Crown on the Squares: 64th Russian Championship – Black day for black qu...

Crown on the Squares: 64th Russian Championship – Black day for black qu...: "Round 2 It was an exciting round for chess fans, as Kramnik shrugged off his first round loss with a convincing win over Timofeev in round..."

64th Russian Championship – Black day for black queens

Round 2
It was an exciting round for chess fans, as Kramnik shrugged off his first round loss with a convincing win over Timofeev in round two. Artyom's queen found itself desperately seeking shelter, a situation that led to his demise. Morozevich played a heart-thumping do-or-die attack which almost went bad, but in the end his courage was rewarded as he caught Grischuk's queen

Morozevich, A.2694–Grischuk, A.27461–0D3164th ch-RUS209.08.2011

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.c3 e7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.f4 c6 6.e3f5 7.h3 Leave it to Morozevich to play something completely offbeat. d7 8.f3 b6 9.e2!? You didn't actually think he was going to develop his bishop on the f1-a6 diagnoal did you? Of course not! g4-Bg2 is the only logical way to develop here... when your name is Morozevich that is. gf6 10.g4 g6 11.h4 a512.g2 e4 13.xg6 xc3 14.d2 hxg6!You might wonder why Black could not play 14...b4!?threatening to win the queen with a nasty discovered attack. But it doesn't quite achieve its purpose. 15.a3! is enough to maintain the balance. 15.bxc3 b6 16.0-0 c4 17.e2 0-0 18.e4 d6 19.e5! The move is not the objective best, but Morozevich deserves the marks for ambition since the intentions could not be clearer. a320.ab1 xc3 21.fd1 b5 22.b3 a5 23.g5 fe8 24.h4f8 25.h5? This is a mistake since White had no need to give up the a2 pawn (and Black counterplay) just yet.Instead 25.h3! preparing the very same h5 was better since after a take on h5, Black will not have time to capture as he will be facing a mate on the h-file. In fact, it is not clear Black can defend this position. d6 26.h5 f5 and now White can simply line up his battering ram and assault the king. 27.f3c7 28.g4! d728...-- Threatening 29.hxg6 fxg6 30.xf5 gxf5 31.g6 cutting off the monarch's escape. 29.g2! with the idea Rdh1 if allowed. 25...gxh5 26.xh5?! Another imprecision which will allow Grischuk to get a slight upper hand though the attack is still full underway.26.g6! fxg6 27.g3 e6 28.c2 ae828...a4 29.xa4 bxa4 30.h3 29.h3 would lead to equality. 26...g6 27.h4 Now it will be much harder to break through.xa2 28.h3 g7 29.h7+ f8 30.f3 The players were already quite short of time by now, and it really is a make or break situation. Unless some kind of wild perpetual takes place (a distinct possibility), either White's attack goes through, or he will lose the game. It is that simple. Poker chess at its best! e231.dd3 e6 32.g3? A blunder! a5?? Grischuk returns the favor and misses the point of White's move: to capture the queen!After 32...d2! 33.fe3 d1+ 34.h2 Black has seized control and with two pawns should be able to win. 33.f1! e4There is nothing to be done. If 33...e1 for example, then34.xf7+ xf7 35.f3+ e8 36.xg7+- 34.f4 There is no escape. xf4 35.xf4 a4 36.d1 a337.xc4 dxc4 38.d2 a4 39.e3 e7 40.d5 a2 41.d6 The time control is made and it is over. d7 42.d4 b4 Finishing with style, Morozevich plays the crowd-pleasing 43.xg7+‼43.xg7+ xg7 44.e6+ f8 45.exd7 a8 46.f6 b3 How does White finish Black off? 47.g2‼ and if b2 48.h1! a149.h8# 1–0
[Event "64th ch-RUS"][Site "Moscow RUS"][Date "2011.08.09"][Round "2"][White "Morozevich, A."][Black "Grischuk, A."][Result "1-0"][ECO "D31"][WhiteElo "2694"][BlackElo "2746"][PlyCount "85"][EventDate "2011.08.08"]1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bf4 c6 6. e3 Bf5 7. h3 Nd7 8. Nf3 Qb6 9. Qe2 Ngf6 10. g4 Bg6 11. Nh4 Qa5 12. Bg2 Ne4 13. Nxg6 Nxc3 14. Qd2 hxg6 15. bxc3 Nb6 16. O-O Nc4 17. Qe2 O-O 18. e4 Bd6 19. e5 Ba3 20. Rab1 Qxc3 21. Rfd1 b5 22. Rb3 Qa5 23. g5 Rfe8 24. h4 Bf8 25. h5 gxh5 26. Qxh5 g6 27. Qh4 Qxa2 28. Rh3 Bg7 29. Qh7+ Kf8 30. Rf3 Qe2 31. Rdd3 Re6 32. Bg3 a5 33. Bf1 Qe4 34. Rf4 Qxf4 35. Bxf4 a4 36. Rd1 a3 37. Bxc4 dxc4 38. Bd2 Ra4 39. Be3 Re7 40. d5 a2 41. d6 Rd7 42. Bd4 b4 43. Qxg7+ 1-0

Crown on the Squares: 64th Russian Championship – Svidler beats Kramnik ...

