Grandmaster Sergey Shipov presents the selection of the Round 5 games.

Ivanchuk and Radjabov exchanged victories in the classical games, and their victories were very different.

 

V. Ivanchuk — T. Radjabov

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6

The Dragon Variation usually leads to very sharp positions that require exact knowledge and calculation. The problem (for both sides) is that the theory became too deep and complicated. If you are just one step behind, you may lose without a fight — at least as Black. Updating and repeating the theory is a very unpleasant and demanding task.

6.g3!

An excellent psychological choice. The resulting position turned out to be unpleasant for Teimour, who played it without up-to-date knowledge and a clear plan.

6...Nc6 7.Nde2

Black's position is rather cramped, so White avoids exchanges.

7...Bg7 8.Bg2

Such a modest way of handling the opening should not pose serious problems for Black. White just gets a slow, maneuvering game that demands skillful planning.

8...Bd7

Black hints about Qd8-c8 and Bd7-h3, and deviates from the main theoretical line.

We don't know what Ivanchuk had in mind against the most primitive and popular plan: 8...0−0 9.0−0 Rb8 10.a4 (10.Nd5 b5!) 10...a6, intending to carry out b7-b5. For instance, Ivanchuk-Kramnik, Horgen 1995: 11.Nd5 b5 12.axb5 axb5 13.Be3 b4 14.Ra2 Ng4 15.Bg5 h6 16.Bc1 e6 17.Ne3 b3 18.cxb3 Nge5 19.Bd2 Qb6 20.Bc3 Ba6, and Black developed decent initiative.

9.h3 h5

A very demanding move. Black fights for space, but creates himself a permanent weakness — pawns cannot go back!

On 9...Qc8 (played by Ivanchuk and Anand) Vassily probably intended to reply by 10.g4! with the idea to bring his knight to g3. In Fontaine-Ristic, France 1997 White got a promising attacking setup after 10…Bg7 11.0−0 0−0 12.f4 Re8 13.Ng3.

10.a4

This is a prophylaxis against Black's possible queenside activity. Yet, Black can still play a7-a6 and Ra8-b8.

10...Qc8

Preventing White from castling due to pressure on the h3-pawn.

11.Be3

Now 11...a6 is not good because of 12.a5!, and White effectively blocks Black's queenside.

11…Be6

A very unobvious novelty. In Vouldis — Anagnostopoulos, Athens 1997 Black took the upper hand after 11...0−0 12.Nf4 Nb4 13.Rc1 a5 14.Qd2 e5 15.Nfe2 Rd8 16.Bg5 Be6 17.Nd5 Nbxd5 18.exd5 Bf5 19.Nc3 Re8 20.h4 e4! etc.

12.Nd5! 0−0

Mass exchanges on d5 favor White, so Black has to endure the presence of the powerful knight for a while.

13.Rc1

During the game Alexander Khalifman and I tried to find any arguments against the logical 13.Nef4, defending the h3-pawn and creating a threat to take on e6, but failed to find any. Generally speaking, it was tough for us to guess any of Ivanchuk's moves. This should not be surprising.

13...Re8 14.b3 Rb8

This is only a demonstration: breaking on the queenside is no longer possible.

15.c4 b6 16.Nef4 Bd7 17.0−0 Nh7

17...e5 18.Nxf6+ Bxf6 19.Nd5 Bg7 20.Kh2 does not equalize either. Deciding upon the line that  brings Black less suffering is a matter of taste.

18.Kh2 h4 19.g4

19.gxh4, which we discussed during the online commentary, was also strong. A pawn is a pawn, after all, and, besides, White keeps the h4-h5 in his possession.

19...Qd8 20.Ne2 e5

A brave and rather provocative move.

21.Qd2 Be6 22.f4

Looks dubious. White could get a comfortable and risk-free game simply by playing in the center:  22.Rfd1 with the idea Nd5-c3-b5 — Black has zero counterplay.

