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Home » Chess News » Events » 54th Reggio Emilia 2011-12 » Anish Giri wins Reggio Emilia after final round of surprises

Anish Giri and Fabiano Caruana were both in fine form in the second half after starting the event slowly. Their final round game was a solid encounter that saw a trade of pieces to a mostly heavy piece endgame which was agreed drawn in 28 moves. After this quick draw Giri would only win the event if both Nakamura and Morozevich lost, and eventually that is precisely what happened.

Giri,Anish - Caruana,Fabiano [A20]
54th Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia ITA (10), 06.01.2012

1.c4 e5 2.g3 Nc6 3.Bg2 Bc5 4.Nc3 d6 5.e3 Nge7 6.Nge2 0-0 7.0-0 a6 8.h3 Ba7 9.Kh2

[9.d3 1-0 Cvitan,O (2529)-Arjun,V (2325)/Biel SUI 2007/The Week in Chess 665 (61)]

9...Be6 10.Nd5 Bd7 11.b3 Nxd5 12.cxd5 Ne7 13.d4 Nf5 14.Bb2 Re8 15.Rc1 Rc8 16.a4 a5 17.Qd2 Bb6 18.Rc2 Qg5 19.Qd3 Qg6 20.Rd1 Rcd8 21.e4 Nxd4 22.Nxd4 exd4 23.Bxd4 Bxd4 24.Qxd4 c5!

Black sets up a position with very few prospects for either side.

25.dxc6 Bxc6 26.Rc4 Qh5 27.Qd2 h6 28.Rd4 1/2-1/2

Vassily Ivanchuk was the joint leader going into the 5th round where he was defeated by Hikaru Nakamura. He then went into a tailspin where he lost four games in a row and played some pretty bad chess along the way. He put a stop to this with a draw against Alexander Morozevich and was nearly back to his best for the final round. Nakamura tried the Sicilian in his final round loss to Ivanchuk in Bilbao, today he played the Berlin Defence and got a passive position which isn't his forte, and Ivanchuk gradually outplayed him. 44...b3 might have been an error as Nakamura eventually lost this pawn. Nakamura was complaining a few days ago about tiredness after too much recent chess, and there is more to come with the Tata Steel tournament in Wijk aan Zee starting in about a week. As Nakamura commented on Twitter "Curious to see if I can do much worse in Wijk..."

Ivanchuk,Vassily - Nakamura,Hikaru [C67]
54th Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia ITA (10), 06.01.2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Ke8 10.h3 h5 11.Rd1 Be7 12.Ne2 Bd7

[12...Nh4 13.Nfd4 Nf5 14.c3 Bd7 15.Nxf5 Bxf5 16.Be3 b6 17.Rd2 Rd8 18.Rad1 Rxd2 19.Rxd2 Bd7 20.b3 Kd8 21.e6 fxe6 22.Nf4 Bd6 23.Ng6 Re8 24.Nf4 Bxf4 25.Bxf4 e5 26.Bg5+ Kc8 27.Kf1 Re6 28.Ke2 Rg6 29.h4 Rd6 30.Be7 Bg4+ 31.f3 Rxd2+ 32.Kxd2 Bf5 33.Bf8 g6 34.Bg7 e4 35.f4 Kd7 36.Ke3 a5 37.g3 c5 38.Be5 Kc6 39.Kd2 b5 40.Ke3 a4 41.bxa4 bxa4 42.a3 Kb6 43.Bf6 Kb5 44.Kd2 Kc4 45.Be7 c6 46.Bf8 e3+ 47.Kxe3 Kxc3 48.Bxc5 Kc4 49.Bf8 c5 50.Be7 Kd5 51.Bf8 Kc4 1/2-1/2 Pourkashiyan,A (2306)-Harika,D (2467)/Ha Long City VIE 2009/The Week in Chess 790]

13.Bg5 Rd8 14.Nf4 Bc8 15.Rxd8+ Kxd8 16.Rd1+ Ke8 17.g3 Rh7 18.Bxe7 Nxe7 19.Ng5 Rh6 20.h4 c5 21.c3 a5 22.Rd2 Be6

[22...Nc6]

23.Ngxe6 fxe6

Black is reduced to passive defence from now on.

