1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Nd7 6. O-O h6 7. Nbd2 Ne7 8. Nb3 g5!? 8... Bh7 9. h3 a6 10. c3 Rc8 11. a4 c5 12. Nxc5 Nxc5 13. dxc5 Rxc5 14. Be3 Rc8 15. a5 Zhigalko-Andreikin, Kirishi 2005 9. Ne1 c5 10. Nxc5 Nxc5 11. dxc5 Nc6 12. Bd3 Be4 13. f3 Bxc5+ 14. Kh1 Bf5 15. Bxf5 exf5 16. Nd3 Bb6 17. f4 g4 18. Bd2 h5 19. Bb4 h4 20. c3 h3 1/2-1/2

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. a3 c5 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Nxd5 exd5 10. dxc5 Nxc5 11. Be5 Bf6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Qd4 Qd6 14. Bd3 Nxd3+ 15. Qxd3 Qf6 16. Nd4 Qg5 17. g3 Re8 18. O-O Bh3 19. Rfc1 Qe5 20. Rc3 Rac8 21. Rxc8 Rxc8 22. f3 h5 23. Qd2 g6 24. Rc1 Rc4 25. b3 Rxc1+ 26. Qxc1 Qd6 27. Kf2 Qa6 28. Ne2 Be6 29. b4 Qd3 30. h4 Qb3 31. Nd4 Qd3 32. Qc2 Qa6 33. Qc3 Bd7 34. Ne2 Bh3 35. Qc1 Be6 36. Nd4 Qd3 37. Qc2 Qa6 38. a4 Bh3 39. Ne2 Bf5 40. Qb3 Qc6 41. b5 Qc2 42. Qxc2 Bxc2 43. a5 Bd3 44. Nd4 Kf8 45. Ke1 Ke7 46. Kd2 Bf1 47. Kc3 Kd6 48. Kb4 Bh3 49. Nb3 Bg2 50. Nd4 Bh3 51. a6 bxa6 52. bxa6 Bf1 53. Ka5 Bd3 54. Nb3 Bc4 55. Nd4 Bd3 56. Nb3 Bc4 57. Nd4 1/2-1/2

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 exd4 5. Bxc4 Nc6 6. O-O Be6 7. Bb5 Bc5 8. b4 Bb6 9. a4 a6 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Nbd2 11. Bb2 Nf6 12. a5 Ba7 13. Nbd2 O-O 14. Qc2 Ng4 15. h3 Nf6 16. Ne5 Bd7 17. Rfe1 Topalov-Nisipeanu, Vitoria Gasteiz 2007, a tournament where Ponomariov also played. 11... Nf6 12. Qc2 O-O 13. Qxc6 Re8 14. Bb2 Bd7 15. Qc2 Qe7 16. Nxd4 Qxb4 17. Bc3 Qc5 18. a5 Ba7 19. Rac1 Rac8 20. Rfe1 Qh5 21. Nf1 Ng4 22. f3 Ne5 23. Kh1 g6 From hindsight it's easy to comment, but this move will cost Black the game later, because his black-squared bishop can't defend the black squares around Black's king. 24. Ne3 c6 25. f4 Ng4 26. Nxg4 Bxg4 27. Ba1! Bb8 28. Rf1 Qh6 29. Qc3! After Black's 23rd move White simply played for this battery and it's just winning. 29... f6 29... Bxf4 is refuted by the tactic 30. Rxf4! Qxf4 31. Ne6 which wins for White: 31... Qxc1+ 32. Qxc1 Bxe6 and now 33. Bf6! (33. Qc3? is met by the simple 33... Kf8 and White can't do anything but give perpetual.) 30. Qb3+ Kg7 30... Kf8 31. Rxc6 Rxc6 32. Nxc6 Bxf4 33. Qb4+ Kg7 34. Bxf6+! Kxf6 35. Qd6+ Kg7 36. Rxf4 must be winning too. 31. e5! c5 32. Qb7+ Rc7 33. Qb6 Rf7 34. Nc6 Bc7 35. Qxc5 Qh4?! Tougher was 35... Kg8 but after the simple 36. Qc4 Be6 37. Qxa6 it's also over. 36. exf6+ Kh6 37. Ne7 Bd8 38. Qc4 Rff8 39. Ng8+! Kh5 40. f7 Re7 41. Bf6 1-0

