London Rd4: Gelfand, Grischuk win, Gelfand leads

by ChessBase
9/25/2012 – Alexander Grischuk won a fine game against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, one that both our GM commentators, Alejandro Ramirez and Daniel King, have chosen to show us as the game of the day. The other really interesting game was Boris Gelfand vs Wang Hao. Just when the Chinese GM seemed to have saved a tough rook ending he blundered into a mate in one. It was all captured on video!

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The First FIDE Grand Prix is taking place from September 21 to October 3rd in Simpson’s-in-the-Strand, London. The games start at 14:00h local time (= 15:00h CEST, 17:00h Moscow, 09:00 a.m. New York). The tournament has a prize fund of 240,000 Euros.

Round four report

By GM Alejandro Ramirez

Round 4 on 2012/09/24 at 14:00
Leko Peter 2737
½-½
Adams Michael 2722
Giri Anish 2730
½-½
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
Grischuk Alexander 2754
1-0
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
Gelfand Boris 2738
1-0
Wang Hao 2742
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684
½-½
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
½-½
Topalov Veselin 2752

Nakamura-Topalov: White gets very little fr0m the opening and despite being marginally better the entire time, Hikaru is never able to put Topalov against the ropes. Draw.

Kasimdzhanov-Dominguez: Kasimdzhanov essays the same line he used against Leko in round 1. He obtains a superior pawn structure but very little else besides that, and the bishop endgame is easily held by Dominguez. Draw.

Giri-Ivanchuk: In a rather strange game (Giri made over a third of his moves with his queen…) the players agreed to a draw in a opposite colored bishop middlegame that could only favor Black, even if it was rather marginal. Draw.

Leko-Adams: This game isn’t making any top 100 most exciting games ever played lists. The draw was seen coming from a mile away. Draw.

Gelfand-Wang: After a questionable pawn push on the queenside, Wang Hao starts suffering. Through some resourcefulness, the Chinese player escapes into a pawn down endgame. The battle is between Gelfand’s knight, rook and three pawns against Wang Hao’s bishop, rook and two pawns. Normally an easy draw, Black’s king is also against the ropes, being cut off on the seventh rank. After the minor pieces are swapped, it still seems like the game will end in a draw – but Wang Hao commits a serious mistake in 49… f5+? Gelfand doesn’t capitalize, instead opting for a somewhat awkward rook maneuver. Tragically, Wang Hao blunders yet again, this time into a simple mating net. Gelfand wins. 1-0.


Video stream of the whole game – jump to 04:40:50 in the video to see Wang Hao, after a long think, play 54...Re4, to which Gelfand responds, after a few seconds, with 55.Rd1.

Gelfand,B (2738) - Wang Hao (2742) [E10]
1st FIDE GP London 2012 London ENG (4), 24.09.2012
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 c6 7.0-0 0-0 8.Qc2 b6 9.Bf4 Ba6 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.Rc1 Nbd7 12.Nc3 b5 13.a4 Qb6 14.axb5 Bxb5 15.Nxb5 Qxb5 16.Bf1 a5 17.e3 Qb7 18.Qc6 Qxc6 19.Rxc6 a4 20.Bb5 a3 21.bxa3 Bxa3 22.Rc7 Nb6 23.Rb7 Nc4 24.Bxc4 dxc4 25.Rc7 h6 26.Rxc4 g5 27.Be5 Ne4 28.g4 Be7 29.Rxa8 Rxa8 30.Rc2 f6 31.Bg3 Kf7 32.Kg2 h5 33.gxh5 Rh8 34.Rc7 g4 35.Ne1 Rxh5 36.Nd3 Rb5 37.h3 gxh3+ 38.Kxh3 Ke8 39.Ra7 Rb3 40.Nf4 Nxg3 41.Kxg3 Bd6 42.Kf3 Bxf4 43.Kxf4 Rb2 44.f3 Rh2 45.Ke4 Rh3 46.Rb7 Kf8 47.Rd7 Ke8 48.Rc7 Kf8 49.f4 f5+ 50.Ke5 Rxe3+ 51.Kf6 Kg8 52.Rg7+ Kf8 53.Rh7 Kg8 54.Rh1 Re4 55.Rd1

This is now an essentially drawn game...

