Tal Memorial Round 7
Alekseev, Evgeny (2708) – Mamedyarov, S (2742) [C10]
2008 Tal Memorial (7), 25.08.2008
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Bd3 c5 7.0–0 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Nxe4 9.Bxe4 Nf6 10.Bf3 Be7 11.Bf4 0–0 12.c3 a6 13.Re1 Ra7 14.a4 Bd7 15.Qb3 Qc8 16.a5 Bc5 17.Rad1 Bxd4 18.Rxd4 Bc6 19.Qb6 Ra8 20.Bxc6 Qxc6 21.Qxc6 bxc6 22.c4 Rfd8 23.Red1 Rxd4 24.Rxd4 Kf8 25.g4 Ke8 26.g5 Ng8 27.Be5 f6 28.gxf6 gxf6 29.Bc7 Ne7 30.Rd6 Kf7 31.Bb6 e5 32.Bc5 Ng6 33.Rxc6 Nf4 34.Be3 Nd3 35.b3 f5 36.Rd6 e4 37.f4 Rg8+ 38.Kf1 Rg4 1–0
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Kamsky, G (2723) – Leko, P (2741) [A46]
2008 Tal Memorial (7), 25.08.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.Bg5 c5 4.e3 Be7 5.c3 b6 6.a4 a6 7.Nbd2 Bb7 8.Bd3 cxd4 9.exd4 d6 10.0–0 Nbd7 11.Re1 0–0 12.Nc4 Qc7 13.Ne3 Rfe8 14.Rc1 e5 15.Bb1 b5 16.c4 bxa4 17.Nf5 Bf8 18.c5 dxc5 19.dxe5 Nxe5 20.Rxe5 Rxe5 21.Bxf6 Rxf5 22.Bxf5 Qf4 23.Nh4 Qh6 24.Qc2 Qxf6 25.Bxh7+ Kh8 26.Be4 Rb8 27.Bxb7 Rxb7 28.Qxa4 Qxb2 29.Rf1 Qb5 30.Qf4 Qd3 31.g3 Kg8 32.Qc1 c4 33.Rd1 Qb3 34.Kg2 c3 35.Rd8 Rc7 36.Nf5 Qb7+ 37.f3 Qb2+ 38.Qxb2 cxb2 39.Rb8 Rc2+ 40.Kh3 a5 41.Ne3 Rf2 42.Nc4 a4 43.Nxb2 a3 44.Nc4 a2 45.Ra8 f6 46.Kg4 Kf7 47.Kf5 Rxf3+ 48.Ke4 Ra3 0–1
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Ponomariov, R (2718) – Shirov, A (2741) [B30]
2008 Tal Memorial (7), 25.08.2008
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.0–0 Nge7 5.Re1 a6 6.Bxc6 Nxc6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 e5 9.Nb3 d6 10.Nc3 f5 11.f4 g6 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Qxd8+ Kxd8 14.Bg5+ Ke8 15.exf5 Bxf5 16.Nd5 Kf7 17.Rf1 h6 18.Bh4 Kg8 19.c3 Bd3 20.Rfe1 g5 21.Bg3 Rd8 22.Nf6+ Kf7 23.Ng4 e4 24.Nf2 Be7 25.Nxe4 Bc4 26.Nbc5 Bxc5+ 27.Nxc5 Kg6 28.b3 Bf7 29.Nxb7 Rd2 30.Nd6 Bd5 31.Ne4 Rc2 32.c4 Bxe4 33.Rxe4 Nb4 34.Re6+ Kf5 35.Rd6 Rxa2 36.Rf1+ Ke4 37.Re1+ Kf5 38.h3 1–0
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Wow, Shirov was lost right out of the opening. Whats ig oing on with the man?!
True, even a patzer like me can see that was an awful awful game by Shirov. With his playing style he is surely not a super-stable player generally, but what was THAT?
He can only hope to reach two draws in the last two games and forget the tournament. I guess stuff like this just happens in a great player’s career.
I’m sure soon people will crawl out of their holes to make fun of him (especially in the light of him almost replacing Kamsky).
I think those people missed the last 15 years in chess and Shirov’s memorable games……
Yes, Shirov’s play is complete and utter rubbish at the moment. Self-destructive.