Almasi, Kamsky lead in Reggio, Bologan without draws

The 52nd Reggio Emilia Masters Tournament is an invitational with ten players with an average rating of 2623 (= Category 15). The rate of play is 100 minutes for 40 moves, then 50 minutes for the rest of the game, with 30 seconds increment given for each move from the start of the game.

Reggio Emilia is a northern Italian town famour for its medieval architecture and its philosophical approach to on preschool and primary education – really!

Report after round five

Third seed Viktor Bologan started badly with a white-piece loss to former boy wonder (and now young man wonder) Fabiano Caruana, Italy's strongest player – ever, dare we suggest?

Bologan,V (2692) - Caruana,F (2652) [C78]
52nd It Reggio Emilia ITA (1), 28.12.2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.a4 Rb8 8.c3 d6 9.d4 Bb6 10.a5 Ba7 11.h3 0-0 12.Be3 Ra8 13.Re1 Bb7 14.Nbd2 exd4 15.cxd4 Nb4 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 Nd3 18.Re3 Nf4

19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Bxe3 21.fxe3 Ng6 22.exf6 Nxh4 23.Nxh4 Qxf6 24.Nhf3. White ends up with two knights for a rook and pawn, and a clear initiative – for his young opponent. 24...c5 25.Qc2 c4 26.Ba2 Rad8 27.Re1 Rfe8 28.e4 Rd3 29.b3 Red8 30.Nf1 Rc3 31.Qb1 Rdd3 32.bxc4 Rxf3 33.gxf3 Rxf3 34.Re2 Rxh3 35.Qe1 bxc4 36.Bb1 c3 37.Re3 Qg5+ 38.Ng3?

The end is neigh: 38...h5 39.Kg2 Qg4 40.Rxc3 h4 41.Rb3 hxg3 0-1.

Fabiano comments on his game and gets congratulations from GM Miso Cebalo

A poor start for Viktor Bologan, who went on to lose his second round game against Baadur Jobava, but then won three in a row to rise to plus one, half a point behind the three leaders after round five. "Viorel", as he is called in his native Moldova, is our hero for gung-ho attitude and fighting spirit. Make that Gong He for the etimologically enlightened.

Viorel Bologan analysing his third round win against 20-year-old IM Sabino Brunello (position after 19...dxe5)

Landa,K (2664) - Bologan,V (2692) [E97]
52nd It Reggio Emilia ITA (4), 31.12.2009
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.Re1 f5 11.Ng5 Nf4 12.Bxf4 exf4 13.Rc1 fxe4 14.Ncxe4 Nf5 15.c5 Nd4 16.cxd6 cxd6 17.Bg4 Bxg4 18.Qxg4 Rf5 19.Ne6 Nxe6 20.dxe6 Qe7 21.Nc3 Rd8 22.Qf3 d5 23.Nb5 a6

24.Rc7? Why is this move wrong? Elementary, my dear Landa: 24...Qxb4 with a mate-in-one threat on e1. 25.Nc3. Only reasonable defence. 25...Qa5. Keeping the knight pinned and attacking the rook on c7. 26.Rd7 Re8 27.Rc1. Unpinning and defending the knight. 27...Rxe6. Black is two pawns up. 28.h3 Rc6 29.Qe2 Be5 0-1.

In this fourth round game Kamsky was a pawn up in a rook ending, but drew after 57 moves

US grandmaster and former World Championship finalist Gata Kamsky is leading after five rounds with a plus two score. Here is one of his two wins – the first was in round one with black against 20-year-old Daniele Vocaturo.

A contemplative start go Kamsky-Jobava in round five

Kamsky,G (2695) - Jobava,Ba (2696) [A10]
52nd It Reggio Emilia ITA (5), 02.01.2010
1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.g3 d6 4.Bg2 e5 5.d3 Ne7 6.h4 h6 7.e4 Nbc6 8.h5 g5 9.f4 gxf4 10.gxf4 exf4 11.Bxf4 Nd4 12.Qd2 Nec6 13.0-0-0 Bg4 14.Nge2 Qd7 15.Rdf1 0-0-0 16.Be3 Nxe2+ 17.Nxe2 Kb8 18.Nf4 Rde8 19.Kb1 a6 20.Bh3 Bxh3 21.Nxh3 Re5 22.Nf4 Rhe8 23.Nd5 f5 24.Bxh6 Bh8 25.Rxf5 Rxf5 26.exf5 Qxf5 27.Qd1 b5 28.Rf1 Qh7 29.cxb5 axb5 30.Bf4 Kb7 31.Bc1 Re5 32.Nf4 Rc5 33.Rh1 Qf7 34.Qe2

34...d5? 35.Ne6. A moment of pain – Black has trapped his own rook. 35...Rxc1+ 36.Rxc1 Qf6 37.a3 Nd4 38.Rxc7+ Kb6 39.Nxd4 Kxc7 40.Nxb5+ Kd7 1-0.

Bologan,V (2692) - Safarli,E (2592) [B90]
52nd It Reggio Emilia ITA (5), 02.01.2010
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nf3 Qc7 8.a4 Be7 9.a5 0-0 10.Be2 Nbd7 11.0-0 Nc5 12.Nd2 Be6 13.Bf3 Rfd8 14.b4. Previously seen in Ambarcumova-Repina Moscow-ch (Women), 27.03.2008.

14...Nb3!? A new move. Black had played 14...Ncd7 in the above game and drawn. Ferocious tactics follow after the text move, with White coming up ahead. 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.exd5 Nxa1 17.dxe6 d5 18.exf7+ Kf8 19.Qxa1 d4 20.Ne4 dxe3 21.fxe3 Bxb4 22.Ng5 Qc3 23.Qxc3 Bxc3 24.Bxb7 Rab8 25.Nxh7+ Ke7 26.Bxa6 Bxa5 27.f8Q+ Rxf8 28.Nxf8 Rxf8 29.Rxf8 Kxf8 30.Kf2. It is well worth replaying the last series of moves with an chess engine watching and explaining. White ends up with two pawns in the basket and an easily won endgame. 30...Ke7 31.Kf3 Bb6 32.h4 Kf6 33.Ke4 Bc5 34.Bb5 g6 35.Be8 Bb6 36.c4 Ba7 37.g4 Bc5 38.g5+ Kg7 39.Kd5 Bxe3 40.c5 1-0.

Standings after five rounds

Of the 25 games so far eleven were drawn = 44%. White won eight games (32%) and Black six games (24%).

Photos provided by Giorgio Gozzi

Links Official tournament site (Italian) All games in PGN 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!