The Week in Chess

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Daniel Fridman

Position after 35.c5

unbelievably stupid - Fridman.

[35.d5]

35...d5 36.Qe2 Ne7 37.Nf4 Bh6 38.Bc1 Nc6

Maybe white has a miracle save but Fridman couldn't find it.

39.Qf2 Qf5 40.Be3 Bxf4 41.Qxf4 Qxf4 42.Bxf4 Nxd4 43.Nb6 Nc6 44.Bd6 Kf7 45.Kf2 Ng6 46.Nd7 e5 47.Nb6 Ke6 48.Na8 Nge7 49.Nc7+ Kd7 50.Nb5 Nf5 51.Bc7 Na7 52.Nxa7 Kxc7 53.a4 bxa3 54.Nb5+ Kc6 55.Nxa3 Kxc5 0-1

Mamedyarov,Shakhriyar (2765) - Fridman,Daniel (2659) [E11]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.4), 02.09.2011

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Bb4+ 4.Bd2 c5 5.Bxb4 cxb4 6.a3 Nc6 7.d5 exd5 8.cxd5 Ne7 9.d6 Nc6 10.axb4 Qb6 11.Nc3 Qxb4 12.Qd2 0-0 13.e3 Rb8 14.Ra4 Qc5 15.Rc4 Qa5 16.Ra4 Qd8 17.Bd3 a6 18.0-0 Re8 19.Ne4 g6 20.Bb1 Nxe4 21.Rxe4 b5 22.Rf4 Bb7 23.Ba2 Rf8 24.h4

Fridman didn't think this was the best idea.

24...Kg7 25.h5 f6 26.e4 g5 27.h6+ Kxh6 28.Rf5 Kg7 29.Nxg5 Qa5 30.b4 Qxb4 31.Qf4 Nd4 32.Qg4 Kh8 33.Nxh7

Daniel Fridman

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Position after 33.Nxh7

After such a brilliant position from the opening white had to find this perpetual.

33...Nxf5 34.Nxf8 Rxf8 35.Qh5+ Kg7 36.Qg4+ Kh6 37.Qh3+ 1/2-1/2

He remarked that Mamedyarov was probably not in his best shape, coughing all the time, and wondered if that might be affecting his play.

Ruslan Ponomariov eventually won his way past Ni Hua but only after a long struggle. The two 25 minute games were drawn, the first with Ni as white briefly, the second after 114 moves where at first Ponomariov had a significant edge and then later Ni took the initiative. I don't know if it was winning for Ni but it was certainly an exhausting battle.

The first 10m+10spm game was won by Ponomariov. At first he missed a clear win but didn't make any mistake at the second time of asking.

Ponomariov,Ruslan (2764) - Ni,Hua (2662) [C11]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.5), 02.09.2011

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nce2 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Nf3 Be7 8.a3 a5 9.Nf4 a4 10.Bd3

[10.h4 cxd4 11.cxd4 Nb6 12.Ng5 Nc4 13.Bd3 Qa5+ 14.Kf1 Bd7 15.Bxc4 dxc4 16.d5 Nd8 17.Bd2 Qb5 18.Bc3 Bxg5 19.hxg5 g6 20.Qf3 Qb3 21.Ne2 f5 22.exf6 Kf7 23.Re1 Qc2 24.Qg3 Ra6 25.Qc7 Ke8 26.Qc5 1-0 Sadilek,P (2075)-Obermayr,H (2175)/Aschach Donau AUT 2007/The Week in Chess 687]

10...Nb6 11.0-0 0-0 12.h4 cxd4 13.cxd4 Nc4 14.g3 b5 15.Bc2 f5?!

Ni Hua

Ruslan Ponomariov

Position after 15...f5?!

I don't like this move very much but maybe white has good pressure against the king anyhow. b4 with complications was possible.

16.exf6 gxf6 17.Re1 Qd6 18.Nh2?!

missing a direct win.

[18.Bxh7+ Kxh7 19.Ng5+ fxg5 20.Qh5+]

18...Rf7 19.Ng4 Kh8?

The losing move.

