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Round 3 day 1 was a very interesting days play with plenty to enjoy. Gelfand, Vitiugov, So, Ponomariov, Jakovenko, Navara, Mamedyarov and Vachier-Lagrave were all winners.

Round 3 day 1 was a very interesting days play with plenty to enjoy. Gelfand, Vitiugov, So, Ponomariov, Jakovenko, Navara, Mamedyarov and Vachier-Lagrave were all winners.

Baadur Jobava was a little lucky to escape againt Alexander Grischuk who took an early initiative on the black side of a Caro-Kann.

Jobava,Ba (2696) - Grischuk,A (2736) [B10]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (3.1), 27.11.2009

1.c4 c6 2.e4 d5 3.cxd5 cxd5 4.exd5 Nf6 5.Qa4+ Nbd7 6.Nc3 g6 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Bc4 0-0 9.d3 a6 10.Qa3 b6 11.0-0 Bb7 12.Be3 b5 13.Bb3 Nb6

[13...Re8 14.Qb4 Nb6 15.Bxb6 Qxb6 16.a4 Red8 17.axb5 Nxd5 18.Bxd5 Bxd5 19.Ng5 h6 20.Nge4 e6 21.Nxd5 Rxd5 22.Qe7 Bxb2 23.Ra2 Be5 24.bxa6 Rxa6 25.Rc1 Kg7 26.g3 Rxa2 27.Rc8 g5 28.Rf8 Ra7 29.Rxf7+ Kg6 30.Qxa7 Qxa7 31.Rxa7 Rxd3 32.Kg2 Rd4 33.Nc5 Rd6 34.Ra4 Bd4 35.Nxe6 Bxf2 36.Nxg5 hxg5 37.Kxf2 Rd2+ 38.Kf3 Rxh2 39.Kg4 Rb2 40.Ra6+ Kg7 41.Kxg5 Rb5+ 1/2-1/2 Granda Zuniga,J (2601)-Dominguez,L (2639)/Buenos Aires ARG 2005/The Week in Chess 554]

14.Bxb6 Qxb6 15.Qxe7 a5 16.Qe3 Qxe3 17.fxe3 a4 18.Bd1 Nxd5 19.Nxd5 Bxd5 20.d4 Rfe8 21.Kf2 Rac8 22.Re1 Rc6 23.Nd2 Bh6 24.a3 Bg5 25.Nf1 Rf6+ 26.Bf3 Bh4+ 27.Ng3 g5 28.Ke2

[28.e4 Bxe4 29.Kg1 Bxg3 30.hxg3 Rfe6 31.Kf2]

28...Bc4+ 29.Kd1 g4 30.Bxg4 Rf2 31.Be2 Rxg2

[31...Bb3+ with still some serious winning chances. ]

32.Bxc4 bxc4 33.Rc1 Bxg3 34.hxg3 Rxb2 35.Rxc4 Rb1+ 36.Rc1 Rb3 1/2-1/2

Boris Gelfand won a very interesting struggle against Judit Polgar in a Queens Indian Defence. Polgar chose to win an exchange but this turned out to be very hot. She got to an ending a pawn down, and if she had allowed an exchange into a rook and pawn ending she may well have drawn. Instead not only was she a pawn down but her knight got pushed back and was a spectator as Gelfand ground her down.

Gelfand,B (2758) - Polgar,Ju (2680) [E15]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (3.1), 27.11.2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qa4 Bb7 6.Bg2 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Rd1 Ne4

