FIDE Grand Prix in Elista 2008
The Third FIDE Grand Prix tournament is taking place in Elista from December
13 to 29, 2008. Despite the recent withdrawals (Carlsen, Adams) and the absence
of players like Anand, Kramnik and Topalov the tournament is very strong (category 19). The venue, originally due to be Doha, is now "City Chess"
in Elista, Kalmykia.
Results
Round 5: Thursday, December 18, 2008 |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
½-½ |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
Peter Leko |
½-½ |
Teimour Radjabov |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
½-½ |
Etienne Bacrot |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
0-1 |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Vugar Gashimov |
1-0 |
Alexander Grischuk |
Pavel Eljanov |
½-½ |
Vladimir Akopian |
Evgeny Alekseev |
½-½ |
Wang Yue |
|
Inarkiev-Cheparinov saw Black pull out a novelty on move 11, only to fall into
a spot of trouble:
Inarkiev,E (2669) - Cheparinov,I (2696) [B90]
FIDE Grand Prix Elista RUS (5), 18.12.2008
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.Be2 Nbd7
8.f4 b5 9.f5 Ne5 10.fxe6 fxe6 11.0-0 Bd7 12.a4 bxa4 13.Nxa4 Be7 14.Nb3 Rb8 15.Nc3
0-0 16.Rxa6 Qc8
White is doing fine and the game could continue with 17.Rxd6 and many very
interesting tactical possibilities arise. But Inarkiev chose a more passive strategy:
17.Ra7 Rb4 18.Rf4 Qb8 19.Ra1 Ng6 20.Rf3 Nxe4 21.Nxe4 Rxe4 22.Nc5 dxc5
23.Qxd7 Nh4 24.Rxf8+ Bxf8
White can give up his hopes of winning, and after 25.Bc4?
he is on the road to disaster. 25...Rxe3 26.Bxe6+ Kh8 27.Qf7 Bd6.
We can only speculate whether Inarkiev overlooked the refutation of 28.Ra7. Black
defends with 28...Nf5 and now 29.Bxf5 is impossible owing to 29...Bxh2+ 30.Kf2
Qf4#. The game ended 28.Bd5 Bxh2+ 29.Kf2 Re8 0-1.

Ivan Cheparinov in the press conference after his win over Ernesto
Inarkiev

Gashimov,V (2703) - Grischuk,A (2719) [B97]
FIDE Grand Prix Elista RUS (5), 18.12.2008
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd3
Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.f5 Be7 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Be2 Qa5 13.Bd2 Qc7 14.0-0 0-0 15.Qc4
Qd7 16.Qb3 Kh8 17.Bc4 d5 18.exd5 b5 19.Be2 Bc5 20.Kh1 exd5 21.Be3 Nc6 22.Ne6
Qxe6 23.Bxc5 Re8 24.Bf3 Bb7 25.a4 Na5 26.Qb4 Nc4 27.Rbd1 Ne4 28.Nxe4 dxe4 29.Be2
e3 30.axb5 axb5 31.Qxb5 Ba6 32.Qb4 Rab8 33.Qa4 Ra8 34.Qb4 Nd2 35.Rfe1 Ne4 36.Kg1
Rab8 37.Qd4

This is one for our collection of "my-how-the-tide-can-turn" positions:
Black has excellent winning chances with 37...Bxe2 38.Rxe2 Qc6, but he plays
a more aggressive looking line and falls into trouble: 37...Nf2
38.Ra1 Bxe2 39.Rxe2 Ng4 40.h3 Ne5. Now, just four moves later it is
White who is calling all the shots. 41.Rxe3 Rbd8 42.Qc3 Qc4 43.Qxc4 Nxc4 44.Rxe8+.
White has a healthy passed pawn, which Gashimov uses effectively to
obtain the full point: 44...Rxe8 45.Ra7 h6 46.Bd4 Ne5 47.c4 Kh7 48.c5 h5
49.Ra6 Nd3 50.Ra3 Nf4 51.Be3 Nd5 52.Kf2 Re4 53.Rd3 Nxe3 54.Rxe3 Rc4 55.Re5 Rc2+
56.Kf3 h4 57.Ke4 Kg6 58.Kd5 Rd2+ 59.Ke6 Rxg2 60.c6 Rc2 61.Kd6 Kf6 62.Rd5 g5
63.c7 g4 64.Rc5 1-0.