[19...Bf8 20.Nh5 f5]

20.Nh6

and now white is winning.

20...Rg7 21.Nh5 e5 22.Nxg7 Kxg7 23.Qh5 Be6 24.Nf5+ Bxf5 25.Bxf5 1-0

The second game in which Ni Hua was white lost the initiative in the opening but was somewhat let back in as Ponomariov played for a draw. However black was better for most of the rest of the game but Ponomariov was lost for one move when he allowed an unusual tactic which would have won the exchange. His 36....Bc5 allowed Rf4 which forced the exchange of rooks and allowed Ni to hit Ponomariov's rook and threaten a fork picking up a bishop. After that was missed Ponomariov secured qualification easily enough.

Ni,Hua (2662) - Ponomariov,Ruslan (2764) [C45]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.6), 02.09.2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.Nc3 Nge7 7.Qe2 0-0 8.Bg5 f6 9.Bd2 d6 10.0-0-0 Be6 11.Kb1 a5 12.f4 a4 13.Nc1 f5

[13...a3; 13...Nd4 14.Qe1 a3]

14.g4 Nd4 15.Qg2 fxe4 16.f5 Bf7 17.f6

White at least has complicated things.

17...gxf6 18.Nxe4 Bg6 19.Bd3 d5 20.Ng3 Kh8 21.Nh5 Qd6 22.Rhf1 Bxh5 23.gxh5 Rg8 24.Qh3 Ndc6 25.Bc3 d4 26.Bc4 Nd5 27.Bxd5 Qxd5 28.Rxf6 Qg2 29.Qxg2 Rxg2 30.Bd2 Kg7 31.Rf5 Ne7 32.Re5 Nc6 33.Re4 Rf8 34.Nd3 Rf5 35.h6+ Kf8 36.h4 Bc5

Ruslan Ponomariov

Ni Hua

Position after 36...Bc5? White to play and score an opportunist win.

37.a3

[37.Rf4! Rxf4 38.Nxf4 Rxd2 39.Rxd2 Kf7 40.Rg2 Bf8 41.Nd5 Bxh6 42.Nxc7 Bg7 43.Rf2+ Ke7 44.Nd5+ Ke6]

37...Be7 38.Nf4 Rf2 39.Ne6+ Kf7 40.Bg5 Re5 41.Rxe5 Nxe5 42.Nxc7 Bc5 43.Nb5 Nf3 44.Bf4 Ke6 45.h5 b6 46.Bc7 Kd5 47.Bg3 Rg2 48.Nc3+ Ke6 49.Ne4 Kf5 50.Nd6+ Ke6 51.Ne4 Kf5 52.Nd6+ Ke6 53.Ne4 Kf5 1/2-1/2

Finally with the help of Alexander Grischuk we get to see the back of Sebastien Feller. Photo © FIDE World Cup Khanty Mansiysk 2011 Website

Alexander Grischuk just brushed asided Sebastian Feller in the rapid games playoff. What I like about Grischuk is that he doesn't concentrate on the opening but instead wants positions that allows both players to play chess. Indeed I think he likes being under pressure and challenged by his opponents.

Whether you like the idea that because of his confidence in rapid and blitz chess he is prepared to take very short draws is definitely a matter of taste however. Certainly he got a lot of criticism in the Candidates for doing this. But the format actually encourages it. In the case of the Candidates his opponents were much better at theory than him (especially Kramnik) and that virtually forced the strategy on him.

Feller,Sebastien (2666) - Grischuk,Alexander (2746) [D37]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.3), 02.09.2011

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.Qc2 b6 8.e3 Bb7 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Be2 c5 12.Rd1 Nd7 13.0-0 Rc8 14.Qf5 g6 15.Qf4 Bg7 16.Rd2 Qf6 17.Qg3 Qe7 18.Rfd1 Rfd8 19.a3 Nf6 20.Ne5 cxd4 21.exd4 Ne4 22.Nxe4 dxe4 23.Nc4 Bd5 24.Ne3 Kh7 25.Bg4 Rc6

Alexander Grischuk

Sebastien Feller

Position after 25...Rc6. White is in a lot of trouble and Grischuk converts very smoothly.

