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Peter Svidler, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Sergey Karjakin are through. The rest of the matches go to playoffs.

There were a number of scenarios today.

Firstly were the positions of Peter Svidler and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Both had white, both only needed draws. Mamedyarov didn't have to wait long. Laznicka lost interest very quickly when Mamedyarov took the game to sterility after only 13 moves.

Mamedyarov,S (2719) - Laznicka,V (2637) [D27]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (4.2), 30.11.2009

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 a6 6.a4 c5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Nc3 Be7 9.Qe2 cxd4 10.Rd1 e5 11.exd4 exd4 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Qe5

Laznicka has gone down a variation in which there are absolutely no chances for black to win.

1/2-1/2

Peter Svidler only had to work marginally harder. Shirov's Moller Defence to the Ruy Lopez always struck me as a drawing attempt as black, Svidler played actively whilst avoiding any real complications. He was almost there when Queens came off and once he won a pawn in a Rook and opposite coloured bishop ending qualification was only a matter of time.

Svidler,P (2754) - Shirov,A (2719) [C78]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (4.2), 30.11.2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.axb5 axb5 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.d4 Bxd4 11.Qxd4 d6 12.f4 Nc6 13.Qc3 Ne7 14.Qd3 0-0 15.Nc3 b4

[15...c5 16.Nxb5 Nxe4 17.Qxe4 Rxb5 18.Ra7 c4 19.Bxc4 d5 20.Qxe7 dxc4 21.Qxd8 Rxd8 22.Ra8 Rf8 23.Ra4 Be6 24.f5 Bd5 25.Re1 h5 26.h3 Rc8 27.Kh2 h4 28.f6 gxf6 29.b3 f5 30.bxc4 1/2-1/2 Kasparov,G (2795)-Topalov,V (2725)/Novgorod RUS 1997]

16.Ne2 d5 17.exd5 Bf5 18.Qd1 Nexd5 19.Ng3 Bc8 20.Qd4 Bb7 21.Bd2 Re8 22.Rae1 Rxe1 23.Rxe1 Qf8 24.Ne4 Nxe4 25.Qxe4 h6 26.h3 Qc5+ 27.Kh2 Bc6 28.Qc4 Qxc4

With the queens off there are really no prospects for black to get the win he needs.

29.Bxc4 Nf6 30.Re7 Nd5 31.Bxd5 Bxd5 32.Rxc7

Pawn up and bishops of opposite colour. Black is praying for a miracle.

32...Re8 33.Rd7 Be4 34.Bxb4 Bxc2 35.Re7 Rxe7 36.Bxe7

Now even I would fancy my chances of drawing this against Shirov! Time to call a halt.

36...Bb3 37.g4 f5 38.gxf5 Kf7 39.Bd8 Bc2 40.b4 Bxf5 41.b5 Ke6 42.b6 1/2-1/2

The second scenario occurred just once, a loss on the second day. Nikita Vitiugov's loss and elimination to Sergey Karjakin was a sad affair for him. As white Vitiugov tried to get something going but once nothing emerged he drifted into a Queen and Pawn ending which at the very least was very difficult for him. He went under fast. On move 31.Qb2 would have taken the match into a playoff without many alarms.

Vitiugov,N (2694) - Karjakin,Sergey (2723) [E32]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (4.2), 30.11.2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d5 7.e3 b6 8.Nf3 Bb7 9.b3 Nbd7 10.Be2 c5 11.0-0 Rc8 12.a4 dxc4 13.bxc4 Qc7 14.Bb2

[14.Rd1 Rfd8 15.Bb2 cxd4 16.exd4 Qf4 17.Qe3 Qxe3 18.fxe3 a5 19.Nd2 Ne4 20.Nxe4 Bxe4 21.Rdc1 Nc5 22.Ra3 Bc6 23.Bc3 Nxa4 24.Be1 Be8 25.Rb1 e5 26.Bh4 f6 27.dxe5 b5 28.cxb5 Nc3 29.Rb2 Nxe2+ 30.Rxe2 Rd1+ 31.Re1 Rcc1 32.Rxd1 Rxd1+ 33.Kf2 g5 34.Bg3 Bxb5 35.e4 fxe5 36.Rxa5 Rb1 37.Bxe5 Bc6 38.Bc3 Rb5 39.Rxb5 1/2-1/2 Carlsen,M (2772)-Bacrot,E (2721)/Dortmund GER 2009/The Week in Chess 766]

