Candidates Matches - Round 7 (Tiebreaks)

Congratulations to Alexei Shirov and Boris Gelfand on reaching the next round after prevailing in the tiebreaks today.

Shirov started with White against Adams and a closed Ruy Lopez ensued.  Adams' move 38...g5 missed the strong reply 39.Bd4 pinning the f6 pawn and allowing Shirov to win the game.  

In the second game Shirov responded to Adams quiet Giuoco Piano by delaying castling.  Once Adams had himself castled Kingside, Shirov pushed his g pawn forward as a sacrifice to open lines to Adams' King.  Adams was on the backfoot and eventually Shirov broke through and won the game.  A draw in the third game was enough to see Shirov qualify.

 

 

In the first game between Kasimjanov and Gelfand, Kasimjanov lost a pawn in a complicated middle-game position and couldn't recover.

In the second game, Kasimjanov was desperately unlucky not to win.  After Gelfand slipped up with 47.Rc3, Kasimjanov won a second pawn and eventually reached a B,N+2P v B+N ending.  However, his 2 pawns were doubled and with opposite colour bishops he found himself unable to make headway and a draw was agreed after 94 moves!

The third game saw Gelfand play a Petroff defence and despite obtaining a protected passed pawn on d5 Kasimjanov couldn't break through, eventually blundering with 48.Qd3, losing a piece and the match.

 

In the first rapid game between Aronian and Carlsen, a complicated struggle developed in the Benoni defense.  Aronian eventually broke though in the centre and won the exchange.  Carlsen tried vainly to set up some kind of blockade, but Aronian spotted a way to give the exchange back and simplify to a won King and Pawn ending.

The second game saw a fascinating struggle as Aronian had R,B+P against Carlsen's Queen.  A draw seemed a fair result.

In game 3, Aronian avoided Carlsen's Benoni and another eventful game was eventually drawn.

Amazingingly,  Carlsen won a Queen and Pawn ending in the fourth game  to level the match yet again.

 

 

So an epic match goes went to blitz games and Aronian won!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So we now know the line up for the next round.  Leko v Bareev, Rublevsky v Grischuk, Gelfand v Kamsky, Aronian v Shirov.  The first games to start on Wednesday 6th June.