In round 7 Vassily Ivanchuk punishes Boris Gelfand’s small inaccuracies with authority. Now Ivanchuk and Anand are just a half game behind Kramnik. Below is Ivanchuk’s win followed by a game where the opening line was first played.
[Event “Tal Memorial”]
[Site “1:06:33-0:46:33”]
[Date “2009.11.12”]
[EventDate “?”]
[Round “7”]
[Result “1-0”]
[White “Ivanchuk”]
[Black “Gelfand”]
[ECO “A06”]
1.d4 d5{notes by Chris Torres} 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bg4 5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 e6 7.Nc3 Nbd7 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Bd6 10.O-O O-O 11.e4 e5 12.d5 Nb6 13.Bd3 cxd5 14.exd5 h6 15.Be3 Rc8 16.Rac1 Nc4{This mistake will cost Gelfland the pawn on a7. Gelfland should have played 16…Bc5} 17.Bxc4 Rxc4 18.Qe2 Rc8 19.Bxa7 b6{Another error. Gelfland should have played 19…Qa5.} 20.Nb5 Rc5 21.Rfd1 Qd7 22.Nxd6{Ivanchuk should have continued with 22.Rxc5 Bxc5 23.a4 Qb7. 24.a5 with a powerful advantage. His slight error allows Gelfland more drawing chances.} Qxd6{Gelfland failed to find the best variation. 22…Rxc1 23.Rxc1 Qxd6 24.a4 Nxd5 25.Rd1 Qc6 26.Qb5 Qxb5 27.axb5 Ra8 seems to aim toward a draw.} 23.Rxc5 Qxc5 24.Qe3 Qc2 25.Qb3 Qxb3 26.axb3 Rd8 27.d6 b5 28.f3 Ra8 29.Be3 Nd7 30.Rd5 Rb8 31.f4 exf4 32.Bxf4 f6 33.Rd2 Kf7 34.Kf2 Ke6 35.Ke3 Rc8 36.Kd4 g5{36…b4 seems stronger. Play could continue 37.g4 Rc6 38.Re2 Ne5 39.Bxe5 fxe5 40.Rxe5 Kxd6. Ivanchuk punishes Gelfland’s small inaccuracies with authority.} 37.Re2+ Ne5 38.Bxe5 fxe5+ 39.Rxe5+ Kxd6 40.Rxb5 Rc2 41.g4 Rxb2 42.Rb6+ Kc7 43.Kc3 1-0
[Event “?”]
[Site “Pardubice”]
[Date “1994.??.??”]
[White “Murdzia,Piotr”]
[Black “Krasenkov,Mikhail”]
[Round “?”]
[Result “0-1”]
[ECO “A06”]
1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. c4 Bg4 5. Nc3
e6 6. h3 Bxf3 7. Qxf3 Nbd7 8. Bd3 Bd6 9. O-O
O-O 10. e4 dxc4 11. Bxc4 e5 12. d5 Nb6 13. Bb3
Nfd7 14. a3 c5 15. Qg4 Kh8 16. Bg5 f6 17. Bd2
c4 18. Bc2 Bc5 19. h4 Bd4 20. h5 Nc8 21. g3
Nd6 22. Rab1 b5 23. Ne2 a5 24. Kg2 Bc5 25. f4
f5 26. exf5 Nf6 27. Qg5 Nf7 0-1