Ian Nepomniachtchi with strong start in Danzhou

by Johannes Fischer
7/12/2016 – Four games, three wins, one loss - Ian Nepomniachtchi began the 7. Hainan Danzhou tournament energetically. In round four he beat the very solid Peter Leko with Black in a Najdorf Sicilian and is now sole leader with 3.0/4. The other winners of the round were Ding Liren who won against Bu Xiangzhi and Wang Yue who decided the battle of the Wangs against Wang Hao in his favor.
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The tournament is played from 8th to 17th July and offers a prize-fund of 400,000 Yuan (60,000 USD). The winner receives 120,000 Yuan (18,000 USD). The Chinese start with Ding Liren, Wang Hao, Yu Yangyi, Wang Yue, Bu Xiangzhi, and Women's World Champion Hou Yifan. They fight against Pentala Harikrishna, Vassily Ivanchuk, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Peter Leko.

Results - round 4

Br. Title Name ELO Res. Title Name ELO
1 GM Hou Yifan 2663 ½ - ½ GM Vassily Ivanchuk 2710
2 GM Ding Liren 2778 1 - 0 GM Bu Xiangzhi 2723
3 GM Yu Yangyi 2737 ½ - ½ GM Penteala Harikrishna 2763
4 GM Wang Yue 2728 1 - 0 GM Wang Hao 2734
5 GM Peter Leko 2705 0 - 1 GM Ian Nepomniachtchi 2703

Ian Nepomniachtchi

Against Leko Nepomniachtchi showed his expertise in the Najdorf.

 
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1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.f3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Be3 Be7 9.Qd2 h5 10.Be2 Nbd7 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.exd5 0-0 12...a5 13.a4 0-0 14.0-0 Qc7 15.c4 Nc5 16.Nxc5 dxc5 17.Kh1 Bd6 18.g4 Rfe8 19.Rg1 hxg4 20.fxg4 Nd7 21.g5 e4 22.g6 f5 23.Raf1 f4 24.Bxf4 Bxf4 25.Qxf4 Qxf4 26.Rxf4 Nf6 27.Rg3 b6 28.Re3 Re5 29.Bg4 Kf8 30.Kg2 Rg5 31.Kg3 Re8 32.d6 Rxg6 33.Kh4 Re5 34.h3 Ke8 35.Rb3 e3 36.Be2 Rg2 0-1 (36) Sanchez,J (2435)-King,D (2526) Cannes 2006 13.0-0 Qb8 14.Kh1 Bd8 15.f4 Nepomniachtchi is still on familiar ground. Two years ago he played the same line of the Najdorf against Ivan Saric who continued with 15.c4 Bb6 16.Bxb6 Nxb6 17.f4 e4 18.Nd4 Qc8 19.Rac1 Re8 20.b4 Qd7 21.Nc2 Nc8 22.Ne3 Ne7 23.f5 Rec8 24.Rf4 b5 25.g4 bxc4 26.g5 c3 27.Qd4 Nh7 28.Bxh5 Nxg5 29.h4 Nh7 30.Rg1 f6 31.Qxe4 Kh8 32.Bf7 Qa7 33.Be6 Rc7 34.Nc4 Rd8 35.Rc1 Qb7 36.Rxc3 Qxb4 37.Rb3 Qc5 38.Rg3 Ng8 39.Qd4 Qb4 40.a3 Qb1+ 41.Kh2 Nh6 42.Qb6 Qxb6 43.Nxb6 Rb8 44.Rc4 Rcb7 45.Nc8 Rb2+ 46.Rg2 R2b3 47.Nxd6 Rxa3 48.Rc7 Ra4 49.Nc4 Nf8 50.d6 Rd8 51.Rgxg7 Ra2+ 52.Kh3 Re2 53.Rge7 Rb8 54.Rb7 Rxb7 55.Rxb7 Nxe6 56.fxe6 Rxe6 57.Re7 1-0 (57) Saric,I (2666)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2735) Poikovsky 2014 15...Re8 16.c4 b5 17.fxe5 Nxe5 18.cxb5 axb5 19.Nd4 With 19.Bd4 White would have kept the pair of bishops. Nxd5 20.Bxh5 19...Nc4 20.Bxc4 bxc4
21.Bg1 21.Nf5 with the idea 22.Bd4 followed by 23.Qg5 is a more aggressive approach. 21...Qb7 22.Qc2 Now 22.Nf5 leads to nothing after Ne4 23.Qd1 Bg5 bringt nun nichts mehr ein. But not 23...Qxb2? 24.Bd4 22...Ne4 23.Rae1 Qxd5 Winning a pawn. 24.Rf5 Qb7 25.Rb5 Qe7 Threatening ... Nf2+. 26.Rf1 g6 27.Nf3 Qe6 28.a4 h4 29.Nd4 Qd7 30.Qxc4 h3 Opening lines against White's king. 31.Rf4 Nc5 32.b3 hxg2+ 33.Kxg2 Rc8 34.Qf1 Bg5 35.Rf3 Ne4
36.Rd3? 36.Kh1 Rc1 37.Qg2 was a more stubborn defense even though White has not much to be happy about. 36...Qg4+ The black pieces gather around White's exposed king. 37.Kh1 Rc1 38.Qg2 Qh4 39.Rf3 Be3 40.Ne2 Nf2+ 41.Rxf2 Bxf2 42.Nxc1 Bxg1 43.Qg3 43.Qxg1 Re1-+ 43...Qd4 44.Qxg1 Qd2 45.Nd3 Qxd3 46.Rg5 Re2 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Leko,P2712Nepomniachtchi,I27250–12016B907th Hainan Danzhou GM4.5

