Jermuk R7+8: Ivanchuk and Leko lead

by ChessBase
8/17/2009 – Round seven was a slugfest, with six decisive games to one draw. Round eight was the other way around: six draws to one decisive game. The outcome: Vassily Ivanchuk and Peter Leko are in the lead with 5.5/8 points, followed by Rustam Kasimdzhanov half a point behind. We bring you a report of both rounds and once again some very insightful pictures by Arman Karakhanyan.

ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024 ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024

It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more.

More...

Fifth FIDE Grand Prix in Jermuk, Armenia

This event is taking place from August 8th-24th 2009. It is a Category 19 tournament, with eleven of the 14 players rated over 2700. The event is 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 seven + eight

Round seven: Another day, and six more decisive games. Co-leaders Kasimdzhanov and Ivanchuk had the misfortune of a pairing against one another at this critical juncture in the tournament. As such, they opted for a quick, clean 20-move conclusion in the Slav Defence.


Rustam Kasimdzhanov and Vassily Ivanchuk in the press conference

Karjakin gained further ground on his compatriot by grinding Akopian on the white side of a 58-move Ruy Lopez Chigorin.


Sergey Karjakin, Lilit Mkrchian and Vladimir Akopian analyse with the computer

Eljanov, also White, was adverse to the thought of his fellow Ukrainians outpacing him, and KO-ed co-leader Aronian with 43 moves in the Anti-Meran Variations. Bacrot made up some much-needed ground, in his encounter with Russian number one, Dmitry Jakovenko, another 58-mover, this time in the Ragozin of the Queen's Gambit Declined.

Gelfand made up for his loss of the previous day, putting the white pieces to good use against Inarkiev, in a 54 move King's Indian Classical.

The luckless Kamsky experienced another setback, giving up the full point to Alekseev, who held the black pieces in a 56-move Sicilian Classical.

The story of the round, however, was Peter Leko, who regained the sole lead with an unexpected win with black against Ivan Cheparinov in a 58-move Queen's Indian.

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 8: In a complete reversal from yesterday, six of seven games were drawn today. That said, Leko-Jakovenko delivered some much-appreciated excitement, as the Russian attempted to push his extra pawn home against the tournament leader. Unfortunately, his power of calculation proved insufficient, and Leko held the draw in a 121-move Ruy Lopez Berlin. Inarkiev-Eljanov was over before it started, with a 15-move draw in the same opening. Aronian-Karjakin and Akopian-Bacrot were somewhat longer, at 29 and 26 moves respectively, however, the halved-points were never really in doubt. Alekseev-Kasimdzhanov and Cheparinov-Kamsky were slightly more interesting, at 60 moves apiece, but the draws seemed the most probable outcomes for most of the round. This left Ivanchuk to provide the audience with something to write home about, which he did gradually on the white side of an English Opening, in using 98 moves to extinguish Gelfand's defenses. As a result, he has rejoined Leko as co-leader, and looks poised to strike blows against Eljanov tomorrow.


But hey, they don't need batteries or cables: demo boards outside the venue


Famous Armenian actor Sos Sargsyan, famous Yugoslav grandmaster Svetozar
Gligoric, and esteemed organiser and Armenian GM Smbat Lputian


Israeli GM Boris Gelfand working hard at his round seven game (which he won)


His opponent, GM Ernesto Inarkiev, trying to keep up (he lost)


Gelfand's second GM Alexander Huzman watches it all unfold


Peter Leko's second GM Arshak Petrosian making a point (in Armenian) to Vladimir Akopian


In the lead: Ukrainian perennial Vassily Ivanchuk

Current standings

All pictures by Arman Karakhanyan, courtesy of FIDE


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

Round 10: Thursday, August 20, 2009

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

Round 11: Friday, August 21, 2009

Kasimdzhanov Rus.

-
Leko Peter

Gelfand Boris

-
Kamsky Gata

Eljanov Pavel

-
Cheparinov Ivan

Karjakin Sergey

-
Alekseev Evgeny

Bacrot Etienne

-
Ivanchuk Vassily

Jakovenko Dmitry

-
Inarkiev Ernesto

Akopian Vladimir

-
Aronian Levon
GamesReport

Round 12: Saturday, August 22, 2009

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

Round 13: Sunday, August 23, 2009

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

The games start at 15:00h Armenian time (12:00 noon CEST, 11:00h London, 6 a.m. New York and 3 a.m. California). Full live coverage, including discussion and analysis with thousands of other visitors, is available on Playchess.

Links

The games are being 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!


Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register