Baku R6: Kamsky beats Adams, joins the leaders

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 six report

Kamsky-Adams showed us the new Gata Kamsky. Just a while ago he was a highly talented grandmaster who, after returning from retirement, was playing with a very shaky opening repertoire. Now he uncorks novelties and demonstrates superb preparation.

Kamsky,G (2726) - Adams,Mi (2729) [C92]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (6), 27.04.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d6 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.d5 Nb8 13.Nf1 Nbd7 14.N3h2 Nc5 15.Bc2 c6 16.b4 Ncd7 17.dxc6 Bxc6 18.Bg5 h6 19.Bxf6 Nxf6 20.Ng4 Nxg4 21.Qxg4 Rc8 22.Bb3 Bd7 23.Qf3 Be6 24.Red1 Qg5 25.Rd3 Qf4 26.Qe2 Bxb3 27.axb3 d5

28.exd5! Improving on Leko-Adams, Wijk aan Zee 2008. After the game Kamsky said: "I had looked at it until 33.Qg6 and there I decided 34.Qxf7 leads to a better ending for White." That's how deep his preparation goes. 28...e4 29.Re3 Qe5 30.Rxa6 f5 31.Ng3 Qxd5 32.Qh5 Re5 33.Qg6 Qf7 34.Qxf7+ Kxf7 35.Ra7+ Be7 36.Ne2 Ke8 37.Rb7 Rd5 38.Nd4 Bg5 39.Rxb5. "He shouldn't have allowed this," Kamsky said. 39...Rxb5 40.Nxb5 Rb8 41.Nc7+ Kd7 42.Na6 Ra8 43.Nc5+ Kc6 44.Re2 Ra1+ 45.Kh2 Kb5 46.Rc2 Bf6 47.g3 Rd1 48.Kg2 Be5 49.h4 g6 50.Ne6 Rd6 51.Nf4 Bxf4 52.gxf4 Rd3 53.c4+ Kxb4 54.c5 Kxb3 55.Rc1 Kb2 56.Rc4 Rd7 57.c6 Rc7 58.h5 Kb3 59.Rc1 gxh5 60.Kh3 1-0. [Click to replay]

Bacrot-Grischuk ended in a quiet 34-move draw, and that in spitel of the fact that Black had chosen the Sicilian Dragon, which GM Sergey Shipov called "a variation that has been buried so many times that it cannot even be counted". Grischuk said he had been inspired by the location: "Many players from Baku, such as Gashimov, Guseinov and Mamedov have played the Dragon so I though I had to try it here." Wang Yue-Navara was a draw in 42 moves, a relative success for the Czech GM, who had been under serious pressure with black.

Svidler-Karjakin saw the goalie from yesterday's football match (see below) playing a very nice game against the young Ukrainian GM Sergey Karjakin. Just hours before the game Peter Svidler had decided to go for 1.d4, clearly to avoid Karjakin's massive work on the Najdorf.

Svidler,P (2746) - Karjakin,Sergey (2732) [D47]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (6), 27.04.2008
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bd6 9.0-0 0-0 10.a3 Bb7 11.Qc2 a6 12.b4 a5 13.Rb1 axb4 14.axb4 Qe7 15.e4 e5 16.Ne2 Bxb4 17.Ng3 g6 18.dxe5 Ng4 19.Bg5 Qc5 20.e6 Nde5 21.Nxe5 Nxe5 22.Bf6 Qxc2 23.Bxc2 Bd6 24.Bb3 fxe6 25.Bxe6+ Nf7 26.f4 Bc8 27.Bb3 Re8 28.f5 Bxg3 29.hxg3 Rxe4 30.Ra1 Rxa1 31.Rxa1 Kf8. Probably 31...gxf5 was a safer choice. 32.Ra7 Ne5 33.Rxh7 Nc4?

34.fxg6 Be6 35.Bc2 Re2 36.Bd3 Re3 37.Bf5 Bd5 38.Kf2 Re8 39.Bd7 Nd6 40.Bg7+ 1-0. [Click to replay]

Inarkiev-Cheparinov produced the first full point by the Bulgarian in this tournament – in the previous five rounds he had scored a single draw. "I just tried to forget about those first four rounds, and started a new tournament," Cheparinov said.

