Gibraltar Rd4: And then there were four

by Alejandro Ramirez
1/31/2015 – Four people are tied for the lead in Gibraltar with a perfect 4.0/4. Hikaru Nakamura, Renier Vazquez, Baskaran Adhiban and the prodigy Wei Yi are all going forward. However their list of pursuers is admirable; Topalov, Svidler, Yu Yangyi, Harikrishna, only to name a few, are all half a point behind. Round four highlights and two impressive Master Classes you don't want to miss.
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Team Blitz

The first of many fun night competitions in Gibraltar was the team blitz tournament. Anyone could participate as long as the team had four participants, the matches were played 4v4 more or less the same way the Olympiad works.

David Howell and Harika Dronavalli warming up

Tania Sachdev deep in concentration

Some people took the event more seriously than others. IM Lawrence Trent.

The Ivans: Salgado (right) and Cheparinov...

along with Stefanova and Felgaer they were the top seeded team
"Los Chalgueros". They won the event convincingly.

The teams had some interesting names... You can click on the links for the team compositions

Rk. Team Games   +    =    -   TB1 
1 Los Chalgueros 6 5 1 0 11
2 2 Good Un's, ginger, alan 6 5 0 1 10
3 UR-Anuus 6 4 1 1 9
4 El Oso 6 4 1 1 9
5 Puzzles 6 3 2 1 8
6 What's there in the name it's just a gam 6 4 0 2 8
7 Bolb 6 4 0 2 8
8 Borgerhout A 6 4 0 2 8
9 NTG 6 3 1 2 7
10 Eib 6 3 1 2 7

Round Four

Before we delve into the action of round four, we have two Master Classes available for you! These are recordings done after the round in Gibraltar that are incredibly insightful, we recommend both of them! The first of these is with GM Richard Rapport and the second with GM Veselin Topalov.

The Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo taking a look at the tournament

Bo.   Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts.   Name Rtg
1 GM Nakamura Hikaru 2776 3 1 - 0 3 GM Grandelius Nils 2602
2 GM Roiz Michael 2592 3 ½ - ½ 3 GM Harikrishna P. 2723
3 GM Vazquez Igarza Renier 2592 3 1 - 0 3 GM Rodshtein Maxim 2680
4 GM Wei Yi 2675 3 1 - 0 3 GM Ju Wenjun 2547
5 GM Hou Yifan 2673 3 ½ - ½ 3 GM Lalith Babu M.R. 2537
6 GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2515 3 0 - 1 3 GM Adhiban B. 2630
7 GM Svidler Peter 2739 2½ 1 - 0 3 IM Kjartansson Gudmundur 2468
8 GM Topalov Veselin 2800 2½ 1 - 0 2½ GM Stefansson Hannes 2573
9 GM Vitiugov Nikita 2735 2½ ½ - ½ 2½ GM Bok Benjamin 2572
10 GM Bogner Sebastian 2565 2½ ½ - ½ 2½ GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2733
11 GM Yu Yangyi 2724 2½ 1 - 0 2½ GM Sengupta Deep 2569
12 GM Jones Gawain C B 2671 2½ 0 - 1 2½ GM Oparin Grigoriy 2551
13 GM Mikhalevski Victor 2571 2½ 0 - 1 2½ GM Howell David W L 2670
14 GM Muzychuk Anna 2544 2½ ½ - ½ 2½ GM Salgado Lopez Ivan 2628
15 GM Naroditsky Daniel 2622 2½ ½ - ½ 2½ GM Spraggett Kevin 2538
16 GM Popilski Gil 2522 2½ 0 - 1 2½ GM Anton Guijarro David 2617
17 GM Lenderman Aleksandr 2614 2½ 1 - 0 2½ GM Boruchovsky Avital 2517
18 GM Tarjan James E 2518 2½ 0 - 1 2½ GM Bologan Viktor 2608
19 GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2603 2½ 1 - 0 2½ GM Blomqvist Erik 2520
20 GM Ganguly Surya Shekhar 2595 2½ ½ - ½ 2½ GM Vishnu Prasanna. V 2463

Four players managed to remain perfect after a tough fourth round. Hikaru Nakamura keeps showing great class and was able to convert a good position against Nils Grandelius.