14...Bxf3 15.gxf3 cxd4 16.Qxd4 e5 17.Qh4 Rfe8 18.Kh1 Nf8 19.Qh3 a5 20.Rfd1 Rcd8 21.Qf5 Rxd1+ 22.Rxd1 N8d7 23.c5 Nxc5 24.Bb5 Re6 25.Kg1 g6 26.Qc2 Rd6

It is around here that white slips from level to being worse.

27.Rc1 Qe7 28.Ba3 Nfd7 29.Bxd7 Qxd7 30.Bxc5 Rc6 31.Qe4?

[31.Qb2 Rxc5 32.Rxc5 bxc5 33.Qb8+ Kg7 34.Qxe5+ Kg8 35.Qb8+ is a draw.]

31...Qc7 32.f4 Rxc5 33.Rxc5 bxc5 34.fxe5 c4 35.e6

White's position has suddenly become very tricky. This doesn't seem to help.

[35.f4 c3 36.Qc2 g5 37.Kf2 h6 38.h4]

35...fxe6 36.Qxe6+ Kg7 37.Qe4 c3 38.Qd4+?

Definitely losing.

[38.Qc2 Qc4 39.f4 h6 40.Kf2 g5 41.Qf5 c2 42.Qd7+ Kf6 43.Qd8+ Kf5 44.Qd7+ Ke4 45.Qh7+ Kd5 46.Qf7+]

38...Kg8 39.Qd5+ Kf8 40.Qd4 c2 41.Qh8+ Ke7 42.Qxh7+ Kd8 43.Qg8+ Kd7 44.Qg7+ Kc8 45.Qh8+ Kb7 46.Qb2+ Ka6 47.Qc1 Qc4 0-1

Maybe this is a 3rd scenario, a game where white should have won. Knight and pawn endings are notoriously tricky. I'm unclear whether Ruslan Ponomariov had a win at any point but he spent a long time trying, the rook pawn made life pretty hard for Etienne Bacrot.

Ponomariov,R (2739) - Bacrot,E (2700) [D12]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (4.2), 30.11.2009

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.cxd5 cxd5 6.Qb3 Qc7 7.Bd2 e6 8.Bb5+ Nc6 9.0-0 Bd6 10.Bb4 0-0 11.Bxc6 bxc6 12.Nbd2 Nd7 13.Rfc1 Rfc8 14.Qa3 Bxb4 15.Qxb4 Bg4

[15...Rab8 16.Qa3 Qb6 17.Nb3 Bg4 18.Qd6 Qc7 19.Qxc7 Rxc7 20.Nfd2 c5 21.f3 Bh5 22.Nxc5 Nxc5 23.Rxc5 Rxc5 24.dxc5 Rxb2 25.Rc1 Rb8 26.e4 dxe4 27.Nxe4 Kf8 28.c6 Ke7 29.Rd1 Rc8 30.Rd7+ Kf8 31.c7 Ke8 32.Nc5 Bg6 33.Kf2 Bb1 34.Ke3 e5 35.g4 Bxa2 36.Rd2 Be6 37.Nxe6 fxe6 38.Ra2 Rxc7 39.Ke4 Ke7 40.Ra6 Kf6 41.h4 Rc4+ 42.Ke3 h5 43.gxh5 Rxh4 44.Rxa7 Rxh5 45.Ra8 Rh4 46.Rf8+ Ke7 47.Ra8 Rb4 48.Rg8 Kf7 49.Ra8 g5 50.Rc8 e4 51.fxe4 Kf6 52.Rg8 Rb3+ 53.Kf2 Rb7 54.Kf3 Rh7 55.Kg4 Rh1 56.Kf3 Rf1+ 57.Ke3 Rb1 58.Kf3 Rb3+ 59.Kf2 Ke5 1/2-1/2 Baburin,A (2558)-Ansell,S (2398)/Telford ENG 2003/The Week in Chess 436]

