Photos by Max Avdeev

Autograph hound
Hikaru Nakamura and Hou Yifan played an interesting game, which panned out to become a fairly standard King’s Indian Attack, with a tied up center, and both players trying to neuter each other on opposite wings.

Nakamura unleashed the King's Indian.... Attack!
Though the databases declare the novelty as of move 13, this is an opening that is more dictated by ideas than exact move orders. Hou showed excellent understanding, and managed to break through first on the queenside with black, and soon equalized in the center. The pieces came off and a draw was agreed on move 50.

Ding Liren came oh-so-close to winning a third game as he missed a win against Peter Svidler. The Chinese player has been in great form.
Ding Liren and Peter Svidler played a Symmetrical English that somehow did not work out for Black and he found himself down a pawn, always with not quite enough compensation. White then missed a chance to put the game away on move 22, which would have secured his lead, but alas, he missed his chance and they drew after 33 moves.
Ding Liren vs Peter Svidler
White had the chance to confirm his lead here, and would have after 22. Nb7! Qe5 23.Bxd4 Qxd4 24. Qc7! and now the threat of Qxe7 and Nd6 is deadly. (Note: you can move the pieces on the diagram)
It is always instructive to see how off the engines can be at times in an endgame, and few are as notorious as rook endgames. You may have heard the adage 'all rook endgames are drawn' an allusion to the number of times a saving maneuver has been found to save what seemed a lost position. Such was the case in the game betwwen Alexander Grischuk and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Of course, to be fair, Grischuk actually was dead won for a good chunk of the game. Consider this position after 32 moves:
Alexander Grischuk vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Black just played 32…Qh3 with the ‘threat’ of Ng4 and mate on h2. That said, it isn’t actually a threat yet since if Black played it now, White has the slightly inconvenient Re8 checkmate! Therefore White can just play 33. Re3 here with the idea of Nf5 and take home the bacon. This is hardly the only winning position or move, and is merely to point out that yes, if after the game, over a glass of beer, White complains bitterly he ‘was winning’, it will be a statement of fact and not some comment mired in sour grapes.

Alexander Grischuk tried his best to win today, and came very close as he was completely winning
All that said, White did not play best, and Black managed to stay alive in the game in a long and tough battle. The curiosity took place in the final position where the players shook hands:
Am I about to tell a tale of mistaken draw? Not quite. On Skype, Alex Yermolinsky sent a concerned message:

Needless to say, he is dead right, as were the players. The engines do indeed claim absurd values ranging from +2.13 for Komodo 10 to +6.01 for Stockfish 8 (even with 72 plies) … without tablebases that is. A quick consult of the Lomonosov 7-piece tablebases instantly disabuses this idea and declares it a flat out draw.

Ian Nepomniachtchi (above), playing black, challenged Michael Adams to a duel in a Sicilian Najdorf with 6.g3 that the Englishman is known to specialize in. White failed to find a consistent plan, offering to repeat moves, but Nepomniachtchi showed he had more ambitious ideas and soon outplayed Adams and won the game.

Pentala Harikrishna played a brave game as he spun out a Benoni lline that is sharp and not the most reputable
Ernesto Inarkiev vs Pentala Harikrishna (annotated by Tiger Hillarp-Persson)

