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7th Mikhail Tal Memorial 2012 (4)

7th Tal Memorial Round 4 Caruana back to 50% Carlsen-Grischuk thrills

Fabiano Caruana was the only winner in round 4. Photo ©

Fabiano Caruana was the only winner in round 4. Photo © | http://www.russiachess.org

The 7th Tal Memorial returned after Monday's day off with four draws and just one win, for Fabiano Caruana over Evgeny Tomashevsky. The most exciting game was between Magnus Carlsen and Alexander Grischuk which rather got out of hand on the board and the clock for both players.

Round 4 Tues June 12th 3pm Moscow time
Carlsen1/2Grischuk
Kramnik1/2Aronian
Caruana1-0Tomashevsky
Morozevich1/2Radjabov
McShane1/2Nakamura

Fabiano Caruana beat Evgeny Tomashevsky really rather easily in an Anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez which turned out to be mostly theory. Tomeshevsky took ages on the clock and played worse than Aronian did in 2008 in the same position. Magnus Carlsen didn't get a lot in the opening against Alexander Grischuk but got chances by allowing his bishop to be shut in. Later rather than go passive Carlsen launched a kingside attack the tested both player's calculating abilities and they repeated in quite major time pressure. The leaders Alexander Morozevich and Teimour Rajdabov drew a Ruy Lopez. After thinking a long time over 19.axb3 white couldn't find anything challenging for his opponent. Vladimir Kramnik was disappointed that he didn't make more of an opening advantage against Levon Aronian and the game was drawn in 40 moves.

Full report below. Tomorrow's pairings:

Round 5 Wed June 13th 3pm Moscow time 12pm BST
Aronian-Morozevich
Radjabov-Carlsen
Grischuk-Caruana
Nakamura-Kramnik
Tomashevsky-McShane

Magnus Carlsen against Alexander Grischuk

Carlsen-Grischuk press conference

Carlsen-Grischuk press conference. "But you don't have extra pawn." - Grischuk. Photo © http://video.russiachess.org.

The most intriguing game of the day was between Magnus Carlsen and Alexander Grischuk. Again Carlsen didn't get anything in the way of an advantage out of the opening but he gave the game a lot of character by allowing his dark square bishop to become locked in on the kingside. The rest of Carlsen's position was fine and he thought he was better, although Grischuk also was optimistic about his own chances. Eventually Carlsen found himself forced into a kingside attack and Grischuk had to defend, the resulting positions were very hard to judge and both players ended up very short of time and were happy to see the game finish in a draw by perpetual check.

Carlsen,Magnus - Grischuk,Alexander [C84]
7th Tal Memorial Moscow RUS (4.3), 12.06.2012
[Crowther,Mark]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 b4 9.Nbd2 Bc5 10.Nc4 d6 11.Bg5

[11.h3 Rb8 12.Be3 Nd7 13.Bg5 Qe8 14.Ne3 Bxe3 15.Bxe3 Na5 16.Ba2 Nc5 17.Nh4 Kh8 18.f4 exf4 19.Rxf4 b3 20.cxb3 Ncxb3 21.Bxb3 Nxb3 22.Ra3 Nc5 23.Nf5 Bxf5 24.Rxf5 Ne6 25.Qc2 Rb4 26.Rf2 c5 27.Ra1 Kg8 28.a5 Qb5 29.Ra2 Rb3 30.Rd2 h6 31.Bf2 Rb4 32.Qd1 Rd8 33.Qh5 Rb3 34.Qd5 Nf4 35.Qc4 Rb8 36.Qxb5 R8xb5 37.d4 Nd3 38.dxc5 dxc5 39.Ra1 Kh7 40.Rad1 Nxb2 41.Rb1 Nd3 42.Rxb3 Rxb3 43.Rc2 Rb1+ 44.Kh2 c4 45.Kg3 Rb3 46.Bd4 Nb4+ 47.Rc3 Nc6 48.Rxb3 cxb3 49.Bc3 Nxa5 0-1 Hunt,A (2458)-Adams,M (2734)/Sunningdale ENG 2012/The Week in Chess 901]

11...h6 12.Bh4 Bg4 13.Ne3 Bxf3 14.gxf3!?