But after around a minute of thought Wang plays 55...Kh7??

You see it, don't you? Gelfand does, and replies with 56.Kf7...

Wang can only laugh at himself, as he sees that nothing can now stop Rh1 with mate. 1-0.


Interview with Gelfand and Wang Hao. You decide whether the Chinese GM is laughing or crying
when he describes the blunder and how he forgot that the f-pawn covers the g5 square.


Daniel King analyses the game with Boris Gelfand


Daniel King analyses the endgame of Gelfand - Wang Hao

Pictures and video interview by Macauley Peterson in London

Grischuk-Mamedyarov

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix - London 2012"] [Site "London"] [Date "2012.09.24"] [Round "4"] [White "Grischuk, Alexander"] [Black "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C77"] [WhiteElo "2754"] [BlackElo "2729"] [Annotator "Ramirez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "91"] [EventDate "2012.??.??"] [EventCountry "ENG"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 d6 7. c3 O-O 8. Nbd2 Re8 9. Re1 Bf8 10. d4 b5 {Even though the last ten moves of chess have been perfectly logical, this specific position has not been seen particularly often. } 11. Bc2 exd4 12. cxd4 Bg4 13. h3 Bh5 14. g4 {The game Vallejo-Cabrera from 2005 featured the very logical Nf1.} (14. Nf1 d5 15. e5 Ne4 16. Ng3 Nxg3 17. fxg3 Nb4 $13) 14... Bg6 15. a3 h5 16. g5 Nh7 17. Nf1 Qd7 18. Kg2 d5 19. e5 Bxc2 20. Qxc2 g6 {Black trades the light squared bishops, and is using his pawns and pieces to create a blockade in the weakened squares. If he is successful, White's space advantage will be irrelevant and an eventual break on c5 will come with a lot of power.} 21. Be3 Nd8 22. Rac1 Rc8 (22... Ne6 $6 23. Qc6 $1 { Allows White his own strong blockade.}) 23. Ng3 c6 $2 {Maybe the losing mistake, even though it does not seem so.} (23... Be7 $1 {Was key - the point being} 24. Nh4 {runs into} Nxg5 25. Nxg6 (25. Bxg5 Bxg5 26. Nxg6 Bxc1 {is greedy, but maybe it works.} (26... Re6 $1 $17)) 25... Qxh3+) 24. Nh4 $1 {A very strong move. Grischuk eyes the g6 pawn as a perfect place to sacrifice his knight. He is taking advantage of the fact that at the moment Black's pieces are uncoordinated, and if the pawns start rolling there is little Mamedyarov can do about it.} Ne6 25. Nxg6 fxg6 26. Qxg6+ Ng7 27. Qh6 $1 { Grischuk is amazingly precise. Taking on h5 was natural and possible, but nowhere near as strong. This strange looking move is threatening g6, after which the knight on h7 is lost (!). There are also no strong discoveries with the knight on g7!} Nf5 (27... Be7 28. Nxh5 Nxh5 29. Qxh5 {and the bishop is misplaced on e7.}) 28. Qxh5 Nxg3 29. Kxg3 {It's possible to say that taking with the f-pawn and the king were both possible, and the difference was mainly stylistic. I do believe taking with the king is stronger, though. Now White's plan is easy, trade queens and push pawns.} Bg7 30. Qg4 Nf8 31. f4 c5 32. Qxd7 (32. Rxc5 $1 Rxc5 33. Qxd7 Nxd7 34. dxc5 $18) 32... Nxd7 33. dxc5 Nxe5 {Black is forced to sacrifice before he gets steamrolled. The variation with Rxc5 did not allow this.} 34. fxe5 Bxe5+ 35. Bf4 Bxb2 36. Rxe8+ Rxe8 37. Rc2 {Although Black has material equality (after recuperating his pawn on a3), the advanced nature of the c-pawn renders his position hopeless.} Bxa3 38. c6 b4 39. c7 Rc8 40. Rc6 $1 b3 41. Rxa6 $6 {This move seemed very strange to me, even though it doesn't spoil anything just yet.} (41. Rb6 b2 42. g6 d4 43. h4 d3 44. Kf3 d2 45. Ke2 {leaves Black in a state of Zugzwang.}) 41... Bc5 42. Ra5 Bb6 43. Rxd5 Bxc7 44. Bxc7 Rxc7 45. Rb5 Kg7 46. Kg4 {This endgame is very basic for any grandmaster. The b-pawn has to fall to prevent the rook checking from the side, and when that happens it's super easy. Mamedyarov committed one serious mistake and a powerful piece sacrifice by Grischuk devastated his position!} 1-0