22...exf4 23.Nexf4

Now Black has the e5-square, and gets some breathing room for the g7-bishop and the e8-rook. However, the assessment remains the same — White has a clear advantage.

23...Rb7 24.Rf2 Rd7 25.Rcf1 Ne5 26.Kh1 Nc6 27.Ne2

Here Teimour just had to stand still. His position remained solid, and it was up to Ivanchuk to prove White's advantage. But the young Azeri player made a careless move.

27...g5?

A terrible mistake, both tactically and positionally. White would very much want to force the g6-g5 himself (by bringing the bishop to f2, for example), and suddenly Black plays it voluntarily, in addition missing its tactical refutation.

28.Nf6+! Nxf6

After 28...Bxf6 29.Rxf6 Nxf6 30.Bxg5 White recaptures on f6 with the bishop and creates mating threats. Other responses also lose (there is no need to show the computer-cooked variations).

29.Bxg5 Nxg4

The only move.

30.Bxd8 Nxf2+ 31.Rxf2 Rdxd8

Black's compensation for the queen is insufficient.

32.Qg5

In addition, he loses the h4-pawn.

32...Bc8 33.Nf4!

Black's king is also weak. The rest is simple.

33...Re5 34.Qxh4 Rde8 35.Nh5 R8e6 36.Qf4 f6 37.Bf3 Rg5 38.Bg4 Rxh5 39.Bxh5 Ne5 40.Rg2 Kf8 41.Bg4. Black resigns.

However, Teimour did not lose his temper and equalized the score in the second game, employing a very unusual psychological piece sacrifice.

 

T. Radjabov — V. Ivanchuk

1.Nf3 c5 2.g3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Bg2 Nc6 5.Nc3 e6 6.d3 Nge7 7.h4 h6 8.Bd2 b6

Black's position is solid and safe. If he develops the bishop to b7 and brings the king to a safe harbor, he'll have absolutely nothing to worry about. Here Teimour took a lot of time and made a very non-trivial decision that shocked his opponent.

9.h5 g5 10.Nxg5!? hxg5 11.Bxg5

Analytically this sacrifice is incorrect, but its practical effect exceeded all the expectations.

11...Bxc3+?

The panic is unnecessary. This exchange highlights weakness of the dark squares in Black's camp. White's idea could be refuted by simple development: 11...Bb7! For example, the dangerous-looking 12.Ne4 is parried by 12...Qc7 13.Nf6+ Bxf6 14.Bxf6 Rh6! 15.Bg5 Rh7 16.Qd2 Nd4 17.e4 e5, etc.

And after 12.Qd2 Black needs to find a single accurate move — 12...Rh7!, and the follow-up is relatively simple: 13.0−0−0 (13.Be4 f5!) 13...Bxc3 14.bxc3 Qc7 — Black completes development without much trouble.

Even if I am being too harsh about White's chances, he has absolutely no chance for any advantage.

12.bxc3 Bb7 13.Qd2!

Now Black has real problems.

13.Bf6 is premature due to 13...Rh6! (13...Rh7? loses to 14.Be4 Na5 15.Bxh7 Bxh1 16.f3) 14.Bg7 Rh7 15.h6 Nf5 with a better game for Black.

13...Qc7

13...d5 gives White dangerous initiative: 14.Bf6 Rh7 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Qg5 Qd7 17.e4!

14.Bf6 0−0−0

14...Rh7 is not good because of 15.Be4 Ng8 16.Qg5! Nxf6 17.Qxf6 Qd8 18.Qxd8+ Nxd8 19.Bxh7 Bxh1 20.f3, and the bishop gets stuck on h1.

15.0−0−0!

Simple and strong! The powerful bishop on f6 is more valuable than a rook.

15...Rhg8

Perhaps it was better for Black to wait until White takes on h8: 15...Rdg8. White, however, could pass on it and simply advance his pawns.

16.Bxc6 dxc6?

