Nalchik R9: Kamsky, Alekseev and Bacrot win

Fourth FIDE Grand Prix
in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria

The fourth FIDE Grand Prix Series Tournament is being held in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, during 14th -29th April 2009 at the Intour Hotel "Sindica". The games start at 3 p.m. local time = 15:00h CEST. After five rounds there is a free day (on Monday, April 20) and another after round nine (on Saturday, April 25).

Results of today's round

Round nine review by GM Sergey Shipov

The following game notes were provided by FIDE and are translated (by Misha Savinov) from the comments of Sergey Shipov. We are grateful for permission to reproduce his commentary here. All photos by courtesy of FIDE.

Alexander Grischuk-Gata Kamsky
The fortune paid Kamsky back for everything he lost earlier. He survived all the troubles imaginable in a single game and nevertheless won it – just like he did in his early years. Grischuk’s poor time management was the critical factor again. He played excellently up to a certain point: maneuvered well, attacked nicely (48.Bxh5!) and was very close to the well-deserved victory. And then he got into another time trouble... The turning point occurred between 53rd and 55th move. Clearly Alexander only considered ‘all-or-nothing’ moves, so he jumped right into deadly complications while he could have slowly improved his position, retaining all its advantages. White could get a decisive edge with 53.Qd1! On the next move 54.Qd1! would give him a small plus, and 55.Qe6+! could secure an equal game. All these chances were missed, and Black ended up with a healthy extra piece. Kamsky’s play in the third time trouble was also far from perfect. For instance, it would be very difficult to win for Black after 69.Ne6+! Kh7 70.Kh1!! However, this chance was really a fluke – a usual time trouble occurrence. The lengthy queen’s ending developed logically. Black was winning, and he won.

Grischuk,A (2748) - Kamsky,G (2720) [C95]
4th FIDE GP Nalchik RUS (9), 24.04.2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 15.a4 c5 16.d5 c4 17.Bg5 h6 18.Be3 Nc5 19.Qd2 h5 20.Bxc5 dxc5 21.Bd1 Rb8 22.Qe3 Kh7 23.Nf1 Qc7 24.Ng5+ Kg8 25.Be2 Bc8 26.Ra2 Qb6 27.Nf3 Kh7 28.Ng5+ Kg8 29.axb5 axb5 30.Nd2 Bh6 31.Qg3 Nh7 32.Ndf3 Qf6 33.h4 Nf8 34.Ra7 Bd7 35.Rea1 Qd6 36.R7a6 Qe7 37.Ra7 Qd6 38.R7a6 Qe7 39.Nh2 Bc8 40.Ra7 Rb7 41.Ra8 Nd7 42.Nf1 Nb6 43.R8a5 Bd7 44.Ne3 Qf6 45.Ra7 Reb8 46.R1a6 Be8 47.Rxb7 Rxb7 48.Bxh5 gxh5 49.Nf5 Bg7 50.d6 Nd7 51.Qf3 Bf8 52.Qxh5 Qg6

53.Qg4 [53.Qd1!] f6 54.Ne7+ [54.Qd1!] Bxe7 55.dxe7 [55.Qe6+!] Rb6 56.Rxb6 Nxb6 57.Qe6+ Kg7 58.Nf3 Na4 59.h5 Qxh5 60.g4 Qh3 61.Nxe5 Nxb2 62.Qc8 Qh8 63.Nd7 Nd3 64.Nf8 Qh4 65.Qxe8 Qxf2+ 66.Kh1 Qh4+ 67.Kg2 Qxg4+ 68.Kh2 Ne5

