English Chess Forum

53rd Masters Reggio Emilia ITA Tue 28th Dec 2010 - Thu 6th Jan 2011

Player List

Rk Name Ti FED Elo FIDE Id

1 Ivanchuk, Vassily GM UKR 2764 14100010
2 Gashimov, Vugar GM AZE 2733 13400630
3 Movsesian, Sergei GM SVK 2721 310204
4 Caruana, Fabiano GM ITA 2709 2020009
5 Navara, David GM CZE 2708 309095
6 Morozevich, Alexander GM RUS 2700 4116992
7 Vallejo Pons, Francisco GM ESP 2698 2205530
8 Onischuk, Alexander GM USA 2683 14101025
9 Short, Nigel D GM ENG 2680 400025
10 Godena, Michele GM ITA 2549 800090


Round 1 (December 28, 2010)
Vallejo Pons, Francisco - Godena, Michele 1-0 35 C51 Evans Gambit
Short, Nigel D - Gashimov, Vugar 1-0 55 B90 Sicilian Najdorf Variation
Caruana, Fabiano - Ivanchuk, Vassily ½-½ 43 A81 Dutch Leningrad
Onischuk, Alexander - Movsesian, Sergei ½-½ 34 E58 Nimzo Indian
Round 1 (January 1, 2011)
Morozevich, Alexander - Navara, David * 0

website: http://www.ippogrifoscacchi.it/tablaGen ... pogrifo=25
live: http://www.ippogrifoscacchi.it/tornei_c ... efault.asp

Round 2:

Ivanchuk, Vassily (0.5) v Vallejo Pons, Francisco (1) DRAW 13 moves
Short, Nigel D (1) v Morozevich, Alexander (0*) WHITE WIN 44 moves
Navara, David (0*) v Caruana, Fabiano (0.5) WHITE WIN 70 moves
Gashimov, Vugar (0) v Movsesian, Sergei (0.5) DRAW 19 moves
Godena, Michele (0) v Onischuk, Alexander (0.5) DRAW 64 moves

Nigel Short leads with 2/2

Round 3. Thu 30th Dec 2010

Movsesian, Sergei * Godena, Michele
Onischuk, Alexander * Ivanchuk, Vassily
Vallejo Pons, Francisco * Navara, David
Caruana, Fabiano * Short, Nigel D
Morozevich, Alexander * Gashimov, Vugar

Round 4. Fri 31st Dec 2010

Morozevich, Alexander * Caruana, Fabiano
Short, Nigel D * Vallejo Pons, Francisco
Navara, David * Onischuk, Alexander
Ivanchuk, Vassily * Movsesian, Sergei
Gashimov, Vugar * Godena, Michele

Round 1. Sat 1st Jan 2011

Morozevich, Alexander * Navara, David

Round 5. Sun 2nd Jan 2011

Godena, Michele * Ivanchuk, Vassily
Movsesian, Sergei * Navara, David
Onischuk, Alexander * Short, Nigel D
Vallejo Pons, Francisco * Morozevich, Alexander
Caruana, Fabiano * Gashimov, Vugar

Round 6. Mon 3rd Jan 2011

Caruana, Fabiano * Vallejo Pons, Francisco
Morozevich, Alexander * Onischuk, Alexander
Short, Nigel D * Movsesian, Sergei
Navara, David * Godena, Michele
Gashimov, Vugar * Ivanchuk, Vassily

Round 7. Tue 4th Jan 2011

Ivanchuk, Vassily * Navara, David
Godena, Michele * Short, Nigel D
Movsesian, Sergei * Morozevich, Alexander
Onischuk, Alexander * Caruana, Fabiano
Vallejo Pons, Francisco * Gashimov, Vugar

Round 8. Wed 5th Jan 2011

Vallejo Pons, Francisco * Onischuk, Alexander
Caruana, Fabiano * Movsesian, Sergei
Morozevich, Alexander * Godena, Michele
Short, Nigel D * Ivanchuk, Vassily
Gashimov, Vugar * Navara, David

Round 9. Thu 6th Jan 2011

Navara, David * Short, Nigel D
Ivanchuk, Vassily * Morozevich, Alexander
Godena, Michele * Caruana, Fabiano
Movsesian, Sergei * Vallejo Pons, Francisco
Onischuk, Alexander * Gashimov, Vugar

Another win for Nigel today after a fantastic game with Morozevich, including a queen and two rooks sacrificed in the final ten moves.

