2010 Chess Olympiad: Ukraine is gold, and Russia is silver

The 2010 Chess Olympiad takes place from September 21st to October 3rd in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. It is an 11-round Swiss System team event, in which each team has four players with one reserve. Time control: 90 minutes/40 moves + 30 minutes + 30 seconds/move as of move one. Game start: rounds 1-10 at 9 AM UTC (5 AM New York / 2 AM Pacific daylight), and round 11 at 5 AM UTC (1 AM New York / 10 PM Pacific daylight) Rest day: September 26th (after round 5) and October 2nd (after round 10).

2010 Chess Olympiad Khanty-Mansiysk

Round 11

The final round promised to be a nail-biter, with Russia hoping to snatch the gold in the last round if things went their way, and Ukraine trying to ensure their top honors, facing Israel, who were a full point behind.

Gelfand against Ivanchuk ended in a quick draw.

The second match featured Russia 1, trailing the leaders by a mere half-point, against Spain with Shirov on their top board. There was a great deal of uncertainty as to whether Ukraine would still win gold if they drew while Russia won, because this year the primary tiebreak was not the total game points, but was calculated as follows:

Since there is no way of computing the last round results before they take place, the exact tiebreaks at the end would remain an incognito until after it was all done. Two other matches that included contenders for bronze were Hungary versus Poland and France against Armenia. All four teams were a half point behind Israel, who were in sole third, but should Israel lose...

France, who had had a remarkable final dash, reaching parity with Russia 1 after round nine, a half point behind Ukraine, had a strange and ugly start. Board one between French prodigy Vachier-Lagrave, and Armenian Aronian, went so fast that by the time most games were still leaving theory at move 15 or so, they had already played more than 40 moves, in an endgame where the Frenchman seemed quite dead. By the time he resigned on move 52, Aronian actually had more time on his clock than when he started! Luckily for their sake, Fressinet eventually evened the score by beating Akopian on board two, and the match was drawn.

In a rare occurance at this level, Aronian and Vachier-Lagrave played so fast that by
the time the Frenchman resigned on move 52, Aronian actually had more time on his
clock than when he started.

Hungary was more fortunate in their bid for bronze as they eventually beat Poland 2.5-1.5, but the real fights were in the top matches. Very quickly both top boards Gelfand-Ivanchuk and Ponomariov-Sutovsky were drawn leaving the match to be decided by the third and fourth boards. This left most eyes on Russia 1 against Spain, since a great deal depended on the Russian's ability to overcome the Spaniards. They too saw two quick draws, between Magem Badals-Karjakin and Vallejo Pons-Grischuk, leaving their fates to be decided by their white-piece players.

Shirov and Kramnik just before the start of the final round.

First and foremost was Kramnik-Shirov, a match up that has led to more than one memorable game. Kramnik chose an offbeat 6.Qb3 against Shirov's Semi-Slav, a continuation he had only played in a couple of blitz games more than ten years ago.

Kramnik,Vladimir (2780) - Shirov,Alexei (2749) [D43]
39th Olympiad Men Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (11.2), 03.10.2010

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.Qb3 This must have caught Shirov off-guard. While the databases will show two games from the late 90s by Kramnik with this move, the games in question are blitz.

6.Qb3... so much for the game preparation.

6...Be7 7.e3 h6 7...0-0 is the usual continuation here. Among top GMs, Dreev, for whatever reason, has been targeted as black with this line several times in the last years, despite obtaining good results, and has always chosen 0-0. 8.Bh4 b6 A novelty. 8...0-0 was almost universally chosen here. 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bd3 0-0 11.0-0 Bb7 12.Rac1 Ne4 13.Bg3!?

