
The second stage of the 2012-2013 FIDE Grand Prix Series is taking place from
November 21 to December 5th in the Gallery of Fine Art in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The games start at 14:00h
local time (= 10:00h CET, 13:00h Moscow, 04:00 a.m. New York). The tournament
has a prize fund of 240,000 Euros.
Round two report
Round 2 on Friday,
23.11.2012 at 14:00 |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
½-½ |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
½-½ |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
½-½ |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
½-½ |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
½-½ |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
1-0 |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
Although the second round of the Tashkent Grand Prix had more than its fair
share of draws, they weren't without a struggle. While some of the draws were
fairly dry, others did teeter on the edge of victory without actually achieving
it.

Of those, perhaps the closest of the non-winners was Peter Svidler (above)
against Boris Gelfand when he penetrated to the seventh with his rook with a
nasty advantage, only to withdraw it for unclear reasons, and thus the pressure.

[Event "FIDE GP Tashkent"] [Site "Tashkent UZB"] [Date "2012.11.23"] [Round
"2.5"] [White "Svidler, Peter"] [Black "Gelfand, Boris"] [Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B30"] [WhiteElo "2747"] [BlackElo "2751"] [PlyCount "89"] [EventDate "2012.11.22"]
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. c3 a6 6. Ba4 b5 7. Bc2 Bb7 8. Re1
c4 9. a4 Ng6 10. b4 Nce5 11. axb5 axb5 12. Rxa8 Bxa8 13. Na3 Bc6 14. Nd4 Nf4
15. Nxc6 dxc6 16. d4 cxd3 17. Bxf4 Ng6 18. Bg3 dxc2 19. Qxd8+ Kxd8 20. Nxc2
e5 21. Ra1 Kc8 22. Ra7 f6 23. Ne3 Kb8 {Black is having difficulty playing anything
that doesn't lose and tries to scare off the rook.} 24. Ra1 {Success! For Black
that is...} ({Instead, why not simply} 24. Rf7 {keeping the 7th, and limiting
Black's options. Even if this is not clearly won, why make it easy on the opponent?})
24... Rg8 25. Nf5 Ne7 26. Nd4 Kb7 27. Ne6 Nc8 28. Rd1 Bd6 29. f3 g6 30. Bh4
Re8 31. Nc5+ Bxc5+ 32. bxc5 g5 33. Rd7+ Kb8 34. Be1 Re7 35. Rd8 Rf7 36. h4 Kc7
37. Rh8 gxh4 38. Bxh4 Ne7 39. Ra8 Kb7 40. Rd8 Ng6 41. Be1 Kc7 42. Ra8 Kb7 43.
Rd8 Kc7 44. Ra8 Kb7 45. Rd8 1/2-1/2

Israeli GM Boris Gelfand

Alexander Morozevich (above left) delighted his fans by outplaying Fabiano
Caruana in an endgame resulting from a Ruy Lopez Berlin, though not the usual
mainline. As our GM commentator points out, in spite of his excellent play,
White was unable to force a winning position without a fatal mistake. That said,
it is very much the nature of Morozevich’s play, to keep the pressure
at the maximum until even the hardiest opponent buckles.
GM commentary by Romain Edouard

[Event "FIDE Grand Prix-Tashkent 2012"] [Site "Tashkent"] [Date "2012.11.23"]
[Round "2"] [White "Morozevich, Alexander"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result
"1-0"] [ECO "C65"] [WhiteElo "2748"] [BlackElo "2786"] [Annotator "Romain Edouard"]
[PlyCount "101"] [EventDate "2012.??.??"] [EventCountry "UZB"] [TimeControl
"40/7200:20/3600:900+30"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. Bxc6 dxc6
6. h3 {The kind of positions White plays if he wants to play a game of chess.
The position is already more or less equal, but Black has a slightly weaker
pawn structure and White will try, much later, to enter some favourable endgame.}
Be6 7. Qe2 $146 (7. Ng5 Qd6 8. Nd2 O-O-O 9. Nb3 Bb6 10. Qe2 Nd7 11. Nxe6 Qxe6
12. a4 a6 13. a5 Ba7 14. Be3 {was also very slightly better for White in Inarkiev,E
(2676) -Efimenko,Z (2682) RUS 2009, where White won.}) 7... Nd7 8. Be3 Qe7 9.
Bxc5 Qxc5 10. Nc3 Qd6 11. O-O-O c5 12. Nh4 O-O-O 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. exf5 Nf6 15.
Rhe1 Rhe8 16. Qf3 {Black is simply suffering a little bit. It is not so easy
to say where Black went wrong.} Qd4 17. g4 h6 18. a3 a6 19. Re3 Re7 20. Kb1
Nd5 21. Nxd5 Qxd5 22. Qxd5 Rxd5 23. Rde1 f6 24. f4 Kd7 25. c3 b5 26. Kc2 Kd6
27. b3 Re8 28. Re4 Re7 (28... a5 $5) 29. b4 Re8 30. c4 bxc4 31. dxc4 Rd4 32.
fxe5+ fxe5 33. bxc5+ Kxc5 34. Rxe5+ Rxe5 35. Rxe5+ Kxc4 36. Re7 c5 37. Rxg7
Rd3 38. h4 Rf3 39. Kd2 (39. Rh7 {also looks like a draw:} Rf2+ 40. Kd1 Kd3 41.
Rd7+ Ke3 42. Rd6 (42. h5 Rf4 43. Rd6 Rxg4 44. Rxh6 Rg5 {holds.}) 42... h5 $1
43. Re6+ Kd3 44. Ke1 Rf3 45. g5 Rxf5 46. g6 Rf4 47. Re5 Rxh4 48. Rg5 Re4+ $11)
39... Kd4 40. Ke2 {The problem of playing that kind of lines: in spite of a
very good game by White, and obviously some unaccurate moves by Black, the position
is still a draw!} Rxa3 $4 {Losing too much time for not such a useful pawn.}
(40... Rf4 $8 {The only move that does not lose.} 41. Rg6 c4 42. h5 (42. Rxh6
Rxg4 {looks like a draw, e.g.} 43. Kf3 Rg1 44. Rd6+ Kc5 45. Rd2 c3 46. Rf2 Kd5
47. f6 Ke6 48. Rc2 Rh1 49. Kg3 Rg1+ 50. Kf2 Rh1 51. Rxc3 Rxh4 52. Rc6+ Kf7 53.
Rxa6 Rf4+ 54. Ke3 Rxf6 $11) (42. f6 c3 $11) 42... c3 43. Rxa6 c2 44. Rc6 Rxg4
45. f6 (45. Kd2 Rg2+ 46. Kc1 Rh2 $11) 45... Kd5 46. Rxc2 Ke6 47. Rc6+ Kf7 48.
Ra6 (48. Kd2 Ra4 $11) 48... Rg5 {and Black will make quite an easy draw.}) 41.
f6 $18 Ra2+ 42. Kf3 Ra1 43. Kg2 Ra2+ 44. Kg3 Ra1 45. g5 hxg5 46. hxg5 Rf1 47.
Rc7 a5 48. f7 a4 49. g6 a3 50. Ra7 Rf6 51. g7 1-0
With this win, Moro takes the early sole lead.