A very poor strategical decision (blocking the b7-bishop), which can only be explained by nerves. Apparently, Ivanchuk was depressed.

Black could continue to resist by 16...Bxc6 17.Bxe7 Rde8 18.Bf6 Bxh1 19.Rxh1 e5!, and if 20.h6?, then 20...Qc6!

17.h6 Rg6

Defending passively is not good. After 17...Ng6 18.h7 Rh8 19.Qg5 Rde8 20.f4 White brings the  pawn to f5 and breaks Black's setup.

18.h7 Rxf6 19.h8Q Rxh8 20.Rxh8+ Kd7

White's dangerous passed pawn is gone, and Black still has to minor pieces for a rook. But...

21.d4!

White wins more material with this attack.

21...Qd6?

Black's best chance is sacrificing an exchange by 21...Rxf2! 22.Qe3 Rf5 23.dxc5+ Nd5 24.g4 Qf4 25.Qxf4 Rxf4 26.cxd5 cxd5 27.cxb6 axb6 28.Rd4 Rf2, and it is not easy for White to convert his advantage. Not easy, but probably possible: 29.g5.

22.Qg5! Rf5 23.Qh4 cxd4 24.Rxd4 Rd5

24...Nd5 is impossible because of 25.Qd8#.

25.cxd5 Qa3+ 26.Kb1 cxd5

The shortest way to convert White's material advantage is mating attack.

27.Rh7! Qxc3 28.Rxf7!

Black resigns, as there are no more checks after 28...Qe1+ 29.Kc2 Qxe2+ 30.Rd2, and he just loses more material.

 

Judit Polgar was knocked out after she overestimated her chances in the second game of the match.

 

J. Polgar — P. Svidler

White's compensation exactly matches the missing pawn. Both sides stood still for the last few moves, but Judit tried to find new resources and lost the track.

35.Qh5?

White had to play 35.Rd5, and a draw is very likely.

35...Kf8

Now it's not that simple. Black has more threats than just a6-a5-a4.

36.Rd5

The Queen of chess offered a draw after this move. She probably realized the objective assessment of the position, but it was too late.

36...e4!

White lost her grip on the center, and Black creates a very dangerous passed pawn.

37.Qe2 e3 38.Rd4?

The key variation is 38.Ra5 Re7 39.Rxa6? Qxa6! 40.Qxa6 e2 and Black wins.

And yet, 38.Ra5! is correct, but after 38...Re7 White must play 39.Kg1!, and after 39...Bf6 continue by 40.Rxa6, as 40...Qxa6 41.Qxa6 e2 42.Qa8+ Re8 43.Qxe8+! Kxe8 44.Kf2 equalizes.

38...a5!

White's queenside is in trouble too. Her position is already hopeless.

39.h4 Bf6 40.Rc4 Qa6! 41.Qg4 Re7

41...d5 42.Rxc7 Qf1+ 43.Kh2 Be5+ 44.g3 Bxc7 also wins.

42.Re4 Qf1+

White has no time to block the e2-square with her bishop.

43.Kh2 Be5+ 44.g3 Qf2+ 45.Kh3 Bxg3! White resigns.

 

The fans' favorite ruined a clear goalscoring moment.

 

D. Navara — A. Grischuk

David slowly outplayed Sasha, gathering small advantages during the game. Here the Czech player had more than half an hour on the clock, while the Russian had just two minutes. And yet, an inexplicable error followed.

49.Ke5?

Played on an impulse, almost without a thought.

After the game David spotted the winning 49.Nc3 Rb4+ (there is no 49...Bc6 in view of 50.bxc6! Rxb6 51.Nd5+) 50.Kg3 Rd4 (bad is 50...Bxf3 51.Kxf3 Rb3 52.Rxb7+ Ke8 53.Rc7!) 51.Nxd5+ Rxd5 52.Rxb7+, and converting two extra pawns is elementary.

49...Bc6!

It turns out that the b5-pawn is lost.

50.g5

Other moves are also fruitless.