An interesting decision by the ex-world champion. The obvious move was to exchange bishops on e7, instead he actually gives up the bishop pair in exchange for the e4 knight. Kramnik is already looking at the e4 push that will ensue after the exchange, and his central play and pressure on c6. The added purpose behind Rc1 becomes clearer. 13...Nxg3 14.hxg3 Nf6 15.Rfd1 Rc8 16.e4 dxe4 17.Nxe4 Nxe4 18.Bxe4 Bf6 19.Qa3 a5 This weakens the queenside pawns, notably b6, and makes white's job easier. A more resilient try was 19...Qc7 after which play might continue 20.b4!? (Obviously not 20.Qxa7? Ra8) 20...Rfe8 21.Re1 (21.Bxc6!? Bxc6 22.b5 (Or 22.d5 Qb7 23.dxc6 Rxc6 24.Rxc6 Qxc6 25.Qxa7 Ra8 26.Qd7 Qxd7 27.Rxd7 Rxa2 and the position is roughly equal.) 22...Qd7 23.bxc6 Rxc6 24.Rxc6 Qxc6 25.d5 Qd7 26.d6 Re6 is ok for black.) 21...Re7 22.b5 c5 23.Bxb7 Rxe1+ 24.Nxe1 Qxb7 25.dxc5 Qe7! 26.Nf3 (26.cxb6? Qxa3 27.Rxc8+ Kh7 28.b7 Be5) 26...Rxc5 27.Rxc5 bxc5 20.Ne5 Qe8 21.Re1 The attractive looking 21.Qd6 runs into 21...Rd8 22.Qc7 Rxd4! 23.Nd7 (23.Rxd4? Bxe5 24.Qxb7 Bxd4 25.Re1 g6 26.Qxc6 Qxc6 27.Bxc6 Bxb2) 23...Qxe4 24.Qxb7 Rxd1+ 25.Rxd1 Qc2 26.Nxf6+ gxf6 27.Rd4 Qc1+ 28.Kh2 Qxb2 and white would have nothing better than the draw. 21...Qd8 The discovered threats against the queen were too many. 22.Qf3.

Classic Kramnik using his pieces to keep the pressure without compromising his pawns. At this point Shirov was not only in trouble in the position, but his clock was down to the last minute and he was surviving only on the 30-second increment he received after each move. 22...Rc7 The d4-pawn is protected tactically against 22...Qxd4? with 23.Qf5! Rfd8 (23...g6 24.Qxf6) 24.Qh7+ Kf8 25.Nf3 Qb4 26.Bd5 and black is mated. 23.Rcd1 g6 24.Qb3!

Hitting both b6 and g6 since the f7-pawn is now pinned. 24...Kg7?! 24...b5! was worth a try and white would continue 25.a4 (25.Nxg6 wouldn't work because of 25...a4) 25...bxa4 26.Qxa4 Re7 27.Qa2 (27.Qb3 Kg7 28.Bxc6 Qc7) 27...Kg7 28.Bxc6 Ba8 29.Qa4 25.Qxb6 Black's position quickly collapsed after this. 25...Re7 26.Qc5 Rfe8 27.Bxc6 Bxc6 28.Qxc6 Qb8 29.Qc3 Qb4 30.f4 Qxc3 31.bxc3 Rc7 32.Rd3 Rec8 33.Ree3 Rb7 34.d5 Rb1+ 35.Kh2 Ra1 36.Nd7 Bd8 37.Re8 Rxa2 38.d6 a4 39.Ne5 a3 40.d7 Rb8 41.Rxd8 Rxd8 42.Nc6 1-0 [Click to replay]

You would be forgiven for presuming that this classy showing by Kramnik would have decided things in Russia's favor, however, Ivan Salgado Lopez, playing black against Svidler, had the loudest say in the matter, when he showed very fine judgment in his brilliant central counterattack against Svidler's kingside ambitions.