Leko-Mamedyarov: The Super-GM from Baku revealed at the press
conference that his alarm rang 16 times (at 15 minute intervals), before he
managed to wake up. It was already too late to prepare for the main lines, he
said, so he went for rather unusual 3…c6. As a result Shakh killed the
preparation of Peter Leko, who had spent a lot of time checking variations against
the Caro-Kann. He spent too much time calculating all lines and ended up with
seven seconds for five moves before the time control.

Even Moro seems impressed by Peter Leko's performance
"I remembered the game by Anatoly Karpov in Linares," Peter said,
"where he had had only seven seconds for seven moves in a very complicated
position but managed to make the best moves. And when time trouble had passed
he spent another 53 minutes calculating the pawn ending and managed to draw."
Peter followed the example and after the first time trouble, despite Black’s
extra pawn White had enough compensation and and held the game. Shahriyar was
full of admiration and said there were only very few GMs in the world who were
capable of finding the best moves in so little time.

Wang Hao-Dominguez: As Wang Hao pointed out during the press
conference his preparation finished after 8…c6, a move he had missed during
his home preparation. The position became quite sharp but both opponents played
creatively and it’s not easy to suggest any improvements for both sides.
Perhaps, the best chance for White was to take b4 pawn on move 29th hoping
to convert the game into the endgame with extra pawn (four against three on
the kingside). Later on the b4 pawn was advanced and became the real danger,
so the Chinese player finished the game with perpetual check.

Kasimdzhanov-Ponomariov: Rustam Kasimdzhanov was not ready
for a discussion in the Breyer Variation, which could have happened in the game,
so he chose this line in order to avoid some possible variations.
Rustam feared that Black had to face some problems in the middle game, but
it didn’t really happened as massive exchanges followed and the was converted
into a drawish ending.

Ruslan Ponomarion proposed 15. Ra5 instead of Ra7, which could give more promising
chances for White.
Replay the games of this round on our Javascript board
Standings after two rounds

All photos by Anastasiya Karlovich
Schedule and results
Round 1 on Thursday
22.11.2012 at 14:00 |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
1-0 |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
½-½ |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
½-½ |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
½-½ |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
½-½ |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
0-1 |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
Round 2 on Friday,
23.11.2012 at 14:00 |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
½-½ |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
½-½ |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
½-½ |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
½-½ |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
½-½ |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
1-0 |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
Round 3 on Saturday
24.11.2012 at 14:00 |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
- |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
- |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
- |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
- |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
- |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
- |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
Round 4 on Sunday
25.11.2012 at 14:00 |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
- |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
- |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
- |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
- |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
- |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
- |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
Round 5 on Tuesday
27.11.2012 at 14:00 |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
- |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
- |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
- |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
- |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
- |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
- |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
Round 6 on Wednesday
28.11.2012 at 14:00 |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
- |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
- |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
- |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
- |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
- |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
- |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
Round 7 on Thursday
29.11.2012 at 14:00 |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
- |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
- |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
- |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
- |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
- |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
- |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
Round 8 on Friday
30.11.2012 at 14:00 |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
- |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
- |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
- |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
- |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
- |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
- |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
Round 9 on Sunday
2.12.2012 at 14:00 |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
- |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
- |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
- |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
- |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
- |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
- |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
Round 10 on Monday
3.12.2012 at 14:00 |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
- |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
- |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
- |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
- |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
- |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
- |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
Round 11 on Tuesday 4.12.2012 at 12:00 |
Dominguez Perez Leinier |
2726 |
- |
Kamsky Gata |
2762 |
Karjakin Sergey |
2775 |
- |
Ponomariov Ruslan |
2741 |
Wang Hao |
2737 |
- |
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar |
2764 |
Kasimdzhanov Rustam |
2696 |
- |
Gelfand Boris |
2751 |
Leko Peter |
2732 |
- |
Caruana Fabiano |
2786 |
Svidler Peter |
2747 |
- |
Morozevich Alexander |
2748 |
Video Reports
Live video coverage with English language commentary is available on the player
above. There is also Russian commentary on the video
page of the tournament site.
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