Round 2 Game 5 Pairings (June, 11 2007)

Round 2 Game 5 Pairings (June, 11 2007)
1 Aronian Levon (ARMENIA) - Shirov Alexei (SPAIN)
2 Leko Peter (HUNGARY) - Bareev Evgeny (RUSSAI)
3 Grischuk Alexander (RUSSIA) - Rublevsky Sergei (RUSSIA)
4 Kamsky Gata (USA) - Gelfand Boris (ISRAEL)

Here is the Golden Temple in Elista

Shirov played Aronian with the Ruy Lopez closed. It was an even game all the way through I could not tell who was better off, I enjoyed the end game tactics. Each trying to outwit the other playing very safe. I knew it was another draw long before it finished.

Peter Leko top place so far leading with three games. Leko played Evgeny Bareev with the Nimzo-Indian: classical variation. From move 42 Leko had the game in his favour. A question was put to Bareev, Evgeny, you lost a second game in the match, Whats going on? Are you being unlucky, or something just does not seem to work out? Bareev states, Each game has to be considerd separately. In the first game I was indeed unlucky. In the second game I failed to cope with the opening problems, and the same basically happened in the third game. After the opening White obtained a better position with lasting pressure. Leko could handle it in different ways. Maybe White did not play perfectly, or perhaps he did, in any case the game developed in his favour, and in the end he realized his big positional advantage. One can conclude that Peter possesses the initiative in the opening, he was better prepared, and converts his advantage well.

Sergi Rublevsky played Alexander Grischuk opening with the Scotch, it was a very well prepared game by Rublevsky and great to see his tactical skills. From around move 14 I thought Rublevski had the upper hand, and Grischuk was up against the ropes. Grischuk came back at around move 34. but not long after both players had comparable command of the board. With Runlevsky's extra material he went on to win easily. Black tried to force a stalemate with Rook a 7, I bet he must have known long before that move it was over!

Boris Gelfand played Gata Kamsky opening with the Queens Gambit declined, slav defence. The more I watch Gelfand the more I like his style. At move 26 Kamsky seemed to have a little more control of the board but he was down a Rook. From then on the game was very even and ended in a draw both players played well.

Download Games Here(from round four)

Watch Games Here (from round four)