[Event "Final Chess Masters Bilbao 2009"]
[Site "Plaza Nueva Bilbao"]
[Date "2009.09.11"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Aronian"]
[Black "Shirov"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Remark "Message"]

1. c4 e5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. O-O Nb6 7. b3!? {
Aronian was playing for a win, so he tries to escape from theory and play 
for a long term battle.} 7... Bd6 8. Bb2 O-O 9. d3 Bg4 10. h3 Bh5 11. Nbd2
Qe7 12. Ne4 f5 13. Nxd6 cxd6 {Now white has the bishop pair and black 
space advantage over the kingside.} 14. b4!? Nxb4!? {Shirov accept the 
following series of forced exchanges} 15. Qb3+ N4d5 16. Nxe5 dxe5 17. 
Bxd5+ Nxd5 18. Qxd5+ Kh8 {Now the key point is the opposite coloured 
bishops. The side who can seize the initiative will have an effective 
extra piece.} 19. Rfe1 Rae8 20. Rac1 f4! {Being active against the 
kingside} 21. g4 Bf7 22. Qe4 Bg6 23. Qg2?! {This is probably a dubious 
move, Aronian tries to keep the wining chances.} 23... Qf7 24. Rc5 Qxa2 {
Now the passed pawns on the queenside can be very important.} 25. Rb5 b6? 
{Now, after the capture on "e5" white will be clearly better, becaouse of 
the difference between bishops.} 
    ( 25... e4! 26. Ra1 Qf7 27. Rxa7 f3 28. exf3 exd3 {Was suggested as 
    the best way for black.} )
26. Ra1 Qf7 27. Rxe5 Qb3 28. Rxe8 Rxe8 29. Bd4 Qb4 30. Qd5 Qe7 31. Rc1 h6 
32. Qf3 
    ( 32. Rc6 {Looks more or less winning} )
32... Qd6 33. Bb2 Kh7 34. Rc4 b5 35. Rc6 Qb4 36. Bc3 Qe7 37. Qxf4 {Now the
game is over} 37... Rf8 38. Qe3 Qf7 39. Be5 Re8 40. f4 Qd7 41. Qc5 Qe7 42.
 Rc7 Qxc5+ 43. Rxc5 1-0



 [Event "Final Chess Masters Bilbao 2009"]
 [Site "Plaza Nueva Bilbao"]
 [Date "2009.09.11"]
 [Round "5"]
 [White "Grischuk"]
 [Black "Karjakin"]
 [Result "1/2-1/2"]
 [Remark "Message"]

 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 Bb7!? {Once more Karjaking employs the Zaitsev defence of 
 the Ruy Lopez} 10. d4 Re8 11. Nbd2 Bf8 12. a4 h6 13. Bc2 exd4 14. cxd4 Nb4
 15. Bb1 c5 16. d5 Nd7 17. Ra3 c4 18. axb5 axb5 19. Nd4 Rxa3 20. bxa3 Nd3 
 21. Bxd3 cxd3 22. Bb2!? {Up to here, both players repeated the game of the
 4th roung between Shirov and Karjakin. Grichuk chooses the more tested 
 move of the Bishop.} 
     ( 22. Nxb5 {This was played by Shirov, but looked insufficient} )
 22... Qa5 23. Nf5!? {Alexander's new try} 23... g6 24. Ne3 Ne5 {Now, in 
 words of Karjakin, a forced variation occur} 25. Nb3 Qa4 26. Bxe5 Rxe5 27.
  Ng4 Re7 28. Nf6+ Kh8 29. Qxd3 Bg7 30. Qf3 Qxa3 31. Re2! {Preventing the 
 queen to access "b2", expulsing the white knight from "f6".} 31... Qa8! {
 Black inmediately wants to remove the knight on "f6".} 32. Rc2 
     ( 32. g4!? {With the idea of supporting the "f6" Knight with the 
     kingside pawns} 32... Qd8 33. h4 Re5 34. g5 )
     ( 32. Nd4!? {Is another option} )
 32... Qd8 33. Qf4 Re5 34. Ng4 Re7 35. Nxh6?! {Alexander thought that he 
 was winning here, but now black seized the initiative} 35... Qf8 36. Ng4 
 f5! {Now black bishops emerge with excellent chances} 37. exf5 Qxf5 {Now a
 forced draw endgame appear} 38. Qxf5 Re1+ 39. Kh2 gxf5 40. Ne3 Be5+ 41. g3
 f4 42. gxf4 Bxf4+ 43. Kg2 Bxe3 44. fxe3 Rxe3 45. Nd4 Rd3 46. Nxb5 Rxd5 47.
  Nxd6 Rxd6+ {The game is draw, but there are som practical chances. 
 Grischuk played it in a good way and drew without any problem.} 48. Kg3 
 Bc6 49. Kf4 Kg7 50. Rc5 Be8 51. Ke5 Rh6 52. Rc3 Rh5+ 53. Kd6 Bg6 54. Re3 
 Bf5 55. Ke5 Bc8+ 56. Kd4 Kf6 57. h4 Bf5 58. Rb3 Be6 59. Rb4 Rxh4+ 60. Kc3 
 Rh1 61. Kd4 Rd1+ 62. Ke4 Bd5+ 63. Kf4 Rf1+ 64. Ke3 Ke5 65. Ke2 Rh1 66. Kd2
 Be4 67. Rb5+ Kf4 68. Rb3 Rh2+ 69. Kc3 Rh8 70. Kc4 Rc8+ 71. Kd4 Rd8+ 72. 
 Kc3 Bd3 73. Rb4+ Ke3 74. Rb2 Rc8+ 75. Kb3 Kd4 76. Kb4 Rc6 77. Kb3 Rc1 78. 
 Rd2 Rc8 79. Rb2 Bc4+ 80. Kb4 Kd3 81. Rh2 Rb8+ 82. Kc5 Rb5+ 83. Kd6 Rg5 84.
  Rh3+ Kd4 85. Rh4+ Kc3 86. Rh3+ Kb4 87. Rh7 Rd5+ 88. Ke7 Kc5 89. Rg7 Rh5 
 90. Kf6 Kd6 91. Rg5 Rh4 92. Rg7 Be6 93. Kg5 Rg4+ 94. Kf6 Rf4+ 95. Kg5 Rf2 
 96. Kg6 Ke5 97. Kg5 Bf7 98. Kh6 Kf6 99. Rg6+ {This final trick is the 
 basis of the best defensive method of this endgame, the defense of the 
 rook over the second file.} 99... Bxg6 1/2-1/2