León 29 Torneo Magistral Ciudad de León. 2016
Anand Won the XXIX Magistral de León
Final
2016-12-06
1ª Partida / Game 1:
Anand, V – Wei Yi 1-0
Anand went for the Italian game that is also often played by Wei Yi, for instance, in the tie-break against Peter Svidler in the World Cup. The Indian GM chooses a modern approach with a4 following a recent game Kramnik – Svidler from the Russian Team Championship 2016. After exchanging the light squares bishops in e6, White won some space in the queen side playing b4. Wei Yei reacted immediately with the central break d5 and blocking the White pawn by playing b5. A Few moves later Anand managed to obtain some structural advantage and more time left on his clock pressing strongly black position. With only few seconds Wei Yi loss a pawn and some moves later also the game.
2ª Partida / Game 2:
Wei Yi - Anand, V 1/2
Wie Yi went for a Catalan Opening instead of his usual 1.e4 typical position of the closed system was arisen in wich Anand breaking in the center with an opportune c5 seems to have had the equallity but, Wei pressing with his slightly more active pieces took a dangerous initiative and after a blunder from Anand obtained big advatage. Nevertheless Wei with only a few seconds left in his clock, was unable to find the winning continuation and escaped with a Draw..
3ª Partida / Game 3:
Anand, V – Wei Yi 1/2
A new Italian game, but this time Wei went for an extremely aggressive continuation playing 9…g5 instead the usual short castle. Anand reacted immediately with a central pawn sacrifice wich provoked some weaknesses in the black king side. Finally, Wie castled in the king side occupying the semi-open f file and threatening with the manoeuver Nd8-f7-g5 forced Anand to take defensive measures exchanging queens but, the endgame was better for black. Wei won a pawn in a rook and Knght ending with great winning chances, but with only a few seconds left to make his moves, Wei was unable to play accurately and Anand escaped again.
4ª Partida / Game 4:
Wei Yi - Anand, V 1/2
Finally the Berlin appears in Leon. Wei playing White in the decisive game went the trendy system involving 4d3 and the spanish bishop exchange in c6. In a must win situation Wei played an unusual and risky g4 aiming for an attack against the black King. Nevertheless, black ,with a surprising play in the queen side involving a pawn sacrifice took the initiative playing against a misplaced white rook. After a spectacular, but innocuous, move by Wei Queens were exchanged and a the slightly better endgame for White was not enough to have real winning chances and the game ended in a draw after an interesting rook ending.
Press Officer. MI Sergio Estremera Paños
Wie Yi beats narrowly Jaime Santos and will face Anand in the Final
Second Semifinal
2016-11-06
In the first game a clasical Karpov variation of the Nimzoindian Defence was played, after the main position was reached Wei Yi plunged himself in a deep thought spending a lot of time for his moves, Santos playing quickly the tipical break d5 won a pawn and the bishop pair by weakening some squares around his King: position was dinamicaly balanced. Santos with great advantage in te clock, give up a pawn in order yo actívate his bishops and forcé his opponent to play accurately in tense position. Wie Yi took a very risky desition in move 29 winning a pawn and weakening his King. In some point wei found a sharp variation and forced a Knight againts Bishop ending with one pawn more. With few seconds left Wei cannot avoid tht the ends finaly in a draw. Very interesting game from these wonderful teenagers.
The second game started with the g3 system in the Sicilian Shevennigen, the novelty came in the 11.Kh1 aiming for f4 and Bg1 the result was a misplaced black Knight in g6, not an usual square for the knight in the g3 system. Black position became soon very unpleasant, the Chinese GM reached a very good ending and pressing the weakneses of the black camp won a great positional advantage. With an accurate thecnical play in a rook ending Wei yi won this game and took the lead of the match.
The third game was a remake of the first one: both players agreed to repeat the first 22 moves when Santos choose a different continuation. Nevertheless position had anyway great drawish tendence. Very soon an equal rook ending was reached and draw was agree.
In the final game Wei Yi went for a solid classical Four knights opening. Santos, playing quickly reached soon a solid position: the problem for the young local player was the must win situation of the match for him. In a Rubinstein like position Santos cleverly maneuvering with the knights in the queenside while Wei was able to break in the kingside sharpening the position witch looked very dangerous for the black King. At some point Wei Yi with a very promising position allowed the draw by repeating positions position and won the match 2,5 , 1,5
Press Officer. MI Sergio Estremera Paños
Vishy Anand defeats David Antón narrowly
First Semifinal
2016-10-06
The first semifinal of the XXIX Torneo Magistral Ciudad de León has taken place at 16:30 in the Auditorium of the city of León. After the inaugural move by Alfonso Lahuerta Izquierdo, Director General of Sports of the Junta de Castilla y Leon and brief indications of Joaquin Espejo, Referee of the tournament, the first game has started in which David Anton has opened with the pawn king plating one of the most robust systems that white has available against Anand Sicilian defense. Soon a position Maroczy type has been reached, a set of typical maneuvers that the two GMs have followed and not having managed to unbalance the game, it has ended in a draw.
In the second game the 5 times World Champion, has quickly achieved a significant positional advantage against the hybrid Stone Wall and Leningrad variation of the Dutch defense raised by the Spanish GM, Anand finished off the game with a classic exchange sacrifice which assured a strong knight in "d4" supporting the passed pawn in e5. A victory that helped the Indian GM be ahead making good all odds.
However, the third game brought surprise and excitement to the game: in an advantageous position Anand, who was playing with the black pieces in a Queen's Gambit with Af4, made several mistakes that David Anton used superbly to win and tie the match in the absence of a game to finish. A very critical Anand with himself has said in the press conference after the match that the origin of his mistakes was in his eagerness to maintain excessive control without risk which led him to evade variants that if he had striven to calculate they would have given him advantage.
In the fourth and ultimately decisive game of this first semifinal Vishy Anand immediately had an excellent position with white, as Antón didn't solve well his problems with the Catalan Opening of the Chennai player, the advantage of the white increased to even seem decisive: there was no doubt that things returned to normal and the Indian player would be in the final. Anand however, did not play accurate and began to miss clear chances to win the game which made Anton be hopeful and with seconds on the clock he resisted the attacks of his opponent, but despite his dubious game, Anand finally emerged victorious and will face the winner of tomorrow's match between Jaime Santos and Wei Yi.
On Saturday from 16:30 in the Auditorium of the City of Leon the second semifinal will take place facing the player from León Jaime Santos with the Chinese Wei Yi; entry to see the games and live comments of Miguel Illescas and Olga Alexandrova is free
Press Officer. MI Sergio Estremera Paños