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The ACP cup runs from the 13th of September to the 15th of September in Riga, Latvia. The tournament will be a rapid event with blitz tiebreaks in a knock out format. The pairings will be somewhat unusual, as the four highest rated players will be randomly paired against the four lowest rated players, consequently the players ranked fifth to eighth will be randomly paired against the players ranked ninth to twelfth. The tournament will follow FIDE rapid play rules and FIDE blitz play rules for the normal portion and the tiebreaks.
The matches will consist of 25 minutes per player at the start of the game with 10 seconds increment from move one. In case of a tiebreak the games will move to 3 minutes with 2 seconds increment. Finally, an Armageddon will be used where White starts with 5 minutes and must win against Black's 4 minutes; at the 61st move however players will begin to receive a 2 second increment.
Day three report
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Semi-Finals
The Semi-Finals started with a bang: Grischuk was able to dispatch Svidler in a game that could honestly have gone either way. A victory with black proved to be very important and a subsequent draw allowed Sasha Grischuk to reach the finals.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.0-0 Nge7 5.Re1 Nd4 6.Nxd4 cxd4 7.d3 a6 8.Ba4 b5 9.Bb3 Nc6 10.Nd2 Bb7 11.h3 Rc8 12.a4 Bb4 13.Qg4 Qf6 14.axb5 axb5 15.Qh5 Qe5 16.Qh4 Qf6 17.Qh5 Qe5 18.Qh4 Qc5! 18...Qf6= 19.Qg3 0-0 20.e5?! 20.Rf1 Kh8 21.Nf3 f6 20...Kh8? 20...Ra8 21.Ne4! Qxe5 22.Bf4 Qh5 23.c3 Be7 24.Nd6 Bxd6 25.Bxd6 Rfe8 26.c4 bxc4 27.Bxc4 Ne7 28.Qg4 Qg6 29.Ra7 Bc6 30.b4 Nf5 31.Bh2 Ra8 32.Qxg6 hxg6 33.Rea1 d5 34.Rxa8 Bxa8 35.Bb5 Rc8 36.Bd7 Rd8 37.Ra7 f6 38.g4?! 38.Bxe6± 38...Nh4 39.Bd6?! Bc6! 40.Bxc6 Rxd6 41.b5 Nf3+ 42.Kg2? 42.Kf1 Ne5 43.f4 Nxd3 44.Rc7! 42...Ne1+ 43.Kf1 Nxd3 44.Rd7 Rxd7 45.Bxd7 Nc5 46.Bc8 Kg8 47.b6 Kf7 48.b7 Na6! 48...Nxb7 49.Bxb7 49.f4 g5 50.f5 e5 51.Be6+ Ke7 52.Bxd5 Kd6 53.Bc4 Nb8 0–1
- Start an analysis engine:
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- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
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Svidler,P | 2746 | Grischuk,A | 2785 | 0–1 | 2013 | B30 | ACP Cup 2013 | 3.1 |
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Ponomariov came close, but wasn't able to hold the second game of the match
In the other match there was a much closer struggle. Ruslan Ponomariov quickly took the lead by winning a nice Gruenfeld against Ian Nepomniatchi. However the Russian youngster struck back with a very aggressive version of the Orthodox Queen's Gambit Declined. In the tiebreaks Ponomariov committed a mistake in game one and lost while completely collapsing in game two, which allowed Nepo to go to the finals with a score of 3-1.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4 c6 6.e3 Bf5 7.g4 Be6 8.h4 Nd7 9.g5 h6 10.g6! Ngf6 11.gxf7+ Bxf7 12.Bd3 Ne4 13.Bxe4 13.Nxe4 dxe4 14.Bxe4 Nf6 15.Bf3 0-0 16.Ne2 c5 17.Rg1± 13...dxe4 14.Nge2 0-0 15.Qc2 Nf6 16.Rg1 Kh8 17.Be5 Qa5 18.Nf4 Bb4 19.Bxf6 19.f3!? exf3 20.Ng6+ Bxg6 21.Qxg6 Bxc3+ 22.Kd1! 19...gxf6 20.Qxe4 Rg8 21.Rxg8+ 21.Kd2!? 21...Rxg8 22.Kd2 f5 23.Qf3 Bc4? 23...Bd6 24.Qh5 Kh7 25.d5! Bxd5 26.Qxf5+ Kh8 27.Ng6+ Kg7 28.Ne7 Bxc3+ 29.bxc3 Rd8 30.Qe5+ Kf7 31.Nf5 Rd7 32.Nd6+ Kf8 33.Qe8+ 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Nepomniachtchi,I | 2717 | Ponomariov,R | 2756 | 1–0 | 2013 | D31 | ACP Cup 2013 | 3.2 |
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Finals: Grischuk-Nepomniatchi
Nepomniatchi definitely let go of a golden opportunity as he was completely winning in game one of the final match, and with the black pieces! Some unexpected counterplay allowed Grischuk to pull of a miracle escape and survive the first game. The second game also gave Nepo some chances but he again let them slip and a draw was agreed.