1.e4 | 1,183,387 | 54% | 2421 | --- |
1.d4 | 958,449 | 55% | 2434 | --- |
1.Nf3 | 286,131 | 56% | 2441 | --- |
1.c4 | 184,608 | 56% | 2443 | --- |
1.g3 | 19,877 | 56% | 2427 | --- |
1.b3 | 14,598 | 54% | 2428 | --- |
1.f4 | 5,953 | 48% | 2377 | --- |
1.Nc3 | 3,905 | 50% | 2384 | --- |
1.b4 | 1,790 | 48% | 2378 | --- |
1.a3 | 1,249 | 54% | 2406 | --- |
1.e3 | 1,081 | 49% | 2409 | --- |
1.d3 | 969 | 50% | 2378 | --- |
1.g4 | 670 | 46% | 2361 | --- |
1.h4 | 466 | 54% | 2382 | --- |
1.c3 | 439 | 51% | 2425 | --- |
1.h3 | 289 | 56% | 2420 | --- |
1.a4 | 118 | 60% | 2461 | --- |
1.f3 | 100 | 47% | 2427 | --- |
1.Nh3 | 92 | 67% | 2511 | --- |
1.Na3 | 47 | 62% | 2476 | --- |
Please, wait...
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 2...c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 6.e4 g6 7.f4 Bg7 8.Bb5+ Nfd7 9.a4 9.Nf3 a6 10.Bd3 b5 11.0-0 0-0 12.Kh1 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5 g6 6.Bg2 d6 6...Bg7 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Nf3 8.d6 Nc6 8...Re8 8...b5 9.Nxb5 Qa5+ 10.Nc3 Ne4 11.0-0 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Qxc3 13.Rb1 d6 14.Bb2± 9.0-0 b6!? 9...Na6 10.d6!± 10.Re1 7.Nf3 Bg7 8.Nc3 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 9...Na6!? 10.Bf4 10.Nd2!? Nc7 11.Nc4 b5 12.Nxd6 Qxd6 13.Bf4 Qb6 14.d6 Ne6 15.Bxa8 Nxf4 16.gxf4 Bh3 9...a6 10.a4 Nbd7 11.Bf4 Qe7 12.Rb1!? 9...Nbd7 10.Bf4 Qe7 11.a4! b6!? 11...a6 12.Rb1 Re8 13.b4 cxb4 14.Rxb4 Nc5 15.Nd4 12.h3 12.Rb1 Ba6 13.Re1 Rae8∞ 12...Nh5 13.Bg5 f6 14.Bd2 f5 15.Ng5?! f4! 16.Ne6 fxg3 17.f4?! 17.Nxf8 Nxf8 17...Ndf6 18.Nxf8 Bxf8 10.Bf4 Bf5!? 10...Na6 11.Re1 Bg4 12.h3 12.Nd2 Nh5 13.Be3 Rxe3 14.fxe3 Qe7 12...Bxf3 13.Bxf3 Nd7 14.e4 14.Ne4! 14...Ne5 15.Be2 c4 16.Bxe5 Bxe5 17.Bxc4 Nc5 10...Ne4 11.Nxe4 Rxe4 12.Nd2 Rxf4 13.gxf4 Bxb2 14.Rb1 Bg7 15.e4 11.Nh4 11.Nd2 Nh5 12.e4 12.Be3?! Nd7 13.Nc4 Nb6! 12...Nxf4 13.gxf4 Bd7 14.a4 Na6 15.Nc4 Qf6 16.Qf3 Nb4 17.Qg3 Nc2 11.Nb5 Bf8 11...Bc8 12.Qd2 12.Nf3 Bf5 13.Nh4 12...a6 13.a4 Qe7 14.h3 14.Rfe1 Nbd7 15.Nf3 Rb8 16.e4 Ng4 17.Qe2?! 17.a5 b5 18.axb6 Rxb6 17...Nde5 18.a5 b5 19.axb6 Rxb6 20.Ra2 Nxf3+ 21.Bxf3 Ne5 22.Bg2 Qb7 23.h3 Bd7 14.Rab1 Nbd7 15.b4 cxb4 15...b6 16.Rfc1 16.Rxb4 Nc5 17.a5 Qd8!? 18.Ra1 18.Rb6 Nfd7! 18...Rb8∞ 14...Nbd7 15.e4 15.Bh6 Bxh6! 16.Qxh6 Rb8 17.a5 b5 18.axb6 Rxb6 19.Ra2 Ne5 15...Rb8 16.Nf3 b5 17.axb5 axb5 18.Rfe1 b4 19.Na4 Bb7 19...Nxe4!? 20.Rxe4 Qxe4 21.Re1 Qxe1+! 22.Nxe1 Ra8 23.b3 23.Qd1 b3! 24.Nxc5 dxc5 23...Rxa4! 24.bxa4 Bc3 25.Qd3 Rxe1+ 26.Kh2 Ne5 26...Bd4 27.Bxd6 27.Qb5 Kg7 28.a5 Bf5 29.Qb8 c4! 30.a6 b3 31.a7 Ra1 32.Bh6+ Kxh6 33.Qf8+ Kg5 34.Qe7+ Kh6 35.Qf8+= 19...Nh5!? 20.Be3 Bb7 21.e5!? Bxe5! 22.g4 Ng7 23.Bg5 Qf8 24.Nxe5 Rxe5 25.Rxe5 dxe5 26.b3 20.e5! 20.Qc2!? Nxe4 20...h6 21.g4 21.Ng5 f5 22.Nxe4 fxe4 23.Rxe4 Qf8 24.Re6 Ne5∞ 20...Nxd5 21.exd6 Qf8 22.Ne5 22.Rxe8 Rxe8 23.Ne5 Bxe5 24.Bxd5 Ba8 25.Bxa8 Bxf4 26.Qxf4 Rxa8 27.b3 c4 28.Re1 cxb3 29.Qxb4 Qb8= 22...Rxe5! 23.Bxe5 Nxe5 24.Nxc5 24.Bxd5?! Qxd6 25.Red1 Rd8 26.Bxf7+ Nxf7 27.Qxd6 Nxd6 28.Nxc5 Bf3 28...Bxb2 29.Rab1 Ba3 30.Rb3 29.Ne6 Bxd1 30.Nxd8 Bf3 31.Ra4 24...Bc6 25.Ra6 25.Nd3!? Bh6 26.Qd1 Nxd3 27.Qxd3 Qxd6 28.Red1 Rb5 29.Ra8+ Bf8 30.Ra6 Rc5 25...Qxd6 25...Nb6!? 26.Bxc6 Nxc6 27.d7 27.Rxb6!? Rxb6 28.Nd7 Nd4! 29.Qf4 Qxd6 30.Re8+ Bf8 31.Qh6 Nf3+ 32.Kg2 Ne1+ 33.Kf1 Qd3+ 34.Kxe1 Re6+ 35.Rxe6 Bxh6 27...Qxc5 28.Re8+ Bf8 29.Rxb8 Nxb8 30.d8Q Nxa6 26.Rxc6 Qxc6 27.Qxd5 Qxd5 28.Bxd5 Rd8 29.Rd1 Bf8 30.Ne4 Be7 31.Bb3?! 31.b3= 31...Rxd1+ 32.Bxd1 Nd3 33.Bb3 Nxb2 34.Kf1 Nd3 35.Bd5 Kg7 36.Ke2 Ne5 37.f4 Nd7 38.g4 f5 38...Nf8!? 39.f5 gxf5 40.gxf5 Nd7 39.gxf5 gxf5 40.Ng3 Kf6 41.Nh5+! Kg6 42.Bc6! b3 42...Kxh5 43.Bxd7 Kg6 44.Be6= 42...Nc5 43.Be8+ Kh6 44.Ng3= 43.Bxd7 b2 44.Ng3 b1Q 45.Bxf5+ Qxf5 46.Nxf5 Kxf5 47.Kf3 Bc5 ½–½
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Inarkiev,E | 2727 | Harikrishna,P | 2750 | ½–½ | 2017 | A62 | FIDE Grand Prix | 4 |
Please, wait...
One of the news bits that stood out in round four was the win by Teimour Radjabov over Francisco Vallejo Pons. At the recent Gashimov Memorial, Radjabov had shown very little (i.e. none) desire to actually make a fight of the game, but round four at the Moscow Grand Prix didn‘t leave him with a lot of choice. The opening went badly for the Spaniard and he soon found himself facing a slow painful death at the board. Rather than face this fate, he chose to try to confuse matters with a piece sacrifice and energetic measures, but the Azeri had seen the one line of defense and converted his advantage.
Francisco Vallejo Pons vs Teimour Radjabov
Here Black played the only winning move 29...Bxc4! and if 30. dxc4 then Rd7! is decisive.