26.h4 h5 27.Be2 Rcd6 28.Qf4 Bb3 29.Rc1 Bxd4 30.Bxh5 Bxe3 31.Qxe3 Rxd2 0-1

Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son had a small edge as white in game one of his rapid againt Peter Svidler but the game eventually traded down to a drawn rook ending.

Peter Svidler blew a decisive advantage in the second game and looked so upset I thought he had been eliminated (note to self covering two major events at the same time, the Botvinnik Memorial was also under way, is impossible).

Svidler,Peter (2739) - Nguyen,Ngoc Truong Son (2637) [C07]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.4), 02.09.2011

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.exd5 Qxd5 7.Nb5 Na6 8.Nc3 Qd8 9.g3 Bb4 10.Qf3 Nc7 11.a3 Be7 12.Bg2 0-0 13.0-0 Rb8 14.Nde4 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Bf6 16.Bf4 Bd7 17.Rad1 Qc8 18.Bd6 Bc6 19.Qf4 Bxg2 20.Kxg2 Bxc3

Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son

Peter Svidler

Position after 20...Bxc3

21.bxc3

[21.Bxf8 Kxf8 22.bxc3 b5 23.Qb4+ Kg8 24.c4 bxc4 25.Qxc4 g6]

21...Nd5 22.Qf3 Qc6 23.Bxf8 Rxf8 24.Rd4 b5 25.a4 a6 26.axb5 axb5 27.Ra1 g6 28.Ra3 Kg7 29.h4 h5 30.Kg1 Qc5 31.Rb3 Ra8 32.Rd1 Rc8 33.Rd3 Ra8 34.Qe4 Ra1+ 35.Kg2 Qc4 36.Qd4+ Kh7 37.Rb2 Qc6 38.Rf3 f6 39.c4 Qxc4 40.Qxc4 bxc4 41.Rb7+ Kh6 42.Rd7 Ra6 43.Kf1 f5 44.Rd8 Kg7 45.Rc8 Ra4 46.Ke2 Kf7 47.Kd2 e5 48.Rc5 Ke6 49.Rc6+ Kf7 50.Rd6 Ra5 51.Rc6 e4 52.Rc3 Nxc3 53.Kxc3 Ra3+ 54.Kd2 Rf3 55.Ke2 Rc3 56.Kd2 Rf3 57.Ke2 1/2-1/2

Svidler calmed down quickly and had a second go at the French and won very smoothly.

Svidler,Peter (2739) - Nguyen,Ngoc Truong Son (2637) [C02]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.5), 02.09.2011

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nh6 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.Bxh6 gxh6 8.cxd4 Qb6 9.Qd2 Bd7 10.Be2 Bg7 11.Nc3 0-0 12.0-0 Ne7 13.Bd3 Kh8 14.Ne2 Bb5 15.Bxb5 Qxb5 16.Nf4 Ng6 17.Nh5 Rac8 18.Rac1 Qd7 19.h4 Rxc1 20.Rxc1 Rc8 21.g3 Rc6 22.Rxc6 Qxc6 23.Nh2

Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son

Peter Svidler

Position after 23.Nh2. White's attack on black's king is unstoppable

23...Ne7 24.Qf4 Nf5 25.g4 Qc2 26.Nf3 Ne7 27.Qxf7 Qg6 28.Qxe7 Qxg4+ 29.Kh2 1-0

Svidler completed a 2-0 shutout winning the final game. He was much to experienced in the Gruenfeld to be caused any problems by Nguyen's sideline and won in a very nice game.

Lazaro Bruzon against Francisco Vallejo Pons was very tense. Photo © FIDE World Cup Khanty Mansiysk 2011 Website

Francisco Vallejo Pons nerves let him down in a tense struggle against Lazaro Bruzon who was also extremely nervous. Vallejo said "In general I played very good chess but didn't kill the games when I could. Not [happy] with the result of course, but I think I learned lots of things here and leave Khanty Mansiysk a better player."

He was asked who he thought might win. I will say Gashimov if I had to say someone. Gashimov good nerves and is well prepared these days.