24.Kg2 Nc6 25.Re2 Nd8 26.Kh3 Nf7 27.Re3 Kd7 28.f3 b6 29.a3 Kc6 30.g4 hxg4+ 31.Kxg4 Kd7 32.h5 Rh8 33.Rd3+ Kc6 34.Ng6 Re8 35.f4 b5 36.a4 Nh6+ 37.Kg5 Nf7+ 38.Kh4 b4 39.c4 Nh6 40.Kg5 Nf7+ 41.Kg4 Nh6+ 42.Kh4 Nf7 43.f5 exf5 44.Rd5

White has a little something.

44...b3?!

This pawn eventually falls off so this might not have been such a good idea.

[44...Kb6]

45.Kg3 Ng5 46.Kf4 Ne6+ 47.Kxf5 Nd4+ 48.Ke4 Ne6 49.Rd3 Ng5+ 50.Ke3 Ne6 51.Rxb3

I couldn't see a big improvement to what follows so it may be that white is just winning here.

51...Nd4 52.Rd3 Rb8 53.b3 Kd7

[53...Rxb3 54.Rxb3 Nxb3 55.Nf4 Nd4 56.Ke4 Kd7 57.Kd5]

54.Ke4 c6 55.Nh4 Ke6 56.Rg3 Kf7 57.Nf5 Ne6 58.Rd3 Ng5+ 59.Kf4 Ne6+ 60.Kg4 Nd4 61.Nxd4 cxd4 62.Rxd4 Rxb3 63.Rd7+ Ke6 64.Rxg7 Rb4 65.h6 Rxc4+ 66.Kh5 Rc1 67.Rg4 1-0

Nikita Vitiugov is the 24th best player in the world according to the January 2012 rating list, hardly a bad player but he had a miserable time in Reggio Emilia. Alexander Morozevich as is his approach, played for complications with black but this time they backfired. Vitiugov did pretty well to fight off his initial attack but nevertheless Morozevich probably would have achieved a better if not winning position if he had found 37...Rd8 but the position was fiendishly difficult. By move 40 the position had simplfied to an ending that was difficult if not impossible for Morozevich to hold and Vitiugov made no mistake.

Vitiugov, Nikita - Morozevich, Alexander [A16]
54th Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia ITA (10), 06.01.2012

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.cxd5 Nxd5 4.g3 Nxc3 5.bxc3 g6 6.Bg2 Bg7 7.Rb1 Nc6 8.h4 h6 9.Nf3

[9.Qa4 0-0 10.h5 g5 11.f4 e5 12.Ba3 Re8 13.f5 e4 14.Bxe4 Nd4 15.Bg2 Bxf5 16.Rxb7 Nc2+ 17.Kf2 Qxd2 18.Bf3 Qe1+ 19.Kg2 Ne3+ 20.Kh2 Qf2+ 21.Bg2 Qxg2# 0-1 Grandelius,N (2515)-Bok,B (2322)/Wijk aan Zee NED 2010/The Week in Chess 794]

9...0-0

[9...b6]

10.0-0

[10.Qc2 e5 11.d3 Rb8 12.Bd2 Be6 13.Qc1 Kh7 14.a4 Qd7 15.0-0 b6 16.Qc2 Rbd8 17.c4 Bg4 18.Bc3 Rfe8 19.Rb5 Qe6 20.Rd5 Bh3 21.e4 Bg4 22.a5 Bxf3 23.Bxf3 Ne7 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.axb6 cxb6 26.Ra1 Nc6 27.Be2 Bf8 28.Kg2 Bc5 29.Bf1 Bd4 30.Bxd4 Nxd4 31.Qc3 h5 0-1 Wauters,A (2204)-Dragojlovic,A (2358)/France 2004/EXT 2005]