Jon Hammer had a good game against Anish Giri, managing to reach a rook endgame up a pawn, but there was no light at the end of the tunnel, and a draw was the correct result.
Finally, we reach the game of the day, the epic win by Shakhriyar Mamedyarov over Saleh Salem. Mamedyarov, playing black, had played a strong, albeit complicated Fianchetto Grunfeld but could not quite seem to shake off his opponent who alternated between lost and equal.

An excellent murderous look by Saleh Salem, except that it needs to be pointed out it is pretty much impossible to intimidate a player such as Mamedyarov, famed for his fearless play, who furthermore is having the run of his life
In the end, White correctly went for a line that should have yielded a perpetual check, but he was led astray and lost in the queen endgame.

This netted more than a share of first place for Shakhriyar Mamedyarov with Ding Liren, it also took him to a historic 2801 on the Live Ratings list. Fantastic.
Standings after four rounds
Rk |
SNo |
Ti. |
Name |
FED |
Rtg |
Pts |
rtg+/- |
1 |
4 |
GM |
Ding Liren |
CHN |
2773 |
3,0 |
6,6 |
|
5 |
GM |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
AZE |
2772 |
3,0 |
6,2 |
3 |
6 |
GM |
Svidler Peter |
RUS |
2755 |
2,5 |
2,7 |
|
13 |
GM |
Radjabov Teimour |
AZE |
2710 |
2,5 |
7,5 |
5 |
1 |
GM |
Vachier-Lagrave Maxime |
FRA |
2795 |
2,0 |
-4,2 |
|
2 |
GM |
Nakamura Hikaru |
USA |
2786 |
2,0 |
-4,8 |
|
3 |
GM |
Giri Anish |
NED |
2785 |
2,0 |
-4,5 |
|
7 |
GM |
Nepomniachtchi Ian |
RUS |
2751 |
2,0 |
-4,9 |
|
8 |
GM |
Grischuk Alexander |
RUS |
2750 |
2,0 |
-2,4 |
|
12 |
GM |
Gelfand Boris |
ISR |
2724 |
2,0 |
2,1 |
|
15 |
GM |
Tomashevsky Evgeny |
RUS |
2696 |
2,0 |
3,2 |
|
16 |
GM |
Hou Yifan |
CHN |
2652 |
2,0 |
6,7 |
|
17 |
GM |
Salem A.R. Saleh |
UAE |
2633 |
2,0 |
6,8 |
|
18 |
GM |
Hammer Jon Ludvig |
NOR |
2621 |
2,0 |
7,1 |
15 |
9 |
GM |
Harikrishna P. |
IND |
2750 |
1,5 |
-7,5 |
|
14 |
GM |
Vallejo Pons Francisco |
ESP |
2710 |
1,5 |
-2,5 |
17 |
10 |
GM |
Adams Michael |
ENG |
2747 |
1,0 |
-8,4 |
|
11 |
GM |
Inarkiev Ernesto |
RUS |
2727 |
1,0 |
-9,7 |
Pairings for round five
Links
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