By QUAH SENG SUN
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DID anyone manage to watch the games of the Chess World Cup live from Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, in the past week?
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Someone dropped me a line to say that he visited the official website, where he downloaded the games of the first two rounds and played quickly through many of them. Then, he noticed that from the third round onwards, the field of players dwindled from 32 to just four players.
Someone dropped me a line to say that he visited the official website, where he downloaded the games of the first two rounds and played quickly through many of them. Then, he noticed that from the third round onwards, the field of players dwindled from 32 to just four players.
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“I just felt that the tournament became less interesting with fewer players,” he wrote. “I know the stakes may have gone higher but I miss the thrill of moving from game to game, like in the earlier rounds.”
“I just felt that the tournament became less interesting with fewer players,” he wrote. “I know the stakes may have gone higher but I miss the thrill of moving from game to game, like in the earlier rounds.”
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I know what he meant. He missed the hustle and bustle of a crowded chess room. In a virtual chess room, like what you’d get on an Internet chess server, there could be hundreds of people playing blitz chess at the same time. You would be able to watch hundreds of games and participate with other players too.
Showdown: Boris Gelfand and Rusland Ponomariov (below) are battling it out at the final of this year’s Chess World Cup.
I know what he meant. He missed the hustle and bustle of a crowded chess room. In a virtual chess room, like what you’d get on an Internet chess server, there could be hundreds of people playing blitz chess at the same time. You would be able to watch hundreds of games and participate with other players too.
Showdown: Boris Gelfand and Rusland Ponomariov (below) are battling it out at the final of this year’s Chess World Cup.
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So when all he saw on the Chess World Cup website were just two games between four players at the semi-final stage, it was quite a letdown. Moreover, except for the rapid chess play-off games, the main games used classical time control and were ploddingly slow. As a result, they were not so interesting to watch.
So when all he saw on the Chess World Cup website were just two games between four players at the semi-final stage, it was quite a letdown. Moreover, except for the rapid chess play-off games, the main games used classical time control and were ploddingly slow. As a result, they were not so interesting to watch.
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Well, the final started yesterday between Boris Gelfand and Ruslan Ponomariov. This is played over four games with classical time control and if they are tied, they players will proceed to rapid chess play-offs. If they are still tied, then it will go down to the blitz and sudden-death games.
Well, the final started yesterday between Boris Gelfand and Ruslan Ponomariov. This is played over four games with classical time control and if they are tied, they players will proceed to rapid chess play-offs. If they are still tied, then it will go down to the blitz and sudden-death games.
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In 1990, Gelfand was one of more than 10 Soviet grandmasters who were on transit in Kuala Lumpur en route to play in the Manila chess inter-zonal tournament. Today, he is an Israeli citizen.
In 1990, Gelfand was one of more than 10 Soviet grandmasters who were on transit in Kuala Lumpur en route to play in the Manila chess inter-zonal tournament. Today, he is an Israeli citizen.
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Gelfand went to Khanty-Mansiysk as the joint top seed, being one of two players with the highest ratings in the tournament. He has played to his top billing and is in crushing top form. Until the final, the only time he was seen to struggle was in the fourth round when his French opponent, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, pushed him to play four rapid chess games and two blitz rounds.
Gelfand went to Khanty-Mansiysk as the joint top seed, being one of two players with the highest ratings in the tournament. He has played to his top billing and is in crushing top form. Until the final, the only time he was seen to struggle was in the fourth round when his French opponent, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, pushed him to play four rapid chess games and two blitz rounds.
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On the other hand, Ponomariov’s progress in this event took him through four gruelling tie-breaking matches, including the semi-final match with Vladimir Malakhov.
On the other hand, Ponomariov’s progress in this event took him through four gruelling tie-breaking matches, including the semi-final match with Vladimir Malakhov.
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Ponomariov is a former Fide world chess champion from Ukraine. In 2002, he beat Vassily Ivanchuk by 4½-2½ to win this title at the age of 18, making him the first teenager to ever become a world chess champion. In the same year, he came second behind Garry Kasparov in a very strong tournament held at Linares, Spain.
Ponomariov is a former Fide world chess champion from Ukraine. In 2002, he beat Vassily Ivanchuk by 4½-2½ to win this title at the age of 18, making him the first teenager to ever become a world chess champion. In the same year, he came second behind Garry Kasparov in a very strong tournament held at Linares, Spain.
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By the way, you may want to know what happened to Wesley So, that talented 16-year-old Filipino kid who created waves in this event. Well, soon after I had spoken so much about him last week, the lad’s brilliant run ended in the fourth round at the hands of Vladimir Malakhov. Malakhov, a physicist by profession, later downed Peter Svidler in the quarter-final and met his match in the semi-final against Ponomariov.
By the way, you may want to know what happened to Wesley So, that talented 16-year-old Filipino kid who created waves in this event. Well, soon after I had spoken so much about him last week, the lad’s brilliant run ended in the fourth round at the hands of Vladimir Malakhov. Malakhov, a physicist by profession, later downed Peter Svidler in the quarter-final and met his match in the semi-final against Ponomariov.
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So who will be the eventual winner of this year’s Chess World Cup: Gelfand or Ponomariov? Hard to say, but let’s watch at the official website http://cup2009.fide.com/java/pgn/mon.php. The final match will be played until Sunday or Monday (if it goes to tie-breaks).
