2008 Pearl Spring Chess Tournament, Nanjing, China

Movsesian,S (2732) - Aronian,L (2757) [C55]
Pearl Spring Nanjing CHN (3), 13.12.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 h6 5.0-0 d6 6.c3 Be7 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Nh7 9.Be3 Kh8 10.d4 f5 11.exf5 e4 12.Nh2N. The only previous game we found was Malaniuk,V (2485) vs Petrosian,A (2470), Sverdlovsk 1984, which continues 12.Nfd2 Bxf5 13.f3 exf3 14.Nxf3 Na5 15.Bc2 Nc4 16.Bc1 Bxc2 17.Qxc2 Ng5 18.Bxg5 Bxg5 and which was won in 42 moves by Black – Arshak Petrosian, who today is Peter Leko's father-in-law and trainer. 12...Bxf5 13.Nd2 Qe8 14.Bc2 Nf6 15.Ng4 d5 16.f3 Qg6

We now see aome violent tactics: 17.fxe4 Bxg4 18.e5 Bxd1 19.Bxg6 Bh5 20.exf6 Bxg6 21.fxe7 Rfe8. Were you able to follow it? Unfortunately all the play has gone out of the position and the two gladiators can only steer towards a peaceful end. 22.Bf4 Rxe7 23.Rae1 Rae8 24.Nf3 Be4 25.Ne5 Nxe5 26.Bxe5 Kg8 27.Rf2 Rf8 28.Ref1 Rxf2 29.Rxf2 c6 30.h4 Rf7 31.Rxf7 Kxf7 32.Kf2

and draw in the most symmetrical position possible.

Ivanchuk,V (2786) - Topalov,V (2791) [B10]
Pearl Spring Nanjing CHN (3), 13.12.2008
1.e4 c6 2.c4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.cxd5 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nxd5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Bb5 e6 8.0-0 Be7 9.d4 0-0 10.Re1 Bd7 11.Nxd5 exd5 12.Bf4 Bf6 13.Ne5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Bxb5 15.exf6 Qxf6 16.Qxd5 Bc6 17.Qg5 Qxg5 18.Bxg5 Rfe8 19.Bd2 a6 20.Rxe8+ Rxe8 21.Re1 Rxe1+ 22.Bxe1 draw.

Bu Xiangzhi (2714) - Svidler,P (2727) [A15]
Pearl Spring Nanjing CHN (3), 13.12.2008
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Qa4+ Bd7 6.Qh4 Nxc3 7.dxc3 Nc6 8.Bf4 f6 9.Bh6 e5 10.Bxf8 Kxf8 11.Qh6+ Kg8 12.e4 Qe7 13.Bc4+ Be6 14.Bxe6+ Qxe6 15.0-0 Nd8 16.Qe3 Nf7 17.Rfd1 Kg7 18.Rd5 b6 19.b3 Rhd8 20.Rad1 Rd6 21.Rxd6 Nxd6 22.Nd2 Rd8 23.Qe2 a5 24.Nc4 Qe7 25.Nxd6 Rxd6 26.g3 draw.

Picture gallery

Chinese GM Bu Xiangzhi, in the joint lead (with Aronian) in Nanjing

Contemplative – Bu's round three opponent Peter Svidler from Russia

Vassily Ivanchuk before the start of his game against Veselin Topalov

Ivanchuk's round three opponent: Bulgarian GM Veselin Topalov

This uneventful Caro-Kann ended after 22 moves in a draw

The tactically most interesting game of round three

Slovak GM Sergei Movsesian doing likewise

Vassily Ivanchuk concentrating

Former child prodigy Bu Xiangzhi, today a top GM at 23

With his game going smoothly Ivanchuk takes time to kiebitz another board

The press conference with Movsesian and Aronian (and spokespersons and interpreters)

Casto "Toti" Abundo, FIDE's rating administrator and webmaster

Flippant caption of the day: "I seem to be picking up Chinese radio on my implant"

Pictures kindly supplied by the tournament organisers

Schedule and results

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN The games will be being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse the PGN games.