World championship 2013 finals round 2

Alexander Getmanski

Atse had an uncomfortable position against Getmanski. White has several unproductive corner pieces, that are difficult to activate. 25.43-38!? It is quite early to give up the important formation 43/39/34. 19-23 26.33-29!? 2-7 27.39-33 14-19 28.27-22 The white position hasn't improved, and therefore Atse decides to simplify the position, at the cost of a weak piece on 16. 18x27 29.29x18 12x23 30.32x21 5-10 31.21-16 10-14 32.34-29 White must develop the pieces on 40 and 45, but the piece on 29 gives the black player a lot of control over the position. 23x34 33.40x29 3-8 34.44-39 20-24 35.29x20 15x24 It is a bit paradoxical that black voluntarily removes the piece on 29. Probably Getmanski estimated that the white right wing has still structural weaknesses. 36.37-32 14-20 37.32-28! 20-25 38.28-23! 19x28 39.33x22 With a few active moves white has neutralized the positional problems. 8-12 40.39-33? A huge mistake. After ≡ 40.36-31 a draw was the most logical result. ≡ 12-18! Now the planned 41.42-37? 18x27 42.37-31 fails due to 7-12! 43.16x18 13x22 44.45-40 25-30 with a winning position for black. ≡ 41.45-40 18x27 42.40-34 11-17 43.42-37 7-12 44.34-29 17-21 45.29x20 25x14 46.36-31 27x36 47.16x27 13-19 48.33-29 19-24 49.29x20 14x25 50.27-21 9-13 51.38-33 6-11 52.21-16 13-18 53.16x7 12x1 54.33-29 1-6 55.29-24 18-23 56.35-30 25x34 57.24-20 34-39 58.20-14 39-43 59.14-10 43-49

At this stage of the game a decision did not seem very likely. Black has some advantage due to the weak white left wing, but the situation is not alarming for white. This changed radically when Ivanov chose a completely wrong plan. 34.45-40 6-11 35.40-35 14-20 36.32-28(?) 12-17 37.38-32(?) 11-16 38.32-27? Ivanov pursues his dangerous plan, but soon it will turn out that it contains a big flaw. 22x31 39.36x27 19-23! 40.28x19 13x24 41.43-38 At first sight it looks like white has everything under control. The immediate attack 17-22? is warded off with 42.29-23! and after ≡ 8-12 42.38-32! 17-22? white has the little combination 43.27-21! 16x38 44.33x42 24x33 45.39x8 But Ndjofang had prepared the very effective exchange ≡ 20-25! 42.29x20 15x24 43.33-28 Now immediately 18-23? 44.28x30 25x21 would lead to a draw after 45.35-30. ≡ 16-21! By giving an extra piece black shatters the hopes of the white player. 44.27x16 18-23 45.28x30 25x32 and white resigned.

In the duel between the two giants Georgiev played the surprising move 18-23!? 30.29x18 12x23 Now Chizhov could win a piece using the elementary combination 31.37-31 26x37 32.32x41 23x32 33.38x16. A logical continuation is 20-25 34.43-39 8-13 35.41-37 24-30 36.35x24 19x30 37.33-29 13-18! 38.42-38 3-8 39.48-43 18-23! 40.29x18 30-34 41.39x30 25x34 and the position is about equal. If desired, white can already make a draw using 42.43-39 34x41 43.46x37 4-9 44.36-31 8-12 45.31-27 12x23 46.27-21! (and not ≡ 46.27-22? 7-11! 47.16x7 2x11 48.37-31 9-13 49.31-27 13-19 50.27-21 23-28 51.22x33 19-23 with a double opposition). ≡ 31.36-31!? Chizhov decides to ignore the opportunity. Looking back this was a poor decision, since in the game Georgiev achieved a magnificent victory. With maximum precision he will take advantage of the weak white right wing. 7-11 32.46-41 23-29 33.43-39 8-13 34.39-34 29x40 35.35x44 11-16 36.31-27 3-8 37.41-36 20-25 38.27-22 8-12 39.44-40(?)
This move further weakens the vulnerable white right wing. After ≡ 39.37-31! 26x37 40.32x41 12-18 41.41-37 18x27 42.37-31 the black advantage would be minimal. ≡ 24-30! 40.40-34 30x39 41.33x44 25-30! White has no other choice than to make the backward exchange 42.37-31 26x37 43.32x41 However, the circumstances for this exchange are much worse than a couple of moves ago. 12-18 44.41-37 18x27 45.37-31 19-24! 46.31x22 24-29! The black attack on the white right wing is decisive now. 47.48-43 4-9 48.42-37 9-14 Black patiently waits for white to weaken his position. 49.43-39? After this move the situation is hopeless for white. But also after ≡ 49.36-31 29-34! 50.31-26 21-27 51.22x31 30-35 the chances are slim that white would have survived. ≡ 14-19 50.39-33 30-35 51.33x24 19x30 52.28-23 30-34 53.37-32 21-27 54.22x31 34-40 55.44-39 40-45 56.32-27 45-50 57.23-18 50x26 58.18x9 26-21 59.27-22 21-3 60.9-4 35-40 61.4-18 40-45 62.18-1 3-25 63.36-31 25-34 64.1x40 45x34 65.31-27 34-39 66.22-17 39-44 and white resigned.

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