[10...a6 11.Bf4 d6 12.Rd2 Qc7 13.Rad1 Rd8 14.Ng5 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 Nc6 16.Nge4 Ne8 17.Bg5 f6 18.Be3 Ne5 19.Rd4 Rdc8 20.Nd2 f5 21.f3 Bf6 22.Bf2 Nc6 23.Rd3 Na5 24.e4 g6 25.Bd4 Bxd4 26.Rxd4 Nc6 27.Rd3 Ne5 28.Rd4 Nf6 29.Qa3 Rd8 30.exf5 gxf5 31.Ne2 Nc6 32.Rh4 Ne5 33.Qe3 Re8 34.Rh6 Qg7 35.Rh4 b5 36.b3 Rad8 37.Nf4 Ng6 38.Nxg6 hxg6 39.Rd4 e5 40.Rd3 Qb7 41.Kg1 Kf7 42.Re1 d5 43.cxd5 Nxd5 44.Qc5 Nf6 45.Rxd8 Rxd8 46.Qe3 Qd5 47.Re2 Qd4 48.Qxd4 Rxd4 49.Nf1 Ke6 50.Rc2 Kd7 51.Kf2 Nd5 52.Rd2 Rxd2+ 53.Nxd2 1/2-1/2 Borges Mateos,J (2500)-Spraggett,K (2580)/Havana CUB 1997]

11.Nxe4 Bxe4 12.Bf4 Qc8 13.Rac1 Rd8 14.Bd6 Bxd6 15.Rxd6 Qc5 16.Qd1 Bd5

[16...Nc6]

17.Rxd5 exd5 18.Ng5 Rf8

[18...Qe7 19.Nxf7]

19.Bxd5 Nc6 20.Qd3 g6 21.Ne4 Qd4 22.Qxd4 Nxd4 23.Rd1 Nc6 24.Nf6+ Kg7 25.Nxd7 Rfc8 26.Rb1 Rc7 27.Ne5 Nxe5 28.Bxa8 Rxc4 29.Bd5 Rc2 30.Kf1 g5?

[30...Nc4 31.Bxc4 Rxc4]

31.Bb3 Rd2 32.Ke1 Rd7 33.h3 h6 34.f4 Ng6 35.e3 Nf8 36.Rd1 Re7 37.Kf2 Nd7 38.Kf3 Nc5 39.Bc2 Rc7 40.Rd2 Nd7 41.e4 Nf8 42.e5

White is clearly winning.

42...Nd7 43.Kg4 b5 44.h4 gxf4 45.gxf4 a5 46.Kh5 a4 47.Rg2+ Kf8 48.Kxh6 Rc4 49.Kg5 Nc5 50.Bf5 Rc1 51.h5 Ke7 52.h6 Rh1 53.h7 Ne6+ 54.Kg4 Nf8 55.Rc2 Nxh7 56.Rc7+ Ke8 57.Rb7 Nf8 58.Rb8+ Ke7 59.Rb7+ Ke8 60.Rxb5 Rg1+ 61.Kf3 Rf1+ 62.Ke4 1-0

Peter Svidler got less than nothing in an Open Catalan against Arkadij Naiditsch and a draw was agreed after 18.Ne5.

Viktor Bologan was on top for a long time against Viktor Laznicka but the two bishops were never really allowed to come into play.

I'm not quite sure what happened to Konstantin Sakaev against Nikita Vitiugov. He played a theoretical sacrifice of the exchange and just didn't seem at all comfortable in the ensuing position and just was gradually pushed back to a loss, a sequence that included him losing a further exchange.

Sakaev,K (2626) - Vitiugov,N (2694) [D16]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (3.1), 27.11.2009

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 e6 6.e3 c5 7.Bxc4 Nc6 8.0-0 cxd4 9.exd4 Be7 10.Bg5 0-0 11.Re1 Bd7 12.Qd2 Nb4 13.Ne5 Bc6 14.Nxf7 Rxf7 15.Bxe6 Qf8

[15...Nbd5 16.Re5 Nc7 17.Bxf7+ Kxf7 18.d5 Ncxd5 19.Nxd5 Nxd5 20.Rd1 Nf6 21.Qc2 Qg8 22.b4 h6 23.b5 hxg5 24.bxc6 bxc6 25.Rde1 Re8 26.Qxc6 Kf8 27.Qb7 Qf7 28.Qxa7 g4 29.a5 Ng8 30.a6 Qb3 31.Qc7 Qb8 32.Qxb8 Rxb8 33.a7 Ra8 34.Ra5 Bd8 35.Rb1 Bc7 36.Rb7 1-0 Sargissian,G (2642)-Najer,E (2682)/Kallithea GRE 2008/The Week in Chess 729]

16.Re5 Kh8 17.d5?!

