Tradewise Gibraltar Masters 2017

[Jonathan Rogers]

Now I know!

Both Adams and Short struggling with Black today, though. 1 e4, eh?

[Jonathan Rogers]

but svidler doesn't find the computer-like win, so a nice half point there

[David Robertson]

I'd like to think everyone is watching Hou Yifan's game (v. Ider). Absent a last minute blunder, it's heading for the anthologies. Hou's Immortal

Indeed, the position after 45...Nf1 is quite startling. Ider can now win a pair of Rooks with double check. But he could more usefully resign instead!

[PeterFarr]

I'd like to think everyone is watching Hou Yifan's game (v. Ider). Absent a last minute blunder, it's heading for the anthologies. Hou's Immortal

Indeed, the position after 45...Nf1 is quite startling. Ider can now win a pair of Rooks with double check. But he could more usefully resign instead!

And she wins, quite amazing.

[Roger de Coverly]

Round 8 pairing.

Code: Select all

3	16	GM	Short Nigel D 	ENG	2675	5½ 		5½ 	GM	Adams Michael 	ENG	2751	5

They don't play one another that often.

[Mick Norris]

o. No. Name FED Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name FED Rtg No.
1 24 GM Anton Guijarro David ESP 2650 6 6 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime FRA 2796 2
2 8 GM Yu Yangyi CHN 2738 6 6 GM Nakamura Hikaru USA 2785 3
3 16 GM Short Nigel D ENG 2675 5½ 5½ GM Adams Michael ENG 2751 5
4 28 GM Sutovsky Emil ISR 2628 5½ 5½ GM Topalov Veselin BUL 2739 7
5 33 GM Fridman Daniel GER 2594 5½ 5½ GM Gelfand Boris ISR 2721 10
6 12 GM Matlakov Maxim RUS 2701 5½ 5½ GM Edouard Romain FRA 2613 30
7 58 GM Stefanova Antoaneta BUL 2512 5½ 5½ GM Cheparinov Ivan BUL 2689 13
8 11 GM Naiditsch Arkadij AZE 2702 5 5½ GM Akobian Varuzhan USA 2633 27
9 40 GM Gopal G.N. IND 2579 5 5 GM Caruana Fabiano USA 2827 1
10 42 GM Deac Bogdan-Daniel ROU 2572 5 5 GM Svidler Peter RUS 2748 6

[Mick Norris]

I'd like to think everyone is watching Hou Yifan's game (v. Ider). Absent a last minute blunder, it's heading for the anthologies. Hou's Immortal

Indeed, the position after 45...Nf1 is quite startling. Ider can now win a pair of Rooks with double check. But he could more usefully resign instead!

Featured in the chess.com report

Amazing game

[Kevin Thurlow]

Short - Adams is interesting, I think they last played at Isle of Man a couple of years ago.

I'm surprised there wasn't more excitement about Nigel beating Caruana. The previous score was +0=1-4 according to my database, so Nigel showing he's still got it.

[Jonathan Rogers]

Today, it's more a case of Short defending a good record against Adams. Other curious clashes:

the top two women - Hou Yifan v Wenjun, keeping Yifan on course for the record of having played the fewest men in an open tournament

Stefanova v Cheparinov - just a day after Chepa played the other former Bulgarian world champion

Sutovsky v Topalov - Sutovsky was Kamsky's second in his match with Topalov in 2010.

[David Robertson]

Hou: from hero to 0

[Carl Hibbard]

I'd like to think everyone is watching Hou Yifan's game (v. Ider). Absent a last minute blunder, it's heading for the anthologies. Hou's Immortal

Indeed, the position after 45...Nf1 is quite startling. Ider can now win a pair of Rooks with double check. But he could more usefully resign instead!