50...Rxb5+ 51.Rxb5 Bxb5 52.g6

52.gxh6 leads to a positional draw after 52...Kf8 53.Nf6 Be2 54.f4 b5! 55.Kd4 b4 56.Ke3 b3 57.Kd2 Bf3 58.Kc3 Bd1 — White cannot even create a Zugzwang, as the Black's bishop moves to c2, d1, and, if necessary, f3.

52...fxg6 53.hxg6 Bd3 54.Nc5. Draw.

A very unfortunate miss by Navara.

 

V. Gashimov — R. Ponomariov

Complex endgames is probably the most difficult part of the game. Look at this game: two highly skilled players made a ton of mistakes, and it's only a fragment of this Berlin ending. The first part is also interesting and instructive, but in express analysis one cannot do everything.

In the diagrammed position a draw seems inevitable. Black effectively has an extra pawn, but with pawns on both wings the bishop is more useful than the knight.

51.c4!

Tricks are everywhere: 51.Kd3? Nc5+ 52.Kc4 a4 53.Kb4? Nd3+!

51...Ke6 52.Kb3?

Wrong direction! It should be mentioned that both players had only bonus seconds left, and the 30-second-per-move control proved brutal for such a complicated ending. The correct way is 52.Kd3 Kf5 (52...Ke5 53.Ke3) 53.Ke3 Ke5 54.Kd3 Kf4 55.Kd4 Kf3 56.Kd3, etc.

52...Kd6?

Trying to play it safe. The energetic 52...Ke5! 53.Ka4 Kd4 54.Kb5 wins quicker, if Black finds 54...Kd3! 55.Kxb6 a4 56.Bb4 Kxc4, and Black won a tempo compared to the game.

White cannot survive by the tricky 53.c5 Nxc5+ 54.Kc4 Ne4 55.Kb5 Kd5 56.Kxb6 a4 57.Bb4 Kc4, etc.

53.Kc2!

White is quick to correct his mistake.

53...Ke5 54.Kd3 Kf4 55.Kd4 Kf3 56.Kd3!

56.Kd5 is wrong: 56...Ke2 57.Bxa5 Nf6+! 58.Ke6 bxa5 59.Kxf6 a4, and Black's pawn promotes with check.

56...Nc5+ 57.Kd4?

A very natural move — White wants to activate his king. However, this is a mistake.

The computer offers 57.Kc2!, preventing the enemy king from breaking through the queenside. After, for example, 57...Kg2 (or 57...Ke4 58.Bg3 Kd4 59.Bc7 Nd7 60.Kb3) 58.Bd2 Kxh3 59.Bg5 Kg4 60.Bd8 Nd7 61.Kc3 it is unclear how Black can make progress.

57...a4?

Black returns the favor. After 57...Ke2! 58.Bc3 (58.Bxa5 Nb3+; 58.Bg3 a4 59.Kc3 Ne4+!) 58...Kd1! the Black's king comes to help the a4-pawn.

58.Bb4

Now the position is drawn again, but only for a moment...

58...Ke2!

58...Kg3 leads nowhere — 59.Kd5 Kxh4 60.Kc6 Kxh3 61.Kxb6 Ne4 62.Ka5, etc.

59.Kc3! Ke3 60.Ba3 Ne4+ 61.Kb4 Kd3 62.Kb5?

The king runs away from action. Activating the bishop by 62.Bb2! Nc5 63.Bf6 a3 64.Kxa3 Kxc4 65.Kb2 leads to an obvious draw.

62...Kc3?

Black wins by 62...Nc3+! 63.Kxb6 (an interesting Zugzwang arises after 63.Kb4 Kc2, and Black wins: 64.h5 gxh5 65.h4 Nb1 66.Kxa4 Nxa3 67.Kxa3 Kc3, etc) 63...Kxc4 64.Bf8 Nd5+, and now the threat of pushing the a-pawn is very serious. Attacking from the rear doesn't help: 65.Ka5 Kb3 66.Kb5 Nf4 67.Ka5 Nxh3 68.Kb5 Ng1 69.Be7 Nf3 70.Ka5 a3!, etc.

