1/27/2017 – Michael Adams and Nikita Vitiugov are the only 2700+ player with a perfect score at the end of the third round of the Gibraltar Masters 2017. All the elite players who had drawn their games yesterday including Caruana, MVL and Gelfand were able to win. However, Svidler had to once again split the point and on the top board Nakamura was surprised by an excellent exchange sacrifice by G. N. Gopal. We have the full illustrated report from round four rich with analysis, pictures, videos and also information about the team blitz and Governor's visit to the event.
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Photos by Sophie Triay and John Saunders
The Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival 2017 began with 12 players above 2700. After three rounds only two of them are on a 100% score with 3.0/3 – Michael Adams and Nikita Vitiugov. In the third round Mickey got the better of the talented Romanian Deac Bogdan-Daniel.
The game was heading towards a draw when the young Romanian just blundered a pawn. A costly error as Michael picked up the pawn and mopped up the game.
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1.e4
1,193,248
54%
2421
---
1.d4
964,722
55%
2433
---
1.Nf3
288,464
56%
2440
---
1.c4
186,167
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,948
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,689
54%
2428
---
1.f4
5,996
48%
2376
---
1.Nc3
3,955
50%
2383
---
1.b4
1,799
48%
2378
---
1.a3
1,264
54%
2406
---
1.e3
1,092
49%
2409
---
1.d3
971
50%
2378
---
1.g4
673
46%
2360
---
1.h4
469
54%
2381
---
1.c3
445
52%
2425
---
1.h3
294
56%
2418
---
1.a4
120
60%
2461
---
1.f3
101
47%
2431
---
1.Nh3
93
66%
2506
---
1.Na3
48
61%
2472
---
Please, wait...
1.c4e62.g3d53.Bg2Nf64.Nf3dxc45.Qa4+Bd76.Qxc4c57.Ne5Qc88.d3Nc69.Nxd7Qxd710.Nd2Rc811.Nf3Be712.Bd20-013.0-0Rfd814.Rfc1Nd515.a3a616.a4Bf617.Rab1Ncb418.a5b519.axb6Nxb620.Qe4Qb521.Bg5N4d522.Bxf6Nxf623.Qe3Nfd524.Qe4Nf625.Qe5c426.Qxb5axb527.Ne5Nfd528.dxc4bxc429.Bf1f630.Nf3Nb431.e3e532.Rc3Kf833.Ra1N4d534.Rc2The position is round about equal. Black has played pretty well and has many ways to maintain the equality. However, the young Romanian goes wrong.c3?35.e4Ne735...cxb236.Rxb2+-simply loses a piece.36.Rxc3White is up a pawn and the rest was done nicely by Michael.Rb837.b3Nec838.Ra2Rb739.Nd2Na740.Ba6Rbd741.Nf1Rd642.Ne3Nc643.Bf1Nd444.Ra6Rb845.Kg2Rd746.b4Rdb747.b5Nc848.Nd5Nxb549.Bxb5Rxb550.Rc7h551.Rd7Nb652.Nxb6R5xb653.Raa7g554.Rh7Kg855.Rag7+Kf856.Rc7Kg857.Rcg7+Kf858.Rg6Re859.Rxh5Rbe660.Kf3Kf761.Rgh6Rb662.Kg4Rb263.f3Rb364.Rh7+Ke665.Ra7Rd866.Rh6Rd667.Rhh7Rd468.Rhe7+Kd669.Rf71–0
Hikaru Nakamura played the most aggressive system in the Najdorf, but his opponent G.N. Gopal was excellently prepared, played an interesting exchange sacrifice and the game ended in a draw
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1.e4c52.Nf3d63.d4cxd44.Nxd4Nf65.Nc3a66.Bg5Nbd77.Qe2h68.Bxf6Nxf69.g3e510.Nf5Be611.0-0-0g612.Ne3Rc8This position has been reached in two top level encounters Wang-Grischuk and Motylev-Wojtaszek.13.Ned5Nxd514.Nxd5Rc515.b4Rxd5!?This is excellent preparation by Gopal who clearly understood that sacrificing and exchange will give him good chances because of the strong bishops and the safer king.16.exd5Bd717.h4h518.Kb2Bg719.c30-0Black is just an exchange down, but the bishop on g7 is a monster and Black's king is safe. All in all I would count this as an extremely complex position.20.a3f521.Ka2Qc722.c4e423.Qd2a524.b5Qc525.Qe3Qxe3!?Even the exchange of queens is not such a bad news for Black.26.fxe3Be527.Rg1b628.Be2Kf729.Rdf1Ke730.Kb3Rc831.a4Rc732.Kc2Rc833.Kd2Rh834.Rf4Hikaru returns the exchange seeing that there is absolutely no way to make progress.Bxf435.gxf4Kf636.Kc3Rc837.Kd4Be838.Bd1Bf739.Bb3Rc740.Ba2Rc841.Bb3Rc742.Ba2Rc843.Bb3 An interesting duel in the Najdorf.½–½
Fabiano Caruana was able to beat his Mongolian opponent Tuvshitungs Batchimeg. Fabi now moves to 2.5/3.
