Chess Around the World
Timman, Sasikiran share Sigeman Title; Nakamura 3rd
India's Krishnan Sasikiran and veteran GM Jan Timman both scored 6.5 points to share first place at the Sigeman & Co. Chess Tournament in Copenhagen. The nine-round event was a round-robin affair featuring a mix of local talent and promising players from around the world.
Rising American star Hikaru Nakamura was the top seed in the tournament, and put in a respectable performance, finishing 3rd. He scored 6 points, but lost a crucial game against Sasikiran - a game which became the talk of the tournament for Nakamura's opening choice.
After 1. e4 e5, Nakamura played a move nobody expected: 2. Qh5, hardly a staple at the GM level. Although in was unorthodox, Nakamura got out of the opening with a playable game, before losing in 87 moves:
White: Nakamura, H (2657)
Black: Sasikiran, K (2642)
Sigeman Tournament, Round 7
1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 g6 4. Qf3 Nf6 5. Ne2 Bg7 6. Nbc3 d6 7. d3 Bg4 8. Qg3 Qd7 9. f3 Be6 10. Bg5 Nh5 11. Qh4 h6 12. Be3 Na5 13. Bb3 Nxb3 14. axb3 a6 15. d4 Qe7 16. Qf2 exd4 17. Bxd4 Nf6 18. O-O-O O-O-O 19. Nf4 Rhg8 20. Rhe1 Kb8 21. Kb1 g5 22. Nfe2 Rge8 23. g4 Qf8 24. Ng3 Nd7 25. Be3 Qh8 26. Nge2 Be5 27. h4 Qg7 28. Rh1 Nf6 29. Bd4 Nd7 30. Qe3 Qf6 31. hxg5 hxg5 32. Bxe5 Qxe5 33. Rh5 Rg8 34. Nd5 Rde8 35. Qc1 Qg7 36. Ne3 Nf6 37. Rh2 Rh8 38. Rg2 Nd7 39. Nd4 Rh3 40. c4 Qf6 41. Rf2 Reh8 42. b4 Qe5 43. c5 dxc5 44. bxc5 Nxc5 45. Qc3 f6 46. Rc2 Na4 47. Qb4 Bd7 48. Nb3 Rh1 49. Rxh1 Rxh1+ 50. Ka2 Nb6 51. Qf8+ Qe8 52. Qxe8+ Bxe8 53. Nc5 Nd7 54. Nxd7+ Bxd7 55. Kb3 Re1 56. Rc3 Be6+ 57. Kc2 Re2+ 58. Kc1 a5 59. Nc2 Rf2 60. Nd4 Bd7 61. Rc5 b6 62. Rd5 Kc8 63. e5 fxe5 64. Rxe5 c5 65. Nb3 Rf1+ 66. Kd2 a4 67. Nxc5 bxc5 68. Rxc5+ Kb7 69. Rxg5 Rxf3 70. Rd5 Be6 71. Rd3 Rf1 72. Rg3 Rf2+ 73. Kc3 Kb6 74. Kb4 Rf4+ 75. Ka3 Kb5 76. Re3 Bd5 77. Rd3 Bc4 78. Re3 Rd4 79. g5 Rd1 80. b3 axb3 81. Re8 Ra1+ 82. Kb2 Ra2+ 83. Kc3 Rc2+ 84. Kd4 b2 85. Rb8+ Ka4 86. g6 Bb5 87. g7 b1=Q 0-1
Here are the complete final results:
GM Jan Timman: 6.5/9
GM Krishnan Sasikiran: 6.5
GM Hikaru Nakamura: 6.0
GM Curt Hansen 5.5
GM Jonny Hector: 5.0
GM Viorel Iordachescu: 4.0
IM Davor Palo: 4.0
GM Sune Berg Hansen: 3.5
IM Emil Hermansson: 2.5
GM Tiger Hillarp Persson: 1.5
Zatonskih Wins Three Arrows Cup
American WGM Anna Zatonskih scored 9 points out of a possible 11 to take clear first place at the Three Arows Cup in Jinan, China. Zatonskih edged out Zhu Chen of China by a half point to take the title.
IM Irina Krush, also of the United States, took 3rd place with 7.5 points. Here are the complete results:
WGM Anna Zatonskih: 9.0/11
GM Zhu Chen: 8.5
IM Irina Krush: 7.5
WIM Vera Nebolsina: 7.0
WFM Hou Yifan: 7.0
IM Almira Skripchenko: 6.5
WIM Betul Cemre Yildiz: 4.5
WFM Zulaikha Siti: 4.0
Siranush Andriasian (2263): 4.0
Veronika Machalova (2176): 3.0
WFM Shirin Navabi: 3.0
WIM Veronika Schneider: 2.0
Although several sources are reporting the results of the tournament, coverage of the Three Arrows Cup is incomplete in many respects, and many of the games are missing. Here is one of the available late round games, a win by Zhu Chen over Schneider:
White: Schneider, V (2241)
Black: Zhu Chen (2494)
Three Arrows Cup, Round 11
1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. Nf3 e6 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 b6 7. Nc3 Nxc3 8. bxc3 Bb7 9. Bd3 Qc7 10. Bd2 d6 11. O-O Nd7 12. Ng5 dxe5 13. Qg4 Be7 14. Rac1 Nf6 15. Qe2 Bd6 16. Bb5+ Kf8 17. dxe5 Bxe5 18. f4 Bd6 19. Bd3 Rd8 20. Kh1 h6 21. Nh3 Qc6 22. Be3 Bc5 23. Bd4 Bxd4 24. cxd4 Qd6 25. Rfd1 g6 26. Qe5 Qxe5 27. dxe5 Nd5 28. Be4 Kg7 29. Nf2 Rc8 30. g3 Rxc1 31. Rxc1 Rc8 32. Nd3 Rxc1+ 33. Nxc1 Ba6 34. Kg1 Nc3 35. Bc6 Bc4 36. a4 g5 37. Kf2 gxf4 38. gxf4 Nd5 39. Kf3 f6 40. Bd7 Kf7 41. Bc6 Ne7 42. Bd7 Ng6 43. exf6 Kxf6 44. Be8 Kf5 45. Bc6 Nxf4 46. Be4+ Ke5 0-1
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