10...e5

[10...b6 11.h5 gxh5 12.Rb5 Bg4 13.Nh2 Qd7 14.Nxg4 hxg4 15.Qa4 Rad8 16.Rd5 Qe6 17.Rxd8 Nxd8 18.Qxa7 Qxe2 19.Qxc7 b5 20.Qf4 Ne6 21.Qe4 Qxe4 22.Bxe4 Rd8 23.Bf5 Nc5 24.Bxg4 Nd3 25.Ba3 Ne5 26.Be2 Rxd2 27.Bxb5 e6 28.Bb4 Rxa2 29.Kg2 Ng4 30.Kg1 Bf8 31.Bd3 Bxb4 32.cxb4 Ne5 33.Be4 Re2 34.Bg2 Rb2 35.Rc1 Nd3 36.Rd1 Nxf2 37.Rd8+ Kg7 38.Rb8 Ng4 39.Ba8 Rb3 40.Kg2 Ne3+ 41.Kf2 Nf5 42.Bf3 Rb2+ 43.Kg1 Nxg3 44.b5 Ne2+ 0-1 Rasmussen,K (2417)-Mikhalevski,V (2532)/Saint Vincent 2000/CBM 078; 10...Na5 11.d3 c5 12.c4 Qc7 13.Rb5 Bg4 14.Bf4 e5 15.Bd2 Nc6 16.Rxc5 Qe7 17.Rb5 Rfd8 18.Nh2 Be6 19.Qb1 Nd4 20.Rxb7 Nxe2+ 21.Kh1 Qd6 22.Ba5 Re8 23.Re1 Nd4 24.Nf3 Nc6 25.Bc7 Qc5 26.Qb5 Qxb5 27.Rxb5 Rac8 28.Bxe5 Nxe5 29.Nxe5 Bf5 30.Re3 f6 31.Nc6 1-0 Diaz Hollemaert,N (2399)-Lujan,M (2263)/Buenos Aires 2003/EXT 2004]

11.d3 Kh7 12.Nd2 f5 13.Ba3 Rf6 14.Qc2 Qe8 15.e3 b6 16.d4 Ba6 17.Rfe1 e4 18.c4 Rc8 19.Qa4 Nb8 20.Qxe8 Rxe8 21.Rec1 Nd7 22.Nb3 Rf7 23.Bb4 c5 24.Bd2

[24.dxc5 Bf8 25.Bf1 Rc8 26.Rd1 Bxc5 27.Nxc5 Nxc5 28.Rbc1 Nd3 29.Bxd3 exd3 30.Rxd3 Bxc4 31.Rd4 Be6 32.Rxc8 Bxc8 is equal.]

24...g5 25.hxg5 hxg5 26.a4 cxd4 27.exd4 f4 28.a5 f3 29.Bf1 Kg6 30.axb6 Bf6

Morozevich has set up a double edged position. Vitiugov has been in such bad form he clearly hopes that he can outplay him.

31.Re1 Rh8 32.Rxe4 Rfh7 33.Rh4

An accurate defence.

33...gxh4 34.Bd3+ Kg7 35.Bxh7 Kxh7 36.Ra1 Bxc4

[36...hxg3 37.Rxa6 g2 38.Bh6 Only move! (38.Bf4 Kg7 39.Bh2 Bg5 40.Nc5 Nxc5 41.Rxa7+ Kg6 42.Ra3 Bf4 43.Rxf3 Bxh2+ 44.Kxg2 Ne6) 38...axb6 39.Nd2 Kxh6 40.Nxf3 Kh5 41.Kxg2 and white may save this,]

37.Rxa7

37...Bxb3?!

Now it is black that is struggling for a draw.

