2013 World Cup: Round #2

2013 World Chess Cup
August 10th-September 3rd, 2013 (Tromso, Norway)
Match Scores (Round #2)
Bracket 1
1 Aronian, L
ARM
3-1
Lysyj, I
RUS
2 Tomashevsky, E
RUS
1½-½
So, W
PHI
3 Morozevich, A
RUS
1½-½
Leitao, R
BRA
4 Vitiugov, N
RUS
1½-½
Ragger, M
AUT
Bracket 2
5 Kamsky, G
USA
3-1
Shimanov, A
RUS
6 Navara, D
CZE
1-3
Hammer, J
NOR
7 Mamedyarov, S
AZE
2½-1½
Matlakov, M
RUS
8 Shirov, A
LAT
½-1½
Wei Yi
CHN
Bracket 3
9 Grischuk, A
RUS
1½-½
Swiercz, D
POL
10 Le Quang Liem
VIE
2½-1½
Vallejo Pons, F
ESP
11 Svidler, P
RUS
2½-1½
Bologan, V
MDA
12 Radjabov, T
AZE
4-2
Bruzon, L
CUB
Bracket 4
13 Karjakin, S
RUS
2½-1½
Sasikiran, K
IND
14 Jakovenko, D
RUS
½-1½
Eljanov, P
UKR
15 Wang Hao
CHN
1-3
Dreev, A
RUS
16 Andreikin, D
RUS
1½-½
Truong Son, N
VIE
Bracket 5
17 Caruana, F
ITA
1½-½
Yu Yangyi
CHN
18 Malakhov, V
RUS
3-1
Fressinet, L
FRA
19 Leko, P
HUN
½-1½
Granda Zuniga, J
PER
20 Giri, A
NED
2-0
Li Chao
CHN
Bracket 6
21 Gelfand, B
ISR
1½-½
Filippov, A
UZB
22 Bacrot, E
FRA
1½-2½
Moiseenko, A
UKR
23 Dominguez Perez, L
CUB
1½-½
Onischuk, A
USA
24 Vachier-Lagrave, M
FRA
2-0
Ortiz Suarez, I
CUB
Bracket 7
25 Kramnik, V
RUS
2½-1½
Kobalia, M
RUS
26 Areshchenko, A
UKR
1½-½
Felgaer, R
ARG
27 Adams, M
ENG
1½-2½
Kryvoruchko, Y
UKR
28 Ivanchuk, V
UKR
2-0
Robson, R
USA
Bracket 8
29 Nakamura, H
USA
1½-½
Safarli, E
AZE
30 Fier, A
BRA
½-1½
Adhiban, B
IND
31 Ponomariov, R
UKR
4-5
Dubov, D
RUS
32 Korobov, A
UKR
3-1
Jobava, B
GEO
Drum Coverage
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 |
| Semifinals | Finals |

Official Website: https://www.chessworldcup2013.com/
Drum Coverage: https://www.thechessdrum.net/
All PGN Games (TWIC): https://www.theweekinchess.com/
Rules and Regulations: https://www.chessworldcup2013.com/

9 Comments

  1. Round #2 – Game #1
    Wednesday, 14 August 2013

    White has a field day…
    minor upsets, but the favorites on top!

    White won nine of the eleven decisive games in the second round. Maxim Vachier-Lagrave barely escaped another black loss which was fortuitously turned into a win after a blunder. A FIDE nominee, the French player got into big trouble but was able to trick the Cuban in the end. Vassily Ivanchuk also won with black by forcing the white king to take a death march into the middle of the board to be mated. So… players have quite a bit of preparation to do with black.

    Ray Robson preparing to resign after Ivanchuk’s king hunt.

    Fabiano Caruana who breached 2800 a couple of weeks ago, controlled the tempo of the game in a Catalan. His two bishops and pressure on the queenside built up until black had to resume a passive position. After Caruana was able to trade off the dark-squared bishops, black’s position was on the brink of collapse. After 48…Ra8?? white sacrificed his queen for a pair of strong, coordinated pieces and a runaway passed pawn. Black was helpless and resigned after running out of queen checks.

    In other games, Alexander Grischuk dissected Dariusz Swiercz in a Najdorf Sicilian and the Pole had an oversight leading to mate in three for the Russian. American players Hikaru Nakamura and Gata Kamsky won nice games while Alexander Onischuk was outplayed by the Cuban Leinier Dominguez. Latin American legend Julio Granda played another smooth game upsetting Peter Leko in an English. Alexander Morozevich got a second life after Rafel Leitao missed the winning 35…Ng3+! Giri dominated Li Chao finished with a textbook ending and Anton Korobov crushed Baadur Jobava with a kingside demolition.

