(1) Najer,Evgeniy (2633) — Kamsky,Gata (2741) [B43]

WRBC 2013 (1.3), 06.06.2013

Position after 41.h4

After a lot of complications, where White missed more than one wins, we have reached this certain position. White is still on the top but Black found his best practical chance: 41…Rxf5!? 42.Nxf5 Qxf5 43.Ra1!! [Well played and probably the only way to preserve fair winning chances. 43.hxg5? Qxg5 44.Qh7 Qg6 45.Qh4 Kg7 would allow Black to hold on, but not without suffering for another 20–30 moves at least!] 43…Kg7 [Under the circumstances, best. 43...Qd5?! would lose to 44.hxg5 Rxg5 45.Qh8+ Rg8 46.Qh6+ Rg7 47.Rb1 Qe5 48.Qh8+ Ke7 49.Rb7+ Kf6 50.Qh6+ Rg6 51.Rb6+ . But after all, maybe Black had to try it and pray...] 44.Qxg5+ [44.hxg5? Rh8 45.Qe2 Qd5 46.Qb2+ Kg8 would be fine for Black.] 44…Qxg5 45.hxg5 The resulting rook ending is won for White — he only has to exchange his g5 pawn for Black’s f — easier said than done! 45…Kg6 [45...Rc8 46.Ra2! .] 46.Ra5 [46.f4 Rd8 47.Kg2 Rd7 48.Kh3+- .] 46…Rb8 47.Kg2

47…Rb3 [47...Rb2 48.g4 Rc2 49.Kg3 Rb2 50.Ra6+! Kg7 (50...Kxg5 51.f4#) 51.f4+- .] 48.f4 Kh5 49.Kh3 Rb1 50.Ra7 Kg6 51.Ra6+ Kg7 52.Kg4 Rb4 53.Rc6 Ra4 54.Rb6 Rc4 55.Kh5 Rc3 56.Kh4 Rc4 57.Rb7 Kg6 58.Ra7 Rb4 59.Ra6+ Kg7 60.Kg4 Rc4 61.Rd6 Ra4 62.Kf5 Ra3 63.Kg4 Ra4 64.Kh4 Rb4 65.Rd3 Kg6 66.Rf3 Rb8 67.f5+ Kg7 68.Ra3 Rb5 69.Kg4 Rb4+ 70.Kh5 Rb1 71.Ra7 Rh1+ 72.Kg4 Kg8 73.Ra6 And as White’s next move will be 74.g6, exchanging the pawns, Black called it a day. 1–0.

(2) Frolyanov,Dmitry (2570) — Dreev,Alexey (2668) [B13]

WRBC 2013 (2.3), 06.06.2013

 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bg5 Be6 7.Be2 Qa5 8.Nf3 dxc4 9.0–0 Rd8 10.Re1 a6

11.Bf1 [In this sideline of the 'Panov Attack' in the 'Caro-Kan Defence' White has tried previously 11.a4 h6 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Bf1 Qf5ч as in Haast,A-Turov,M Wijk aan Zee 2012. His novelty didn't help...] 11…Bg4! 12.Bxf6?! [White should have seriously consider 12.Be3 b5 13.h3 Bh5 14.a4!© .] 12…gxf6 13.d5 Ne5 14.Be2 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 Bg7?! [Not the best by far. 15...Nd3! 16.Re2 f5 looks excellent for Black.] 16.Be4! Now White’s compensation is nice. 16…h5 [16...0–0? 17.Qh5 Ng6 18.Re3 would play in White's hands.] 17.Ne2?

[White goes wrongly. Correct was 17.Qe2 b5 18.a3© .] 17…f5!! A killer — White is losing material. 18.Bxf5 Rxd5 19.Qc2 Nd3 [Although the text is good enough, stronger seemed to be 19...Rd2 20.Qc3 Qxc3 21.bxc3 e6µ .] 20.Qxc4? [Good or bad White had to opt for 20.Red1 Rxf5 21.Qxc4 Qc5 22.Qxd3 Qxf2+ 23.Kh1 0–0µ .] 20…Nxe1 21.Nf4 Rd4 22.Qc8+ Qd8 23.Qc1 Bh6 0–1.

