Deep Thought
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

Before the world championship match in Mexico, two young Russian grandmasters, Peter Svidler and Alexander Grischuk, were considered to be dark horses who just might play surprisingly well and end up as winners. But there were to be no such surprises. Quite the contrary. By the final round, in which Svidler ended up facing Grischuk, Svidler had not won a single game. His win in that encounter means that Grischuk ended up in last place. If their encounter amusingly dispelled any sense that these players could do well at this level at this stage in their careers, it was fascinating in another sense. Svidler unveiled a fantastic idea that he found in a variation of the Sicilian in his pre-match preparation. But the conception was only put into motion on the game’s 29th move, revealing how remarkably deep into some lines modern chess theory extends these days.
SVIDLER VS. GRISCHUK
(white) (black)
Sicilian Defense
1.e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Bg7 10.h3 Ne5 11. Nf5!?
Svidler tried the less challenging 11. Nb3 Nbc6 12. Be2 in 1995 against Van Wely, but after 12…Be6
13.0-0 Rc8 14. Nd5 Ng6 15.c3 Be5!
black obtained an excellent position and won. The fate of the move played in this game depends on one’s evaluation of the complications that game. 11… Bxf5 12. exf5 Nbc6 13. Nd5 e6 14. fxe6 fxe6 15. Ne3 Qa5+ 16.c3 Nf3+ 17. Qxf3 Bxc3+ 18. Kd1 Qa4+ 19. Nc2! In several games white has played 19. Kc1 and perpetual check ensued: 19…Bxb2+ 20. Kxb2 Qb4+ 21. Kc1 Nd4 22. Qd1 Qc3+ 23. Kb1 Qb4+ 19… Bxb2 20. Rc1! This wild variation was used in the decisive game of the 2005 world championship Svidler -Topalov match. White did not react to black’s assault in that game in the best way: 20. Qb3?! Qxb3 21. axb3 Bxa1 22. Nxa1 Ke7 23. Bd3 Rac8 24. Re1 Nd4! and black won the endgame. The move played in the game had been recommended in the annotations by Topalov, but hadn’t been tried in practice. 20… Bxc1?! This natural move already puts black in difficult straits. The critical position would arise after 20…0-0-0! Most interesting here after this would be 21. Bd3!? (Also unclear is 21. Qg4 Qxg4+ 22. hxg4 Bxc1 23. Kxc1 e5 24. Bd3 d5 25. Bf5+ Kc7 26. Nd4 Kd6) 21…Bxc1 22. Kxc1 Qxa2 23. Re1 Rhf8?! (Better is 23… e5 ) 24. Qg4 Ne5 25. Bxe5 dxe5 26. Qb4! and here white is better. 21. Qf6! Kd7 22. Kxc1 Qxa2?! This unequivocally loses. Necessary was 22…Rac8! 23. Bd3 Rhe8! 24. Rd1 Nd4 25. Rd2 e5 (black is mated after 25…Nxc2? 26. Bb5+! axb5 27. Rxd6+ Kc7 28. Rxe6+) 26. Kd1! with an intricate position. 23. Bd3! Rac8 24. Rd1 Threatening 25. Bxd6 Kxd6 26. Bc4+ 24… d5
(See Diagram)
25. Bf5! Rhe8 In case of 25…exf5 26. Qd6+ Ke8 27. Re1+ Kf7 28. Qd7+ black is mated. 26. Qf7+ Kd8 27. Re1! Qa3+ Black transposes into a losing endgame, but he didn’t have anything better. For example 27…Qa1+ 28. Kd2 Qa5+ 29. Kd1 and black is defenseless. Svidler made a striking admission at the press conference after the game; in his home preparation he had analyzed the opening variation right up to this position-a remarkable feat. 28. Nxa3 Ne5+ 29. Kd2 Nxf7 30. Bxe6 Rc6 31. Bxf7 The rest is like cutting butter with a hot knife. 31… Rxe1 32. Kxe1 b5 33. Kd2 b4 34. Nc2 b3 35. Nd4 Rb6 36. Kc1 a5 37. Bxd5 a4 38. Be5! b2+ 39. Kb1 a3 40. Ba2 Rb7 41. Bd6 Rd7 42. Nb5 1-0