Bilbao: Carlsen comeback – Magnus beats Shirov

Bilbao Masters 2010

The 2010 Masters Final takes place from October 9th to October 15th in Bilbao, Spain. It is a six-round double round-robin event. Time control: 90 minutes/40 moves + 60 minutes + 10 seconds/move as of move 41. Game start: 4:30 PM local time (2:30 PM GMT - 10:30 AM New York / 7:30 AM Pacific daylight). Rest day: Tuesday, October 12th.

Postscript to round four

After round four Magnus Carlsen wrote in his Arctic Securities blog: "Anand-Shirov played a fighting draw today. As white against the tournament leader Kramnik I was hoping to continue the improvement seen in round 3, but unfortunately the quality of my play was down a notch (or two) again today. In the English Sicilian reversed opening I got a playable position from the opening. My a5 push only makes sense if followed by a6 directly. Too late I discovered that black probably is better after b5. Having to settle for Re1, which probably was the best alternative meant that little play was left in the position for white. After the exchange of queens it was fairly equal. Before the time control I still enjoyed some ambitions to create winning chances, which turned out to be completely unrealistic. Avoiding some drawish lines I instead ended up with a very difficult ending. The only good news today was that I managed to pull my self together and draw the complicated rook ending a pawn down. Tomorrow I’ve got another white against Shirov."

Round five report

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov arrives at the Chess Masters in Bilbao

Ceremonially executing the first move of the game Kramnik vs Anand

The game in progress

Kramnik,Vladimir (2780) - Anand,Viswanathan (2800) [D39]
Grand Slam Final Masters 2010 Bilbao/Spain (5), 14.10.2010 [Romain Edouard]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.e4 Bb4 6.Bg5 c5 7.Bxc4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qa5!?

8...Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qa5 is more common. 9.Bd2. 9.Bb5+ and; 9.Bxf6 are the two other options. 9...Qc5. 9...0-0 is also possible. 10.Bb5+ Bd7. 10...Nbd7 11.Nb3 Qb6 12.0-0 Bxc3 13.Bxd7+ Bxd7 14.Bxc3 Nxe4 15.Bxg7 Rg8 16.Bd4 Qb5 was critical recently: Grischuk-Morozevich 2009, Moiseenko-Romanov 2010. 11.Nb3 Qe7 12.Bd3 Nc6 13.0-0 0-0 14.a3 Bd6 15.Kh1!?N

This prophylactic move could make some differences in many lines. 15.f4 e5 16.f5 Nd4 17.Bg5 Bc6 18.Bc4 Qd8 19.Nd5 Bxd5 20.Bxd5 Be7 21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.Kh1 Rc8 23.Rc1 Qb6 24.Rc3 Rxc3 25.bxc3 Nxb3 26.Bxb3 Qe3 27.Qf3 Qxf3 28.Rxf3 Rc8 29.a4 Rc5 30.g3 Kf8 31.Rd3 1/2-1/2 Wang-Gelfand, Romania 2010; 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bh4 Bf4 17.Ne2 e5?! 18.Nxf4 exf4 19.f3 Be6 20.Bf2 Rfd8 21.Nc5 Ne5 22.Qb1 Bc4 23.Rd1 Rac8 24.Bxc4 Nxc4 25.Rxd8+ Qxd8 26.Qc1 Ne3 27.Bxe3 fxe3 28.Qxe3+- and Kramnik eventually beat Lautier in a blind game in Monte Carlo, 1998. 15...Be5!? Strange at first sight, but played very fast by Anand. This looks like the same scenario as their first game. Tere Anand was White, played a novelty, and Kramnik drew with much more time on clock. 16.f4 Bxc3 17.Bxc3 e5 18.f5 Rfd8 19.Qe2 b6 20.Nd2. Launching an attack like 20.g4 would be met by 20...h6 21.Rg1 (21.h4 Nh7 22.Be1 a5 with attack) 21...Nd4! 22.Nxd4 exd4 23.Bxd4 Bc6 24.Bxf6 Qxf6 unclear. 20...Bc8 21.Nf3 Bb7 22.Rae1 a6 23.Bc4 b5 24.Ba2 h6 25.Bd5!?

Here I guess Kramnik realized that he has no advantage, and tried this shot in spite of the fact it only makes a draw. 25...Nxd5 26.exd5 Rxd5 27.f6!

