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Home » Chess News » Events » 54th Reggio Emilia 2011-12 » Ivanchuk beats Caruana in Reggio Round 3's only decisive game

Vassily Ivanchuk beat Fabiano Caruana deep into an endgame where the Italian allowed a decisive tranisition into a King and Pawn ending.

Caruana,F (2727) - Ivanchuk,V (2775) [B33]
54th Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia ITA (3), 29.12.2011

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bf4 e5 8.Bg5 a6 9.Na3 b5 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Nd5 f5 12.g3 fxe4 13.Bg2 Bg7 14.Bxe4 Be6 15.0-0 0-0 16.c3 f5 17.Bg2 Rb8 18.Nc2 a5 19.a3

[19.Qd2 Qd7 20.f4 b4 21.cxb4 e4 22.Kh1 axb4 23.Ncxb4 Nxb4 24.Nxb4 d5 25.a3 d4 26.g4 Rfe8 27.Rac1 d3 28.Rg1 Bf7 29.gxf5 Qd4 30.Rc3 Kh8 31.h3 Bf6 32.Rgc1 e3 33.Qxd3 Rxb4 34.axb4 Qxd3 35.Rxd3 e2 36.b5 e1Q+ 37.Rxe1 Rxe1+ 38.Kh2 Rb1 39.b6 Rxb2 40.b7 Be8 41.Rd2 Rb3 42.Rc2 Be7 43.Rc8 Bd6 44.f6 Bxf4+ 45.Kg1 Rb1+ 46.Kf2 Rb2+ 47.Kf3 1-0 Neverov,A (2389)-Gladyszev,O (2497)/Dagomys RUS 2008/The Week in Chess 702]

19...Kh8 20.Qe2 Qd7 21.Rad1 e4 22.f3 Nd4 23.Nxd4 Bxd5 24.Qd2 b4 25.axb4 axb4 26.fxe4 bxc3 27.bxc3 fxe4 28.Rxf8+ Rxf8 29.Qe3 Qe7 30.Bh3 Qe5 31.Re1 Rf6 32.Bg2 Rf7 33.Rb1 Bb7 34.Ne2 d5 35.Rb6 Qc7 36.Rb1 Be5 37.Nd4 Ba6 38.Bf1 Bc4 39.Bxc4 Qxc4 40.Ne6 Qa6 41.Nd4 h6 42.Ne2 Kh7 43.Rf1 Rxf1+ 44.Kxf1 Qa1+ 45.Kg2 Qe1 46.Qf2 Qxf2+ 47.Kxf2 Kg6 48.Ke3 Kf5 49.h3 Bf6 50.Nd4+ Ke5 51.Kd2 Bg5+ 52.Ke2 Bc1 53.Nb5 Ke6 54.Nd4+ Kf6 55.Nb5 Ke5 56.Nd4 Ba3 57.Nc2 Bc5 58.Ne3 Ke6 59.Ng4 Bf8 60.Ne3 Bg7 61.Kd2 Be5 62.g4 Bf4 63.Ke2 Bg5 64.Nf5 Ke5 65.Ne3 Kd6 66.Nf5+ Kc5 67.Ne3 Bf4 68.Ng2 Bc7 69.Ne3 Ba5 70.Nd1 Kd6 71.Ke3 Ke5 72.Ke2 Ke6 73.Ke3 Bb6+ 74.Ke2 Kf6

There is no doubt who is pressing here but white can hold. Instead Caruana allows a King and Pawn ending that is winning for Ivanchuk.

75.Ne3?

White has only one move here. 75.h4.

[75.h4 Ba5 76.Ne3 Ke5 77.Kd2 Bd8 78.Ng2 Bf6 79.Ke3 Be7 80.Ke2 Kd6 81.Ne3 Bf6 82.Nf5+ Ke5]

75...Bxe3 76.Kxe3 Kg5 77.Kf2 Kf4 78.Kg2 Ke3 79.h4 Kf4 80.g5 hxg5 81.h5 Kf5 82.Kg3 Kf6 83.Kg4 Kg7 0-1

Nikita Vitiugov and Anish Giri drew a theoretical Gruenfeld in 41 moves. I think one can assume that there was computer analysis involved going at least to the position after 18...Bd5. The resulting ending was drawish and the game ended after first time control.

Vitiugov, N- Giri, A.

