Linares Round 1

Topalov draws first blood.
Official website of the Linares 2005 tournament

Topalov (2757) - Adams (2741) [E37]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 Ne4 7. Qc2 e5 8. e3 exd4 9. cxd5 Qxd5 10. Nf3 Nd6 11. Nxd4 Bd7 12. f3 Nc6 13. Nxc6 Bxc6 14. a4 [14. Be2] Qh5 15. Be2 Qh4+ 16. g3 Qh3 17. Kf2 0-0-0 18. Ra3 Rhe8 19. Bf1 Qe6 20. Be2 g5 21. Rf1 g4 22. fxg4 Qh6 [22. Qd5 or 22. h5] 23. Kg1 Qh3 24. Bd3 Ne4 25. Rf4 Nxg3 26. Rc3! [White is threatening 27.Rxc6 bxc6 28.Ba6+ Kd7 (28...Kb8 29.Qb3+ Ka8 30.Qb7#) 29.Rxf7+ Ke6 30.Bc4+ Rd5 31.Qf2 (threat: Qf6#) Kd6 32.Bxd5 cxd5 33.Qf4+ and mate to follow.] Re6?? [The defence to was 26...Rxd3 27.Rxd3 (27. Rxc6 Rd7) Rg8 28.e4 Bxe4 29.Rxg3 Qxg3+ 30.hxg3 Bxc2 31.Rxf7 Bg6 32.Re7 Re8.] 27. e4! [Threatening 28. Bf1 Qh6 29. Rxg3.] Nh5 28. Bc4 Qh4 29. Bxe6+ fxe6 30. gxh5 Qxh5 31. Rd3 [Black is lost but struggled on for another ten moves.] Rg8+ 32. Rg3 Rd8 33. Be3 e5 34. Rf1 h6 35. b4 a6 36. b5 axb5 37. axb5 Bxb5 38. Rg7 c6 39. Qa2 Ba6 40. Qe6+ Kb8 41. Qd6+ [41. ... Rxd6 42. Rf8+ Qe8 43. Rxe8+ Rd8 44. Rxd8#] 1-0

Leko (2749) - Kasparov (2804) [B90]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f3 e6 7. Be3 b5 8. Qd2 Nbd7 9. g4 Nb6 10. a4 Nc4 11. Bxc4 bxc4 12. a5 Bb7 13. Na4 [TN] Rc8 14. Qc3 Nd7 15. 0-0-0 Be7 16. h4 Bxh4 17. Ne2 [17.Qb4 or 17.Nb6] Bf6 18. Bd4 e5 19. Be3 Be7 20. Kb1 Qc7 21. Nb6 Nxb6 22. axb6 Qd7 23. Rh5 f6 24. Ng3 g6 25. Rh2 0-0 26. Rhd2 1/2-1/2

"I don't understand. The position has a lot of play in it. Either Black is better because he is a pawn up, or White has very good compensation. This has to be played out. The only reason I can think of is that both players were afraid. Shirov once explained to me that there are draws which nobody understands, including the two players at the board. Even if we assume that the position is a perfect draw, it had dynamic equality. Still, it has not been played out. There is not a draw in sight. It is just a position that ends prematurely, a game which stops for no reason. It is a ludus interruptus, a prematurely terminated game." - Nigel Short

Kasimdzhanov (2678) - Vallejo Pons (2686) [E52]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 0-0 5. Bd3 d5 6. Nf3 b6 7. 0-0 Bb7 8. cxd5 exd5 9. a3 Bd6 10. b4 Nbd7 11. Qb3 a6 12. a4 Qe7 13. Rb1 Rfd8 14. b5 Nf8 15. Bb2 Ne6 16. Rbc1 axb5 17. axb5 Ne4 18. Qc2 N6g5 19. Nxg5 Nxg5 20. Rfe1 h5 21. f4 Ne4 22. Nxe4 dxe4 23. Bc4 Ra5 24. Bc3 Ra3 25. Bb2 Ra5 26. Bc3 Ra3 1/2-1/2

Standings: Topalov (+1). Anand, Kasimdzhanov, Kasparov, Leko, Vallejo (0). Adams (-1).