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The top seeds may have had an easy time of it in round one but round 2 saw many of the leading contenders lose.

If round 1 saw no real surprises, day 1 of round 2 saw virtually nothing but.

Peter Svidler played his normal Gruenfeld Defence against Tomi Nyback and an interesting struggle developed. Svidler blundered very badly with 30...Rxe6 rather than 30...Qf5 after which there was no chance to recover.

Nyback,T (2628) - Svidler,P (2754) [D85]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.1), 24.11.2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bg5 c5 8.Rc1 0-0 9.Nf3 cxd4 10.cxd4 Bg4 11.d5 Nd7 12.Be2 Nf6 13.h3 Bd7 14.Bd3 Qa5+

[14...h6 15.Bf4 e6 16.Bc7 Qe8 17.Bd6 (17.d6 Bc6 18.Qe2 Nh5 19.g3 e5 20.0-0 Qd7 21.Kh2 Bf6 22.Rfd1 Ng7 23.Bc4 Rac8 24.Bd5 Ne6 25.Bxc6 bxc6 26.Qa6 Nxc7 27.Qxa7 Kg7 28.Qb7 Qd8 29.dxc7 Qxc7 30.Qxc7 1/2-1/2 Ponomariov,R (2703)-Svidler,P (2750)/Moscow RUS 2006/The Week in Chess 627) 17...Nxe4 18.Bxe4 exd5 19.Qxd5 Rd8 20.0-0 Bc6 21.Qc5 Rxd6 22.Qxd6 Qxe4 23.Qa3 a6 24.Rfe1 Qf5 25.Re3 Rd8 26.Rce1 Bf6 27.Qb4 Kg7 28.Ne5 Bd5 29.Ng4 Bg5 30.Qb2+ Bf6 31.Nxf6 Qxf6 32.Qxf6+ Kxf6 33.Rd1 Rd7 34.Re8 Bc6 35.Rxd7 Bxd7 36.Rb8 Bc6 37.f3 h5 38.h4 Ke5 39.Kf2 Kd4 40.Rd8+ Ke5 41.Ke3 Kf5 42.g3 Ke5 43.Rd2 Kf5 44.Rc2 Kf6 45.Kf4 Bb5 46.Rd2 Bc6 47.Rd4 Bb5 48.a4 Bc6 49.a5 Bb5 50.Rd6+ Ke7 51.Ke5 Be2 52.Rf6 Bb5 53.Rd6 Be2 54.f4 Bf3 55.Rf6 Bg4 56.Rb6 Bf3 57.f5 gxf5 58.Kxf5 Kd7 59.Kf6 Kc7 60.Kxf7 Bg4 61.Ke7 Bf3 62.Rb4 Be2 63.Rb2 Bf3 64.Rc2+ Kb8 65.Kd6 Bg4 66.Rf2 Bd1 67.Kc5 Kc7 1-0 Kovalyov,A (2483)-Barrionuevo,P (2301)/Berazategui ARG 2007/The Week in Chess 651]

15.Qd2 Qa4 16.Rc4 Qa3 17.0-0 Rac8 18.Rfc1 Rxc4 19.Rxc4 Bb5 20.Rc3 Qa5 21.Bxf6 Bxf6 22.e5 Bg7 23.Bxb5 Qxb5 24.Rc7 Rd8

[24...e6 25.d6 Bxe5 26.Qg5 f6 27.Qh6 wins.]

25.Rxe7 Bf8 26.Rc7 Rxd5 27.Qf4 Rd1+ 28.Kh2 Rd7 29.Rc8 Re7 30.e6 Rxe6?

[30...Qf5 seems equal.]

31.Ng5

Svidler must have overlooked a tactical point connected with this move.

31...Re7 32.Nxh7 Kxh7 33.Rxf8 Kg7

[33...g5 34.Rxf7+ Rxf7 35.Qxf7+ is equally hopeless.]

34.Qh4 g5 35.Qh8+ Kg6 36.f4 Kf5 37.Rd8 f6 38.Rd6 Qb2 39.Qh5 Qe2 40.Rd5+ Kxf4 41.Qg6 1-0

Alexander Morozevich overplayed his hand in a scotch against Viktor Laznicka and was ground down in 47 moves.

Teimour Radjabov's King's Indian seemed to be doing brilliantly against Konstanin Sakaev in the first half of their game. Gradually white unwound from his problems and black seemed to sleep walk into troubles he couldn't get out of around the first time control.

