FIDE World Cup Round 2.3 - Tiebreaks

The FIDE World Chess Cup is being stage from November 26th to December 18th, 2005, in Khanty-Mansyisk, Russia. This the 128-player event replaces what was known as the "FIDE Knockout World Championship" and serves as a qualifier for the Candidates stage of the world championship. The prize fund is US $1.5 million, with President Ilyumzhinov providing $300,000 for organisational costs.

FIDE WORLD CUP, 2005 ROUND 2 TIEBREAKS

Report by Mig Greengard – Pictures by Frits Agterdenbos

Three days ago, three matches went to the final sudden-death blitz game. Black, with draw odds, moved on in every case. In a fine case of chess karma, white won three out of four of today's armageddon battles. Tiviakov beat Korneev, Najer took out Mamedyarov, and van Wely beat Moiseenko. Najer's match was a wild one, with all five games won by white. He and Mamedyarov played some rather eclectic openings throughout. Van Wely achieved the improbable by coming back after losing the first tiebreak game with white. (Replay some selected games; photo report below.)

The four sudden death games on display.

America's Yuri Shulman held the sudden-death draw with black to eliminate Khalifman. Rook endgame play took a bit of a beating in their match, although we may compliment the winners of such games instead of criticizing the losers. Of course it's always something of a shame to see a top-level match reduced to crazy blitz in a world championship qualification event. Most of the tiebreaks, however, were settled in the first pair of rapid games.

Cuba's Bruzon moved into the third round with a very pretty sacrificial win in the first tiebreak game against Onischuk. Rublevsky-Sasikiran was a slugfest as well, with much to offer tactics lovers. Dreev ruined the dreams of the Philippines by knocking out Paragua. It looked like there was an upset in the making after Paragua won the first game, but the Russian veteran came back to win the next two and then hold the clinching draw.

Russia is looking good, still with seven players in the mix with Ukraine is keeping pace with four. The Netherlands has a perfect 3/3 in the final 32, matched in numbers by the Israeli trio. The USA is down to two of its original eight while Spain still has the two it started with. Carlsen is of course the youngest, having just turned 15 a few days ago. We are guaranteed a teen in the sweet sixteen since his opponent, Cheparinov, just turned 19.

Results

Photos by Frits Agterdenbos

Will Teimur Radjabov make it to the final four again?

Khalifman and Shulman behind the arbiter who takes down the tiebreak moves.

Another sudden death affair, won by the six-time and current Dutch champion.

The playing hall, at the "Center of Arts for Gifted Children of the North."

A long way home to Australia for Lee Jones and Gary Lane.

 
Ruslan Ponomariov won the FIDE KO in 2001. Sergey Rublevsky eliminated Sasikiran.

 
Profiles in fate. Russia's Oleg Korneev is out, Georgia's Levan Pantsulaia is in.

Links

• Download all games as a zipped PGN file
• Official web site (English version)
• All ChessBase reports so far

About the photographer

Frits Agterdenbos, 45, lives in Heemstede, not far from Amsterdam, and was one of the leading chess photographers in the eighties. From 1979–1991 his pictures appeared in several magazins, including New in Chess, Schakend Nederland, Inside Chess, BCM, Chess, Europe Echecs and Schach. In 1984 his Dutch book “64 Schaakportretten” (in English “64 Chess Portraits”) was published. In 1991 he “retired” as a chess photographer to finish his studies and in 1997 he received a diploma as an insurance mathematician (actuary). Since 1998 he has been a self-employed, working under the company name “Acturix”, which is his actuarial consultancy firm.

Now Frits is back as a chess photographer! In January 2005 he picked up his old passion, and publications show he still knows how to handle his camera. He combines his insurance job and chess photography with being a husband and a father of the beautiful Elena (three years old). You will find his photos on Chessbase.com, Schaakbond.nl, Schaaklog.nl and Schakers.info, and many more websites and magazines. You can contact him under f.agterdenbos (at) acturix.com.