White ought to just take the rook here.

[17.Bxf7 Qxf7 18.Rae1 Bd6 19.Re6 Rd8 20.Nb5]

17...Nfxd5 18.Nxd5 Nxd5 19.Bxf7

White has better here but I think it's only a computer variation.

[19.Bxd5 Rd8 20.Qa5 b6 21.Bxf7 bxa5 22.Bxe7]

19...Bxg5 20.Qxg5 Qxf7 21.f3 h6 22.Qg4 Rd8 23.Rd1 Rd6 24.Rf5?

The start of some very weak play. Sakaev just seems dispirited.

[24.Rd3]

24...Qe7 25.Qd4 Re6 26.h3?

[26.Rd2 Re1+ 27.Kf2 Ra1 28.Re5 Rxa4 29.Rxe7 Rxd4 30.Rxd4]

26...Ne3 27.Qd8+ Kh7 0-1

Dmitry Jakovenko gradually ground down Alexander Areshchenko in a Gruenfeld where it is a little difficult to exactly describe where black went wrong.

Jakovenko,D (2736) - Areshchenko,A (2664) [D86]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (3.1), 27.11.2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Qc7 11.Rc1 Na5 12.Bd3 b6 13.Qd2 Bb7

[13...Rd8 14.Rfd1 Bd7 15.d5 e5 16.c4 Nb7 17.Rf1 Rf8 18.Bh6 Rae8 19.Rc3 f5 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.exf5 gxf5 22.Bb1 Qd8 23.f4 e4 24.Ng3 Qh4 25.Qe2 Kf7 26.Nh5 Rg8 27.Rg3 Rxg3 28.hxg3 Qg4 29.Qxg4 fxg4 30.f5 Nd6 31.Nf4 Nxf5 32.Ne6 Bxe6 33.dxe6+ Kxe6 34.Bxe4 Nxg3 35.Bd5+ Kd6 36.Rf6+ Ke5 37.Rf7 Ne2+ 38.Kf2 Nc3 39.Rxh7 Nxd5 40.Rh5+ Kd4 41.cxd5 Rd8 42.Rg5 Rxd5 43.Rxg4+ Kc3 44.Rg7 Rd2+ 45.Kf3 Rxa2 46.g4 Ra1 47.g5 b5 48.Kf2 b4 49.Rc7 c4 50.g6 Ra6 51.g7 Rg6 52.Rxa7 b3 53.Ke3 b2 54.Ra3+ Kc2 0-1 Socko,M (2465)-Lujan,C (2378)/Dresden GER 2006/The Week in Chess 609]

14.Bh6 Rad8 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.f4 f5 17.exf5 gxf5 18.Qe3 Qd6 19.Rcd1 c4 20.Bc2 Bd5 21.Qe5+ Qxe5 22.fxe5 e6 23.Nf4 Kf7 24.Rde1 Ke7 25.Re3 b5 26.Rb1 a6 27.Rh3 Rf7 28.Rh6 Nc6 29.Bd1 1-0

It is easy to see the attraction of the Petroff Defence for black. Often white forgoes any advantage in order to try and keep some interest in the game. Etienne Bacrot got into a horrible mess today against Wang Yue, but his aggression eventually paid off and eventually the game switched to a drawn ending.