Sakaev,K (2626) - Radjabov,T (2748) [E90]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.1), 24.11.2009
[,Mark]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.h3 e5 7.d5 Nh5 8.Nd2 Qe8 9.g3 f5 10.Be2 Nf6 11.g4

[11.Qc2 a5 12.b3 Na6 13.a3 Nc5 14.f3 Bh6 15.g4 Bf4 16.Rg1 Kh8 17.Nf1 fxe4 18.fxe4 Nfd7 19.Be3 Qf7 20.Rg2 a4 21.bxa4 Nb6 22.Rf2 Qe7 23.Bxf4 exf4 24.Nd2 Qg7 25.Rb1 Nbxa4 26.Nb5 c6 27.Nxd6 Qe5 28.Nxc8 Raxc8 29.Kf1 Qc3 30.Qxc3+ Nxc3 31.Rb2 N3xe4 32.Nxe4 Nxe4 33.Rf3 cxd5 34.cxd5 Nd6 35.Rb6 Rcd8 36.h4 Kg7 37.Rb4 Ra8 38.a4 Ra5 39.Rbxf4 1/2-1/2 Brondum,E (2202)-Hansen,H (2028)/Copenhagen DEN 2006/The Week in Chess 612]

11...Na6 12.f3 Qe7 13.Nf1 Nc5 14.Qc2 Ne8 15.Be3 fxe4 16.Nxe4 Nxe4 17.fxe4 Qh4+ 18.Kd2 Nf6 19.Rh2 Bh6 20.Bxh6 Qxh6+ 21.Kc3 Bd7 22.Bd3 Qf4 23.Kb3 c6 24.Rf2 Qh6 25.Rf3 Kg7 26.Qg2 Qg5 27.Qd2 Qxd2 28.Nxd2 Rab8 29.a4 a5 30.Raf1 g5 31.R1f2 b6 32.Nf1 b5

Still playing like he has the advantage.

[32...Ng8 is probably the simplest way to avoid all the troubles that come now.]

33.axb5 cxb5 34.cxb5 Bxb5 35.Bxb5 Rxb5+ 36.Ka3 Rbb8?

[36...Rb4 is the only move but I think black has been drifting for some time. 37.Ng3 Rfb8 I'm not at all sure it is reasonable to expect that black would find this resource. 38.Nf5+ Kh8 39.Nxd6 Nxe4 40.Nxe4 Rxe4]

37.Ng3 Kg6 38.Nh5 1-0

Vassily Ivanchuk played very creatively against Wesley So's French Defence using a very unusual exchange variation. However there came a moment when Ivanchuk should have accepted that it hadn't worked as a winning attempt and taken perpetual check. Once he missed these couple of chances he went under without a serious fight.

Ivanchuk,V (2739) - So,W (2640) [C15]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.1), 24.11.2009

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bd3 Nf6 6.Nge2 0-0 7.0-0 Bg4 8.f3 Bh5 9.Nf4 Bg6 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.Bg5 c6 12.f4 Qb6

[12...Be7 13.Qf3 Nh7 14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.f5 gxf5 16.Qxf5 g6 17.Qf4 Nd7 18.Rae1 Qf6 19.Qg4 Qd6 20.Ne2 Ndf6 21.Qf4 Qxf4 22.Nxf4 Rfe8 23.c4 Rxe1 24.Rxe1 dxc4 25.Bxc4 Kf8 26.Nd3 Rc8 27.Ne5 Rc7 28.Rf1 Kg7 29.b4 a6 30.a4 Ng5 31.a5 Nge4 32.Rc1 Nd6 33.Bb3 Re7 34.g4 Nb5 35.g5 Ne4 36.Nf3 Rd7 37.Re1 Nec3 38.Re3 Nd5 39.Bxd5 cxd5 40.Re5 Nc3 41.Re8 Na2 42.Ne5 Rc7 43.Ng4 Rc6 44.Nf6 Rxf6 45.gxf6+ Kxf6 46.Rb8 Nxb4 47.Rxb7 Nc2 48.Rb6+ Ke7 49.Rxa6 Kd7 50.Rf6 Nxd4 51.Rxf7+ Kc8 52.a6 Kb8 53.Rd7 1-0 Fressinet,L (2624)-Malakhatko,V (2570)/Bastia FRA 2005]

13.Na4 Qxd4+ 14.Kh1 Ne4 15.c3 Nf2+ 16.Rxf2 Qxf2 17.cxb4 f6 18.Qg4 fxg5 19.Qe6+ Kh8 20.Nc5 Qxb2 21.Qh3+ Kg8 22.Qe6+ Kh8 23.Rf1

Probably it's already time to call off the hunt.

