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Ivanchuk Leads Capablanca Memorial

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Ivanchuk Leads Capablanca Memorial

Vassily Ivanchuk scored two wins and two draws in the first four rounds to take an early lead at the Capablanca Memorial in Havana, Cuba. Ivanchuk holds a half-point lead over GM Baadur Jobava and Cuban GM Neuris Delgado.

The tournament, which will conclude on May 19th, is a double-round robin event featuring seven players. Along with Ivanchuk, Jobava and Delgado, four more Cuban GMs round out the field: Lazaro Bruzon, Lenier Dominguez, Walter Arencibia and Jesus Nogueiras.

The tournament is held in honor of Jose Raul Capablanca, the Cuban chess prodigy who became World Champion from 1921-1927. Capablanca won his title from Emmanual Lasker, and lost the title to Alexander Alekhine.

We will provide continuing coverage of this tournament in coming weeks. For now, here is an early-round victory by Ivanchuk:

White: Ivanchuk, V (2739)
Black: Nogueiras, J (2533)
Capablanca Memorial, Round 4
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Nb6 8. Ne5 a5 9. g3 e6 10. Bg2 Bb4 11. O-O O-O 12. e3 h6 13. Qe2 Bh7 14. Rd1 Nfd7 15. Nxd7 Nxd7 16. e4 Qe7 17. Be3 Rfe8 18. h3 Nf6 19. Bf4 Nd7 20. Be3 Nf6 21. f3 Nd7 22. g4 Kh8 23. f4 f6 24. Na2 Bd6 25. Rd2 Rad8 26. Rad1 Bc7 27. Nc3 Qb4 28. Rd3 Qe7 29. Qc2 Nf8 30. Qf2 g5 31. f5 exf5 32. exf5 Nd7 33. d5 Ne5 34. Bc5 Qf7 35. R3d2 Nc4 36. d6 Bb8 37. d7 Rg8 38. Rd4 Ne5 39. Qd2 Rg7 40. Ne4 Rxd7 41. Qxa5 Rg8 42. Qb4 Rxd4 43. Rxd4 Re8 44. Nd6 Bxd6 45. Bxd6 Bg8 46. Re4 Kg7 47. a5 Qd7 48. Rd4 Qc8 49. Qc3 Bf7 50. b4 h5 51. Kf2 hxg4 52. hxg4 Qa8 53. Re4 Nd7 54. Rxe8 Qxe8 55. b5 cxb5 56. Bxb7 Bc4 57. Qe3 Ne5 58. Bxe5 1-0