- -
[Event "5th Tal Memorial"]
[Site "Moscow/Russia"]
[Date "2010.11.08"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C78"]
[WhiteElo "2760"]
[BlackElo "2735"]
[Annotator "Sylvain"]
[PlyCount "126"]
[EventDate "2010.??.??"]
[TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 {
Archangelsk defence is one of Shirov's favorites} 7. c3 d6 8. d4 Bb6 9. Be3 {
9.a4 and 9.h3 are the main moves here} O-O 10. Nbd2 Bg4 11. h3 Bh5 12. Bg5 exd4
{12...Na5 is tried more often but not very successfully. Before this game 12...
exd4 has been played only once.} 13. Bd5 {this sharp move leads to a variation
where black will get 2 pawns for the exchange.} dxc3 14. Bxc6 cxd2 15. Bxa8
Qxa8 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Qxd2 Qxe4 {here we are. This looks promising for black :
bishop pair and 2 pawns for the exchange, this is balanced} 18. Rfe1 Qf5 19.
Nh4 Qg5 20. Qxg5+ fxg5 {
black's structure is better now but white gets an active knight} 21. Nf5 Bg6
22. Ne7+ Kg7 23. Nd5 ({That's modern chess opening preparation!} 23. Rad1 {
was Jobava-Grigoryan in 2008. White won in 48 moves, reaching a rook vs
bishop+2 pawns endgame.}) 23... Rb8 24. Rad1 Kf8 {preventing Re7 thanks to c6}
25. g4 $1 {white needs to play very actively because black could end better in
the endgame. Karjakin would like to place his knight firmly in f6.} c5 26. h4
({the computer is afraid of the bishop pair and asks to take in b6} 26. Nxb6
Rxb6 27. Kg2 {is still balanced. Black has better chances but it's difficult
to activate the bishop, the king and the d pawn!} b4 28. Rd5 c4 29. Rxg5 c3 30.
b3 Rc6 31. f3 f6 32. Ra5 Bf7 33. Kf2 d5 {
finally, but still no way to play with the Kf8 and white have active pieces}
34. Ke3 Re6+ 35. Kf2 Rd6 36. Rc5 Rd7 37. a3 d4 38. axb4 Bxb3 $11) 26... gxh4
27. f4 {discreetly threatening to trap the bishop :)} f5 28. g5 {
nice idea by Karjakin: now he got f6 for his knight and the Bg6 is less strong.
} Bf7 29. Nf6 c4+ (29... Rd8 30. Nxh7+ Kg7 31. Nf6 d5 32. Re7 c4+ 33. Kg2 {
is almost the same than the game, white having enough activity in compensation}
) 30. Kg2 Rd8 31. Nxh7+ Kg7 32. Nf6 b4 33. Re7 (33. Nd5 {
with the idea Ne7, was safer} Bxd5+ 34. Rxd5 c3 35. bxc3 bxc3 36. Re7+ Kg8 37.
Re2 Rc8 38. Rc2 Rc4 $11) 33... c3 34. bxc3 bxc3 35. Nd7 {
very good activity for white} Ba5 36. g6 $1 {impressive, 2B+2p against R+N can
be really strong but Karjakin played so actively that it's Shirov who is
having a hard time!} Kxg6 37. Kh3 {threatening to win the Bf7} Rxd7 {only move}
38. Rxd7 Bb4 39. Kxh4 Bxa2 {3 pawns for 2 exchanges: nice!} 40. R1xd6+ $1 {
white immediately gives one exchange back to eliminate the c and d passed pawns
} (40. Rc7 $2 {could become dangerous for white, the bishop pair can be very
strong to support passed pawns.} a5 41. Kg3 Bb3 42. Rc1 Kf6 43. Kf3 a4 44. Ke3
Bc5+ 45. Kd3 c2 46. Rxc2 {
sooner or later white will have to give one exchange back} Bxc2+ 47. Kxc2 Ke6
48. Rc8 a3 49. Kc3 Kd5 50. Kd3 $11) 40... Bxd6 41. Rxd6+ Kf7 42. Rc6 {
of course the c pawn is more important} a5 43. Rxc3 {now black is playing for
a draw. This game was played in the fourth round and Shirov lost first 3 games
in endgames! One could imagine what he had in mind here : "no no please let me
draw this one...".} a4 44. Rc6 {cutting the black king} Ke7 45. Kg3 (45. Ra6
Bb3 46. Kg5 Bc2 47. Rc6 Bd3 48. Rc3 Bb1 $1 {only move} (48... Be4 49. Rc4 $18)
49. Rc1 Bd3 $11) 45... Kd7 46. Ra6 Bb3 47. Kf2 Kc7 48. Ke1 Kb7 49. Rh6 (49. Ra5
{was more challenging} Kb6 50. Re5 $1 Kc6 51. Rxf5 a3 52. Kd2 a2 53. Ra5 Kd6
54. Kc3 Bd5 55. Ra6+ Ke7 56. Kd4 Bb3 57. Ke5 Kf7 58. f5 Kg7 $1 59. Ra7+ Bf7 $11
) 49... Kc7 50. Kd2 a3 51. Kc3 a2 52. Kb2 Kd7 53. Ra6 Bc4 54. Ra5 Be6 55. Ra7+
Kc6 56. Ra6+ Kd7 57. Kc3 Kc7 58. Kd4 Kb7 59. Ra3 Kb6 60. Ke5 Bc4 61. Kxf5 {
it's a draw} Kc5 62. Kg6 Kb4 63. Rxa2 Bxa2 {Nice game. It's impressive and
instructive how Karjakin played with the "supposed slightly worse" material
R+N against 2B+2p.} 1/2-1/2