Vallejo went out losing the second game from a favourable position, although the position certainly becomes hard he shouldn't have allowed the snap mate.

Bruzon Batista,Lazaro (2673) - Vallejo Pons,Francisco (2724) [A13]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.4), 02.09.2011

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Nbd7 6.Qxc4 a6 7.Qb3 c5 8.a4 Bd6 9.0-0 0-0 10.Na3 Bc7 11.Nc4 b6 12.d3 Bb7 13.Bd2 Qe7 14.Rfc1 Rab8 15.Qa3 Nd5 16.Ne3 Rfc8 17.Qb3 h6 18.Nc4 Rd8 19.Qd1 e5 20.Nh4 Nf4 21.Bxb7 Rxb7 22.Qf1 Ne6 23.Nf5 Qf6 24.e4 Nd4 25.Nxd4 exd4 26.Qg2 Rbb8 27.f4 b5 28.axb5 axb5 29.Ba5 Qc6 30.Bxc7 Qxc7 31.Nd2 Nb6 32.b3 Ra8 33.Qf1 Qe7 34.Qf3 Rxa1 35.Rxa1 c4 36.dxc4 Qb4 37.Nf1 d3 38.Rd1 bxc4 39.bxc4 Qxc4 40.Ne3 Qd4 41.Kg2 Na4 42.Nf5

Francisco Vallejo Pons

Lazaro Bruzon Batista

Position after 42.Nf5. Black is better but things start to get difficult. 42...Qc4 maintains much more control.

42...Qb2+

[42...Qc4 43.Ne3 Qa2+ 44.Qf2 Qe6 45.e5 Nc3]

43.Kh3 Qc2

[43...Qe2 44.Qxe2 dxe2 45.Re1 is at least equal for black. (45.Rxd8+ Kh7 and white can't stop the pawn.) ]

44.Qg4 g6 45.Nxh6+ Kf8

[45...Kg7 46.Nf5+ Kg8 is a draw.]

46.Qh4 Qxd1

[46...Rd7 47.Qg4 Qxd1 (47...Rd8) 48.Qxd1 d2 is equal.; 46...Rd6 47.Qg4 d2 48.f5 Ke8 49.e5 Rd4]

47.Qxd8+ Kg7 48.Qg8+ Kxh6 49.Qh8# 1-0

Bu Xiangzhi beat Maxime Vachier-Lagrave to be the only Chinese player left in the event. He pointed out that the Chinese players have had a large number of events so far this year, which I also have noted, Bu himself took a rest from some of these. Bu said that he thought he should have lost the first game with black. The second game with white was a complicated position where Bu had an extra pawn but Vachier had enough compensation. Later in the endgame Vachier started to go wrong in time trouble allowing Bu to progress. Checking this game it was balanced until 59...Kh5 which loses because it can no longer come across to protect the queen. Although the remaining moves had a very random feel about them too.

Igor Lysyj finally beat Alexander Ivanov when the latter weakened in the second rapid game 30...Rxe2 losing the initiative instead of something like 30...Bf5 was the turning point and Ivanov resigned 12 moves later.

Alexander Moiseenko against Ernesto Inarkiev. Photo © FIDE World Cup Khanty Mansiysk 2011 Website

There is no bigger heart-breaker than going from a win to a loss in one move. Ernesto Inarkiev went astray in a full blooded clash with Alexander Moiseenko. Here he needs to threaten mate. Instead taking the passive rook leads quickly to a lost position.

Inarkiev,Ernesto (2679) - Moiseenko,Alexander (2715) [B30]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.3), 02.09.2011

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Qc7 5.0-0 Nd4 6.Re1 a6 7.Bc4 e6 8.e5 b5 9.Bf1 Nxf3+ 10.Qxf3 Bb7 11.Qg3 Nh5 12.Qh4 g6 13.d3 Be7 14.Bg5 Qd8 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Qg4 f5 17.Qd1 0-0 18.Be2 Nf4 19.Bf3 Bxf3 20.Qxf3 g5 21.Rad1 Ng6 22.d4 g4 23.Qe3 c4 24.d5 f4 25.Qd4 Rf5 26.dxe6 dxe6 27.Nd5 Qh4 28.Nc7 Rh5 29.h3 Rf8 30.Nxe6 gxh3

Alexander Moiseenko

Ernesto Inarkiev

Position after 30...gxh3

31.Nxf8?

