ODT141125

=**Grischuk dominates Petrosian Memorial**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 5.

While the World Championship Match between Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand continues in Sochi, the site of this year's Olympics, a very strong tournament finished in the Russian capital, Moscow. The event was in honour of Tigran Petrosian, world champion from 1963-1969. Top seed of the eight-player round-robin was Levon Aronian from Armenia, as was Petrosian, though it was then part of the Soviet Union. But it was second seed Alexander Grischuk of Russia who dominated from the outset. Grischuk won his first three games to open up a point lead over nearest rival Vladimir Kramnik of Russia. This he maintained until the end, finishing first on 5½/7. Kramnik was second on 4½ and Aronian third equal on 4 points with Boris Gelfand of Israel.

Today's game is Grischuk's win from the fifth round, playing with white pieces against Hungary's top player, Peter Leko. media type="custom" key="26871956" **1.Nf3 d5** **2.c4 e6** **3.d4 Nf6** **4.Nc3 Be7** **5.Bg5 h6** **6.Bh4 O-O** **7.e3 b6** **8.g4!?** A recent innovation in a very well studied position of the Queen's Gambit Declined Tartakower. It appears to have been introduced into top level play by Danish GM Peter Heine Nielsen, now one of Carlsen's seconds in his world championship defence. The idea is to exchange the g-pawn to remove both of Black's centre pawns and gain active play down the g-file. **8... Nxg4** The game Nielsen-Georgiev 2013 continued 8... dxc4 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.h4 and White had strong kingside attack. **9.Bxe7 Qxe7** **10.cxd5 exd5** **11.Nxd5 Qd6** **12.Nc3 c5!?** Striking back at White's centre immediately while reserving the option of where to develop his bishop. Two previous games continued 12... Bb7 13.Rg1 Nf6 14.Ne5 c5, both ending in draws. **13.Rg1 Nf6** Suicidal would be 13... Nxh2? 14.Nb5! Nxf3+ 15.Qxf3 Qc6 16.d5 and Black must shed material or be mated after say 16... Qd7 17. Qf6 g6 18.Bd3 threatening 19.Bxg6 etc. **14.Bg2 Bg4?!** Provocative, as 14... Bb7 opposing bishops on the long diagonal seems to maintain the balance. **15.Qd2?!** Unpinning the knight with threats on the long diagonal, but White misses a chance for advantage by 15.Qa4! If Black replies as in the game then 15... Nbd7 (15... Bd7 16.dxc5! Qxc5 17.Qh4 with kingside pressure) 16.Ne5 and now 16... Nxe5? loses due to 17.dxe5 Qxe5 18.Bxa8 Rxa8 19.Rxg4 winning a piece as the rook is protected by the queen. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**15... Nbd7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**16.Ne5 Nxe5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**17.dxe5 Qxe5!?** Sacrificing the exchange for a pawn and central pressure, as White has better minor pieces after 17... Qxd2+ 18.Kxd2 Rad8+ 19.Kc2 Nd7 20.f4. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**18.Bxa8 Rxa8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**19.Rg3 Ne4!** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20.f4!** After the exchange of knights 20.Nxe4?! Qxe4 21.Rg1 Re8 White's material advantage is of no use as his king is caught in the centre and his pieces are tied down to its defence. The text forces off queens at the cost of another pawn. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20... Nxd2** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**21.fxe5 Nf3+** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22.Kf2 Nxe5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**23.Rag1 Bh5?!** After g7 falls the white rooks generate serious threats to the black king. It was necessary to give up two pieces for a rook and pawn by 23... Rd8! 24.Rxg4 Rd2+ 25.Kf1 Nxg4 26.Rxg4 Rxb2 and with three pawns for a knight and a much superior pawn structure, Black should hold the ending. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**24.Rxg7+ Kh8** Unfortunately 24.. Kf8 loses a rook to 25.Rg8+ so the king is forced into the corner, from where he will never escape. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**25.R7g2 Rd8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**26.e4 c4** Trying to pin down the b2 pawn for attack, but allowing the white knight to join the attack. The defence was already difficult, e.g: 26... Nf3 27.Rd1 Nd2 28.Re1 Nc4 29.b3 Ne5 30.Reg1 Nf3 31.Rd1 Rxd1 32.Nxd1 Nd2 33.Nc3 Bf3 34.Rg1 Nxe4+ 35.Nxe4 Bxe4 36.Re1 f5 37.Rd1 and the rook will get among the queenside pawns winning the ending. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27.Nd5! Bf3?** Missing the mating attack. But after 27... Nf3 28.Rc1 Ne5 29.Rc3 Bg6 30.Ke3 the white rooks are beginning to assert themselves. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**28.Rg7! Bh5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**29.Nf6!** Well calculated. It is mate in eight more moves. Black has many checks, but the white king has a path to safety. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**29.... Rd2+** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**30.Ke3 Rd3+** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**31.Kf4 Ng6+** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**32.R1xg6! Rf3+** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**33.Ke5** Rather than choose between 33... Rf5+ 34.exf5 Bxg6 35.Rg8 mate or 33... Rxf6 34.Rg8+ Kh7 35.R6g7 mate Black resigned<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**.**

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**1-0**


 * Solution:** 1. Bxg7+! Qxg7 (1... Kxg7 2. Qf6#) 2. Qb8+ Rd8 3. Qxd8+ Re8 4. Qxe8+ Qf8 (4... Qg8 5.Qxg8#) 5.Qxf8#.