Bacrot,E (2700) - Wang Yue (2734) [C42]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (3.1), 27.11.2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Be7 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Nc3 Bf5 9.Re1 Nxc3 10.bxc3 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 0-0 12.Rb1 Na5 13.h4

[13.Qf5 Re8 14.Bf4 g6 15.Qh3 Nc4 16.Ne5 Bd6 17.Nxc4 Bxf4 18.Rxe8+ Qxe8 19.Qf3 dxc4 20.Qxf4 Qe2 21.h3 b6 22.Qf3 Qxf3 23.gxf3 a5 24.Re1 Kf8 25.Re4 Re8 26.Kf1 f5 27.Rxe8+ Kxe8 28.f4 Kd7 29.Ke2 Kd6 30.Kd2 Kc6 31.f3 Kd6 32.Ke3 Kd5 33.Ke2 Kd6 34.Kd2 Ke7 35.Ke3 Ke6 36.Ke2 g5 37.Ke3 Kf6 38.d5 h5 39.a3 g4 40.fxg4 fxg4 41.hxg4 hxg4 42.Ke4 b5 43.Kd4 Kf5 44.Ke3 a4 0-1 Adams,M (2726)-Polgar,J (2707)/Wijk aan Zee NED 2008/The Week in Chess 690]

13...Re8 14.Bf4 c6 15.h5 h6 16.Re2 Bf6 17.Be5 Bg5 18.Nh2 Qd7 19.f4 Bh4 20.Nf3 Bd8 21.Rbe1

[21.f5 Nc4 22.Nd2]

21...Nc4 22.f5 Nb2 23.Qe3 Qxf5 24.g4 Qd7 25.Qf4 Nc4

[25...f6]

26.Bxg7?

White is now losing.

26...Rxe2 27.Rxe2 Kxg7 28.g5 hxg5?!

Blowing his winning chances.

[28...Nd6]

29.Nxg5 Bc7 30.Ne6+ fxe6 31.Qg5+ Kh7 32.Qg6+ Kh8 33.Rg2 Bf4 34.Qf6+ Kh7 1/2-1/2

David Navara gradually ground down Sergey Karjakin in a Ruy Lopez Anti-Marshall until Karjakin couldn't see a way out. In fact there was one but once he didn't see it Navara won the ending quite slowly but also without any prospect of getting out of the problems.

Navara,D (2707) - Karjakin,Sergey (2723) [C88]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (3.1), 27.11.2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a3 Kh8

[8...Bb7 9.d3 d6 10.Nbd2 Nd7 11.Nf1 Nd4 12.Ba2 Nxf3+ 13.Qxf3 Bg5 14.Ne3 g6 15.Qg4 h5 16.Qg3 Kh7 17.Nd5 Bxc1 18.Raxc1 c6 19.Nc3 Qf6 20.Kf1 Qf4 21.Ne2 Qxg3 22.hxg3 f5 23.exf5 gxf5 24.d4 Rae8 25.dxe5 Rxe5 26.Nf4 Kh6 27.f3 d5 28.Kf2 Rfe8 29.Rcd1 Bc8 30.Rxe5 Rxe5 31.b4 Nf6 32.Bb3 Kg5 33.Nd3 Re7 34.a4 h4 35.gxh4+ Kxh4 36.g3+ Kg5 37.Rh1 Kg6 38.Nf4+ Kg5 39.c3 Rc7 40.Nd3 Re7 41.Bc2 Ne8 42.Re1 Kf6 43.Rxe7 Kxe7 44.Ke3 bxa4 45.Bxa4 Kd6 46.Kd4 Nc7 47.Nf4 Bd7 48.Ke3 Bc8 49.Kd4 Be6 50.Nd3 Bd7 51.Nc5 Bc8 52.g4 fxg4 53.fxg4 Bxg4 54.Nb7+ Kd7 55.Kc5 Ne6+ 56.Kb6 d4 57.Bxc6+ Ke7 58.cxd4 Nxd4 59.Be4 Be2 60.Nc5 Kd6 61.Nxa6 Bxa6 62.Kxa6 Kc7 63.b5 Nxb5 1/2-1/2 Suetin,A (2430)-Blatny,P (2485)/Bern SWI 1995]