So who will be the eventual winner of this year’s Chess World Cup: Gelfand or Ponomariov? Hard to say, but let’s watch at the official website http://cup2009.fide.com/java/pgn/mon.php. The final match will be played until Sunday or Monday (if it goes to tie-breaks).
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In the meantime, here are two illustrative games from the finalists.
In the meantime, here are two illustrative games from the finalists.
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White: Sergey Karjakin
Black: Boris Gelfand
White: Sergey Karjakin
Black: Boris Gelfand
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1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.Bb3 d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.h3 a5 9.a4 Nd4 10.Nxd4 exd4 11.Re1 Ra6 (This is a very interesting move because if White plays 12.Bxd5 Qxd5 13.Rxe7, then Black’s 13 … Rg6 threatens checkmate in one move) 12.Qh5 Nb4 13.Na3 Rg6 14.Bf4 b6 15.Qf3 Be6 16.Bxe6 fxe6 17.Qe4 Bd6 18.Bxd6 cxd6 19.Qxd4 Qg5 20.g3 Qf5 21.g4 h5 22.Re4 d5 23.Kh2 Qf3 24.Ree1 hxg4 25.Qe3 gxh3 26.Qxf3 Rxf3 27.Rg1 Rxf2+ 28.Kxh3 Rxg1 29.Rxg1 Nxc2 30.Nb5 Rf3+ 31.Kg4 Rxd3 (This is a rout. Black is three points to the good and White has no compensation at all) 32.Nd6 Ne3+ 33.Kf4 Nc4 0-1
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.Bb3 d5 7.exd5 Nxd5 8.h3 a5 9.a4 Nd4 10.Nxd4 exd4 11.Re1 Ra6 (This is a very interesting move because if White plays 12.Bxd5 Qxd5 13.Rxe7, then Black’s 13 … Rg6 threatens checkmate in one move) 12.Qh5 Nb4 13.Na3 Rg6 14.Bf4 b6 15.Qf3 Be6 16.Bxe6 fxe6 17.Qe4 Bd6 18.Bxd6 cxd6 19.Qxd4 Qg5 20.g3 Qf5 21.g4 h5 22.Re4 d5 23.Kh2 Qf3 24.Ree1 hxg4 25.Qe3 gxh3 26.Qxf3 Rxf3 27.Rg1 Rxf2+ 28.Kxh3 Rxg1 29.Rxg1 Nxc2 30.Nb5 Rf3+ 31.Kg4 Rxd3 (This is a rout. Black is three points to the good and White has no compensation at all) 32.Nd6 Ne3+ 33.Kf4 Nc4 0-1
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White: Ruslan Ponomariov
Black: Vladimir Malakhov
White: Ruslan Ponomariov
Black: Vladimir Malakhov
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1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. Be2 dxc4 6. Bxc4 b5 7. Bb3 e6 8. O-O Bb7 9. d4 c5 10. e4 Be7 11. e5 Ne4 12. Nxe4 Bxe4 13. Qe2 Bb7 14. dxc5 Bxc5 15. Ng5 Nc6 16. Qh5 g6 17. Qh6 Bf8 18. Qh3 Qc7 19. Rd1 Rd8 20. Be3 Bg7 21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. Nxe6 Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Qf7 24. Nxg7+ Qxg7 25. Bc5 Qf7 26. e6 Qf5 27. Qxf5 gxf5 28. Rd7 Bc8 29. Rc7 Bxe6 30. Rxc6 Kf7 31. Rxa6 Rd8 32. h3 f4 33. a4 Rd5 34. b4 bxa4 35. Rxa4 f3 36. Ra3 fxg2 37. Kxg2 Rh5 38. Rf3+ Ke8 39. Rc3 Bd7 40. Re3+ Kd8 41. Be7+ Kc7 42. h4 Rf5 43. Kg3 Bc6 44. Bc5 h5 45. f4 Bb5 46. Re7+ Kc6 47. Rg7 Kd5 48. Kf3 Bd3 49. Rd7+ Kc4 50. Ke3 Bb1 51. Rd1 Bc2 52. Rc1 Kb3 53. Rxc2 1-0
1. Nf3 d5 2. c4 c6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. Be2 dxc4 6. Bxc4 b5 7. Bb3 e6 8. O-O Bb7 9. d4 c5 10. e4 Be7 11. e5 Ne4 12. Nxe4 Bxe4 13. Qe2 Bb7 14. dxc5 Bxc5 15. Ng5 Nc6 16. Qh5 g6 17. Qh6 Bf8 18. Qh3 Qc7 19. Rd1 Rd8 20. Be3 Bg7 21. Bxe6 fxe6 22. Nxe6 Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Qf7 24. Nxg7+ Qxg7 25. Bc5 Qf7 26. e6 Qf5 27. Qxf5 gxf5 28. Rd7 Bc8 29. Rc7 Bxe6 30. Rxc6 Kf7 31. Rxa6 Rd8 32. h3 f4 33. a4 Rd5 34. b4 bxa4 35. Rxa4 f3 36. Ra3 fxg2 37. Kxg2 Rh5 38. Rf3+ Ke8 39. Rc3 Bd7 40. Re3+ Kd8 41. Be7+ Kc7 42. h4 Rf5 43. Kg3 Bc6 44. Bc5 h5 45. f4 Bb5 46. Re7+ Kc6 47. Rg7 Kd5 48. Kf3 Bd3 49. Rd7+ Kc4 50. Ke3 Bb1 51. Rd1 Bc2 52. Rc1 Kb3 53. Rxc2 1-0
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