[Event "SuperGM"]
[Site "Linares ESP"]
[Date "2001.03.02"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Polgar, J."]
[Black "Grischuk, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Henderson,John"]
[BlackElo "2663"]
[ECO "C96"]
[EventDate "2001.02.23"]
[PlyCount "107"]
[WhiteElo "2676"]

{ "Remember the name of Alexander Grischuk for the future - he's got great
potential," was the prophetic words to me last year at Linares from the
legendary Russian chess editor of "64 - Review", Alexander Roshal.    Much
like Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik, the 17-year-old
Muscovite is another Russian who's become the leading player of his generation
- and one with genuine designs on the laurel leafs of the world championship. 
   The last year has proved to be the big breakthrough for Grischuk as he
moved onto the world stage. After strong showings in the New York Open,
Reykjavik Open and North Sea Cup, he went on to big wins at the Lausanne Yong
Masters, Chigorin Memorial and the Torshavn International. Not content with
that, he more than played his part in Russia winning the recent Chess Olympiad
in Istanbul.     However, the highlight of that glittering year was
unquestionably his performance in the Fide KO world championship in New Delhi.
Unlucky to be knocked out in the semi-final by Alexei Shirov in a superb match,
Grischuk walked away with some serious pocket money -  $172,000!    Grischuk
showed he had a much better feeling for handling the nuances of the Black side
of the Lopez than Leko, as he came close to defeating Judit Polgar. } 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 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Bb7 { The Romanishin Variation. Named after one the most
original thinkers in the game, the Ukrainian GM Oleg Romanishin, who is one of
the world's leading experts on this line. It's also one of Grischuk's
favourite pet-lines. } 12. Nbd2 ( { Traditional theory in the Lopez is that White
should play d5 as soon as Black commits the bishop to b7. However modern
players tend to opt for a more open centre, reasoning that at some point Black
must make a minor concession by exchanging in the centre. The locking of the
center with 12 d5 saw an amazing game between Shirov and Grischuk from the
FIDE KO World Ch: } 12. d5 Nc4 13. a4 Nb6 14. Qe2 Nxa4 15. Bxa4 bxa4 16. c4 Nd7 17. Rxa4 Nb6 18. Ra3 a5 19. Nc3 a4 20. Be3 Bc8 21. b3 axb3 22. Rxb3 Ra6 23. Reb1 f5 24. Bxc5 $1 dxc5 25. Nxe5 Na4 26. Nxa4 Rxa4 27. Nc6 Qc7 28. e5 Ra6 29. Qf3 f4 30. Re1 Bf5 31. Rb5 Bc2 32. Rb2 Bg6 33. Rd2 Be8 34. Nxe7+ Qxe7 35. d6 Qe6 36. Qb7 Bc6 37. Qxa6 Bxg2 $3 38. f3 ( 38. Kxg2 f3+ 39. Kh2 Qf5 40. Qb7 Qf4+ 41. Kh1 Qf5 $11 ) 38... Bxf3 39. Kh2 Bg4 40. Qb7 Qh6 41. Qd5+ Rf7 42. Kg1 Qxh3 43. Qg2 Qh4 44. Rf2 f3 $2 ( 44... Bh3 $1 $11 ) 45. e6 Rf8 46. e7 Re8 47. d7 Bxd7 48. Qxf3 Qg5+ 49. Kf1 { 1-0 Shirov,A-Grischuk,A/New Delhi IND 2000 (49). } ) 12... cxd4 13. cxd4 exd4 14. Nxd4 Re8 15. b4 Nc6 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. Bb2 Nd7 ( 17... Bf8 $6 18. Qf3 $1 Rc8 19. Bb3 Qe7 20. Rad1 Bb7 21. Qf5 d5 22. e5 Nd7 23. Ne4 g6 24. Qxd7 dxe4 25. e6 fxe6 26. Qd4 Kf7 27. Qh8 Qh4 28. g3 Qh5 29. Qf6+ Kg8 30. Rd7 { 1-0 Xie Jun-Chiburdanidze,M/Manila 1991/CBM 26 (30). } ) 18. Bb3 Bf6 19. Bxf6 Nxf6 20. Rc1 Rc8 21. Qf3 Bb7 $1 22. Rxc8 ( { Keeping the rooks on makes no
