Baku R4: Adams beats Navara, Wang Yue beats Cheparinov

First FIDE Grand Prix in Baku

The first FIDE Grand Prix tournament is taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from April 20th to May 6th, 2008. There are thirteen rounds and two rest days (April 26 and May 1st). The event, organised by Global Chess, is part of a series of six tournaments to be held over two years (2008-2009). 21 top world players are selected to compete in these tournaments, with each player contracting to participate in exactly four of these tournaments. The winner of the Grand Prix series at the end of 2009 will play the winner of the World Cup held in 2009 in an eight game match to become the challenger to the World Champion in a match to be held in the third quarter of 2010.
 

Round four report

The fourth round saw three decisive games – we register a relatively low drawing average of 53% in this high-category tournament so far. Remarkably five games have ended in black victories (eight were won by White).

Kamsky-Grischuk saw the tournament leader Alexander Grischuk draw without any difficulty with black with a Slav. Kamsky went for a perpetual on move 21, which according to the special anti-draw rules is the only way for players to finish without decision at this early stage of the game.

Adams-Navara brought a second victory to the British GM and a second loss for David Navara. Adams was worse after the opening stage. His assessment: "I didn't play the opening very well, my 15.Bg5 was a bit vague and at some point my position was just bad. I was quite lucky today."

Adams,Mi (2729) - Navara,D (2672) [C05]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (4), 24.04.2008
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Ngf3 g6 8.h4 Qb6 9.dxc5 Qc7! (an excellent novelty) 10.Nb3 Ndxe5 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.0-0 Nxd3 13.Qxd3 Bg7 14.h5 0-0 15.Bg5 b6 16.h6 Bh8 17.cxb6 axb6 18.Rfe1 Bb7 19.Nd4 e5 20.Nb5 Qc6 21.a4 f6 22.Bd2 f5 23.f4 d4 24.Qf1 dxc3 25.Bxc3 exf4 26.Bxh8 Kxh8 27.Rac1 Qf6 28.Qxf4 Qxb2 29.Qe5+ Qxe5 30.Rxe5 Rxa4 31.Nd6 Rd4 32.Rc7 Bd5 33.Rd7

The Czech grandmaster has been better for much of the game and is now fighting for a draw. The next move spoils this chance: 33...Kg8?? 34.Re8. An even more direct approach was 34.Ne8, threatening 35.Nf6 and mate to follow. 34...Rxe8 35.Nxe8 Rd1+ 36.Kh2 Bb3 37.Nf6+ Kf8 38.Nxh7+ Ke8 39.Nf6+ Kf8 40.h7 and White gets a new queen. 1-0. [Click to replay]

Bacrot-Karjakin saw the Frenchman playing a novelty, 14.Re1, in the Chebanenko Variation of the Slav. His Ukrainian opponent was able to exchange down to an equal ending and draw the rook ending in 33 moves.

Wang Yue-Cheparinov brought yet another loss, the fourth in succession, for the young Bulgarian GM. Match commentator Sergey Shipov likened Ivan Cheparinov to "a boxer who just goes forward, ignoring his opponent and getting beaten up more and more." Cheparinov said he had no clue on what is going on – just like the rest of the chess world. "It is my fault that I lose all those games, but I don't know why. I talk a lot with Silvio [Danialov, who is not in Baku], but it doesn't help."

Inarkiev-Gashimov was the longest and most difficult game of the round. The Russian GM played well in the opening and got a big advantage, but blundered ("as usual," he said in the press conference) a full exchange on move 33.

Inarkiev,E (2684) - Gashimov,V (2679) [A61]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (4), 24.04.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.Nc3 exd5 6.cxd5 g6 7.Bf4 Bg7 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qb3 Qc7 10.e4 0-0 11.Nd2 Nh5 12.Be3 f5 13.exf5 gxf5 14.Be2 Be8 15.0-0 a6 16.Qd1 Nf6 17.Nf3 b5 18.Ng5 Bf7 19.Bd3 Qc8 20.Qf3 Bg6 21.Ne6 Nbd7 22.Bf4 b4 23.Nd1 Ne5 24.Bxe5 dxe5 25.Bc4 Ne4 26.Qe2 Re8 27.Rc1 Nd6 28.Bb3 f4 29.Rxc5 Qb8 30.Rc6 Ra7 31.Re1 a5 32.Ba4 Ree7

33.Qd2?? "It wasn't even a combination, just one move, Be8," said Inarkiev in the press conference. Still, there was a lot of play and a lot of tension before the draw was reached. 33...Be8 34.Nc5 Kh8 35.b3 Nf5 36.Nb2 Nd4 37.Nc4 Bxc6 38.dxc6 Qc7 39.Ne4 Nxc6 40.Qd5 Nd4 41.Ned6 Ra6 42.h3 h6 43.Kh1 Re6 44.Ne8 Qe7 45.Bd7 Qh4 46.Nxe5 Qxf2 47.Nf7+ Kh7 48.Rxe6 Rxe6 49.Bxe6 Qe1+ 50.Kh2 Qg3+ 51.Kh1 Qe1+ 52.Kh2 Qg3+ 53.Kh1 ½-½. [Click to replay]

Mamedyarov-Carlsen saw the Norwegian GM and top seed struggling after Mamedyarov's skillful openings play in a Queen's Indian.

Mamedyarov,S (2752) - Carlsen,M (2765) [E17]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (4), 24.04.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 Na6 8.Ne5 Bxg2 9.Kxg2 c6 10.e4 Qc7 11.Nc3 Qb7 12.Nd3 d5 13.e5 Nd7 14.cxd5 cxd5 15.h4 Nb4 16.Bg5 Nxd3 17.Qxd3 Bb4 18.Rec1 a6 19.Ne2 Rfc8 20.h5 h6 21.a3 Bf8 22.Bd2 Rxc1 23.Rxc1 Rc8 24.Rf1 b5 25.f4 Qc6 26.Rc1 Qb7 27.Rf1 Qc6 28.Qf3 Qb6 29.f5 exf5 30.Bc3 a5?

31.Bxa5! In the press conference after the game Magnus admitted that he missed this move. 31...Qxa5 32.Qxf5 Qd2 33.Qxf7+ Kh8 34.Rf2 Rd8? 34...Nxe5 was probably better: 35.dxe5 Bc5. 35.Qxd5 Qa5 36.Nf4 Qa8 37.Ng6+ 1-0. Carlsen was very appreciative of his opponent: "He just found the best moves and won in very good style." [Click to replay]

Spectators at the Grand Prix in Baku

Things spruce up when the Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Artur Rasizade, visits the Grand Prix tournament hall. A video report is provided on the official web site.

The Prime Minister and the Azeri chess hero Teimour Radjabov

Rasizade even attends a post-game lecture with Peter Svidler and Teimour Radjabov

Standings after four rounds

Schedule and results

Links FIDE Global Chess Grand Prix Home Page Tournament web site for Baku Grand Prix 2008 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 ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use it to read, replay and analyse the PGN games. Download free PGN reader ChessBase Light