Chucky went on to Leon, Spain for another elite rapid match-tournament. He bested Alexander Morozevich of Russia only to lose in the finals to the world’s number 3, Magnus Carlsen, 18, of Norway.
Last month, Ivanchuk joined five of the world’s top GMs in Bazna, Romania for the double round robin “Kings” tournament. Also playing were young Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan, Alexei Shirov of Spain, Boris Gelfand of Israel, Gata Kamsky of the U.S., and the best ever rated Romanian player, Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu, the 2005 European champion.
Chucky won 4, drew 6 and did not drop a single game to clinch solo first prize. Gelfand was second, a point behind. Radjabov and Shirov shared third-fourth places, while Kamsky finished sixth-seventh with Nisipeanu.
Game of the week. GM Dorian Rogozenco annotates Ivanchuk’s splendid seventh round win against Shirov. It’s a game that featured a mating attack in an endgame with bishops of opposite colors!
White: V. Ivanchuk (2746)
Black: A. Shirov (2745)
Kings Tournament, Bazna 2009
It is well-known that Ivanchuk can play virtually everything in the opening. Earlier in this tournament Shirov had problems in the Gruenfeld Defense against Radjabov and so Ivanchuk decided to repeat the variation.
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Ne4 5.Bh4 c5 6.cxd5 Nxc3 7.bxc3 Qxd5 8.e3 Bg7 9.Nf3 Nc6 10.Be2 cxd4 11.cxd4 0-0. Expectedly Shirov deviates from his 3rd round game versus Radjabov. [11…e5 12.dxe5 Qa5+ 13.Qd2 Qxd2+ 14.Kxd2 Nxe5 15.Rab1 0-0 16.Nd4 Nd7 17.Rhc1 Bxd4 18.exd4 Nb6 19.Bf3 led to a large advantage for White.] 12.0-0 b6 13.Rc1 Bb7 14.Qa4 e6 15.Rc3! The Ukrainian comes with a good novelty. Previously White placed the rook on c2, but Ivanchuk keeps square c2 available for the queen. 15…Rfc8 16.Rfc1 a6 17.Ne1 b5 18.Qc2 White’s pressure on the c-file is very unpleasant and Shirov comes with an interesting idea. 18…Nxd4. Changing completely the type of position. After other moves White’s play is easier: [18…Na7 19.Bf3 Qd7 20.Bxb7 (20.Rc7 Rxc7 21.Qxc7 Qxc7 22.Rxc7 Bxf3 23.gxf3 is possible as well) 20…Qxb7 21.Rc7 Rxc7 22.Qxc7 Qxc7 23.Rxc7 with advantage; Or 18…Nd8 19.Bf3 Rxc3 20.Qxc3 Qxa2 (20…Qd7 21.Qc7 is advantage for White with equal material) 21.Rc2 Qb1 22.Bxb7 Nxb7 23.Kf1 and the queen comes to c7.] 19.exd4 Bxd4 20.Bf3. Ivanchuk’s move is stronger than 20.Rxc8+ Rxc8 21.Qd1 Rxc1 22.Qxc1 Qxa2 when Black keeps the important dark-squared bishop alive. 20…Rxc3 21.Qxc3 [21.Bxd5 Rxc2 22.Nxc2 was another attractive possibility] 21…Bxc3 22.Bxd5 Bxd5 23.Rxc3 Bxa2 24.Bf6 b4 [Worse is 24…Bc4 25.Nf3 a5 26.Ne5] 25.Rc7 b3 26.Nd3 a5 27.Nc5 g5 [27…a4? 28.Nxa4 Rxa4 29.Rc8# mate] 28.Rb7 h6 29.Nxb3 a4 30.Nc5 Bd5 Here Ivanchuk had less than one minute left for 10 moves and he chooses the safest continuation — to exchange rooks. 31.Rd7. But stronger is 31.Rc7 a3 32.Nd7! a2 33.Ba1 and White is better. 31…a3 32.Rd8+ Rxd8 33.Bxd8 Kg7 34.Ba5 Kg6 35.Bc3 f6 36.f3 h5 37.Kf2 e5 38.g3 Kf5 39.Nd7 Bc6 40.Nc5 g4 The time control is over and the position should be a draw. 41.fxg4+ Kxg4 42.h4. The only way to keep some life in the position. Otherwise Black plays h4 himself. 42…a2 43.Bb2 Bd5. First repetition 44.Nd3 Kf5 45.Ba1 Bc4 46.Nc5 Bd5 47.Bb2 Kg4. Second repetition 48.Na4 Bb3 49.Nc5. And here Shirov could claim a draw due to the threefold repetition! 49…Bd5. Third repetition 50.Nd7 Kf5 51.Ke3 Bc6 52.Nb6 Kg4 53.Kf2 Kf5 54.Nc4 Ke4! Weaker is 54…Kg4 55.Ne3+ Kh3 56.Nd1! Bd5 57.Nc3 Bb3 58.Ne4. 55.Ne3 Bd7 56.Nd1 Be6 57.Nc3+ 57…Kd3. After this the position is still a draw, but why give White some chances? An easy draw was 57…Kf5. 58.Ba1 Bc4. This is already a dangerous decision. Again a simple draw is 58…Bf7, or even 58…Bg8 (to control a square in front of White’s h-pawn). 59.g4! Ivanchuk immediately uses his chance. 59…hxg4 60.h5 e4 61.h6 e3+ 62.Ke1 Bg8 63.Nxa2 f5 64.Be5 Ke4 65.Bc7 f4 66.Nc3+ Kf5 [66…Kd3 is also possible: 67.Nd5 f3 68.Bg3 Bh7 69.Nf6 Bf5 70.Nxg4 Kd4] 67.Nd5 After more than six hours of play Shirov makes the decisive mistake. 67…Bh7?? 67…g3 leads to an immediate draw: 68.Nxf4 (68.Bxf4 Ke4; 68.Kf1 g2+) 68…Kg5 and Black wins the h-pawn. It is curious that Ivanchuk also didn’t see this possibility for Black (as he admitted after the game). 68.Ke2. Missed by Shirov. Now White is winning. 68…g3 69.Kf3 e2 70.Kxe2 g2 71.Kf2 f3 72.Bb6 Ke6 73.Nc3 Kf7 74.Be3 Kg6 75.Nd5 Kf7 76.Kxf3 Bb1 77.Nc3 Bc2 78.Kxg2 Kg6 79.Kg3 Kh5 80.Nd5 Kg6 81.Kh4 Bb1 82.Bg5 Bc2 83.Nf6 Bf5 84.h7. After 84.h7 Kg7 85.Bh6+ Kh8 86.Bf8 Bxh7 87.Kg5 White plays inevitably Kh6 and Bg7 mate! Therefore Shirov resigned. A very difficult game for both opponents and a painful loss for Shirov, who made a mistake after a very long defense. 1-0.
Puzzler.
White — Ka4, Ba6, Nb8, Nc6, Qc1, pawns on e3 and h4
Black — Kd5, Nd6, Rf7, Bh7, Rh3, pawns on b3, c4, c7, d4, e6 and f3
White to play and mate in four.
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