The winner and joint leader: Vugar Gashimov from Azerbaijan
Standings after five rounds

Grand Prix players on Chess doping
During the Grand Prix in Elista the organisers thankfully used the opportunity
to poll everyone – well, nine of the fourteen players at any rate –
on their opinions regarding doping in chess. Here are their answers:

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
-
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov: I have no idea what doping is because
I have never used it. I think doping doesn’t assist chess-players
that much and I doubt if anybody uses it at the top-level tournaments. Chess
isn’t sport in its original scope, it’s not an Olympic kind
of sport like track-and-field or gymnastics. The older players may use something
to feel better, to support themselves during the game – say, drink
a lot of coffee. Actually I don’t care at all whether there is chess
doping or not.
-
Ernesto Inarkiev: For me the main chess doping is psychological
motivation. There were a couple of cases in my life when I seemed to have
exhausted my resources but I overcame myself. In case we speak about doping
in its denotative meaning, I think that it is possible if you feel exhausted.
-
Alexander Grischuk: The principal doping in our profession
is the desire to play, to struggle at the chessboard. It gives me strength,
because when you don’t feel like playing but have to, you cannot do
everything you could. As for food and beverages… in case of a professional
approach it can be very promising. I think some stimulating agents could
be suitable for chess. Any doping agent should be applied with care because
in the event that you use it on a long-term basis, it can result in severe
consequences.
- Evgeny Alexeev: If under the doping one can understand
the stimulus for the chess game, as for me, I have only one – it is
striving to the victory.

Rustam Kasimdzhanov
- Rustam Kasimdzhanov: In point of fact, as far as I understand,
you want to hear something about concrete chemical substances used by chess
players? For many chess players alcohol can act as doping during the tough
period of their chess career. It helps them to come to life, to organize themselves
for the further emotions. I am trying to abstain from any kind of doping lately,
including alcohol and coffee during the game. I am trying to play on human
resources. And you can see the results now… (Yesterday Kasimdzhanov
lost his second straight game). May be, I should stop all this?

Peter Leko
-
Peter Leko: I think chess is a more intellectual than
physical kind of sport. There is no point in speaking about chess doping.
- Teimour Radjabov: It is difficult to say what you can
use in order to win the game. Coffee, tea, cigarettes can’t promote
good results. If you have slept well, have come to the game in a good mood
– it is not a guarantee of success as well. But if we talk about real
doping, in particular, to comment the case at the Dresden Chess Olympiad,
when the leader of the Ukrainian team Vasily Ivanchuk has not come to the
doping test, it will take a lot of time...