Crown on the Squares: 64th Russian Championship – Svidler beats Kramnik ...: "This year's Russian championship marks its 64th edition, yet also marks the shortest championship in history with a mere seven rounds to det..."

64th Russian Championship – Svidler beats Kramnik in round one

This year's Russian championship marks its 64th edition, yet also marks the shortest championship in history with a mere seven rounds to determine the winner. It makes up for it somewhat with a stellar field including Kramnik, Karjakin, Grischuk and more, and fantastic video coverage. Svidler beats Kramnik in the very first round, staking a strong claim on the title.

Round one

In such a short tournament, a strong start or a weak one can decide the event from the beginning as there is little time to play catch-up. Astonishingly, the only decisive result came from Vladimir Kramnik, fresh from a fantastic tournament in Dortmund just weeks ago, but it was a shock loss to Peter Svidler. All other games ended in draws.

Svidler, Peter2739–Kramnik, Vladimir27811–0A0764th ch-RUS108.08.2011

1.f3 d5 2.g3 f6 3.g2 c6 4.d3 g4 5.bd2 bd7 6.h3h5 7.g4 g6 8.h4 e6 9.e3 d6 10.e2 c7 11.0-00-0-0 12.b1N An interesting and flexible novelty by Svidler. Though the rook is now positioned to push b4, there is no immediate hurry, and this useful move forces Kramnik to show his hand first.12.f4 h6 13.xg6 fxg6 14.f3 e5 15.h4 exf4 16.exf4he8 17.f2 c5 18.d4 b6 19.b4 e4 20.xe4 xe421.c3 de8 22.xg6 c5 23.bxc5 xc5 24.f3 a425.d2 xc3 26.xc3 e3 27.xd5 xc3 28.ae1 d829.f5+ b8 30.h2 xd4 31.e2 a6 32.fe1 a733.e4 b6 34.e5 d4 35.f5 g5 36.fxg5 dd3 37.g2g3+ 38.f1 g1# 0-1 (38) Morozevich,A (2755)-Kramnik,V (2785)/Moscow 2007/EXT 2008 12...a5?! It is often noted that when outside their known territory, GMs play weaker, and it seems even Kramnik is not above this rule. Kramnik chooses an odd plan with almost beginner-like directness (Bb8-Qc7... Qh2 mate?), but that doesn't really do a lot for the rest of his position. There is little way the bishop is better behind the queen. 13.a3 b8 14.f4 e5? Really not his day. It is a red flag to box in his bishop with ...f5 so the question beckons: what is preventing Svidler from doing exactly that? 15.f5 e416.dxe4 c7 17.f4! de8 18.fxg6 hxg6 19.hf3 b620.e5 xe5 21.xe5 xe5 22.f3 White has some work to do, but the extra piece should be decisive. h7 23.c4? A flawed idea that nearly throws the win away.Instead 23.h4! preventing Ng5 and threatening Rxf7 was best.f523...f6 24.g5 h5 25.xf7 24.gxf5 f6 25.fxg6 xh4 26.b4!+- 23...g5 24.cxd5 cxd5 25.f1 b8 26.b4 d4 27.d2 e728.c1 dxe3? A pity for the winner of Dortmund. After climbing out of the hole with the help of his opponent, Black errs and is once again in deep trouble.28...d3! 29.xd329.f2 d6 29...xf3+ 30.xf3 xh3 31.g2 h8 32.e1 d8 and White may be better, but it is far from won. 29.xe3 d4? Last chance to grab the exchange. 30.g3!xe3+ 31.xe3 he8 32.c3 a6 33.f2 f6 34.c2 xf2+35.xf2 e2+ 36.f1 d2 37.gd3 ee2 38.xd2 xd239.e3 e6 40.c4 d1+ 41.f2 f4 42.f3 a1 43.h4g5 44.h51–0
(YOU CAN SEE THIS NOTATION BY USING CBASE)[Event "64th ch-RUS"][Site "Moscow RUS"][Date "2011.08.08"][Round "1"][White "Svidler, Peter"][Black "Kramnik, Vladimir"][Result "1-0"][ECO "A07"][WhiteElo "2739"][BlackElo "2781"][PlyCount "87"][EventDate "2011.08.08"]
1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 4. d3 Bg4 5. Nbd2 Nbd7 6. h3 Bh5 7. g4 Bg6 8. Nh4 e6 9. e3 Bd6 10. Qe2 Qc7 11. O-O O-O-O 12. Rb1 Qa5 13. a3 Bb8 14. f4 e5 15. f5e4 16. dxe4 Qc7 17. Rf4 Rde8 18. fxg6 hxg6 19. Nhf3 Qb6 20. e5 Nxe5 21. Nxe5Bxe5 22. Rf3 Nh7 23. c4 Ng5 24. cxd5 cxd5 25. Nf1 Kb8 26. b4 d4 27. Bd2 Re7 28.Rc1 dxe3 29. Bxe3 Bd4 30. Rg3 Bxe3+ 31. Nxe3 Rhe8 32. Rc3 a6 33. Qf2 f6 34. Nc2Qxf2+ 35. Kxf2 Re2+ 36. Kf1 Rd2 37. Rgd3 Ree2 38. Rxd2 Rxd2 39. Ne3 Ne6 40. Nc4Rd1+ 41. Kf2 Nf4 42. Bf3 Ra1 43. h4 g5 44. h5 1-0