16.Rc2 Rab8 17.Qa3 Qb6 18.b3 Bxf3 19.Nxf3 Qb4 20.Qxa7 Rb7 21.Qa6 c5 22.dxc5

[22.Rac1]

22...Rxc5 23.Rac1 h6 24.h3 Rbc7 25.a3

[25.Rxc5 Nxc5 26.Qd6 Na6 27.Qd8+ Qf8 28.Qxf8+ Kxf8 29.Rxc7 Nxc7]

25...Qxb3 26.Rxc5 Rxc5 27.Rxc5 Qb1+ 28.Qf1 Qxf1+ 29.Kxf1 Nxc5 30.Ke2 Kf8 31.Ne5 Ke7 32.Nd3 Ne4 33.Kd1 Kd6 34.f3 Nc3+ 35.Kc2 Na4 36.Kb3 Nb6 37.a4 f5 38.Kb4 Nc4 39.e4 fxe4 40.fxe4 g5 41.exd5 Kxd5 42.Kc3 e5 43.Nb4+ Kc5 44.Na6+ Kd5 45.Nc7+ Kc5 46.Kd3 Nb2+ 47.Ke4 Nxa4 48.Kxe5 Nb2 49.Ne6+ Kc4 50.Kf5 Kd5 51.Ng7 Nd3 52.Nh5 Ne1 53.g3 Kd4 54.Kg6 Nd3 55.Kxh6 Nf2 56.h4 gxh4 57.gxh4

Is this position winning? A tablebase will no doubt say. It is a very tricky defence for black, that's for sure.

57...Ng4+ 58.Kg7 Ke5 59.Ng3 Nf6 60.Kg6 Nd5 61.Kg7 Nf6 62.Kf7 Ng4 63.Ne2 Nf6 64.Kg6 Nd5 65.h5 Ne7+ 66.Kg7 Nf5+ 67.Kf7 Nh6+ 68.Kg6 Nf5 69.Ng3 Nh4+ 70.Kg7 Nf3 71.h6 Ng5 72.Ne2 Ne6+ 73.Kf7 Ng5+ 74.Kg6 Ne6 75.Nc3 Nf8+ 76.Kf7 Nh7 77.Kg7 Ng5 78.Ne2

These ending are horribly tricky. I've no doubt the tablebases will say whether white is winning or not.

[78.Nd1]

78...Ne6+ 79.Kf7 Ng5+ 80.Kg6 Ne6 81.Ng1 Nf8+ 82.Kf7 Kf5 83.Nf3 Nh7 84.Kg7 Nf6 85.Nd4+ Kg5 86.Ne6+ Kh5 87.Nc7 Kg5 88.Nd5 Ne8+ 89.Kh7 Nd6 90.Nc3 Nf7 91.Ne4+ Kf4 92.Kg7 Nxh6 93.Kxh6 Kxe4 1/2-1/2

The final scenario was where the match was level at the start of the day and was still level at the end. I liked Fabiano Caruana's position against Vugar Gashimov but I'm not sure it was winning. As the game played out the draw came very readily. Both Boris Gelfand against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alexander Grischuk against Dmitry Jakovenko were drawn without interest. Vladimir Malakhov didn't manage to set Wesley So any problems he couldn't handle.

Caruana,F (2652) - Gashimov,V (2758) [B90]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (4.2), 30.11.2009

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Nc6 10.Be2 Nge5 11.Nxc6

[11.Nb3 Be6 12.Nd5 Bg7 13.0-0 Ng6 14.c3 Be5 15.Bxe5 Ncxe5 16.Nd4 Bxd5 17.exd5 Qa5 18.c4 Rc8 19.b3 Qc5 20.Bg4 Rb8 21.Bf5 Nf4 22.g3 Qxd4 23.gxf4 Qxf4 0-1 Chmielinska,A (2047)-Sasu Ducsoara,A (2240)/Warsaw POL 2001]

11...Nxc6 12.Nd5 Bg7 13.c3 Ne5 14.Qb3 0-0 15.Qb6 Qxb6 16.Nxb6 Rb8 17.h4 gxh4 18.Rxh4 Ng6 19.Rh5 Be6 20.f4 f5 21.exf5 Rxf5 22.Rxf5 Bxf5 23.0-0-0 Rd8 24.Bf3 e6 25.Nc4 d5 26.Ne3 Rf8 27.Nxf5 Rxf5 28.Bg4 Rf6 29.Re1 Nf8 30.f5 exf5 31.Bf3 d4 32.cxd4 f4 33.Bf2 b6

I'm wondering if a different player might make more of the two bishops and generally better position here for white. As it is nothing really happens and a draw is agreed eventually.

