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Luke McShane leads alone with two wins after two rounds of the London Chess Classic. Today he played the Dragon Defence to which he expected a sideline from Short that wasn't the most critical. As it was Short played something he tried against Ray Robson in Saint Louis last week. This tournament didn't have a bulletin and so no-one knew what Short played (he told an amusing anecdote about how he played Kf2 against Ray Robson to which Robson replied with the unexpected, Its my move, it turned out that the expected move was on the demo board when Short returned to the board after a toilet break but wasn't actually on the board!). An incredibly sharp struggle followed and on move 21 Short used much of his remaining time to find a win, when he failed he had about 4 and a half minutes to complete the game and his position disintegrated.

Short,Nigel - McShane,Luke [B76]
2nd London Chess Classic London ENG (2), 09.12.2010

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Nc6 9.g4 Be6 10.Nxe6 fxe6 11.0-0-0 Rc8 12.Bc4

[12.h4 Ne5 13.Be2 Qa5 14.h5 (14.Kb1 Nc4 15.Bxc4 Rxc4 16.Ne2 Qxd2 17.Rxd2 Nd7 18.Rh3 Ne5 19.b3 Rcc8 20.Ng1 a6 21.Rg3 Rc3 22.Re2 h6 23.Bd2 Rcxf3 24.Nxf3 Nxf3 25.Be1 Rf4 26.c3 Nxh4 27.Rc2 g5 28.a4 Ng6 29.Bd2 0-1 Kogan,A (2569)-Reich,T (2427)/Nuremberg 2007/CBM 120 ext) 14...b5 15.hxg6 b4 16.gxh7+ Kh8 17.Nb1 Rc7 18.a3 Rfc8 19.axb4 Rxc2+ 20.Qxc2 Rxc2+ 21.Kxc2 Qxb4 22.Nc3 Nc4 23.Bxc4 Qxc4 24.Bd4 Nxh7 25.Bxg7+ Kxg7 26.Rh5 Nf6 27.Ra5 a6 28.b3 Qc7 29.Rxa6 Qc5 30.Rd3 Qf2+ 31.Kc1 Nd7 32.Ra5 d5 33.exd5 Ne5 34.Rd1 Qxf3 35.Kb2 Nd3+ 36.Rxd3 Qxd3 37.Rc5 Qe3 38.b4 Qd4 39.Kb3 exd5 1/2-1/2 Servat,R (2435)-Kanefsck,G (2315)/General Pico City ARG 1996]

12...Qd7 13.Bb3 Na5 14.h4 Nc4 15.Qd3

a surprise.

15...Qc6!

[15...Nxb2 16.Kxb2 Nd5 17.exd5 Rxc3 18.Qxc3 Bxc3+ 19.Kxc3 Rxf3 20.dxe6 Qc6+ 21.Kd2 Qe4 22.Rhe1 a5 23.Bh6 Qd4+ 24.Kc1 Qa1+ 25.Kd2 Qd4+ with a draw.; 15...b5]

16.Ne2

[16.e5 Nd5 (16...dxe5) ]

16...Nd7

[16...Nxg4 17.fxg4 Nxb2 18.Bxe6+ Kh8 19.Qb3 Qxe4 20.Bxc8 Rxc8]

17.Nd4 Qa6 18.f4 e5 19.fxe5

[19.Ne6 exf4 20.Nxf8 Nde5 21.Qd5+ Kxf8]

19...Ndxe5 20.Qe2 Kh8 21.h5 gxh5

Short thought he was completely winning and used up a lot of time here trying to find it.

22.g5?

[22.Rxh5 Nxe3 23.Qxe3 (23.Qh2 actually wins.) 23...Rf1 24.Rh1 Qd3 was on of the lines Short examined.]

22...Ng4

A combination of the position and time trouble (although McShane didn't have a lot more) did for Short here.

23.Bg1 Nce3 24.Qxa6 bxa6 25.Bxe3 Nxe3 26.Rd3 Bxd4 27.Rxd4 Rc5 28.Rd3 Ng2 29.Rg3 Nf4 30.Kd2 Re5 31.Re1 Kg7 32.Ke3 Kg6 33.c3

Its pretty much all over now.

