World Team Championship in Bursa, Turkey

by ChessBase
1/9/2010 – This event is held in a four-year cycle, and this year, in spite of the absence of China, it is fielding a dozen players rated 2700 or higher. After four rounds Armenia and USA lead, in match and board points, with Russia, Israel and India tied for 3-5 on match points. You can watch the games on the official site and on Playchess. Illustrated report.

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Bursa, Turkey

The town, which has been known since 202 B.C., was originally Greek and called Prousa, later turned to Brusa and then, by r-metathesis, into today's Bursa. The population is 2.5 million, making it the fourth-largest city in Turkey.

The city is frequently cited as "Yesil Bursa" (meaning "Green Bursa") because of its parks
and gardens, as well as to the vast forests in rich variety that extend in its surrounding region

A cable car up to Mount Uludağ, which towers behind the city and is a famous ski resort

This, incidentally, is what Mount Uludağ looks like in winter

Bursa Castle, which was originally built in the first century BC

Ulu Cami (the Great Mosque) is a 14th century landmark of early Ottoman architecture

World Team Championship 2010

The World Team Championship, which is organised every four years, but has been delayed by one year this time, is taking place in Bursa from January 3rd to 14th 2010. The teams are from Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, USA, India, Brazil, Egypt, Turkey and Greece. Top players are Levon Aronian (2786), Vugar Gashimov (2758), Boris Gelfand (2758), Alexander Morozevich (2750), Teimour Radjabov (2748), Alexander Grischuk (2736), Dmitry Jakovenko (2736), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2719), Hikaru Nakamura (2715), Evgeny Tomashevsky (2708), Vladimir Malakhov (2706), Vladimir Akopian (2700), Nikita Vityugov (2694), Gabriel Sargissian (2676), Pentala Harikrishna (2672), Alexander Onischuk (2672), Emil Sutovsky (2666) and Krishnan Sasikiran (2653).

The playing hall in Bursa

In the first round Azerbaijan beat Armenia, with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov getting the deciding point from Arman Pashikian. Turkey dutifully lost to the USA, with Nakamura and Onischuk beating Kivanc and Mustafa, but the round was marked by a very nice bishop sacrifice win by the Turkish player IM Emre Can:

Can,E (2442) - Shulman,Y (2624) [C03]
7th World Team Championship Bursa TUR (1), 05.01.2010
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Be7 4.Bd3 c5 5.dxc5 Nf6 6.Qe2 0-0 7.Ngf3 a5 8.0-0 Na6 9.e5 Nd7 10.c4 Ndxc5 11.Bb1 Nb4 12.Rd1 Qb6 13.Nb3 dxc4 14.Qxc4 Nxb3 15.axb3 Rd8 16.Bd2 Bd7 17.Bg5 Bxg5

18.Bxh7+ Kxh7 19.Nxg5+ Kg8 20.Rd6 Qb5 21.Qe4 f5 22.Qh4 Qxe5 23.f4 Qxb2 24.Rad1 Nd5 25.R6xd5 exd5 26.Re1 Qd4+ 27.Kh1 Qe4 28.Qh7+ Kf8 29.Qh8+ Ke7 30.Qxg7+ Kd6 31.Nxe4+ fxe4 32.Qe5+ Kc6 33.b4 Kb6 34.Qd6+ Ka7 35.Ra1 Bc6 36.Qc5+ Kb8 37.b5 Bxb5 38.Qxb5 a4 39.Qb6 Rd7 40.Qe6 Rc7 41.Qe8+ Rc8 42.Qe5+ Ka7 43.Qxd5 1-0. The game has been analysed for the ChessBase Magazine blog by GM Rainer Knaak: Click to replay.

Emre Can, one of the young Turkish talents, in his game against Yuri Shulman

In the second round Armenia beat Israel, with Levon Aronian beating Boris Gelfand in the highest-ranked game of the event. The team from USA beat India 3-1, with Hikaru Nakamura and Alexander Onischuk scoring against Krishnan Sasikiran and Pentala Harikrishna repectively. But the big shocker was the 2½:1½ win of Greece over – would you believe it? – Russia. Morozevich and Tomashevsky both lost, to Papaioannou and Banikas, while Jakovenko was able to beat Kotronias and Vitiugov drew against Mastrovasilis.