9.h3 d6 10.c3 Be6 11.d4 Bxb3 12.Qxb3 Nd7 13.Qc2 Nb6 14.b3 Qd7 15.Be3 exd4 16.cxd4 d5 17.Nbd2 dxe4 18.Nxe4 Nd5 19.Rac1 Nd8 20.Ne5 Qf5 21.Nc3 Qxc2 22.Rxc2 Nxc3 23.Rxc3 Bd6 24.Bd2 Ne6 25.Nc6 Nf4 26.Rf3 Nd5 27.Rf5 Nf6 28.Bg5 Rae8 29.Ne5 Kg8

[29...Bxe5 30.Rexe5 Rxe5 31.Rxe5 Rd8 32.Bxf6 gxf6 Looks like another way to go.]

30.Bxf6 gxf6 31.Rxf6 Kg7 32.Rf4 f5 33.Re3 c5 34.Rg3+ Kh8 35.Re3 Kg7 36.Rh4 f4?

It's a little difficult for a non-computer to see that black is still fine here.

[36...cxd4 37.Rg3+ Kh8 38.Ng6+ Kg8 39.Nxf8+ Bxg3 40.fxg3]

37.Rg4+ Kf6 38.Rxf4+ Kg5 39.Rg4+

[39.Nf7+ Kxf4 40.g3+ Kf5 41.Nxd6+]

39...Kf5 40.Nd7 Rxe3 41.fxe3 Rc8 42.dxc5 Bxc5 43.Rf4+ Ke6 44.Nxc5+ Rxc5 45.Rh4

White hasn't made the best of his advantage but Navara is a very good rook and pawn ending player so the prospects of escape are quite thin.

45...h5? 46.Kf2 Kd7 47.a4 a5 48.axb5 Rxb5 49.Kf3 Ke6 50.Re4+ Kf6 51.Rc4 Ke6 52.Rc6+ Kd7 53.Rh6 Kc7 54.h4 Rf5+ 55.Ke4 Rb5 56.Kf4 Rxb3 57.Rxh5 a4 58.e4 Kb6 59.Rd5 Rb1 60.g4 a3 61.Rd2 Kc5 62.h5 Rb2 63.Rd8 a2 64.Ra8 Kd4 65.h6 Rf2+ 66.Kg5 Kxe4 67.h7 Rh2 68.Kg6 Kf4 69.Ra4+ Kg3 70.g5 1-0

Alexei Shirov held Evgeny Tomashevsky pretty comfortably on the black side of an English.

When I was growing up the Modern Benoni was regarded as extremely dubious. It doesn't look very dubious these days (either that or white is just playing the wrong variations). Fabiano Caruana obtained precisely nothing against it today and the game was drawn in 21 moves.

Gata Kamsky got absolutely nothing against Wesley So's French Defence and was gradually outplayed.

Kamsky,G (2695) - So,W (2640) [C11]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (3.1), 27.11.2009

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 Qb6 8.a3 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Bc5 10.Na4 Qa5+ 11.c3 Bxd4 12.Bxd4 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 b6 14.Be2 Ba6 15.Bd1

Wesley So's preparation has been good. Black is already more than fine.

15...Qb5

[15...0-0 16.b4 Qb5 17.Nb2 Qc6 18.Ba4 Bb5 19.Bxb5 Qxb5 20.c4 dxc4 21.Qxc4 Qxc4 22.Nxc4 g5 23.Rd1 Rfd8 24.g3 gxf4 25.gxf4 Nf8 26.Ke2 Ng6 27.Ke3 Rxd1 28.Rxd1 Rc8 29.Rd4 Kf8 30.Ke4 h5 31.a4 h4 1/2-1/2 Alekseev,E (2597)-Ivanchuk,V (2739)/Sochi RUS 2005/The Week in Chess 547]

16.b4 Rc8 17.Nb2 Qc6 18.Rc1 0-0 19.a4 Bc4 20.Bg4 Bb3 21.0-0 Bxa4 22.f5 Bb5 23.Rfe1 Rfe8 24.Re3

[24.fxe6 fxe6 25.Bf3]

24...f6!

