2008 Tal Memorial Round 1

A fine win against Kamsky

Results round 1, August 18, 2008

Kramnik - Shirov 1-0
Morozevich - Alekseev 1-0
Ivanchuk - Kamsky 1-0
Leko - Mamedyarov ½-½
Ponomariov - Gelfand ½-½

Here's one of the highlight match of the day with comprehensive analysis provided by yours truly ;) . It's a very solid game by Vasily Ivanchuck of Ukraine against Gata Kamsky of USA. Enjoy!




1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 (the Gruenfeld Defense)

4.Bf4 (For less adventurous players who do not wish to take on the complexities of the Exchange Variation, the move 4.Bf4 is considered a safer continuation for White. White opts for the initiative on the queenside with a smaller pawn center.)

4...Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Rc1 dxc4 7.e4 Bg4 8.Bxc4 Nfd7 (8...Nh5 is the more aggressive continuation for black and has more decent result against white but Kamsky, a brilliant defensive player, opt to concentrate on pressuring white's strong center)

9.Be2 (defending the d4 pawn)

9...Nc6 (Bxf3 and c6 have been tried before, all but failed)

10.Be3 Nb6 11.d5 Bxf3 12.gxf3 (12.Bxf3 Nc4! and black has a positional edge)

12...Ne5 13.Qb3 (defending the c4 square against blacks strong knights invasion. Note that white can also defend the c4 square with 13.b3!? but that leaves black's dark squared bishop menacing)

13...c6 14.f4 Ned7 15.0-0 (Black is totally incapable of assaulting white's exposed king at the moment.)

15...Qe8 16.a4 (this push simplifies white space advantage on the queenside)

16...cxd5 (a counter move by black to create more space for his pieces but it left white with this...)

17.Nb5 Rc8 18.Rxc8 Qxc8 19.e5 a6 20.Na7! Qc7?! 21.Rc1 (white now is the master of the queenside battlefield!)

21...Qd8 22.a5 Nc4 23.Bxc4 dxc4 24.Qxb7 g5 25.Nc6 Qe8 (white now has a decisive advantage here and black is all tied up)

26.Rxc4 gxf4 27.Bxf4 Kh8 28.Bg3 Rg8 29.Kf1 e6 30.Rd4 Nc5 31.Qb6 Nd7 32.Qc7 Nb8 33.Nd8! (the final dagger)

33...Qb5+ 34.Kg1 h6 35.Nxf7+ Kh7 36.Qc2+ (black will be mated in the next move so black resigns. 1-0)


Tal Memorial Round 1 Standings

					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0
1.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	2781	UKR	+720	*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1	.
2.	Kramnik, Vladimir	2788	RUS	+753	.	*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	1
3.	Morozevich, Alexander	2788	RUS	+742	.	.	*	.	.	.	.	1	.	.
4.	Gelfand, Boris	2720	ISR	-1	.	.	.	*	.	.	½	.	.	.
5.	Leko, Peter	2741	HUN	+1	.	.	.	.	*	½	.	.	.	.
6.	Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	2742	AZE	-2	.	.	.	.	½	*	.	.	.	.
7.	Ponomariov, Ruslan	2718	UKR	+2	.	.	.	½	.	.	*	.	.	.
8.	Alekseev, Evgeny	2708	RUS	-753	.	.	0	.	.	.	.	*	.	.
9.	Kamsky, Gata	2723	USA	-742	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	*	.
10.	Shirov, Alexei	2741	ESP	-720	.	0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	*