Linares 2009 Round 12

Magnus Carlsen - Alexander Grischuk
Round 12
Linares 2009
05.03.2009.

The players were obviously tired in round 11, but now they are back with full energy ready for the final sprint in Linares 2009. The current leader Alexander Grischuk will face the Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen. Stay tuned for live commentary by GM Dimitrov at 16:00 CET. (Grischuk's blindfold simul before the start of Linares)

1.e4 Not too long ago this was Carlsen's main first move.

1... c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 Sicilian Defense, Najdorf.

6.Be2 e6 Grischuk took his time to decide how to proceed and finally his choice against the Classical line is the Scheveningen.

7.O-O Be7 8.a4 Nc6 Practically forced with this move order.

9.Be3 O-O 10.f4 Qc7 11.Kh1 Re8 This is the position that is reached in most games in Classical Scheveningen.

12.Bf3 Bf8 13.Qd2 Moves like 13.g4 don't fit Carlsen's style.

13... Rb8 (13... Na5 14.b3)

14.Qf2 (14.a5 e5)

14... e5 15.fxe5 I don't know if this move was home preparation but generally in similar positions after dxe5 Black solves his problems and relies in the long run on his much better pawn structure. After my experience in Scheveningen 15.fxe5 doesn't follow the demands the position.

15... dxe5 16.Nb3 Nb4 'd5' has to be controlled. 16...Be6 was the alternative.

17.Ba7 Ra8 18.Bb6 Qe7 19.Rad1 White achieved to centralize all his pieces.

19... Be6 20.Nd5 The only way to fight for advantage.

20... Bxd5 21.exd5 e4 22.d6 Qe6 (22... Qe5 seems more solid)

23.Nc5 Qf5 24.Be2 Qxf2 25.Rxf2 Nbd5 26.a5 Nxb6 27.axb6 Rab8 And this is a mistake in the time trouble. (27... Rec8 28.b4 Rc6 29.Nxb7 Rxb6 30.d7 Rxb7 31.d8Q Rxd8 32.Rxd8 Rxb4)

28.Rxf6 gxf6 29.Nd7 f5 30.c4 a5 31.c5 Bg7 Clock readings: 0.25 0.02

32.Nxb8 Rxb8 Carlsen only has to find the nice tactical blow 33.Ba6 and his pawns will be unstoppable.

33.Ba6 Bf6 34.Bxb7 Rxb7 35.c6 Rxb6 36.Rc1 Bxb2 37.d7 Black resigned. Good game by Carlsen. He pressed his opponent into time trouble and used this fact in a very convincing way. The question 'who will win this tournament?' is open again. 1-0