63.Be7?

This move makes White's task extremely difficult. He should have taken the more dangerous passed pawn: 63.Kxa4! Kxc4 64.Bc1 b5+ 65.Ka3.

63...Kb3 64.Kxb6 Kxc4

Two pawns are exchanged, but the position remains very complicated. Tempi decide the game!

65.Kc6!

White correctly creates counterplay against the g6-pawn.

65...Ng3

First I thought that Black wins by 65...Nc3 66.Kd7 Nd5 with the idea to interpose the bishop's diagonal on b4, but then I looked deeper: 67.Bd6! (worse is 67.Ba3 Kb3 68.Bc1 Nc3, and the knight drives the bishop away) 67...Nb4 68.Ke6 a3 69.Kf7 a2 70.Be5 Nd5 71.Ba1 Nf4 72.Kf6 Kd3 73.Kg5 Ke4 74.Bb2, and Black cannot make progress.

66.Kd7 Kd5 67.Ke8?

Wrong way again. It seems White survives by 67.Ba3!, e. g., 67...Nf5 (67...Ke4 68.Kc6!) 68.Bb2 Nxh4 (68...Kc4 69.Ba3 Kb3 70.Bc5 Nxh4 71.Ke6 Nf3 72.Kf6 g5 73.Kf5=) 69.Ke7 Nf3 70.Kf6 Ng1 71.h4 Nf3 72.Kxg6 Nxh4+ 73.Kg5, and Comrade Nalimov insists it's a draw.

67...Ke6!

Shouldering the enemy!

68.Ba3 Nf5 69.Kf8 Nxh4 70.Kg7 Kf5 71.Kh6 Nf3

The White's king is deprived of the g5-square — White is in serious trouble.

72.Be7 Ke6 73.Ba3 Kf6 74.Bc5

74.Bb2+ Kf5 75.Bc1 doesn't help because of 75...Ne5 76.h4 Nc4! 77.h5 gxh5 78.Kxh5 Ke4, and there is no time to build a defensive wall.

74...Nh4

74...Ng5! is a very easy win: 75.h4 (or 75.Bd4+ Kf5 76.h4 Nf3 77.h5 Nxd4 78.hxg6 Ne6) 75...Nf3 76.h5 g5!

75.Bd4+ Kf5 76.Bc5 g5

This is also good.

77.Be7 Nf3 78.Kh5 Ng1 79.Bxg5 a3!

It is important to bring the pawn on a2.

80.Bc1 a2 81.Bb2 Nxh3

This is a book win. Of course, it is not easy to recall the winning method with the bishop on a1 and the Black's king being constantly chased by his counterpart, even if it was memorized someday.

82.Kh4 Nf4 83.Kg3 Ke4 84.Ba1 Nd3 85.Kg2 Ke3 86.Kg3 Nc5 87.Kg2 Ke2 88.Kg3 Na4 89.Kg2 Nb6

The only meaning of Ruslan's recent maneuvers was to gain time and recall everything. However, I am not entirely sure he managed to do the latter!

90.Kg3 Nc4 91.Kg2 Ne3+ 92.Kg3 Nd1 93.Kg2 Ke3 94.Kg3 Kd2 95.Kf3 Kd3 96.Kf4 Kc2 97.Ke4 Nb2 98.Ke3 Na4 99.Ke2

The key lines start here.

99...Kc1

99...Kb1? 100.Kd1! (not 100.Kd2 Nb2) 100...Nb2+ 101.Kd2 Black already missed a win due to 101...Kxa1 102.Kc1! Nd3+ 103.Kc2, and the king in trapped.

100.Kd3?

