Candidates Matches - Round 2

The second day of the Candidates Matches at Elista brought 3 more decisive games and lots more exciting chess.   Gata Kamsky (pictured) opted for the Leningrad Dutch to test his opponent Etienne Bacrot of France.

Bacrot deviated early from well trodden paths with the unusual pawn push 5.b4 and a complex middlegame ensued where Kamsky had the better chances.  As the first time control approached, Bacrot was unable to complete his first 40 moves within the allocated 2 hours and forfeited the game on time in a difficult position.

After narrowly missing out yesterday, Evgeny Bareev got the win he deserved today against Judit Polgar.  Despite tough resistance from the 1st Lady of Chess the talented Frenchman earned the full point in another long and tense struggle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the third decisive game, Peter Leko of Hungary gradually wore down his 48 year old opponent, Mikhail Gurevich.  Leko essayed the Nimzo-Indian defence and slowly but surely built a powerful position by advancing his Queenside pawn majority.  Gurevich was eventually compelled to give up the exchange to stop Leko's rampaging c-pawn and the game soon ended.

Vladimir Malakhov, perhaps the least well known of the candidates, had some chances to level the score against Alexander Grischuk but he could not prevent his opponent from reaching a drawn King and Pawn ending.

Spanish based Alexi Shirov and top British player Mickey Adams played another hard fought draw.  It looks like being a tight match between these popular players.

Kasimjanov against Gelfand was a relatively uneventful draw and Aronian comfortably dealt with Carlsen's Benko Gambit to steer the game to a quick draw.

With two rounds gone, there is still all to play for.