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bxe7 Qxe7 8. Rc1 c6 8... Nxc3 9. Rxc3 Rd8 10. e3 Nc6 11. Bb5 Bd7 12. O-O Nxd4 13. Bxd7 Nxf3+ 14. Qxf3 Qxd7 Bu Xiangzhi-Kaidanov, Shanghai 2002 9. Qc2 Nxc3 10. Qxc3 b6 11. g3 Bb7 12. Bg2 c5 13. O-O Nd7 14. dxc5 Rfc8 15. c6 Rxc6 16. Qxc6 Bxc6 17. Rxc6 h6 18. Rc2 Rd8 19. Rfc1 Qf6 20. b4 Ne5 21. a3 Nxf3+ 22. Bxf3 g6 23. Kg2 Qe5 24. h4 1/2-1/2

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. b3 a6 6. Bxc6 Nxc6 7. Bb2 b5 8. c4 bxc4 9. bxc4 Rb8 10. Bc3 d6 11. Na3 e5 12. Nc2 g6 A deviation from a game that Akopian holds good memories of: 12... Be7 13. Ne3 O-O 14. d3 Qe8 15. Rb1 Rxb1 16. Qxb1 Bd8 17. Nd2 g6 18. Nd5 f5 19. exf5 gxf5 20. f4 Rf7 21. Qe1 Rg7 22. Nf3 Qg6 23. g3 Rf7 24. fxe5 f4 25. exd6 fxg3 and Black immediately resigned in Akopian-Kasparov, Moscow 2002(25... fxg3 26. Qe8+ Rf8 27. Qxf8+ Kxf8 28. Ne5+) 13. Ne3 Bh6 14. Qa4 The question is: why did Akopian refrain from the move 14. Nd5 14... Bd7 15. Rfb1 Bxe3! 16. fxe3 A very nice concept. Black sacrifices a pawn to ruin White's pawn structure. 16... Nd4! 17. Qxa6 Ne2+ 18. Kf2 Nxc3 19. dxc3 Ke7 20. Nd2 Ra8 21. Qb7 Qa5 22. Qb2 White is in trouble. 22... Rhb8 23. Qc2 Rxb1 24. Nxb1 Rb8 25. Nd2 Qa4 26. Rc1 Qxc2 26... Ra8! looks stronger and not too difficult; perhaps Black had missed White's trick on move 28. 27. Rxc2 Ba4 28. Nb3 Bc6 28... Bxb3? 29. Rb2 29. Nd2 Ba4 30. Nb3 h5 31. Ke1 h4 32. Kd2 Bc6 33. Kd3 f5 34. exf5 Rybka tries to defend with 34. Nd2 Ba4 35. Nb3 because 35... Bxb3 36. axb3 Rxb3 37. exf5 gxf5 38. e4! f4 39. g3 gives drawing chances. 34... gxf5 35. Rf2 Ke6 36. Ke2 Ra8 37. Ke1 Ra4 38. g3 hxg3 39. hxg3 Be4! Beautifully centralizing the bishop. 40. Rh2 Rxc4 41. Kd2 Ra4 42. Kc1? Tougher was 42. Nc1 but it still looks horrible for White. 42... c4 43. Na1 Sad, but 43. Nd2 allows 43... Rxa2 43... Ra8 44. Rd2 Rg8 45. a4 Rxg3 46. Nc2 Bxc2 47. Rxc2 Rxe3 48. a5 Kd7 49. a6 Kc7 0-1

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Nb8 10. d4 Nbd7 11. Nbd2 Bb7 12. Bc2 Re8 13. Nf1 Bf8 14. Ng3 g6 15. b3 a5 15... Rb8 16. d5 c6 17. c4 Qc7 18. Be3 Rec8 19. Rc1 a5 20. Qd2 bxc4 21. bxc4 Nc5 Hou Yifan-Sasikiran, Zafra 2007 16. a4 b4 17. cxb4 axb4 18. Bb2 Bh6 19. dxe5 dxe5 20. Bd3 Bf4 21. Qc2 Ra5 22. Rad1 Rc5 23. Qe2 Qe7 24. Nf1 Nb6 25. g3 Bh6 26. Bc1 Bxc1 27. Rxc1 Rc3 28. N1d2 Rd8 29. Rxc3 bxc3 30. Nb1 Qd6 31. Bc2 Qc5 32. Qe3 Qxe3 33. Rxe3 Bxe4 34. Bxe4 Nxe4 35. Nxc3 Nxc3 36. Rxc3 Rd1+ 37. Kg2 Nd5 38. Rc4 f6 39. a5 Ra1 40. Ra4 Rxa4 41. bxa4 Nc3 42. Nd2 Nxa4 43. a6 Nb6 44. a7 Kf7 45. g4 Ke6 46. Ne4 h6 47. h4 Na8 48. f3 f5 49. Ng3 c5 50. gxf5+ gxf5 51. Kf2 c4 52. Ke2 Nc7 53. Kd2 Kf6 54. Kc2 Kg6 55. Kb2 f4 56. Ne4 Kh5 57. Kc3 Nb5+ 58. Kxc4 Nxa7 59. Kd5 Kxh4 60. Kxe5 Nc6+ 1/2-1/2

