World Cup Finals: Ivanchuk wins game two with black

by ChessBase
9/17/2011 – Peter Svidler played fourteen moves of theory against his good friend Alexander Grischuk, then they played two more moves and agreed to a pragmatic draw. In the game for place three Vassily Ivanchuk came with a clear advantage out of the opening, and just when his opponent Ruslan Ponomariov appeared to be holding, he cracked under the pressure and gave Ivanchuk an important point.

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The tournament is taking place in the Ugorian Chess Academy in the very heart of Khanty-Mansiysk, which has hosted three previous World Cups: 2005, 2007, and 2009. The 128 participants hail from 46 different countries, and are playing for a total prize fund of US $1.6 million. In addition the first three finisher get tickets to the Candidates tournament in the next World Championship cycle.

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Finals game two

The battle between Russian GMs Peter Svidler and Alexander Grischuk turned out not to be very long. Grischuk, playing Black and trailing, strove for a full-blooded fight, responding to 1.e4 with a sharp Najdorf Sicilian. However, the system is sharp only if White also strives for a fight. In view of the match situation Svidler opted for a quiet game.


The start of game two between Peter Svidler and Alexander Grischuk


The two played fourteen moves of theory, then two more moves and agreed to a draw

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2011"] [Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"] [Date "2011.09.17"] [Round "7.2"] [White "Svidler, Peter"] [Black "Grischuk, Alexander"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B90"] [WhiteElo "2739"] [BlackElo "2746"] [PlyCount "32"] [EventDate "2011.08.28"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. a4 e5 7. Nf3 Be7 8. Bg5 Be6 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. Nd5 Nd7 11. Bc4 Rc8 12. Qe2 Nb6 13. Nxf6+ Qxf6 14. Bxe6 Qxe6 {[#]} 15. b3 O-O 16. Rd1 Rc6 1/2-1/2

"Most of my white games are drawn," said Peter Svidler in the press conference after the game. "I decided not to deviate from this recipe for success, since it was working very well. But seriously, it was not exactly what I wanted when I played 6.a4. Soon we got a whittled down position."

Sacha Grischuk: "Today Peter proved once again that he is a man of his word. Like Alexander Kerzhakov who used to say 'I kicked, I kick and I will keep kicking!', Peter is saying: 'With White I drew, I draw and I will draw!' I prepared ten main lines on the sixth move, and 6.a4 is among the most solid – and most boring ones."


Problem is the two are great friends and have worked together


The match for the third place and for the last ticket to the World Championship cycle between two Ukrainian grandmasters Vassily Ivanchuk and Ruslan Ponomariov was more eventful. Ponomariov with white did not handle the Vienne Variation well enough, and after the opening had a hopeless position. Very soon queens disappeared from the board, and Black’s advantage became more obvious in the endgame. White had to speed up in order to develop the kingside while Black gained the initiative all over the board: he pushed his pawns on the queenside and penetrated into the opponent’s camp with the rook. White defended very persistently: having sacrificed a pawn, he activated all his pieces, after which the fight flashed up anew. However, in terrible time trouble, Ponomariov blundered on move 37, after which White’s position became hopeless.


What is he up to? Ruslan Ponomariov in game two with the white pieces...


... against Vassily Ivanchuk, who got a clear advantage in the opening


Pondering whether to play 22.h3 – which he did in the end


Realizing that there is trouble abrewing

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2011"] [Site "Khanty-Mansiysk RUS"] [Date "2011.09.17"] [Round "7.2"] [White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"] [Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D37"] [WhiteElo "2764"] [BlackElo "2768"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "2011.08.28"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 Bb4 6. Bg5 c5 7. Bxc4 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qa5 10. Bb5+ Nbd7 11. Bxf6 Qxc3+ 12. Kf1 gxf6 13. Nxe6 ({ Relevant:} 13. h4 a6 14. Rh3 Qb4 15. Be2 Ne5 16. Rc1 Qd6 17. Rc2 Bd7 18. Rd2 Qc7 19. Rc2 Qd6 20. Rd2 Qc7 21. Rc2 {1/2-1/2 (21) Grischuk,A (2746)-Kramnik,V (2781) Moscow 2011}) 13... Qe5 14. Nd4 O-O 15. Qd3 $146 ({Predecessor (7):} 15. Rb1 Nc5 16. Nf3 Qxe4 17. Rc1 b6 18. Qd6 Be6 19. Re1 Qb4 20. Be2 Rfd8 21. Qg3+ Kh8 22. a3 Qxa3 23. h4 Qb4 24. h5 Ne4 25. Qc7 Rac8 26. Qxa7 Qc5 27. Ba6 Qxf2# { 0-1 (27) Gormally,D (2471)-Wells,P (2485) Halifax 2003}) 15... Nc5 16. Qg3+ Kh8 17. Qxe5 fxe5 18. Nf3 a6 19. Bc4 Nxe4 20. Nxe5 f6 21. Nf3 Bf5 22. h3 b5 23. Bb3 Nc3 24. Nd4 Bd3+ 25. Kg1 a5 26. Kh2 a4 27. Bd1 Bc4 28. a3 Rad8 29. Nc6 Rd2 30. Bf3 Rxf2 31. Rhc1 Na2 32. Re1 Rc8 33. Re7 Nc3 34. Nb4 f5 35. Rae1 Rg8 36. R7e5 $6 ({Better was} 36. Rd7 {to prevent} Be2 {\/because of} 37. Rd2) 36... Be2 37. Rxf5 $2 {This is terrible and loses quickly for White.} Bxf3 38. Rxf3 Rgxg2+ 39. Kh1 Rh2+ 40. Kg1 Ne2+ (40... Ne2+ 41. Rxe2 Rhg2+ 42. Kh1 Rxe2 {and it is all over for White.}) 0-1


Press conference with translator Kema Goryaeva and the game two winner...


Vassily Ivanchuk, who is now in the lead for place three


Kema taking notes in order to provide exact translations


Ivanchuk now with good chances for a ticket to the Candidates

Results of the finals

Name
G1
G2
 R1
 R2
 r3
 r4
 B1
 B2
 SD
Tot
 Grischuk, Alexander (RUS)
0
½
             
0.5
 Svidler, Peter (RUS)
1
½
             
1.5
 
 Ivanchuk, Vassily (UKR)
½
1
             
1.5
 Ponomariov, Ruslan (UKR)  
½
0
             
0.5

Remaining schedule of the World Chess Cup 2011

Date Day Time   Rounds
Players
18.09.2011 Sunday 15:00 Round 7, game 3
19.09.2011 Monday 15:00 Round 7, game 4
20.09.2011 Tuesday 11:00 Tiebreaks, Closing
21.09.2011 Wednesday   Departure

Links

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