69.Kh1 [69.Ne6+! Kh7 70.Kh1!!] 69...Nf3 70.Ne6+ Qxe6 71.Qf8+ Kh7 72.Kg2 Nh4+ 73.Kf2 Ng6 74.e8Q Nxf8 75.Qxf8 b4 76.Qxc5 b3 77.Qc7+ Kg6 78.Qg3+ Kh5 79.Kf3 Qd7 80.Qg8 Qd3+ 81.Kf4 Qd2+ 82.Kf3 Qxc3+ 83.Kf4 Qc1+ 84.Kf3 Qf1+ 85.Ke3 Kh4 86.Kd4 Qd3+ 87.Kc5 Qxe4 88.Qh8+ Kg5 89.Qg7+ Qg6 90.Qb7 Qd3 91.Qg2+ Kf5 92.Qf2+ Ke6 93.Qg2 f5 94.Qg7 f4 95.Qg8+ Kf5 96.Qc8+ Kg5 97.Qg8+ Kh4 98.Qg2 f3 99.Qh2+ Kg4 100.Qg1+ Kf4 101.Qh2+ Ke3 0-1. [Click to replay]

What happened? Wasn't I winning? Alexander Grischuk

After being horribly unlucky in a number of games this time luck was on Gata's side

Evgeny Alekseev-Sergey Karjakin
A highly important victory for the Russian grandmaster, who showed great technique and enviable accuracy. Alekseev employed Fischer’s idea 6.h3 against the Najdorf Sicilian, and after Black made a dubious novelty 12…Nc6?!, White proceeded to a better endgame. The rest was a textbook example of using the bishop pair. Evgeny skillfully restricted the opponent (23.b3!) and consistently developed the queenside attack (28.Ra1!, 25.Rb1!). Sergey didn’t have a single chance!

The Russian Federation sign is appropriate – Ukrainian GM Sergey Karjakin plans to move to Russia with his family and play for his new country

With this victory Evgeny Alekseev joins Levon Aronian in the lead

Alekseev,Evgeny (2716) - Karjakin,Sergey (2721) [B90]
4th FIDE GP Nalchik RUS (9), 24.04.2009
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 e6 7.g4 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Nde2 Bb4 10.Bg2 0-0 11.0-0 Nxc3 12.Nxc3 Nc6 13.Qxd8 Rxd8 14.Na4 e5 15.c3 Be7 16.Nb6 Rb8 17.Nxc8 Rbxc8 18.Be3 Kf8 19.Rfd1 Rd6 20.Kf1 Na5 21.Rxd6 Bxd6 22.Rd1 Ke7 23.b3 Nc6 24.Be4 b5 25.b4 Nd8 26.Rc1 Ne6 27.Ke2 Rb8 28.Ra1 Nf4+ 29.Kd2 Nxh3 30.Rh1 Nf4 31.Rxh7 Kf6 32.Kc2 Bc7 33.Ba7 Rd8 34.Rh1 a5 35.Rb1 axb4 36.Rxb4 Kg5 37.f3 g6 38.Rxb5 f5 39.gxf5 gxf5 40.Bb7 Ng2 41.Bf2 Bd6 42.a4 Kf4 43.a5 e4 44.fxe4 fxe4 45.Bb6 Rg8 46.a6 e3 47.Kd3 1-0. [Click to replay]

Vassily Ivanchuk-Vladimir Akopian
Another creative achievement of Ivanchuk, and again he fails to score a full point. After the opening White’s position was remarkably cramped – all of his pieces settled on the first two ranks. Ivanchuk’s struggle for elbow room started with the 16.f3! break. Perhaps Black could hold the balance by supporting the e4 outpost with 16…Qe7! In this case he would fight for the advantage. The complications that followed gave White long-lasting pressure, which, however, was insufficient to win. Akopian defended accurately and creatively.

Etienne Bacrot-Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Finally a happy hour for Bacrot! He punished the aggressive opponent for neglecting basic chess principles. Shakhriyar wanted to win too much, and got carried away. Black’s problems began with 14…dxc4. 14…Bb7 looked much more natural. After White installed his bishop to h6, Shakh had to drive it away and castle as soon as possible. The natural 16…Bf8 would give him a chance for equality. However, the ambitious young grandmaster wanted more. He grabbed another pawn, after which White started a devastating attack. The final combination (28.Rxd7!) logically concluded Bacrot’s preceding play. Overall, this game is more fitting to the 19th century.