23...Qf6 24.Qh3+ Kg8 25.g3

[25.Ne4 dxe4 26.Bc4+ Rf7 27.Qc8+ Kh7 28.Qh3+ Kg8 with a draw.]

25...Re8 26.Nxb7 gxf4 27.Rxf4?

[27.Nc5]

27...Re1+ 28.Kg2 Qe6 29.Qxe6+ Rxe6 30.Nc5 Re7 31.b5 Nd7 32.Nxd7 Rxd7 33.bxc6 Rd6 34.Bb5 Re8 35.Rd4 Kf7 36.Rf4+ Ke6 37.Rg4 Ke5 38.Kf3 Rf6+ 39.Ke3 0-1

Alexander Grischuk had a crushing position just out of the opening against Vladislav Tkachiev. Somehow Grischuk didn't find the best and allowed some chances for Tkachiev to recover, however he spurned them and lost quickly. Grischuk was the highest seeded winner on this day.

Grischuk,A (2736) - Tkachiev,V (2642) [D43]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.1), 24.11.2009

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 Be7 7.e3 0-0 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Bd3 Nbd7 11.0-0 Bb7 12.Rc1 Rc8 13.a3 a5 14.Ne5

[14.Bxf6 Nxf6 15.Ne4 c5 16.Nxc5 Bxf3 17.gxf3 e5 18.Bf5 exd4 19.Bxc8 Qxc8 20.Qxd4 Qh3 21.Qf4 Rd8 22.Qg3 Qh5 23.Ne4 Nxe4 24.fxe4 Rd6 25.Kh1 Rg6 26.Qb8+ Kh7 27.f4 Qe2 0-1 Dzagnidze,N (2463)-Houska,J (2384)/Catalan Bay ENG 2007/The Week in Chess 639]

14...Re8 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.Ne4 Rc7 17.f4 Nd7 18.Qh5 Rf8 19.Ng4 Nf6

White's position was very nice, this just loses out of hand.

[19...c5 is compulsary.]

20.Nexf6+ Bxf6 21.Rf3 Re8 22.Rg3 Kf8 23.Nxf6 Qxf6 24.Bxb5 Rd8 25.Qc5+ Qe7 26.Qc3 Rdc8 27.Bc4 f6 28.b4 axb4 29.axb4 Rb8 30.Qd3

[30.Bd3]

30...Kg8

[30...f5]

31.Qg6 Kh8 32.Bd3 f5 33.e4 Bc8

[33...Rf8 and black will have had the best position he's had in ages.]

34.Re1 Qxb4 35.Rge3 Qxd4 36.exf5 Qf6 37.Qe8+ Kh7 38.fxe6+ g6 39.e7 1-0

I haven't been very impressed with the latest tries by white in the Nimzo-Indian with 4.f3. The game Chanda Sandipan against Dmitry Jakovenko was no exception. They reached an ending with Rook and Bishop of opposite colours each with pawns which proved remarkably difficult for white to hold and indeed he wasn't up to it.

Sandipan,C (2623) - Jakovenko,D (2736) [E20]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.1), 24.11.2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c6 7.Qc2 0-0 8.e4 dxe4 9.fxe4 e5 10.d5 Nbd7 11.Ne2 cxd5 12.cxd5 Nc5 13.Ng3 Bd7 14.a4 Rc8 15.Bd3 Qa5 16.Bd2 Bxa4 17.Qb1 Nxd3+ 18.Qxd3 Bc2 19.Rxa5 Bxd3 20.d6 Nxe4 21.Nxe4 Bxe4 22.Rxe5 Bxg2 23.Rg1 Rfe8 24.Rxe8+ Rxe8+ 25.Kf2 Bc6 26.Be3 Rd8 27.Rd1 a6 28.Bb6 Rd7 29.c4 f6 30.c5 g5 31.Ba5 Kf7 32.Re1 f5 33.Re5 Be4 34.Ke3 Kg6 35.Re6+ Kh5 36.Kd4 Bc6 37.Ke5 Rf7 38.Be1 f4 39.Kd4 a5 40.Re2 a4 41.Ke5 Rf8 42.Kd4 Re8 0-1

Wang Yue beat Boris Savchenko in an Open Catalan in very straightforward style.

Ernesto Inarkiev crushed Pavel Eljanov in a Ruy Lopez Berlin Defence.

Madmedyarov gradually outplayed Vadim Milov on the black side of an English.

Alexei Shirov seemed to have little difficulty dispatching Sergey Fedorchuk in a Berlin Defence, his position just fell apart after 25 moves.