33...Rxg5 34.Rxg5+ Kxg5 35.Rg1+ Kh6 36.e5 dxe5 37.Ke4 Ng6 38.Bc4 a5 39.Kd5 Rf2 40.b4 axb4 41.cxb4 h4 42.a4 h3 43.a5 h2 44.Rh1 Kg5 45.b5 Kg4 46.b6 axb6 47.a6 Kg3 48.a7 Rf8 49.Kc6 Nf4 50.Ra1 e4 51.Ba6 Nh3 52.Bb7 Ng1 0-1

It was Hikaru Nakamura's 23rd birthday today and his day started with a birthday card from the organisers and finished with a win against Vladimir Kramnik with black. He now has a win and a draw and more white's than blacks to come now.

Today Vladimir Kramnik found it necessary to sacrifice a piece, he never had quite enough for equality, but maybe enough to draw, however his 41st move, the first after time trouble, finished any chances he had of holding the game.

Kramnik,Vladimir - Nakamura,Hikaru [A17]
2nd London Chess Classic London ENG (2), 09.12.2010

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.g3 c5 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.d4

[7.d3 1/2-1/2 Savchenko,S (2526)-Satyapragyan,S (2466)/Dubai UAE 2010/The Week in Chess 805 (42)]

7...Bxc3 8.bxc3 Qe7 9.dxc5

[9.Bg5 Nbd7 10.Qd3 h6 11.Bxf6 Nxf6 12.Rfd1 Bd7 13.dxc5 dxc5 14.Ne5 Ba4 15.Qd6 Rfe8 16.Rd2 Rac8 17.Rb1 b6 18.Rbb2 Qxd6 19.Rxd6 Red8 20.Rd3 Kf8 21.Rbd2 1/2-1/2 Georgiev,K (2677)-Anand,V (2803)/Turin 2006/CBM 113]

9...dxc5 10.Ne5 Qc7

[10...Nbd7 11.Nxd7 Nxd7 12.Qb3 Rb8 13.Rd1 b6 14.Qa4 Nf6 15.Bg5 e5 16.Rd2 Bf5 17.Rad1 h6 18.Bxf6 gxf6 19.Bc6 Rfd8 20.Bd7 Be6 21.Bxe6 Rxd2 22.Rxd2 Qxe6 23.Qxa7 Rf8 24.Rd5 Kg7 25.e3 h5 26.h4 Re8 27.Qa4 Kh6 28.Qd1 Ra8 29.Rd6 Qf5 30.a4 Ra6 31.Rd8 Qe6 32.Rh8+ Kg7 33.Qxh5 f5 34.Qh7+ Kf6 35.Qg8 Qxc4 36.Qd8+ Kg7 37.Rg8+ Kh7 38.Qg5 Qg4 39.Rg7+ Kh8 40.Qh6# 1-0 Ramanna,H-Leenders,R/Netherlands 1994/EXT 1998]

11.Bf4 Nh5 12.Qd2 g5 13.Bxg5

[13.Ng6 gxf4 14.Nxf8 Kxf8 15.Bf3 Ng7 16.Rfd1 Nd7 17.gxf4 Nf5 18.e4 Nh4 19.Bh5 Ng6 20.Bxg6 hxg6 21.e5]

13...Qxe5 14.Rad1

[14.g4 Ng7 (14...f6 15.Bh6) 15.Bd8 Nd7 16.f4 Qb8 17.Be7]

14...f6 15.Bh6 Ng7 16.Bf4 Qh5 17.Bd6 Re8 18.Qf4 Nd7 19.g4 Qf7 20.Rd3 e5 21.Qh6 Qg6 22.Qxg6 hxg6 23.Be4

Whilst Kramnik has pressure it isn't quite enough for the piece.

23...Kf7 24.f4 exf4 25.Bd5+ Ne6 26.Bxf4 Nb6 27.Be5 Nxd5 28.cxd5 Nf8 29.Rxf6+ Kg8 30.Bd6 Kg7 31.Rf4 g5 32.Rf2 b6 33.Rdf3

[33.e4 Ba6 34.Rdf3 Ng6 35.e5 Nxe5 36.Rf5 Ng6 37.Rxg5]

33...Ng6 34.Rf7+ Kh6 35.h3 Ba6 36.R2f6 Bxe2 37.Be7?

[37.Kf2 Re4 38.Bf8+ Rxf8 39.Rxf8 Bc4]

37...Bc4 38.Rd6 Bxd5 39.Bxg5+ Kxg5 40.Rxd5+ Kh4

41.Rf3?