A very brave decision from Carlsen.

14...g5 15.Bg3

Alexander Grischuk

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Magnus Carlsen

Position after 15.Bg3

"As every chess player knows, this bishop is not very good Nevertheless white has some serious plusses as well. I can at some point play c3-d4 and then my bishop comes to life again and in general my pieces are very well placed." - Carlsen.

15...Nd4 16.Bc4 Nh5 17.c3 bxc3 18.bxc3 Ne6

Alexander Grischuk

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Magnus Carlsen

Position after 18...Ne6

19.Rb1

[19.Nf5 Qf6 Black is just in time to hold with Qf6 stopping d4.; 19.Bxe6 fxe6 20.d4 exd4 21.cxd4 Ba7 "We both thought this is OK for black." - Carlsen.; 19.Ng4 "White can play a tricky move, Ng4." - Grischuk. 19...Kh7 20.Bxe6 fxe6 21.d4 exd4 22.cxd4 Ba7 23.Qd3 Kg7 doesn't change the assessment of equal.]

19...Nhg7 20.Bd5

Alexander Grischuk

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Magnus Carlsen

Position after 20.Bd5

"25.Bd5 was maybe a bit of a patzer move." - Carlsen.

[20.Kh1 was Carlsen's post-game suggestion.]

20...Rc8!

Calling Carlsen's bluff.

21.Kh1

[21.Bb7 Rb8 22.Bxa6 Rxb1 23.Qxb1 which is now incredibly dangerous for white. "I realised I should not do this. So I had to change plan." - Carlsen. 23...h5]

21...Kh8 22.Rg1 Qf6

"A normal move." - Carlsen.

[22...h5 23.h4 gxh4 24.Bh2]

23.Bc4 a5 24.Rb5

[24.Ng4 Qg6 25.d4 exd4 26.e5 was a speculative line that Carlsen looked at over the board. 26...dxc3 27.Bd3 Nf5 "I think it's a bit risky." - Grischuk.]

24...h5 25.Rxa5

"I didn't want to start groveling with h3 or something." - Carlsen.

[25.h3 Nf4]

25...h4 26.Ng4 Qe7

[26...Qg6 27.Bxe5 dxe5 28.Nxe5 is quite good for white.]

27.Qf1

Alexander Grischuk

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Magnus Carlsen

Position after 27.Qf1

"This is kind of a funny position because black doesn't really want to take on g3 because - he can't take right now - but anyway it would be very dangerous." - Carlsen.

27...Ra8

[27...f5 28.Nxe5 dxe5 29.Bxe5 "Looks very good for white." - Carlsen.]

28.Rxc5

"I thought this exchange sacrifice would be very strong but maybe it's not so convincing." - Carlsen.

28...dxc5

[28...Nxc5? 29.Bxh4 gxh4 30.Qc1 with a big advantage to white. 30...Nd7 31.Qh6+ Kg8 "It's not mate yet but I think it will be soon. Although I cannot tell you exactly how." - Carlsen. 32.Bb5 (32.Ne3 Qf6 33.Qh5 Rxa4 34.Nf5? Ra1 Grischuk.; 32.d4) 32...Qe6 33.Qxh4! (33.Bxd7 Qxh6 34.Nxh6+ is actually equal!) ]

29.Nxe5

Alexander Grischuk

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Magnus Carlsen

Position after 29.Nxe5

"Here I thought I was dominating but it turns out that it is just completely unclear." - Carlsen.

29...Qf6

[29...hxg3 30.Qh3+ Kg8 31.Ng4 (31.hxg3 Qf6 32.f4 Rfd8 33.Ng4 Qxc3 34.f5) 31...g2+ 32.Rxg2 and Carlsen thought he was better, even with Ra1+ which isn't even on here.]

30.Qh3 Rxa4

"Now I didn't see what to do anymore." - Carlsen.