Svidler,Peter (2731) - Salgado Lopez,Ivan (2595) [B07]
39th Olympiad Men Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (11.2), 03.10.2010

1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nge2 Nbd7 5.g3 Be7 6.Bg2 c6 7.a4 b6 8.0-0 a6 9.h3 h5 10.Be3 Bb7 11.Nc1 Previously know were Qd2 and f4. 11...0-0 12.Nd3 Qc7 13.f4 b5

14.Nf2?! The purpose behind this strange looking move is that white doesn't want to be forced to give up the bishop pair after 14.-- exd4 15.Bxd4 c5 and if white withdraws with 16.Bf2 b4 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.exd5 Nf6 he would stand worse. 14...Rfe8 15.g4?! A dubious choice. White wants to start a kingside flank attack with the pawns, but the conditions are really against it right now: the center is not stable, much less under control, and his pieces aren't even well positioned to undertake kingside action. 15...hxg4 16.hxg4 b4 17.Ne2 exd4 18.Qxd4 c5 19.Qd3 d5! 20.e5 Ne4 21.Nxe4 dxe4 22.Qd1 22.Bxe4? c4 23.Qd4 Bc5 22...Rad8 23.Qc1.

23...f6! A gutsy decision as it will allow white to cement a passed pawn on e6. If the game goes into an endgame, it could easily be decisive. However, analysis suggests that Salgado's judgment was right on the money. 24.e6 Nb6 25.f5 Nd5 26.Nf4 c4 27.Nxd5 Rxd5!

28.Bf4 White is short of good options by now.

28.Qe1 was white's alternative, but after 28...b3 29.Rc1 bxc2 30.Rxc2 Rd3 31.Re2 Forced as the threat was Rxe3 followed by Bc5. 31...Bd6! 32.Bf2
a) 32.Qh4 Rxe3 33.Rxe3 Bc5 34.Qf2 (34.Qh3 Rd8 35.Kh1 Bxe3 36.Qxe3 Rd3) 34...Rd8 35.Rfe1 Rd3 36.Bf1 Rxe3 37.Rxe3 Bd5 38.Kg2 Qe5 39.Qe2 Bxe3 40.Qxe3 Qxb2+ 41.Kg1 c3 is better for black.;
b) 32.Kh1? g5 33.fxg6 Bg3 34.Qc1 (34.Bf2 Kg7! 35.Bxe4? Qf4!! Threatening Qh6+ and mate. 36.Kg1 Bh2+ 37.Kh1 Bxe4+ 38.Rxe4 Qf3+ 39.Kxh2 Rh8+ 40.Bh4 Rd2+) 34...Kg7! and the threat of Rh8 decides it much like the game continuation.; 32...g5!;

The e4 pawn cannot be taken as 28.Bxe4? would get white mated after 28...Qg3+ 29.Bg2 Rd1!

28...Qb6+ 29.Kh2 29.Be3 was also no good because of 29...Bc5 30.Re1 b3! 31.cxb3 (31.c3 Rd3 32.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 33.Kf1 Qe5 34.Re2 Qg3) 31...Rd3 32.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 33.Kf1 Qe5 34.Qxc4 Qg3; 29.Kh1 g5

29...g5! 30.fxg6 30.a5 changed nothing. 30...Qc5 31.Be3 Qc7+ 32.Kg1 Qg3 33.Bb6 (33.Bf2 Qxg4) 33...Bd6 34.Rf2 Bf4 30...Qxe6 31.Kg3 Rg5 32.Bxg5 fxg5 33.Rf5 Bd6+ 34.Kf2 e3+ 35.Kg1 Bxg2 36.Kxg2 Qe4+ 36...Qe4+ 37.Kh3 Kg7 38.Rf7+ Kxg6 and Rh8 is mate. 0-1 [Click to replay]

As this game actually ended before Kramnik-Shirov, leaving the score 2-1 in Spain's favor, and no hope for a win by Russia, no less than two minutes later, both remaining boards in Ukraine-Israel were drawn. It was clearly a package deal, and made before the fates of the other bronze contenders were known. The reason was very much due to the actual board situations. While Israel's Rodshtein was slightly better on board three, Ukrainian Efimeenko was clearly much better, if not won, in his endgame, so guaranteeing the draw was their best deal. In the end, this turned out to be a very close decision, but that worked as Hungary ended up losing the medal due to a minute tiebreak difference.