Round 2 results:

Ivanchuk, Vassily (0.5) v Vallejo Pons, Francisco (1) DRAW 13 moves
Short, Nigel D (1) v Morozevich, Alexander (0*) WHITE WIN 44 moves
Navara, David (0*) v Caruana, Fabiano (0.5) WHITE WIN 70 moves
Gashimov, Vugar (0) v Movsesian, Sergei (0.5) DRAW 19 moves
Godena, Michele (0) v Onischuk, Alexander (0.5) DRAW 64 moves

Nigel Short leads with 2/2

Round 3 pairings: Thu 30th Dec 2010

Caruana, Fabiano (0.5) Short, Nigel D (2) 1-0 59 moves
Vallejo Pons, Francisco (1.5) Navara, David (1*) 1-0 46 moves
Onischuk, Alexander (1) Ivanchuk, Vassily (1) DRAW 26 moves
Movsesian, Sergei (1) v Godena, Michele (0.5) DRAW 54 moves
Morozevich, Alexander (0*) v Gashimov, Vugar (0.5) DRAW 86 moves

Vallejo leads with 2.5/3

Leonard Barden wrote:Another win for Nigel today after a fantastic game with Morozevich, including a queen and two rooks sacrificed in the final ten moves.

Is that game available to replay anywhere then Leonard please?

Carl Hibbard wrote:

Leonard Barden wrote:Another win for Nigel today after a fantastic game with Morozevich, including a queen and two rooks sacrificed in the final ten moves.

Is that game available to replay anywhere then Leonard please?

Got it on the live repeat now, sorry - Kd2 running away is somehow rather nice

Carl Hibbard wrote:

Leonard Barden wrote:Another win for Nigel today after a fantastic game with Morozevich, including a queen and two rooks sacrificed in the final ten moves.

Is that game available to replay anywhere then Leonard please?

Yes, at http://www.ippogrifoscacchi.it/tornei_c ... efault.asp - though the link was given in the initial post.

PS: Oh, you've already found it. Sorry...

Carl Hibbard wrote:

Leonard Barden wrote:Another win for Nigel today after a fantastic game with Morozevich, including a queen and two rooks sacrificed in the final ten moves.

Is that game available to replay anywhere then Leonard please?

website: http://www.ippogrifoscacchi.it/tablaGen ... pogrifo=25
live: http://www.ippogrifoscacchi.it/tornei_c ... efault.asp

You can also replay the games via this link (at the bottom) http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/chessnews/e ... lead-on-22

I have just been chatting to Nigel online, just before he went off to face Caruana. He is keen that we should appreciate 36. Rb8!! in his game with Moro, and somewhat disappointed that Moro's reply should be given '???' by some authorities. In Nigel's view, '36...Resigns' was the stronger move

I asked how Morozevich had reacted to the appalling blow. Nigel said: "I played the move and stood up quickly, leaving him to think 'oh, f**k' in private."

In case it isn't immediately obvious, 36. Rb8!! is one colossal swindle, not merely turning the tables but winning on the spot. And what did Moro have to say afterwards? "Nothing", said Nigel, "absolutely nothing." This seemed to amuse him. Chess is the cruellest game!

Round 3 results:

Caruana, Fabiano (0.5) Short, Nigel D (2) 1-0 59 moves
Vallejo Pons, Francisco (1.5) Navara, David (1*) 1-0 46 moves
Onischuk, Alexander (1) Ivanchuk, Vassily (1) DRAW 26 moves
Movsesian, Sergei (1) v Godena, Michele (0.5) DRAW 54 moves
Morozevich, Alexander (0*) v Gashimov, Vugar (0.5) DRAW 86 moves

Vallejo leads with 2.5/3

Round 4 results: Fri 31st Dec 2010

Short, Nigel D (2) v Vallejo Pons, Francisco (2.5) 0-1 39 moves
Ivanchuk, Vassily (1.5) v Movsesian, Sergei (1.5) 0.5-0.5 41 moves
Navara, David (1*) v Onischuk, Alexander (1.5) DRAW 33 moves
Morozevich, Alexander (0.5*) v Caruana, Fabiano (1.5) DRAW 24 moves
Gashimov, Vugar (1) v Godena, Michele (1) 1-0 30 moves