    Controversy erupts in Dreev-Wang match.

    Many of the games were short and it appeared as if some of the players were conserving energy for a long tournament. There is one draw that ended in a controversy. Alexey Dreev and Wang Hao had played a long and contentious battle in which the Russian missed a clear win with 49…Nd4! Perhaps perturbed for missing a win, Dreev complained with Wang Hao improperly claimed a draw by making a move and claiming a draw. FIDE “Laws of Chess” section 9.2 states the following requirements of a three-fold repetition:

    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.

    Dreev complained to the arbiter after which Wang was penalized three minutes and the game continued. After another repetition, Wang then claimed it correctly. (Note: Ashot Vardapetyan later explained that arbiters added time only because of the disturbance Wang Hao created, not the improper claim. Read report here.

    Games

    Official Website: https://www.chessworldcup2013.com/
    Drum Coverage: https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2013/08/09/2013-world-chess-cup-tromso-norway/
    All PGN Games: https://www.thechessdrum.net/palview6/worldcup13.pgn
    Rules and Regulations: https://www.chessworldcup2013.com/official-info/rules-and-regulations

      1. I heard that Shaminov-Kamsky was a blunderfest and that Kamsky missed Qxh2 in a novice’s tactics position.

  2. Round #2 – Game #2
    Thursday, 15 August 2013

    17 players through…
    Wei Yi eliminates Shirov with a bold sacrifice!

    The Chinese are falling one by one. Yu Yangyi (right) exits against Fabiano Caruana. However, another Chinese has caused quite a sensation at the 2013 World Chess Cup.

    In the past year, there has been a lot of talk about Chinese sensation Wei Yi. The 14-year old became a Grandmaster last year and is currently the youngest in the world. In the first round, he eliminated European Champion Ian Nepomaniachtchi. This may have been a surprise to most of the chess world, but not to those who have followed Chinese chess or are familiar with the deep pool of underrated players there.

    Wei Yi (2551) can no longer hide his true strength. He has toppled two world-class opponents and Wang Hao says he may already be 2700 strength. Photo by Tarjei J. Svensen.

    If anyone doubted his first-round victory was a fluke, in the second round he promptly dispatched Alexei Shirov and a textbook sacrifice. After eliminating Hou Yifan, Shirov said he was ashamed that he knew little about Wei Yi. He would soon find out. In a typical Najdorf, Shirov played 10…h5 11.O-O-O Rb8 after which Wei Yi banged out 12.Bxb5!? The young Chinese was playing his moves at blistering speed as if in preparation. After the game, Wei admitted he was familiar with Bologan-Shirov which varied with 14…Be7 instead of the game’s 14…Bxd6. Getting three pawns for the piece, white maintained a solid edge throughout and played forcefully.

    Black’s pieces were soon under pressure and white ended up winning a couple more pawns. Those pawns were returned which left three pawns and a rook versus a bishop and a rook. The connected passed pawns soon steamrolled their way up the board and Shirov conceded the match. There were some other revelations about Wei Yi made in the press conference. Wang Hao (who helped interpret) told Lawrence Trent that Wei is already playing near or at 2700-level. Certainly the winner of Mamedyarov-Matlakov will no longer be surprised at the strength of their Chinese opponent.

    There were 15 draws. Some finished early; some finished late. There were some games that showed that this tournament requires intense stamina and concentration. Gata Kamsky perhaps worn out by his first tiebreak match against Lou Yiping played poorly against Aleksandr Shiminov. The Russian essayed the King’s Gambit immediately taking Kamsky out of preparation. Kamsky never equalized fully, but conjured up a dubious attack after 18…Qh4. Paco Vallejo-Pons pointed out that white could have ended matters with 19.Bxf7+! Rxf7 20.Nxf7 Kxf7 21.Qb3+ and 22.Qxb5.

    The crowd anticipated 20…Qxh2+! winning material and the match. Kamsky played 20…Ng3? and collapsed quickly. This was a sloppy game and not one for the squeamish or with frayed nerves.

    However, white played 19.Qd3? and allowed Kamsky a chance to win on the spot after 19…Rh6 20.Rf2?? 20…Qxh2+! (stronger may be 20…Bxd4!) The commentators were calculating the pretty finish of 21.Kxh2 Ng3+ 22.Kg1 Rh1#.