Vladimir Akopian
-
Vladimir Akopian: Chess is a job for grandmasters since
childhood, though a pleasant one, and the attitude to this profession is
serious, as to the real one. Playing at top level, one has to work hard
and spend a lot of time on the preparation for the tournaments. A strong
tea helps me to be in good shape, while I have never liked coffee. During
the game I can drink several cups of tea.
-
Vugar Gashimov: Usually during the game I drink only water.
Chess, I can say, is a kind of doping itself, even a drug. All grandmasters
have become addicts of this wise game since childhood and can’t get
rid of it for the rest of their life.
FIDE Grand Prix Elista 2008 – Schedule and results
Round 1: Sunday December 14, 2008 |
Etienne Bacrot |
½-½ |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
Teimour Radjabov |
½-½ |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
½-½ |
Alexander Grischuk |
Peter Leko |
½-½ |
Vladimir Akopian |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
1-0 |
Wang Yue |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
½-½ |
Evgeny Alekseev |
Vugar Gashimov |
1-0 |
Pavel Eljanov |
|
|
Round 2: Monday, December 15, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
½-½ |
Pavel Eljanov |
Evgeny Alekseev |
½-½ |
Vugar Gashimov |
Wang Yue |
½-½ |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Vladimir Akopian |
½-½ |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Alexander Grischuk |
1-0 |
Peter Leko |
Ivan Cheparinov |
½-½ |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Etienne Bacrot |
0-1 |
Teimour Radjabov |
|
|
Round 3: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 |
Teimour Radjabov |
1-0 |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
½-½ |
Etienne Bacrot |
Peter Leko |
1-0 |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
½-½ |
Alexander Grischuk |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
½-½ |
Vladimir Akopian |
Vugar Gashimov |
½-½ |
Wang Yue |
Pavel Eljanov |
1-0 |
Evgeny Alekseev |
|
|
Round 4: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
0-1 |
Evgeny Alekseev |
Wang Yue |
1-0 |
Pavel Eljanov |
Vladimir Akopian |
½-½ |
Vugar Gashimov |
Alexander Grischuk |
½-½ |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Ivan Cheparinov |
½-½ |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Etienne Bacrot |
1-0 |
Peter Leko |
Teimour Radjabov |
½-½ |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
|
|
Round 5: Thursday, December 18, 2008 |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
½-½ |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
Peter Leko |
½-½ |
Teimour Radjabov |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
½-½ |
Etienne Bacrot |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
0-1 |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Vugar Gashimov |
1-0 |
Alexander Grischuk |
Pavel Eljanov |
½-½ |
Vladimir Akopian |
Evgeny Alekseev |
½-½ |
Wang Yue |
|
|
Round 6: Saturday, December 20, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
- |
Wang Yue |
Vladimir Akopian |
- |
Evgeny Alekseev |
Alexander Grischuk |
- |
Pavel Eljanov |
Ivan Cheparinov |
- |
Vugar Gashimov |
Etienne Bacrot |
- |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Teimour Radjabov |
- |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
- |
Peter Leko |
Games – Report |
|
Round 7: Sunday, December 21, 2008 |
Peter Leko |
- |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
- |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
- |
Teimour Radjabov |
Vugar Gashimov |
- |
Etienne Bacrot |
Pavel Eljanov |
- |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Evgeny Alekseev |
- |
Alexander Grischuk |
Wang Yue |
- |
Vladimir Akopian |
Games – Report |
|
Round 8: Monday, December 22, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
- |
Vladimir Akopian |
Alexander Grischuk |
- |
Wang Yue |
Ivan Cheparinov |
- |
Evgeny Alekseev |
Etienne Bacrot |
- |
Pavel Eljanov |
Teimour Radjabov |
- |
Vugar Gashimov |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
- |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Peter Leko |
- |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Games – Report |
|
Round 9: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
- |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
- |
Peter Leko |
Vugar Gashimov |
- |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Pavel Eljanov |
- |
Teimour Radjabov |
Evgeny Alekseev |
- |
Etienne Bacrot |
Wang Yue |
- |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Vladimir Akopian |
- |
Alexander Grischuk |
Games – Report |
|
Round 10: Thursday, December 25, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
- |
Alexander Grischuk |
Ivan Cheparinov |
- |
Vladimir Akopian |
Etienne Bacrot |
- |
Wang Yue |
Teimour Radjabov |
- |
Evgeny Alekseev |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
- |
Pavel Eljanov |
Peter Leko |
- |
Vugar Gashimov |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
- |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Games – Report |
|
Round 11: Friday, December 26, 2008 |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
- |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
Vugar Gashimov |
- |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Pavel Eljanov |
- |
Peter Leko |
Evgeny Alekseev |
- |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Wang Yue |
- |
Teimour Radjabov |
Vladimir Akopian |
- |
Etienne Bacrot |
Alexander Grischuk |
- |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Games – Report |
|
Round 12: Saturday, December 27, 2008 |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
- |
Ivan Cheparinov |
Etienne Bacrot |
- |
Alexander Grischuk |
Teimour Radjabov |
- |
Vladimir Akopian |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
- |
Wang Yue |
Peter Leko |
- |
Evgeny Alekseev |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
- |
Pavel Eljanov |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
- |
Vugar Gashimov |
Games – Report |
|
Round 13: Sunday, December 28, 2008 |
Vugar Gashimov |
- |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov |
Pavel Eljanov |
- |
Ernesto Inarkiev |
Evgeny Alekseev |
- |
Dmitry Jakovenko |
Wang Yue |
- |
Peter Leko |
Vladimir Akopian |
- |
Shakh. Mamedyarov |
Alexander Grischuk |
- |
Teimour Radjabov |
Ivan Cheparinov |
- |
Etienne Bacrot |
Games – Report |
|
Monday, December 29, 2008
Departure |
|