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1.Nf3d52.d4Nf63.c4dxc44.e3a65.Bxc4e66.0-0b57.Bd3Bb78.a4bxa49.Rxa4c510.Nc3cxd411.exd4Be712.Qe20-013.Bg5Bc614.Raa1Nd515.Qe4g616.Qh4Bxg517.Nxg5h518.Qg3Qf619.Rac1Ra720.Rfd1Kg721.Be4Rb7Fabiano's decision at this point was very interesting.22.Bxd5!?exd523.Rd2Re824.h4Nd725.Ne2!The knight comes to f4 and White kinght's start to weave their magic.Nf826.Nf4Kh827.Rdc2±White has beautifully co-ordinated his pieces. That's what top players do. They just get their guys on the best squares!Ba428.Rc7Rxc729.Rxc7Bd730.Nf3Be631.Ne5Re732.Rc6Qf533.Rxa6Rb734.b3Kg735.Rd6Rc736.Kh2Rb737.Rc6Re738.b4Rb739.Nfd3Qe440.Nc51–0
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave was able to win with a cute little exchange sacrifice. It wasn't decisive and perhaps his opponent had a fine position, but the French GM was able to outplay his opponent and win the game.
13...Rxc2! This exchange sacrifice is as natural as a baby's smile!14.Qxc2Bxe415.Qe2Bc616.Rc1Qa817.axb5Bxb518.Qd1Rb819.Na3Bc620.Nc4Nd521.Ba3Nf422.Ra222.Bxd6!=22...Bd523.Rc3Nf624.Ncd2g525.Nxg5?Bxb3!26.Qf3Qxf327.Rxf3Bxa228.Rxf4Nh529.Rg4f5Black is just up a piece.0–1
Boris Gelfand drew his first round, but is now back with two wins
Peter Svidler was held to another draw in the third round. It was a crazily complicated game and Nitzan Steinberg has had a great start to the tournament with draws against MVL and Svidler
Vassily Ivanchuk was in danger of losing his game against IM Venkatachalam Saravanan. The Indian IM went wrong at some point and Chucky managed to win. This was after he lost on time yesterday. So Ivanchuk is on 2.0/3.
My position objectively was completely hopeless!
On the third board Yu Yangyi drew his game against 2015 World Junior Champion Mikhail Antipov
Nikita Vitiugov is on 3.0/3 after he beat German grandmaster Alexander Donchenko
Vadim Zviaginsev, the inventor of 1.e4 c5 2.Na3!? beat Kateryna Lagno and is now on 3.0/3
David Howell played the Caro Kann for the first time in his life and suddenly found out that he had very little space to manoeuvre! He drew his game against Sergey Grigoriants.
The game between Anna Muzychuk and Hou Yifan ended in a draw
The battle of sexes between Nigel Short versus Anna Zatonskih ended in a win for Nigel!
The prodigy from America Awonder Liang managed to hold GM S.P. Sethuraman to a draw
Ju Wenjun made short work of her opponent Ori Kobo and is now on 3.0/3
The most popular couple in Gibraltar is Laurent Fressinet and Valentina Gunina!
The duel between father and daughter: Bellon Lopez and Anna Bellon Cramling ended in a draw!
Many of the strongest players, including Fabiano Caruana and Nigel Short (who met in the first round), took part in the team blitz event. The strongest team probably is 'Howell's Honeys (Fabiano Caruana, David Howell, Tania Sachdev and Dorsa Derakhshani). Two rounds have been completed and you can check the standings here.
Gibraltar's Governor Ed Davies (left) visited the tournament hall. Along with him in the picture is the organizer of the event Brian Callaghan
Interviewed live by commentator British Women’s Champion Jovanka Houska on the daily internet show streamed across the world the Governor described the tournament as a wonderful event. “What has kept this competition so progressive, so alive and made it so successful is that every year there are more people, more initiatives and different spins on the competition,” he said.
Talking about how the tournament had grown he commented on how Gibraltar was a place which had “ambition, innovation and boldness”.“This competition is just testament to these attributes because Gibraltar goes about projecting itself in that way. The natural characteristics that make these things successful is what has happened here. Brian Callaghan had an idea, he had a vision, he was bold, innovative, and it has been a great success,” he added.
The games will be broadcast live on the official web site and on the 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 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Sagar ShahSagar is an International Master from India with two GM norms. He loves to cover chess tournaments, as that helps him understand and improve at the game he loves so much. He is the co-founder and CEO of ChessBase India, the biggest chess news portal in the country. His YouTube channel has over a million subscribers, and to date close to a billion views. ChessBase India is the sole distributor of ChessBase products in India and seven adjoining countries, where the software is available at a 60% discount. compared to International prices.
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