31.Bd5

Alexander Grischuk

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Magnus Carlsen

Position after 31.Bd5

[31.Bxh4 "After Bh4 I was always have Qh6 I think." - Grischuk. 31...Qh6 (31...Nf4) ; 31.Kg2? was a post-game suggestion from Carlsen. 31...Kg8 (31...Nh5!) 32.Ng4 Qxc3 (32...Nf4+ 33.Bxf4 Qxf4 34.Ne3 and white is very safe. - Carlsen. "I was always trying to calculate the amount of pawns." - Grischuk.) ; 31.f4 Nxf4 32.Bxf4 Qxf4 33.Nf3 f6 34.Rg4 Ra1+ 35.Kg2 Nh5 36.Nxh4 is about level and they investigated the position a little bit. "This was too deep for me with little time. " - Carlsen.]

31...Ra6

[31...Ra3 A computer suggestion. "I didn't consider Ra3" said Carlsen smiling. Grischuk didn't look too impressed with this move either. This wasn't what they were looking at with seconds remaining. "Yeah whatever." - Carlsen.]

32.Bc4 Rd6

"Now it's all forced." - Carlsen. Both players were down to the increment more or less and they had to go with what they'd seen.

33.f4 Nxf4 34.Bxf4 Qxf4 35.Nf3 Rg6 36.Rg4

Alexander Grischuk

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Magnus Carlsen

Position after 36.Rg4

[36.Qg4 "I have to admit that for a couple of seconds I was looking at Qg4." - Carlsen. "It's like to play for a win?" asked Grischuk. "Yes" - Carlsen. "Ah" - Grischuk. "But I mean if I can consolidate. Then...." - Carlsen. "But you don't have extra pawn." - Grischuk. 36...f6 drops the house for black. Carlsen clearly wasn't seeing things very clearly in extreme time pressure. But finished with "Obviously white is not better." - Carlsen. (36...Qxg4 37.Rxg4 is better for black.) ]

36...Qc1+

[36...Ra8 "I thought maybe I win brilliancy prize with Ra8 but it doesn't work." - Grischuk. 37.Rxf4 Ra1+ 38.Kg2 gxf4+ 39.Ng5 Rxg5+ 40.Kf3 and the king escapes.]

37.Rg1 Qf4 38.Rg4 Qc1+ 39.Rg1 Qf4 40.Rg4 Qc1+

Draw agreed. Both seemed more or less happy with the result. Alexander said "Both players overestimated their position most likely both thinking they were better. He thought that he was better but needed to avoid a lot of traps." Maxim Dlugy summarising Grischuk's final comments on the game.

1/2-1/2

Fabiano Caruana beat Evgeny Tomashevsky

Fabiano Caruana

Fabiano Caruana Photo © http://video.russiachess.org.

Fabiano Caruana and Evgeny Tomashevsky seemed to unwittingly follow the game Cheparinov-Aronian from 2008 in a Ruy Lopez Anti-Marshall. We were only allowed to see Caruana's analysis half way through but he didn't seem to know the game. Aronian managed to hold the draw, Tomashevsky in spite of using a lot of time did not with Caruana easily breaking out of the bind that he was in to win in 32 moves.

Caruana,Fabiano - Tomashevsky,Evgeny [C88]
7th Tal Memorial Moscow RUS (4.5), 12.06.2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 b4 9.d3 d6 10.Nbd2 Na5

Trying to take advantage of white's decision not to play a5.

11.Ba2 c5 12.c3 Rb8 13.d4 Qc7 14.dxe5 dxe5 15.Nc4 Rd8 16.Qe2 b3 17.Nxa5 Qxa5 18.Bb1 c4

Black was taking quite a bit of time here. I wonder if either player knew that were following an Aronian game.

19.Qxc4

Evgeny Tomashevsky

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Fabiano Caruana

Position after 19.Qxc4

19...Rb7?N

Trying to keep white bottled in using the rooks, this doesn't work out very well and it is probably significant that Aronian played a different way.