[41.Kg2 Re2+ 42.Kf3 Re5]

41...Re5 42.Rxe5 Nxe5 43.Rf5 Nd3 44.Kh2 Rh8 45.a4 Rh6 46.Kg2 a5 47.Kf3 Nb2 48.Kf4 Nxa4 49.c4 Nc3 50.Ke3 a4 51.Kd3 Nd1 52.Rf8 Kxh3 53.g5 Rd6+ 54.Ke4 Kg4 0-1

For the second day in a row Viswanathan Anand was frustrated in his attempts to win slightly favourable positions. Again the position was probably objectively a draw. The heavy piece ending with Queen and Rook vs Queen and Rook with pawns is notorious for the drawing ideas available for the defending side. Even when Anand dominated the position and eventually won a pawn it just never seemed quite enough for a win.

Howell,David - Anand,Viswanathan [B52]
2nd London Chess Classic London ENG (2), 09.12.2010

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 Nc6 6.d4 cxd4 7.Nxd4 g6 8.Nc3 Bg7 9.Be3 Nf6 10.h3 0-0 11.0-0 Rfc8 12.b3 a6

[12...Qd8 13.Qd2 a6 14.Rfe1 Qa5 15.Nxc6 Rxc6 16.a4 e6 17.Ra2 Nd7 18.Bd4 Bxd4 19.Qxd4 Rac8 20.Re3 Nc5 1/2-1/2 Nemec,P (2310)-Jirovsky,P (2344)/CZE 1999; 12...Qe8 13.Qd2 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Rc6 15.Rae1 a6 16.f4 e5 17.fxe5 dxe5 18.Bf2 b5 19.c5 Rd8 20.Nd5 h6 21.b4 Nh5 22.Rd1 Kh7 23.g3 Qe6 24.Kg2 Rcc8 25.Qe2 f5 26.Rd3 Rf8 27.Nb6 fxe4 28.Rd6 Qf5 29.Nxc8 Qxc8 30.Qxe4 Nf6 31.Qc6 Qf5 32.Bg1 Qg5 33.h4 Qg4 34.Rdxf6 Bxf6 35.Rxf6 Qe2+ 36.Rf2 Rxf2+ 37.Bxf2 e4 38.Qd7+ Kg8 39.Qe8+ Kg7 40.Qe5+ Kf7 41.Qf4+ Ke6 42.c6 1-0 Guillen Ramirez,J (2281)-Batres,F (2140)/Guatemala City 2000/CBM 077 ext]

13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.exd5 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Bxd4 16.Qxd4 b5 17.Rfe1 bxc4 18.bxc4 Rc7 19.Qh4 Rac8 20.Re4 Qf5 21.Rae1 Qf6 22.Qg4 h5 23.Qe2 Qc3 24.Rxe7 Rxc4 25.Re3 Qf6 26.Qf3 Rf4 27.Qe2 Kg7 28.g3 Rf5 29.h4 Rc5 30.Rd3 Re5 31.Qd2 Rxe1+ 32.Qxe1 Rc2

33.a3 Qf5 34.Rd4 Qf3 35.a4 Re2 36.Qf1 Ra2 37.Qe1 a5 38.Rf4 Qxd5 39.Qc3+ Kg8 40.Rd4

White made time control and even though he has lost a pawn he now has enough activity to draw.

40...Qe5 41.Kg2 Kg7 42.Qc4 Ra1 43.Rf4 d5 44.Qa6 Rd1 45.Qa7 Qe6 46.Kh2 d4 47.Rxd4 Rf1 48.Kg2 Ra1 49.Qxa5 Qc6+ 50.Qd5 Qxd5+ 1/2-1/2

Magnus Carlsen bounced back with a win against Michael Adams. He didn't obtain very much with white but his f4 was the only way to play for a win. Adams was in slight time pressure and he showed a degree of uncertainty which allowed Carlsen to obtain a winning position by the first time control.

