Now in its 4th edition, the Gashimov Memorial brings an attractive lineup of top players such as Wesley So, winner of pretty much anything he entered in the last many months, then Vladimir Kramnik who has been sitting pretty with his 2811 Elo since the London Classic, Sergey Karjakin, and of course last year’s winner, local hero Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.

Vugar Gashimov (1986 - 2014)
Participants
Player |
Rating |
Wesley So |
2822 |
Vladimir Kramnik |
2811 |
Sergey Karjakin |
2783 |
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov |
2772 |
Michael Adams |
2761 |
Pentala Harikrishna |
2758 |
Pavel Eljanov |
2751 |
Radoslaw Wojtaszek |
2745 |
Veselin Topalov |
2741 |
Teimour Radjabov |
2710 |

Michael Adams has performed very well so far, with a plus one score, leaving him tied 2nd-3rd with Pavel Eljanov at 3.0/5. In round five he drew against Teimour Radjabov.

Radoslaw Wojtaszek has been struggling a bit with the field, having scored 2.0/5

Needless to say, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov leads with 3.5/5, with two wins and three draws. In the last couple of rounds, he has benefitted from the wins not being from his nearest rivals, but he will need to protect his top spot with more wins if he wishes to repeat his 2016 result (he won).

The biggest result of the day was clearly the game between the two 2800+ players in the field. Not only is this crucial for their tournament standings, but there is the matter of rating average to earn a free berth into the next Candidates tournament.
Wesley So vs Vladimir Kramnik (annotated by GM Tiger Hillarp-Persson)

Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.c4 e6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 Nf6 3...dxc4 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0-0 5.cxd5?! exd5 6.0-0 0-0 7.d4 c6 8.Nc3 Bf5 5...0-0 6.d4 6.b3 b6 6...d4 7.e3 c5 8.exd4 cxd4 9.d3 Nc6 10.Re1 6...c5 7.e3 7.Bb2!? d4 8.e3 Nc6 9.exd4 cxd4 10.Re1! 10.d3 e5 7...b6 7.Bb2 7.Nc3 Bb7 8.d4 Nbd7 9.Bb2 Rc8 10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Nxd5 Bxd5 12.Qd3 c5 13.e4 Bb7 14.Rad1 14.Rfd1 14...cxd4 15.Nxd4 Nf6 16.Qe2 Qe8 7...Bb7 8.cxd5 Nxd5 8...exd5 9.d4 Nbd7 10.Nc3 Re8 11.Rc1 9.d4 Nd7 9...c5 10.Re1 c5 11.e4 N5f6 12.Nc3 cxd4 13.Nxd4 Ne5 14.Qe2! Bc5 14...Qxd4 15.Nd5 Qc5 16.Rac1 Qd6 17.Nxe7+ 17.Bxe5!? 17...Qxe7 18.Bxe5 Rac8 19.Bb2 15.Red1 Qe7 16.Na4 Bxd4 17.Bxd4 Nc6 18.Be3 Rfd8 19.Nc3 Qb4 20.Qb2 Ng4 21.Bf4 Nce5 22.a3 Qc5 23.Na4 Qb5 24.Nc3 Qc5 25.Na4 Qb5 26.h3 Nd3 27.Rxd3 Rxd3 28.hxg4 Qxb3 29.Bf1 6...dxc4 7.Qc2 7.Ne5 Nc6 8.Bxc6 8.Nxc6 bxc6 9.Na3 8...bxc6 9.Nxc6 Qe8 10.Nxe7+ Qxe7 11.Qc2 c5 12.Qxc4 cxd4 13.Qxd4 e5 14.Qh4 Qb7 15.Nc3 Be6 16.Bg5 Nd5 17.Nxd5 Qxd5 18.b3 f6 19.Be3 Qb5 20.Rfe1 a5 21.f3 Rfc8 22.Kf2 a4 23.Qe4 axb3 24.axb3 Rxa1 25.Rxa1 Qxb3 26.Ra8 Rxa8 27.Qxa8+ 7...a6 8.a4 8.Qxc4 b5 9.Qc2 Bb7 10.Bd2 Be4 11.Qc1 Bb7! 11...c6 8...Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Bf4 10.Bg5 Bd5 11.Qc2 Be4 12.Qc1 h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nbd2 Bxf3 15.Nxf3 a5 16.Qc3 Nc6 17.Rad1 Nb4 18.Ne5 c6 19.e4 Rc8 20.Ng4 c5 21.Nxf6+ Qxf6 22.e5 22.d5!? 22...Qe7 23.d5 exd5 24.Bxd5 Rcd8 10...a5 10...Bd6 11.Qc1 Bxf4 11...a5 12.Nc3 Na6 13.Bd2 Nb4 14.Qb1 Bxf3 15.Bxf3 c6 16.Rd1 Qe7 17.Ne4 Nxe4 18.Qxe4 Rfd8 19.Bc3 Rd7 20.Rd2 Qd8 21.Rad1 Be7 22.h4 Rb8 23.e3 Nd5 24.Qc2 Qc7 25.Kg2 g6 26.h5 12.Qxf4 Qd6 13.Qc1 Bd5 14.Nc3 Nc6 15.e3 Nb4 16.Qb1 16.a5!? Qe7 17.Nxd5 Nbxd5 18.Ne5 16...Qe7 17.a5 c5 18.Nxd5 Nfxd5 19.e4 Nc7 20.dxc5 Qxc5 21.e5 Qe7 11.Nc3 Nbd7 12.Qd3 Bb4 13.Rfe1 Re8 14.Qc2 14.e4? Bxc3 15.bxc3 Bxe4! 16.Rxe4? Nc5 14...Bxf3 14...Bxc3?! 15.bxc3 Be4 16.Qb2 h6 16...c5 17.Ng5 17.Bf1 b6 18.Red1 Bb7 19.Ne5 15.Bxf3 c6 16.Red1! 16.Na2? Bxe1 16...Qe7 17.Na2 Bd6 18.Bxd6 Qxd6 19.Nc1 Nd5 20.e4 Nb4 21.Qc3 e5 21...f5?! 22.Nb3 21...Qe7 22.Nb3 21...Rad8 22.Nb3 Qc7!? 22.Nb3 Qe7 23.Bg2 exd4 24.Rxd4 Nf8!? 24...b6 25.Rad1 Nf6 26.f3 c5 27.R4d2 Red8 28.Bf1 24...Nf6 25.f3! h5!? 26.Rad1 h4 27.Qc5!? 25.Rad1 Red8 26.R1d2!? 26.e5 b6 27.f4 26...Ne6? 26...g6 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Nxa5 Ra8 29.Nc4 Rxa4 30.Rd1 26...b6! 27.e5 27.Rxd8+ Rxd8 28.Nxa5 Ra8 29.Nc4 Rxa4 30.Nd6 Ra1+ 31.Bf1 Na6! 31...c5 32.Kg2 Nc6 33.Bc4 b6 34.b4! Ra8 35.Nf5 Qc7 36.bxc5 bxc5 37.Bd5 Re8 38.Nxg7 Nxg7 39.Qxc5 Rc8 40.Rc2 32.Kg2 Nac7 33.Nf5 Qe8 34.Bc4 Ra8 35.Rd6!? 35.Nd6 Qe7 36.Nxb7 35...Qf8 36.Rd7 Re8 37.Qe5! b5 37...g6 38.Qf6 gxf5 39.exf5 Qg7 40.Qxg7+ Kxg7 41.fxe6 Nxe6 42.Rxb7 38.Ba2 g6 38...Na6 39.Ra7 Nac5 40.b4 Na4 41.Rxf7 Qxf7 42.Nd6 Qf6 43.Qxf6 gxf6 44.Nxe8 Kf8 45.Nxf6+- - Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
So,W | - | Kramnik,V | - | 1–0 | 2017 | E05 | Gashimov Memorial | 5 |
Please, wait...