Hikaru Nakamura wants to win Gibraltar, and in doing so regain his spot as the top American

A crucial mistake in the queen endgame cost Maxim Rodshtein a full point against Renier Vazquez Igarza. Wei Yi seemed to use a crazy amount of time against Ju Wenjun, falling to minutes before his 18th move, but he pulled himself together and outplayed his opponent to join the leaders. Finally Baskaran Adhiban's greed against Antoaneta Stefanova paid off.

The World Women's Champion and the youngest player to break 2700 side-by-side

Ju Wenjun was Wei Yi's lates victim

The list of 3.5/4 is impressive: Topalov and Svidler head it in rating, but there are also big names such as Yu Yangyi, Harikrishna and Hou Yifan in the mix. Vitiugov and Jakovenko both sit on 3.0/4.

Round Four Standings

Rk. Name FED Rtg Pts.
1 Nakamura Hikaru USA 2776 4.0
2 Wei Yi CHN 2675 4.0
3 Adhiban B. IND 2630 4.0
4 Vazquez Igarza Renier ESP 2592 4.0
5 Harikrishna P. IND 2723 3.5
6 Yu Yangyi CHN 2724 3.5
7 Oparin Grigoriy RUS 2551 3.5
8 Topalov Veselin BUL 2800 3.5
9 Lalith Babu M.R. IND 2537 3.5
10 Hou Yifan CHN 2673 3.5
11 Svidler Peter RUS 2739 3.5
12 Howell David W L ENG 2670 3.5
13 Roiz Michael ISR 2592 3.5
14 Lenderman Aleksandr USA 2614 3.5
15 Anton Guijarro David ESP 2617 3.5
16 Salem A.R. Saleh UAE 2603 3.5
17 Bologan Viktor MDA 2608 3.5
18 Kjartansson Gudmundur ISL 2468 3.0
19 Vitiugov Nikita RUS 2735 3.0
20 Jakovenko Dmitry RUS 2733 3.0

Pairings Round Five

Bo.   Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts.   Name Rtg
1 GM Adhiban B. 2630 4   4 GM Nakamura Hikaru 2776
2 GM Vazquez Igarza Renier 2592 4   4 GM Wei Yi 2675
3 GM Anton Guijarro David 2617 3½   3½ GM Topalov Veselin 2800
4 GM Bologan Viktor 2608 3½   3½ GM Svidler Peter 2739
5 GM Lalith Babu M.R. 2537 3½   3½ GM Yu Yangyi 2724
6 GM Harikrishna P. 2723 3½   3½ GM Lenderman Aleksandr 2614
7 GM Oparin Grigoriy 2551 3½   3½ GM Hou Yifan 2673
8 GM Howell David W L 2670 3½   3½ GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2603
9 GM Chirila Ioan-Cristian 2548 3   3 GM Vitiugov Nikita 2735
10 GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2733 3   3 GM Muzychuk Anna 2544
11 GM Spraggett Kevin 2538 3   3 GM Rapport Richard 2716
12 GM Matlakov Maxim 2695 3   3 IM Muzychuk Mariya 2520
13 GM Debashis Das 2503 3   3 GM Cheparinov Ivan 2681
14 GM Rodshtein Maxim 2680 3   3 GM Al-Sayed Mohammed 2516
15 GM Shyam Sundar M. 2489 3   3 GM Motylev Alexander 2665
16 IM Tari Aryan 2487 3   3 GM Edouard Romain 2638
17 IM Pichot Alan 2480 3   3 GM Bachmann Axel 2629
18 GM Salgado Lopez Ivan 2628 3   3 GM Stefanova Antoaneta 2515
19 GM Sethuraman S.P. 2624 3   3 IM Donchenko Alexander 2511
20 IM Melia Salome 2473 3   3 GM Naroditsky Daniel 2622

The two top matches will determine if a leader emerges or if the crowd will catch up with them. Two draws would let too many people catch up with the current four leaders.

