Jermuk R13: Ivanchuk wins fifth FIDE Grand Prix

by ChessBase
8/23/2009 – Ukrainian GM Vassily Ivanchuk won his final game in Jermuk with the black pieces against Vladimir Akopian to take overall victory with 8.5/13 points and a performance of 2830. Lev Aronian and Boris Gelfand won their games to take equal 2nd-3rd. Gelfand beat Peter Leko, who had been leading for most of the tournament, and was relegated to 4-6th place. Final report.

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Fifth FIDE Grand Prix in Jermuk, Armenia

This event took place from August 8th-24th 2009. It was a Category 19 tournament, with eleven of the 14 players rated over 2700. The event was a memorial to former world champion Tigran Petrosian, who held the title from 1963–1969 and would have turned 80 on June 17th this year.

Round thirteen (final)

Round 13: Sunday, August 23, 2009

Gelfand Boris
1-0
Leko Peter
Eljanov Pavel
½-½
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Karjakin Sergey
½-½
Kamsky Gata
Bacrot Etienne
½-½
Cheparinov Ivan
Jakovenko Dmitry
½-½
Alekseev Evgeny
Akopian Vladimir
0-1
Ivanchuk Vassily
Aronian Levon
1-0
Inarkiev Ernesto


The winner of the Fifth FIDE Grand Prix in Jermuk: Vassily Ivanchuk

After twelve rounds of intense competition, the spectators were fortunate enough to witness a meaningful final round – no less than six players were in contention for the title. Leko, who had lead the tournament from post-to-post was dealt a heartwrenching endgame loss at the hands of Gelfand, in the longest game of the round, a 78 move Queen's Indian. Coupled with Ivanchuk's handling of the black pieces against Akopian, a 62 move Ruy Lopez Anderssen in which the Ukrainian picked off pawns at will until the Armenian had no better option than resignation, this was enough to ensure Ivanchuk's emergence as the clear victor and Gelfand's final position in joint second.


In second place: Levon Aronian or Armenia


Equal second-third: Boris Gelfand of Israel

Leko, who had been enjoying one of his best performances in the past few years, was left confuddled with musings of how his fortunes had changed so drastically, while Aronian joined Gelfand in the tie for joint second by virtue of his 57 move victory over Inarkiev in the Anti-Meran.


What happened, what went wrong? Peter Leko with his trainer GM Arshak Petrosian

The rest of the round was characterized by uneventful draws, with Jakovenko opting to end a tournament he would surely like to forget, by accepting a 19 move split against Alekseev in the Sicilian Paulsen. Meanwhile, Cheparinov locked up last place with a 37-mover against Bacrot in the Anti-Meran Gambit. Kasimdzhanov held out for 27 moves against Eljanov, giving him a tie with Leko in the final standings.


Fifth: Evgeny Alekseev, with 7.5/13 and a 2773 performance


Sixth: Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan, 7.5/13 with a 2776 performance

Finally, in the hardest-fought draw of the round, Karjakin and Kamsky showed some gumption in exchanging blows in a 43 move Caro Kann Advanced. With this thirteenth and final round concluded, so ends one of the most surprising – and fighting – elite tournaments of the year.


Seventh: Sergey Karjakin, 7.0/13 points, 2745 performance


Playing for France: Etienne Bacrot, ninth with 6.0/13, performance 2692


US GM Gata Kamsky, tenth with 6.0/13 and a 2693 performance


Lev Aronian being interviewed – in his trademark Barong shirt from the Philippines


Vassily Ivanchuk poses with WGM Lilit Galoian


Vladmir Akopian with an Armenian chess fan


Did we say one fan? Here is Vlad with a group of adoring Armenian chess players


Happy faces all around: Aronian and Ivanchuk pose with female chess players


Main organizer GM Smbat Lputian with the Minister of Sports and Youth, Armen Grigoryan


Technical pro Angelina with dashing press officer Lilit Mkrtchian


Closing ceremony with classical music

All pictures by Arman Karakhanyan, courtesy of FIDE

Final standings


FIDE Grand Prix Jermuk 2009 – Schedule and results

Round 1: Sunday, August 09, 2009

Inarkiev Ernesto
0-1
Leko Peter
Ivanchuk Vassily
½-½
Aronian Levon
Alekseev Evgeny
½-½
Akopian Vladimir
Cheparinov Ivan
1-0
Jakovenko Dmitry
Kamsky Gata
½-½
Bacrot Etienne
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
½-½
Karjakin Sergey
Gelfand Boris
½-½
Eljanov Pavel

Round 2: Monday, August 10, 2009

Leko Peter
½-½
Eljanov Pavel
Karjakin Sergey
½-½
Gelfand Boris
Bacrot Etienne
½-½
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Jakovenko Dmitry
1-0
Kamsky Gata
Akopian Vladimir
½-½
Cheparinov Ivan
Aronian Levon
1-0
Alekseev Evgeny
Inarkiev Ernesto
½-½
Ivanchuk Vassily