[19...Bc5 20.h3 Qb6 21.Be3 Bxe3 22.Rxe3 Rd1+ 23.Re1 Rxe1+ 24.Nxe1 Be6 25.Qe2 Nd7 26.a5 Qd6 27.Bd3 Nc5 28.Bc4 Bxc4 29.Qxc4 g6 30.Nf3 Rd8 31.Re1 Qc7 32.g3 Kg7 33.Re2 Rd3 34.Kg2 Qd6 35.Ng5 Qe7 36.Re3 Rxe3 37.fxe3 Qd7 38.Nf3 Qd1 39.Qxc5 Qe2+ 40.Kg1 Qxf3 41.Qxe5+ Kg8 42.Qb8+ Kg7 43.Qe5+ Kg8 44.Qb8+ Kg7 45.Qe5+ 1/2-1/2 Cheparinov,I (2696)-Aronian,L (2763)/Sofia BUL 2008/The Week in Chess 706]

20.Qe2 Rbd7 21.h3!

Evgeny Tomashevsky

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Fabiano Caruana

Position after 21.h3!

After the game Caruana liked this move very much. Stopping Ng4 or Bg4. Apparently Marin had already talked about this in his notes to the above game.

21...Rd6 22.Be3 h6?

The final mistake according to Caruana.

[22...Qc7? 23.a5 was most probably the best black could hope for here. White still has some problems to solve as it isn't so easy to free the Bb1. But Caruana still felt he had good chances as he still didn't think black had enough compensation for the pawn.; 22...Be6 23.Ng5 when black has to give up his bishop.]

23.Nd2 Be6 24.Nc4

Already white is winning.

24...Qc7

"Everything is bad for black." - Caruana on the exchange sacrifice.

[24...Bxc4 25.Qxc4 Rd1 26.Kf1 is just over. "He can't move his queen." - Caruana.]

25.Nxd6 Qxd6 26.a5 Rd7 27.c4 Qb4 28.Bd3 Bc5 29.Red1 Rc7 30.Bxc5 Qxc5 31.Qe1 Kf8 32.Qc3

A bit of an opening fiasco for black.

1-0

Vladimir Kramnik draw Levon Aronian

Kramnik-Aronian Press Conference

Kramnik-Aronian Press Conference. Photo © http://video.russiachess.org.

Vladimir Kramnik was reportedly disappointed that he didn't make more of his position against Levon Aronian who was set up for defence and a draw. I couldn't understand the Russian press conference but give a few lines below. Kramnik missed 23... Rd7 after which the game trailed out to a draw.

Kramnik,Vladimir - Aronian,Levon [C47]
7th Tal Memorial Moscow RUS (4.2), 12.06.2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 0-0 8.0-0 d5 9.exd5 cxd5 10.h3

[10.Nb5 Bg4 11.f3 Bh5 12.c3 Bc5+ 13.Kh1 c6 14.Nd4 Qc7 15.Qa4 Rac8 16.Bg5 Nd7 17.Rae1 Bg6 18.Nf5 Ne5 19.Bf4 Rfe8 20.b4 Bb6 21.Qa6 f6 22.a4 Qd7 23.Bxe5 fxe5 24.Ng3 Bxd3 25.Qxd3 a5 26.Re4 Ra8 27.Rg4 Qe6 28.Rh4 g6 29.Qd2 axb4 30.Qh6 Re7 31.cxb4 Rxa4 32.f4 Be3 33.Ne2 d4 34.Rh3 Ra2 35.Rxe3 dxe3 36.fxe5 Rf7 37.Rxf7 Qxf7 38.Qxe3 Qf1+ 0-1 Chikovani,V (2140)-Nurkiewicz,M (2355)/Tallinn EST 1997]

10...Re8 11.Qf3 c6 12.Bf4

Kramnik feels that this is the only way for white to play for an advantage.

12...Bd7

Aronian didn't seem to like this after the game.

