Tromsø 2.1: World Cup Snapshots

by ChessBase
8/15/2013 – There was plenty of high drama in the second round of the FIDE World Cup in Tromso – lots of points were missed and gained. This was pointed out in the Wednesday issue of Chess Today, a subscription-based online publication that is delivered daily to our mailbox. Its editor Alex Baburin provides highlights from four interesting games, and also illuminates the controversy surrounding draw claim.

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The FIDE World Cup is a knockout, starting with 128 players, with two games (90 min for 40 moves + 30 min for the rest, with 30 seconds increment) between pairs of players. The tiebreaks consist of two rapid games (25 min + 10 sec), then two accelerated games (10 min + 10 sec), and finally an Armageddon. The winner and the runner-up of the World Cup 2013 will qualify for the Candidates Tournament of the next World Championship cycle. The venue is the city of Tromsø, which lies in the northern-most region of Norway, almost 400 km inside the Arctic Circle. You can find all details and links to many ChessBase articles on Tromsø here. The World Cup starts on Sunday, August 11th and lasts until September 3rd (tiebreaks, closing ceremony). Each round lasts three days, while the final will consist of four classical games. Thursday August 29 is a free day. A detailed schedule can be found here.

World Cup Snapshots

Chess Today is a subscription-based online publication that is delivered daily to your mailbox. Each issue contains news from around the world, puzzles, interviews, book reviews and instructional materials. The specialty is well-annotated games by GMs and IMs – Alexander Baburin, Mikhail Golubev, Maxim Notkin and others. The deliveries come in three different file formats: you can read the PDF file, which contains the entire newspaper, on your computer screen or print it out and read the text offline. CT also provides the games from each issue in two file formats: you can use the CBV file with Chess Base or Fritz, while the PGN file will work with most chess programs. These files enable you to play through our games on your computer. A subscription is required in order to receive Chess Today, but you can also review sample issues or sign up for a free trial.

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2013"] [Site "Tromso NOR"] [Date "2013.08.14"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Morozevich, Alexander"] [Black "Leitao, Rafael"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B44"] [WhiteElo "2739"] [BlackElo "2632"] [Annotator "Alex Baburin (www.chesstoday.net)"] [PlyCount "105"] [EventDate "2013.08.11"] [Source "Chess Today"] [SourceDate "2013.08.14"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nb5 d6 6. Bf4 e5 7. Be3 a6 8. N5c3 Nf6 9. Nd2 Bg4 10. f3 Be6 11. Nc4 b5 12. Nb6 Rb8 13. Nbd5 Be7 14. a3 O-O 15. Bd3 b4 16. Nxb4 Nxb4 17. axb4 Rxb4 18. b3 a5 19. O-O d5 20. exd5 Bxd5 21. Kh1 Bc6 22. Bd2 Rd4 23. Ne2 Rd5 24. Qe1 e4 25. fxe4 Rxd3 26. Bxa5 Qd7 27. cxd3 Qxd3 28. Ng3 Qxb3 29. Nf5 Re8 30. Bc3 Nxe4 31. Bxg7 Bg5 32. Nd4 Qc4 33. Nxc6 Kxg7 34. Na5 Qe6 {White should be winning, but Black's pieces are active which gives him some compensation for the exchange.} {but Morozevich blundered:} 35. Qb4 $4 ({White had to play something like} 35. Ra4) 35... Bf6 $4 ({Black failed to find the winning line -} 35... Ng3+ $1 36. hxg3 Qh6+ 37. Kg1 Be3+ 38. Rf2 Bxf2+ 39. Kxf2 Qf6+ 40. Kg1 Qxa1+ $19) 36. Rad1 Bc3 37. Qb5 Be5 38. Rd3 $2 Rb8 $1 39. Qa4 Qh6 (39... Nc5 40. Qc2 Nxd3 41. Qxd3 $11) 40. h3 {Diagram [#]} Ng3+ $4 (40... Rb1 41. Rxb1 Qf4 42. Kg1 Qh2+ 43. Kf1 Qh1+ 44. Ke2 Qxg2+ 45. Ke3 Qf2+ 46. Kxe4 Qf4+ 47. Kd5 Qxa4 48. Kxe5 Qxa5+ $11) 41. Rxg3+ Bxg3 42. Nc6 Re8 43. Nd4 Qf6 44. Qb5 Qe5 45. Nf5+ Kh8 46. Qd7 Ra8 47. Nh6 Qf6 48. Nxf7+ Kg8 49. Nh6+ Kh8 50. Nf7+ Kg8 51. Qd1 Qe6 52. Nh6+ Kh8 53. Qd4+ 1-0

 