[31.Qd7!! Rf7 32.Qc8+ Nf8 33.Rd8 Rhf5 34.Nxf8 Rxf8 35.Qxf5 h2+ 36.Kh1 Rxd8 37.e6 wins.; 31.Qa7 Ne7 32.Qb7 Kh8 33.Qf3 is only a bit worse for white.]

31...hxg2 32.Qd5+ Kxf8 33.Qd8+ Qxd8 34.Rxd8+ Ke7 35.Red1 f3 36.R1d7+ Ke6 37.Rd6+ Kf5 38.Rf6+ Ke4 39.Rd4+ Kxd4 40.Rxf3 Nxe5 41.Rf4+ Kd5 42.Kxg2 Rg5+ 43.Kf1 h5 44.Rf6 Rg6 45.Rf5 Ke4 46.Rxh5 Nf3 47.Rh1 b4 48.c3 bxc3 49.bxc3 Ke5 0-1

There was less trauma in the second game where Moiseenko kept the advantage throughout until his opponent resigned the game and match.

Although Peter Heine Nielsen is a well known player it was a bit of a surprise he elimimated Michael Adams. Photo © FIDE World Cup Khanty Mansiysk 2011 Website

Michael Adams was eliminated by Peter Heine Nielsen when he lost a Sicilian as white in the second game of the rapid playoff. The players attacked kings castled on opposite sides of the board. Adams too had the advantage with black in the first rapid game (at least until the final 23...Rc4 which may have been accompanied with a draw offer) and commentator Konstantin Landa said that the chess gods tend to pay you back for not making the most of your chances, or at least trying to exploit them.

Ian Nepomniachtchi won an interesting game as black in a Gruenfeld against Alexander Riazantsev but only in an ending where he started with the smallest of advantages. He then drew the second game in an Exchange French but only having to work hard for 55 moves.

Anton Fillipov against Etienne Bacrot. Photo © FIDE World Cup Khanty Mansiysk 2011 Website

Etienne Bacrot admitted he was lucky and that "Yesterday I was super-lucky." as he went through 2-0 against Anton Filippov. In the first game Filippov as doing fine until he blundered his position away on move 35. Filippov's Nimzowitsch-Larsen Open gave Bacrot the advantage for easy qualification.

Bacrot,Etienne (2710) - Filippov,Anton UZB (2606) [D02]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.3), 02.09.2011

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 c6 7.0-0 Nbd7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.Bf4 dxc4 10.e4 Re8 11.a4 a5 12.Qe2 b6 13.Rfd1 Ba6 14.Nd2 Bf8 15.Nxc4 Nd5 16.Bd2 Nb4 17.Be3 Qc8 18.Rac1 Qb7 19.e5 f5 20.exf6 Nxf6 21.Bg5 Nfd5 22.b3 h6 23.Bd2 Rad8 24.Ne4 Qf7 25.h4 g6 26.Qg4 Qf5 27.Qe2 Bg7 28.Be1 e5 29.dxe5 Bxe5 30.Bxb4 axb4 31.Qd2 Bc7 32.Re1 Kh7 33.Qb2 Rf8 34.Ne3 Nxe3 35.Rxe3 Be5

Anton Filippov

Etienne Bacrot

Position after 35....Be5?

36.Ng5+ hxg5 37.Rxe5 Qf7 38.hxg5 c5 39.Rce1 Rde8 40.R1e4 Rxe5 41.Rh4+ Kg8 42.Qxe5 Qxf2+ 43.Kh1 1-0

I will certainly be looking out for Ruben Felgaer's games after an interesting World Cup. Photo © FIDE World Cup Khanty Mansiysk 2011 Website

Ruben Felgaer has made quite a few fans in his short stay at the World Cup. I was sorry to see him eliminated by Yaroslav Zherebukh. But as he said in the press conference "Today I play quite badly, after losing the first game with black I could not recover."

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