Grand Prix – Zug 2013 8th round

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Morozevich-Topalov
(Photo taken from the official site)

Yesterday again brought all draws but one! Topalov is leading the event with 5.5 points, Ponomariov is on 5 and 3rd-4th is shared by Caruana & Karjakin.

Results of the 8th round

GM Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2709 ½ – ½ GM Radjabov Teimour 2793
GM Ponomariov Ruslan 2733 ½ – ½ GM Nakamura Hikaru 2767
GM Morozevich Alexander 2758 0 – 1 GM Topalov Veselin 2771
GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 ½ – ½ GM Kamsky Gata 2741
GM Caruana Fabiano 2772 ½ – ½ GM Leko Peter 2744
GM Karjakin Sergey 2786 ½ – ½ GM Giri Anish 2727

Morozevich-Topalov was a well known line of the English until 9.c5 which was a novelty and a pawn sacrifice. Black responded extremely well and got a very good play in the middlegame. Later on both sides missed good chances but looks like Black didn’t give White any counterplay.

Pairings of the 9th round

GM Giri Anish 2727 – GM Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2709
GM Leko Peter 2744 – GM Karjakin Sergey 2786
GM Kamsky Gata 2741 – GM Caruana Fabiano 2772
GM Topalov Veselin 2771 – GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766
GM Nakamura Hikaru 2767 – GM Morozevich Alexander 2758
GM Radjabov Teimour 2793 – GM Ponomariov Ruslan 2733

Today is a rest day!

Official Site.

Grand Prix – Zug 2013 7th round

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Part of the playing hall, round 7
(photo taken from the official site)

Results of the 7th round

GM Karjakin Sergey 2786 ½ – ½ GM Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2709
GM Giri Anish 2727 ½ – ½ GM Caruana Fabiano 2772
GM Leko Peter 2744 ½ – ½ GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766
GM Kamsky Gata 2741 1 – 0 GM Morozevich Alexander 2758
GM Topalov Veselin 2771 ½ – ½ GM Ponomariov Ruslan 2733
GM Nakamura Hikaru 2767 ½ – ½ GM Radjabov Teimour 2793

Standings after the 7th round

1 GM Ponomariov Ruslan 2733 UKR 4½ 16,25
2 GM Topalov Veselin 2771 BUL 4½ 14,50
3 GM Morozevich Alexander 2758 RUS 4 12,50
4 GM Caruana Fabiano 2772 ITA 4 12,00
5 GM Karjakin Sergey 2786 RUS 4 13,50
6 GM Kamsky Gata 2741 USA 3½ 12,00
7 GM Nakamura Hikaru 2767 USA 3½ 10,50
8 GM Giri Anish 2727 NED 3 11,00
9 GM Leko Peter 2744 HUN 3 10,50
10 GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 AZE 3 10,50
11 GM Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2709 UZB 2½ 9,25
12 GM Radjabov Teimour 2793 AZE 2½ 9,00

Only one game was decisive yesterday, although all games were full of complicated and interesting ideas.

Kamsky-Morozevich started as a Sicilian but quickly transposed into unusual openings :). Morozevich’s 8…b6 was an interesting novelty but looks like Black was soon out of plan while White gathered power on the kingside after an exchange on d4. In the end, white found lots of very nice tactical patterns like “deflection” and other similar ideas.

Pairings of the 8th round

GM Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2709 – GM Radjabov Teimour 2793
GM Ponomariov Ruslan 2733 – GM Nakamura Hikaru 2767
GM Morozevich Alexander 2758 – GM Topalov Veselin 2771
GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 – GM Kamsky Gata 2741
GM Caruana Fabiano 2772 – GM Leko Peter 2744
GM Karjakin Sergey 2786 – GM Giri Anish 2727

Official Site.

Grand Prix – Zug 2013 6th round

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Kasimdzhanov-Nakamura
(Photo taken from the official site of the event)

There have been two decisive games yesterday but all games were really interesting with various missed chances.

Round 6 on 2013/04/24 at 14:00

GM Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2709 0 – 1 GM Nakamura Hikaru 2767
GM Radjabov Teimour 2793 ½ – ½ GM Topalov Veselin 2771
GM Ponomariov Ruslan 2733 1 – 0 GM Kamsky Gata 2741
GM Morozevich Alexander 2758 ½ – ½ GM Leko Peter 2744
GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 ½ – ½ GM Giri Anish 2727
GM Caruana Fabiano 2772 ½ – ½ GM Karjakin Sergey 2786

Ponomariov-Kamsky transformed into a Nimzo-Indian with Black making a novelty on move 15. White looked a little better due to space advantage in the center and queenside throughout the middlegame. He could have pushed …d5 even on move 27 and get an attack but even on 29th it was very strong and he immediately became much better. Once Black got pinned on the e-file, position became hopeless…

Interesting choice of move order was played in Kasimdzhanov-Nakamura. White had a more pleasant position in the opening and middlegame. The game became quite messy when Black castled long and perhaps white should have attacked with a pawn sacrifice – 19.b5 and then 20.a4 to try to get to the King first. The idea of a R sac on d6 was interesting but didn’t work although Black pieces were very passive.

Pairings of today’s round

GM Karjakin Sergey 2786 – GM Kasimdzhanov Rustam 2709
GM Giri Anish 2727 – GM Caruana Fabiano 2772
GM Leko Peter 2744 – GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766
GM Kamsky Gata 2741 – GM Morozevich Alexander 2758
GM Topalov Veselin 2771 – GM Ponomariov Ruslan 2733
GM Nakamura Hikaru 2767 – GM Radjabov Teimour 2793

Official Site.