13.a3

[13.Rfe1 Rxe1+ 14.Rxe1 d4 (14...Qf8) 15.Ne4 Bxe1 16.Bg5 was a slightly strange variation Aronian looked at during the game.]

13...Bxc3

[13...Bf8 was perfectly possible.]

14.bxc3 Ne4

[14...Qa5 15.c4 Be6]

15.Rfe1 Qf6 16.Bxe4 dxe4 17.Qe3 Be6

[17...c5 18.Rad1 Ba4 19.Rd2]

18.Rad1 Qf5 19.Rd4 f6 20.Rb1 Bd5 21.c4

This might just be an oversight.

[21.Rdb4 Aronian.]

21...Bf7 22.Rb7 Rad8 23.Bd6 Rd7

Levon Aronian

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Vladimir Kramnik

Position after 23...Rd7

After the both players felt that Aronian was out of trouble. Kramnik missed that this was possible.

24.Rxd7

[24.Rxe4 Qxe4 25.Qxe4 Rxe4 (25...Rxb7 26.Qxc6 Rb6 27.Qd7) 26.Rxd7 Bxc4 27.Rxa7 Re1+ 28.Kh2 Re2]

24...Qxd7 25.Bc5 Qb7 26.Rxe4 Rxe4 27.Qxe4 Qb1+ 28.Kh2 Qb8+ 29.g3 Qa8 30.Bd6 Qe8 31.Qxe8+ Bxe8 32.Kg2 Bg6 33.Kf3 Bxc2 34.Ke3 Kf7 35.Kd4 Ke6 36.Kc5 Bd3 37.Bb8 a6 38.h4 h5 39.Kxc6 Bxc4 40.Kc5 Bb5 1/2-1/2

Luke McShane draw Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura. Photo © http://video.russiachess.org.

Luke McShane and Hikaru Nakamura drew a Scheveningen Sicilian which has been extensively investigated in the games of Garry Kasparov for one. It does seem that neither knew the detailed theory as Nakamura chose an inferior variation and McShane spent an hour over the obvious (in that it was one of only two options he would have been considering) 13.e5. McShane got a sizable but probably not decisive advantage but time trouble meant that he actually ended up in an ending a pawn down, albeit a drawn one.

McShane,Luke J - Nakamura,Hikaru [B84]
7th Tal Memorial Moscow RUS (4.4), 12.06.2012

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be2 a6 7.f4 Qc7 8.0-0 Be7 9.Kh1 0-0 10.a4 Nc6 11.Be3 Bd7 12.Nb3 Na5

I wasn't sure what was going on.

13.e5

McShane spent about an hour over this decision. Whilst taking some time to orientate himself was sensible he could have surely done it fast. Neither player seemed to know the extensive theory of this position, nor probably expected to be here.

13...Ne8 14.Nxa5 Qxa5 15.Ne4

"Surely this position should be fine for black." - Nakamura.

15...Qc7?!

[15...d5 16.Ng5]

16.a5 Bc6 17.Bb6 Qb8 18.Qd4 d5

[18...f6 19.exd6 Nxd6 20.Nxd6 Qxd6 21.Qxd6 Bxd6 22.Rad1 Bb8 23.Bc4 Re8 24.f5 Be5 25.Bxe6+ Kh8 26.c3 g6 27.Bd7 Re7 28.Bxc6 bxc6 29.g3 Kg7 30.Kg2 Rb8 31.Rd2 Rbb7 32.fxg6 hxg6 33.Rfd1 g5 34.Kf3 Kg6 35.c4 Rh7 36.Re2 Rh8 37.Rdd2 Kf5 38.Rf2 Kg6 39.b4 Re7 40.Bc5 Rb7 41.Ke4 Rhb8 42.Kd3 Rxb4 43.Bxb4 Rxb4 44.Rc2 Rb3+ 45.Ke4 Ra3 46.Rfd2 Rxa5 47.Rd8 c5 48.Kd5 Kf5 49.Rc8 Bd4 50.h4 Ra3 51.Rg2 Kg4 52.Rg8 Kh3 53.Rb2 Bxb2 54.h5 Kg4 55.h6 f5 56.h7 Rxg3 57.h8Q Bxh8 58.Rxh8 f4 0-1 Kasimdzhanov,R (2672)-Dao Thien Hai (2557)/Doha QAT 2006/The Week in Chess 633]

19.Nc5

[19.Ng5 We both know white is better. Black is very solid and by exchanging the right pieces he can unravel the position. - McShane. It is a bit harder to handle the white side.]