(3) Grischuk,Alexander (2779) — Salem,AR Saleh (2531) [D77]

WRBC 2013 (3.4), 06.06.2013

Position after 38.Nxa7

A typical ending arised, where White’s two advantages (extra pawn and knight vs bishop with pawns on one side) should be enough to score the point. 38…Ke6 39.Nb5 Bc5 40.Kg2 Ke5 41.Nc3 Bb4 42.Ne2 Ke6 43.Nf4+ Kf7 44.Kf3 Bd6 45.Ke4 Bb8 46.Kd5 Bc7 47.Kc6 Ba5 48.Kd7 Be1 49.Nd3 Bd2 50.e4 g5 [Black's options are limited, as a waiting move like 50...Bc3 fails to 51.f4 Bd4 52.e5 and the passed e-pawn decides.] 51.g4! The most secure (although slow) winning try. Light squares in the Black’s camp cannot be defended anymore… 51…hxg4 52.hxg4 Bc3 53.f3 Bd4 54.Nb4 Bc5 55.Nc6 Bb6 56.Nd8+ Kf8 57.Nb7 Kf7 58.Nd6+ Kg6

59.Ke6 [The winning plan was to get the white king on f7 and then collect the f6-pawn. Therefore: 59.Nc8 Bd4 60.Ke7 Kg7 61.Nd6 Be5 (61...Bc5 62.Ke6) 62.Ne8+ Kg6 63.Kf8 Bb8 64.Ng7 Bd6+ 65.Kg8 Ba3 66.Ne6 Bb4 67.Nf8+ Kh6 68.Kf7+- .] 59…Bd4 60.Nf5 Bb2 61.Ke7 Ba3+ 62.Ke6 Bb2 63.Ne7+ Kg7 64.Nc6 Kg6 65.Nb4 Bc3 66.Nd3 Bd4 67.e5? [Now it's a draw! White had a second winning plan (the first was mentioned above and could be carried away as well): 67.Nb4 Be5 68.Nd5 Bd4 69.Ne7+ Kg7 70.Kf5 Bc3 71.Nd5 Bb2 72.Nb6 Bc3 73.Nd7 Kf7 74.e5 fxe5 75.Nf6 Bd4 76.Ne4+- .] 67…Bc3 68.exf6 Bxf6 69.Ne5+ Kg7 And there is no way to win the last black pawn. White tried for many more moves, but in the end he had to call it a day… 70.Kf5 Bd8 71.Nc4 Be7 72.Nd2 Bd8 73.Ne4 Kh6 74.Nc5 Bb6 75.Ne6 Be3 76.Kf6 Bd2 77.Kf7 Bc3 78.Nc5 Bd4 79.Ne4 Be5 80.Nf6 Bc3 81.Nd5 Ba1 82.Ne3 Bb2 83.Nf5+ Kh7 84.Ke6 Kg6 85.Ne7+ Kg7 86.Kf5 Bc1 87.Nc6 Kh6 88.Kf6 Bb2+ 89.Ne5 Bc3 90.Kf5 Kg7 91.Nc4 Bf6 92.Ne5 Bd8 93.Nd7 Be7 94.Nb6 Bd8 95.Nd5 Kf7 96.Ne3 Kg7 97.Nc4 Be7 98.Ne5 Bd8 99.Nd7 Be7 100.Nb8 Bd8 101.Na6 Bf6 102.Nc5 Be7 103.Ne4 Kh6 104.Ke6 Ba3 105.Kf6 Bb2+ 106.Kf7 Be5 107.Nc5 Bd4 108.Ne6 Bb2 109.Nc7 Be5 110.Nd5 Bd4 111.Nf6 Bb2 112.Ne4 Be5 113.Ke6 Bb2 114.Kf5 Bc1 115.Nf2 Be3 116.Nd3 Bd2 117.Ne5 Kg7 118.Nc4 Bf4 119.Ke4 1/2.

(4) Vallejo Pons,Francisco (2706) — Nepomniachtchi,Ian (2717) [B23]

WRBC 2013 (4.1), 06.06.2013

 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 a6 3.g4 b5 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.d3 e6 6.Nh3 Nc6 7.0–0 Nge7 8.f4 Ng6 9.Be3 Qc7 10.Qe1 Be7 11.Qf2 Nd4 12.Nd1 d6 13.c3 Nc6 14.d4 cxd4 15.cxd4 Bh4 16.Qd2 Nge7 17.d5 Nd8 18.dxe6 fxe6 19.Rc1 Nec6 20.g5 h6 21.gxh6 gxh6 22.f5 Qe7 23.Qe2 Ne5 24.Nf4 Rg8 25.fxe6 Nxe6 26.Qh5+ Kd7 27.Nd5 Bxd5 28.exd5 Nc5

