Game of the day. Grandmaster Alexander Kalinin makes comments

Russia Chess Cup Stage 2013

Round 8

Towards the end of the tournament the tension has risen significantly and the fatigue is beginning to show, after eight days of non-stop tournament play. These conditions explain the lack of a full game chosen for annotation. The logical direction of a game was often interrupted by mistakes on both sides. There is nothing to be done about this – chess, especially under current time controls, is above all a fight! Here are two fragments, characteristic of the 8^th round.

Nepomniachtchi I. - Ponkratov P.

Play continued 28...Bc8 29.Ng4 and so on. Eventually, after the tables turning  back and forth the game ended in a white victory. The pictured diagram stirred the curiosity of the spectators in the demonstration hall, and a lively discussion ensued. The recommendation was an aggressive lunge. 28... Qg5! , creating an immediate threat to the white king. A thematic variation looks like so: 29.Qb7 Nf3+ 30.Kh1 Qe3! (also possible is 30...Qg3!) 31.Be3 Ng3#!

It goes without saying that white is by no means obligated to do down so cooperatively. However, in case of 29.Kh1 there follows 29...Re7 with a future 30...Ng3+, and by offering the exchange of the f2 bishop, black obtains an obvious advantage. Another continuation is 29. Ng4 Ng4 30. hg Bd5 31. Qa4 Nf6 32. Rd1 Re6 , but here the activity of the black pieces in connection with the threat of the h6-h5 advance makes the white position dangerous. For instance: 33. Ba6 h5 34. Bc8 hg 35. Be6 fe 36. f4 Qf5 with a strong attack for black.

Ganguly S. - Maletin P.

22... Rac8!? Ideally setting up his major pieces, black is literally inviting the bishop to post on b6. The Indian grandmaster accepts the challenge. 23. Bb6 Qc2 24. Bd8 Qe2 25. Be7!

In case of 25. Be2 Bd8 26. h4 (or 26. Rfc1 Rc1 27. Rc1 Bg5) 26... Rc2 black receives excellent compensation for his material. In giving the queen, white receives more than enough equivalent material.

25... Qb2?!

Lining up his major pieces on the 2^nd rank. However, better was 25... Qe3 26. Bd6 Qg5 27. Rae1 f6 28. Be4 , although here white is able to contain the king-side pawn mass, and has the better chances.

26. Bd6 Rc2

27. Ba3?

Continuing 27. Rab1! Rh2 28. Kg1 Qd2 29. Rb7 white has achieved a great advantage. The mistaken text move drastically changes the evaluation of the position.

27... Qd4 28. Rac1 Qd3 29. Bg2 Rc1 30. Rc1 f5! , and black, setting his pawns into motion, has taken the initiative. As the game went on the Russian grandmaster was able to secure victory.