Ukrainian GM Vassily Ivanchuk is the tournament’s top rated player — he’s 37 Elo point ahead of the next highest ranked GM. His competitors who have participated in the first Grand Prix in Baku are Peter Svidler of Russia, his compatriot Alexander Grischuk, Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine, Gata Kamsky of the U.S., Ivan Cheparinov of Bulgaria, Wang Yue of China, Vugar Gashimov of Azerbaijan and David Navara of the Czech Republic. The winners in Baku were Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, Gashimov and Wang.
Besides Ivanchuk, Levon Aronian of Armenia, Boris Gelfand of Israel, Dmitry Jakovenko, the host city’s nominated player, and Mohamad Al Modiahki of Qatar are participating in their first FIDE Grand Prix.
Game of the week. After nine rounds, Wang and Cheparinov, who is ex-FIDE champ Topalov’s second, were in the lead, half-a-point ahead of Gashimov, Ivanchuk, Radjabov, Kamsky and Aronian with four more rounds to play.
Here’s the second round game between two of the veteran players as annotated by IM Jack Peters.
GM Gata Kamsky (2723)
GM Vassily Ivanchuk (2781)
Sicilian Sveshnikov
FIDE Grand Prix, Sochi 2008
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5 The dreaded Sveshnikov Sicilian. 6 Ndb5 d6 7 Bg5 a6 8 Na3 b5 9 Nd5 Safer than the main line, 9 Bxf6 gxf6 10 Nd5 f5. Be7 10 Bxf6 Bxf6 11 c4 Long considered harmless, but Kamsky said he was surprised and wanted a solid position. The critical lines spring from 11 c3 Bg5 12 Nc2. b4 12 Nc2 a5 13 Be2 0-0 14 0-0 Bg5 15 Qd3 Rb8 Black has done well with 15…Be6 and 15…Ne7. Perhaps Ivanchuk wanted to discourage a2-a3. 16 Rad1 g6 Preparing…f7-f5, Black’s usual source of counterplay. 17 b3 Be6 Not 17…f5? 18 Nde3, as White’s Queen threatens d6 and d5. 18 Bf3 Rb7 19 Qe2 Ne7?! Black cannot stand 19…f5?! 20 c5 dxc5?? 21 exf5 Bxf5 22 Ndxb4, but 19…Kh8 retains hope of pushing…f7-f5. 20 Nxe7+ Qxe7 21 Rd3 The exchange of Knights has reduced Black’s counterplay without easing his troubles on the d-file. h5?! Giving up on…f7-f5. Best appears 21…Rd7 22 Rfd1 f5, although White keeps an edge with 23 Ne3. 22 Rfd1 Rd8 23 Ne3 Bxe3 Necessary. Unfortunately for Black, his pawns are too weak after 23…Qc7 24 Nd5 Bxd5 25 Rxd5, while 24…Qc5? loses beautifully to 25 Bxh5! gxh5 26 Rg3 Bg4 27 Rxg4! hxg4 28 Qxg4. 24 Qxe3 Rdd7? The only defense is 24…Kg7!, not fearing 25 c5?! Rbd7 26 c6 because 26…Ra7! 27 Qb6?! Qc7 28 Qxc7 Rxc7 29 Rxd6 Rxd6 30 Rxd6 Kf6 favors Black. 25 Qh6! Threatening 26 Bxh5 Qh4 27 Rg3. Qf8 Also 25…h4 26 h3 a4 27 Bg4 will cost Black a pawn. 26 Qxf8+ Kxf8 27 Rxd6 Rbc7 28 h4 Ke7 Black wants to eliminate Rooks, hoping that White cannot make progress with his buried Bishop and easily blockaded c-pawn. 29 Ra6 Rc5 30 Kf1 Rxd1+ 31 Bxd1 Kd7 32 Ra7+ Kc6 33 Ke2 Kb6 34 Re7 Rc7 35 Rxc7 Kxc7 Success, but Kamsky grinds out a victory nevertheless. 36 g3 Kd6 37 Ke3 f6 Definitely losing, but sitting tight fails too. Two examples: 37…Bd7 38 f4 Be6 39 Be2 Bd7 permits 40 c5+! Kxc5 41 Bc4 f6 42 Bf7, while 37…Kc5 38 f4 Bd7 39 fxe5 Be6 40 Kf4 Kd4 41 g4! hxg4 42 Bxg4 Bxg4 43 Kxg4 Kxe4 44 e6! fxe6 45 Kg5 e5 46 Kxg6 Kd3 47 c5! leads to a Queen ending that White should win. 38 f4 Bf7 White refutes 38 . . . Bd7 by 39 f5! gxf5 40 Bxh5 fxe4 41 Bg6 f5 42 h5 Ke7 43 h6 Kf6 44 h7 Kg7 45 c5 Kh8 46 g4! fxg4 47 Bxe4. 39 f5 Intending to create a passed h-pawn by 40 fxg6 Bxg6 41 g4. g5 40 g4! Else Black draws. hxg4 41 hxg5 fxg5 42 Bxg4 a4 If he first restrains the f-pawn by 42…Ke7, White wins on the Queenside by 43 c5 a4 44 bxa4 Bxa2 45 Kd3! Bb1+ 46 Kc4 Bxe4 47 Kxb4. 43 f6 a3 44 Bf5! Clearing g4 for his King. White had to calculate that 44…Bxc4 45 bxc4 b3 46 c5+! enables him to promote the f-pawn. Kc5 45 Kf3 Bh5+ 46 Kg3 Kd6 47 Bc8, Black Resigns. It’s Zugzwang. The f-pawn queens after 47…Bd1 48 c5+ or 47…Bg6 48 Kg4 Bxe4 49 c5+, and 47…Kc5 48 Be6 Kd6 49 f7 Ke7 50 c5 Bxf7 51 Bxf7 Kxf7 leaves Black defenseless after 52 Kg4 Kf6 53 Kh5.
Puzzler.
White — pawns on b3, b4, h2; Qa8, Ke1, Be4, Ne7
Black — pawns on a5, b5, e5, g5; Na7, Bb6, Ke3White to play and mate in three moves.
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