27...Qxf6. Of course not 27...gxf6? which would be terrible because of 28.Nh4 and a winning attack (Qh5, Re3). 28.Nxe5 Qe6 29.Nxf7 Qxe2 30.Rxe2

30...Rd7. The coolest move, making a draw at once. Here let's just write down some funny computer ideas. [30...Rf8?! would give White a chance: 31.Ref2! (31.Kg1=) 31...Re8 32.Nxh6+! gxh6 33.Rf7 Re7 34.Rf8+ Kh7 35.Rh8+ Kg6 36.Rf6+ Kh5 (36...Kg7 37.Rxc6+ Ree5 38.Rc7+ Kxh8 39.h3!+/-) 37.Rhxh6+ Kg5 38.h4+ Kg4 39.Kh2 Ne5 40.Rh8 Rg7 41.Re6 Kf5 42.Rxe5+ Rxe5 43.Rh5+ Kg4 44.Rxe5 Kxh4 45.Re2+/= is given by the computer at a decent depth, which should be drawn anyway.; 30...a5 31.Re6! b4 32.Nxh6+! gxh6 (32...Kh7!? 33.Bxg7! Ba6 34.Rfe1 Bb7 35.Rf1!=) 33.Rg6+ Kh7 34.Rg7+ Kh8 35.Bf6 Rf8 36.Rf7+ Kg8 37.Rg7+ Kh8 38.Rg6+ Kh7 39.Rg7+ Kh8=. 31.Ne5 Re7 32.Ree1 Nxe5 33.Rxe5 Rxe5 34.Bxe5 Re8 35.Re1 Kh7 36.Bc3 Rxe1+ 37.Bxe1 1/2-1/2. [Click to replay]

Anand and Kramnik discuss the game immediately after it is over

So you were not worried about the horse-shaped piece right next to your king?

Not at all – I worked out the L-shaped path and saw it could not take.

Llater the two analyse light-heartedly with chess journalist Leontxo Garcia in the press conference

Kirsan starting the game Carlsen vs Shirov

An important game for Magnus, who started disastrously in this tournament

... and both Round Five games are under way in Bilbao

Carlsen,Magnus (2826) - Shirov,Alexei (2749) [C78]
Grand Slam Final Masters 2010 Bilbao/Spain (5), 14.10.2010 [Romain Edouard]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5. Arkhangelsk Variation. 7.a4 Rb8. 7...Bb7!? is the other option here. 8.axb5 axb5 9.c3. 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4 d6 12.f4 Nc6 is the other critical option, known as okay for Black, which occured in Naiditsch-Leko this year in Dortmund: 13.Qd3 0-0 14.Nc3 Nb4 15.Qd2 Be6 16.Bxe6 fxe6 17.Qe2 Qe8 18.Be3 Qh5 19.Rf3 Nc6 20.Ra6 b4 21.Nd1 Ne7 22.Nf2 Qb5 23.Qxb5 Rxb5 24.Bd4 Nh5 25.Nh3 Ng6 26.Ra7 Rc8 27.Rf1 e5 28.fxe5 Nxe5 29.Bxe5 dxe5 30.Nf2 Rc5 31.Nd3 Rxc2 32.Nxb4 Rxb2 33.Nd5 Rcb8 34.Rxc7 h6 35.Re7 Re2 36.Rxe5 Nf6 37.Nxf6+ gxf6 38.Ref5 Rbb2 39.R5f2 Kg7 40.g3 Rxf2 41.Rxf2 Rb4 42.Re2 Kg6 43.Kf2 Rb3 44.Rc2 h5 45.h4 Ra3 46.Re2 Rb3 47.Re3 Rb2+ 48.Kf3 Rb1 49.Kf4 Rf1+ 50.Rf3 Re1 51.Rf2 Rg1 52.Kf3 Re1 53.Re2 Rf1+ 54.Rf2 Re1 55.Re2 1/2-1/2 Naiditsch,A (2684)-Leko,P (2734)/Dortmund GER 2010. 9...d6 10.d4 Bb6 11.h3!?

