Wins for Mamedyarov, Wang Hao and Topalov in 6th round of London Grand Prix

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FIDE Grand Prix London 2012 (6)

Wins for Mamedyarov, Wang Hao and Topalov in 6th round of London Grand Prix

Mark Crowther - Thursday 27th September 2012

Nakamura was defeated by Wang Hao in Round 6. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill.

Nakamura was defeated by Wang Hao in Round 6. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill. | http://raymorris-hill.smugmug.com

Veselin Topalov was finally rewarded for his enterprising play with a win in the 6th round of the London Grand Prix, the first round after the rest day. He beat Dominguez Perez by setting up a very tricky ending where his pawns were worth more than a piece. Wang Hao beat Hikaru Nakamura in the final game to finish. The game looked fairly balanced until the run up to the first time control when suddenly Wang took the initiative and he finished things off quickly after that. Rustam Kasimdzhanov took a lot of risks setting up a queenside initiative against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and the game remained double edged for a while until just before move 40 Mamedyarov suddenly had a winning attack. The remaining games were drawn. Gelfand 4pts, Grischuk, Topalov, Leko and Mamedyarov on 3.5/6. All to play for.

Hikaru Nakamura and Wang Hao had a balanced position in a Reti for a long time. Then on the run up to first time control Nakamura's position just seemed to fall apart. I'm not quite sure where things went wrong but the trend in black's favour seemed to start after 34.Nb1. Nakamura's resistance crumbled quickly in a bad position with 45.Nxa4 losing immediately.

Wang Hao

Hikaru Nakamura

Position after 34.Nb1

34. Nb1

Perhaps the start of things going wrong for Nakamura.

34...Bxd5 35. exd5 f5 36. g4 Raf8 37. Bc1 e4 38. dxe4 f4 39. g5 f3

Already things have turned in black's favour.

40. Bxf3 Be5 41. Kh1 Bxh2 42. Rxh2 Nxf3 43. Rh3 Nde5 44. Nc3 Ng4 45. Nxa4?

Putting a quick end to things but it is already hard to find a good suggestion.

45...Nfh2 46. Rxf7 Rxf7 47. Qe2 Rf2 0-1

Veselin Topalov was finally rewarded for enterprising play with a win against Leinier Dominguez Perez. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill: http://raymorris-hill.smugmug.com.

Veselin Topalov had a rough start to the year and whilst by no means back to his best he still appears to have an appetite for the game. He defeated Leinier Dominguez Perez only after sacrificing a piece to produce a fascinating ending which quickly went his way.

Leinier Dominguez Perez

Veselin Topalov

Position after 31...Bf7

Topalov now plays a piece sacrifice for pawns. He has full compensation at the very least.

32. Bxf6 Bxf6 33. Qxc6 Bxe5

33... Qxc6 34. Nxc6 Kf8 was perhaps a better alternative.

34. Qxe8+ Bxe8 35. fxe5 h4

35... Bc6 36. Kg3 Kf8 37. Kf4 Kf7 38. Kg5 is not that easy either.

36. d5 Kf7 37. Kg1 Ke7 38. Kf2 g5 39. Ke1 Bf7 40. e6 Bh5 41. Kd2 Kd8?

Odd but nothing works now.

42. d6 g4 43. hxg4 Bxg4 44. e7+ Ke8 45. c6 Be6 46. Kc3 Bd5 47. c7 Bb7 48. Kd4 Kd7 49. Kc5 1-0

Rustam Kasimdzhanov took a very risky approach against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in betting that his play against the Queenside was going to be enough to stop black's attack on his king. For a while it was unclear what was going on but eventually kasimdzhanov had to do something about the threats to his king with g3 or h4. After 37.d7? it quickly became clear he was just lost.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Rustam Kasimdzhanov

Position after 37.d7

37. d7?

37. g3 Rxd6 38. Rxd6 Qxd6 39. Rb5 is a total computer line but Kasimdzhanov had a few places to play g3 or h4 earlier than this. Now almost anything wins.

37... Qe5 38. Rbd2 fxg2+ 39. Bxg2 Nf3 40. Bxf3 Rxf3 41. Qf1 Qf5 42. Qg2 Rxh3+ 43. Kg1 Rh4 44. Kf1 a5 45. Rd4 a4 0-1

Good preparation from Michael Adams allowed him to equalise as black in a Ruy Lopez at the expense of a pawn against Alexander Grischuk. The pieces disappeared and a draw was agreed.

Boris Gelfand eventually got no advantage against Vassily Ivanchuk's enterprising Queen's Indian and repeated to draw in 25 moves.

Peter Leko didn't seem to get any advantage against Anish Giri's Najdorf Sicilian and once all the minor pieces disappeared a draw was really going to be the only result.

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	.	½	1	.	4	2875
2.	Grischuk, Alexander	g	RUS	2754	.	*	½	.	1	½	½	½	.	½	.	.	3½	2796
3.	Topalov, Veselin	g	BUL	2752	½	½	*	½	.	.	.	.	.	1	½	½	3½	2793
4.	Leko, Peter	g	HUN	2737	.	.	½	*	.	½	.	1	½	.	½	½	3½	2797
5.	Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	g	AZE	2729	½	0	.	.	*	½	.	½	1	.	.	1	3½	2789
6.	Adams, Michael	g	ENG	2722	.	½	.	½	½	*	½	½	½	.	.	.	3	2743
7.	Wang, Hao	g	CHN	2742	0	½	.	.	.	½	*	.	½	.	1	½	3	2735
8.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2769	½	½	.	0	½	½	.	*	½	.	.	.	2½	2678
9.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2730	.	.	.	½	0	½	½	½	*	½	.	.	2½	2680
10.	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	g	CUB	2725	½	½	0	.	.	.	.	.	½	*	½	½	2½	2683
11.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2783	0	.	½	½	.	.	0	.	.	½	*	1	2½	2672
12.	Kasimdzhanov, Rustam	g	UZB	2684	.	.	½	½	0	.	½	.	.	½	0	*	2	2619

Round 6 (September 27, 2012)
Gelfand, Boris	- Ivanchuk, Vassily	½-½	25	E15	Queens Indian
Grischuk, Alexander	- Adams, Michael	½-½	47	C84	Ruy Lopez Centre Attack
Topalov, Veselin	- Dominguez Perez, Leinier	1-0	49	D11	Slav Defence
Leko, Peter	- Giri, Anish	½-½	36	B90	Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Nakamura, Hikaru	- Wang, Hao	0-1	47	A07	Barcza System
Kasimdzhanov, Rustam	- Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	0-1	45	D47	Queens Gambit Meran

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