(1) Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar (2753) — Khairullin,Ildar (2658) [D35]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 dxc4 5.e3 Bd6 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 c5 8.Nf3 cxd4 9.Nxd4 0–0 10.Bxc4 Be7 11.0–0 Bd7 12.Qe2 Nc6 13.Rfd1 Ne5 14.Bb3 Ng6 15.Bg3 Qa5 16.Bc2 Qh5 17.Qxh5 Nxh5 

It seems that Black is doing fine, but the tactics turned aganst him! 18.Nf5! Bc6 [The other option was 18...exf5 19.Rxd7 Nxg3 20.hxg3 Bf6 21.Bxf5± .] 19.Nxe7+ Nxe7 20.Bd6 Rfe8 21.e4! According to the old rules of restriction (Steinitz) when you deal with the bishop-pair. Black’s position is rather difficult, without any counterplay… 21…Nf6 22.f3 Nc8 23.Bf4 Nb6 24.a4! Restriction of the opponet pieces once more! 24…e5 25.Bc1 Rad8 26.Rxd8 Rxd8 27.Kf2 a6 28.Bb3 Na8 29.Be3 Nc7 30.Rc1 Ne6 

31.Bxe6! Top-players know when they have to tranform their advantages. Here, from the bishop-pair we go to the weak pawns advantage. 31…fxe6 32.b3 Kf7 33.Na2 Rd3 34.Nb4 Rxb3 35.Nxc6 bxc6 36.Rxc6 Rb2+ 37.Kf1 Rb1+ [Maybe Black could have tried 37...Nh5 38.g3 g5 39.Rxa6 Rxh2 , although after 40.Bf2 Rh1+ 41.Bg1± , his position would also be rather difficult.] 38.Ke2 Rb2+ 39.Bd2 a5 40.Rc7+ Kg6 41.Ra7 Ra2 42.Rxa5 And White won finally some material. 42…Nd7 43.Kd3! Rxa4? Black was having some difficult time, but this blunder ends the game in no time. 44.Rxa4 Nc5+ 45.Kc2 Nxa4 46.Be3! The black knight is trapped and will be lost soon, so Black resigned. 1–0

(2) Grachev,Boris (2683) — Riazantsev,Alexander (2708) [E05]

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.0–0 0–0 6.d4 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Bg5 Bd5 11.Qd3 Be4 12.Qd1 h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nc3 Bh7 15.e3 Nd7 16.Nd2 c5 17.Nde4 cxd4 18.exd4 Bxe4 19.Nxe4 Rb8 

White got something out of the opening and he decided that it is time to open-up the position. 20.d5! Bxb2? [20...exd5 was a must: 21.Qxd5 Ne5 22.b3!² .] 21.Ra2 exd5? [But now this is a blunder. Black had to opt for 21...Bf6 22.dxe6 Ne5 23.Rd2 Qe7 24.exf7+ Qxf7 25.f4± .] 22.Rxb2 dxe4 

23.Rd2! That’s what Black forgot about! White wins a piece and the game… 23…e3 24.fxe3 Qb6 25.Rxd7 Qxe3+ 26.Kh1 b5 27.a5 b4 28.Qd6 Qe6 29.Bd5 Qxd6 30.Rxd6 Rb5 31.Bxf7+ Kh8 32.Rxa6 b3 33.Rb6 Rxa5 34.Rxb3 Raa8 35.Rbf3 Ra6 36.h4 g6 37.Bc4 Rxf3 38.Rxf3 Rc6 39.Rf4 h5 40.Kg2 Kg7 41.Kh3 Rc7 42.Rd4 Rc6 43.Bd3 Rb6 44.Rd5 Rc6 45.Kg2 Rf6 46.Be4 Rb6 47.Kf3 Rf6+ 48.Ke3 Kh6 49.Rg5 Ra6 50.Kf4 Re6 51.Rxg6+ 1–0

(3) Akopian,Vladimir (2691) — Potkin,Vladimir (2647) [B48]

