The 3rd Round of the World Chess Cup ended on Monday, September 5th in Khanty-Mansiysk. Six participants of the Round 4 were determined yesterday: Judit Polgar (Hungary), Vugar Gashimov (Azerbaijan), Bu Xiangzhi (China), Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan), Dmitry Jakovenko (Russia) and Alexander Grischuk (Russia). The remaining ten spots were filled today on the tie-break.
The tie-break games at the World Cup go as follows: two 25-minute games with 10 bonus seconds per move, then, if the first two games ended 1-1, there are two semi-blitz games with 10 minutes plus 10 seconds per move, and then, if the overall score is 2-2, it is time for two blitz games with 5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move. If the score is still tied, the 7th game is the Armageddon: White gets 5 minutes, Black gets 4, and White must win to advance. Both sides get 3 bonus second per move after the move 61, which prevents winning by flagging the opponent.
Vassily Ivanchuk bounced back after the starting loss and eliminated Emil Sutovsky in tie-breaks
The first rapid games were unusually bloodthirsty: there were nine decisive results out of ten, and six games were won by Black. Moiseenko was the only player who managed to even the score in the second game. The rapid match Lysyj-Dominguez was tied with two draws. Other eight matches ended at the rapid chess stage.
Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) – Emil Sutovsky (Israel) 2-0
Yaroslav Zherebukh (Ukraine) – Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) 1,5-0,5
Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine) – Zakhar Efimenko (Ukraine) 1,5-0,5
Gata Kamsky (USA) – Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) 2-0
Peter Svidler (Russia) – Fabiano Caruana (Italy) 1,5-0,5
Vladimir Potkin (Russia) – Nikita Vitiugov (Russia) 1,5-0,5
Peter-Heine Nielsen (Denmark) – Marcea-Emilian Parligras (Romania) 2-0
Lazaro Bruzon (Cuba) – Le Quang Liem (Vietnam) 1,5-0,5
Reigning European Champion Vladimir Potkin defeated his compatriot Nikita Vitiugov
The success of the 18-year-old Yaroslav Zherebukh deserves special attention – he defeated one of the World Cup favorites Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who recently participated in the Candidates Matches.
The Czech grandmaster David Navara produced an unusual example of fair play by offering a draw to Alexander Moiseenko in a won position yesterday. Today he defeated the Ukrainian in two 10-minute games and advanced to the Round 4. Tomorrow both players will receive a special Fair Play prize from Natalia Komarova, the Governor of Ugra.
Lenier Dominguez (Cuba) and Igor Lysyj (Russia) became the first players to proceed to the sudden death game. The former World Blitz Champion Lenier Dominguez got the White pieces and won the game with a crushing attack.
Live games with Grandmaster commentary and computer analysis
Peter-Heine Nielsen from Denmark scores 2-0 against Marcea-Emilian Parligras from Romania
Ruslan Ponomariov wins the Ukrainian derby against Zakhar Efimenko
The Round 4 begins on Tuesday September 6th with the following games: Polgar-Dominguez, Kamsky-Svidler, Ponomariov-Bruzon, Gashimov-Nielsen, Ivanchuk-Bu Xiangzhi, Radjabov-Jakovenko, Zherebukh-Navara and Grischuk-Potkin.
