CHESSDOM: KID; IVANCHUK - CHEPARINOV

Ivanchuk, V. - Cheparinov, I.

Mtel Masters 2008
Sofia Round 4
by GM Dimitrov

Hi, everybody. Welcome to the Live Coverage of Mtel Masters Super Tournament. Today we'll follow the game between Vassily Ivanchuk and Ivan Cheparinov. The Ukrainian is leading with the remarkable 3/3 and White pieces are in his hands again.

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.Be2 e5 7.O-O Nc6 (7... Na6 is a popular alternative.)

8.d5 Ne7 The Classical King's Indian Defence. This typical main position is met for first time in the game between Tajmanov and Aronin - '1952.

9.Ne1 ( Another options are 9.Nd2 ,as Kramnik played this year against Van Wely in Nice and against Radjabov at Wijk aan Zee, and 9.b4)

9... Nd7 10.Nd3 f5 11.Bd2 Nf6 12.f3 f4 As it's known, Cheparinov has quite agressive opening repertoire. Najdorf and King's Indian with Black... no Petroff Defence in example.

13.c5 g5 14.Rc1 Ng6 15.cd6 cd6 16.Nb5 Rf7 17.Qc2 Ne8 18.Nf2 h5 19.a4( The last game on a high level in this position was won by Radjabov in his game agains the Croatian Zdenko Kozul 5 years ago. It continued: 19.a4 Bd7 20.Qb3 Bf8 21.Rc4 a6 22.Na3 Rg7 23.a5 Nf6 24.Qb6 Qe8 25.h3 g4 26.fg4 hg4 27.hg4 Nh4 28.Rc7 Qg6 29.Be1 Rh7 30.Qb3 Ne4 31.Qd3 Ng3 32.Rb7 e4 33.Ne4 Ne4 34.Rd7 Rd7 35.Bh4 Qh7 36.Rf4 Qh4 37.Re4 Bg7 38.Bf3 Rf8 39.Nc4 Rdf7 40.Re3 Rf4 41.Re4 Rf3 42.gf3 Qg3 43.Kh1 Kf7 44.Nd6 Qd6 45.Kg2 Rh8 46.Qb3 Qh2 47.Kf1 Qh1 0-1)

19... Bf8 20.h3 Rg7 21.Qb3 Nh4 22.Rc2 g4 There are just 2 games so far with this continuation. The result is quite pleasant for Black - 1,5 points out of 2.

23.fg4 Nf6 24.Be1 ( This is probably one of the key moments in this game, since Black could force exchanges on g4 with or without the profilactic move 24.Be1 Kh8)

24... hg4 25.hg4 Nh5! (25... Nh5 26.Nd1 (26.gh5? Ng2 -+ leads to disaster for White.) seems the strongest answer to this piece sacrifice according to the engines.Although after 26... Bg4 27.Bg4 Rg4 threatening Qg5, f3, Black has enough counterplay.)

26.Nh1 (26.Nh1 Bg4 27.Bg4 Rg4 28.Qh3 Qg5 29.Bh4 Qh4 30.Qh4 Rh4 31.Rfc1 Rg4 32.Kf2 a6 33.Nc7 Rb8 34.Ne6 Be7 35.Rc8 Rc8 36.Rc8 Kf7 37.Rb8 Rh4 38.Kg1 Rg4 39.Rb7 (39.Kf2 Rh4 =) 39... f3 40.g3 Nf6 41.Kf2 Ne4 42.Kf3 Nf6 43.Nd8 Ke8 44.Nc6 Bf8 45.Rb6 e4 46.Ke2 Nd5 47.Ra6 e3 = and a drawish endgame could arise.)

26... f3 optimistic move

27.Bf3 (27.gf3 Nf4 is also possible with attacking chances for Black.)

27... Nf4 28.Ng3 ( a solid move it seems. The Rybka's alternative: 28.Bh4 Qh4 29.g3 Nh3 30.Kg2 Nf4 31.Kf2 Nh3 32.Ke2 promises a big advantage, but it's not for everybody to play such positions. And mainly, it seems it's not the taste of Ivanchuk today.)

28... Bg4 29.Bg4 Rg4 30.Nc7 Rc8 31.Ne6 Rc2 (31... Rc2 32.Nd8?? is not possible, of course, because of 32... Rg2 33.Kh1 Nf3 and mate in two moves.)

32.Qc2 Qb6?! (32... Qe8 was more solid. In example: 33.Qc3 Nhg2 34.Qf3 Qg6 35.Nf8 Ne1 36.Ng6 Nf3 37.Rf3 Rg6 =)

33.Kh1 (33.Bf2 was worse than the move in the game. After 33... Nf3 34.gf3 Rg3 35.Kh1 Rh3 = the perpetual check could not be avoided.)

33... Nhg2 34.Nf5 The position must be already winning for White. Ivanchuk has 6 minutes left for 6 moves, but remember that even 6 seconds were enough for him some days ago against Topalov. The 32-nd move Qb6 for Black proved to be weak, as it forced the game to this.

34... Qa6 35.Rg1 Qd3 36.Qd3 Nd3 37.Bh4 +-

37... Re4 38.Rg2 Kf7 39.Nd6 Bd6 40.Ng5 The game is over at the move 40-rd. Ivanchuk is still leading with 4/4... Will anybody stop him at all?!

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