Moscow Open Rd7: Chess and Shogi

by Albert Silver
2/7/2015 – It was the clash of the titans as the two leaders locked horns in round seven. Inarkiev, the leader throughout, was caught up by top seed Nepomniachtchi and an all-out Najdorf unfolded. With superb play, Inarkiev dispatched his rival and is now clearly ahead. In the meantime, showing the cultural exchange with Japan is mutual, there was even a shogi-chess tournament.
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

Round seven

The center of attention was obviously the top board between Ernesto Inarkiev and Ian Nepomniachtchi. Inarkiev has had a sparkling tournament and the leader throughout, but all it took was a single draw for Nepo to catch up with him in the lead. One might be inclined to think the two leaders would play it safe, but with six others just half a point behind, it might easily lead to the ten-way jumble in the female Open B. As a result, the two followed a sharp Najdorf that Ian had played a couple of months ago in December and sparks flew.

With 6.5/7, Ernesto Inarkiev is having the result of his life, with an outstanding 2960 performance

Ernesto Inarkiev - Ian Nepomniachtchi

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,185,00854%2421---
1.d4959,51055%2434---
1.Nf3286,50356%2441---
1.c4184,83456%2442---
1.g319,89256%2427---
1.b314,60054%2428---
1.f45,95448%2377---
1.Nc33,91150%2384---
1.b41,79148%2379---
1.a31,25054%2406---
1.e31,08149%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39366%2506---
1.Na34762%2476---
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Qd2 Be7 9.f3 Nbd7 10.g4 b5 11.g5 Nh5 12.0-0-0 Nb6 13.Nd5 Nxd5 14.exd5 Bd7 15.Na5 Qc7 16.Kb1 0-0 It is strange to call the 17th move a critical opening juncture, but thus it is: White has played with certain frequency 17.c4, 17. Rg1, and 17.Bd3. Though in grandmaster play c4 has been the popular choice in the last few years. Note that there is nothing wrong with any of the choices. 17.Rg1 In December 2014, Nepo won a good game against top Cuban Leinier Dominguez. 17.c4 f6 18.Rc1 b4 19.gxf6 Rxf6 20.Qxb4 Rb8 21.Qd2 Rxf3 22.Be2 Rh3 23.Bxh5 Rxh5 24.Ka1 Rh3 25.Nb3 Ba4 26.Rc3 Qd7 27.c5 dxc5 28.Nxc5 Bxc5 29.Rxc5 Qf5 30.Rhc1 h6 31.d6 Kh7 32.Rc7 Rd8 33.Rg1 Rd7 34.Qg2 g5 35.Bc5 Rf3 36.Qe2 e4 37.Rxd7+ Bxd7 38.Rc1 Bb5 39.Qd2 Rd3 40.Qe1 Qf4 41.Rc3 Rd5 42.a3 Qe5 43.Qf2 Rd1+ 44.Ka2 Qd5+ 45.Rb3 Bc4 0-1 (45) Dominguez Perez, L (2726)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2714) Beijing 2014 17...g6 18.c4 f6 19.Rc1 b4 An aggressive push to gain tempi on the attack. 20.Qxb4 White accepts the challenge though he has little choice. The knight is being attacked, and if the knight comes back to b3, then a5-a4 will follow shortly. Rab8 21.Qc3 fxg5 22.Bxg5 Bxg5 23.Rxg5 Nf4 24.c5!? Inarkeiv is playing for keeps, and this will not be a safe draw between the leaders. Bb5 24...Nxd5 is bad because of 25.Bc4 and the pin plus pressure on d6 are costly. Be6 25...Qxc5 26.Nb3 Kg7 27.Qxe5+! dxe5 28.Nxc5 and Black's position is falling apart. 26.Qd3 Nf4 27.Qxd6± 25.Nb3 Rfe8 Black goes astray here and decides to protect e5 in view of the pressure on d6, but this was not the time to play passively. Instead he should have just punched back with 25...a5 26.Bxb5 26.Qxa5 Bd3+! a great zwischenzug. (thank you Komodo) 27.Bxd3 Qxa5 28.Nxa5 Nxd3 29.Rc2 Rxf3 and Black has the upper hand. 26...Rxb5 and nothing is decided. 27.Qc4?! Rb4! 26.Bxb5 Rxb5 27.cxd6 Qxd6 28.Qc6 Qd8 29.Nc5 Rb6 30.Qd7 Ne2 31.Rc2 Nd4 32.Rxe5 Qxd7 33.Nxd7 Rxe5 34.Rc8+ Kg7 35.Nxb6 Re1+ 36.Rc1 Rxc1+ 37.Kxc1 Kf6 White is up a pawn (one will fall), though his king is still far away. 38.f4! Exactly right! Since the f-pawn will fall, White decides he will at least get a tempo to develop his king in exchange. Ne2+ 39.Kd2 Nxf4 40.Ke3 Kf5? One could argue that the position is lost anyhow, but why not ...g5 to at least start the kingside pawns rolling? Aside from resigning, what else does Black have? 41.Kd4 g5 42.a4 h5 43.b4 g4 44.Nc4 Kf6 45.b5 axb5 46.axb5 Ke7 47.b6 Kd7 48.Ne5+ Kc8 49.Ke4 Ne2 50.d6 Nc3+ 51.Kd4 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Inarkiev,E2675Nepomniachtchi,I27141–02015B90Moscow Open A 20157.1

