Kramnik – Shirov 1-0
Mamedyarov – Gelfand 1/2
Ivanchuk – Carlsen 1/2
Alekseev – Kamsky 1/2
Jakovenko – Leko 1/2
Kramnik now has the sole lead after 5 rounds.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Tal Memorial round 5 – Kramnik leads
More boring draws.
Very nice endgame by Kramnik:
8/2nkn2p/3p4/1p2p3/p3PNP1/2K1N3/PP5P/8 w – – 0 41
{White’s plan is to draw the Black king far to the queenside and then force a passed pawn on the kingside. Black’s king will be tied down to queenside
defense and knight will be tied down to defending the queening square (h8).
White’s pieces will then be free, and Black will be lost.}
41. Nfd5 Ncxd5+ 42. exd5
{Black must now defend the queenside pawns.} Kc7
43. g5 {The pawn is unassailable here, and it locks Black’s h-pawn in place.} Kb6
44. b4 axb3
45. axb3 Ka5 {Critical mistake. The king is now hopeless out of play and the white g- and h-pawns can only be temporarily delayed by the black knight.}
46. h4 Ng6
47. h5 Nf4
48. g6 {Breaking though with the h-pawn by sacrificing the g-pawn.} hxg6
49. h6 g5
50. h7 Ng6
{Black’s knight is tied to the defense of h8, while Black king is toofar away to defend the knight.} 51. Kd3
{White king calmly moves over to win the knight–and the game. White resigned.}
1-0
Carlsen is putting up a tenacious defense in an inferior position (at move 63 now). These endings can be tricky. The slightest mistake by Black, and he’s lost. The outcome hangs on a knife edge.
Carlsen blinked on move 68. Should be 1-0 in a little while…
I wonder what some people are doing here if they are so bored with chess
Kramnik a monster. Squeezed a full point out of a seemingly innocent endgame – against a top-top GM
“More boring draws.”
More draws, yes. But boring? Have you seen the games?
More fighting draws.