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2013"] [Site "Tromso NOR"] [Date "2013.08.14"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Ortiz Suarez, Isan Reynaldo"] [Black "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "B17"] [WhiteElo "2609"] [BlackElo "2719"] [Annotator "Alex Baburin (www.chesstoday.net)"] [PlyCount "96"] [EventDate "2013.08.11"] [Source "Chess Today"] [SourceDate "2013.08.14"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Ng5 Ngf6 6. Bd3 e6 7. N1f3 Bd6 8. Qe2 h6 9. Ne4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 Qc7 11. Bd2 b6 12. O-O-O Bb7 13. Qe2 O-O-O 14. Ba6 Rhe8 15. Rhe1 Bxa6 16. Qxa6+ Kb8 17. Qe2 e5 18. Kb1 e4 19. Nh4 Bf4 20. Bxf4 Qxf4 21. g3 Qg5 22. Ng2 Nf6 23. Ne3 Re6 24. Rd2 g6 25. c4 Red6 26. Red1 Qa5 27. c5 Re6 28. Nc4 Qb5 29. Rc1 Nd5 30. Ne5 Qxe2 31. Rxe2 f5 32. cxb6 Ne7 33. bxa7+ Kxa7 34. Rc4 Rd5 35. Re3 c5 36. Rb3 cxd4 37. Rc7+ Ka8 38. Nd7 Rxd7 39. Rxd7 Nc6 40. Kc1 g5 41. Kd1 f4 42. f3 ({It might be better to play} 42. Rb6 e3 43. Ke1 f3 44. b4) 42... e3 {but he blundered:} 43. Ke2 $4 ({White should win easily after} 43. g4) 43... g4 $1 {Suddenly it's Black who is winning now!} 44. Rf7 gxf3+ 45. Ke1 Ne5 46. Rxf4 Rc6 47. Kd1 e2+ 48. Kd2 Rc1 0-1

 

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2013"] [Site "Tromso NOR"] [Date "2013.08.14"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Tomashevsky, Evgeny"] [Black "So, Wesley"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D97"] [WhiteElo "2706"] [BlackElo "2710"] [Annotator "Alex Baburin (www.chesstoday.net)"] [PlyCount "101"] [EventDate "2013.08.11"] [Source "Chess Today"] [SourceDate "2013.08.14"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 O-O 7. e4 Na6 8. a3 c5 9. d5 e6 10. Bg5 exd5 11. Nxd5 Be6 12. O-O-O Bxd5 13. Rxd5 Qe8 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. e5 Be7 16. Qb5 c4 17. Kb1 Qxb5 18. Rxb5 Rfc8 19. Rxb7 Nc5 20. Rxe7 Kf8 21. Rxf7+ Kxf7 22. Bxc4+ Kg7 23. Re1 Rab8 24. Nd2 Rc7 25. Re3 a5 26. Kc2 a4 27. Rc3 Rcb7 28. b4 axb3+ 29. Nxb3 Na4 30. Rd3 Rc7 31. Rd4 Nb6 32. Nd2 Ra7 33. Bb3 Rxa3 34. f4 Ra7 35. Ne4 Rc7+ 36. Kd3 Nd7 37. Be6 Nf8 38. Bd5 Nd7 39. Ke3 Rb2 40. Kf3 Kf8 41. Rd3 Ke7 42. h4 Rc1 43. Kg3 Rcc2 44. Nc3 Nc5 45. Re3 Rd2 46. Bf3 Rd3 47. Nd5+ {Diagram [#]} Ke6 $4 ({After} 47... Kf8 {Black should be OK, but he chose an "active" move -}) 48. f5+ $1 Kd7 (48... gxf5 49. Nf4+) (48... Kxf5 49. Bg4#) 49. e6+ Kd6 50. Re1 Rb8 51. e7 1-0

 

[Event "FIDE World Cup 2013"] [Site "Tromso NOR"] [Date "2013.08.14"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Wang, Hao"] [Black "Dreev, Aleksey"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D52"] [WhiteElo "2747"] [BlackElo "2668"] [Annotator "Alex Baburin (www.chesstoday.net)"] [PlyCount "137"] [EventDate "2013.08.11"] [Source "Chess Today"] [SourceDate "2013.08.14"] 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. e3 Qa5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Rc1 b6 9. Be2 Nxc3 10. bxc3 Ba3 11. Rc2 Ba6 12. O-O Bxe2 13. Qxe2 O-O 14. Rd1 Rfe8 15. e4 e5 16. Bh4 Be7 17. Bg3 Bf6 18. Nd2 b5 19. dxe5 Nxe5 20. f4 Qa4 21. Rcc1 Ng6 22. Qf3 Be7 23. e5 Ba3 24. Rb1 Rad8 25. Nb3 Bf8 26. Nd4 b4 27. cxb4 c5 28. Qb3 Qxb3 29. Nxb3 cxb4 30. Kf1 h5 31. h3 h4 32. Bh2 Ne7 33. Bg1 Nd5 34. Rd4 Nc3 35. Rb2 Ra8 36. Na5 f6 37. exf6 gxf6 38. Bf2 Bc5 39. Rd7 Rac8 40. Bxh4 Re4 41. g3 Bb6 42. Nb3 Re3 43. Kg2 Ne4 44. Nd2 Nc5 45. Rd5 Nd3 46. Rb3 Ne1+ 47. Kf1 Nc2 48. Rd7 Re1+ 49. Kg2 f5 50. g4 Re2+ 51. Kf3 Rce8 52. gxf5 Nd4+ 53. Kg4 Nxb3 54. axb3 Rg2+ 55. Kf3 Rg7 56. Rd3 Rh7 57. Kg4 Re2 58. Nc4 Rg2+ 59. Kf3 Rg1 60. Bg3 Rxh3 61. Kg4 Rh6 62. Kg5 Rh3 63. Kg4 Rh6 64. Kg5 Rc6 65. Kh5 {[#]} Rh1+ 66. Kg5 Rg1 67. Kh5 Bc7 68. Kg5 Bb6 $2 {Maybe Dreev was short of time, as computer gives almost four pawns up for Black after 68...a5.} 69. Kh5 {The position has occurred for the 3rd time. It was reported at TWIC that Wang Hao did not use the correct procedure to claim a draw and that was Dreev was not happy with arbiters' decision to allow the claim to go ahead. I'd be interested to learn more about what happened here. The correct procedure used to be writing down a move, stopping the clock, calling the arbiter and claiming that after this move the position would occur for the 3rd time. But now writing moves down before making them is forbidden by the rules. So, I wonder what the "correct procedure" is!} 1/2-1/2