Boris Gelfand (right) about to lose against Mr Cool Levon Aronian from Armenia

Indian GM Krishnan Sasikiran

In round three India struck back, against Azerbaijan, with Sasikiran beating Vugar Gashimov and Ganguly beating Guseinov (Gopal lost to Mamedyarov). Russia beat the USA, with Malakhov and Vitiugov beating Shulman and Akobian respectively.

Round four

Russia beat Azerbaijan, with Grischuk and Malakhov scoring against Gashimov and Mamedov (but with Morozevich losing to Mamedyarov). Here are all results of this round:

 10 Armenia  
2½-1½
 7 Brazil  
GM Aronian Levon 2781
1:0
GM Vescovi Giovanni 2660
GM Akopian Vladimir 2678
½:½
GM Leitao Rafael 2620
GM Sargissian Gabriel 2680
½:½
GM Fier Alexandr 2601
GM Pashikian Arman 2647
½:½
GM Milos Gilberto 2618
 8 Greece  
1½-2½
 6 Israel  
GM Banikas Hristos 2608
½:½
GM Gelfand Boris 2761
GM Halkias Stelios 2566
½:½
GM Roiz Michael 2657
GM Mastrovasilis Dimitrios 2571
½:½
GM Smirin Ilia 2668
GM Mastrovasilis Athanasios 2510
0:1
GM Sutovsky Emil 2657
 9 USA  
3-1
 5 Egypt  
GM Onischuk Alexander 2670
1:0
GM Adly Ahmed 2591
GM Akobian Varuzhan 2628
½:½
GM Amin Bassem 2544
GM Hess Robert L 2572
1:0
IM Ezat Mohamed 2471
IM Robson Ray 2570
½:½
IM Abdelnabbi Imed 2448
 1 Azerbaijan  
1½-2½
 4 Russia  
GM Gashimov Vugar 2759
0:1
GM Grischuk Alexander 2736
GM Radjabov Teimour 2733
½:½
GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2730
GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2741
1:0
GM Morozevich Alexander 2732
GM Mamedov Rauf 2640
0:1
GM Malakhov Vladimir 2716
 2 Turkey  
1-3
 3 India  
GM Haznedaroglu Kivanc 2498
0:1
GM Sasikiran Krishnan 2653
IM Erdogdu Mert 2513
0:1
GM Harikrishna P 2672
IM Esen Baris 2513
½:½
GM Arun Prasad S 2567
FM Firat Burak 2413
½:½
IM Adhiban B 2511

All four round results

Round 1 – 5.1.2010 Round 2 – 6.1.2010
Azerbaijan 
2½-1½
 Armenia
Turkey 
1-3
 USA
India 
2½-1½
 Greece
Russia 
2½-1½
 Brazil
Egypt 
1-3
 Israel
Armenia 
2½-1½
 Israel
Brazil 
2½-1½
 Egypt
Greece 
2½-1½
 Russia
USA 
3-1
 India
Azerbaijan 
3-1
 Turkey
Round 3 – 7.1.2010 Round 4 – 8.1.2010
Turkey 
½-3½
 Armenia
India 
2½-1½
 Azerbaijan
Russia 
3-1
 USA
Egypt 
2½-1½
 Greece
Israel 
2½-1½
 Brazil
Armenia 
2½-1½
 Brazil
Greece 
1½-2½
 Israel
USA 
3-1
 Egypt
Azerbaijan 
1½-2½
 Russia
Turkey 
1-3
 India

Standings after four rounds

# Team
win
draw
loss
MP
BP
1 Armenia
3
0
1
6
10.0
2 USA
3
0
1
6
10.0
3 Russia
3
0
1
6
9.5
4 Israel
3
0
1
6
9.5
5 India
3
0
1
6
9.0
6 Azerbaijan
2
0
2
4
8.5
7 Greece
1
0
3
2
7.0
8 Brazil
1
0
3
2
7.0
9 Egypt
1
0
3
2
6.0
10 Turkey
0
0
4
0
3.5

Armenia and USA lead, in match and board points, with Russia, Israel and India tied for 3-5 on match points. Azerbaijan is a disappointing sixth, but will probably demolish Egypt on Saturday, while India battles Armenia and Israel the USA. Russia has an easy opponent, Turkey, and should edge its way to the top.


Links

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