Black is now clearly better.

25.fxe6 Nxe5 26.Bf5 g6 27.Bh3 Qd6 28.Rd1 Rcd8 29.Rd2 Qe7 30.Rf2 Nc6 31.Qd2

[31.Qxf6 Qxf6 32.Rxf6 d4 33.Ref3 Ne5 34.Rg3 dxc3 35.Rxc3 Rd2]

31...d4 32.Re4 dxc3 33.Qxc3 Rf8 34.g4?! Rd6 35.Bg2 Ne5 36.g5 Rxe6 37.gxf6 Rfxf6 38.Rxf6 Qxf6 39.Re3 Bc6 40.Nd1 Qg5 41.Rg3 Qf4 42.Nf2 Bxg2 43.Kxg2 Nc4

Black is now crushing.

44.Qd3 Ne3+ 45.Kg1 Nf5 46.Qd5 Qc1+ 47.Nd1 Kf7 48.Rc3 Qg5+ 49.Kf2 Qf4+ 50.Kg2 Qg4+ 51.Kf2 Qe2+ 52.Kg1 Qe1+ 53.Kg2 Kg7 0-1

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave saddled Yu Yangyi with a very passive position in the Sicilian almost straight out of the opening. These kind of positions are never much fun for black and gentle probing eventually gained the frenchman the weaknesses he need to win the game.

Li Chao let Vugar Gashimov off three times in their draw today. First of all he chose the wrong way to exploit his lead in development, then played aimlessly for a number of moves up to the first time control. Then he broke through and with just one careful move he would have forced resignation but instead took a smaller advantage into an endgame where right at the end he had a final winning chance before perpetual check was given.

Li Chao2 (2596) - Gashimov,V (2758) [B93]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (3.1), 27.11.2009

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f4 e5 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.a4 Be7 9.Bd3 0-0 10.0-0 exf4 11.Bxf4 Qb6+ 12.Kh1 Qxb2 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.exd5 Qb6 15.Qe2 Bf6 16.Rab1 Qc7 17.Bg5 g6 18.Bh6 Nc5

[18...Qd8 19.Bxf8 Qxf8 20.Nd2 Bd8 1/2-1/2 Haslinger,S (2412)-Rowson,J (2599)/Douglas IOM 2005/The Week in Chess 562]

19.Bxf8 Kxf8 20.Nd2 Kg7 21.Nc4 Be5 22.Qf2 f5 23.Qh4 h6 24.a5! Qf7 25.Nb6

The wrong plan.

[25.Nxe5 dxe5 26.Rb6 Nxd3 27.cxd3 Bd7 28.Rxb7]

25...Bf6 26.Qc4 Rb8 27.Rfe1 Bd7 28.Qf4 Be7 29.Nxd7 Nxd7 30.Re2 Nc5 31.Rbe1 Bf8 32.Bc4 h5 33.Qg5 Ne4 34.Qe3 Rc8 35.Qb3 Kh7 36.Bd3

Black is back to being almost equal in this position.

36...Nc5 37.Qc4 Rc7 38.Qh4 Rd7 39.Bc4 Ne4 40.Bd3?!

[40.Rf1]

40...Be7 41.Qh3 Nc5 42.Rf1 Kh6 43.c4 Kg7 44.Ref2 Bf6?

[44...Bd8 45.Bxf5 gxf5 46.Rxf5 Qg6]

45.Bxf5 gxf5 46.Qxf5 Qe7 47.Qxf6+

[47.Qxh5 and it is time to resign.]

