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Home » Chess News » Events » FIDE Grand Prix London 2012 » Mamedyarov smashes Giri in Round 3 of London Grand Prix

Anish Giri played a rare sideline of the Slav Defence, 9.Nbd2 from Shakhriyar Mamedyarov had only been played a small number of times and after 11...a6 (played in an internet game) the players were on their own. Already seems like Giri's idea is too risky 13.d5 opening up the centre by force is already very difficult for black but 13...exd5? loses by force (Bd6 and Qb6 are computer ideas) and Mamedyarov finishes very nicely.

14. e5! g5 15. Bg3 Ne4 16. Nxe4! dxe4 17. Nd2 h5 18. Nxe4 Rh6 19. Rad1 Be7 20. Bxh5! Rxh5 21. e6! White's queen will arrive on g6 causing mayhem and picking up the rook 1-0

Hikaru Nakamura should have scored his second win in a row when he obtained a completely winning position against Peter Leko's Gruenfeld. The position seemed to be heading for a draw but somehow Leko got careless, probably 25...b6 was better that 25...Rd7 because suddenly it became clear that white's active rook gave him serious chances in the ending after 30.Rd1. Apparently Nakamura missed his chance when he didn't play 61.a6 which is apparently winning and eventually had to be satisfied with a draw.

30... c5 31. g4 a6 32. Kf3 Kg7 33. Ke4 f6 34. Rd8 Kf7 35. Rh8 Kg7 36. Rd8 Kf7 37. Rh8 Kg7 38. Rb8 Kf7 39. Kd5 fxe5 40. Kxe5 b5 41. Kd5 bxc4 42. Kxc4 Rd7 43. Ra8 Rd2 44. Rxa6 Rc2+ 45. Kb5 h5 46. gxh5 gxh5 47. h4 Rxf2 48. a4 Rb2 49. Kc4 e5 50. Rh6 e4 51. Rxh5 Rc2+ 52. Kd5 Rc3 53. Rh7+ Kf6 54. Kxe4 Rxb3 55. Kd5 Ra3 56. Ra7 Rh3 57. Rh7 Ra3 58. Ra7 Rh3 59. a5 Rxh4 60. Kxc5 Rh1 61. Rb7?

61.a6! wins apparently

61...Ke6 62. Rg7 Rc1+ 63. Kb6 Kd6 64. Kb7 Rb1+ 65. Kc8 Rh1 66. Rg6+ Kc5 67. Kb7 Kb5 68. Rg5+ Kb4 69. a6 Rh7+ 70. Kb6 Rh6+ 71. Kb7 Rh7+ 72. Kb6 Rh6+ 73. Kb7 Rh7+ 1/2-1/2

Wang Hao confessed to jetlag after his round 2 game and today he sleep-walked into a very bad position as white against Alexander Grischuk's Gruenfeld. However Grischuk got incredibly short of time and having failed to find the most concrete blow in the position below eventually allowed Wang Hao to escape with a draw.

27... Qc5?

(27... Rxd1+ 28. Rxd1 Qe2 29. Kh2 Nc2)

28. Kh2 Qe5+ 29. Kh3 Qb5 30. Rxd8+ Rxd8 31. Rd1 Rxd1 32. Nxd1 Qf1 33. Ne3 Qh1+ 34. Kg3 Qe1+ 35. Kh3 b6 36. Qb3 Qe2 37. Qc3 Nd3 38. Qc8+ Kg7 39. Qc3+ Kh7 40. Qf6 Kg8 41. Qd8+ Kh7 42. Qf6 Kg8 43. Qd8+ Kh7 1/2-1/2

The depth of preparation of the players was exemplified by Veselin Topalov's 90 minute draw against Rustam Kasimdzhanov. 12...c5 was new but known to both players as deep preparation. Black's temporary piece sacrifice led by force to a drawn bishops of opposite colours ending.

Leinier Dominguez Perez was anxious to see more of Boris Gelfand's world title preparation in the Sveshnikov. Gelfand equalised and held quite easily.

After yesterday's loss Vassily Ivanchuk was not too ambitious as white in a Nimzo-Indian and his game against Michael Adams was drawn in 31 moves.

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	.	.	.	.	2	2878
2.	Leko, Peter	g	HUN	2737	.	*	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	1	½	.	2	2870
3.	Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	g	AZE	2729	.	.	*	.	.	.	½	.	.	½	.	1	2	2865
4.	Grischuk, Alexander	g	RUS	2754	.	.	.	*	½	½	.	.	½	.	.	.	1½	2739
5.	Topalov, Veselin	g	BUL	2752	½	.	.	½	*	.	.	.	.	.	½	.	1½	2725
6.	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	g	CUB	2725	½	.	.	½	.	*	.	.	.	.	.	½	1½	2740
7.	Adams, Michael	g	ENG	2722	.	.	½	.	.	.	*	.	½	½	.	.	1½	2746
8.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2783	0	½	.	.	.	.	.	*	.	.	1	.	1½	2719
9.	Wang, Hao	g	CHN	2742	.	.	.	½	.	.	½	.	*	.	.	½	1½	2735
10.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2769	.	0	½	.	.	.	½	.	.	*	.	.	1	2604
11.	Kasimdzhanov, Rustam	g	UZB	2684	.	½	.	.	½	.	.	0	.	.	*	.	1	2632
12.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2730	.	.	0	.	.	½	.	.	½	.	.	*	1	2607

Round 3 (September 23, 2012)
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	- Giri, Anish	1-0	21	D11	Slav Defence
Topalov, Veselin	- Kasimdzhanov, Rustam	½-½	37	D47	Queens Gambit Meran
Dominguez Perez, Leinier	- Gelfand, Boris	½-½	36	B33	Sicilian Sveshnikov
Nakamura, Hikaru	- Leko, Peter	½-½	73	A05	Various
Wang, Hao	- Grischuk, Alexander	½-½	43	D97	Gruenfeld Russian
Ivanchuk, Vassily	- Adams, Michael	½-½	31	E56	Nimzo Indian

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