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In all three hours of competition, and for more than 150 moves, Gata Kamsky (above) was the aggressor. Despite the constant pressure, he could not break through the stalwart and creative endgame defense of Ramirez until the waning moments. “It feels a bit awkward,” Kamsky said. “I consider us equals. Someone just got luckier than the other.”
The two went into a playoff by virtue of being tied after nine rounds of classical chess. Both players had 6.5/9; they drew their face-to-face battle in round eight. Kamksy was undefeated with four wins and five draws, while Alejandro Ramirez (above) had a loss but also one more win, thus necessitating Monday’s action.
| Rnk | Name | Pts | Rtng | TPR | W-We | SB |
| 1 | GM Kamsky, Gata | 6.5 | 2741 | 2733 | +0.01 | 34.75 |
| 2 | GM Ramirez, Alejandro | 6.5 | 2551 | 2737 | +2.25 | 29.75 |
| 3 | GM Onischuk, Alexander | 6.0 | 2666 | 2670 | +0.06 | 29.75 |
| 4 | GM Gareev, Timur | 6.0 | 2674 | 2690 | +0.19 | 28.0 |
| 5 | GM Holt, Conrad | 5.5 | 2513 | 2679 | +2.02 | 27.75 |
| 6 | GM Christiansen, Larry M | 5.0 | 2579 | 2623 | +0.52 | 21.5 |
| 7 | GM Shabalov, Alexander | 5.0 | 2544 | 2626 | +0.98 | 20.0 |
| 8 | GM Robson, Ray | 5.0 | 2620 | 2613 | -0.10 | 19.75 |
| 9 | IM Troff, Kayden W | 5.0 | 2421 | 2614 | +2.21 | 19.25 |
| 10 | GM Benjamin, Joel | 5.0 | 2534 | 2644 | +1.30 | 24.0 |
| 11 | GM Akobian, Varuzhan | 5.0 | 2616 | 2554 | -0.75 | 19.75 |
Games one and two were played at a time control of 25 minutes per player with a five second increment per move. Ramirez seemed determined not to get behind on the clock, but an early misstep allowed Kamsky to embed a knight on d5. Shortly after, Black’s pawns were crippled, but Ramirez found all the necessary countermeasures to prevent any white pawn from reaching paydirt. Of the many players who were spectating, GM Robert Hess said Kamsky did not need to be so quick to exchange his best piece.
Live video coverage of the games, with Jennifer Shahade and Yasser Seirawan commenting
Maurice Ashley was providing computer and human brain assisted evaluations
Things getting really tense – Kamsky attacking, Ramirez defending precisely
Draw agreed in game one
After a short break, they switched colors and resumed the rapid play. This time Kamsky broke through on the queenside, and probed Ramirez’s position with his rook. The minor pieces traded and another rook-and-pawn ending was reached, with Kamsky having all the chances.
One again Ramirez was up to the task, using a stalemate tactic to extend the tiebreak
The rare ending to a grandmaster game caused the supremely focused Kamsky to look at the crowd and laugh. Later, he said he had almost the same ending at the World Cup in 2011 against GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, but was able to win that game.
The rules dictated that in case of a 1-1 tie, the playoff would end in an Armageddon match, where players bid for time and color. In sealed envelopes, Ramirez wrote the time 19:45, while Kamsky’s envelope read 20 minutes even. Ramirez thus got 19:45 to Kamsky’s 45 minutes, while Ramirez had black and draw odds.
The two reprised the opening from their first rapid game. Kamsky, needing to win, decided to keep all the minor pieces on the board this time. He slowly increased his square domination while Ramirez listlessly shuffled pieces round the last two ranks. Eventually Kamsky pushed forward, and Ramirez, getting low on time, decided to take his chances in an opposite-colored bishop endgame.
With Ramirez playing only on increment, he could not defend once Kamsky got his third passed pawn. Ramirez resigned after Kamsky denuded black’s best defenders. After the game, Kamsky told Ramirez that 37…e5 was the critical mistake, without which Black should hold. Ramirez agreed, explaining that he did not see 39…g4 in his calculations. “I was starting to get really nervous,” Kamsky said. “It wasn’t clear until the last move.”
Ramirez said the experience of playing worse positions was “torture”, then he was reminded that he still pockets $20,000. “I’ve never won that much in chess, ever,” he said.
After the tense playoff, Kamsky (above being interviewed by Maurice Ashley after the playoff) seemed more relieved than elated. He flew in from a tournament in Switzerland just days before the championship, and he has less than one week until he competes against the world’s best in Greece. “I just want to get some sleep,” he said.
All photos by Tony Rich, Saint Louis Chess Club
The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs. |
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