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Alexander Grischuk vs Vladimir Malakhov
"Whooping 'Khov" (game of the day May-28-2007)
World Championship Candidates (2007), Elista RUS, rd 1, May-27
Sicilian Defense: Richter-Rauzer. Modern Variation (B61)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
May-27-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: Nice start by Grischuk. This kid er man can play great chess when he's on.
May-27-07  Karpova: Malakhov played a bit strange. Especially 12...Kf8 looks "unusual". Grishuk went on to win comfortably.
May-28-07  arctic tern: What an adorable pun...
May-28-07  malthrope: Good clean game! As soon as I saw the Sicilian opening chosen wishing I could have pre-bet on this one! After reading Yaz's comments on 'ChessBase' should note that there was not even a 'hint of a bluff' in this one! ~lol~ Just sharp precise play by Gris... ;-) - Mal
May-28-07  fictionist: Now this is what you call exciting.
May-28-07  PolishPentium: How precisely does White convert his two-pawn advantage into a win? From PP's vantage point the W isn't exactly assured. For example, how does White reply to 42...Qb8 ?
May-28-07  fictionist: If 42...Qb8 then 43.Qc7 and Black will have to choose to defend the f7 pawn or risk losing it.
May-28-07  fictionist: Surely the two pawns will march down the 8th rank...
May-28-07  I3illieJoe: I don't think this game deserves to be considered game of the day...there's nothing really special or stunning about it.
May-28-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: <I3illieJoe: I don't think this game deserves to be considered game of the day...there's nothing really special or stunning about it.>

I am inclined to agree. For example, the other decisive game from yesterday's candidates matches (0-1 in 36 moves in Carlsen vs Aronian, 2007) does seem to me to have been a more noteworthy game than this one.

May-28-07  kevin86: I think that instead of doing a lot of research for today's game-cg found a pun based on yesterday's games and call that a gotd. Since today is a holiday in the US and Canada,cg didn't expect the usual amount of hits today.

With two pawns behind,black was waiting for time control and decided that it was worthless to return-so he gave up.

May-28-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: The Opening Explorer currently has more than 4,000 games with the standard Richter-Rauzer position (after 6. Bg5). Black's overwhelmingly preferred choice here (83%) is 6. ... e6. Both this game and yesterday's puzzle (M V Ghinda vs C Partos, 1975 - taken from the position after 19. ... Qc5) are examples from the other 17%. In both of these games the move pair Bxf6 gxf6 was played, and both resulted in losses for Black. Although I know that the move ... g7xf6 (which I sometimes go in for myself in other Sicilian systems) enhances central control as a trade off for pawn structure impairment, it seemed dubious to me for Black to have allowed it in both of these games. It strikes me that the popularity of 6. ... e6 in the Richter-Rauzer is very well-justified. That being said, according to the Opening Explorer, Black scores extremely well with 6. ... Qb6, and more than reasonably well with 6. ... Qa5.
May-28-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: One further observation about this game: One of the favorable aspects of Black's ... g7xf6 in this sort of position is that it creates a half-open file for the h8 Rook. In this game, that Rook only made it to the g-file with 41. ... Rg6. On his next turn, Black resigned.
May-28-07  Tacticstudent: Beautiful game. <Peligroso Patzer> When I want to play Sicilian Dragon, I always postpone my Queen's Knight development to prevent a possible Richter-Rauzer; but this 6...Bd7 is totally horrible, if simply doesn't help black.
May-28-07  Pulse: <Tacticstudent: this 6...Bd7 is totally horrible>

It's an actual opening system:
Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer, Larsen Variation, 7.Qd2 (B61)

Jun-05-07  dbquintillion: The pun is pretty good.
Black's poor queen is stuck uselessly in the corner of the board for the second half of the game.
Jul-15-07  alexandrovm: that vicious white queen made some real problems for black. The white queen was actively and well placed...

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