World championship match 2013 round 5
In the game with normal time control nothing special happened, and also in the rapid game it took some time before there was any tension on the board.
In the position of the diagram Scharzman has a considerable tempo advantage of +6. Yet it is Georgiev who has a slightly better position. The pieces on 3 and 4 are excellent defenders, while the fork formation 7, 12, 17, 18 ensures that black controls the center. The biggest concern for white are the pieces on 39 and 44, that are difficult to develop. At first sight the variant 36.38-32 14-20 37.33-29! ( necessary because of the positional threat ≡ 20-25!) ≡ 24x33 38.39x28 20-24 looks unattractive for white, but with 39.42-37! 18-22 40.27x18 12x23 41.37-31 he can hold the position. Schwarzman chose for a much more active defense. ≡ 36.39-34! 14-20 37.33-29 24x33 38.38x29 18-23 This exchange guarantees black a small initiative. A more ambitious plan was ≡ 20-25 39.44-39 19-23 40.39-33 3-9 41.42-38 4-10. But this position is not better for black, take for example 42.38-32 10-15 43.30-24 25-30 44.34x25 23x34 45.27-22 18x20 46.25x3 with a draw. ≡ 39.29x18 12x23 40.42-38 20-24 41.44-39 3-9 42.38-33! White has to be careful in this position. For example the variant ≡ 42.30-25 (and not ≡ 42.27-21? due to 9-14 43.21x1 14-20 44.1x29 24x44 B+) ≡ 9-13 43.38-32 4-10 44.34-30 13-18 45.39-33 looks quite dangerous for white, although both 17-22 46.32-28 23x21 47.26x28 7-12 (or ≡ 10-14 48.28-22! 18x27 49.33-29 24x33 50.30-24 19x30 51.35x24) ≡ 48.25-20(!) 24x15 49.30-24 19x30 50.35x24 as well as ≡ 7-12 46.33-28 10-14 47.26-21 17x26 48.28-22 26-31 49.22x13 31x22 50.25-20(!) 14x34 51.13-9 lead to a narrow draw. ≡ 9-14 43.30-25 7-12 Here ≡ 7-11 44.27-21 17-22 45.35-30 24x35 46.33-29 22-27 47.21x32 23-28 48.32x23 19x28 49.26-21 also doesn't win for black. ≡ 44.34-30 23-29 45.27-22! 29x38 46.22x11 12-17 47.11x22 38-42 48.22-17 42-47 49.17-11 47-29 50.39-33 29x38 51.11-6 38-29 52.6-1 29-45
In the blitz game the position looked about equal, but Georgiev found a brilliant way to put his opponent under pressure 39.34-29! 24x33 40.38x29 19-24 41.29x20 25x14 42.39-33 Schwarzman's next couple of moves look very logical, but it turns out that his plan is radically wrong. 14-20 43.44-39 20-24 44.39-34!
12-18? It's hard to believe, but this move is already losing for black. And also ≡ 6-11? 45.27-22! 13-19 46.42-38 12-17 47.33-28 10-14 48.38-32 7-12 49.34-30! is lost for black. The very passive move ≡ 7-11 was probably the best defense for black. ≡ 45.33-28! 6-11 46.37-31! 26x37 47.42x31 7-12 48.34-30! 24-29 49.48-43! It's phenomenal how Georgiev managed to force a win. 10-14 50.43-38 Here Schwarzman had to sacrifice a piece with 11-17 51.28-22 17x28 52.27-21 16x27 53.31x24 18-22 54.38-32? Very unfortunate! Both ≡ 54.36-31 12-17 55.30-25 17-21 56.31-26! 21-27 57.24-20 and ≡ 54.30-25 22-27 55.35-30 12-17 56.38-33 27-32 57.33-28 32x23 58.24-20 were winning for white. ≡ 13-18 55.32-27 22x31 56.36x27 12-17 57.30-25 17-22 58.27-21 14-19 59.24x13 18x9 60.21-17 22x11 61.25-20 11-17 62.35-30 17-22
In the tie break Schwarzman finally started playing more aggressively. 26.39-34! 15-20 27.35-30 20-25 28.30-24 4-10 29.45-40! 10-15 30.40-35 17-21 31.37-31! It was already difficult for black to find a good plan, but the next move was far too optimistic. 25-30? 32.34x25 23x34 33.33-28! Schwarzman has anticipated the situation very well. White takes complete control over the position, while he is hardly hampered by the black outpost on 34. 7-11 34.42-37 12-17? And after this move the game was over. 35.48-42! 9-14 36.31-26 17-22 The only alternative ≡ 14-19 loses after 37.43-39 19x30 38.35x24 34x43 39.38x49. ≡ 37.26x17 22x31 38.37x26 11x33 39.38x40 8-12 40.32-28 6-11 41.43-38 11-17 42.40-34 16-21 43.34-29 21-27 44.38-33 3-9 45.24-20 15x24 46.29x20 13-19 47.35-30 18-22
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