
Round two report
Round 2: Thursday, November 8, 15:30h |
Fabiano Caruana |
|
Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu |
Veselin Topalov |
|
Vassily Ivanchuk |

A young fan shares a move with his father
In the second round game Caruana-Nisipeanu after the quiet opening in the Advanced Variation of the Caro-Kann, it looked like there will be a long maneuvering in the marginally better middlegame for White, but on move 24 the Romanian Grandmaster decided to sharpen things up by producing an interesting positional sacrifice. Black should have got more or less sufficient compensation, but having missed Caruana's reply 27.Qb3 Nisipeanu suddenly panicked and burned all the bridges with the ugly move 27...Re4. When Caruana played 29.Qc4 it looked like the game will last just few more moves and it did so indeed. Only with a different outcome than expected. Nisipeanu sacrificed the bishop rather out of desperation, hoping to give perpetual check and the players started to play in blitz tempo, although both (especially White) had no real time problems. This somewhat unexpected quick play cost Caruana half a point, since in a rather not very difficult position he fell into a trap and his king couldn't escape from the black queen's checks.
"We are all just humans," said Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu before leaving the press center.

David versus Goliath. The question is who is whom?
Game annotations by GM Dorian Rogozenco:
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 c5 6.Be3 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Ne7 8.Nd2 Nbc6 9.N2f3 Be4 10.0-0 10...a6 11.c3 Qd7 11...Rc8 12.Bf4 h6 13.Bg3 Nf5 14.Nxf5 Bxf5 15.Nd4 12.Re1 Rc8 13.Bf1 h6 14.h4 Nxd4 15.Nxd4 Nf5 16.Nxf5 Bxf5 17.a4 Be7 18.h5 0-0 19.Bd4 19...Bc5 19...f6 20.a5 fxe5 21.Rxe5 Bf6 22.Qe1 20.a5 Qe7 21.Ra4 Bxd4 22.Qxd4 Rc5 23.Re3 Rfc8 24.b4 24...Rc4 24...R5c7 25.Ra1 25.Bxc4 Rxc4 26.Qd1 26.Qd2 Qg5 26...Bg4 26...Qh4 27.Qb3! 27...Re4? 27...Qd7 27...Bxh5 28.b5 axb5 29.Qxb5 Rc7 28.Rxe4 dxe4 29.Qc4! 29...Bf3! 30.gxf3 Qg5+ 31.Kf1 Qc1+ 32.Ke2 Qc2+ 33.Ke3 Qc1+ 34.Kxe4?? 34.Kd4 Qd1+ 35.Kc5 Qxa4 36.Kb6 34...Qe1+! 34...Qc2+ 35.Ke3 Qc1+ 35...Qxa4 36.Qc8+ Kh7 37.Qxb7 36.Kd4 Qf4+ 37.Kc5 35.Kf4 35.Kd4 Qxf2+ 36.Kd3 Qf1+ 35...Qc1+ 36.Ke4 36.Kg3 Qg1+ 37.Kh3 Qh1+ 36...Qe1+ ½–½ - 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.
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Caruana,F | 2786 | Nisipeanu,L | 2668 | ½–½ | 2012 | B12 | 6th Kings Tournament | 2 |
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In Topalov-Ivanchuk Black quickly solved his opening problems in a quiet variation of the Ruy Lopez. In the middlegame Ivanchuk achieved some advantage, which he preserved also in endgame. However, in spite of all Ivanchuk's efforts to convert his tiny advantage into something more tangible, Topalov was never in the danger of losing and after a long accurate defense from White the draw was agreed on move 65.
Thus after two rounds Ivanchuk is leading with 1.5 points.