Play of the Day by GM Daniel King


Daniel King analyzes Grischuk-Mamedyarov as the Play of the Day

Standings after four rounds

Schedule and results

Round 1 on 2012/09/21 at 14:00
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684
½-½
Leko Peter 2737
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
0-1
Gelfand Boris 2738
Topalov Veselin 2752
½-½
Grischuk Alexander 2754
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
½-½
Giri Anish 2730
Wang Hao 2742
½-½
Adams Michael 2722
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
½-½
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
Round 2 on 2012/09/22 at 14:00
Leko Peter 2737
1-0
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
Adams Michael 2722
½-½
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
Giri Anish 2730
½-½
Wang Hao 2742
Grischuk Alexander 2754
½-½
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
Gelfand Boris 2738
½-½
Topalov Veselin 2752
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684
0-1
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
Round 3 on 2012/09/23 at 14:00
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
½-½
Leko Peter 2737
Topalov Veselin 2752
½-½
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
½-½
Gelfand Boris 2738
Wang Hao 2742
½-½
Grischuk Alexander 2754
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
1-0
Giri Anish 2730
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
½-½
Adams Michael 2722
Round 4 on 2012/09/24 at 14:00
Leko Peter 2737
½-½
Adams Michael 2722
Giri Anish 2730
½-½
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
Grischuk Alexander 2754
1-0
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
Gelfand Boris 2738
1-0
Wang Hao 2742
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684
½-½
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
½-½
Topalov Veselin 2752
Round 5 on 2012/09/25 at 14:00
Topalov Veselin 2752
-
Leko Peter 2737
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
-
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
Wang Hao 2742
-
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
-
Gelfand Boris 2738
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
-
Grischuk Alexander 2754
Adams Michael 2722
-
Giri Anish 2730
Round 6 on 2012/09/27 at 14:00
Leko Peter 2737
-
Giri Anish 2730
Grischuk Alexander 2754
-
Adams Michael 2722
Gelfand Boris 2738
-
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684
-
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
-
Wang Hao 2742
Topalov Veselin 2752
-
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
Round 7 on 2012/09/28 at 14:00
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
-
Leko Peter 2737
Wang Hao 2742
-
Topalov Veselin 2752
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
-
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
-
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684
Adams Michael 2722
-
Gelfand Boris 2738
Giri Anish 2730
-
Grischuk Alexander 2754
Round 8 on 2012/09/29 at 14:00
Leko Peter 2737
-
Grischuk Alexander 2754
Gelfand Boris 2738
-
Giri Anish 2730
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684
-
Adams Michael 2722
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
-
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
Topalov Veselin 2752
-
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
-
Wang Hao 2742
Round 9 on 2012/10/01 at 14:00
Wang Hao 2742
-
Leko Peter 2737
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
-
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
-
Topalov Veselin 2752
Adams Michael 2722
-
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
Giri Anish 2730
-
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684
Grischuk Alexander 2754
-
Gelfand Boris 2738
Round 10 on 2012/10/02 at 14:00
Leko Peter 2737
-
Gelfand Boris 2738
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684
-
Grischuk Alexander 2754
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
-
Giri Anish 2730
Topalov Veselin 2752
-
Adams Michael 2722
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
-
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
Wang Hao 2742
-
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
Round 11 on 2012/10/03 at 11:00
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2729
-
Leko Peter 2737
Ivanchuk Vassily 2769
-
Wang Hao 2742
Adams Michael 2722
-
Dominguez Perez Leinier 2725
Giri Anish 2730
-
Topalov Veselin 2752
Grischuk Alexander 2754
-
Nakamura Hikaru 2783
Gelfand Boris 2738
-
Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2684

Links

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