Morozevich - Tkachiev

Morozevich - Tkachiev

FIDE Championships, New Delhi, 2000

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bc4 Bg4 6. Nge2 Nc6 7. f3 Bh5 8. Bd2 O-O-O 9. a3 Nxd4 10. Nb5? Better is 10.Nxd4! Rxd4 11.Nb5 Rxd2 12. Qxd2 Qxd2+ 13.Kxd2 c6 14.Nc3 e6 and White's chances are slightly better.
Qb6! 11. Nbxd4 e5! 12. g4N I saw the game Palac-Tkachiev, Pula 1999, which went 12.Nf5 e4 13.Neg3 and White eventually won. When I looked at the position after 12.Nf5 e4 over the board, I realised that Black would have fantastic compensation for a piece. Objectively 12.g4 is not any better than 12.Nf5, but it had good psychological value. Bg6 Black misses a chance to launch a mortal attack with 12...Nxg4!! 13.fxg4 Bxg4. 13. g5 Nh5? Better was 13...Rxd4. 14. Nb3 Qc6 15. Bd3 Bxd3 16. cxd3 Rxd3 17. Rc1 Qxf3 This move looks natural, but perhaps better was 17... Qd5!? 18.Rc3 Rxf3 19.Rxf3 Qxf3 20.Rf1 Qe4 21.Rxf7 Bd6, with unclear play.
18. Rf1 Qe4 19. Qc2 c6 20. Na5! After 20.Rxf7 Black has 20...Nf6!, which leads to a perpetual check after 21.gxf6 Qh1+ 22.Ng1 Qxg1+ 23.Ke2 Rxd2+ 24.Kxd2 Bb4+ 25.axb4 Rd8+ 26.Ke2 Qg2+. Be7 21. Qc4! Rd4? 22. Qb3?? Here I missed a great shot - 22.Qb5!, winning in all lines. Rd7 23. Qh3 Rhd8! 24. Nc4! Nf4 25. Bxf4 exf4 26. Rxf4 Qh1+ 27. Rf1 Qd5 28. Rf5 Qe6 29. Qf1? This is a serious mistake in a time trouble. White had to grab more material with 29.Qxh7 - after 29...f6 30.Qg6 White is better. h6! 30. Re5 After making that move I offered a draw and Tkachiev, also being short of time, accepted it. Black is already much better here, should he play 30...Qg4!. This game with full notes by GM Morozevich may appear in the 'New in Chess' magazine.
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[notes by Alexander Morozevich]