This terrible blunder saved Ponomariov the effort of recalling something long-forgotten. After 100.Ke1 Black must know the correct move: 100...Nc5!, and only then he can attack the bishop: 101.Ke2 Kb1! 102.Kd1 (102.Kd2 Nb3+) 102...Na4! 103.Kd2 (103.Bd4 Nb2+) 103...Nb2 with Zugzwang. However, there is no guarantee that Ruslan could recall (or find) this move under such circumstances...

100...Kb1 101.Kd2 Nb2

This is the key position of mutual Zugzwang. White to move, so he loses.

102.Kc3 Kxa1 103.Kc2 Nd3! Black resigns.

Too many mistakes? No, Vugar and Ruslan played excellently and put a 100%-effort. However, playing such position after a five-hour struggle and without enough time on the clock is too difficult — try it yourself, if you don't believe me! It is easy to criticize a marathon runner, sitting on a sofa at home, and it is easy to blame tired chess players, when your own eyes are enhanced by the computer analysis. Spectators often don't understand how tough the sport is.

The tie-breaks ended in favor of more experienced and reputed players.

D. Navara — A. Grischuk

If you don't score a goal, you concede a goal — this football law worked today concerning the Czech grandmaster, who missed a clear win in the second classical game.

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nd2 e6 5.Nb3 Nd7 6.Nf3 a6 7.Be3 Rc8 8.c3 c5 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Nxc5 Nxc5 11.Be2

A new move. Earlier White played 11.Bxc5 Rxc5 12.Be2 Ne7 13.0−0 0−0 14.Nd4 Bg6 15.f4 Qb6 16.Qd2 Nf5 with equality, Solic-Lukenda, Zagreb 2006.

11...Ne7 12.Nh4

This is already a dubious move. More practical and solid is 12.0−0 or 12.Nd4.

12...h6 13.Nxf5

A knight on a rim rarely has better prospective. It could stand very well on d4.

13...Nxf5 14.Bxc5 Rxc5

Looking at this position, one could hardly expect a quick finish. Apparently, David lost his focus.

15.Bd3?

This is obviously a blunder. After the standard 15.0−0 Black cannot immediately take care of the e5-pawn due to 15...Qc7 16.Qa4+!, thus White has time to develop his bishop on d3 and obtains a good game.

15...d4!

Suddenly it turns out that after 16.Bxf5 Black recaptures with the rook: 16...Rxe5+!

16.Qa4+?

White accepts his fate, but his desperation is premature!

He should abandon a pawn and simply continue developing: 16.cxd4 Nxd4 17.0−0 Rxe5 18.Qa4+. Here White's initiative gives him real chances to survive, for example, 18...Qd7 (18...Nc6 19.Be4) 19.Qxd7+ Kxd7 20.Rfd1, and he regains a pawn.

Here is another important variation: 16.cxd4 Qxd4 17.0−0 Rxe5 18.Rc1 0−0 19.Bxf5 Qxd1 20.Rfxd1, and after Black takes on f5, the rook gets to the 7^th rank with some hope for White.

16...b5 17.Qxa6 Rxe5+ 18.Kf1 0-0

Now White is in deep trouble. His king is unsafe, the rook got stuck on h1, and Black has a strong attack.

19.Bxb5

Make it two!

19...dxc3 20.bxc3 Qd2 21.Be2 Qxc3

White suffers for nothing already. Alas, he can only dream about the ending with three kingside pawns against four — his situation is much worse.

22.Re1

Or 22.Rd1 Rb8, and Black pieces join the party at the 2^nd rank.

22...Rd8 23.h4

White's attempt to activate his rook via h3 meets a nice refutation.

23...Ng3+! 24.fxg3 Rf5+ 25.Kg1

Forced generosity. After 25.Bf3 Rxf3+! 26.gxf3 Qxf3+ 27.Kg1 Qxg3+ 28.Kf1 Qf3+ 29.Kg1 Rd2 Black wins immediately.

25...Qxe1+ 26.Kh2 Qa5

Soon White lost the a2-pawn, and the rest of the game is not interesting for us. Black won.