Boris Savchenko (2599) has been unable to keep the ball rolling and is at 4.0/7

Vladislav Artemiev was in the driver's seat throughout his game and constantly seemed on
the verge of converting it into a winning advantage, but failed to break his opponent

In the Open B, the ten-way tie for first in round seven cleared up somewhat as Goryachkina, Guseva, Lei Tinjie, and Hojjatova all won their games to share first with 6.0/7

WGM Nino Maisuradze (right), French champion, was doing well until a slip in round seven, against
Azeri WCM Aydan Hojjatova (left)

13-year-old Kamaliya Bulatova against 17-year-old Anna Malova

Oksana Komissarova

Shogi - Chess

There have been numerous reports on Shogi in ChessBase, noting also the desire for a cultural exchange of this fascinating game that even Kasparov has shown a keen interest. Whereas even at the Shogi Olympiad they held western chess activities, the Moscow Open organizers showed the reciporcity by organizing a Shogi-Chess event.

The competition involved both chess and shogi, and the participants needed to play both

There were several childen who clearly enjoyed it

The arbiter and coordinator

Shogi games took place at the same time as chess

The winners received a certificate and medal

No one left empty handed

The participants and organizers gather for a photo

Photos by Galina Popova and Eteri Kublashvili

Standings of Open A after seven rounds

Rk
SNo
Ti.
Name
FED
Rtg
Pts
rtg+/-
1
7
GM
 Inarkiev Ernesto
2675
6.5
18.4
2
11
GM
 Petrosian Tigran L.
2663
6.0
6.8
3
1
GM
 Nepomniachtchi Ian
2714
5.5
1.3
4
9
GM
 Grachev Boris
2670
5.5
4.5
5
14
GM
 Mamedov Rauf
2642
5.5
6.6
6
33
GM
 Pridorozhni Aleksei
2545
5.5
11.4
7
12
GM
 Artemiev Vladislav
2659
5.5
1.7
8
4
GM
 Korobov Anton
2687
5.0
-0.4
9
18
GM
 Volkov Sergey
2618
5.0
0.6
10
70
IM
 Zakhartsov Vladimir
2421
5.0
22.0
11
34
GM
 Xiu Deshun
2543
5.0
15.5
12
2
GM
 Vallejo Pons Francisco
2706
5.0
-3.1
13
42
GM
 Kharchenko Boris
2483
5.0
14.3
14
36
GM
 Iljushin Alexei
2515
5.0
16.3
15
28
GM
 Gabrielian Artur
2554
5.0
3.9
16
47
IM
 Matinian Nikita
2475
5.0
6.7
17
21
GM
 Fier Alexandr
2604
5.0
-0.2
18
3
GM
 Lysyj Igor
2700
5.0
-6.3
19
10
GM
 Fedoseev Vladimir
2668
5.0
-4.7
20
68
FM
 Makhmutov Rail
2428
5.0
18.6

Click for complete standings

Standings of Open B after seven rounds

Rk
SNo
Ti.
Name
Fed
Rtg
Pts
rtg+/-
1
1
WGM
 Goryachkina Aleksandra
2451
6.0
6.5
2
6
IM
 Guseva Marina
2375
6.0
6.7
3
2
WGM
 Lei Tingjie
2429
6.0
8.6
4
38
WCM
 Hojjatova Aydan
2170
6.0
101.2
5
3
WGM
 Szczepkowska-Horowska Karina
2415
5.5
-1.4
6
23
WGM
 Mirzoeva Elmira
2220
5.5
40.6
7
71
 
 Maslova Polina
1996
5.5
130.8
8
26
WIM
 Schepetkova Margarita
2216
5.0
39.4
9
44
WFM
 Bayarmaa Bayarjargal
2134
5.0
48.6
10
7
WGM
 Charochkina Daria
2370
5.0
-7.9
11
13
WGM
 Maisuradze Nino
2310
5.0
-2.2
12
17
WIM
 Ibrahimova Sabina
2273
5.0
10.0
13
28
WFM
 Petrukhina Irina
2210
5.0
14.8
14
21
WIM
 Dordzhieva Dinara
2244
5.0
8.0
15
10
FM
 Pustovoitova Daria
2334
5.0
-5.6
16
35
WFM
 Tokhirjonova Gulrukhbegim
2181
5.0
46.4
17
11
IM
 Ovod Evgenija
2324
5.0
-7.0
18
39
WFM
 Smirnova Ekaterina
2161
5.0
66.4
19
43
WFM
 Obolentseva Alexandra
2145
5.0
35.2
20
15
IM
 Galojan Lilit
2283
5.0
-2.9

Click for complete standings

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 a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 13 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.
Born in the US, he grew up in Paris, France, where he completed his Baccalaureat, and after college moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He had a peak rating of 2240 FIDE, and was a key designer of Chess Assistant 6. In 2010 he joined the ChessBase family as an editor and writer at ChessBase News. He is also a passionate photographer with work appearing in numerous publications, and the content creator of the YouTube channel, Chess & Tech.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.