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Chess Life Online Gata and Alex Score in Round 2
Chess Life Online Gata and Alex Score in Round 2 | Gata and Alex Score in Round 2 |
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| By Jennifer Shahade | |
| November 27, 2007 | |
Gata Kamsky in round two. Photo Misha Savinov.
For those who haven't yet seen Gata's win, try to figure out the quickest win for Kamsky in the following position: 
Position after 53.Kg4
Here are the full games: 1404 1403 Alexander Onischuk made an interesting sacrifice 16.Rxe6. Because the Bishop on f6 blocks the knight from coming to f6, there was no graceful way for Black to defend against the threat on h7 after Qe2-Qe4. In the end, Black managed to simplify to an endgame that was only slightly better for White. However, he may have been worn out by Alex's aggressive play, cause he blundered horribly with 39...Nc7??, allowing Alex to win instantly. 
Position after 39....Nc7
 We shouldn't forget Yury Shulman, who went far in last year's World Cup and should not be underestimated despite the fact that his rating gave him a tough pairing in round two, Alexei Shirov. In the first game, he drew with White in a theoretical Grunfeld. Because of the two game match structure, drawing with White must be seen as a disadvantage for Yury, but anything can happen tomorrow or in the tiebreak. 1402 |