After a Sicilian sideline, White explored some innacuracies by Black and had obtained a winning position. He just has to deliver the final blow. 29.Kh1 [Playing it safe! The immediate 29.b4 was possible as well 29...Na4 as only now 30.Kh1 is curtains...] 29…Raf8 [Or 29...Rxg2 30.Kxg2 Rg8+ 31.Kh1 Qh7 32.Qf5+ (32.Qxh4 Rg4) 32...Qxf5 33.Rxf5 .] 30.Rxf8 Rxf8 31.b4! Looks like the end but Black is a fighter! 31…Ned3 [31...Na4 32.Bh3+ Kd8 33.Rc8# .] 32.Rc3? [32.Rc2 was just winning a piece and the game: 32...Nxb4 33.Qg4+ .] 32…Be1 [Or 32...Nxb4 33.Qg4+ Kd8 34.Qxb4 Be1 .] 33.Qh3+?! [33.bxc5 Bxc3 34.cxd6 Kxd6 35.Qg6+ was even better.] 33…Kc7 34.bxc5 Bxc3 35.cxd6+ Qxd6 36.Nxc3 Nf4! 37.Qg3 Nxg2 38.Kxg2?! [Queens should be preserved on the board, as then White can also create an attack. Therefore 38.Qg7+ Kd8 39.Kxg2± should be preferable.] 38…Qxg3+ 39.hxg3 h5

Now Black has real saving chances. 40.Bf4+ Kb6 41.d6 [Or 41.Ne4 Rf5! (41...b4? 42.Bg5 Rc8 43.Be7+-) 42.d6 Kc6 and Black seems to hold.] 41…Kc6 42.Kf3 b4 43.Ne4 a5 44.Ke3 a4 Black’s counterplay on the queenside is good enough for the draw. 45.Bg5 b3 46.axb3 a3 47.Nc3 Rb8! 48.Kd3 Rxb3 49.Kc4 Rb2 50.Bf4? [50.Bc1 Rg2 51.Bxa3 Rxg3 was a draw.] 50…a2 51.Nxa2 Rxa2 Now Black’s winning chances are real, as he will penetrate with his king on the kingside. The rook will keep an eye on the passed white d-pawn and the breakthrough …h4 will decide, as the white bishop has little scope to deal with. 52.Kd4 Re2 53.Kd3 Re8 54.Kd4 Re1 55.Be5 Kd7 56.Kd5 Rd1+ 57.Ke4 Ke6 58.Bf4 Rf1 59.Ke3 Rd1 60.Ke4 Rb1 61.Ke3 Rb5 62.Kf3 Kf5 63.Kg2 Rd5 64.Kh3 Rd1 65.Kg2 Kg4 66.Be5 Rd5 67.Bf4 h4 68.Kg1 hxg3 And White resigned. A sad game for Vallejo… 0–1.

(5) Le Quang,Liem (2712) — Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar (2753) [A31]

WRBC 2013 (5.3), 06.06.2013

Position after 45.Qf5

It seems that Black is about to bring the bacon home, but his weakend king allows White some tactical resources… 45…Qd1+! 46.Kh2 Qd6+ 47.g3 Qc7? [47...Qc6! would do the job: 48.Re7 Kf8 49.Re1 c2 50.Rc1 Qc4–+ .] 48.Re7! And White found the saving continuation! 48…c2! [48...Qxe7 49.Qxc8+ Kh7 50.Qxc3 was too simple, so Black plays his last card.] 49.Qd5+ [49.Qg4! forcing 49...Qxe7 50.Qxc8+ Kf7 51.Qc4+! Kf8 52.Qc8+ was best.] 49…Kh7

Another critical position. [49...Kh8? 50.Rxc7 Rxc7 51.Qd8+ Kh7 52.Qxc7+- .] 50.Qd3+? [And Whote bites the decoy! He had to opt for 50.Qf5+ Kh8 51.Qg4 g5 52.Qe6 Qxe7 53.Qxe7 c1Q 54.Qxf6+ which would lead to a draw by perpetual check.] 50…f5! 51.Qxf5+ [51.Rxc7 Rxc7 52.Qxf5+ g6 it's curtains.] 51…Kh8 52.Qg4 Qc3! Again the only move but one that ends White’s hopes. 53.Rxg7 c1Q 54.Rf7 Qg5 [54...Q3a1 was a quicker win.] 55.Qe4 Qg8 56.Qf4 Qg6 0–1.