47...Qxf6 48.Rxf6 Nb3 49.R6f3 Nxa5 50.Rg3+ Kh7 51.Rf5 Kh6 52.Rf6+ Kh7 53.Rf4 Rc7 54.Rh4 Kh6 55.Rg8 Nxc4 56.g4 Kh7 57.Rg5 Rg7 58.Rgxh5+ Kg6 59.Rh6+ Kg5 60.Kg2 Kf4 61.Rf6+ Ke5

Black is back level again.

62.Rf5+ Ke4 63.Kg3 b5 64.Rh8 Rb7 65.Rc8 a5 66.h4 a4 67.h5 a3 68.h6 Ne5 69.Rg5 Rf7 70.Rg7 Rf3+ 71.Kg2 b4 72.Rb7?

[72.h7 a2 73.Rc1 Rc3 74.Re1+ Re3 75.Rxe3+ Kxe3 76.Ra7 Ng6 77.Rxa2 Kd4 78.Ra8 b3 79.Rg8 b2 80.Rxg6 b1Q 81.h8Q+]

72...Rb3 73.h7 a2 74.Ra8 Rb2+ 75.Kg3 Ng6 76.Rba7

[76.g5 Rb3+ 77.Kg4 Ne5+ 78.Kh4 Ng6+]

76...Rb3+ 77.Kf2 Rb2+ 78.Kg3 Rb3+ 79.Kf2 Rb2+ 1/2-1/2

Ruslan Ponomariov won a long grind against Alexander Motylev. Black's light squared bishop got sidetracked on h5 and this allowed white to win a pawn on the queenside but even after this a long ending was required for white to win.

Pavel Eljanov vs Malakhov was a long manoevering draw.

Mamedyarov beat Wang Hao in a game that is currently not available complete.

World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk (RUS), 21 xi-14 xii 2009 Round 3 Results (128 players):
Name	NAT	G1	G2	R1	R2	R3	R4	B1	B2	B3	B4	B5	B6	B7	B8	B9	B10	SD	Tot
Round 3 Match 01
Gelfand, Boris	ISR	1																	1.0
Polgar, Judit	HUN	0																	0
Round 3 Match 02
Li, Chao b	CHN	½																	0.5
Gashimov, Vugar	AZE	½																	0.5
Round 3 Match 03
Svidler, Peter	RUS	½																	0.5
Naiditsch, Arkadij	GER	½																	0.5
Round 3 Match 04
Bologan, Viktor	MDA	½																	0.5
Laznicka, Viktor	CZE	½																	0.5
Round 3 Match 05
Sakaev, Konstantin	RUS	0																	0.0
Vitiugov, Nikita	RUS	1																	1
Round 3 Match 06
Kamsky, Gata	USA	0																	0.0
So, Wesley	PHI	1																	1
Round 3 Match 07
Ponomariov, Ruslan	UKR	1																	1.0
Motylev, Alexander	RUS	0																	0
Round 3 Match 08
Jobava, Baadur	GEO	½																	0.5
Grischuk, Alexander	RUS	½																	0.5
Round 3 Match 09
Jakovenko, Dmitry	RUS	1																	1.0
Areshchenko, Alexander	UKR	0																	0
Round 3 Match 10
Bacrot, Etienne	FRA	½																	0.5
Wang, Yue	CHN	½																	0.5
Round 3 Match 11
Eljanov, Pavel	UKR	½																	0.5
Malakhov, Vladimir	RUS	½																	0.5
Round 3 Match 12
Navara, David	CZE	1																	1.0
Karjakin, Sergey	UKR	0																	0
Round 3 Match 13
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	AZE	1																	1.0
Wang, Hao	CHN	0																	0
Round 3 Match 14
Tomashevsky, Evgeny	RUS	½																	0.5
Shirov, Alexei	ESP	½																	0.5
Round 3 Match 15
Caruana, Fabiano	ITA	½																	0.5
Alekseev, Evgeny	RUS	½																	0.5
Round 3 Match 16
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	FRA	1																	1.0
Yu, Yangyi	CHN	0																	0

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