Linares Round 5

[ruymoultor]

==STANDINGS==
1. LEKO 2.5/4 (1 win, 3 draws)
= KRAMNIK 2.5/5 (5 draws)
2. KASPAROV 2/4 (4 draws)
= TOPALOV 2/4 (4 draws)
= VALLEJO PONS 2/4 (4 draws)
= SHIROV 2/4 (4 draws)
= RADJABOV 2/5 (4 draws, 1 loss)

--LEKO, KASPAROV, SHIROV, TOPALOV and VALLEJO PONS have had byes--

Well the fifth round was filled with fireworks as well as draws. Tomorrow is a rest day so the players went all out (sorta) for a full point.

Leko-Topalov was an interesting game. Another Sicilian Najdorf from the players and Leko sacced a pawn on move 28, but didn't get what he'd expected from it. He just barely made the time control, but Topalov used up 15 minutes on the 40th move alone. In the end Topalov couldn't take advantage of the extra pawn and it was declared a drawn game after 50 moves.

Kasparov-Kramnik was another exciting game, this one was Kramnik defending with a Queen's Indian Defense. Twice Kasparov declined to draw by triple repitition and on move 36 they exchanged off all four Rooks. Kasparov made the time control raring for the win, but Kramnik counter attacked and they agreed to a draw when a rather drawn endgame presented itself.

The most exciting game of the round was, by a hair, Radjabov - Vallejo Pons. The game was a Queen's Gambit, Declined with the Semi-Slav defense. Here is the PGN.


[Event "21st Linares"]
[Site "Linares ESP"]
[Date "2004.02.23"]
[Round "5"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Radjabov"]
[Black "Vallejo Pons"]
[ECO "D45"]
[WhiteElo "2656"]
[BlackElo "2663"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 8.
cxd5 cxd5 9. Ne5 a6 10. O-O b5 11. f4 Bd6 12. Bd2 Rc8 13. Qb3 O-O 14. Be1
Ne4 15. a4 b4 16. Nxe4 dxe4 17. Bc4 Bxe5 18. Bxb4 Rxc4 19. Qxc4 Bb8 20.
Bxf8 Qxf8 21. Rac1 g6 22. Qb3 Bd5 23. Qc3 Bb7 24. Qa5 Nf6 25. Qb6 Qe7 26.
Rc8+ Bxc8 27. Qxb8 Qf8 28. b4 Bd7 29. Qe5 Nd5 30. b5 axb5 31. axb5 Bxb5 32.
Rb1 Qe8 33. h4 h5 34. Rb3 Qc6 35. Qb8+ Kh7 36. Qxb5 Qxb5 37. Rxb5 Nxe3 38.
Re5 Nf5 39. Rxe4 Nxh4 40. Kf2 Nf5 41. Kf3 Kg7 42. Kf2 Kf6 43. Kf3 1/2-1/2

Well Tuesday is a rest day, so the players will all be out ready for the attack Wednesday! See you then!