Position after 28…Rbd8 

A passed pawn is nearly always a huge power. Here we have no exception! 29.Qc7! Exchanges is the secret! Then the pawn will queen! 29…Qxc7 30.dxc7 Rc8 31.Rd7 Ne6 32.Bd5! Obviously White had foressen this tactical blow, otherwise his 29th move should be considered a blunder. 32…Nxg5 [Black cannot capture the devilish pawn: 32...Rxc7 33.Bxe6 or; 32...Nxc7 33.Bxf7+ .] 33.h4 Ne6 34.Bxe6! More exchanges and the pawn is getting stronger. 34…fxe6 [34...Rxe6 loses to 35.Rd8+ Re8 36.Rxe8+ Rxe8 37.Rd1 and 38.Rd8 queens.] 35.Rhd1 Rf8 36.Re7! Rxf3 37.Rd8+ Rf8 38.Rxc8 Rxc8 

39.Rd7 And as the coming 40.Rd8+ decides, Black resigned. 1–0

(4) Sargissian,Gabriel (2671) — AL-Sayed,Mohammed (2498) [D10]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.Bf4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.e3 Bg4 7.Qb3 Na5 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qc2 e6 10.Nf3 Rc8 11.Bd3 Nc4 12.0–0 Bd6 

White got very little from the opening, but here he went wrong. 13.Ne5 [Maybe 13.Bxd6 Nxd6 14.Qb3 0–0 15.Ne5² was correct.] 13…Bxe5 14.dxe5 Nh5 15.b3 [But this is too much. Preferable was 15.Rac1 Nxf4 16.exf4 h6 with equal chances.] 15…Nxf4 16.exf4 Nxe5! A bold from the blue! 17.fxe5 d4 

18.Bc4? [White should have opted for 18.Be4 Rxc3 19.Qd2 Bc6 20.Bxc6+ Rxc6 21.Rfd1 Rc5 22.Qxd4 Qxd4 23.Rxd4 when his activity should be enough for preserving the balance.] 18…dxc3 19.Rfd1 0–0? [A bit too naive. Good for an advantage was 19...Qa5 20.Rd4 Bc6 21.Rad1 0–0µ .] 20.a4 a6 21.Qd3? [Returning the favour. White could have chosen instead 21.Rd6! , preserving the balance.] 21…b5! 22.axb5 axb5 23.Qxd7 [23.Bxb5 c2 24.Rdc1 Bxb5 25.Qxb5 Qd4 26.g3 Rfd8 is a lost case for White.] 23…bxc4 24.b4 c2 [24...Qg5 was even stronger.] 25.Qxd8 Rfxd8 26.Rdc1 

26…Rd2 Black dominates and soon will carry the point home! 27.Kf1 Rcd8 28.Ke1 g5 29.b5 c3 30.b6 R8d5 [30...R8d5 White resigned, as after 31.b7 Rxe5+ 32.Kf1 Rb5 33.Rxc2 Rxc2 34.Ra8+ Kg7 35.b8Q Rxb8 36.Rxb8 Rb2 it will be over soon.]  0–1

 (5) Le,Quang Liem (2712) — Nepomniachtchi,Ian (2717) [A34]

Position after 48.Nc3 

The bishop-pair dominates but old masters used to say that one of the main advantages of this asset is the possibility to exchange one of the bishops under favourable circumstances! 48…Bxc3+! 49.Kxc3 Kf4?! [49...Kh4 was more accurate, as now White can create some problems.] 50.h4! Kg3 51.Bg8 h6 52.Bf7 Kxg2! [52...g5 is not of a help, as 53.hxg5 hxg5 54.Bg6 holds, as 54...Kxg2 55.Be4! Be8 56.f4+ is drawn.] 53.Bxg6 Kg3 54.h5 Kxf3 55.Kb4 Kf4 56.Bc2 Kg5 57.Bd1 [This makes it easier, but the alternative 57.Bg6 Bf3 58.Kxa4 Bxh5 wins for Black anyway - tablebases indicate mate in 19 moves!] 57…Be8 58.Ka3 Bxh5 59.Bxa4 

59…Bg6! The only winning move! In this bishop’s endgame the rook pawn is the best, as the defending bishop has just one diagonal at his disposal. 60.Bd1 Bf5 61.Kb2 Bg4 62.Kc1 h5 63.Kd2 Kf4 64.Ba4 h4 65.Ke1 h3 66.Bc6 [66.Kf2 Bf3 67.Kg1 Kg3 .] 66…Bf3 67.Bxf3 Kxf3 0–1