If you click on White's 65th move, and then on the 67th and 69th in the JavaScript player above you will see that the position occurs three times (with the same side to move).

We are told by Paul Truong, who captured it all with his camera, that the following transpired: Wang Hao claimed the threefold repetition, but did so without having written down the move that would lead to it. That is an incorrect procedure.

The arbiter awarded Dreev three extra minutes as a penalty for Wang. After his clock started to run again Wang wrote down his move and made the claim again, with only seven seconds to spare. At this time, it then became an official draw.

What Dreev now claimed, very emphatically, was that his opponent had to make a move first. This is incorrect: if Wang had done that he would have lost his right to make his claim. So even world class players sometimes do not know the rules. Here is the relevant paragraph in the FIDE Laws of Chess:

9.2 The game is drawn upon a correct claim by the player having the move, when the same position, for at least the third time (not necessarily by a repetition of moves):

a. is about to appear, if he first writes his move on his scoresheet and declares to the arbiter his intention to make this move, or

b. has just appeared, and the player claiming the draw has the move.

Positions as in (a) and (b) are considered the same, if the same player has the move, pieces of the same kind and colour occupy the same squares, and the possible moves of all the pieces of both players are the same.
Positions are not the same if a pawn that could have been captured en passant can no longer be captured in this manner. When a king or a rook is forced to move, it will lose its castling rights, if any, only after it is moved.

Explanation of the arbiter Ashot Vardapetyan

The situation is very simple. Let us again discuss it:

  1. Before claiming a draw, Wang Hao offered a draw to his opponent as it is obvious that after the planned move is made, the position will be repeated three times. Getting no response from his opponent, Wang Hao claimed a draw by telling the planned move to the arbiter.
  2. The arbiter was right when he did not react on the claim as there was an obvious failure in procedure. Then after the second claim, the arbiter felt that Wang’s incorrect procedure claim disturbed his opponent. Because of this, he stopped the clock.
  3. The Chief Arbiter added time to Dreev's time to punish Wang Hao for disturbing his opponent. This is in accordance to the rule.
  4. Dreev did not understand why his time was added, telling all that he has no connection with any of this.
  5. Finally, after clarifying the situation and adding more time to Dreev’s clock, the arbiter re-started the clock.

    Here, let us make a note: in fact, no claim of draw (neither correct nor incorrect) is recorded at this moment since Wang did not write down his next intended move on the score sheet. There was only wrong behavior (procedure failure) that disturbed the opponent in time trouble. At least this was recorded by the arbiters.
     
  6. The fact that Wang Hao told the move he was planning to make could have no consequence as the move was not written down.
  7. It was clear that Wang Hao understood his mistake after the arbiter’s first intervention (and not after the arbiter’s tip) and was indifferent to the punishment of adding time to his opponent’s clock.
  8. He wrote down the move immediately after the game was restarted, stopped the clock, and claimed a draw with no procedure failure, according to the FIDE Rules of Chess.

    Let us note that in the first case, if he wrote down a move which would bring to incorrect claim, indeed, he would make exactly that move and on that move he would have no right of three times repetition claim.
     
  9. Then Dreev, probably, taking into no account of that nuance claimed that his opponent lost the right of claim on that move and all the rest conversations and explanations were only and only on that issue.
  10. Finally, the two sides agreed on threefold repetition and no checking of position was required as the claim of draw is also the draw offer that is recorded immediately upon the sides agreeing to it.

I would like to thank all the minority who made the efforts to invite attention on the facts rather than speculation as there was really no mistake by the arbiters in this case.


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