<World Junior Championship (2007) >

#1:

<Corsica Masters (2007) >

#2: <1 d4 d5 2 c4 c6 3 Nf3 Nf6 4 Nc3 e6 5 Bg5 h6 6 Bh4 dxc4 7 e4 b5 8 e5 g5 9 Bg3> An obscure sideline. Usually White plays 9 Nxg5 hxg5 10 Bxg5. <9…Nd5 10 Nd2 Nd7 11 Be2 Bb7 12 a4 Qb6 13 Nde4> White's easy development and strong center gives him some compensation, but Black's position appears satisfactory. a5 Rejecting 13 ... b4?! because 14 a5! Qc7 15 a6 Bc8 16 Nb1 soon recovers the gambit pawn. <14 0-0 Rd8> Here or next move, Black should develop his Bishop to e7. Note that 14 ... 0-0-0?! lets White open lines with 15 axb5 cxb5 16 b3. <15 Bh5 b4?> One slip gives White an overwhelming attack. <16 Qg4! Nc7> Black cannot defend e6 with 16 ... c5?, as 17 Nd6+! Bxd6 18 Qxe6+ mates. Nor does 16 ... Ke7 17 Qf3 Rh7 help. For example, White can break through after 18 Nxd5+ cxd5 19 Nd6 f5 by 20 Bg6 Rg7 21 Qh5 Rg8 (else 22 Qxh6) 22 Bf7 Rg7 23 Qxh6! Rxf7 24 Qxg5+, winning. <17 Nd6+ Bxd6 18 exd6> As 18 ... bxc3 19 dxc7 threatens e6 again. <18…Nf6 19 Qf3 Nxh5 20 dxc7 Rxd4> More solid is 20 ... Rc8, but Black has little chance to survive. <21 Qxh5 bxc3 22 bxc3 Rd3 23 Rab1 Qa6 24 Be5 Rh7 25 f4!> Adding the last Rook to the attack. <25…c5> White refutes 25 ... Rd5 amusingly by 26 fxg5 Rxe5 27 g6! Rxh5 28 gxh7. <26 fxg5 Rd2> Or 26 ... Qc6 27 Rxb7! Qxb7 28 g6. <27 Rxb7 Qxb7 28 Qf3 Rd5> If 28 ... Qxf3, most persuasive is 29 Rxf3 Kd7 30 g6! fxg6 31 Rf8. <29 g6!, 1-0.>