difference: Black's going to get in the freeing ..d5 and all his problems have
been solved. } 22. Rcd1 Qe7 23. Qf4 Qe5 24. Qxe5 Rxe5 25. f3 d5 $1 $11 ) 22... Qxc8 23. Qf4 Qc7 24. f3 Qb6+ 25. Qe3 ( { Keeping the queens on was no option: } 25. Kh1 $2 Qd4 $1 { and Black has the upper hand due to the better pieces and dominating queen. } ) 25... Qxe3+ 26. Rxe3 d5 $1 27. e5 $6 ( { On reflection, perhaps Judit could have had an easier life with } 27. Bc2 $5 dxe4 ( 27... Rc8 28. Bb3 $1 ) 28. Nxe4 Nd5 29. Rb3 Rc8 30. Bd3 Rc1+ 31. Kf2 { Black's a bit better, but White has an easier time of it here than in the game. } ) 27... Nh5 $1 $15 28. Bc2 Rc8 $2 ( { The young Muscovite was too hasty.  He
had a great chance to round up on the vulnerable e-pawn which would have given
him a golden opportunity for the full point. } 28... f6 $1 29. e6 Nf4 30. e7 Kf7 31. Nb3 ( 31. Bxh7 $2 g6 $1 32. Nb3 Kg7 33. Nc5 Bc8 $19 ) 31... g6 32. Nc5 Bc8 33. Bb3 Rxe7 $15 ) 29. Bf5 Rc1+ 30. Kf2 g6 31. Nb3 Rc4 32. Bd3 ( 32. Bd7 $2 Nf4 $1 ( 32... Rxb4 $2 33. Nc5 $1 Bc6 34. Bxc6 Rc4 35. Bxd5 Rxc5 36. Bb7 $11 ) 33. Nc5 Rc2+ 34. Kf1 d4 35. Ra3 Bd5 $1 36. g3 Bc4+ 37. Ke1 Nd5 $19 ) 32... Rxb4 33. g3 Ng7 34. Re2 Bc8 35. Rc2 $1 ( { Realistically the best chance.  White can't
wait around for Black to reposition his pieces to make the ending simpler: } 35. h4 Bf5 $1 36. Bxf5 Nxf5 37. Nc5 a5 38. Nb7 a4 39. Nd6 a3 $1 $17 ) 35... Bxh3 36. Rc6 Ra4 37. g4 h5 $6 ( { Grischuk misses his big chance here.  Instead } 37... Rxa2+ 38. Kg3 ( 38. Be2 Ne6 39. Nc1 Ra3 40. Kg3 Ng5 41. Nd3 h5 42. gxh5 Bf5 $1 43. Nf4 Ne4+ 44. Kg2 Nc3 45. hxg6 fxg6 46. Kf2 ( 46. e6 Nxe2 47. Nxe2 Ra2 $19 ) 46... d4 $19 { White can't stop all of the three passed pawns. } ) 38... Ne6 $1 39. Rxe6 ( 39. Nc5 Rg2+ $1 40. Kxh3 Nf4+ 41. Kh4 h6 $1 42. Bxg6 Nxg6+ 43. Kh3 Rc2 $1 44. Rc8+ Kh7 45. Rc7 Nxe5 $19 ) 39... fxe6 40. Kxh3 Ra3 41. Bc2 b4 { wins for Black. } ) 38. Nc5 Rxa2+ 39. Kg3 hxg4 40. fxg4 Ne6 ( { There's now a ray
of hope for Polgar.  Black's now finding it difficult to make progress due to
the active White pieces: } 40... Ra3 41. Kxh3 ( 41. Kh4 Rc3 $1 $19 ) 41... Ne6 42. Nxe6 Rxd3+ 43. Kh4 fxe6 44. Rxa6 Kf7 45. Ra7+ Ke8 46. Kg5 $1 { and the king stuck on  the backrank guarantees White a draw. } ) 41. Nxe6 fxe6 42. Bxg6 Kg7 ( { Grischuk was now realising the problems he had in trying to win
from here.  The most obvious try also looks as if it draws: } 42... Bg2 43. Rxe6 a5 44. Kf4 Rf2+ 45. Kg5 Be4 46. Bf5 $1 $11 ) 43. Bh5 Bf1 44. Rxe6 b4 45. Rg6+ Kh8 46. Rb6 Bb5 47. g5 Ra1 48. g6 Rg1+ 49. Kf4 b3 50. Rb8+ Kg7 51. Rb7+ Kh8 52. Rb8+ Kg7 53. Rb7+ Kh8 54. Rb8+ 1/2-1/2