Bucharest 01: Caruana strikes first

by ChessBase
10/8/2013 – Fabiano Caruana got the first win of the tournament in an interesting game. Nisipeanu, was willing to go for a fight but his position became bad as Black's strangely solid formation on the kingside repelled the attack he had heavily invested on. A saving resource still was available for White, but time trouble did not permit him to see it. Radjabov-Ponomariov was a solid draw while Wang Hao had the day off. Brief analysis of round 1.
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The opening ceremony of the 7th edition of Kings Tournament Romgaz took place on the 6th of October in the Bucharest University of Economic Studies (Piata Romana Nr.6). This international tournament is organized by the Sports Club “Elisabeta Polihroniade” and is a part of the Grand Slam circuit. The Kings Tournament will be a double round robin competition with 5 world-class participants: Fabiano Caruana (Italy, GM, 2779), the former World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine, GM, 2756), Wang Hao (China, GM, 2736), Radjabov Teimour (Azerbaijan, GM, 2733) and Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu, (Romania, GM, 2665). This year’s edition will be played in the Magna Auditorium and Conference Hall "Virgil Madgearu" of the  Bucharest University of Economic Studies – a partner of the Kings Tournament. The rounds will start every day from the 7th until the 17th October at 3:30 p.m. (last round starts at 1:30 p.m) and entrance will be free for spectators.

Radjabov-Ponomariov was a solid draw

Caruana strikes with Black and gets a nice start to the tournament, tomorrow he gets a bye

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This first round of the Kings Tournament started with a quiet draw between Teimour Radjabov and Ruslan Ponomariov. “It is very difficult to get an advantage against classical openings”, concluded Radjabov after the game. Indeed, Black didn’t have any problems to equalize and on move 31 the draw was agreed. The encounter Nisipeanu-Caruana was much more exciting. The Romanian Grandmaster surprised his opponent in the opening with the hyper-aggressive move 5.h4 against the Gruenfeld, but something went wrong and Black didn’t have any opening problems, to say the least. Soon Caruana got clearly better prospects, but allowed White a nice combination, which should have saved Nisipeanu. With little time on the clock the Romanian GM missed a forced draw though. Later in the worse position on moves 39 and 40 White made further mistakes, allowing Caruana to achieve a decisive advantage, which the Italian converted into a full point on move 57. 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 An invitation to play the Cambridge-Springs Variation: 6.e3 Qa5. 6.cxd5 Radjabov goes for a safer line: the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit. exd5 7.e3 Be7 8.Qc2 Nh5 This move is popular lately and it was used also by Ponomariov earlier in a rapid and a blitz game. Black exchanges the dark-squared bishops, which strategically seems to favour White, but on the other hand it frees more squares for black pieces as well. 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Be2 Usually White is trying to fight for advantage in this system by castling long. However, as mentioned by Radjabov after the game, the latest games showed that White is also taking some risk with his king on the queenside. 10.0-0-0 Nb6 11.h3 Be6 12.Bd3 0-0-0 13.Nd2 Kb8 14.Nb3 g6 15.g4 Ng7 16.f3 h5 17.Kb1 Bc8 18.Qf2 Ne6 19.Ne2 Qd6 20.Ng3 hxg4 21.hxg4 Qb4 22.Qd2 Qd6 23.Qg2 Qb4 24.Qd2 Qd6 25.Qg2 Qb4 ½-½ Jakovenko,D (2713) -Ponomariov,R (2743) Khanty-Mansiysk (rapid) 2013 10...g6 11.0-0 0-0 12.Rfb1 12.Rab1 Nb6 13.Bd3 Ng7 14.Rfe1 Bf5 15.h3 Rfe8 16.Ne5 f6 17.Nf3 Bxd3 18.Qxd3 Nf5 19.b4 a6 20.a4 Nd6 21.b5 cxb5 22.axb5 a5 and Black had advantage in the blitz game Giri,A (2714)-Ponomariov,R (2723) Beijing 2011. 12...Nb6 13.Qb3 Bf5 14.Rc1 Radjabov's idea to provoke the bishop on f5 was to slow down Black's possible plan with the advance of the f-pawn. Nf6 Ponomariov rearranges his knights after which Black is very close to complete equality. 15.a4 15.Qa3 was a move suggested after the game, but it is also not sufficient: Qxa3 16.bxa3 Nc8 17.a4 a5 and Black is fine. 15...Nc8 16.Qa3 a5 Slightly more precise is 16...Qxa3 17.Rxa3 a5= (Radjabov) 17.Qxe7 Nxe7 18.b3 Nc8 19.Ne5 Nd7 20.Nxd7 Bxd7 21.Rab1 Nd6 22.b4 axb4 23.Rxb4
Black has just one weakness on b7, which he easily protects. 23...Ra5 24.Rb6 Rfa8 25.f3 f5 26.Kf2 Kf7 27.Bd3 Ke7 28.h4 Be6 29.Rcb1 R8a7 30.Kg3 h6 31.Kf4 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Radjabov,T2723Ponomariov,R2751½–½2013D367th Kings Tournament1
Nisipeanu,L2674Caruana,F27790–12013D907th Kings Tournament1

Information and photos by Dorian Rogozenco

Schedule

Round 1 – October 07, 15:30h
Radjabov, Teimour 2723
½-½
 Ponomariov, Ruslan 2751
Nisipeanu, L.-D. 2674
0-1
 Caruana, Fabiano 2779
Wang Hao 2733
bye
    
Round 2 – October 08, 15:30h
Wang Hao 2733
Radjabov, Teimour 2723
Ponomariov, Ruslan 2751
Nisipeanu, L.-D. 2674
Caruana, Fabiano 2779
bye
    
Round 3 – October 09, 15:30h
Nisipeanu, L.-D. 2674
Wang Hao 2733
Caruana, Fabiano 2779
Ponomariov, Ruslan 2751
Radjabov, Teimour 2723
bye
    
Round 4 – October 10, 15:30h
Radjabov, Teimour 2723
Nisipeanu, L.-D. 2674
Wang Hao 2733
Caruana, Fabiano 2779
Ponomariov, Ruslan 2751
bye
    
Round 5 – October 11, 15:30h
Ponomariov, Ruslan 2751
Wang Hao 2733
Caruana, Fabiano 2779
Radjabov, Teimour 2723
Nisipeanu, L.-D. 2674
bye
    
Round 6 – October 12, 15:30h
Ponomariov, Ruslan 2751
Radjabov, Teimour 2723
Caruana, Fabiano 2779
Nisipeanu, L.-D. 2674
Wang Hao 2733
bye
    
Round 7 – October 13, 15:30h
Radjabov, Teimour 2723
Wang Hao 2733
Nisipeanu, L.-D. 2674
Ponomariov, Ruslan 2751
Caruana, Fabiano 2779
bye
    
Round 8 – October 14, 15:30h
Wang Hao 2733
Nisipeanu, L.-D. 2674
Ponomariov, Ruslan 2751
Caruana, Fabiano 2779
Radjabov, Teimour 2723
bye
    
Round 9 – October 15, 15:30h
Nisipeanu, L.-D. 2674
Radjabov, Teimour 2723
Caruana, Fabiano 2779
Wang Hao 2733
Ponomariov, Ruslan 2751
bye
    
Round 10 – October 16, 13:30h
Wang Hao 2733
Ponomariov, Ruslan 2751
Radjabov, Teimour 2723
Caruana, Fabiano 2779
Nisipeanu, L.-D. 2674
bye
    

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