A setback for the former world champion, but nothing he cannot overcome

The other big win of the day was Sergey Karjakin's crushing win over...

...Veselin Topalov, leaving both players at 50%.
Sergey Karjakin vs Veselin Topalov
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.dxc5 e6 5.a3 Bxc5 6.Nf3 Ne7 7.Bd3 Ng6 8.0-0 Nc6 9.b4 Bb6 10.Bb2 Nf4 11.c4 Nxd3 12.Qxd3 dxc4 13.Qxc4 Ne7N 13...0-0 14.Nc3 Ne7 15.Rad1 Nd5 16.Qg4 f5 17.exf6 Nxf6 18.Qh4 Nd5 19.Qe4 Qe8 20.Nxd5 exd5 21.Qxd5+ Qf7 22.Qg5 Bf5 23.Ne5 Qf6 24.Qxf6 Rxf6 25.Nc4 Rc6 26.Nxb6 Rxb6 27.h3 a5 28.Bd4 Rg6 29.Kh2 axb4 30.axb4 Be4 31.f3 Bc6 14.Nc3 Bd7 15.Qg4 Bc6 16.Rad1 16.Qxg7? Rg8 17.Qf6 Nf5 18.Qxd8+ Rxd8 16...Qc7 17.Ng5 17.Qxg7? 17...Qxe5 18.b5! h5 18...Bxb5? 19.Nxb5 Qxb5 19...Qxb2 20.Nd6+ Kf8 21.Ngxf7 20.Bxg7 Rg8 21.Ne4 19.Qh4! Bxb5 20.Rfe1!+- Qf5 21.Nxb5 Qxb5 22.Bxg7 Nf5 23.Nxe6‼ fxe6 24.Rxe6+ Kf7 25.Qf6+ Kg8 26.Bxh8 Bxf2+ 27.Kh1 Qa4 28.Red6 28.Rd8+ Rxd8 29.Qxd8+ Kh7 30.Be5 Ng3+ 31.hxg3 Qd1+ 32.Qxd1 Bc5 33.Qxh5+ Kg8 34.Qh8+ Kf7 35.Qe8# 28...Rf8 29.Qg6+ Kxh8 30.Rd7 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Karjakin,S | 2783 | Topalov,V | 2741 | 1–0 | 2017 | B12 | 4th Shamkir Chess 2017 | 5 |
Please, wait...
Standings after five rounds

(click for high-res)
Photos from official site
Links
You can use ChessBase 14 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs to replay the games in PGN. You can also download our free Playchess client, which will in addition give you immediate access to the chess server Playchess.com.