Round 3: Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Ivanchuk Vassily
½-½
Leko Peter
Alekseev Evgeny
1-0
Inarkiev Ernesto
Cheparinov Ivan
½-½
Aronian Levon
Kamsky Gata
½-½
Akopian Vladimir
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
½-½
Jakovenko Dmitry
Gelfand Boris
½-½
Bacrot Etienne
Eljanov Pavel
½-½
Karjakin Sergey

Round 4: Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Leko Peter
1-0
Karjakin Sergey
Bacrot Etienne
½-½
Eljanov Pavel
Jakovenko Dmitry
½-½
Gelfand Boris
Akopian Vladimir
½-½
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Aronian Levon
1-0
Kamsky Gata
Inarkiev Ernesto
½-½
Cheparinov Ivan
Ivanchuk Vassily
1-0
Alekseev Evgeny

Round 5: Thursday, August 13, 2009

Alekseev Evgeny
½-½
Leko Peter
Cheparinov Ivan
0-1
Ivanchuk Vassily
Kamsky Gata
1-0
Inarkiev Ernesto
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
1-0
Aronian Levon
Gelfand Boris
1-0
Akopian Vladimir
Eljanov Pavel
½-½
Jakovenko Dmitry
Karjakin Sergey
1-0
Bacrot Etienne

Round 6: Saturday, August 15, 2009

Leko Peter
½-½
Bacrot Etienne
Jakovenko Dmitry
½-½
Karjakin Sergey
Akopian Vladimir
½-½
Eljanov Pavel
Aronian Levon
1-0
Gelfand Boris
Inarkiev Ernesto
0-1
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Ivanchuk Vassily
½-½
Kamsky Gata
Alekseev Evgeny
1-0
Cheparinov Ivan

Round 7: Sunday, August 16, 2009

Cheparinov Ivan
0-1
Leko Peter
Kamsky Gata
0-1
Alekseev Evgeny
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
½-½
Ivanchuk Vassily
Gelfand Boris
1-0
Inarkiev Ernesto
Eljanov Pavel
1-0
Aronian Levon
Karjakin Sergey
1-0
Akopian Vladimir
Bacrot Etienne
1-0
Jakovenko Dmitry

Round 8: Monday, August 17, 2009

Leko Peter
½-½
Jakovenko Dmitry
Akopian Vladimir
½-½
Bacrot Etienne
Aronian Levon
½-½
Karjakin Sergey
Inarkiev Ernesto
½-½
Eljanov Pavel
Ivanchuk Vassily
1-0
Gelfand Boris
Alekseev Evgeny
½-½
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Cheparinov Ivan
½-½
Kamsky Gata

Round 9: Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Kamsky Gata
½-½
Leko Peter
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
1-0
Cheparinov Ivan
Gelfand Boris
½-½
Alekseev Evgeny
Eljanov Pavel
½-½
Ivanchuk Vassily
Karjakin Sergey
½-½
Inarkiev Ernesto
Bacrot Etienne
½-½
Aronian Levon
Jakovenko Dmitry
½-½
Akopian Vladimir

Round 10: Thursday, August 20, 2009

Leko Peter
½-½
Akopian Vladimir
Aronian Levon
1-0
Jakovenko Dmitry
Inarkiev Ernesto
1-0
Bacrot Etienne
Ivanchuk Vassily
½-½
Karjakin Sergey
Alekseev Evgeny
1-0
Eljanov Pavel
Cheparinov Ivan
0-1
Gelfand Boris
Kamsky Gata
½-½
Kasimdzhanov Rus.

Round 11: Friday, August 21, 2009

Kasimdzhanov Rus.

½-½
Leko Peter

Gelfand Boris

½-½
Kamsky Gata

Eljanov Pavel

1-0
Cheparinov Ivan

Karjakin Sergey

½-½
Alekseev Evgeny

Bacrot Etienne

½-½
Ivanchuk Vassily

Jakovenko Dmitry

0-1
Inarkiev Ernesto

Akopian Vladimir

½-½
Aronian Levon

Round 12: Saturday, August 22, 2009

Leko Peter
½-½
Aronian Levon
Inarkiev Ernesto
½-½
Akopian Vladimir
Ivanchuk Vassily
½-½
Jakovenko Dmitry
Alekseev Evgeny
½-½
Bacrot Etienne
Cheparinov Ivan
½-½
Karjakin Sergey
Kamsky Gata
1-0
Eljanov Pavel
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
0-1
Gelfand Boris

Round 13: Sunday, August 23, 2009

Gelfand Boris
1-0
Leko Peter
Eljanov Pavel
½-½
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Karjakin Sergey
½-½
Kamsky Gata
Bacrot Etienne
½-½
Cheparinov Ivan
Jakovenko Dmitry
½-½
Alekseev Evgeny
Akopian Vladimir
0-1
Ivanchuk Vassily
Aronian Levon
1-0
Inarkiev Ernesto
Monday, August 24, 2009
Departure

Links

The games were broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse PGN games. New and enhanced: CB Light 2009!


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