Inarkiev,E (2684) - Cheparinov,I (2696) [D43]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (6), 27.04.2008
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Ne5 Bg7 12.Nxd7 Nxd7 13.Bd6 a6 14.Re1 Bf8 15.Bg3 Bg7 16.Bd6 Bf8 17.Bg3 Bg7 18.e5 0-0 19.Bf3 Qe7 20.Ne4 Nb6 21.Qe2 Rad8 22.Rad1 Nd5 23.a3 Kh8 24.Qc2 a5 25.h4 Nf4 26.hxg5 hxg5 27.Bxf4 gxf4 28.g4 f5 29.exf6 Bxf6 30.Kg2 Kg7 31.Nc5 Bc8 32.Qe4 Qd6 33.Rh1 Rh8 34.g5? Bxg5 35.Rhg1 Kf7 36.Kf1 Rdg8 37.Ke2 Rg7

Inarkiev has managed to compensate for his error on move 34, but now he produces a full-blown blunder. Instead of simply taking the pawn on c6 he goes for 38.Rg4 e5 39.Nb7 Qg6 40.Qxg6+ Kxg6 41.Rxg5+. In the press conference Cheparinov admitted that he was lucky that that this move didn't win, since he had totally missed it. 41...Kxg5 42.Rg1+ Kf6 43.dxe5+ Kf7 44.Nd6+ Kf8 45.Rd1 Ke7 46.Bxc6 Be6 47.Bxb5 Rg5 48.Nxc4 Bg4+ 49.f3 Rh2+ 50.Kd3 Bxf3 51.Re1 Rg3 52.Kd4 Be2 53.e6 Rd3+ 54.Ke4 f3 55.Ne5 Rh4+ 56.Kf5 Rh5+ 57.Kg4 Rxe5 58.Bxd3 Bxd3 59.Rxe5 f2 0-1. Cheparinov completed the game in a sporting spirit, which his opponent Inarkiev appreciated: "He was a real gentleman. I accidently touched my king and it fell, but Ivan wanted to play on." [Click to replay]

Mamedyarov-Radjabov was another quick but intricate draw between two Azeris. Mamedyarov played 1.e4 and was surprised to see the Jänisch Ruy Lopez (he had expected a Sicilian). In the press conference Radjabov revealed that he had spent three or four months working on his 16th move.

Mamedyarov,S (2752) - Radjabov,T (2751) [C63]
FIDE GP Baku AZE (6), 27.04.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 Bc5 7.Qd3 d6 8.Qc4 Qe7 9.Nc3 Bd7 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.exd5 Nd4 12.Bxd7+ Qxd7 13.Nxe5 Qf5 14.Nd3 0-0-0 15.a4 Rhe8 16.Kh1

16...g5! Mamedyarov called this "a fantastic move". You can follow the analysis of both players in the video below. Fascinating stuff. 17.Be3 Nf3 18.Nxc5 dxc5 19.Rfd1 Re4 20.Qf1 Nd4 21.Qd3 Qe5 22.Bxg5 Re8 23.Bd2 Rh4 24.h3 Qxd5 25.c4 Qc6 26.Qg3 Nf5 27.Qd3 Nd4 28.Qg3 Nf5 29.Qd3 Nd4 30.Qg3 Nf5 ½-½. [Click to replay]

• GM Sergey Shipov's has provided additional analysis of this game

Carlsen-Gashimov lasted 47 moves but was drawn without too many complications. Magnus Carlsen gon a slight advantage after the opening, but not enough to bring pain to Vugar Gashimov.

Standings after six rounds

All video press conferences are available as videos on the official tournament page.

Football match on the free day

A footbal match has become a tradition during big chess tournaments. This one was staged on the free day after round five. The Azeri players in Baku and the organisers formed one team, the guests, their seconds and officers the other.

A true Azerbaijan vs the Rest of the World match!

Players in full action (left David Navara, second from right Alexander Grischuk)

As always in these matches Peter Svidler keeps the goal

The match ended 7-7, so a penalty shoot-out was needed. Here Sasha Grischuk scores. The guest team won the shoot-out and thus the match. 'You can watch the action in the following video report.

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