Baku R3: a fighting day with five decisive games

by ChessBase
4/24/2008 – It was certainly an exciting third round, with victories chalked up by Magnus Carlsen, Vugar Gashimov, Etienne Bacrot, Sergey Karjakin (picture) and Alexander Grischuk, who is now in the lead with 2.5/3 at the Grand Prix in Baku. Five players share the second slot with 2.0 points. Ivan Cheparinov, the second of Veselin Topalov, has still to score anything. Full report with pictures and videos.

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First FIDE Grand Prix in Baku

The first FIDE Grand Prix tournament is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from April 20th to May 6th, 2008. There are thirteen rounds and two rest days (April 26 and May 1st). The event is part of a series of six tournaments to be held over two years (2008-2009). 21 top world players are selected to compete in these tournaments, with each player contracting to participate in exactly four of these tournaments. The winner of the Grand Prix series at the end of 2009 will play the winner of the World Cup held in 2009 in an eight game match to become the challenger to the World Champion in a match to be held in the third quarter of 2010.
 

Round three report

Round 3: Wednesday, April 23rd

Shak. Mamedyarov 
½-½
 Gata Kamsky
Magnus Carlsen 
1-0
 Ernesto Inarkiev
Vugar Gashimov 
1-0
 Peter Svidler
Teimour Radjabov 
½-½
 Wang Yue
Ivan Cheparinov 
0-1
 Etienne Bacrot
Sergey Karjakin 
1-0
 Michael Adams
David Navara 
0-1
 Alex. Grischuk

Mamedyarov-Kamsky was a balanced Grunfeld that ended in a draw. Radjabov-Wang Yue saw the Chinese player draw comfortably with the Petroff, which, the tournament bulletin says somewhat tongue-in-cheek, is still permitted in spite of all the anti-drawing measures that are being used. Carlsen-Inarkiev started off well for Black, who gained an advantage but then went down to the aggressive strategy of the 17-year-old top seed Norwegian grandmaster.

Carlsen,M (2765) - Inarkiev,E (2684) [A48]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (3), 23.04.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5 Bg7 4.Nbd2 0-0 5.c3 h6 6.Bh4 d6 7.e4 c5 8.dxc5 dxc5 9.Bc4 Nc6 10.0-0 Nh5 11.Qe2 Qc7 12.Rfe1 Na5 13.Bb5 a6 14.Ba4 b5 15.Bc2 e5 16.Nf1 Nf4 17.Qd1 Nc4 18.Qb1 Bg4 19.Bd1 g5 20.Bg3 Rad8 21.h3 Bh5 22.Bxf4 exf4 23.Be2 Bxf3 24.Bxf3 Nd2 25.Nxd2 Rxd2

26.e5. An interesting move played to gain the initiative. 26...Bxe5 27.Qf5 f6 28.Rad1 Rfd8 29.Qe6+ Kg7 30.Qxa6 b4 31.Rxd2 Rxd2 32.Rd1 bxc3 33.bxc3 Rxd1+ 34.Bxd1 c4 35.Be2 Bxc3 36.Bxc4 Be5 37.Qe6 Qd8 38.Qf7+ Kh8 39.f3 Bd6 40.a4 Bb4 41.Kh2 Qf8 42.Qg6 Be1 43.Bd3 f5 44.a5 Bg3+ 45.Kh1 Qg7?

46.Qe8+. White does not exchange queens, which would lead to a very drawish ending. Instead he manoeuvres his queen to pick up three pawns and win the game. Qg8 47.Qe5+ Qg7 48.Qb8+ Qg8 49.Qb6 Qd5 50.Qxh6+ Kg8 51.Qxg5+ Kf7 52.Qxf5+ Qxf5 53.Bxf5 Bf2 54.g4 fxg3 55.f4 Kf6 56.Be4 Be3 57.a6 1-0. [Click to replay]


Press conference with Magnus Carlsen and Ernesto Inarkiev

Gashimov-Svidler was a very nice game by the local boy, who beat the GM from St. Petersburg and then analysed the game with Svidler's help in the press room.


Press Conference with Vugar Gashimov and Peter Svidler

Karjakin-Adams was a win for the young Ukrainian GM, who earned his title at the age of twelve. The end for Michael Adams came after a gruelling 65 moves.


