Morelia R4: Shirov beats Topalov, Ivanchuk blunders

Morelia-Linares 2008

The Morelia-Linares tournament is taking place from February 15th to 23rd February in Morelia, Mexico, and from 28th February to 7th March in Linares, Spain.

Round four express

The high drama in this came when Vassily Ivanchuk, who seemed to be coasting to a second victory (after his round two win over Peter Leko), ran into the merciless dictates of the clock and turned the game into his second loss in this tournament (in the previous round he had lost to Veselin Topalov).

Ivanchuk,V (2751) - Aronian,L (2739) [C88]
XXV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (4), 19.02.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.d4 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.e5 Ne8 11.Qxd4 Bb7 12.c4 bxc4 13.Qxc4 d5 14.exd6 Nxd6 15.Qg4 Nb5 16.Nc3 Nxc3 17.bxc3 Bd6 18.Bf4 Qf6 19.Bxd6 cxd6 20.Rad1 Rad8 21.Qb4 Ba8 22.Re3 g6 23.Qb6 Qg5 24.Rg3 Qb5 25.Rxd6 Rxd6 26.Qxd6 a5 27.Qf4 Bd5 28.Rg5 f5 29.Qe5 Rd8 30.h4 a4 31.Bc2 Qb8 32.Qxf5 Bxa2 33.Bxa4 Bf7 34.h5 Qb6 35.hxg6 hxg6 36.Qf4 Rc8

Ivanchuk has played well, gained a two-pawn advantage and should simply consolidate, best of all with 37.Qb4. However he is in desperate time trouble and goes badly astray: 37.Rg3? Rc4 38.Qh6?? 38.Qe5 was the best way to get out of the mess. 38...Rxa4 39.Rh3 Ra1+ 40.Kh2 Qd6+ 41.f4 Qf6 42.Qh7+ Kf8 43.Qh6+ Ke7 44.Re3+ Kd7 45.Kg3 Ra4 46.Rd3+ Kc6 47.Rd4 Ra3 48.Rd3 Bd5 49.Qh3 Qf5 50.Qxf5 gxf5 51.Kh3 Ra1 52.Rd2 Rh1+ 53.Kg3 Rh6 54.Re2 Re6 55.Rd2 Rg6+ 56.Kh3 Kc5 57.Re2 Kc4 58.Rd2 Be4 59.g4 Kxc3 60.gxf5 Bxf5+ 0-1. A dark day for Vassily Ivanchuk.

Alexei Shirov played a great game against Veselin Topalov, especially in the ending, where he showed his incredible strategic ability by winning a theoretically won position quite flawlessly. The game lasted until late in the evening, and the spectators were grateful to both players for having given them this very exciting fight.

Shirov,A (2755) - Topalov,V (2780) [B33]
XXV SuperGM Morelia/Linares MEX/ESP (4), 19.02.2008
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c3 Bg5 12.Nc2 0-0 13.a4 bxa4 14.Rxa4 a5 15.Bc4 Bd7 16.0-0 Ne7 17.Ra3 Nxd5 18.Bxd5 Rb8 19.b4 axb4 20.Nxb4 Qb6 21.Qe2 Bb5 22.Bc4 Rfc8 23.Bxb5 Qxb5 24.Qxb5 Rxb5 25.Rd1 g6 26.g3 Kg7 27.Nd5 Rc4 28.Ra7 Bd8 29.Rd7 Ba5 30.Re1 Bb6 31.Nxb6 Rxb6 32.Re3 Rc8 33.Rf3 Rf8 34.Kf1 g5 35.h4 g4 36.Rf5 h6 37.Ke2 Rc6 38.Kd2 Kg6 39.h5+ Kg7 40.Kd3 Rb6 41.Rc7 Rb1 42.Kc4 Rd1 43.Kb5 Kg8 44.Rf6 Rd2 45.Kc6 Kg7 46.Rg6+ Kh7 47.Rxg4 Rxf2 48.Kxd6 Re8 49.c4 Rd2+ 50.Kc6 Rf8 51.c5 Rd4 52.Rb7 Kh8 53.Kb5 Rd1 54.c6 Rc1 55.Kb6 Rc8 56.c7 Re8 57.Ra7 Rb1+ 58.Kc5 Rc1+ 59.Kd5 Rc2 60.Ra6 Kh7 61.Rc6 Rd2+ 62.Kc5 Ra8 63.Rh4 1-0.

Current standings

Three players are in the joint lead, each with two victories and a loss. They are followed by Shirov and Leko with a win and a loss each on their account. Finally we see three players who have 1.5/4.0 points each.

Picture gallery

Alexei Shirov before the start of his round four game against Veselin Topalov

Veselin Topalov arranges his pieces before the game against Shirov starts

Vassily Ivanchuk at the start of his unlucky fourth round game

Levon Aronian, as always in a cheerful mood

Peter Leko waits for Magnus Carlsen to arrive, while Radjabov lurks in the background

Magnus had spent the free day exercising, specifically playing tennis in the hot Mexican sun for three hours. This reddened his neck but also, more relevantly, "melted" his brain, leaving him a bit drowsy during this game.

The round is under way in this Morelia 2008 Super-GM

While Topalov and Shirov ponder Teimour Radjabov studies the other games

After he has moved it is Topalov who does the same

Peter Leko and the peripatetic Radjabov watch Carlsen, Anand and Aronian at work

Veselin Topalov struggling in his round four game

Teimour Radjabov holding World Champion Anand to a draw in round four

Sofi Leko sits in the darkened theatre reading books

Actually she is working through a course in German literature, from mediaeval to the present

Schedule and results

Links Official web site (with live coverage) All games in PGN ChessBase Reports from Morelia 2008 ChessBase Reports from Morelia 2007 ChessBase Reports from Morelia 2006 The games are being broadcast live on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use it to read, replay and analyse the PGN games. Download free PGN reader ChessBase Light