Replay Masters games - Round Four

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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,189,14553%2421---
1.d4962,14055%2434---
1.Nf3287,56356%2440---
1.c4185,55356%2442---
1.g319,92756%2427---
1.b314,65854%2429---
1.f45,97348%2376---
1.Nc33,94250%2383---
1.b41,79448%2378---
1.a31,25854%2406---
1.e31,08449%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446954%2381---
1.c344051%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a412060%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39366%2506---
1.Na34762%2476---
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.g3 Nc6 4.Bg2 Bc5 5.a3 a6 6.e3 Ba7 7.Nge2 d6 8.b4 0-0 9.d3 Ne7 10.0-0 c6 11.h3 Be6 12.Bb2 Qd7 13.Kh2 Ng6 14.Qd2 d5 15.c5 Rae8 16.Na4 Qe7 17.Rae1 e4 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.dxe4 dxe4 20.Nac3 Bf5 21.Nd4 Bb8 22.Qc2 Nh4 23.Bxe4 Rxe4 24.Nxe4 Qg6 25.Nxf5 Nf3+ 26.Kg2 Nxe1+ 27.Rxe1 Qxf5 28.Rd1 h5 29.Qc4 Qe5 30.h4 Qe7 31.Ng5 Re8 32.Rd4 g6 33.Qd3 Qf8 34.Rd7 Re7 35.f4 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2776Grandelius,N26021–02015A22Gibraltar Masters 20154.1
Roiz,M2592Harikrishna,P2723½–½2015E15Gibraltar Masters 20154.2
Vazquez Igarza,R2592Rodshtein,M26801–02015D38Gibraltar Masters 20154.3
Wei,Y2675Ju,W25471–02015C48Gibraltar Masters 20154.4
Hou,Y2673Lalith,B2537½–½2015B19Gibraltar Masters 20154.5
Stefanova,A2515Adhiban,B26300–12015D77Gibraltar Masters 20154.6
Svidler,P2739Kjartansson,G24681–02015C92Gibraltar Masters 20154.7
Topalov,V2800Stefansson,H25731–02015C65Gibraltar Masters 20154.8
Vitiugov,N2735Bok,B2572½–½2015A34Gibraltar Masters 20154.9
Bogner,S2565Jakovenko,D2733½–½2015E46Gibraltar Masters 20154.10
Yu,Y2724Sengupta,D25691–02015A11Gibraltar Masters 20154.11
Jones,G2671Oparin,G25510–12015B90Gibraltar Masters 20154.12
Mikhalevski,V2571Howell,D26700–12015A13Gibraltar Masters 20154.13
Muzychuk,A2544Salgado Lopez,I2628½–½2015C11Gibraltar Masters 20154.14
Naroditsky,D2622Spraggett,K2538½–½2015B08Gibraltar Masters 20154.15
Popilski,G2522Anton Guijarro,D26170–12015C88Gibraltar Masters 20154.16
Lenderman,A2614Boruchovsky,A25171–02015A28Gibraltar Masters 20154.17
Tarjan,J2518Bologan,V26080–12015A21Gibraltar Masters 20154.18
Salem,A2603Blomqvist,E25201–02015D17Gibraltar Masters 20154.19
Ganguly,S2595Vishnu Prasanna,V2463½–½2015C92Gibraltar Masters 20154.20
Plotkin,V2306Mareco,S2583½–½2015B22Gibraltar Masters 20154.21

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All photos by Sophie Triay and John Saunders from the Official Website

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The games will be broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 13 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Grandmaster Alejandro Ramirez has been playing tournament chess since 1998. His accomplishments include qualifying for the 2004 and 2013 World Cups as well as playing for Costa Rica in the 2002, 2004 and 2008 Olympiads. He currently has a rating of 2583 and is author of a number of popular and critically acclaimed ChessBase-DVDs.

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