Etienne Bacrot – please pronounce it "back row" or "buck row", and the first name is et-tee-en.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – you figure out how to pronounce that!

Bacrot,E (2728) - Mamedyarov,S (2725) [B46]
4th FIDE GP Nalchik RUS (9), 24.04.2009
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.0-0 Nf6 9.Re1 Be7 10.e5 Nd7 11.Qg4 g6 12.Na4 c5 13.c4 Qa5 14.Qd1 dxc4 15.Be4 Rb8 16.Bh6 Rb4 17.Nc3 Rxb2 18.Qc1 Rb8 19.Bc6 Bb7 20.Ba4 Kd8 21.Rd1 Bd5 22.Qc2 Rb4 23.Bd2 Ba8 24.Be1 Rxa4 25.Nxa4 Qb5 26.Rab1 Qc6 27.f3 Ke8

28.Rxd7 Kxd7 29.Qd1+ Kc8 30.Nb6+ Kb7 31.Nd5+ 1-0.

28.Rxd7 Kxd7 29.Qd1+ Kc8 [29...Qd5 30.Nb6+] 30.Nb6+ Kb7 31.Nd5+ [31...Ka7 32.Nxe7 Qc7 33.Ba5 Qxe7 34.Bb6+ Kb7 35.Bxc5+ Kc8 36.Bxe7] 1-0. [Click to replay]

Peter Svidler-Peter Leko
Svidler did not win this game because he trusted his opponent too much! A very wrong attitude! One has to question the opponent’s decisions, even if the opponent is titled and well-reputed. Sometimes they also make mistakes. The namesakes played a fashionable line of the Ruy Lopez. White created pressure, Black defended accurately. The critical moment occurred unexpectedly. Leko carelessly ignored White’s powerful e5-bishop, although he could drive it away by 26…f6! And then Svidler made a mistake by not calculating 27.Bxg7+! The analysis shows that it wins: 27…Kxg7 28.Qe5+! (wrong is 28.N!f5+? Kh8!) 28…Kg8 (also sad are 28…f6 29.Ne6+ Kg8 30.Qg3+ and 28…Kg6 29.Qg3+ Kf6 30.Re4!) 29.Nf5 f6 30.Qg3+ Kh8 31.Re7! Qxe7 32.Nxe7 Nxe7 33.Qc7!, and White has a decisive material advantage. This line is hardly a rocket science for the five-time Russian champion, but he simply did not believe in this opportunity! After White missed his chance, the game was simplified and drawn.

What can you say after a game like that? The Peters – Svidler and Leko – in the press conference

Svidler,P (2726) - Leko,P (2751) [C88]
4th FIDE GP Nalchik RUS (9), 24.04.2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.h3 Bb7 9.d3 d5 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Nxe5 Nd4 12.Nd2 c5 13.c3 Nxb3 14.Nxb3 Re8 15.Qh5 Rf8 16.d4 c4 17.Nc5 Bxc5 18.dxc5 Qc7 19.Bd2 Rae8 20.Ng4 Qc6 21.Ne5 Qc7 22.Nf3 Rxe1+ 23.Rxe1 Qxc5 24.Nd4 Kh8 25.Bf4 Qc8 26.Be5 Qd7? [26...f6!]

