Elista R13: Eljanov beats Inarkiev, all other games drawn

by ChessBase
12/28/2008 – Which means: no change in the top rankings. Teimour Radjabov, Dmitry Jakovenko and Alexander Grischuk share first place, with Radjabov leading in the Grand Prix after three events. He and Grischuk battled it out in the final round for 97 moves without a result. The other contender for sole first, Jakovenko, did not get a chance to win with black against Evgeny Alekseev. Final report.

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FIDE Grand Prix in Elista 2008

The Third FIDE Grand Prix tournament took place in Elista from December 13 to 29, 2008. Despite the recent withdrawals (Carlsen, Adams) and the absence of players like Anand, Kramnik and Topalov the tournament was very strong, with a category of 19. The venue, originally Doha, was now "City Chess" in Elista, Kalmykia.

Results

Round 13: Sunday, December 28, 2008

Vugar Gashimov
½-½
Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Pavel Eljanov
1-0
Ernesto Inarkiev
Evgeny Alekseev
½-½
Dmitry Jakovenko
Wang Yue
½-½
Peter Leko
Vladimir Akopian
½-½
Shakh. Mamedyarov
Alexander Grischuk
½-½
Teimour Radjabov
Ivan Cheparinov
½-½
Etienne Bacrot

Eljanov,P (2720) - Inarkiev,E (2669) [D17]
FIDE Grand Prix Elista RUS (13), 28.12.2008
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Nh4 e6 7.Nxf5 exf5 8.e3 Bb4 9.Bxc4 0-0 10.Qc2 g6 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.f3 Nb6 13.Bb3 a5 14.Na2 Be7 15.Kh1 Nh5 16.Nc3 Rc8 17.Rd1 Bb4 18.Qf2 Nf6 19.e4 fxe4 20.Nxe4 Nbd5 21.Nc5 Nd7 22.Nd3 Bd6 23.Bd2 Re8 24.Re1 Qb6 25.Bc4 Nb4 26.Bxb4 Bxb4 27.Rf1 Kg7 28.Rad1 Rcd8 29.f4 Re4 30.Ne5 f6 31.Nf3 Qc7 32.f5 Rde8 33.Bd3 R4e7 34.fxg6 hxg6 35.Nh4 Rh8 36.Bxg6 Rxh4 37.Qxh4 Kxg6 38.Rf4

Whie has a rook and pawn for two pieces, and Black is looking for counterplay. His next move is a blunder: 38...Bd2??. It is clear that 39.Rxd2 doesn't work, because of 39...Qxf4 40.Qxf4 Re1+. But White has 39.Qg4+ and the game is virtually over. 39...Kh7 40.Qh5+ Kg8 41.Qg6+ Rg7 42.Qe8+ Nf8 43.Rxf6 Qe7 44.Qxf8+ Qxf8 45.Rxf8+ Kxf8 46.Rxd2 Ke7 47.g3 Kd6 48.Kg2 b5 49.h4 Kd5 50.Kh3 bxa4 51.h5 Ke4 52.Kh4 Rd7 53.g4 c5 54.d5 c4 55.Rc2 Kd4 56.h6 a3 57.bxa3 c3 58.g5 Kd3.

59.Rxc3+! Kxc3 60.g6 Rd6 61.h7 1-0. Want to see something depressing?


Deep Fritz 11 and Rybka find 59.Rxc3 instantly, and Fritz quite typically goes on to announce mate in 82 after three minutes.

Addendum: Sven Muehlenhaus of Duesseldorf, Germany tells us that Fritz is way off. "For a moment, let's pretend it's 1970, " he writes, "no engines, use your head and imagine the position in Fritz´s main line after 62.g7: Black didn't even take the white rook, White will soon be two queens or queen and rook ahead. No way this takes 82 moves till mate, 15-20 moves at the most. This seems to be a flaw with many engines: suddenly "Mate in X" is announced, you follow the main line, but in the next move it is not "Mate in X-1".

It is true that the initial mate announcement by Fritz does not mean: White mates in 82 with optimum defence by Black. It simply means "I have found a way to mate in 82 moves at most." As it goes deeper Fritz may find shorter forcing sequences – after ten minutes it is down to mate in 72. We doubt, however, that Herr Muehlenhaus will be able to mate Fritz in the above position in "15-20 moves at the most." But of course it would be interesting to find out...

