5 Rf1 1/2-1/2

(4) So,Wesley - Ivanchuk,Vassily [D13] World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.2), 24.11.2009 [PHN] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6? Ivanchuk badly need to win, and chooses the Slav! 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.cxd5! 4...cxd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bf4 a6 7.Rc1 Bf5 8.e3 e6 9.Qb3 Ra7 10.Ne5 Nxe5 11.Bxe5 Nd7 12.Bg3 Be7 13.Be2 0-0 14.0-0 Qa8 15.Nb1 Rc8 16.Bd3 Bxd3 17.Qxd3 Rc6! To unbalance the position a bit. 18.Rc2 Nb6 19.Rfc1 Nc4 20.Nd2 Nxd2 21.Qxd2 a5 22.Qd3 a4 23.f3 Raa6 24.e4 Qd8 25.Rxc6 Rxc6 26.Rxc6 bxc6 27.Bf2 h5 28.Be3 Qa5 29.Kf2 h4 30.g4? h3! 31.Kg3 Qe1+ 32.Kxh3 dxe4 33.Qxe4 33...Qf1+ Missing a golden chance. [33...Qe2! This threatens ...Bd6. 34.Bf4 (34.a3 (just to use a random move to illustrate) 34...Bd6 35.f4 g5 ) 34...Qf1+ 35.Kg3 g5! 36.Bc7 Bb4! being the point – creating a mating net.] 34.Kg3 Bd6+ 35.Bf4 Bb4 36.g5 Be1+ 37.Kg4 Qg2+ 38.Bg3 Bxg3 39.hxg3 Qxb2 40.Qxc6 Qxd4+ 41.f4 g6 42.Qc2 a3 43.Kf3 e5 44.fxe5 Qxe5 45.Qd3 Qb2 46.Qd5 1/2-1/2

(5) Navara,David - Shabalov,Alexander [A90] World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.2), 24.11.2009 [PHN] 1.d4 f5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.c4 d5 5.Nh3 c6 6.0-0 Bd6 7.Bf4 Be7 8.Nd2 0-0 9.Nf3 Ne4 10.Qc1 Nd7 11.Nhg5 Ndf6 12.Ne5 Nh5 13.Nxe4 Nxf4 14.gxf4 fxe4 15.Qe3 Bd6 16.f3 Bxe5 17.fxe5 exf3 18.Rxf3 Rxf3 19.Qxf3 Bd7 20.Rf1 Qe7 21.Qb3 Be8 22.e4 dxc4 23.Qxc4 Bf7 24.b4 Rd8 25.a4 h6 26.b5 Kh7 27.h3 Bg6 28.bxc6 bxc6 29.Kh2 a5 30.Rf2 Qh4 31.Rf1 Qe7 32.Rd1 c5 33.d5 exd5 34.Rxd5 Rc8 35.Qc3 Bf7 36.Rd6 c4 37.Ra6 Rc5 38.Rxa5 Rc7 39.Ra6 Rb7 40.e6 Bg6 41.e5 Rb1 42.Qxc4 Rb2 43.Qg4 Qc5 44.Rd6 h5 45.Qf3 45...Qxe5+? [45...Rf2! 46.Qg3 Be4 47.e7 Qc2!! This must be the point Shabalov missed.] 46.Qg3 Qxg3+ 47.Kxg3 h4+ 48.Kf4 Rxg2 49.a5 Rf2+ 50.Ke3 Rh2 51.Kf4 Rxh3 52.e7 Bf7 53.Rd8 Rg3 [53...Ra3 54.e8Q Bxe8 55.Rxe8 Rxa5 56.Kg4! is a tablebase draw.] 54.a6 g5+ 55.Kf5 Ra3 1/2-1/2

(6) Bacrot,Etienne - Sasikiran,Krishnan [D44] World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.2), 24.11.2009 [PHN] 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.g3 Rg8 12.h4 Rxg5 13.hxg5 Nd5 14.g6 fxg6 15.Qg4 Qe7 16.Bg2 N7b6 17.Be4 Kd8 18.Qxg6 Bd7 19.Rh7 Qb4 20.Rb1 Nxc3 21.bxc3 Qxc3+ 22.Ke2 Qa3 23.Rbh1 Qb2+ 24.Kf3 Qc3+ 25.Ke2 Qb2+ 26.Kf3 Qxd4 Sasikirian needed to win, and thus has to play on. 27.Qf6+ Kc7 28.Qxe6 Kb8 29.Qf6 Bc5 30.R1h2 c3 31.Rxd7! Nxd7 [31...Qxd7 32.Rh7 also wins instantly.] 32.Rh8+ Bf8 33.Rxf8+ Nxf8 34.Qxc6 Nd7 35.Qb7# 1-0

(7) Jobava,Baadur - Iturrizaga,Eduardo [E12] World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.2), 24.11.2009 [PHN] 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 b6 4.a3 Ba6 5.Qc2 Bb7 6.Nc3 c5 7.e4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nc6 9.Nxc6 Bxc6 10.Bf4 Nh5 11.Bd2 Qc7 12.Nd5 Qb7 13.Bd3 Bd6 14.0-0 Qb8 15.g3 exd5 16.exd5 Bb7 17.Rfe1+ Kd8 18.Bc3 Nf6 19.b4 Qc7 20.Qb2 Kc8 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Qxf6 Rd8 23.Rac1 Bf8 24.c5 bxc5 25.bxc5 a5 26.c6 dxc6 27.dxc6 Ba6 28.Bf5+ Kb8 29.Qxd8+ Qxd8 30.c7+ [30.c7+ If 30...Qxc7 31.Re8+ is the deciding interpolation.] 1-0