27.Nf5? [27.Bxg7+ Kxg7 28.Qe5+! (28.Nf5+? Kh8!) 28...Kg8 (28...f6 29.Ne6+ Kg8 30.Qg3+; 28...Kg6 29.Qg3+ Kf6 30.Re4!) 29.Nf5 f6 30.Qg3+ Kh8 31.Re7! Qxe7 32.Nxe7 Nxe7 33.Qc7!+–] 27...f6 28.Bg3 Bc6 29.Nd4 Re8 30.Rxe8+ Qxe8 31.Qxe8+ Bxe8 32.Ne6 ½-½. [Click to replay]

Boris Gelfand-Levon Aronian
This game is theoretically important. Aronian made a very strong novelty in the Vienna Variation of the Queen’s Gambit – 19…Rg8!, and it forced Gelfand to fall asleep at the board! An hour and a half was spent for a good reason. It was a heroic effort in Lev Polugaevsky’s style! The exchange sacrifice 24.Rxe4! forced Black to fight for a draw. And the Armenian grandmaster succeeded: he returned the extra material and proceeded to a dull rook ending.

Mr Nice Guy – Levon Aronian meets young chess fans

Pavel Eljanov-Rustam Kasimdzhanov
An excellent game with many fine positional nuances. After a fierce opening battle the players traded the queens and started to fight for the critical squares, sitting behind the pawn chains. After the careless 20.Be5 Rustam could have taken the initiative with the spectacular 20…f4!, but didn’t notice it. Black’s position became difficult, which could be underscored by the 25.b3! break. However, Pavel hesitated, and allowed the opponent to get his pawn to b3, which gave Black a strategic advantage on the queenside. The resulting position was balanced. However, Kasimdzhanov showed more determination and great skill. His refined maneuvers and nice sacrifices (45…f5!, 52…Ng6!) changed the situation in Black’s favor. The victory was within on move: after 60…Bg2! White’s pawns would serve as a dinner for Black’s rook. But the tired player made a mistake, allowing his opponent to save the game by 61.Bxc4!

Pavel Eljanov, Rustam Kasimdzhanov

Eljanov,P (2693) - Kasimdzhanov,R (2695) [D37]
4th FIDE GP Nalchik RUS (9), 24.04.2009
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.a3 b6 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Nxd5 exd5 9.e3 c5 10.Bd3 c4 11.Bc2 Nc6 12.h4 b5 13.Ng5 h6 14.Qh5 Qe8 15.Nf3 f5 16.g4 Qxh5 17.gxh5 Bf6 18.Rg1 Kh8 19.Kd2 Be6 20.Be5 a5 21.Bxf6 gxf6 22.Ne1 Ne7 23.Ng2 Rg8 24.Nf4 Bf7 25.Kc3 Rg4 26.Rh1 Rgg8 27.Rhg1 Rg4 28.Rh1 Rgg8 29.Kd2 b4 30.Rhb1 b3 31.Bd1 Nc8 32.Bf3 Nb6 33.a4 Rg7 34.Ne2 Rag8 35.Nc3 Be6 36.Rh1 Kh7 37.Ne2 Rd8 38.Nf4 Bf7 39.Bg2 Bxh5 40.Bh3 Bf7 41.Bxf5+ Kh8 42.Bh3 Rgg8 43.Ne2 Rg7 44.Nc3 Rdg8 45.Rhe1 f5 46.Rf1 Be6 47.Ke2 Nc8 48.Rh1 Ne7 49.Kd2 Bf7 50.Ne2 Bh5 51.Nf4 Bf3 52.Rhf1 Ng6 53.Nxg6+ Rxg6 54.Bxf5 Rf6 55.Bh3 Be4 56.f3 Rxf3 57.Rxf3 Bxf3 58.Rf1 Be4 59.Rf4 Rg1 60.Bf1

60...Rh1? [60...Bg2! 61.Be2 (61.Rg4 Rxf1 62.Rxg2 Rb1) 61...Rb1] 61.Bxc4 dxc4 62.Rxe4 Rh2+ 63.Kc1 Rh1+ 64.Kd2 Rh2+ 65.Kc1 Rh1+ ½-½. [Click to replay]

Missed a great chance in round nine: Rustam Kasimdzhanov

Standings

FIDE Grand Prix Nalchik 2009 – Schedule and results

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