 

If you want to know more about the Najdorf and its winning potential Victor Bologan may help:

The Najdorf Sicilian

GM Viktor Bologan: The complex Najdorf
A complete repertoire for Black

Languages: English
Delivery: Download, Post
Level: Tournament player, Professional
€29.90
€25.13 without VAT (for Customers outside the EU)
$27.14 (without VAT)

When choosing an opening repertoire, it is common to consider two types of variations. One is usually a solid opening, like 1...e5 against 1.e4, with plenty of strategical ideas and quiet paths of play. However, there are of course days when you want to play for a win with Black, when you want to bear down on your opponent’s position with a potentially crushing attack. The Najdorf is perfect for just such occasions – and it’s no coincidence that Garry Kasparov played it the most out of all the variations in the Sicilian – the opening served him well throughout his brilliant career. I myself have played it with both colours, but even I discover more to its endless depths every day! Strategy, combinations, attack and defence, sacrifices and marvellous manoeuvres – exciting chess is all about the Najdorf! Video running time: 6 hours 31 min.

Order Viktor Bologan's The complex Najdorf in the ChessBase Shop

 

Vassily Ivanchuk started with 1.5/4 and shares places five to ten with four other players.

With 2.0/4 Pentala Harikrishna is the only player on 50 percent.

Hou Yifan

Wang Hao is in a good mood before his game against Wang Yue - which Wang Hao lost.

Yu Yangyi

Games rounds 1 to 4

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Qa4+ Nc6 6.e3 0-0 7.Qc2 Bd6 8.c5 Be7 9.a3 a5 10.Bb5 Nb8 11.0-0 b6 12.c6 Ba6 13.Bd2 Ne8 14.a4 Nd6 15.Ne5 Qe8 16.Rac1 Ra7 17.Rfe1 f6 18.Nd3 Bc8 19.Qb3 Nxc6 20.Bxc6 Qxc6 21.Nb5 Qa8 22.Nxa7 Qxa7 23.Qc2 Bd8 24.b4 Nc4 25.bxa5 bxa5 26.Nb2 Ba6 27.Nxc4 Bxc4 28.Rb1 c5 29.Qb2 Qd7 30.dxc5 Qxa4 31.Ra1 Qc6 32.Bxa5 Be7 33.Qb6 Rc8 34.Bb4 Qxb6 35.cxb6 Bxb4 36.b7 Rf8 37.Ra8 Bd6 38.Rea1 Kf7 39.Rc8 Re8 40.Rxe8 Kxe8 41.Ra8+ Ke7 42.Rg8 g5 43.Rg7+ Kd8 44.Rg8+ Ke7 45.f3 h5 46.g3 e5 47.b8Q Bxb8 48.Rxb8 d4 49.exd4 exd4 50.Kf2 Bf7 51.Rb4 d3 52.Re4+ Kf8 53.Rd4 Bg6 54.Rd7 Bf5 55.Ra7 g4 56.f4 Kg8 57.Ke3 Bh7 58.Ra5 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
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  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Wang,Y2730Hou,Y26531–02016D387th Hainan Danzhou GM1.1
Leko,P2712Yu,Y2734½–½2016D387th Hainan Danzhou GM1.2
Nepomniachtchi,I2725Ding,L27781–02016C457th Hainan Danzhou GM1.3
Wang,H2734Ivanchuk,V2728½–½2016D207th Hainan Danzhou GM1.4
Harikrishna,P2755Bu,X27230–12016E047th Hainan Danzhou GM1.5
Hou,Y2653Bu,X2723½–½2016C927th Hainan Danzhou GM2.1
Ivanchuk,V2728Harikrishna,P2755½–½2016A177th Hainan Danzhou GM2.2
Ding,L2778Wang,H2734½–½2016A117th Hainan Danzhou GM2.3
Yu,Y2734Nepomniachtchi,I27251–02016E607th Hainan Danzhou GM2.4
Wang,Y2730Leko,P2712½–½2016A357th Hainan Danzhou GM2.5
Leko,P2712Hou,Y2653½–½2016D387th Hainan Danzhou GM3.1
Nepomniachtchi,I2725Wang,Y27301–02016C457th Hainan Danzhou GM3.2
Wang,H2734Yu,Y2734½–½2016B227th Hainan Danzhou GM3.3
Harikrishna,P2755Ding,L27781–02016C807th Hainan Danzhou GM3.4
Bu,X2723Ivanchuk,V27281–02016D587th Hainan Danzhou GM3.5
Hou,Y2653Ivanchuk,V2728½–½2016B307th Hainan Danzhou GM4.1
Ding,L2778Bu,X27231–02016D427th Hainan Danzhou GM4.2
Yu,Y2734Harikrishna,P2755½–½2016C427th Hainan Danzhou GM4.3
Wang,Y2730Wang,H27341–02016D277th Hainan Danzhou GM4.4
Leko,P2712Nepomniachtchi,I27250–12016B907th Hainan Danzhou GM4.5

 

Standings after four rounds

 

Ding Liren

Schedule

07.07 2016 - Round 1 - 14.30
08.07 2016 - Round 2 - 14.30
09.07 2016 - Round 3 - 14.30
10.07 2016 - Round 4 - 14.30
11.07 2016 - Round 5 - 14.30
12.07 2016 - Round 6 - 14.30
REST DAY
14.07 2016 - Round 7 - 14.30
15.07 2016 - Round 8 - 14.30
16.07 2016 - Round 9 - 10.30

Photos: cmsa.cn

Tournament page...

Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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