[37...Rd8! Seems to be the way to play for a win. 38.Nc5 (38.Na5 Bd5 39.gxh4 Bxd4 40.Be3 Bxe3 41.fxe3) 38...Bxd4 39.Rxd7+ Rxd7 40.Nxd7 hxg3 41.Be1 Ba6]

38.Rxd7+ Kg6 39.Bf4 hxg3 40.Bxg3 Ba4?!

Seems to lose. If there is any hope of holding it will be with tactics.

[40...Be6 41.Rd6 Kf7 42.b7 Rg8 43.Rb6 Rxg3+ 44.fxg3 Bxd4+; 40...Rg8 41.b7 Be6]

41.Rd6 Rg8 42.b7 Kf5 43.Ra6 Bxd4 44.b8Q Rxb8 45.Bxb8 Bc2

[45...Bd1]

46.Kh2 Bd3 47.Ra4 Be5+ 48.Bxe5 Kxe5

This must be lost for black as white can drive back the king and then convert to a winning King and Pawn ending with just a little accuracy.

49.Kg3 Be2 50.Kg4 Kf6 51.Kf4 Bd1 52.Ra6+ Kf7 53.Ke5 Be2 54.Rf6+ Kg7 55.Kf5 Bd3+ 56.Kg5 Be2 57.Rf4 Kg8 58.Kh6 Bd1 59.Rd4 Be2 60.Rd7 Kf8 61.Kg5 Ke8 62.Ra7 Kf8 63.Kf4

Finally white has what he needs.

63...Kg8 64.Ra3 Kf7 65.Rxf3 Bxf3 66.Kxf3 Kf6 67.Kf4 1-0

54th Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia (ITA), 27 xii 2011 - 6 i 2012											cat. XX (2744)
					1		2		3		4		5		6
1.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2714	*	*	0	½	0	1	1	½	½	1	½	1	16	2822
2.	Morozevich, Alexander	g	RUS	2762	1	½	*	*	½	1	1	0	0	½	1	0	15	2776
3.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2758	1	0	½	0	*	*	½	½	1	0	1	1	15	2777
4.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2727	0	½	0	1	½	½	*	*	0	1	1	1	15	2783
5.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2775	½	0	1	½	0	1	1	0	*	*	½	0	12	2702
6.	Vitiugov, Nikita	g	RUS	2729	½	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	½	1	*	*	8	2598

Round 10 (January 6, 2012)
Giri, Anish	- Caruana, Fabiano	½-½	28	A20	English Opening
Ivanchuk, Vassily	- Nakamura, Hikaru	1-0	67	C67	Ruy Lopez Berlin
Vitiugov, Nikita	- Morozevich, Alexander	1-0	67	A16	English Opening

54th Reggio Emilia w Reggio Emilia (ITA), 27 xii 2011 - 6 i 2012
					1		2		3		4		5		6
1.	Guramishvili, Sopiko	wg	GEO	2374	*	*	0	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	½	8	2431
2.	Sharevich, Anna	wg	BLR	2267	1	½	*	*	0	½	1	½	½	1	1	1	7	2361
3.	Brunello, Marina	wm	ITA	2221	0	0	1	½	*	*	½	1	½	1	1	1	6½	2331
4.	Videnova, Iva	wg	BUL	2297	0	0	0	½	½	0	*	*	½	1	0	1	3½	2096
5.	De Rosa, Mariagrazia	wf	ITA	2122	0	0	½	0	½	0	½	0	*	*	1	½	3	2092
6.	Chierici, Marianna	wf	ITA	2048	0	½	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	½	*	*	2	2016

Round 10 (January 6, 2012)
Guramishvili, Sopiko	- Sharevich, Anna	½-½	19	D31	Semi-Slav Defence
De Rosa, Mariagrazia	- Brunello, Marina	0-1	33	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Chierici, Marianna	- Videnova, Iva	0-1	45	B22	Sicilian Alapin

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