Grischuk stuns Topalov, title race hots up @ Linares

Defending champion Alexander Grischuk set himself a nice platform to regain the title, as he brought down former world champion Veselin Topalov in the ninth and penultimate round at the 27th City of Linares Super GM Chess tournament at Linares, Spain. The Queens Indian game saw Grischuk at his aggressive best, and for once outdid Topalov in middle game tactics to sew up the game in the fifth hour of play. Topalov gave up after 56 moves, facing the daunting equation of queen versus rook, knight and bishop, with very little compensation.

The crucial win puts Grischuk on par with Topalov at 5.5 points, with just a round to go. In the all important final round, Topalov takes on Gelfand with white pieces, while Grischuk sits behind black pieces against Spaniard Vallejo Pons. Title possibilities are restricted to Grischuk and Topalov with a long shot for Aronian. Aronian holds the sole third place with 4.5 points, followed by Gelfand and Gashimov at 4.0 points with Vallejo Pons completing the tail at 3.5 points.

The 27th Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez “Ciudad de Linares” takes place from February 12-25, 2010 at Linares, Andalucia, Spain. The event has six players – Veselin Topalov (2805), Levon Aronian (2781), Boris Gelfand (2761), Vugar Gashimov (2759), Alexander Grischuk (2736), Francisco Vallejo Pons (2705) – playing under double round-robin system. The rate of play is 2 hours for 40 moves, then 1 hour for 20, then 20 minutes for the rest of the game, wit 30 seconds increment starting from move 61. The Sofia rules for offering a draw are applied, for the first time in Linares.

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Alexander Grischuk – Veselin Topalov

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 7. Nc3 O-O 8. Rc1 Ba3 9. Rc2 Nc6 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. Bg2 d5 13. O-O dxc4 14. bxc4 Rad8 15. Rd2 Bb4 16. Qb3 Bxc3 17. Qxc3 Na5 18. c5 Nc4 19. Rc2 bxc5 20. Qb3 cxd4 21. Rxc4 Rb8 22. Qc2 Bxc4 23. Qxc4 e5 24. Qxc7 Rfe8 25. Qxa7 Rb2 26. Re1 g6 27. a4 Rd8 28. Qa5 e4 29. Nd2 e3 30. fxe3 d3 31. Ne4 Qe7 32. exd3 Rxd3 33. Qa8+ Kg7 34. Qc6 f5 35. Nf2 Rdd2 36. Qc3+ Kh7 37. Rf1 Rbc2 38. Qb3 Rb2 39. Qc3 Rbc2 40. Qb3 Rb2 41. Qc4 h5 42. Qf4 Re2 43. Bf3 Rec2 44. Nd3 Ra2 45. Nb4 Rxa4 46. Nxc2 Rxf4 47. gxf4 Kh6 48. Rb1 Qe6 49. Re1 Qa2 50. Nd4 h4 51. Be2 g5  52. fxg5+ Kxg5  53. Rf1 Kg6  54. Rxf5 Qb1+  55. Rf1 Qe4  56. Kf2  1-0

Vugar Gashimov – Vallejo Pons

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 c5 6. Be3 Qb6 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. Bb5 c4 9. Nh4 Bg6 10. O-O Bb4 11. Bxc4 Bxc3 12. bxc3 dxc4 13. d5 Qc7 14. dxc6 Qxc6 15. Nf3 Ne7 16. Nd4 Qd5 17. Bg5 Nc6 18. Nxc6 bxc6 19. Qxd5 cxd5 20. Rfb1 d4 21. Rb4 dxc3 22. Rxc4 O-O 23. Rxc3 Rfc8 24. Rxc8+ Rxc8 25. Rd1 Bxc2 26. Rd8+ Rxd8 27. Bxd8 a6 28. a3 Bb3 29. Be7 Bc2 30. Bd8 Bb3 31. Be7 Bc2 1/2-1/2

Boris Gelfand – Levon Aronian

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. a4 e6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. e3 Qa5 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Nd2 Bd6 10. Bd3 O-O 11. Qc2 Re8 12. Bh4 h6 13. Rc1 Qd8 14. Nf3 Nf8 15. O-O Bg4 16. Nd2 Bh5 17. Rce1 Bg6 18. Nf3 Bxd3 19. Qxd3 Ng6 20. Bg3 Bxg3 21. hxg3 a5 22. Ne2 Nf8 23. Qc2 N8d7 24. Nf4 Qe7 25. Rb1 Ne4 26. Nd3 Rec8 27. Nd2 Nxd2 28. Qxd2 Nf6 29. Rfc1 Ne4 30. Qd1 Ra7 31. Nc5 Nxc5 32. Rxc5 Ra6 33. Qd2 Rca8 34. Kf1 h5 35. Rbc1 g6 36. Ke2 Rb6 37. R5c3 Re8 38. Rc5 Ra8 39. R5c3 Re8 40. Rc5 1/2-1/2

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