The final medal winners were therefore, Ukraine gold, Russia silver, and Israel bronze.

Russia 1 against Russia 2: not a bloodless draw.

In the women's section, the Russian 1 gold winners were to play Russia 2, who were still hoping for Bronze, possibly even silver if China were to lose to Ukraine, and they were to beat the top team, but Russia 1 kept their immaculate record clean and they beat Russia 2 2.5-1.5, while China also beat Ukraine to take silver, leaving the bronze for Georgia.

Aftermath

Ukraine's result, spearheaded by Vassily Ivanchuk's brilliant example was very much deserved, and their second victory in the post-Soviet era. Russia made a very strong showing, and deserve congratulations for their silver medal, yet one wonders how successful they would have been without their recently imported star, Karjakin. Considering the sheer speed Russia 2's top board Nepomniachtchi has grown over the last 12 months, winning the European Championship, and gaining 100 Elo to break 2700, it is not hard to predict he will be a star player in their next team events. Israel's bronze medal was superb, showing their result in Dresden was no fluke. Though their biggest name player is still Gelfand, it was their second board, GM Emil Sutovsky, who with 7.0/8 and a 2895 performance (the highest in the Olympiad) was their biggest star in this event. Spain's excellent 8th place while ranked 16th was remarkable, though even more are Belarus, ranked 35th at the start but finishing 14th, Denmark ranked 44th, but finishing 19th, and remarkably Zambia who started ranked 121st but ended up 47th, a superb achievement.

As to the worst, never something one wishes to belabor on as it is tough enough on those have to go through it, one must mention Bulgaria, ranked 8th at the onset, but for whom nothing seemed to work out, and finishing 31st. There was also Norway, who had high hopes in the beginning, ranked 23rd, but who ended 51st. Of course Magnus Carlsen's three losses were a big factor, and he tried explaining them away as an unfortunate combination of being out of form and wanting to win. Still, it seemed more a combination of playing the oddest openings under the sun, and just being very distracted. That said, it wasn't all bad news for either Bulgaria or Norway, with top manager Bulgarian Silvio Danailov winning the ECU presidency, and Norway winning its bid to host the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromso.

Finally, Germany's 64th place, perhaps their worst showing in Olympic history, was not helped by all the top players not playing, added to a substandard showing by the players they were replaced with.

The women's section was slightly reminiscent of the 80s and 90s when Hungary's team took the gold by sheer brute power of the Polgar sisters. This year, despite the expected strong lineups of China, Georgia and Ukraine, it was all about the Kosintseva sisters who in the last couple of years have risen to the very top ranks of female chess and are both poised to become the next female players to crack the 2600 barrier. They assuredly did not play alone, and the perfect teamwork with Kosteniuk, Galliamova, and Gunina cannot be understated, but their board medals speak volumes about their individual contributions.

The Olympiads have to be considered a great success with a record number of participating nations despite the nervous start and multiple issues that threatened to undermine its overall success. Comments on the organization and hospitality there were very positive, a true credit to Governor Komarova, and the spectacular ceremonies gave the event a show worthy of its prestige.

We would also like to extend a special thank you to all those who helped make our coverage of the very highest standard, by providing photos and video reports, as well as game analysis.

Photographs by FIDE, Turkish Chess Federation, and CNC.

Video reports

We received video reports by both Elmira Mirzoeva and Europe Echecs which we are sharing with their kind permission.

 
The final report presents images of the winenrs and final impressins by the Ukrainian team and
Valentina Gunina from the Russian gold medal team.

 
The final report includes an interview of Ponomariov on the tournament conditions and the team's
result as well as the pot-mortem comments by Salgado on the dramatic victory over Svidler.

Top men's results

Click here for complete men's results

Final men's standings (after eleven rounds)

Men's top board medal winners

Top women's results

Click here for complete women's results

Final women's standings (after eleven rounds)

Women's top board medal winners

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Links Official tournament site Men's games in PGN (zipped) Women's games in PGN (zipped) 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 the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!