<European Team Championship (2007) >

#3: <1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 cxd5 Nxd5 5 e4 Nxc3 6 bxc3 Bg7 7 Bc4 0-0 8 Ne2 c5 9 Be3 Nc6 10 0-0 Bd7> Less forcing than the popular alternatives 10…Qc7 and 10 …Bg4. <11 Rb1 Qc7 12 Bd3 Rad8 13 Qc2 Na5 14 dxc5 Be6> Possibly 14…e5 15 Rfd1 Be6 improves. <15 c4 Nc6> White's extra pawn appears worthless, but just wait! <16 Nf4 Bc8> Very uncomfortable is 16 …Nd4 17 Qa4! Be5 18 Nd5!, when 18…Bxh2+ 19 Kh1 Qe5 20 Qd1! prevents .ƒ|.ƒ|. Qe5-h5 and menaces f2-f4. <17 Nd5 Qd7 18 f4!> Sharper and probably stronger than 18 Rfd1 <18…e6 19 Nc3. e6 19 Rfd1 Kh8 20 Be2 exd5 21 cxd5> The staunchest hypermodern would fear White's pawn center. <21…Ne7 22 Bf3 Qe8 23 Qb3> White has no direct threat yet. He may increase the pressure by g2-g4 and e4-e5, or he could consider 24 Qa3 a6 25 c6!? bxc6 26 Bc5. <23…g5!?> To control e5. Not clear is 24 fxg5 Ng6. <24 f5 h6 25 g4 Ng8 26 Kg2 Nf6 27 Bf2 Nd7 28 Qa3 a6 29 h4 Bf6 30 hxg5 hxg5?> Letting White use the h-file. The outcome remains in doubt after 30…Bxg5 <31 Bg3 Ne5.> 31 Bg3 Ne5 Also insufficient is 31…Be5, as 32 c6! bxc6 33 dxc6 Bxg3 34 cxd7 costs material. White would refute 32 c6! Nf6 convincingly by 33 Rh1+ Nh7 (or 33…Kg7 34 Qe3) 34 c7! Rd6 35 Bxe5+ Qxe5 36 Rb6!, relying on 36…Rxb6 37 Qxf8 mate. <32 Rb6!! Nc4> Or 32…Kg7 33 Rxf6! Kxf6 34 Qc3. Black cannot save the pinned Knight because White threatens both 35 Rh1 and 35 d6, followed by 36 Rd5. <33 Qb3?!> Not bad, but White could win in spectacular fashion by 33 Rh1+ Kg8 34 Rxf6! Nxa3 35 Rfh6, intending 36 f6 and 37 Rh8 mate. If 33…Kg7, then 34 Qc1 Nxb6 35 e5! decides. <33…Nxb6 34 Qxb6 Kg7> The only chance. Black could not stand 34…Qe7 35 e5! Bxe5 36 Qh6+ Kg8 37 Bxe5 Qxe5 38 f6 or 34…Bg7 35 Rh1+ Kg8 36 f6 Bh8 37 Qb1! Bxf6 38 e5. <35 Rh1 Qb5> There is no time for 35…Rh8, as 36 e5! Bxe5 37 Rxh8 Kxh8 38 Qh6+ attacks. <36 Qxb5 axb5 37 e5 Bxe5> Or 37…Be7 38 d6. <38 Bxe5+ f6 39 Bc7 Rde8> Black has enough material, but he still cannot activate his pieces. White is winning. <40 d6 Re3 41 Rd1 Rf7 42 Bb6 Re5> Tougher is 42…Rxf3 43 Kxf3 Bd7. <43 Kf2 Kf8 44 Rh1 Kg8 45 a3 Rg7 46 Rh6 Rf7 47 c6> Also good is 47 Bd8 Rxc5 48 Bxf6 Rh7 49 Rg6+. <47…bxc6 48 Bd4 Bd7> Avoiding 48…Re8 49 Bxc6 Bd7 50 Bd5. <49 Bxe5 fxe5> Equal material, but White will invade. <50 Bd1 c5 51 Bf3 Rf8 52 Bd5+ Kg7 53 Rg6+ Kh7 54 Ke3 b4 55 axb4 cxb4 56 Re6> Welcoming 56…Bxe6 57 fxe6. <56…Rd8 57 Re7+, 1-0.> After 57…Kh6, both 58 Ke4 and 58 Be4 win quickly.

#4: <1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 Be3 7 g4 h6> Declining the piece sacrifice 7 . . . e5 8 Nf5 g6 9 g5 gxf5 10 exf5, which scores well for White. <8 Bg2 e5> Changing his mind! The safer 8 . . . Nc6 9 h3 Bd7 almost equalizes. <9 Nf5 g6 10 h3 gxf5 11 exf5 Nc6> Black concentrates on Queenside development. Maybe 11 . . . d5!? 12 Nxd5 Nxd5 13 Bxd5 Nc6 or 13 . . . Be7 works better. <12 Qe2 Qa5 13 0-0-0 Bd7 14 f4 Rc8?!> An unjustified counterattack. Instead, 14 . . . Be7?! walks into 15 g5! hxg5 16 fxg5 Nh5 17 f6, but 14 . . . 0-0-0 seems satisfactory. <15 Kb1 Nb4?! 16 a3 Rxc3> Expecting counterplay from 17 bxc3? Nbd5. <17 axb4 Qxb4> Black welcomes 18 Bd2? Qc4!, as he can refute 19 Qe1 Rxc2 20 fxe5 by 20 . . . Qb3! 21 exf6+ Kd8 22 Bc1 Rxg2. <18 fxe5!> A decisive interpolation. <18…Ba4> Now 18 . . . dxe5? 19 Bd2 is hopeless for Black. <19 exf6! Bxc2+ 20 Qxc2 Rxc2 21 Kxc2> Black has an edge in material only if one counts his buried Rook and Bishop. <21…d5 22 Rxd5 Qa4+ 23 Kb1 Bb4 24 Bc5!> Keeping Black's King in the center, as 24 . . . Bxc5? permits 25 Re1+ Kf8 26 Rd8+. <24…Qb3 25 Re5+ Kd8 26 Bxb4 Qxb4 27 Rc1!, 1-0.> White intends 28 Rd5+ Ke8 29 Rc8 mate.

