London Rd4: Gelfand, Grischuk win, Gelfand leads

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

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

Play of the Day by GM Daniel King

Standings after four rounds

Schedule and results

Links Official tournament site Live games and video from London All games in PGN 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 a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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