Shirov,A (2719) - Fedorchuk,S (2619) [C65]
World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (2.1), 24.11.2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Nxe5 Nxe4 6.Qe2 Nxe5 7.d4 Be7 8.dxe5 Nc5 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Bf4 d5

[10...c6 11.Bd3 Nxd3 12.Qxd3 f6 13.Qg3 1/2-1/2 Ivanchuk,V (2714)-Leko,P (2694)/Linares ESP 1999]

11.exd6 Bxd6 12.Rad1 Qf6 13.Bxd6 cxd6 14.Rd5 a6 15.Bd3 g6 16.Rd1 Rd8 17.Be4 Nxe4 18.Qxe4 Bf5 19.Qf4 Qe6

[19...Qe7]

20.h3 Bxc2 21.R1d2 Qe1+ 22.Kh2 Qc1 23.R5d4 Rac8

[23...Bf5 24.Nd5]

24.Nd5 Qxb2 25.Qh6 1-0

New Chinese star Yu Yangyi won again defeating Mateusz Bartel in a game that started 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 b5 3. Bg2 Bb7 4. Na3. Yu gradually outplayed Bartel until he allowed a quick win.

Alexander Motylev beat Evgeny Najer in a sharp ending where every tempo was key.

Gata Kamsky won a complicated struggle with black against Zhou Weiqi.

Alexander Onischuk blundered away a perfectly satisfactory position in just one move against Arkadij Naiditsch.

Yannick Pelletier completely outplayed Li Chao on the black side of a Pirc Defence.

Wang Hao beat SS Ganguly and Etienne Bacrot beat Krishnan Sasikiran in the final games of the day to finish.

World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk (RUS), 21 xi-14 xii 2009 Round 2 Day 1 Results (KO 128 players):
Bd	MSco	White	FED	GmRes	Black	FED
1	0.5-0.5	Amonatov, Farrukh	TJK	½-½	Gelfand, Boris	ISR
2	0.5-0.5	Gashimov, Vugar	AZE	½-½	Zhou, Jianchao	CHN
3	1-0	Nyback, Tomi	FIN	1-0	Svidler, Peter	RUS
4	0-1	Morozevich, Alexander	RUS	0-1	Laznicka, Viktor	CZE
5	1-0	Sakaev, Konstantin	RUS	1-0	Radjabov, Teimour	AZE
6	0-1	Ivanchuk, Vassily	UKR	0-1	So, Wesley	PHI
7	0.5-0.5	Akobian, Varuzhan	USA	½-½	Ponomariov, Ruslan	UKR
8	1-0	Grischuk, Alexander	RUS	1-0	Tkachiev, Vladislav	FRA
9	0-1	Sandipan, Chanda	IND	0-1	Jakovenko, Dmitry	RUS
10	1-0	Wang, Yue	CHN	1-0	Savchenko, Boris	RUS
11	1-0	Inarkiev, Ernesto	RUS	1-0	Eljanov, Pavel	UKR
12	0.5-0.5	Karjakin, Sergey	UKR	½-½	Timofeev, Artyom	RUS
13	0-1	Milov, Vadim	SUI	0-1	Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	AZE
14	1-0	Shirov, Alexei	ESP	1-0	Fedorchuk, Sergey A.	UKR
15	0.5-0.5	Caruana, Fabiano	ITA	½-½	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	CUB
16	1-0	Yu, Yangyi	CHN	1-0	Bartel, Mateusz	POL
17	0.5-0.5	Meier, Georg	GER	½-½	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	FRA
18	0.5-0.5	Alekseev, Evgeny	RUS	½-½	Fressinet, Laurent	FRA
19	0.5-0.5	Khalifman, Alexander	RUS	½-½	Tomashevsky, Evgeny	RUS
20	1-0	Wang, Hao	CHN	1-0	Ganguly, Surya Shekhar	IND
21	0.5-0.5	Shabalov, Alexander	USA	½-½	Navara, David	CZE
22	0.5-0.5	Malakhov, Vladimir	RUS	½-½	Smirin, Ilia	ISR
23	0-1	Sasikiran, Krishnan	IND	0-1	Bacrot, Etienne	FRA
24	0.5-0.5	Rublevsky, Sergei	RUS	½-½	Areshchenko, Alexander	UKR
25	0.5-0.5	Iturrizaga, Eduardo	VEN	½-½	Jobava, Baadur	GEO
26	1-0	Motylev, Alexander	RUS	1-0	Najer, Evgeniy	RUS
27	0-1	Zhou, Weiqi	CHN	0-1	Kamsky, Gata	USA
28	0.5-0.5	Vitiugov, Nikita	RUS	½-½	Milos, Gilberto	BRA
29	0.5-0.5	Cheparinov, Ivan	BUL	½-½	Bologan, Viktor	MDA
30	1-0	Naiditsch, Arkadij	GER	1-0	Onischuk, Alexander	USA
31	0-1	Li, Chao b	CHN	0-1	Pelletier, Yannick	SUI
32	0.5-0.5	Polgar, Judit	HUN	½-½	Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter	ROU