Final standings (after thirteen rounds)

Statistics: White has won 27% of the games (25 out of a total of 91), Black 8% (seven games), while 65% of the games, 59 in all, were drawn.


FIDE President and President of the Republic of Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov,
with special guest (and commentator) Boris Spassky at the closing ceremony


The big prize winners Grischuk, Jakovenko and Radjabov with their 24,167 Euro checks

Gashimov came fourth and got € 15,000, while the five players who scored 6.5/13, Leko, Wang, Mamedyarov, Bacrot and Kasimdzhanov, got € 9,000 each. Cheparinov came tenth and took € 6,000 home, Alekseev and Eljanov, half a point behind him, got € 5,250 each, and the two at the bottom of the table, Akopian and Inarkiev got € 4,750.


The sharp-eyed reader will see Kasimdzhanov, Cheparinov, Gashimov, Bacrot, Leko
and Wang Hue on the stage behind the three first-prize winners


All of them: Kasim, Akop, Chep, Gash, Back, Leko, Radja, Jako, Wang, Mamed, Elja, Gris, Alek and Inark

Grand Prix Standings after three events

Player 
Baku
Sochi
Elista
Total
Played 
Teimour Radjabov (AZE) 
60
150
153.33
363.33
3
Wang Yue (CHN) 
153.33
120
80
353.33
3
Vugar Gashimov (AZE) 
153.33
65
110
328.33
3
Alexander Grischuk (RUS) 
105
45
153.33
303.33
3
Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS) 
90
153.33
243.33
2
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE) 
105
80
185.00
2
Levon Aronian (ARM) 
180
180.00
1
Gata Kamsky (USA) 
60
120
180.00
2
Peter Svidler (RUS) 
85
90
175.00
2
Sergey Karjakin (UKR) 
60
90
150.00
2
Ivan Cheparinov (BUL) 
35
45
50
130.00
3
Etienne Bacrot (FRA) 
15
80
95.00
2
Peter Leko (HUN) 
80
80.00
1
Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB) 
80
80.00
1
Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR) 
65
65.00
1
David Navara (CZE) 
35
15
50.00
2
Pavel Eljanov (UKR) 
35
35.00
1
Evgeny Alekseev (RUS) 
35
35.00
1
Boris Gelfand (ISR) 
30
30.00
1
Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS) 
15
15
30.00
2
Vladimir Akopian (ARM) 
15
15.00
1
Magnus Carlsen (NOR) 
153.33
withdrew
Michael Adams (ENG) 
85
withdrew
Mohamad Al-Modiahki (QAT) 
15
removed
Yannick Pelletier (SUI) 
removed


FIDE Grand Prix Elista 2008 – Schedule and results

Round 1: Sunday December 14, 2008

Etienne Bacrot
½-½
Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Teimour Radjabov
½-½
Ivan Cheparinov
Shakh. Mamedyarov
½-½
Alexander Grischuk
Peter Leko
½-½
Vladimir Akopian
Dmitry Jakovenko
1-0
Wang Yue
Ernesto Inarkiev
½-½
Evgeny Alekseev
Vugar Gashimov
1-0
Pavel Eljanov

Round 2: Monday, December 15, 2008

Rustam Kasimdzhanov
½-½
Pavel Eljanov
Evgeny Alekseev
½-½
Vugar Gashimov
Wang Yue
½-½
Ernesto Inarkiev
Vladimir Akopian
½-½
Dmitry Jakovenko
Alexander Grischuk
1-0
Peter Leko
Ivan Cheparinov
½-½
Shakh. Mamedyarov
Etienne Bacrot
0-1
Teimour Radjabov

Round 3: Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Teimour Radjabov
1-0
Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Shakh. Mamedyarov
½-½
Etienne Bacrot
Peter Leko
1-0
Ivan Cheparinov
Dmitry Jakovenko
½-½
Alexander Grischuk
Ernesto Inarkiev
½-½
Vladimir Akopian
Vugar Gashimov
½-½
Wang Yue
Pavel Eljanov
1-0
Evgeny Alekseev

Round 4: Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Rustam Kasimdzhanov
0-1
Evgeny Alekseev
Wang Yue
1-0
Pavel Eljanov
Vladimir Akopian
½-½
Vugar Gashimov
Alexander Grischuk
½-½
Ernesto Inarkiev
Ivan Cheparinov
½-½
Dmitry Jakovenko
Etienne Bacrot
1-0
Peter Leko
Teimour Radjabov
½-½
Shakh. Mamedyarov