He's got that certain glare of world-class players: Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine

Karjakin,Sergey (2732) - Adams,Mi (2729) [C78]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (3), 23.04.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3 d6 8.a4 Rb8 9.d4 Bb6 10.axb5 axb5 11.Na3 0-0 12.Nxb5 Bg4 13.Bc2 exd4 14.Nbxd4 Nxd4 15.cxd4 Bxf3 16.gxf3 Nh5 17.Kh1 Qf6 18.Be3 Ra8 19.Rxa8 Rxa8 20.Rg1 Nf4 21.Bb3 Ne6 22.Bxe6 fxe6 23.Rg3 Kh8 24.Kg2 e5 25.dxe5 dxe5 26.Bxb6 cxb6 27.Qd7 Rd8 28.Qc7 Rf8 29.h4 g6 30.b4 h6 31.b5 Rf7 32.Qc8+ Kg7 33.h5 g5 34.Rh3 Qd6 35.Qc3 Rc7 36.Qe3 Rc5 37.Rh1 Rxb5 38.Ra1 Ra5 39.Rxa5 bxa5 40.Qa7+ Kf8 41.Qxa5 Qf6 42.Qa3+ Kg8 43.Kf1 Qe6 44.Ke2 Kf7 45.Qa7+ Kf6 46.Kd2 g4 47.fxg4 Qxg4 48.Qb6+ Kg5 49.Qg6+ Kh4 50.Kc3 Qf3+ 51.Kc4 Qxf2 52.Kd5 Qd4+ 53.Ke6 Qb6+ 54.Kxe5 Qc5+ 55.Ke6 Qc6+ 56.Kf7 Qd7+ 57.Kf8 Qd8+ 58.Kg7 Qe7+ 59.Kxh6 Qf8+ 60.Kh7 Qe7+ 61.Kg8 Qd8+ 62.Kf7 Qc7+ 63.Kf8 Qd8+ 64.Qe8 Qf6+ 65.Kg8

Correct us if we are wrong, but 65…Qg5+ should hold a draw, as far as we can see with any chess engine and tablebases. In any case 65...Kg5?? loses instantly, to 66.e5 1-0 (the e-pawn simply advances and decides the game). [Click to replay]

Addendum: Sergey informs us that after 65...Qg5 66.Qg6 White mates in 72 moves. Obviously the lad has bigger tablebases than we have. We stand corrected.

Cheparinov-Bacrot ended in a third defeat for luckless Ivan Cheparinov, a very talented young Bulgarian GM who seconds Veselin Topalov. White was slightly better for a long time, then the game was drawish, and then Cheparinov let it slip. "I played very badly in the ending," he said. But Bacrot gave him some credit: "It's always difficult to change from having a small advantage all the time to suddenly defending a worse position."


Still to score: Bulgarian GM Ivan Cheparinov

Navara-Grischuk was the last game to end. It lasted 86 moves, although it looked like a draw in 15, when Black repeated moves. But the Czech grandmaster, who turned 23 a month ago, decided to play on and went on to lose.


Press conference with David Navara and Alexander Grischuk

All pictures and videos by courtesy of FIDE.com. All video press conferences are available as videos on the official tournament page.

Standings after three rounds


Schedule and results

Round 1: Monday, April 21st

Ernesto Inarkiev 
0-1
 Gata Kamsky
Shak. Mamedyarov 
½-½
 Peter Svidler
Magnus Carlsen 
½-½
 Wang Yue
Vugar Gashimov 
½-½
 Etienne Bacrot
Teimour Radjabov 
½-½
 Michael Adams
Ivan Cheparinov 
0-1
 Alex. Grischuk
Sergey Karjakin 
½-½
 David Navara

Round 2: Tuesday, April 22nd

Gata Kamsky 
½-½
 David Navara
Alex. Grischuk 
½-½
 Sergey Karjakin
Michael Adams 
1-0
 Ivan Cheparinov
Etienne Bacrot 
0-1
 Teimour Radjabov
Wang Yue 
½-½
 Vugar Gashimov
Peter Svidler 
½-½
 Magnus Carlsen
Ernesto Inarkiev 
1-0
 Shak. Mamedyarov

Round 3: Wednesday, April 23rd

Shak. Mamedyarov 
½-½
 Gata Kamsky
Magnus Carlsen 
1-0
 Ernesto Inarkiev
Vugar Gashimov 
1-0
 Peter Svidler
Teimour Radjabov 
½-½
 Wang Yue
Ivan Cheparinov 
0-1
 Etienne Bacrot
Sergey Karjakin 
1-0
 Michael Adams
David Navara 
0-1
 Alex. Grischuk