Featured in the chess.com report

Amazing game

[Event "Tradewise Masters 2017"] [Site "Caleta Hotel"] [Date "2017.01.30"] [Round "7.20"] [White "Ider, Borya"] [Black "Hou, Yifan"] [Result "0-1"] [BlackElo "2651"] [WhiteElo "2463"] [LiveChessVersion "1.4.8"] [ECO "A47"] 1. d4 {[%clk 1:40:56]} Nf6 {[%clk 1:40:53]} 2. Nf3 {[%clk 1:41:17]} b6 {[%clk 1:40:28]} 3. Bf4 {[%clk 1:39:52]} Bb7 {[%clk 1:33:49]} 4. e3 {[%clk 1:40:00]} g6 {[%clk 1:33:33]} 5. h3 {[%clk 1:38:45]} Bg7 {[%clk 1:33:58]} 6. Be2 {[%clk 1:39:11]} d6 {[%clk 1:33:54]} 7. c4 {[%clk 1:35:18]} Nbd7 {[%clk 1:34:18]} 8. Nc3 {[%clk 1:35:42]} O-O {[%clk 1:34:06]} 9. O-O {[%clk 1:36:06]} e6 {[%clk 1:24:28]} 10. Qc2 {[%clk 1:33:32]} Nh5 {[%clk 1:23:27]} 11. Bh2 {[%clk 1:32:36]} f5 {[%clk 1:22:13]} 12. d5 {[%clk 1:22:56]} e5 {[%clk 1:19:00]} 13. g4 {[%clk 1:20:46]} fxg4 {[%clk 1:12:52]} 14. hxg4 {[%clk 1:20:54]} Nhf6 {[%clk 1:13:17]} 15. Ng5 {[%clk 1:17:45]} Nxd5 {[%clk 0:52:06]} 16. Ne6 {[%clk 1:11:28]} Nxc3 {[%clk 0:52:28]} 17. Nxd8 {[%clk 1:03:07]} Nxe2+ {[%clk 0:51:29]} 18. Qxe2 {[%clk 1:03:35]} Bf3 {[%clk 0:51:54]} 19. Qd3 {[%clk 0:56:49]} Nc5 {[%clk 0:47:25]} 20. Qa3 {[%clk 0:57:15]} Rfxd8 {[%clk 0:38:57]} 21. e4 {[%clk 0:52:43]} Rf8 {[%clk 0:39:20]} 22. Rae1 {[%clk 0:49:28]} Bh6 {[%clk 0:36:48]} 23. b4 {[%clk 0:48:30]} Ne6 {[%clk 0:34:09]} 24. c5 {[%clk 0:45:23]} Nd4 {[%clk 0:30:37]} 25. Qd3 {[%clk 0:44:19]} b5 {[%clk 0:30:01]} 26. Bg3 {[%clk 0:43:45]} Bg5 {[%clk 0:28:38]} 27. a4 {[%clk 0:40:58]} a6 {[%clk 0:26:42]} 28. Qa3 {[%clk 0:36:31]} Bxg4 {[%clk 0:18:01]} 29. Rd1 {[%clk 0:31:39]} Nf3+ {[%clk 0:13:54]} 30. Kg2 {[%clk 0:29:41]} dxc5 {[%clk 0:14:16]} 31. bxc5 {[%clk 0:29:49]} h5 {[%clk 0:14:44]} 32. Qa2+ {[%clk 0:27:29]} Kh7 {[%clk 0:12:26]} 33. Qd5 {[%clk 0:22:29]} Rae8 {[%clk 0:10:34]} 34. Qc6 {[%clk 0:20:57]} Re7 {[%clk 0:08:36]} 35. Rd3 {[%clk 0:16:19]} h4 {[%clk 0:08:00]} 36. Bh2 {[%clk 0:15:14]} bxa4 {[%clk 0:08:25]} 37. Qxa4 {[%clk 0:14:54]} Kh6 {[%clk 0:07:18]} 38. Qa3 {[%clk 0:10:01]} Ref7 {[%clk 0:04:12]} 39. Qb2 {[%clk 0:07:37]} Re7 {[%clk 0:01:30]} 40. c6 {[%clk 0:06:22]} a5 {[%clk 0:01:01]} 41. Rb3 {[%clk 0:49:25]} Kg7 {[%clk 0:33:08]} 42. Rb5 {[%clk 0:37:08]} h3+ {[%clk 0:20:39]} 43. Kh1 {[%clk 0:36:51]} Nxh2 {[%clk 0:21:03]} 44. Rxe5 {[%clk 0:36:27]} Bf3+ {[%clk 0:14:37]} 45. Kg1 {[%clk 0:36:44]} Nxf1 {[%clk 0:14:49]} 46. Rxe7+ {[%clk 0:25:56]} Kh6 {[%clk 0:15:12]} 47. Qg7+ {[%clk 0:24:39]} Kh5 {[%clk 0:15:37]} 48. Qh7+ {[%clk 0:24:58]} Kg4 {[%clk 0:13:32]} 49. Re8 {[%clk 0:15:41]} Rxe8 {[%clk 0:12:59]} 50. Qd7+ {[%clk 0:16:07]} Kh4 {[%clk 0:13:22]} 51. Kxf1 {[%clk 0:16:24]} Rd8 {[%clk 0:13:16]} 52. Qh7+ {[%clk 0:15:58]} Kg4 {[%clk 0:13:37]} 0-1