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 dxc4 7. Qxc4 b6 8. Bf4 Ba6 9. Qxc7 Qxc7 10. Bxc7 O-O 10... Nc6 11. Rc1 Nxd4 12. Be5 Nb3 13. Rc3 Nc5 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. e3 Bxf1 16. Kxf1 O-O 17. Ke2 Lalic-Plaskett, Southend 1999 11. Nf3 Rc8 12. Bf4 Nbd7 13. Nd2 Rc2 14. Rb1 Rac8 15. Nb3 Bc4 16. Na1 Ba2 17. Nxc2 Bxb1 18. Na1 Two knights on a1 in one round! Here it's not so bad for White. 18... Nd5 19. Bd2 e5 20. e3 exd4 21. exd4 Nb8 22. f3 Nc6 23. Bc4 Rd8 24. Kf2 Bf5 25. Nb3 Be6 26. Rc1 f6 27. a4 a5 28. Bc3 Bf7 29. Nd2 Nde7 30. Bf1 Nxd4 31. Re1 Ndc6 32. Nc4 Nd5 33. Rb1 Kf8 34. Be1 Ke7 35. Kg1 Nb8 36. Bf2 Nd7 37. Re1+ Kf8 38. Rd1 Ke7 39. Re1+ Kf8 40. Nd6 Ne5 41. Nxf7 Kxf7 42. Rd1 Ke7 43. f4! Ng4 43... Nxf4? 44. Rxd8 Kxd8 45. Bxb6+ 44. Re1+ Kf8 45. Bd4 Rd6 46. h3 Nh6 Perhaps 46... Nxf4 47. Re4 Ne6 48. Rxe6 Rxe6 49. hxg4 Re4 50. Bxb6 Rxa4 was worth a try. 47. Rd1 Nf5 48. Bf2 Ke7 49. g4 Nh6 50. f5 Now White is clearly better and he finishes the game with excellent technique. 50... Nf7 51. Bg2 Nf4 52. Rxd6 Nxd6 53. Bxb6 Nc4 54. Bc5+ Kd7 55. Bf1 Nxb2 56. Bb5+ Kd8 57. Bb6+ Ke7 58. Kh2 Nd5 59. Bxa5 Kd6 60. Bd2 Kc5 61. Kg3 Nc7 62. Be3+ Kb4 63. Bd2+ Kc5 64. Bc1 Nc4 65. Bxc4 Kxc4 66. Bd2 Na6 67. a5 Kb5 68. Kf3 Nc5 69. Bc3 h6 70. Ke3 Kc4 71. Bd4 Na6 72. Ke4 Nb4 73. h4 Kb5 74. Bc3 Na6 75. Kd5 Nc5 76. Bd4 Nd3 77. Ke6 1-0

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Bg3 b5 9. Be2 Bb7 10. O-O Nbd7 11. Ne5 Bg7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bd6 a6 14. a4 e5 15. d5 c5 16. b4 Qb6 17. bxc5 Nxc5 18. Bxc5 Qxc5 19. axb5 axb5 20. Rxa8+ Bxa8 21. Qa1 O-O 22. Qa5 Rb8 23. Rb1 Bf8 24. Nxb5 24. Rxb5 Rxb5 25. Qxb5 Qxb5 26. Nxb5 Bb7 27. Bxc4 Ba6 28. Kf1 Bxb5 29. Bxb5 Bc5= Gustafsson-Aronian, Khanty-Mansiysk 2007 24... f5 25. Qa6 Kh8 26. Nc3 Rxb1+ 27. Nxb1 Qb4 28. Qxa8 Qxb1+ 29. Bf1 Qb4 30. exf5 c3 31. Qc6 e4 32. h4 g4 33. g3 Qc5 34. Qf6+ Bg7 35. Qd8+ Bf8 36. Qf6+ Bg7 37. Qd8+ Qf8 38. Qc7 Qxf5 39. d6 Bd4 40. Qd8+ Kg7 1/2-1/2