#5: <1 e4 d5 2 exd5 Qxd5 3 Nc3 Qd8> Instead of the standard 3 . . . Qa5 or the fashionable 3 . . . Qd6. <4 d4 Nf6 5 Bc4> Black has no weaknesses, but he lags in development. His next two moves aggravate the problem. <5…a6 6 Bg5 h6 7 Bxf6 exf6 8 Qh5 g6 9 Qe2+ Be7> Not 9 . . . Qe7?, as 10 Nd5 Qxe2+ 11 Nxe2 costs Black a pawn. <10 0-0-0 0-0 11 h4> White needs to cause trouble before Black catches up in development. <11…h5> Not 11 . . . b5?? because 12 Qe4 hits a8 and g6, but 11 . . . Kg7 12 h5 b5 13 Bd3 f5 is solid. <12 f3 f5> Black thinks he can squelch g2-g4. He could reduce the danger by 12 . . . Kg7 13 g4 Rh8. <13 Nh3!?> Characteristic aggression from Sutovsky, who offers two pawns to launch his attack. <13…b5 14 Bb3 Bxh4 15 g4!? fxg4 16 fxg4> Rejecting 16 Qe4, as 16 . . . Bf5 17 Qxa8 gxh3 gives Black enough compensation. <16…hxg4> Perhaps 16 . . . Bxg4 17 Qe4 Kg7 18 Qxa8 Bxd1 19 Rxd1 c6 improves. White's Queen is out of action and Black's Kingside pawns would be formidable in an endgame. <17 Nf4> Threatening 18 Nxg6 and 18 Qh2. <17…Kg7 18 Qe5+ Bf6 19 Qe4 Bg5!> White refutes 19 . . . Ra7? by 20 Bxf7! Rxf7 21 Rh7+! Kg8 22 Qxg6+ Rg7 23 Rxg7+ Bxg7 24 Re1 Bd7 25 Nh5 Qf8 26 Nd5. Proof of the danger of slow development! <20 Kb1> Again threatening 21 Bxf7. <20…Bf5 21 Nh5+! gxh5> Similar is 21 . . . Kg8 22 Qe5 gxh5 23 Qxf5. <22 Qxf5 Qf6 23 Qe4 Qf3> Black's astute defense has kept the outcome in doubt. He can also consider 23 . . . Nd7 24 Rxh5 Qg6, when 25 Bxf7!? Qxe4 26 Rxg5+ Kxf7 27 Nxe4 Rg8 28 Rg1 limits White to a small endgame advantage. <24 Qe5+ Qf6 25 Qxc7 Qe7?!> He should try to eliminate the Queens by 25 . . . Bf4 26 Qb7 Qc6. Apparently White must settle for 27 Qe7 Qg6 28 Bd5 Nc6 29 Qe4! Qxe4 30 Bxe4 Rac8 31 Rxh5, with activity but no clear cut advantage. <26 Qh2 h4?!> Even the sturdier 26 . . . Rh8 27 Rde1 Qd8 28 Ne4 is very uncomfortable for Black. <27 Qg2 Nd7 28 Qxg4> Material is equal, and White's threats continue. Black cannot survive long. <28…Kh6 29 Nd5 f5> White invades on the open files after 29 . . . Qe6 30 Rxh4+ and 29 . . . Qd8 30 Rdg1 Rg8 31 Nf4. <30 Qxh4+! Bxh4 31 Nxe7 Kh5 32 Rdg1> Threatening 33 Ng6. <32…Rf6 33 Bd5, 1-0.>