34.d5 Rd6 35.Re8 Kf7 36.Bh5+ Kg8 37.Bf3 Kf7 38.Ra8 a5 39.Ra7+ Kg8 40.Ra8 Kf7 41.Ra7+ Kg8 42.Rb7

[42.b3]

42...Nd7 43.Bg4 Nc5 44.Bxc5 bxc5 45.Be6+ Kh7 46.b3 Kg6 47.Ra7 Bc3 48.Kc2 Be1 49.Kd3 Rb6 50.Ke2 Bc3 51.Kf3 Kf6 52.Kxf4 Rb4+ 53.Kf3 Ke5 54.g3 c4 55.bxc4 Rxc4 56.Bf7 Bb4 57.Ra6 Rc3+ 58.Kg4 Bd6 59.Rxa5 Kf6 60.Be6 Rxg3+ 61.Kh5 Rg5+ 62.Kh4 1/2-1/2

Jakovenko,D (2736) - Grischuk,A (2736) [E21]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (4.2), 30.11.2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 b6 6.Bg2 Bb7 7.0-0 cxd4 8.Qxd4 0-0 9.Nb5

[9.b3 Nc6 10.Qd3 Bc5 11.Bb2 d5 12.cxd5 Nb4 13.Qd2 Nbxd5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Qf4 Rc8 16.Rac1 Qe7 17.Ne5 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Qb7+ 19.Qf3 Nd5 20.Rfd1 b5 21.e4 Nf6 22.Nd3 Be7 23.Bxf6 gxf6 24.Nf4 h6 25.Nh5 f5 26.exf5 Qxf3+ 27.Kxf3 exf5 28.Rxc8 Rxc8 29.Rd5 Rc2 30.Rxf5 Rxa2 31.Rxb5 a5 32.Re5 1/2-1/2 Karason,A (2235)-Hjartarson,J (2570)/Reykjavik 1995]

9...Nc6 10.Qd3 d5 11.Bf4 a6 12.Nbd4

Black has at least equalised.

1/2-1/2

Gelfand,B (2758) - Vachier Lagrave,M (2718) [A29]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (4.2), 30.11.2009

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Nd4 5.Bg2 Nxf3+ 6.Bxf3 Bb4 7.Qb3 Bc5 8.d3 c6 9.0-0 0-0 10.Bd2 h6 11.Bg2 Bb6 12.Na4

[12.Rac1 d6 13.Rfd1 Re8 14.Be1 Rb8 15.Ne4 Bc7 1/2-1/2 Duncan,C (2310)-Collinson,A (2404)/Birmingham ENG 2000]

12...Bc7 13.c5 d5 14.cxd6 Bxd6 15.Bb4 Be6 16.Qa3 Bxb4 17.Qxb4 Rb8 18.Nc5 Re8 19.Nxe6 Rxe6 20.Rac1 Qd6 21.Qa5 a6 22.Rc4 Rbe8 23.Qb6 R6e7 24.b4 Qd8 25.Qe3

There is no real hope that Gelfand will allow anything here.

