Anand and Carlsen Lead in Morelia-Linares 2007

After the first stage of the Morelia-Linares match, Anand and Carlsen are in the lead with 4.5 points each, from the seven rounds played until now in the city of Morelia, Mexico. The second stage will be played in Linares, Spain, from 3rd March.

Anand won with black against Leko in the seventh round while Carlsen could only manage a draw with black against Svidler. Nevertheless, the youthful Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, of 16 years, has been the great figure of the match,consolidating his position in the elite category of chess players.

The Position after 7 Rounds is as follows:
1. - Viswanathan Anand (India) 4.5 points
2. - Magnus Carlsen (Norway) 4.5
3. - Vassily Ivanchuk (the Ukraine) 4.0
4. - Levón Aronian (Armenian) 3.5
5. - Peter Svidler (Russia) 3.5
6. - Peter Leko (Hungary) 3.0
7. - Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria) 3.0
8. - Alexander Morozevich (Russia) 2.o

Let us examine the triumph of Carlsen on the World Number 1, Vesselin Topalov.

Carlsen (2690) - Topalov (2783) Slavic Defense, 22.02.2007

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2
[Evita the Merano variant 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5]

6… Bd6 7.b3 0-0 8.Be2 b6 9,0-0 Bb7 10.Bb2 Re8 11.Rad1 De7 12.Rfe1 Rac8
[This is a Novelty, the move played before was 12… Rad8 13.e4 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Qxe4 Bb4 16.Rf1 Nf6 17.Qh4 with a small advantage for white]

13.e4 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 dxe4 15.Qxe4 Bb4 16.Rf1 Ba3 17.Bxa3 Qxa3 18.Qc2 Nf6 19.c5 Ba6 20.Bxa6 Qxa6 21.Ne5 Nd5 22.Nc4 Red8 23.a3 Rc7 24.Qc1 Ne7 25.Rd2 Nf5 26.Rfd1 b5 27.Ne5 Qc8 28.Rd3 f6 29.Nf3 Rcd7 30.Qf4 Rd5 31.Qe4 Qd7 32.R3d2 h5 33.h4 a5 34.Kf1 Re8 35.Re1 Kf7 36.Red1 Nh6 37.Re1 Re7 38.Qf4 Rf5 39.Qd6 Qc8?
[Better would have been 39… Qxd6 40.cxd6 Rd7 41.Rc1 Rxd6 42.Rdc2 Rfd5 with a strong position for black]

40.Rde2 [ Carlsen missed the variant 40.d5 cxd5 41.Qd4 Re5 42.Rxe5 fxe5 43.Nc6 Rc7 44.Nxe5+ Kg8 45.b4 with clear advantage]

40… Rd5 41.Qf4 Nf5 42.Re4 Rd8 43.g4 hxg4 44.Qxg4 Qd7 45.h5 Kg8 46.Kg2 Qd5 47.Qg6 Rf8

Diagram:

48.h6 Qd8
[If 48… Nxh6 49.Rh4 Kh8 50.Reh1]

49.d5 Qxd5 50.Rg4 Qd7
[If 50… Qxb3 51.Rh1 Ref7 52.Rh5 gaining a piece]

51.Rh1 Qe8 52.hxg7 Rxg7 53.Qh7+ Kf7 54.Rxg7+ Nxg7 55.Rh6?
[The better move would have been 55.Nd2! Qd7 56.Ne4 Qd5 57.f3]

55… Qd8 56.Qg6+ Kg8 57.Qh7+ Kf7 58.Qg6+ Kg8 59.Rh7 Qd7 60.Nd2 f5 61.Nf3 Rf6 62.Qxf6 Kxh7 63.Ng5+ Kg8 64.Qg6

[Topalov resigned, but there was a defense: 64… Qd5+ 65.f3 e5] 1-0

Category: Chess , Morelia-Linares