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In the first tiebreak Grischuk obtained a quick pair of bishops and then an exchange, more than enough to be a decisive advantage and he took game one. Nepomniatchi retaliated in a Petroff where he always held a nagging initiative that at the end proved to be too much for the Black pieces. The game was decided in the following Armageddon:
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.e3 0-0 5.Be2 d5 6.cxd5 Nxd5 7.e4 Nb6 8.0-0 Bg4 9.Nbd2 Nc6 10.d5 Nb8 11.a4 c6 12.a5 N6d7 13.h3 Bxf3 14.Nxf3 Nf6 15.Qb3 Qc8 16.Bg5 Nxe4 17.Bxe7 Re8 18.d6 Nxd6 19.Bxd6 Rxe2 20.Ng5 Qd7? 20...Qe8 21.Qxb7 Nd7 21.Rae1! Rxb2 22.Qc4! Na6 23.Re7 Qf5 24.Rxf7 Qd5 25.Rxg7+! Kxg7 26.Qc3+? 26.Be5+! Kg8 26...Qxe5 27.Qf7+ Kh6 28.Qxh7+ Kxg5 29.f4+ Qxf4 30.Qe7+ 27.Qh4! h5 28.Bxb2 26...Kg8 27.Qxb2 Qxd6 28.Qxb7 Nc7 29.Ne4 Qe5 30.Qxc6 Rf8 31.Qc4+ Kg7 32.Rd1 Rf7 33.Nc5 h5 34.f3 Qe3+ 35.Kh1 Qf2? 35...Ne8! 36.Ne6+ Kh6 36.Qc3+ Kh7 37.Rd8 Rg7 38.Ne4 Qf1+ 39.Kh2 Qb5 40.Nf6+ Kh6 41.Rh8+ Kg5 42.Ne4+ Kf4 43.Qxg7 43.g3+ Kf5 44.Qf6# 43...Nd5 44.Qd4 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
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Grischuk,A | 2785 | Nepomniachtchi,I | 2717 | 1–0 | 2013 | E60 | ACP Cup 2013 | 4.5 |
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The ACP Cup was full of exciting and fun chess. The time control was simply the perfect battle ground for these players who suffered many blunders, huge evaluation swings and enjoyed a fun event. The live commentary was surprisingly able to keep up with the players even in the Armageddon final, which is amazing considering that it was just a blitz game!
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The winner and his trophy, to the left Emil Sutovsky, president of the ACP. The trophy depicts one of the symbols of the host city: the Riga Roosters.
Results
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all photos by Lennart Ootes
Semi-Finals and Final games
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Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.0-0 Nge7 5.Re1 Nd4 6.Nxd4 cxd4 7.d3 a6 8.Ba4 b5 9.Bb3 Nc6 10.Nd2 Bb7 11.h3 Rc8 12.a4 Bb4 13.Qg4 Qf6 14.axb5 axb5 15.Qh5 Qe5 16.Qh4 Qf6 17.Qh5 Qe5 18.Qh4 Qc5! 18...Qf6= 19.Qg3 0-0 20.e5?! 20.Rf1 Kh8 21.Nf3 f6 20...Kh8? 20...Ra8 21.Ne4! Qxe5 22.Bf4 Qh5 23.c3 Be7 24.Nd6 Bxd6 25.Bxd6 Rfe8 26.c4 bxc4 27.Bxc4 Ne7 28.Qg4 Qg6 29.Ra7 Bc6 30.b4 Nf5 31.Bh2 Ra8 32.Qxg6 hxg6 33.Rea1 d5 34.Rxa8 Bxa8 35.Bb5 Rc8 36.Bd7 Rd8 37.Ra7 f6 38.g4?! 38.Bxe6± 38...Nh4 39.Bd6?! Bc6! 40.Bxc6 Rxd6 41.b5 Nf3+ 42.Kg2? 42.Kf1 Ne5 43.f4 Nxd3 44.Rc7! 42...Ne1+ 43.Kf1 Nxd3 44.Rd7 Rxd7 45.Bxd7 Nc5 46.Bc8 Kg8 47.b6 Kf7 48.b7 Na6! 48...Nxb7 49.Bxb7 49.f4 g5 50.f5 e5 51.Be6+ Ke7 52.Bxd5 Kd6 53.Bc4 Nb8 0–1
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Svidler,P | 2746 | Grischuk,A | 2785 | 0–1 | 2013 | B30 | ACP Cup 2013 | 3.1 |
Grischuk,A | 2785 | Svidler,P | 2746 | ½–½ | 2013 | A80 | ACP Cup 2013 | 3.2 |
Ponomariov,R | 2756 | Nepomniachtchi,I | 2717 | 1–0 | 2013 | E60 | ACP Cup 2013 | 3.1 |
Nepomniachtchi,I | 2717 | Ponomariov,R | 2756 | 1–0 | 2013 | D31 | ACP Cup 2013 | 3.2 |
Ponomariov,R | 2756 | Nepomniachtchi,I | 2717 | 0–1 | 2013 | E60 | ACP Cup 2013 | 3.3 |
Nepomniachtchi,I | 2717 | Ponomariov,R | 2756 | 1–0 | 2013 | E90 | ACP Cup 2013 | 3.4 |
Grischuk,A | 2785 | Nepomniachtchi,I | 2717 | ½–½ | 2013 | B90 | ACP Cup 2013 | 4.1 |
Nepomniachtchi,I | 2717 | Grischuk,A | 2785 | ½–½ | 2013 | E90 | ACP Cup 2013 | 4.2 |
Grischuk,A | 2785 | Nepomniachtchi,I | 2717 | 1–0 | 2013 | E60 | ACP Cup 2013 | 4.3 |
Nepomniachtchi,I | 2717 | Grischuk,A | 2785 | 1–0 | 2013 | C42 | ACP Cup 2013 | 4.4 |
Grischuk,A | 2785 | Nepomniachtchi,I | 2717 | 1–0 | 2013 | E60 | ACP Cup 2013 | 4.5 |
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