19...Qc8

At this point black's position is quite bad.

20.Bf3 g6 21.c4 Ng7 22.cxd5 exd5 23.Rac1 Bd8!

Hikaru Nakamura

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Luke McShane

Position after 23...Bd8

Nakamura agreed that although white is better it is quite difficult for him to build on the advantage.

24.Rfd1

The most principaled move but probably not the best as it allows black to liquidate.

[24.Bxd8 Qxd8 25.b4 Ne6 26.Qd2 Qe7]

24...Ne6 25.Qd2

[25.Nxe6 fxe6 Nakamura thought black was comfortable.]

25...Bxb6 26.axb6 Qd8 27.Bxd5

[27.f5 Running short of time I could easily see things going wrong here. - McShane. 27...Nxc5 (27...gxf5 28.Qh6 Qg5 (28...Nxc5 29.Rxc5 Kh8 30.Bxd5 Rg8 31.Bf3 Qxb6) 29.Qxg5+ Nxg5 30.Bxd5) 28.Rxc5 Qxb6 29.f6 Kh8 30.b4 Rad8 31.Qh6 g5]

27...Nxc5 28.Rxc5 Qxb6 29.b4 Rad8 30.Qe1 Bxd5 31.Rcxd5 Rxd5 32.Rxd5 Rc8 33.h3 Qe6

[33...Rc4 Black has to be really careful chasing after the b-pawn and Nakamura decided correctly it wasn't worth it. 34.f5 Rxb4 35.Qd2 Rb1+ 36.Kh2 Qg1+ 37.Kg3 Rb3+ 38.Kh4 Qe3 39.Qxe3 Rxe3 40.Kg5 Kf8 41.f6 Ke8 42.Kh6]

34.Rd4 h5 35.Kh2 Qf5 36.Qh4 Kg7 37.Rd6 Rc4 38.Qf6+

White was short of time and bails out into an ending he can hold.

38...Qxf6 39.exf6+ Kh6 40.Rb6 Rxf4 41.Rxb7 Rxf6 42.b5 axb5 43.Rxb5

The rest is technique. Nakamura had no illusions he had real winning chances.

43...Rf4 44.Kg3 g5 45.Rb6+ Kg7 46.Kh2 Ra4 47.Kg1 Ra3 48.Kf2 f6 49.Rb7+ Kg6 50.Rb5 Ra2+ 51.Kf1 Rd2 52.Ra5 h4 53.Rb5 f5 54.Rb6+ Kf7 55.Ra6 Rd4 56.Kf2 Re4 57.Rb6 Re6 58.Rb5 Kf6 59.Ra5 Rd6 60.Ra2 Ke5 61.Re2+ Kf4 62.Ra2 Rd4 63.Rb2 Rd3 64.Ra2 g4 65.Ra4+ Kg5 66.hxg4 fxg4 67.Ra5+ Kf4 68.Ra4+ Kf5 69.Ra5+ Ke4 70.Ra4+ Rd4 71.Rxd4+ Kxd4 72.Ke2 Ke4 73.Ke1 Kd3 74.Kf1 Kd2 75.Kf2 g3+ 76.Kg1 Ke1 77.Kh1 h3 78.Kg1 h2+ 79.Kh1 Kf2 1/2-1/2

Alexander Morozevich draw Teimour Radjabov

Alexander Morozevich

Alexander Morozevich. Photo © http://video.russiachess.org.

Morozevich maybe got a little something out of the opening but his long think on move 19 showed he couldn't see how to make progress and the game between the leaders was soon drawn.

