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Sergei Rublevsky vs Alexander Grischuk
World Championship Candidates (2007), Elista RUS, rd 2, Jun-10
Scotch Game: Classical. Intermezzo Variation (C45)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jun-10-07  Karpova: Grishuk received free endgame lessons from Rublevsky! Nice and important victory for Sergei who now evened the score.
Jun-10-07  Marmot PFL: Maybe he stayed up all night playing poker.
Jun-10-07  Ezzy: GM Rublevsky,Sergei(RUS) (2680) - GM Grischuk,Alexander(RUS) (2717) FIDE candidate matches Elista (2.4), 10.06.2007

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nxc6 Qf6 6.Qf3 bxc6 7.Qg3 <Rublevsky beat Tkachiev earlier this year with this variation. It threaten 8 e5.> 7...h5 <This counters the threat of 8 e5 by responding 8...h4 when black is slightly better.> 8.h4 Nh6 9.f3 d5 10.Nc3 Bb4 11.Bd2 dxe4 12.0–0–0 e3 13.Bxe3 Bxc3 14.bxc3< White now threatens the winning 15 Bg5 and if the queen moves 16 Rd8 is mate or the queen is lost. Rublevsky played 14 Bg5 against Tkachiev >14...0–0 <Novelty I think. 14...Nf5 has been played by Najer who beat Hua in a Russia v China match last year. Grischuk now threatens to win the c3 pawn after 15...Nf5 first> 15.Qg5 <Threat is 16 Qxf6 17 Bxh6> 15...Nf5? <I think Grischuk forgot to read his books on pawn structures. This leaves black with too many weaknesses, especially when white has the initiative. Rublevsky exploits those weaknesses to perfection.> 16.Qxf6 gxf6 17.Bf4 Be6 18.Ba6 Nd6 <Yasser (The pawn grabber) Seirawen would have taken the a2 pawn immediately> 19.Bxd6 cxd6 20.Rxd6 Rab8 21.Rxc6 Bxa2 <White can't allow 22...Rb1+> 22.Kd2 Rfd8+ 23.Bd3 <Nice move. [23.Ke3 Re8+ 24.Kf4 Re6 25.Rc8+ Rxc8 26.Bxc8 Re2 and black has been given time to activate his rook.]> 23...Be6 24.Ra1 Rd7 25.Rc5 f5 26.Ke3 Re7 <Don't see the point in that. Surely it's better to get your king into play.> 27.Kf4 Rb2 28.g3 <There are plenty more active moves than that. But is there any rush?> 28...Kg7 29.Kg5 Rd7 30.Ra3 Rb1 31.Rca5 Re1 ? 32.Rxa7 Rd8 33.Ra1 Re5 34.R1a5 Re1 35.Bxf5 Bd5 36.Kf4 Rf1 37.Be4 Bxe4 38.Kxe4 Re1+ 39.Kf4 Rc8 40.Rg5+ Kf6 41.Ra6+ Ke7 42.Re5+ <Rublevsky has probably calculated the win from here. It looks quite straightforward for a Grandmaster>. 42...Rxe5 43.Kxe5 Rxc3 44.Ke4 Rxc2 45.Ra5 Rc4+ 46.Kd3 Rc1 47.Rxh5 Rg1 48.g4 Rh1 49.Re5+ Kf6 50.Rf5+ Kg7 51.h5 Re1 52.Rf4 Ra1 53.Ke3 Ra3+ 54.Kf2 Ra2+ 55.Kg3 Ra1 56.Rf5 Rh1 57.Kf4 Rh3 58.Kg5 Rh1 59.f4 Rh2 60.Rd5 Ra2 61.h6+ Kg8 62.Rd8+ Kh7 63.Rd7 Kg8 64.h7+ Kh8 65.Rxf7 Ra7 66.Rf8+ 1–0

Nice technique from Rublevsky who always had Grischuk on the ropes, I’m impressed with this guy. So much so that I had chessbucks on him to win this match. Well I only get paid if Leko, Gelfand and Aronian also win.

Jun-10-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: I have to love a game like this (which was Game #4 of the match, now level at 2.0 - 2.0). One gets the impression that Rublevsky (like Kamsky) is not particularly ambitious in terms of what he tries to get from the opening. He just played very high-level chess once this game reached its middlegame phase, and he took excellent advantage of weaknesses that Grischuk gratuitously allowed in his position.
Jun-10-07  khursh: This was Rublevsky home prep. There are only 2 games played before up untill the move 14; and guess one of them is played by Rublevski! Rublevsky vs Tkachiev, 2007 He played 14Bg5 and won. During interview Grischuk said that he realized his loss after 15Qg5.
Jun-10-07  euripides: During this game, somone suggested that Rublevsky should have played 14.Bg5 and there was quite a discussion about it (see Candidates Match: Grischuk vs Rublevsky (2007)). Amusing to learn he had already played it.

Perhaps Grischuk had simly assumed that Rublevsky would play 14.Bg5 again and prepared something in that very tactical variation.

Jun-10-07  khursh: Wow. I didn't know about the discussion, it looks serious one. Rublevsky has one advatnage over Grischuk. He is always relaxed. During intervew he said "After exchanging queens the remaining match was simple technique. I had to go and grab many pawns"
Jun-10-07  nolanryan: This game was chess.
Surprised that Grischuk got outplayed at chess.
Jun-11-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: Rublevsky a la Rubinstein.:-D
Jun-11-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Troller: <During interview Grischuk said that he realized his loss after 15Qg5.> Yes, I wondered why he took so long to answer that move. If Rublevski now wins this match, Gristjuk can only blame himself. He had every chance to go 2½-½ and essentially go through.

But kudos to Rublevski for this fine victory. Very smooth and technical, Rublevski-style!

Jun-11-07  newton296: love the scotch! I play it and have had great success. I love to see a win against the main line here.
Jun-11-07  ChessMan94: Why did Grischuk keep playing after 45.Rxh5? Did he honestly think we could beat Rublevsky two pawns down?
Jun-12-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: An amazing game by Rublevsky.

I have done a preliminary analysis of this contest, but I think that I have only scratched the surface here.

Jun-12-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: Its not a comprehensive analysis, but GM M. Marin takes a look at this game. (http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail...)
Jun-12-07  kozo: "And his six pawns were scattered like the ships of the Armada that should have conquered England; the Lord blew, and they were all isolated." Hans Kmoch, Groningen 1946 tournament book

from http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/chess/q...

Jun-12-07  Ezzy: <kozo:> Nice quote in relation to this game. Good find!

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