11.Na3 and; 11.Qd3 are the two most popular moves here. 11...0-0 12.Re1 h6. 12...Bb7 was played many times by Shirov himself, whom the most recent games was: 13.Na3 exd4 14.cxd4 Na5 15.Bc2 b4 16.Nb1 c5 17.Bg5 h6 18.Bh4 cxd4 19.Qd3 b3 20.Bxb3 Nxb3 21.Qxb3 g5 22.Nxg5 hxg5 23.Bxg5 d3 24.Nd2 Bxf2+ 25.Kxf2 Nxe4+ 26.Rxe4 Bxe4 27.Bxd8 Rxb3 28.Nxb3 Rxd8 29.Nd2 f5 30.b4 Rc8 31.g4 Rc2 32.Ke3 d5 33.gxf5 Bxf5 34.Ra5 Bxh3 35.Rxd5 Rb2 36.b5 Be6 37.Re5 Bd7 1/2-1/2 Navara-Shirov, Carlsbad 2007. 13.Na3 exd4 14.cxd4 Na5 15.Bc2 b4 16.Nb5. 16.Nb1!? was played by Istratescu in 2004. 16...Ba6 17.Na7. Spectacular move!

17...Bb7 18.d5 Ra8 19.Nb5 Nc4 20.Rxa8 Qxa8 21.Nbd4 Qa7 22.b3 Ne5. 22...Na3?! 23.Bb2 is just good for White. 23.Bb2. Now White has reached a quite pleasant setup. Black seems to be active thanks to his pressure on dark squares (Qa7+Bb6) but somehow, if there is nothing concrete, those pieces are just out of play! 23...Nxf3+ 24.gxf3 Qa2. 24...Nh5 25.Qd2+/-. 25.Qc1+/-

Now White wants to go Kh1/h2, Rg1, with the idea of Nf5, etc.. 25...Bxd4 The need to play this move is rather a bad news! 26.Bxd4 Nd7 27.Kh1

Logical but not best, but anyway Black's position is terrible (impossible?) to hold. 27.Qd2! (threatening Ra1 and creating problems on the b4-pawn) was winning instantly: 27...Ne5 28.Kg2 followed by f4+-. For instance: 28...Qa5 29.f4 c5 (29...Nd7 30.Ra1+-) 30.Bxe5 dxe5 31.fxe5+-. 27...f6 28.Rg1 Rf7 29.Qd2! And Carlsen kept on playing convincingly. 29...Qa8 30.Qxh6 Ne5 31.Bd1 Qe8 32.Qe3 c5 33.Bb2 Re7 34.f4 Nd7 35.Qg3 Qf7 36.Bf3 Ba6 37.Bg4 Nf8 38.Bf5 c4 39.bxc4 Bxc4 40.Qh4 Bxd5 41.f3! Be6 42.Bxf6 Bxf5 43.exf5 Rc7 44.Rxg7+ Qxg7 45.Bxg7 Rxg7 46.f6 Rd7 47.Qe1 d5 48.Qxb4 d4 49.Qc4+ Kh7 50.Qd3+ Kg8

No fortress despite White's pawn structure! 51.f5 Kf7 52.Kg2 Kxf6 53.Kg3 Kg7 54.h4 Nh7 55.Kf2 Nf6 56.Qd2 Nh7 57.Ke1 d3 58.Qg2+ Kh8 59.Kd2 Nf8 60.Qg5 Kh7 61.h5 Kh8 62.f6 Kh7 63.f4 Kh8 64.h6 Kh7 65.f5

Black has no more waiting move: ...Kh8 will be met by Qg7+! An important and comforting victory for Magnus! 1-0. [Click to replay]

The annotator GM Romain Edouard was born on 28.11.1990 in Poitiers, France, learnt chess at the age of five and is currently rated 2636 on the FIDE list. In 2007 he became the European U16 Champion, a year later the European & World U18 Vice-Champion, and in the same year won the "Grand Prix de Bordeaux 2007". Romain was selected for the first time in the French national team in 2009, for the second time in 2010. This year he became the French Vice Champion (sharing first place). He was also the winner of several open tournaments: Bad Wiessee 2008, Zaragoza 2008, Echternach 2009, Andorra 2009, Hastings 2010 (shared), Echternach 2010...

The player of the day: Magnus Carlsen, who scored a full point against Alexei Shirov

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov at the press conference

No longer President of Kalmykia we can expect to see him at many chess events

All pictures by Nadja Wittmann in Bilbao

Bilbao system scores

Traditional cross table

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