Bali Hotel Superstars Tournament
Benidorm, 29 November - 1 December 2002

 
You have a tournament with the current world champion and a legendary ex world champion. And other world-class players like Shirov, Polgar and Psachis. And who, pray, would be leading after eight rounds? A 12-year-old boy, that's who. (www.chessbase.com, 30.11.2002)

Superstars tournament (time control 15 min + 10 sec/move)
No Players                 Fed ELO  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2  Pts
1  Polgar, Judit         g HUN 2685 * 1 = 1 = 1 0 1 1 1 0 1  8.0
2  Ponomariov, Ruslan    g UKR 2743 0 * = = = 1 = 1 1 1 1 1  8.0
3  Shirov, Alexei        g ESP 2699 = = * 1 0 1 1 0 1 = 1 1  7.5
4  Karpov, Anatoly       g RUS 2688 0 = 0 * = = 1 1 1 1 1 1  7.5
5  Karjakin, Sergey      g UKR 2527 = = 1 = * = = 1 0 = 1 1  7.0
6  Psakhis, Lev          g ISR 2588 0 0 0 = = * 1 = = 1 = 1  5.5
7  Kurajica, Bojan       g BIH 2548 1 = 0 0 = 0 * = = = 1 =  5.0
8  Paunovic, Dragan      m YUG 2532 0 0 1 0 0 = = * = 1 1 =  5.0
9  San Segundo, Pablo    g ESP 2523 0 0 0 0 1 = = = * = 1 =  4.5
10 Granero Roca, Antonio m ESP 2342 0 0 = 0 = 0 = 0 = * = 1  3.5
11 Vera, Reynaldo        g CUB 2544 1 0 0 0 0 = 0 0 0 = * 1  3.0
12 Amura, Claudia N     wg ARG 2360 0 0 0 0 0 0 = = = 0 0 *  1.5
 
Blitz Playoff (time control 3 min + 2 sec/move)
1 Polgar, Judit          g HUN 2685 = 1   1.5
2 Ponomariov, Ruslan     g UKR 2743 = 0   0.5

KARJAKIN V SHIROV: CHESS TODAY - 755 COMMENTED GAME

S.Karjakin (2527) - A.Shirov (2699)
Superstars Hotel Bali Benidorm ESP (1), 29.11.2002
Notes by Maxim Notkin, Chess Today-755
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e5 This system may be called «The Improved Sveshnikov» as Sveshnikov himself nowadays prefers it to 4...Nf6 5.Nc3 e5. 5.Nb5 d6 6.N1c3 Another way is 6.c4 controlling the d5 square. 6...a6 7.Na3 b5 8.Nd5 Nce7 Shirov wants to exchange this knight and to develop the king knight to f6. The choice between this line and 8...Nge7 9.c4 Nxd5 (9...Nd4!?) 10.cxd5 Nd4 depends on taste. Sveshnikov plays 8...Nce7 while the European Champion-2000 Pavel Tregubov prefers 8...Nge7. 9.c4 Nxd5 10.exd5 After 10.cxd5 Nf6 (or 10...f5 11.exf5 Bxf5) 11.Bd3 Be7 12.0-0 0-0 Black has comfortable play. 10...bxc4 10...b4? 11.Qa4+. 11.Nxc4 Nf6 Lately GM Alexey Fedorov has tried a sharp continuation which deserves further exploration - 11...Be7 12.Be3 Rb8 13.a4 f5 14.a5 f4 15.Ba7 Ra8 16.Bb6 Qd7 (Fercec-Fedorov, Croatia 2002). 12.Be3 Rb8 13.Be2 Be7 14.a4 0-0 15.0-0 Both sides have finished their development. It's time to define the plans. 15...Bb7 The most logical continuation. Black attacks the d5 pawn immediately. 15...Bf5 has been tested also and White has to play 16.a5 in order to meet 16...Be4 with 17.Nb6. 16.Nb6 Nd7 Black's f-pawn is ready to advance. 17.a5 f5 18.f3 18.b4?! f4 19.Bg4 Nf6 20.Be6+ Kh8 21.Bc1 f3! favours Black. 18...Nxb6 19.Bxb6 Qd7 20.b4 Bd8 21.Be3 Only this move is a novelty. 21.Bxd8 Rfxd8 22.Bc4 Bc8 23.Rb1 Qa7+ 24.Kh1 Bd7 25.Qd3 Bb5 was played in Van den Doel-Nataf, Esbjerg 2001, and White could have obtained a slight advantage by 26.Rfc1. The game Smirnov-Turov, Russia (Ch) 2002 saw the double-edged 21.Bf2 Bg5 22.b5 axb5 23.a6 Ba8 24.a7 Rb7. 21...Bf6 In case of 21...f4 22.Bf2 Black should be very careful as both of his bishops may become bad. 22.Rb1 Rbc8 23.b5 23.Bd3 was more accurate, intending to attack the a6-pawn by Qe2. 23...axb5 24.Rxb5 e4?! A typical «rapid» move. After 24...Qf7! the rook is nailed to b5 as it should protect the central pawn. In this case the position remains unclear. 25.fxe4 Rfe8? 25...fxe4 26.Rb6 with idea of Bg4-e6 gives White a strong initiative though Black has various tactical possibilities after 26...Be5! e.g. 27.Rxf8+ Rxf8 28.Bg4 Qc7 29.Be6+ Kh8 30.Qb1? Ba6!! (30...Qc3? 31.Rb3) 31.Rxa6 Qc3. 26.Rb4! Now the e4-pawn is untouchable moreover 27.Bb5 is threatening. 26...Bc3 27.Bb5 Qd8 27...Qe7 28.Rb3 Qxe4 29.Bxe8 Qxe3+ 30.Kh1 and the light-squared bishop is attacked. 28.Bxe8 Bxb4 29.Bc6 Ba6 29...Bxc6 30.dxc6 Qxa5 31.Rxf5 and the powerful passed pawn c6 decides the game. 30.Rxf5 Bxa5 31.h3 Rb8 31...Bb6 32.Bxb6 Qxb6+ 33.Kh2 doesn't save either as White has enough pieces to crush his opponent's kingside. 32.Kh2 Karjakin's last two moves feature «Karpov style». 32...g6 33.Bg5 Qc7 34.Rf3! Preventing Bc3. 34...Rb4? 35.Bh6 35.Qa1 was even stronger. 35...Rb8 36.Qa1! Be2 37.Rf2 Bd3 38.Qf6 The mate is inevitable. Shirov resigned. 1-0

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Bali Hotel Tournament - official site
Sergey Karjakin Interview by Leonxto Garcia (TWIC)