Kamsky Finishes Sochi With a Win
August 14, 2008
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Gata Kamsky, Photo Mark Gluhovsky
After draws in rounds 9-12, Gata Kamsky finished the Sochi Grand Prix with a win over Czech GM David Navara, to finish with 7.5/13.  Gata chose the Grunfeld defense, but with 11...Na5, he diverged from wild forcing lines such as 11...Bg4 12.f3 Na5 13. Bd3(or Bxf7+) cxd4 14.cxd4 Be6 15.d5!? The game turned out pretty wild anyway, and after 35...Qd4+ it looked like it would end in a perpetual after Qf2, Qa1+ (Rxe5 fails to Qxd4 Re1+ Kf2), Qf1, Qd4, etc.


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Position after 35...Qd4+


 Unfortunately for Navara, he tried for more with the dangerous looking but flawed Be3?! 38.Nh6+ leads nowhere after Kh8 and 40...Kg6!

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With this victory, Kamsky stepped up into a tie for 3rd-4th with Yue Wang of China. Levon Aronian clinched clear first with 8.5/13 with a final round win over Alexander Grischuk.

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On the official webpage, check out final standings as well as round by round results. Our  World Championship semi-finalist will not have much time to rest as Gata is now off to a super GM (including Vladimir Kramnik) 10-player round robin, the Tal Memorial (Moscow, August 18-28).