Ivanchuk tries to see whether a change in perspective helps
Game annotations by GM Dorian Rogozenco:
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 d6 7.c3 0-0 8.Re1 Bg4 9.Nbd2 Nd7 10.h3 Bh5 11.Bc2 11.Nf1 Nc5 12.Bc2 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.g4 Bg6 14.Ng3 Ne6 15.Kg2 c5= 12...d5 13.Qe2 Bxf3 14.Qxf3 d4= 11...h6 11...Nc5 12.g4 Bg6 13.d4 12.a3 Re8 13.g4 13.d4 exd4 14.g4 dxc3 13.Nf1 13...Bg6 14.d4 14...exd4 15.cxd4 d5! 16.e5 16.exd5 Bxc2 17.Qxc2 Na7 16...Bxc2 17.Qxc2 Nf8 18.Nf1 18...Ne6 19.Be3 Bg5 20.Rad1 20.Nxg5 hxg5 21.Rad1 f6 20...f6! 21.Qb3 Na5 22.Qc3 22.Qb4 Nc4 22...c6 23.h4 Bxe3 24.Nxe3 23.Qxb7 Rb8 22...Nc4 23.h4 Bxe3 24.Nxe3 Nxe3 25.Qxe3 c6 25...fxe5 26.Qxe5 c6 27.Re3= 26.h5 Rf8 27.exf6 Qxf6 28.Ne5 28.Qxe6+ Qxe6 29.Rxe6 Rxf3 30.Re7 Raf8 28...Qh4 29.Qg3 Qxg3+ 30.fxg3 Ng5 31.Kg2 Ne4 32.Rf1 Rxf1 33.Rxf1 Re8 33...Rf8 34.Rf5! 34.Nd7 Rd8 35.Ne5 Re8 36.Nd7 36...a5 36...Rd8 37.Ne5 Re8 37.a4 Ng5 38.Ne5 Rf8 39.Rf5! 39.Rf4? Ne6 40.Rxf8+ Kxf8 39...Ne4 39...Ne6 40.Nf3 40.Kf3 Re8 41.Kg2 Nd6 42.Rf2 Re7 43.b3 Re8 44.Rc2 Nf7 45.Nf3 Kf8 46.Rf2 Kg8 46...Ke7 47.Nh4! 47.Rc2 Kh7 47...Re3 48.Rc5 Rxb3 49.Rxa5 48.Rc5 Re2+ 49.Kf1 Re3 50.Kg2 Ng5 50...Rxb3 51.Rxa5= 51.Nxg5+ hxg5 52.Rxa5 Rxb3 53.Ra7 53...g6 54.a5 Kh6 55.Ra8 55.a6 bxa6 56.Rxa6 Rc3 57.hxg6 Kxg6 58.Ra7 Kf6 59.Rc7 55...gxh5 56.Rh8+ Kg7 57.Rb8 Rb5 57...hxg4? 58.a6 57...h4 58.gxh4 gxh4 59.Kh2!= 59.a6?? Rg3+ 60.Kh2 bxa6 58.gxh5 g4 59.Kf2 Kh6 60.Ke3 Kxh5 61.Kf4 Kg6 62.Kxg4 Rxa5 63.Kf4 c5 64.dxc5 Rxc5 65.Rxb7 ½–½ - 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.
Topalov,V | 2769 | Ivanchuk,V | 2763 | ½–½ | 2012 | C87 | 6th Kings Tournament | 2 |
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All photos by Ionut Anisca
Schedule and results
Round 1: Wednesday, November 7, 15:30h |
Veselin Topalov |
|
Fabiano Caruana |
Vassily Ivanchuk |
1-0 |
Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu | |
Round 2: Thursday, November 8, 15:30h |
Fabiano Caruana |
|
Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu |
Veselin Topalov |
|
Vassily Ivanchuk | |
Round 3: Friday, November 9, 15:30h |
Vassily Ivanchuk |
|
Fabiano Caruana |
Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu |
|
Veselin Topalov | |
Round 4: Sunday, November 10, 15:30h |
Fabiano Caruana |
|
Veselin Topalov |
Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu |
|
Vassily Ivanchuk | |
Round 5: Monday, November 11, 15:30h |
Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu |
|
Fabiano Caruana |
Vassily Ivanchuk |
|
Veselin Topalov | |
Round 6: Tuesday, November 12, 15:30h |
Fabiano Caruana |
|
Vassily Ivanchuk |
Veselin Topalov |
|
Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu | |
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