Gelfand leads on 5/7 at the London Grand Prix

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FIDE Grand Prix London 2012 (7)

Gelfand leads on 5/7 at the London Grand Prix

Mark Crowther - Friday 28th September 2012

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill. | http://raymorris-hill.smugmug.com

Boris Gelfand leads on 5/7 after defeating Michael Adams in a Sicilian Defence which didn't look that good for him at the start. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov defeated ratings favourite Hikaru Nakamura to move into 2nd place alone half a point behind the leader. Nakamura is in the basement alongside Kasimdzhanov on 2.5. Topalov played creatively as black against Wang Hao in one of the most interesting other games all of which were drawn.

Adams vs Gelfand. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill: http://raymorris-hill.smugmug.com.

Boris Gelfand remained alone in the lead after defeating Michael Adams in quite a strange Ruy Lopez. Adams seemed to have a very attractive position out of the opening but Gelfand had the two bishops if he ever managed to unwind. After 25.c5 black seemed to have equalised and after 26...Bxa2 27.e5 was probably not best from Adams, 33.h3 should have been played and now Adams was definitely worse, 34.Ng5 another error, probably the decisive one as it led to an ending that Gelfand converted quite easily.

Boris Gelfand

Michael Adams

Position after 27.e5?

27. e5?

27. Bxe7 Qxe7 28. Rc5

27... Bxc5+ 28. Rxc5 fxe5 29. Qxe5 Rh6 30. Nf3 Re6 31. Qa1 Rxe1+ 32. Qxe1 Qb6 33. Qe3?!

33. h3

33... Bd5 34. Ng5?

Last chances in a difficult position were

34. h3 Bxf3 35. gxf3 Qg6+ 36. Kf2 h4 37. Qg5 Qxg5 38. Rxg5 Rf4 39. Rg6 Rxb4 40. Rxa6 Rc4 41. Ra7

34. h4 Bxf3 35. gxf3 Qf6 36. Rxh5 Qxf3 37. Qe6+ Qf7 38. Re5 Kh7 39. Qxf7 Rxf7 40. Re6

34... Qf6 35. Nf3 Bxf3 36. gxf3 Qxf3 37. Qxf3 Rxf3 38. Kg2 Rf4 39. Rc6 Rxb4 40. Rxa6 Rc4 41. Rb6 b4 42. Rb7 Kh7 43. Rb6 g6 44. Kg3 h4+ 45. Kf3 Kh6 46. Rb5 g5 47. h3 Rc3+ 0-1

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov added significantly to Hikaru Nakamura's woes when he demolished him in a King's Indian. Nakamura probably wanted to get back into the tournament a bit too badly and the variation he chose was very risky and in a double edged game he went to yet another loss.

Hikaru Nakamura

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Position after 26.d6. White already has a very significant advantage.

26. d6 hxg3+ 27. Qxg3 Nh5 28. Qg4 f5 29. Qf3 Qh4 30. d7 Red8 31. Rf1 Kh7 32. Qe3 Qe7 33. Qc5 Qxc5 34. bxc5 Ne6 35. Ba3 Nhxf4 36. Nf7 Rf8 37. Rxf4 Rxf7 38. Rh4+ Kg8 39. Bd5 Nd8 40. Re1 Bf6 41. Re8+ Kg7 42. Rhh8 Be5+ 43. Rxe5 1-0

Wang Hao vs Topalov was a fascinating struggle. Topalov will probably be disappointed not to have won. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill: http://raymorris-hill.smugmug.com.

Wang Hao and Veselin Topolov contested a rather weird variation of the Gruenfeld and at first glance it looks like Topalov should have got some sort of advantage. This complex struggle finished in a draw when most of the pieces had come off. Looks like a miss from Topalov.

Veselin Topalov

Wang Hao

Position after 20.Ne3

20. Ne3 exd5

20... Bxe3 was a computer suggestion.

21. Nxd5 Qh4 22. Bc4 Be6 23. Rd2 Be5 24. Ke2 b5 25. cxb6 axb6 26. Qb3 b5 27. Qxb5 Kg7 28. Qb3 Rab8 29. Qe3 h5 30. Bb3 Bxd5 31. Bxd5 Qf6 32. Rc2 Rdc8 33. Rxc8 Rxc8 34. Rd1 Bf4 35. Qd4 Rc2+ 36. Kf1 Be5 37. Qe3 Qh4 38. f4 Qxh2 39. Qf3 Rc3 40. Rd3 Rc1+ 41. Rd1 Rxd1+ 42. Qxd1 Qxf4 43. Qd3 h4 44. Bb3 g5 45. Bd1 g4 46. Qd7 Qxe4 47. Qxg4+ Qxg4 48. Bxg4 1/2-1/2

Vassily Ivanchuk took a quick draw by repetition against Rustam Kasimdzhanov who came up with a creative and at first sight equalising variation.

Rustam Kasimdzhanov

Vassily Ivanchuk

Position after 11.Nf3

1. c4 c6 2. Nf3 d5 3. g3 dxc4 4. Bg2 Nd7 5. a4 Nc5 6. Na3 Be6 7. Qc2 Qd5 8. Nh4 Qd4 9. Nf3 Qd5 10. Nh4 Qd4 11. Nf3 1/2-1/2

Anish Giri and Alexander Grischuk drew a lively Sicilian Kan where all the pieces came off eventually.

Leinier Dominguez Perez's Ruy Lopez was gradually neutralised by Peter Leko who took it into a totally drawn ending.

1st FIDE GP London (ENG), 21 ix-3 x 2012															cat. XX (2739)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2
1.	Gelfand, Boris	g	ISR	2738	*	½	.	½	.	1	½	1	½	.	.	1	5	2904
2.	Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	g	AZE	2729	½	*	0	.	.	.	½	½	.	1	1	1	4½	2842
3.	Grischuk, Alexander	g	RUS	2754	.	1	*	½	.	½	½	½	½	½	.	.	4	2788
4.	Topalov, Veselin	g	BUL	2752	½	.	½	*	½	½	.	.	1	.	½	½	4	2787
5.	Leko, Peter	g	HUN	2737	.	.	.	½	*	.	1	½	½	½	½	½	4	2787
6.	Wang, Hao	g	CHN	2742	0	.	½	½	.	*	.	½	.	½	½	1	3½	2737
7.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2769	½	½	½	.	0	.	*	½	.	½	½	.	3	2677
8.	Adams, Michael	g	ENG	2722	0	½	½	.	½	½	½	*	.	½	.	.	3	2692
9.	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	g	CUB	2725	½	.	½	0	½	.	.	.	*	½	½	½	3	2689
10.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2730	.	0	½	.	½	½	½	½	½	*	.	.	3	2689
11.	Kasimdzhanov, Rustam	g	UZB	2684	.	0	.	½	½	½	½	.	½	.	*	0	2½	2646
12.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2783	0	0	.	½	½	0	.	.	½	.	1	*	2½	2627

Round 7 (September 28, 2012)
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	- Nakamura, Hikaru	1-0	43	E68	King's Indian Fianchetto
Wang, Hao	- Topalov, Veselin	½-½	48	D80	Gruenfeld 4.Bg5
Ivanchuk, Vassily	- Kasimdzhanov, Rustam	½-½	11	A11	Reti Opening
Adams, Michael	- Gelfand, Boris	0-1	47	B30	Sicilian Rossolimo
Dominguez Perez, Leinier	- Leko, Peter	½-½	40	C65	Ruy Lopez Berlin
Giri, Anish	- Grischuk, Alexander	½-½	41	B42	Sicilian Paulsen

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