Round 5: Thursday, December 18, 2008

Shakh. Mamedyarov
½-½
Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Peter Leko
½-½
Teimour Radjabov
Dmitry Jakovenko
½-½
Etienne Bacrot
Ernesto Inarkiev
0-1
Ivan Cheparinov
Vugar Gashimov
1-0
Alexander Grischuk
Pavel Eljanov
½-½
Vladimir Akopian
Evgeny Alekseev
½-½
Wang Yue

Round 6: Saturday, December 20, 2008

Rustam Kasimdzhanov
½-½
Wang Yue
Vladimir Akopian
0-1
Evgeny Alekseev
Alexander Grischuk
1-0
Pavel Eljanov
Ivan Cheparinov
½-½
Vugar Gashimov
Etienne Bacrot
½-½
Ernesto Inarkiev
Teimour Radjabov
½-½
Dmitry Jakovenko
Shakh. Mamedyarov
½-½
Peter Leko

Round 7: Sunday, December 21, 2008

Peter Leko
½-½
Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Dmitry Jakovenko
½-½
Shakh. Mamedyarov
Ernesto Inarkiev
1-0
Teimour Radjabov
Vugar Gashimov
½-½
Etienne Bacrot
Pavel Eljanov
1-0
Ivan Cheparinov
Evgeny Alekseev
0-1
Alexander Grischuk
Wang Yue
½-½
Vladimir Akopian

Round 8: Monday, December 22, 2008

Rustam Kasimdzhanov
1-0
Vladimir Akopian
Alexander Grischuk
1-0
Wang Yue
Ivan Cheparinov
1-0
Evgeny Alekseev
Etienne Bacrot
½-½
Pavel Eljanov
Teimour Radjabov
½-½
Vugar Gashimov
Shakh. Mamedyarov
½-½
Ernesto Inarkiev
Peter Leko
½-½
Dmitry Jakovenko

Round 9: Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Dmitry Jakovenko
1-0
Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Ernesto Inarkiev
½-½
Peter Leko
Vugar Gashimov
1-0
Shakh. Mamedyarov
Pavel Eljanov
0-1
Teimour Radjabov
Evgeny Alekseev
½-½
Etienne Bacrot
Wang Yue
1-0
Ivan Cheparinov
Vladimir Akopian
½-½
Alexander Grischuk

Round 10: Thursday, December 25, 2008

Rustam Kasimdzhanov
½-½
Alexander Grischuk
Ivan Cheparinov
1-0
Vladimir Akopian
Etienne Bacrot
½-½
Wang Yue
Teimour Radjabov
1-0
Evgeny Alekseev
Shakh. Mamedyarov
1-0
Pavel Eljanov
Peter Leko
1-0
Vugar Gashimov
Dmitry Jakovenko
1-0
Ernesto Inarkiev

Round 11: Friday, December 26, 2008

Ernesto Inarkiev
0-1
Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Vugar Gashimov
½-½
Dmitry Jakovenko
Pavel Eljanov
½-½
Peter Leko
Evgeny Alekseev
½-½
Shakh. Mamedyarov
Wang Yue
½-½
Teimour Radjabov
Vladimir Akopian
½-½
Etienne Bacrot
Alexander Grischuk
½-½
Ivan Cheparinov

Round 12: Saturday, December 27, 2008

Rustam Kasimdzhanov
1-0
Ivan Cheparinov
Etienne Bacrot
½-½
Alexander Grischuk
Teimour Radjabov
½-½
Vladimir Akopian
Shakh. Mamedyarov
½-½
Wang Yue
Peter Leko
½-½
Evgeny Alekseev
Dmitry Jakovenko
½-½
Pavel Eljanov
Ernesto Inarkiev
½-½
Vugar Gashimov

Round 13: Sunday, December 28, 2008

Vugar Gashimov
½-½
Rustam Kasimdzhanov
Pavel Eljanov
1-0
Ernesto Inarkiev
Evgeny Alekseev
½-½
Dmitry Jakovenko
Wang Yue
½-½
Peter Leko
Vladimir Akopian
½-½
Shakh. Mamedyarov
Alexander Grischuk
½-½
Teimour Radjabov
Ivan Cheparinov
½-½
Etienne Bacrot
Monday, December 29, 2008
Departure

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