Sunday, December 16, 2007

FIDE World Cup Final Round Game 4

Kamsky is the winner, 2.5-1.5

Kamsky (2714) - Shirov (2739) [B31]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 g6 4.0-0 Bg7 5.c3 Nf6 6.Re1 0-0 7.d4 d5 8.e5 Ne4 9.Bxc6 bxc6 10.Nbd2 Bf5 11.Nh4 e6 12.Nxf5 exf5 13.f3 cxd4 14.cxd4 Ng5 15.b4 a5 16.bxa5 Rxa5 17.Nb3 Ra7 18.Bxg5 Qxg5 19.Qc2 Rc8 20.a4 Bf8 21.a5 Bb4 22.Re2 Qd8 23.e6 fxe6 24.Rxe6 Qd7 25.Qe2 Kf7 26.Re5 Bd6 27.f4 Bxe5 28.fxe5 Qb7 29.Nc5 Qb4 30.e6+ Kg8 31.Rd1 Qxa5 32.e7 Re8 33.Qe6+ Kg7 34.Qe5+ Kf7 35.Qe6+ ½-½

Normally the winner would go on to challenge the reigning World Champion, but according to a special rule instituted by FIDE for the current cycle, Kamsky has to play Topalov first.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

FIDE World Cup Final Round Game 3

Shirov (2739) - Kamsky (2714) [C91]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.d4 Bg4 10.Be3 exd4 11.cxd4 Na5 12.Bc2 c5 13.Nc3 cxd4 14.Bxd4 Nc6 15.Bb3 Rc8 16.Re3 Nd7 17.Nd5 Bg5 18.Rc3 b4 19.Rc4 Bxf3 20.gxf3 Nxd4 21.Rxd4 a5 22.f4 Bh6 23.Qg4 Rc5 24.Ne3 Nf6 25.Qf3 Qa8 26.Rad1 g6 27.Nc4 a4 28.Nb6 Qc6 29.Nxa4 Rc1 30.Rxb4 Rxd1+ 31.Bxd1 Qc1 32.e5 dxe5 33.fxe5 Qg5+ 34.Kf1 Qxe5 35.h3 Bd2 36.Rc4 Rd8 37.Bb3 Kg7 38.Kg2 Qg5+ 39.Qg3 Qd5+ 40.Qf3 Qg5+ 41.Qg3 Qd5+ ½-½

Friday, December 14, 2007

FIDE World Cup Final Round Game 2

Kamsky draws first blood!

Kamsky (2714) - Shirov (2739) [B30]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Bc4 Be7 5.d3 d6 6.Nd2 Bg5 7.Qh5 Nh6 8.h3 Nd4 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nb3 Bxc1 11.Raxc1 Ne6 12.Ne2 Qf6 13.Nd2 Kh8 14.c3 g5 15.d4 Rg8 16.dxe5 dxe5 17.Nf3 Rg6 18.h4 Qg7 19.Bxe6 Bxe6 20.hxg5 f6 21.gxf6 Rxg2+ 22.Kh1 Qxf6 23.Qxe5 Qxe5 24.Nxe5 Rg5 25.f4 Rh5+ 26.Kg1 Rg8+ 27.Kf2 Rh2+ 28.Ke3 Rgg2 29.Ng1 Rxb2 30.f5 Bxa2 31.Rcd1 Rbc2 32.Rd8+ Ng8 33.Ngf3 Rxc3+ 34.Kf4 Rh6 35.Rg1 Rf6 36.Ng5 h6 37.Ngf7+ 1-0

Thursday, December 13, 2007

FIDE World Cup Final Round Game 1

Shirov (2739) - Kamsky (2714) [C95]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 15.b3 [Shirov has played 15.a4 against Kramnik in 2002 and Van der Sterren in 1998] 15...a5 [Introduced by Kamsky in the 4th round game versus Svidler] 16.a4 b4 17.cxb4 axb4 18.Bb2 Bh6 19.dxe5 dxe5 20.Bd3Nc5 [20...Bf4 Svidler-Kamsky, Khany-Maniysk 2007] 21.Bb5 Qxd1 22.Raxd1 c623.Bc4Nfd7 24.Re2 Bf4 25.Rc2 Re7 26.Ne2 Bh6 27.Ng3 Bf4 [A silent draw offer by repeating the moves. In spite of having less time on the clock, Shirov decides to continue the game. This is quite understandable - after all Shirov is a fighter and wouldn't be happy with a short draw as white.] 28.Bc1 [28.Ne2 Bh6=] 28...Ba6! [28...Bxg3 29.Bg5! Ree8 30.fxg3 favors White] 29.Bxf4 exf4 30.Ne2 Bxc4 31.Rxc4 Nxb3 32.Rxb4 Nbc5 [Kamsky simplified the position and although White keeps a slight initiative, Black easily achieves the draw.] 33.Nc3Ree8 34.Rd6 Re6 35.Rbd4 Rxd6 36.Rxd6 Ra6 37.e5 Rb6 38.Rd1 Rb3 39.Ne2 Ra3 40.Ned4Rxa4 41.Nxc6 Nf8 42.Ne7+ 1/2-1/2

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

FIDE World Cup Round 6

Kamsky over Carlsen, 1.5-0.5
Shirov over Karajakin in tiebreak

Saturday, December 08, 2007

FIDE World Cup Round 5

Carlsen (2714) over Cheparinov (2670) 1.5-0.5
Karjakin (2694) over Alekseev (2716) in tiebreak
Kamsky (2714) over Ponomario (2705) 1.5-0.5
Shirov (2739) over Jakovenko (2710) 2-0

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

FIDE World Cup Round 4

Shirov (2739) over Akopian (2713)
Alekseev (2716) over Bareev (2653) in tiebreak
Kamsky (2714) over Svidler (2732) in tiebreak
Carlsen (2714) over Adams (2729)
Jakovenko (2710) over Aronian (2741) in tiebreak
Ponomariov (2705) over Sasikiran (2661)
Karjakin (2694) over Nisipeanu (2668)
Cheparinov (2670) over Wang (2703)

Sunday, December 02, 2007

FIDE World Cup Round 3

(upset) Nisipeanu over Ivanchuk (in tiebreak)
(upset) Cheparinov over Mamedyarov
Aronian over Inarkiev (tiebreak)
Shirov over Onischuk
Svidler over Rublevsky (tiebreak)
Adams over Zhou
Alekseev over Fressinet
(upset) Bareev over Grischuk (tiebreak)
Carlsen over Dominguez
Kamsky over Georgiev
Akopian over Malakhov
Jakovenko over Almasi
Ponomariov over Tomashevsky
Wang over Bu
Karjakin over Bacrot (tiebreak)
Sasikiran over Macieja (tiebreak)