    Commentator Lawrence Trent was appalled that Kamsky could have missed this until it was indicated that white could play 21.Kf1. Trent had only considered the mating line. However, on 21.Ng3+ 22.Ke1 Qg1+ is dead lost. For whatever reason (i.e., fatigue), Kamsky played 20…Ng3? lost a piece and Shiminov cleaned up a few technical matters and collected the point. Another tiebreak for Kamsky. Not good.

    Kamsky may be in trouble.
    Photo by Paul Truong.

    Nikita Vitiugov absolutely crushed Markus Ragger with a nice attack starting with 12.Rxh7!? The Austrian misplayed the defense and his king was soon making a sprint across the board. The black king landed on the queenside of the board only to end up in a completely lost position. Vitiugov will face Alexander Morozevich who eliminated Rafael Leitão of Brazil yesterday. Speaking of Brazil, Alexandr Fier was also eliminated by Baskaran Adhiban who celebrated his birthday with the match win.

    Baskaran Adhiban at the press conference revisiting his win over Fier.

    Both Ray Robson and Li Chao were hopefuls in this tournament, but both got spanked by more experienced players. Robson tried to take Vassily Ivanchuk out of the mainlines with a double fianchetto, but still could not shake the man whose style is as universal as they come. One could only hope that the Ukrainian would have a mental meltdown and drop a piece or run out of time. Neither happened and Ivanchuk tightened the screws until Robson resigned.

    Li Chao has a disappointing round. He hardly gave Anish Giri a challenge and only two Chinese remain in the field. Wang Hao will have to get past Alexey Dreev in the rapids. Thus far, the Ukrainians have performed the best losing only three players thus far. Russia has last about half of the 25 and the Americans have lost all but the two strongest.

    Games

    Official Website: https://www.chessworldcup2013.com/
    Drum Coverage: https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2013/08/09/2013-world-chess-cup-tromso-norway/
    All PGN Games (TWIC): https://www.theweekinchess.com/assets/files/pgn/wcup13.pgn
    Rules and Regulations: https://www.chessworldcup2013.com/official-info/rules-and-regulations

  3. Round #2 – Tiebreaks
    Friday, 16 August 2013

    Ten Russians… Six Ukrainians left of 32 players…
    Ponomariov ousted by 17-year old Russian Dubov

    With Hikaru Nakamura scouting a potential opponent, he waited patiently to watch the Armageddon game between Daniil Dubov and Ruslan Ponomariov. Dubov sat transfixed at the board while Ponomariov walked off his nervous energy. This game was mostly psychological since there was so much at stake.

    17-year old Dubov is making an impression.
    Photo by Paul Truong.

    Dubov started with 1.b3? producing howls from the commentator’s box. This move didn’t appear to take Ponomariov by surprise as he responded crisply with his minute deficit. The game got complicated quickly as pieces started flying about the board. Dubov launched a flank attack with 25.f4! attempting to pry open the a1-h8 diagonal.

    Inexplicably Ponomariov allowed a battery after 25.f4 exf4? 26.Qc3 f6 27.Qxf6 Qg7 28.Rxd6. The Ukrainian tired desperately to trade down for a draw. As Dubov’s time advantage evaporated he started zipping his bishops around the board until Ponomariov made one final mistake with 46…Kg7 (better, but still losing was 46…Rxd5) 47.Rxe7! was played and Ponomariov started shaking his head in disgust. After last spite check 47…Nd4+ he resigned. Dubov advanced.

    In other action, most of the favorites advanced… Levon Aronian 3-1, Vladimir Kramnik 2½-1½, Sergey Karjakin 2½-1½, Gata Kamsky 3-1 and Shahkriyar Mamedyarov, 2½-1½.

    Navara and Hammer analyzing. The Norwegian would go on to oust the Czech player. Photo by Paul Truong.

    One upset certainly made the hometown fans happy was Jon Ludwig Hammer’s win over David Navara 3-1. A 100-point underdog, Hammer was happy to be moving on and keeping the hopes alive for Norway. He will face Gata Kamsky who overcame a nightmare game last night, but recovered to win the rapid in fine style over 21-year old Aleksandr Shiminov. Kamsky may be a bit much for Hammer, but he will certainly get a phone call from Magnus Carlsen tonight.

    Games

    Official Website: https://www.chessworldcup2013.com/
    Drum Coverage: https://www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2013/08/09/2013-world-chess-cup-tromso-norway/
    All PGN Games (TWIC): https://www.theweekinchess.com/assets/files/pgn/wcup13.pgn
    Rules and Regulations: https://www.chessworldcup2013.com/official-info/rules-and-regulations

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