Hot start to second round in Khanty-Mansyisk

The FIDE World Chess Cup is being stage from November 26th to December 18th, 2005, in Khanty-Mansyisk, Russia. This the 128-player event replaces what was known as the "FIDE Knockout World Championship" and serves as a qualifier for the Candidates stage of the world championship. The prize fund is US $1.5 million, with President Ilyumzhinov providing $300,000 for organisational costs.

FIDE WORLD CUP, 2005 ROUND 2.1

Report by Mig Greengard – Pictures by Frits Agterdenbos

Hey, stop reading this and scroll down through all the fantastic photos. We know you only really pay attention to the chess on the second and third days of these knock-out tournaments because, well, that's when the knock-outs happen. But don't ignore some great games between many of the world's best players. Seven of the top eight boards were decisive. You can replay some selected games and download the full set in PGN. (If you downloaded the games early here or elsewhere, check to make sure you have the correct score for Shirov-Kotronias. It should be 66 moves, not 17.)

The venue is at the Center of Arts for Gifted Children of the North

The top seeds were looking good for the most part, with two notable exceptions. Up and coming Bulgarian – and second to FIDE world champ Veselin Topalov – Ivan Cheparinov beat number one seed Vassily Ivanchuk in a sensational game. You don't see the Benko Gambit very often at the top level these days, although Anand did essay it against Milov in Corsica this year when he was in a must-win situation with Black. (He won.) Ivanchuk has played it a few times in recent years, one of the few top players to do so, along with van Wely and Topalov.

The difficulty with the Benko was well illustrated in today's game. If Black can't establish enough pressure on the queenside he has no defenders left on the kingside when White uses his space advantage to switch over to the attack on that side of the board. A pretty piece sacrifice crashed through and Black was defenseless.

Ivan Cheparinov showed some Topalovian magic. (Photo: Galina Tiviakova)

Another opening that has taken some hard hits in recent years got another bashing on board two. Kempenski's King's Indian looked terribly fragile against Bacrot and the Pole didn't make it move 30. Grischuk showed his usual attacking flair and wiped out Istratescu for a short day at the office. Aussie Gary Lane played his first game of the event since his first-round foe Akopian was a no-show. The rest didn't help him against Jobava.

Teimour Radjabov will have trouble repeating his success at the last KO in Tripoli, where he reached the semifinals. He lost with white against a fierce attack from Kazhgaleyev of Kazakhstan. How can you fight against that many Z's? Kamsky held with black against Bocharov, who had an interesting opportunity to complicate with the queen sacrifice 29.Bxf5!?. Instead Kamsky won Cute Move of the Day honors later with 30..Nc2!? (31.Bxc2 Ra6) but the game ended in a draw anyway.

Ivanov is on the ropes after he lost horribly with white against Lautier. Against Bareev, Naiditsch repeated 18 moves of Berg's win against Bareev from a few months ago at the Euro Team Championship. Unsurprisingly, Bareev was unwilling to repeat that ugly loss in its entirety and his improved defense led to a short draw. Malakhov won a brief, sparkling affair with a piece sac against Nikolic. India split the day with a win by Sasikiran, a draw by Ganguly, and a loss by Harikrishna. Carlsen won rather easily against Ammonatov.

The heavyweights are meeting already.

Results

Photos by Frits Agterdenbos

A shout-out to press attache Anna Pinekensteyn,
who has been invaluable to all the visiting journalists.

A beautiful pic of Lautier's take-down of Pridorozhni.

Jobava's lucky pen broke right before his game with Lane. He won anyway.

Arencibia's first-round KO was symbolized by finding his placard in the trash.

Australia's Gary Lane gets an abrupt change in the weather.

Player gallery

 
Mark Paragua, the hope of the Philippines. Miroshnichenko is only watching now.

  
Dortmund champ Naiditsch and 1999 FIDE world champ Khalifman.

 
Young challengers. Markus of Serbia and Montenegro and the Czech Navara.

 
Cuba's Bruzón deep in thought. He eliminated Kabanov in the first round.

One out, one in. Americans Gregory Kaidanov (out) and Yuri Shulman (in).

• Download all games as a zipped PGN file
• Official web site (English version)
• All ChessBase reports so far

About the photographer

Frits Agterdenbos, 45, lives in Heemstede, not far from Amsterdam, and was one of the leading chess photographers in the eighties. From 1979–1991 his pictures appeared in several magazins, including New in Chess, Schakend Nederland, Inside Chess, BCM, Chess, Europe Echecs and Schach. In 1984 his Dutch book “64 Schaakportretten” (in English “64 Chess Portraits”) was published. In 1991 he “retired” as a chess photographer to finish his studies and in 1997 he received a diploma as an insurance mathematician (actuary). Since 1998 he has been a self-employed, working under the company name “Acturix”, which is his actuarial consultancy firm.

Now Frits is back as a chess photographer! In January 2005 he picked up his old passion, and publications show he still knows how to handle his camera. He combines his insurance job and chess photography with being a husband and a father of the beautiful Elena (three years old). You will find his photos on Chessbase.com, Schaakbond.nl, Schaaklog.nl and Schakers.info, and many more websites and magazines. You can contact him under f.agterdenbos (at) acturix.com.