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The 2nd super grandmaster tournament will last from June 15 to 24, while the ten most prestigious Chinese grandmasters compete in a nine-round round-robin tournament. The time control is 90 minutes for the whole game with an addition of 30 seconds per move starting from move one. Draw offers are not allowed before the 30th move.
The players wearing the tournament shirt in the opening ceremony
The players are GM Wang Hao (2732 Elo), GM Wang Yue (2714), reigning Chinese champion GM Ding Liren (2664), GM Bu Xiangzhi (2662), GM Ni Hua (2661), GM Li Chao (2656), GM Yu Yangyi (2646), GM Zhou Jianchao (2636), reigning Women World Champion GM Hou Yifan (2612), and GM Zhou Weiqi (2610).
By Gu Xiaobing
After seven rounds, the competition has been exhilirating, and the youngest player in the event, 16-year-old Yu Yangyi (2646) has continued his incredible run with 5.5/7 and a 2882 performance. Wang Yue has also been playing very well, and is just behind with 5.0/5 and a 2811 performance. What is striking is that it has not been his typical tournament inasmuch as he has been experimenting in more ways than one, deviating from his very classical ultra-positional play. See the next game to get an idea.
Wang Yue (2714) - Zhou Jianchao (2636) [B94]
2nd GM Danzhou CHN (2), 16.05.2011
1.Nf3 c5 2.e4 A big surprise and very unexpected for Wang Yue! 2...d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.Bc4 Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.0-0 e6
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It is incredible that he not only went for this line, but this specific speculative sacrifice, first introduced into play by Cheparinov earlier this year. It is the exact opposite of his style! 11.Bxe6!? fxe6 12.Nxe6 Qa5 13.f4 Kf7 14.e5 Kxe6 15.Kh1 Kf7 16.Rbe1 h6. 16...Nb6 17.exf6 gxf6 18.Bxf6 Rg8 19.Bd4 Na4 20.Qe2 Bd7 21.f5 Rxg2 22.Kxg2 Nxc3 23.Qh5+ Kg8 24.Qg5+ Kf7 25.Qf6+ Kg8 26.Qh8+ 1-0 (26) Cheparinov,I (2664)-Kadric,D (2379)/Aix les Bains 2011/Mega2011 Update 15 17.Bh4 Nb6 18.exf6 g6 19.Qe3 Bd7 20.f5 g5 21.Bf2 g4 22.Qg3 Rc8 23.Bxb6 Qxc3 24.Qxg4 Qxf6 25.Bd4 Qg5 26.Qe4 Be7 27.Bxh8 Rxh8 28.Qd5+ Kg7 29.Rxe7+ 1-0. [Click to replay]
The organizers have gone to great efforts to make the event as attractive as possible, inlcuding a number of unusual initiatives.
Feeling hungry hungry for chess? Here is a set made from radish and winter squash
The tournament has been quite animated with a number of exciting games and exciting moments. Here is a lovely finish by Zhou Weiqi.
Ding Liren (2664) - Zhou Weiqi (2610) [E25]
2nd GM Danzhou CHN (4), 18.05.2011
1.d4 e6 2.c4 Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.dxc5 f5 9.e4 fxe4 10.Qc2 Nd7 11.fxe4 N5f6 12.c6 bxc6 13.Nf3 Qa5 14.Bd2 0-0 15.c4 Qc7 16.c5 Ng4 17.Rc1 Nde5 18.Be2
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18...Ba6!! A fantastic sacrifice by Zhou Weiqi! 19.Qb3. The first question to answer is what happens if White takes the bait? 19.Bxa6? Rxf3! The rook is untouchable and the exposed king is fatal. 20.gxf3 Nxf3+ 21.Kd1 (21.Ke2 Nd4+; 21.Kf1 Rf8!) 21...Rd8 19...Bxe2 20.Kxe2 Qc8 Protecting e6 and eyeing a6 21.Rc3 Rb8 22.Qa4 Rb2 23.Qxa7 Rf7 24.Qa4 Qb8 25.h3 Ra7 26.Qd1 Nf6 27.Rc2 Qb5+ 28.Kf2 Nxe4+ 29.Kg1 Nxf3+. After 30.gxf3 Qd3! 31.Rxb2 Qd4+ and White must give up the queen to avoid Qf2 mate. 0-1. [Click to replay]
Outside the hotel there are a number of large balloons
These were all created to show chess pieces
A novel way of creating a large chess display
They even redesigned the floor
There are also giant panels introducing the players and event
The following game was also very fun to watch for the spectators.
Wang Hao (2732) - Ding Liren (2664) [E84]
2nd GM Danzhou CHN (5), 19.05.2011
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6. The young two-time Chinese Champion is a big KID regular. 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.f3 0-0 6.Be3 Nc6 7.Nge2 a6 8.Qd2 Rb8 9.h4 h5 10.Nc1 e5 11.d5 Nd4 12.Nb3 c5 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.Nxd4 exd4 15.Bxd4 Re8 16.Rd1
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A move that has never seen grandmaster praxis. 16...d5!? Ding Liren plays the most energetic reply. 17.cxd5 cxd5 18.e5 Nd7 19.f4 f6?! 19...Bh6 with the idea of 20.Qf2 Nf6! was stronger, though White would still keep a significant edge. 20.Ba7 Rb7 21.Qxd5+ Kh8 22.Be3 fxe5
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23.f5! Rxb2 24.Qf7 e4 25.Bd4 Nf6 26.Qxg6 Rf8 27.Be2 Qc7 28.0-0 Rc2 29.Nd5 Nxd5 30.Bxg7+ Qxg7 31.Qxh5+ Qh7 32.Rxd5 Qxh5 33.Bxh5 e3 34.f6 Rxa2 35.Bf3 Be6 36.Rh5+ Kg8 37.Re5 Bc4 38.Rc1 1-0. [Click to replay]
On the rest day, the players gave simuls to children from the surrounding area.
Everyone is there... but where is Ni Hua?
Found him!... with his PSP.
Bu Xiangzhi is astonished at his opponent's move
Wang Yue with his new play, unsure whether he should sacrifice all his pieces now
Yu Yangyi: more powerful than a locomotive in this event
Wang Hao, the new number one in China
Zhou Weiqi makes the rounds
The playing area of the simul
| About the author The online game commentator and reporter WGM Gu Xiaobing, is a chess hostess and journalist, serving as a presenter at this tournament and others. She won the World University Championship, placed 2nd at the World Youth championship, 2nd place in the Chinese Championship - A group, and won the Chinese Championship - B group. |
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LinksThe 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 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs. |
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