<Liga de Campeones (2007) >

#6: <1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 Qc2. d5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Qxc3 Ne4 7 Qc2 c5 8 dxc5 Nc6 9 cxd5> Most common is 9 e3 Qa5+ 10 Bd2 Nxd2 11 Qxd2 dxc4, with even chances. <9…exd5 10 e3> Or 10 Nf3 Bf5 11 b4 d4! 12 g4 Bg6 13 Qc4 d3!, as in Kramnik vs Anand, 1999. <10…Qa5+ 11 b4!?> New. Nxb4 12 axb4 Qxa1 13 Bb5+ Kf8 Also 13 . . . Bd7 14 Bxd7+ Kxd7 15 Ne2 gives White adequate compensation for the exchange. <14 Ne2 a5> Plausible. White would not mind 14 . . . Bf5 15 Qb3. <15 f3 Nf6 16 0-0 Qe5> Probably best, as 16 . . . axb4 17 Bb2 Qa5 18 Ra1 Qxa1+ 19 Bxa1 favors White slightly. <17 e4!?> Black's backward development justifies White's aggression. <17…dxe4 18 Bf4 Qf5> Not 18 . . . Qe6? 19 Rd1 Bd7 because 20 Bxd7 Nxd7 21 Bd6+ Kg8 22 Nf4 Qh6 23 Nd5 f5 24 Nc7 threatens 25 Qc4+ and 25 Nxa8. <19 g4 Qg6> Now 19 . . . Qe6? drops the Queen to 20 Bd6+ Kg8 21 Nf4. <20 Qd2 Be6 21 Bb8!> Relying on 21 . . . Rxb8?? 22 Qd6+. <20…Nd5??> Losing. After 21 . . . Bd5! 22 Nf4 Qh6 23 Bd6+ Kg8, White has nothing better than 24 Nxd5 Qxd2 25 Ne7+ Kf8 26 Ng6+ Kg8 27 Ne7+, drawing.

<Casino de Barcelona (2007) >

#7: <1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 g3 d5 4 Bg2 Be7 5 0-0 0-0 6 b3 a5 7 Nc3 c6 8 d4 Nbd7 9 Qc2 b6 10 e4 Ba6 11 Nd2> Leaving d4 unguarded. Either 11 e5 Ne8 12 Ne2 or 11 Ne5 Rc8 12 Rd1 improves. <11…c5!?> Much more aggressive than the natural 11 . . . Rc8. <12 exd5?!> Chances remain about even after 12 dxc5 dxc4 13 Nxc4. The sharper alternative 12 e5 Ne8 13 dxc5 Bxc5 14 Rd1 seems adequate too. <12…cxd4 13 Nb5> Ineffective, but 13 d6 Bxd6 14 Bxa8 gives Black too much compensation after 14 . . . dxc3 15 Ne4 Qxa8 16 Nxd6 Ne5 17 Rd1 Rd8. <exd5 14 Nxd4 Rc8 15 Re1> Accepting the loss of the c-pawn. No better is 15 a4, as 15 . . . dxc4 16 Nxc4 Bxc4 17 bxc4 Ne5 wins it anyway. <15…b5!> Avoiding 15 . . . dxc4? 16 Nc6. <16 Bb2 Re8 17 Qd1 bxc4 18 bxc4 Qb6 19 Rb1 dxc4 20 Nc6?> Overlooking a startling Queen sacrifice. White should resist with 20 Bc3 Qc5 21 Qa4 Nb6 22 Qxa5 Qxa5 23 Bxa5 Nbd5 24 Bxd5 Nxd5 25 Re5. <20…Rxc6 21 Bxf6 Qxf2+! 22 Kxf2> Black keeps a material surplus after 22 Kh1 Rxf6 23 Ne4 Qa7. <22…Bc5+ 23 Kf3> Or 23 Kf1 c3+ 24 Re2 c2!, recovering the Queen and more. <Rxf6+ 24 Kg4 Ne5+ 25 Kg5> Nakamura had to foresee 25 Rxe5 Bc8+! (not 25 . . . Rxe5??, as 26 Rb8+ Bf8 27 Ne4 turns the tables) 26 Kh4 Rxe5, mating. <25…Rg6+ 26 Kh5> After 26 Kf5 Bc8+ 26 Ke4, Black wins most quickly with 26 . . . Rd6. <26…f6 27 Rxe5> Allowing mate, but 27 Bd5+ Kh8 28 Kh4 Rh6+ 29 Qh5 loses too much material to 29 . . . g5+. <Rxe5+ 28 Kh4 Bc8!, 0-1.> As 29 Bd5+ Rxd5 30 g4 Rd3! mates in four moves.