Morozevich,Alexander - Radjabov,Teimour [C80]
7th Tal Memorial Moscow RUS (4.1), 12.06.2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 Be7 7.Re1 b5 8.Rxe4 d5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.Rxe5 bxa4 11.b3 0-0 12.Ba3

[12.Rxe7 Qxe7 13.Ba3 Qg5 14.Bxf8 Bh3 15.Qf1 Kxf8 16.Nc3 Re8 17.Kh1 Qd2 18.Nxd5 Bxg2+ 19.Qxg2 Re1+ 20.Rxe1 Qxe1+ 21.Qg1 Qe4+ 1/2-1/2 Relange,E (2490)-Benjamin,J (2595)/Mermaid Beach BER 1998]

12...Bxa3 13.Nxa3 Qd6

[13...f6 14.Re3 (14.Re1 intended by Morozevich.) 14...f5]

14.Nb1 f6 15.Re3

[15.Re1 Bd7 16.Nc3 Rfe8 17.Qd2]

15...Bd7 16.Nc3 Rfe8 17.Rxe8+ Rxe8 18.Qd2 axb3 19.axb3

Teimour Radjabov

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Alexander Morozevich

Position after 19.axb3

After a very long think. White is now tied up and not really much better.

[19.cxb3 Qb4 20.h3 a5 21.Rd1 Bc6 22.Qc2 also wasn't much.]

19...Qb4

[19...Bb5]

20.h3 Bb5

[20...c5 21.dxc5 d4 22.Ne4 Qxd2 23.Nxd2 Re2 24.Rd1 Bf5 25.Nf3 Bxc2 26.Rxd4 Bxb3 27.Rd8+ Kf7 28.Nd4 Re1+ 29.Kh2]

21.Re1 Rxe1+ 22.Qxe1 Kf7 23.Qe3 c6 24.Nb1 a5 25.Nd2 a4 26.bxa4 Bxa4 27.c3 Qb2 28.Kh2 Bb5 29.Nf3 g5 30.Ng1 Qc2 31.Qg3 Qe4 32.Nf3 h6 33.Qc7+ Kg6 34.Qd6 Kf7 35.Qc7+ Kg6 36.Qd6 Kf7 37.Qc7+ 1/2-1/2

7th Mikhail Tal Memorial Moscow (RUS), 8-18 vi 2012 cat. XXII (2776)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
1. Morozevich, Alexander g RUS 2769 * ½ . ½ . 1 . 1 . . 3 2980
2. Radjabov, Teimour g AZE 2784 ½ * ½ . . . 1 . . 1 3 2946
3. Kramnik, Vladimir g RUS 2801 . ½ * ½ ½ . . 1 . . 2896
4. Carlsen, Magnus g NOR 2835 ½ . ½ * . ½ . ½ . . 2 2775
5. Aronian, Levon g ARM 2825 . . ½ . * . 0 . 1 ½ 2 2755
6. Caruana, Fabiano g ITA 2770 0 . . ½ . * . . ½ 1 2 2779
7. McShane, Luke J g ENG 2706 . 0 . . 1 . * 0 ½ . 2699
8. Grischuk, Alexander g RUS 2761 0 . 0 ½ . . 1 * . . 2690
9. Nakamura, Hikaru g USA 2775 . . . . 0 ½ ½ . * ½ 2672
10. Tomashevsky, Evgeny g RUS 2738 . 0 . . ½ 0 . . ½ * 1 2595
Round 4 (June 12, 2012)
Morozevich, Alexander - Radjabov, Teimour ½-½ 37 C80 Ruy Lopez Open
Kramnik, Vladimir - Aronian, Levon ½-½ 40 C47 Four Knights
Carlsen, Magnus - Grischuk, Alexander ½-½ 40 C84 Ruy Lopez Centre Attack
Caruana, Fabiano - Tomashevsky, Evgeny 1-0 32 C88 Ruy Lopez Closed
McShane, Luke J - Nakamura, Hikaru ½-½ 79 B84 Sicilian Scheveningen

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