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O Qd6 10. Nb5 Qd7 11. Kb1 Rd8 12. d5 a6 13. dxc6

13. Nc3 Na5 14. Bd4 Nbc4 15. Qf2 e5 16. Bc5 b6 17. Bb4 c5 18. Bxa5 Nxa5 19. h4 Qd6 20. h5 b5 21. hxg6 hxg6 22. g3 Bd7 23. Rc1 c4 24. Nd1 Rdc8 25. Bh3 Rab8 26. Bxd7 Qxd7 27. Nh3 b4 28. Ng5 Qa4 29. Qa7 Qe8 30. Qxa6 Ra8 31. Qd6 Qa4 32. Nxf7 Qxa2+ 33. Kc2 Qa4+ 34. Kd2 Kxf7 35. Qe6+ Kf8 36. Qd6+ Kf7 37. Qe6+ Kf8 38. Qd6+ {1/2-1/2 Gustafsson,J (2647)-Mekhitarian,K (2529)/Reykjavik ISL 2011/The Week in Chess 854})

13... Qxd2 14. Rxd2 Rxd2 15. Bxd2 axb5 16. cxb7 Bxb7 17. Bxb5 f5 18. exf5 Bd5

19. Ne2 Bxa2+ 20. Kc2 gxf5 21. Bc3 Bc4 22. Bxc4+ Nxc4 23. Nd4 Ne3+ 24. Kd3 Nxg2 25. Nxf5 Nf4+ 26. Kc4 Bxc3 27. bxc3 Kf7 28. Re1 Ng6 29. Nd4 Ra2 30. h3 Rh2 31. Ne6 Kf6 32. Nxc7 Rxh3 33. Nd5+ Kf7 34. Rf1 Nh4 35. f4 Nf5 36. Kb4 h5 37. c4 Rd3 38. Nb6 h4 39. c5 Rd2 40. Kc3 Rg2 41. Rh1 Rg4 1/2-1/2

Alexander Morozevich's unusual Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit never at any point looked like causing Hikaru Nakamura any problems and a draw was agreed in 24 moves.

Morozevich, A. - Nakamura, Hi

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Qc2 c6 7. h3 O-O 8. Bf4 Bd6 9. Bxd6 Qxd6 10. e3 b6 11. Rc1 Bb7 12. Be2 Nbd7 13. O-O c5 14. dxc5 Nxc5 15. Rfd1 Rac8 16. Qf5 Rfd8 17. Qe5 Qxe5 18. Nxe5

18...a5 19. Bg4 Nxg4 20. hxg4 Ne6 21. Ne2 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 d4 23. Nxd4 Nxd4 24. exd4 f6 1/2-1/2

54th Reggio Emilia Reggio Emilia (ITA), 27 xii 2011 - 6 i 2012											cat. XX (2744)
					1		2		3		4		5		6
1.	Morozevich, Alexander	g	RUS	2762	*	*	½	.	.	.	.	.	1	.	1	.	7	3006
2.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2758	½	.	*	*	.	.	1	.	.	.	½	.	5	2864
3.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2775	.	.	.	.	*	*	½	.	½	.	1	.	5	2848
4.	Vitiugov, Nikita	g	RUS	2729	.	.	0	.	½	.	*	*	½	.	.	.	2	2624
5.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2714	0	.	.	.	½	.	½	.	*	*	.	.	2	2630
6.	Caruana, Fabiano	g	ITA	2727	0	.	½	.	0	.	.	.	.	.	*	*	1	2492

Round 3 (December 29, 2011)
Morozevich, Alexander	- Nakamura, Hikaru	½-½	24	D31	Semi-Slav Defence
Vitiugov, Nikita	- Giri, Anish	½-½	41	D70	Gruenfeld Defence
Caruana, Fabiano	- Ivanchuk, Vassily	0-1	83	B33	Sicilian Sveshnikov

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	*	*	.	.	1	.	1	.	.	.	1	.	9
2.	Sharevich, Anna	wg	BLR	2267	.	.	*	*	0	.	.	.	1	.	1	.	6	2313
3.	Brunello, Marina	wm	ITA	2221	0	.	1	.	*	*	.	.	½	.	.	.	4	2312
4.	De Rosa, Mariagrazia	wf	ITA	2122	0	.	.	.	.	.	*	*	½	.	1	.	4	2239
5.	Videnova, Iva	wg	BUL	2297	.	.	0	.	½	.	½	.	*	*	.	.	2	2078
6.	Chierici, Marianna	wf	ITA	2048	0	.	0	.	.	.	0	.	.	.	*	*	0

Round 3 (December 29, 2011)
Guramishvili, Sopiko	- Chierici, Marianna	1-0	27	D91	Gruenfeld 5.Bg5
Sharevich, Anna	- Brunello, Marina	0-1	55	A63	Benoni
Videnova, Iva	- De Rosa, Mariagrazia	½-½	49	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation

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