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Nakamura Eliminated in World Cup; Ivanchuk Trails in Second Round

Mamedyarov, Paehtz Score World Junior Titles

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Chess Around the World

Nakamura Eliminated in World Cup; Ivanchuk Trails in Second Round

US Champion Hikaru Nakamura and Ukranian GM Andrei Volokitin were the biggest names eliminated in the first round of the 2005 FIDE World Chess Cup. The World Cup is a 128 player knockout tournament, the same format formerly used to determine FIDE's World Championship.

Nakamura, who made a surprising run to the 4th round of the last FIDE knockout tournament before being eliminated by Michael Adams, was expected by many to make a similar run in this year's event. However, he quickly ran into trouble from India's GM Surya Sekar Ganguly. After losing the first game with black, Nakamura also conceded the second game with the white pieces, eliminating him from the tournament with a disappointing 2-0 first round loss.

Most of the tournament favorites did well in the first round, with all of the top 20 seeds advancing. None of the top 14 players required a playoff to advance, and 9 won in 2-0 sweeps.

Several Americans also did well in early action. Gata Kamsky won 1.5-0.5 over Chinese GM Yun Zhao; Yuri Shulman defeated Vadim Zvjaginsev in a sudden death tiebreak game by drawing with the black pieces; and both Alexander Onischuk and Alexander Ivanov won their white games and drew with black to advance.

Second round action began Wednesday, and immediately produced a surprise as top seed Vassily Ivanchuk dropped a game against Bulgaria's Ivan Cheparinov. Young star Teimur Radjabov also feel behind early, losing with white to Murtas Kazhgaleyev.

Americans had mixed results in early round 2 action. Kamsky drew with black again Dmitry Bocharov, while Ivanov lost with White against French GM Joel Lautier. Onischuk managed a draw against Cuban GM Lazaro Bruzon, while Russia's Alexander Khalifman scored a win over Shulman.

We will continue to provide complete coverage of the FIDE World Cup in the coming weeks. For now, here is Cheparinov's upset victory over Ivanchuk.

White: Cheparinov, I (2618)
Black: Ivanchuk, V (2748)
FIDE World Cup, Round 2, Game 1
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. b6 d6 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. a4 a5 8. e4 g6 9. Nf3 Bg7 10. Be2 O-O 11. O-O Qxb6 12. Nd2 Ba6 13. Nb5 Rfb8 14. Qc2 Qd8 15. Nc4 Nb6 16. Nca3 Ne8 17. Rb1 Nc7 18. b3 Bxb5 19. Nxb5 Na6 20. Bg5 Nb4 21. Qd2 Qd7 22. f4 Rb7 23. f5 Qe8 24. Rf3 Nd7 25. Rbf1 Be5 26. Rh3 f6 27. Be3 g5 28. g4 Rc8 29. Bc4 Bd4 30. Nxd4 cxd4 31. Bxg5 Ne5 32. Bh6 d3 33. g5 Qf7 34. Rg3 Kh8 35. g6 hxg6 36. fxg6 Nxg6 37. Rf5 Ne5 38. Bf8 Qh7 39. Bg7+ Qxg7 40. Rh5+ Kg8 41. Rxg7+ Kxg7 42. Qh6+ Kf7 43. Qh7+ Ke8 44. Qf5 1-0

Mamedyarov, Paehtz Score World Junior Titles

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan and German IM Elisabeth Paehtz took home top honors at the World Junior Chess Championships in Istanbul.

In the boys section, Mamedyarov won by a full point over Hungarian GM Ferenc Berkes. Mamedyarov held the lead throughout the tournament, and took first with an outstanding 10.5/13 score.

In the girls section, Elisabeth Paehtz held on to a slim half-point victory over Chinese WGM Gu Xiaobing, who had been in front for much of the event. Paehtz, one of the top rated players in the event, took first with a 10/13 score, with Xiaobing scoring 9.5 points and three more players close behind at 9/13.

Here is a grueling 112 move 12th round victory by Paehtz that vaulted her into first place in the girls' section. Her opponent, Turkan Mamedjarova, is the sister of the boys champion, and finished just a point shy of equaling her brother's achievement.

White: Mamedjarova, T (2223)
Black: Paehtz, E (2408)
World Junior Chess Championship (Girls U20), Round 12
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 O-O 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bd2 e5 8. Nf3 Nc6 9. O-O Bf5 10. e4 Bg4 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 Nd7 13. Bg2 Nc5 14. Be3 Kh7 15. Rb1 a5 16. f4 exf4 17. Bxf4 Nd4 18. Qd2 c6 19. Kh2 Nce6 20. Be3 h5 21. Ne2 Nxe2 22. Qxe2 Be5 23. Bf4 h4 24. Qe3 hxg3+ 25. Bxg3 Qh4 26. Qf3 Kg7 27. Rh1 c5 28. Bf1 Rh8 29. Kg2 Bxg3 30. Qxg3 Qxg3+ 31. Kxg3 Kf6 32. Bg2 Ke5 33. Rhf1 Rh7 34. Rf2 Nd4 35. Rbf1 Ke6 36. Kf4 Nc6 37. Ke3 Ke7 38. Kd2 Rb8 39. Kc3 b5 40. cxb5 Rxb5 41. b3 Rb4 42. a3 Rd4 43. Rb1 Rh8 44. Bf1 Rb8 45. Rbb2 Ne5 46. Rb1 Ke6 47. Rfb2 Nc6 48. Rh2 Rh8 49. Be2 Rh4 50. Rf2 Ke7 51. Bf1 Rh5 52. Rbb2 Na7 53. Rf3 Nb5+ 54. Kd2 Rh7 55. a4 Na7 56. Kc3 Nc6 57. Be2 Rb4 58. Bd1 Rb8 59. Re3 Ke6 60. Rh2 Nd4 61. Rf2 f6 62. Rg2 Kf7 63. Reg3 Rh6 64. h4 Nc6 65. Rf2 Ne5 66. Rh2 Rb4 67. Rgh3 Rd4 68. Rh1 Ke6 69. Rg3 g5 70. Be2 d5 71. exd5+ Kxd5 72. h5 g4 73. Re3 f5 74. Re1 Nc6 75. Bf1 f4 76. Bg2+ f3 77. Bxf3+ gxf3 78. Rxf3 Rxh5 79. Ree3 Re5 80. Rxe5+ Nxe5 81. Rh3 Rf4 82. Rh8 Nc6 83. Rh5+ Kd6 84. Rh6+ Kc7 85. Rh7+ Kb6 86. Rd7 Rd4 87. Rh7 Rd6 88. Rh5 Nb4 89. Rh3 Kc6 90. Rg3 Kb6 91. Rh3 Nc6 92. Re3 Rd4 93. Rh3 Rb4 94. Rh6 Kc7 95. Rh7+ Kd6 96. Rh6+ Kd5 97. Rh5+ Ne5 98. Rh8 Rb7 99. Rh5 Rf7 100. Rh8 Rf6 101. Rd8+ Rd6 102. Rh8 Kc6 103. Rh3 Ng6 104. Rf3 Ne7 105. Rh3 Nd5+ 106. Kd2 Rf6 107. Rh2 Kd6 108. Re2 Rf3 109. Re4 Rf2+ 110. Kc1 Nb4 111. Rh4 Nxd3+ 112. Kd1 Ke5 0-1