Round 4: Thursday, April 24

Gata Kamsky 
-
 Alex. Grischuk
Michael Adams 
-
 David Navara
Etienne Bacrot 
-
 Sergey Karjakin
Wang Yue 
-
 Ivan Cheparinov
Peter Svidler 
-
 Teimour Radjabov
Ernesto Inarkiev 
-
 Vugar Gashimov
Shak. Mamedyarov 
-
 Magnus Carlsen
GamesReport

Round 5: Friday, April 25th

Magnus Carlsen 
-
 Gata Kamsky
Vugar Gashimov 
-
 Shak. Mamedyarov
Teimour Radjabov 
-
 Ernesto Inarkiev
Ivan Cheparinov 
-
 Peter Svidler
Sergey Karjakin 
-
 Wang Yue
David Navara 
-
 Etienne Bacrot
Alex. Grischuk 
-
 Michael Adams
GamesReport

Round 6: Sunday, April 27th

Gata Kamsky 
-
 Michael Adams
Etienne Bacrot 
-
 Alex. Grischuk
Wang Yue 
-
 David Navara
Peter Svidler 
-
 Sergey Karjakin
Ernesto Inarkiev 
-
 Ivan Cheparinov
Shak. Mamedyarov 
-
 Teimour Radjabov
Magnus Carlsen 
-
 Vugar Gashimov
GamesReport

Round 7: Monday, April 28th

Vugar Gashimov 
-
 Gata Kamsky
Teimour Radjabov 
-
 Magnus Carlsen
Ivan Cheparinov 
-
 Shak. Mamedyarov
Sergey Karjakin 
-
 Ernesto Inarkiev
David Navara 
-
 Peter Svidler
Alex. Grischuk 
-
 Wang Yue
Michael Adams 
-
 Etienne Bacrot
GamesReport

Round 8: Tuesday, April 29th

Etienne Bacrot 
-
 Gata Kamsky
Wang Yue 
-
 Michael Adams
Peter Svidler 
-
 Alex. Grischuk
Ernesto Inarkiev 
-
 David Navara
Shak. Mamedyarov 
-
 Sergey Karjakin
Magnus Carlsen 
-
 Ivan Cheparinov
Vugar Gashimov 
-
 Teimour Radjabov
GamesReport

Round 9: Wednesday, April 30th

Teimour Radjabov 
-
 Gata Kamsky
Ivan Cheparinov 
-
 Vugar Gashimov
Sergey Karjakin 
-
 Magnus Carlsen
David Navara 
-
 Shak. Mamedyarov
Alex. Grischuk 
-
 Ernesto Inarkiev
Michael Adams 
-
 Peter Svidler
Etienne Bacrot 
-
 Wang Yue
GamesReport

Round 10: Friday, May 2nd

Gata Kamsky 
-
 Wang Yue
Peter Svidler 
-
 Etienne Bacrot
Ernesto Inarkiev 
-
 Michael Adams
Shak. Mamedyarov 
-
 Alex. Grischuk
Magnus Carlsen 
-
 David Navara
Vugar Gashimov 
-
 Sergey Karjakin
Teimour Radjabov 
-
 Ivan Cheparinov
GamesReport

Round 11: Saturday, May 3rd

Ivan Cheparinov 
-
 Gata Kamsky
Sergey Karjakin 
-
 Teimour Radjabov
David Navara 
-
 Vugar Gashimov
Alex. Grischuk 
-
 Magnus Carlsen
Michael Adams 
-
 Shak. Mamedyarov
Etienne Bacrot 
-
 Ernesto Inarkiev
Wang Yue 
-
 Peter Svidler
GamesReport

Round 12: Sunday, May 4th

Gata Kamsky 
-
 Peter Svidler
Ernesto Inarkiev 
-
 Wang Yue
Shak. Mamedyarov 
-
 Etienne Bacrot
Magnus Carlsen 
-
 Michael Adams
Vugar Gashimov 
-
 Alex. Grischuk
Teimour Radjabov 
-
 David Navara
Ivan Cheparinov 
-
 Sergey Karjakin
GamesReport

Round 13: Monday, May 5th

Sergey Karjakin 
-
 Gata Kamsky
David Navara 
-
 Ivan Cheparinov
Alex. Grischuk 
-
 Teimour Radjabov
Michael Adams 
-
 Vugar Gashimov
Etienne Bacrot 
-
 Magnus Carlsen
Wang Yue 
-
 Shak. Mamedyarov
Peter Svidler 
-
 Ernesto Inarkiev
GamesReport
Tuesday, May 6th
Departure

Links

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