Vallejo 3.5/4
Caruana, Gashimov, Ivanchuk, Movsesian, Onischuk & Short 2/4
Navara 1.5/3
Morozevich 1/3
Godena 1/4

Round 1 (January 1, 2011)

Morozevich, Alexander (1) v Navara, David (1.5) 1-0 38 moves

Vallejo 3.5/4
Caruana, Gashimov, Ivanchuk, Morozevich, Movsesian, Onischuk & Short 2/4
Navara 1.5/4
Godena 1/4

On this page the seemingly anonymous Sunbase commentator writes of the game Caruana - Short before Black's 29th move:

The position is quite equal, though White could be considered to have a very small edge due to the good bishop/bad bishop but there is no real way to force an entrance so a passive effort to just hold the fort should be enough

He proceeds to condemn Black's decision.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, I don't consider the position to be "quite equal". As well as dark square weaknesses, the Black monarch is somewhat exposed; furthermore, there is scope for play against Black's queenside and not just the pawn on d5. I don't doubt that some chess engine, I have intentionally not used one, gives White just a slight edge. I find it hard to believe that Black overlooked the loss of a pawn. A possible explanation is that he preferred to die fighting by launching a desperate counterattack, than a slow ignominious death by playing the mouse to Caruana's probing cat.

I much prefer the name of the annotator to be revealed.

Round 5. Sun 2nd Jan 2011

Vallejo Pons, Francisco (3.5) v Morozevich, Alexander (2) 0.5-0.5 26 moves
Caruana, Fabiano (2) v Gashimov, Vugar (2) 0.5-0.5 22 moves
Onischuk, Alexander (2) v Short, Nigel D (2) 0.5-0.5 46 moves
Movsesian, Sergei (2) v Navara, David (1.5) 0.5-0.5 26 moves
Godena, Michele (1) v Ivanchuk, Vassily (2) 0-1 32 moves

Vallejo 4/5
Ivanchuk 3
Caruana, Gashimov, Morozevich, Movsesian, Onischuk & Short 2.5
Navara 2
Godena 1

Round 6. Mon 3rd Jan 2011

Caruana, Fabiano (2.5) Vallejo Pons, Francisco (4) 0.5-0.5 24 moves
Gashimov, Vugar (2.5) Ivanchuk, Vassily (3) 1-0 27 moves
Morozevich, Alexander (2.5) Onischuk, Alexander (2.5) 0-1 47 moves
Short, Nigel D (2.5) Movsesian, Sergei (2.5) 0-1 20 moves
Navara, David (2) Godena, Michele (1) 1-0 38 moves

Vallejo 4.5/6
Gashimov, Movsesian & Onischuk 3.5
Caruana, Ivanchuk & Navara 3
Morozevich, & Short 2.5
Godena 1

Nigel has sacrificed three pieces in the first 15 moves.....The computer suggests he was clearly better at move 13 then went berserk.

Leonard Barden wrote:Nigel has sacrificed three pieces in the first 15 moves.....

In successive moves

Round 7. Tue 4th Jan 2011

Vallejo Pons, Francisco (4.5) Gashimov, Vugar (3.5)
Onischuk, Alexander (3.5) Caruana, Fabiano (3)
Movsesian, Sergei (3.5) Morozevich, Alexander (2.5)
Ivanchuk, Vassily (3) Navara, David (3)
Godena, Michele (1) Short, Nigel D (2.5)

Round 8. Wed 5th Jan 2011

Vallejo Pons, Francisco * Onischuk, Alexander
Gashimov, Vugar * Navara, David
Caruana, Fabiano * Movsesian, Sergei
Short, Nigel D * Ivanchuk, Vassily
Morozevich, Alexander * Godena, Michele

Round 9. Thu 6th Jan 2011

Movsesian, Sergei * Vallejo Pons, Francisco
Ivanchuk, Vassily * Morozevich, Alexander
Onischuk, Alexander * Gashimov, Vugar
Navara, David * Short, Nigel D
Godena, Michele * Caruana, Fabiano

Am I the only one wondering WTF Nigel was doing there??