All triggered I assume since you cannot shift the Bishop on f3 impressive however.

[Mick Norris]

Round 9 on 2017/02/01 at 15.00
Bo. No. Name FED Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name FED Rtg No.
1 2 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime FRA 2796 6½ 6½ GM Yu Yangyi CHN 2738 8
2 7 GM Topalov Veselin BUL 2739 6½ 6½ GM Anton Guijarro David ESP 2650 24
3 3 GM Nakamura Hikaru USA 2785 6½ 6 GM Caruana Fabiano USA 2827 1
4 5 GM Adams Michael ENG 2751 6 6 GM Sethuraman S.P. IND 2637 26
5 10 GM Gelfand Boris ISR 2721 6 6 GM Stefanova Antoaneta BUL 2512 58
6 20 GM Howell David W L ENG 2655 6 6 GM Matlakov Maxim RUS 2701 12
7 13 GM Cheparinov Ivan BUL 2689 6 6 GM Fridman Daniel GER 2594 33
8 30 GM Edouard Romain FRA 2613 6 6 GM Short Nigel D ENG 2675 16
9 27 GM Akobian Varuzhan USA 2633 6 6 GM Fressinet Laurent FRA 2660 18
10 38 GM Ju Wenjun CHN 2583 6 5½ GM Maze Sebastien FRA 2613 31

[Chris Rice]

In Round 8 there was a short draw in under 30 moves between Stefanova and Cheparinov after the position was repeated three times. There have been other instances of this in this tournament. As the repetition was clearly not forced the commentators, Simon and Jovanka, wondered whether this was against the spirit of the competition and what people thought about it.Their understanding was that because it was a repetition the players had found a loophole in the rules of the competition.

Personally, a draw on a lower board in a big open tournament would cause me no issues at all. If it was the last round maybe on the top boards then it might be disappointing but one might perhaps argue that if the players got themselves to that position then its up to them whether they wanted to split the point amicably. If on the other hand its a World Championship match, it's just one game and perhaps you've paid a lot of money to get there, then that's another matter entirely though perhaps one might still argue that's the risk you take as a spectator at such an event.

However, the main point of this post is that in the discussion it was mentioned that getting a draw using the 13 move stalemate is forbidden. On the website the only reference is:

"Masters Regulations: Important!
Draws by mutual agreement in fewer than 30 moves are not allowed. There must be no pre-arranged or tacit agreements to draw games of any length, by repetition or otherwise. Warning: penalties may involve loss of prize money."

Which raises a few points:

1) It appears that the Stefanov and Cheparinov's prize money may be reduced, should they get any, but is that really likely? Who decides this? Are the players informed? How much would it be reduced by? What about the Wenjun Ju - Sutovsky game in Round 5? That didn't look prearranged and Sutovsky was forced to repeat the positon it appeared but how would we really know that?

2) There is no specific reference to stalemate of any kind. I have to confess my ignorance here and confess that I have never heard of the 13 move stalemate so had to go digging, couldn't find it but came up with a 10 move stalemate! It's pretty amazing if you haven't seen it before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abB2_Em3Ixo

[JustinHorton]

Adams-Sethuraman (currently on move 25) is pretty intriguing. I'd be most nervous with White here even though the computer has Adams much better.

[Jonathan Rogers]

A wry smile at the missed opportunity for Black in that game (19...Nxf4) which "why worry about discovered checks?" Stockfish recommends at once.