1/2-1/2

Malakhov,V (2706) - So,W (2640) [A15]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (4.2), 30.11.2009

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 d5 4.e3 a6 5.d4 b5 6.c5 g6 7.Ne5 Bg7 8.f4 0-0 9.Bd3 Qc7 10.0-0 Be6 11.Bd2

[11.g4 Nbd7 12.f5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 Nd7 14.fxe6 fxe6 15.Bd2 Nxc5 16.Bc2 Bxe5 17.Qe2 a5 18.a3 a4 19.Rad1 Bg7 20.Bc1 e5 21.e4 d4 22.Na2 Qd7 23.Nb4 Ne6 24.b3 Nf4 25.Bxf4 exf4 26.bxa4 f3 27.Qf2 c5 28.Nd5 c4 29.Kh1 d3 30.Bxd3 cxd3 31.Nb6 Qxg4 32.Nxa8 Rxa8 33.axb5 Qd7 34.Qxf3 Qxb5 35.Qxd3 Qa4 36.Qd5+ Kh8 37.Rf7 h5 38.Rxe7 Rf8 39.Rg1 Qxa3 40.Rf7 Rc8 41.e5 Qe3 42.e6 Rc5 43.Qa8+ Kh7 44.Qb7 Qe5 45.e7 Rc2 46.Rxg7+ Qxg7 47.Qd7 Re2 0-1 Eljanov,P (2729)-Malakhov,V (2706)/Khanty-Mansiysk RUS 2009/The Week in Chess 786]

11...Nbd7 12.b4 a5 13.bxa5 Rxa5 14.a4 bxa4 15.Rxa4 Rfa8 16.Rxa5 Rxa5 17.Qb3 Ra8 18.Rb1 Nxe5 19.fxe5 Nd7 20.Qb4 f6 21.exf6 Nxf6 22.Qb7 Qxb7 23.Rxb7 Kf7 24.h3 Bf5 25.Bxf5 gxf5 26.Rb6 Rc8 27.Kf2 Rc7 28.Ke2 Nd7 29.Ra6 e5 30.Kd3 Nf8 31.dxe5 Nd7 32.Na4 Nxe5+ 33.Ke2 Nc4 34.Nb6 Nxd2 35.Kxd2 Bh6 36.Ke2 Bg5 37.Kf3 Re7 38.Ra3 Re8

Black has held comfortably.

1/2-1/2

3 advance and 5 go to playoffs was the upshot of the day.

>

World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk (RUS), 21 xi-14 xii 2009 Round 4 Day 2 Results (KO 128 players):
Bd	MSco	White	FED	GmRes	Black	FED
1	1-1	Gelfand, Boris	ISR	½-½	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	FRA
2	1-1	Caruana, Fabiano	ITA	½-½	Gashimov, Vugar	AZE
3	1.5-0.5	Svidler, Peter	RUS	½-½	Shirov, Alexei	ESP
4	1.5-0.5	Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	AZE	½-½	Laznicka, Viktor	CZE
5	0.5-1.5	Vitiugov, Nikita	RUS	0-1	Karjakin, Sergey	UKR
6	1-1	Malakhov, Vladimir	RUS	½-½	So, Wesley	PHI
7	1-1	Ponomariov, Ruslan	UKR	½-½	Bacrot, Etienne	FRA
8	1-1	Jakovenko, Dmitry	RUS	½-½	Grischuk, Alexander	RUS

World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk (RUS), 21 xi-14 xii 2009 Round 4 Results (128 players):
Name	NAT	G1	G2	R1	R2	R3	R4	B1	B2	B3	B4	B5	B6	B7	B8	B9	B10	SD	Tot
Round 4 Match 01
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	FRA	½	½																1
Gelfand, Boris	ISR	½	½																1
Round 4 Match 02
Gashimov, Vugar	AZE	½	½																1
Caruana, Fabiano	ITA	½	½																1
Round 4 Match 03
Shirov, Alexei	ESP	0	½																0.5
Svidler, Peter	RUS	1	½																1.5
Round 4 Match 04
Laznicka, Viktor	CZE	0	½																0.5
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	AZE	1	½																1.5
Round 4 Match 05
Karjakin, Sergey	UKR	½	1																1.5
Vitiugov, Nikita	RUS	½	0																0.5
Round 4 Match 06
So, Wesley	PHI	½	½																1
Malakhov, Vladimir	RUS	½	½																1
Round 4 Match 07
Bacrot, Etienne	FRA	½	½																1
Ponomariov, Ruslan	UKR	½	½																1
Round 4 Match 08
Grischuk, Alexander	RUS	½	½																1
Jakovenko, Dmitry	RUS	½	½																1

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