Van Wely Loek (NED) - Azmaiparashvili Zurab (GEO) Istanbul (Turkey) 2003

[#]This game was played in the last but one round when Azmaiparashvili already obtained 'a gift' from Malakhov and drawn painelessly his games against Sakaev and Grishchuk. There still was single obstacle on his way to the European title - 'an easy rider' Loek Van Wely. 34...¤e5!? This move hardly is the strongest one. However, despite it does not lose the game, it gives White some reasons for trying to play for win. That was exactly what the cunning 'Azmai' needed! 35.de ¦c1 36.£d2 ¦d1 37.£d1 ¥e7 38.£d5! ¥g5 39.hg Van Wely has just sacrificed an exchange brilliantly, having obtained a pawn. a moighty bishop for it and also an attack against the black king. It seems that White is on the verge of victory.. But there is NO win there! Van Wely can force a draw in too many ways, but he does not want to do so. And Azmaiparashvili wants his opponent playing for win as long as possible. 39...¦g6 40.¥c3 £e6 41.£d1 ¢g8 42.£h5 ¦g7 43.£d1 ¦d7 44.¥d4 ¦c7 45.¢f2 ¢g7 46.¥c3 ¦c8 47.£d4 ¢g6 48.¢g3 ¦c7 49.£d1 ¦d7 50.¥d4 £c4 51.¢f2 £c6 52.£b3 ¦d8 53.e6 ¦e8 54.e7 £d7 55.¥f6 ¦c8 56.¢e2 a5 57.¥d4

[It is possible here to trade off the queens by: 57.£d1 £d1 58.¢d1 , then Black may lock the position on the queenside by 58...a4 and move to and fro afterwards fighting for a draw hardly.]

57...a4 58.£b4 ¦e8 59.¥f6 £d3 60.¢f2 £c2 61.¢e1 £b1 62.¢f2?!

[62.¢e2 £d3 63.¢f2 , and the draw is obvious.]

62...£c2 63.¢g3?? £e2 64.¥d4 £f3 65.¢h2 £f2 66.¢h3

66...¢h5! 67.g6 I think that Zurab Azmaiparashvili was very pleased at that moment. He waited for too long in this game and was ready to wait for couple moves more.

[If 67.£b5 £f3 68.¢h2 ¢g4! 69.¢g1 (69.£e8 £f2 70.¢h1 ¢g3) 69...¦h8! (69...¢g3 70.£f1) 70.¥h8 £e3 , then the black queen moves with checks on rank 2, the black king moves to rank 3 and White is defenseless.]

67...¦c8

[67...£f3 would have been premature, for example: 68.¢h2 ¢g4 69.£e1 , while after the text move 68...¦c2 threatens.]

68.¥c3

[If White blocks the c-file on another square by 68.¥c5 , then he loses control over the main diagonal: 68...£f3 69.¢h2 ¢g4 70.£e1 ¦h8]

68...£e3 69.¢g2 £e2 70.¢g1 ¢g4 71.£d4 ¢f3 72.£d2 £d2 73.¥d2 e3 The rest is not interesting. Black won the game soon, as well as the title. [0:1]