Shirov outwits Grischuk

By Rakesh Rao

NEW DELHI, DEC. 12. After the high of Monday, a low had to follow. So, it did not come as a surprise when Vishwanathan Anand and Michael Adams preferred to sign the peace treaty without really complicating matters. Considering the fact that they have to face each other for at least three more days, this careful beginning was not out of place.

The other semifinal of the World Chess Championship provided some interesting moments before culminating in an expected result. If Alexei Shirov was made to take a circuitous route to victory, some credit must go to young Alexander Grischuk, who delayed the inevitable with some imaginative play in trying circumstances.

Todays result for Anand, who surprised many by opting Adams favourite Petroff Defence, should be seen as a fair one. After the first 22 moves matched the ones played by Anatoly Karpov against Lajos Portisch in 1982, Anand looked somewhat inferior in the middle-game. ``He got a better position in the opening. I got some counterplay but it was not a very satisfactory position. I guess it was the right time for me to make a draw-offer, said Anand later.

Adams, who had drawn with Veselin Topalov in the previous match in Petroff Defence, also saw no reason to decline Anand's offer on the 29th move.

The Shirov-Grischuk battle in Ruy Lopez was far more engrossing. Once Shirov gained control of the open `c file on the 17th move, he began asserting himself.

Though Grischuk's bishop-pair did give him some encouragement, Shirov was not unduly bothered. He began his aggressive plan from the queens side and soon got space advantage. With Grischuks queen seemingly trapped on the back-rank, Shirov's knight-move on the 25th turn, left the former with very few options.

Grischuk chose to give up his queen for a rook and bishop and in the bargain, gained some play for his rooks. Still it was not enough. Shirov advanced his `d pawn to the sixth rank and on the 34th move, traded the queen for rook and bishop to reach a clearly winning position.

In the ensuing rook-and-pawn ending, Shirov read Grischuks plans well. Shirov planted his rook on the seventh rank, advanced his king and dashed Grischuks hopes. A position was reached where both players could get their queens back on the board but Shirov was checkmating Grischuk by force with a simple four-move sequence. Grischuk saw it quickly and quit on the 44th move.

Later, Shirov said, ``I did not get the sequence of moves of right when I got Grischuks queen. I underestimated him at times and he came up with some good moves, acknowledged Shirov but declined to elaborate on his rival saying, ``we still have a few games to go and I don't want to comment on him. On the other hand, Grischuks admiration of Shirov is well known.

The results: Semifinals: Game One:

Michael Adams (Eng, 2755) drew with Vishwanathan Anand (Ind, 2762); Alexei Shirov (Esp, 2746) bt Alexander Grischuk (Rus, 2606).

The moves: White: Michael Adams (England); Black : Vishwanathan Anand (India): 1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nf6, 3. Nxe5 d6, 4. Nf3 Nxe4, 5. d4 d5, 6. Bd3 Nc6, 7. 0-0 Be7, 8. c4 Nb4, 9. Be2 0-0, 10. Nc3 Bf5, 11. a3 Nxc3, 12. bxc3 Nc6, 13. Re1 dxc4, 14. Bxc4 Bd6, 15. Bg5 Qd7, 16. Nh4 Na5, 17. Ba2 Be6, 18. Bxe6 fxe6, 19. Nf3 Rae8, 20. Bh4 Qc6, 21. Qc2 h6, 22. Bg3 Qd5, 23. a4 Nc4, 24. Re4 a6, 25. Qe2 Qc6, 26. Re1 Bxg3, 27. hxg3 Nd6, 28. Rxe6 Qxc6, 29. Re5 Qb3. 0-5-0-5.

White : Alexei Shirov (Spain); Black : Alexander Grischuk (Russia): 1. e4 e5, 2. Nf3 Nc6, 3. Bb5 Nf6, 4. 0-0 Bc5, 5. Nxe5 Nxe4, 6. Qe2 Nxe5, 7. d4 Be7, 8. Qxe4 Ng6, 9. f4 c6, 10. Bd3 d5, 11. Qe2 f5, 12. Nd2 0-0, 13. Nf3 Nh8, 14. Bd2 a5, 15. c4 Nf7, 16. cxd5 cxd5, 17. Rc1 Bxf6, 18. b4 a4, 19. b5 Rfe8, 20. Ne5 Nd6, 21. Bb4 Ne4, 22. Bxe4 dxe4, 23. Rfd1 Be6, 24. d5 Bd7, 25. Nc6 Qc8, 26. Ne7+ Bxe7, 27. Rxc8 Rxc8, 28. Bxe7, Rxe7, 29. d6 Rf7, 30. Rd5 Rc1+, 31. Kf2 Rf8, 32. Re5 Rfc8, 33. Re7 R1c2, 34. Rxd7 Rxe2+, 35. Kxe2 b6, 36. Rb7 Rc2+, 37. Ke3 Rc3+, 38. Kd4 Rd3+, 39. Ke5 e3, 40. Ke6 h6, 41. Re7 Rd4, 42. Kd7 Re4, 43. Rxe4 fxe4, 44. Ke7 1-0.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Next     : Thumping wins for Siddharth, Karthik