World Cup Khanty-Mansiysk (RUS), 21 xi-14 xii 2009 Round 2 Results (128 players):
Name	NAT	G1	G2	R1	R2	R3	R4	B1	B2	B3	B4	B5	B6	B7	B8	B9	B10	SD	Tot
Round 2 Match 01
Amonatov, Farrukh	TJK	½																	0.5
Gelfand, Boris	ISR	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 02
Gashimov, Vugar	AZE	½																	0.5
Zhou, Jianchao	CHN	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 03
Nyback, Tomi	FIN	1																	1.0
Svidler, Peter	RUS	0																	0
Round 2 Match 04
Morozevich, Alexander	RUS	0																	0.0
Laznicka, Viktor	CZE	1																	1
Round 2 Match 05
Sakaev, Konstantin	RUS	1																	1.0
Radjabov, Teimour	AZE	0																	0
Round 2 Match 06
Ivanchuk, Vassily	UKR	0																	0.0
So, Wesley	PHI	1																	1
Round 2 Match 07
Akobian, Varuzhan	USA	½																	0.5
Ponomariov, Ruslan	UKR	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 08
Grischuk, Alexander	RUS	1																	1.0
Tkachiev, Vladislav	FRA	0																	0
Round 2 Match 09
Sandipan, Chanda	IND	0																	0.0
Jakovenko, Dmitry	RUS	1																	1
Round 2 Match 10
Wang, Yue	CHN	1																	1.0
Savchenko, Boris	RUS	0																	0
Round 2 Match 11
Inarkiev, Ernesto	RUS	1																	1.0
Eljanov, Pavel	UKR	0																	0
Round 2 Match 12
Karjakin, Sergey	UKR	½																	0.5
Timofeev, Artyom	RUS	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 13
Milov, Vadim	SUI	0																	0.0
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar	AZE	1																	1
Round 2 Match 14
Shirov, Alexei	ESP	1																	1.0
Fedorchuk, Sergey A.	UKR	0																	0
Round 2 Match 15
Caruana, Fabiano	ITA	½																	0.5
Dominguez Perez, Leinier	CUB	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 16
Yu, Yangyi	CHN	1																	1.0
Bartel, Mateusz	POL	0																	0
Round 2 Match 17
Meier, Georg	GER	½																	0.5
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	FRA	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 18
Alekseev, Evgeny	RUS	½																	0.5
Fressinet, Laurent	FRA	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 19
Khalifman, Alexander	RUS	½																	0.5
Tomashevsky, Evgeny	RUS	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 20
Wang, Hao	CHN	1																	1.0
Ganguly, Surya Shekhar	IND	0																	0
Round 2 Match 21
Shabalov, Alexander	USA	½																	0.5
Navara, David	CZE	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 22
Malakhov, Vladimir	RUS	½																	0.5
Smirin, Ilia	ISR	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 23
Sasikiran, Krishnan	IND	0																	0.0
Bacrot, Etienne	FRA	1																	1
Round 2 Match 24
Rublevsky, Sergei	RUS	½																	0.5
Areshchenko, Alexander	UKR	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 25
Iturrizaga, Eduardo	VEN	½																	0.5
Jobava, Baadur	GEO	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 26
Motylev, Alexander	RUS	1																	1.0
Najer, Evgeniy	RUS	0																	0
Round 2 Match 27
Zhou, Weiqi	CHN	0																	0.0
Kamsky, Gata	USA	1																	1
Round 2 Match 28
Vitiugov, Nikita	RUS	½																	0.5
Milos, Gilberto	BRA	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 29
Cheparinov, Ivan	BUL	½																	0.5
Bologan, Viktor	MDA	½																	0.5
Round 2 Match 30
Naiditsch, Arkadij	GER	1																	1.0
Onischuk, Alexander	USA	0																	0
Round 2 Match 31
Li, Chao b	CHN	0																	0.0
Pelletier, Yannick	SUI	1																	1
Round 2 Match 32
Polgar, Judit	HUN	½																	0.5
Nisipeanu, Liviu-Dieter	ROU	½																	0.5

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