Carlsen,Magnus - Adams,Michael [A29]
2nd London Chess Classic London ENG (2), 09.12.2010

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bc5 5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0 0-0 7.d3 a6 8.a3 Ba7 9.b4 Be6

[9...Ne8 1-0 Aguettaz,M (2349)-Olivier,J (2360)/Grenoble FRA 2004/The Week in Chess 503 (46); 9...Bf5 10.Bb2 Qd7 11.Nd5 Nxd5 12.cxd5 Ne7 13.e4 Bg4 14.Qb3 c6 15.dxc6 Nxc6 16.Rac1 Rac8 17.Kh1 h6 18.Bc3 b5 19.Qb2 Bxf3 20.Bxf3 Bd4 21.Bg2 Bxc3 22.Rxc3 Nd4 23.Rfc1 g5 24.Qd2 Qe6 25.Qd1 Rxc3 26.Rxc3 Rc8 27.Rxc8+ Qxc8 28.h4 g4 29.Kh2 Kg7 30.f3 Qc2 31.Qxc2 Nxc2 32.fxg4 Nxa3 33.g5 hxg5 34.Bh3 Nc2 35.Bc8 Nxb4 36.Kg2 a5 37.Bd7 a4 38.Bxb5 a3 0-1 Kharitonov,A (2535)-Bareev,E (2675)/Moscow 1995/CBM 046 ext]

10.Nd2 Rb8 11.Rb1 Ne7 12.a4 Qd7 13.b5 Bh3 14.Ba3 h6 15.e3

[15.Bxd6 Bxg2 16.Bxe7 Bxf1 17.Bxf8]

15...Bxg2 16.Kxg2 Bc5 17.Bxc5 dxc5 18.Nf3 Qe6 19.e4 c6 20.Qb3 Rbd8 21.bxa6 bxa6 22.Qc2 Ng6 23.Ng1 Rb8 24.a5 Nd7 25.Na4 Qd6 26.Ne2 Qc7 27.Qc3 Rfd8 28.Rxb8 Rxb8 29.f4

Carlsen decides to sharpen it a bit. He didn't see very much option but it does expose his King.

29...exf4 30.gxf4 Qd6

[30...Rb4 31.Nxc5]

31.Kh1 Rb4 32.Qc2 Nh4

[32...Qc7!?]

33.Nac3 Qg6

[33...Qe6]

34.Ng3 Nf6 35.e5 Nh5 36.Nxh5 Qxh5 37.Ne4 Kh8

I don't really understand this move. 37...Qf5 was definitely an alternative.

38.Qf2 Nf5 39.Nxc5 Qh3 40.Re1 Nh4?

Adams first comment on the game was that this move was "ridiculous".

41.Qg3 Qxg3 42.hxg3 Nf3 43.Rf1 Nd4 44.Kg2 Ne6 45.Nxa6 Ra4 46.f5 Ng5 47.Nc7 Kg8 48.a6 Kf8 49.Kf2 1-0

2nd London Chess Classic London ENG Mon 6th Dec 2010 - Wed 15th Dec 2010. Category: 19. Ave: (2725)
Rk	Name	Title	FED	Elo	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Pts	GmBl	WiBl	Wins	TPR
1	McShane, Luke J	GM	ENG	2645	#				1			1	6	1	1	2
2	Nakamura, Hikaru	GM	USA	2741		#	1			=			4	2	1	1	2991
3	Kramnik, Vladimir	GM	RUS	2791		0	#					1	3	1	1	1	2711
4	Adams, Michael	GM	ENG	2723				#	0		1		3	1	0	1	2707
5	Carlsen, Magnus	GM	NOR	2802	0			1	#				3	1	0	1	2684
6	Anand, Viswanathan	GM	IND	2804		=				#	=		2	1	0	0	2676
7	Howell, David W L	GM	ENG	2611				0		=	#		1	1	0	0	2571
8	Short, Nigel D	GM	ENG	2680	0		0					#	0	0	0	0

Round 1. Wed 8th Dec 2010
Adams, Michael	1-0	Howell, David W L	28	C67	Ruy Lopez
Short, Nigel D	0-1	Kramnik, Vladimir	38	C24	Bishop's opening
McShane, Luke J	1-0	Carlsen, Magnus	39	A37	English
Anand, Viswanathan	1/2-1/2	Nakamura, Hikaru	74	C67	Ruy Lopez
Round 2. Thu 9th Dec 2010
Short, Nigel D	0-1	McShane, Luke J	52	B76	Sicilian
Carlsen, Magnus	1-0	Adams, Michael	49	A29	English
Howell, David W L	1/2-1/2	Anand, Viswanathan	50	B52	Sicilian
Kramnik, Vladimir	0-1	Nakamura, Hikaru	54	A17	English

Round 3, Fri Dec 10th, 14:00. McShane vs Kramnik, Adams vs Short, Nakamura vs Howell and Anand vs Carlsen.

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