 

V. Ivanchuk — T. Radjabov

1.g3 g6 2.Bg2 Bg7 3.d4 d5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.0−0 0−0 6.c4 c6 7.Qb3 Qb6 8.Nc3 Rd8 9.Rd1 Bf5 10.Ne1 Na6

The novelty looks a bit artificial. Earlier Black tried 10...Be6 and 10...dxc4, which looks more natural.

11.Qxb6 axb6 12.cxd5 Nxd5 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.a3

The ending is dry and boring, especially for the knight on a6 and the pawn on b6. Of course, Black can hold with accurate moves, but rapid chess and accuracy rarely go together.

14...Rac8

Perhaps Black should have improved his knight. Teimour could easily 14...Nb4! 15.Bf4 Nc6 16.Bc7 Rd7 17.Bxb6 Ra6! 18.Bc5 b6 even without much thinking time.

15.Bg5 Kf8

Here Black could consider 15...h6!, in order to meet 16.Bxe7 by 16...Re8 and capture on e2.

16.Rac1 Rxc1 17.Bxc1 Nc7

The knight cannot go to c6 anymore: 17...Nb8? 18.Bf4 Nc6 19.Bc7!

18.e3 Bd7 19.Bd2 e6 20.Nd3

The position stabilized. White has a small but lasting advantage.

20...Bb5?!

More accurate is 20...f6, planning to rearrange his forces by Kf8-f7, Bg7-f8, and Ne8-d6.

21.Rc1 Na6

For some reason Black returns to his unsuccessful setup.

22.Bf1 Ke8 23.b3! Bd7

Lesser evil is 23...Nb8 24.a4 Bxd3 25.Bxd3 Nc6.

24.Ne5! Bxe5

The ending after 24...Rc8 25.Nxd7 Rxc1 26.Bxc1 Kxd7 may be held, but it would require really great effort.

25.dxe5 Nc5

26.Rb1!

Here Black's situation is almost hopeless. White's bishops slowly become more active, Black has no counterplay and will not be able to survive the struggle on both wings. From practical point of view, White's position is almost won.

26...Rc8 27.f3 Na6 28.Rb2 Nc5 29.a4 Na6 30.Kf2 Ke7 31.e4!?

Maybe this break is premature, but it poses difficult problems for Black.

31...dxe4 32.Bg5+ Ke8 33.fxe4 Nc5 34.Ke3 Bc6 35.Bg2 Rc7 36.b4!? Nxa4 37.Rc2 b5

It seems Black could pocket a pawn by 37...Rc8! 38.Bf1 Bd7 and keep the knight, but such occasional chances often occur in rapid chess, and even supergrandmasters cannot always assess them correctly in advance.

38.Bf1 Nb6 39.Bxb5 Rc8 40.Bd3!

White's advantage increased as the game got open. The rest is merely a technical task.

40...Bd7 41.Ra2 Na4 42.Kd4 b5 43.g4 Rc7 44.h4!

White opens the second front, and Black is in dire straights.

44...Kf8 45.h5 Be8 46.Rh2 Rd7+ 47.Ke3 Rc7 48.Bd8 Rd7 49.Ba5 Rb7 50.Kf4 Kg7 51.Rc2 Bd7 52.Bd8 Nb6

53.hxg6 fxg6

Radjabov made this reply very quickly, almost reflectively. Black gets mated after 53...hxg6 54.Bf6+ Kf8 55.Rh2, but 53...Kxg6 is more tenacious. Still, Black cannot survive: 54.Bf6 h6 (otherwise g4-g5 and Rc2-h2) 55.g5 hxg5+ 56.Bxg5 Be8 57.Rg2 Nd7 58.Bf6+ Kh7 59.Rh2+ Kg6 60.Bh8!, followed by Bd3-e2-h5-f7.

54.Bxb6

White wins a bishop with the rook invasion to c7. Black resigns. An excellent game by Ivanchuk!