After the first three rounds of play we have five players tied on 2/3 with a further 9 players just a half a point behind.
The pairings
for round 4 are as follows, with tournament points in brackets:
Levon
Aronian (2) vs Anish Giri (2)
Peter
Svidler (2) vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2)
Hikaru
Nakamura (1.5) vs Teimour Radjabov (2)
Emesto
Inarkiev (1.5) vs Ding Liren (1.5)
Pentala
Harikrishna (1.5) vs Francisco Vallejo Pons (1.5)
Pavel
Elanjanov (1.5) vs Dmitri Jakovenko (1.5)
Alexander
Riazantsev (1.5) vs Evgeny Tomashevsky (1.5)
Richard
Rapport (1) vs Jon Ludvig Hammer (1)
Li Chao (1)
vs Boris Gelfand (0.5)
Peter
Svidler (2) vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2) DRAW
The first
game of the day to finish. A symmetrical English that went nowhere – other than
following an ICCF email game from 2004.
Svidler,Peter (2763) - Vachier Lagrave,Maxime (2796)
FIDE Grand Prix Palma
2017 Palma de Mallorca (4), 19.11.2017
1.c4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Bf4 d5 7.e3 A33:
Symmetrical English: 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 e6 5 Nc3 Nc6
7...Bb4 8.Be2 8...Bd7 [8...0–0 9.0–0 Bxc3 10.bxc3 Re8 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 g5
13.Bg3 Ne4 14.Qc2 e5 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.cxd5 cxd5 0–1 (41) Bu,X (2710)-Svidler,P
(2751) Tbilisi 2017]
9.0–0 dxc4 10.Bxc4 10...Nxd4N
11.Qxd4 Bc6 12.Qe5 0–0 13.Rfd1 Qb6 14.Bh6 Qa5 15.Qg3 Nh5 16.Qg4 Bxc3 17.bxc3
Qxc3 18.Qxh5 gxh6 ½–½ [Turati,P (2414)-Da Costa,L (2382) ICCF email
2004 ½–½]
Levon
Aronian (2) vs Anish Giri (2) WHITE WINS
Another
English opening. Aronian’s win takes him clear at the top of the leader board,
pending the outcome of the Radjabov game.
Aronian,Levon (2801) - Giri,Anish (2762)
FIDE Grand Prix Palma
2017 Palma de Mallorca (4), 19.11.2017
1.Nf3
Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.d3 A16: English Opening: 1...Nf6
with ...d5 [5.e4² Nxc3 6.bxc3 (6.dxc3 Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 Bg7² (7...Nd7 8.Bf4 c6
9.Kc2 Nc5 10.Nd2 Bg7 11.Be3 Na4 12.Bc4 Nb6 13.Bb3 Nd7 14.a4 0–0 15.h4 h5 16.a5
Ne5 17.f3 ½–½ (48) So,W (2812)-Mamedyarov,S (2800) Paris 2017) )
6...Bg7 7.Ba3 0–0 8.d4 b6 9.Bc4 Nc6 10.0–0 Na5 11.Bd3 c5 12.dxc5 Qc7 13.Qe2
bxc5 14.Qe3 Bg4 15.Rfc1 Rfd8 16.Bf1 Rab8 17.Qxc5 1–0 (57) Aronian,L (2792)-Giri,A
(2782) Leuven 2016]
5...Bg7 6.Bd2 0–0 7.g3 c5
8.h4N [8.Bg2 Nc6 9.0–0 e6 10.Qc1 b6 11.Bh6 Bb7 12.Bxg7 Kxg7
13.Rd1 Rc8 14.e3 Qf6 15.Ne4 Qe7 16.b3 Rfd8 17.Qb2+ e5 18.a3 Ba6 19.Rac1 f5
20.Nc3 Nxc3 21.Qxc3 ½–½ (43) Bischoff,K (2504)-Li,C (2711) Germany 2014]
8...Nc6
9.h5 Nxc3 10.bxc3 c4! 11.hxg6 hxg6 12.Qa4! Na5 [12...cxd3= remains equal.
13.Qh4 (13.exd3 Qd5²) 13...f6]
13.d4 b6 14.Bg2 Bb7 15.Qc2 Qd5 16.Nh4
Qd7 17.e4 e5 18.d5 Bc8 19.f4 Qe7 20.f5 g5 21.Qd1 gxh4 22.Rxh4 Rd8 23.Qh5 [23.Qg4+-]
23...Kf8 24.Rg4? [24.Qg4!+- and the rest is easy.]
24...Bf6?
[24...Qd6±]
25.Bh6+! Ke8+- 26.Rg8+ Kd7 27.d6+- 1–0
Li Chao (1)
vs Boris Gelfand (0.5) DRAW
Gelfand’s
Semi Slav creates a few moments for Li, but the Chinese player coped well and
channelled the game into calmer waters.
Li,Chao b (2741) - Gelfand,Boris (2719)
FIDE Grand Prix Palma
2017 Palma de Mallorca (4), 19.11.2017
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 [6.Bxf6!? Qxf6 7.e3²] 6...dxc4
7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.h4 g4 11.Ne5 Nbd7 D43: Semi-Slav: 5 Bg5 h6 12.Nxd7
[12.0–0 Rg8 13.Nxd7 Qxd7 14.Be5 Qe7 15.Qc2 Nh5 16.d5 Qxh4 17.dxe6 fxe6
18.Nxb5 cxb5 19.Bxc4 bxc4 20.Qxc4 0–1 (30) Vocaturo,D (2607)-Ding,L (2772)
Antalya 2017]
12...Qxd7 13.Be5 13...Bg7 14.Bxg4
0–0–0N [14...h5 15.Bf3 Rg8 16.Qe2 Ng4 17.Bxg7 Rxg7 18.e5 c5
19.Bxb7 Qxb7 20.Ne4 0–0–0 21.dxc5 Nxe5 22.Nd6+ Rxd6 23.Qxe5 Qxg2 24.cxd6 Qxh1+
25.Ke2 Qg2 26.Rg1 1–0 (26) Miedema,D (2394)-Timmermans,I (2218) Amsterdam 2013]
15.Bh3 Ne8 16.Bxg7 Nxg7 17.Ne2 [White should play 17.Qf3= ]
17...f5 [17...c5!?
18.d5 Qe7³]
18.b3 fxe4 19.bxc4 Nf5 20.0–0 Nxd4 21.Nxd4 Qxd4 22.Bxe6+ Kb8
23.Qxd4 Rxd4= 24.Rad1 ½–½
Richard
Rapport (1) vs Jon Ludvig Hammer (1) WHITE WINS
Rapport’s
Queens Gambit preparation already had Hammer in a 15 minute deep think on move
8. Then after 21. Rg1+ it was all downhill for the Norwegian player.
Rapport,Richard (2692) - Hammer,Jon Ludvig (2629)
FIDE Grand Prix Palma
2017 Palma de Mallorca (4), 19.11.2017
1.d4 d5
2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 Be7 6.e3 c6 7.Qc2 Nbd7 8.Nf3 h6 9.Bf4 Nh5 D36: Queens Gambit
10.0–0–0N [10.Be5 Nxe5 11.dxe5 g6 12.Bd3 0–0 13.0–0 Ng7 14.h3 Nf5 15.Rad1 Qb6 16.Ne2 Bc5
17.Kh1 Re8 18.Ned4 Ng7 19.a3 a5 20.Ne2 Be7 1–0 (42) Ehlvest,J
(2583)-Sveshnikov,V (2407) Riga 2011]
10...Nxf4 11.exf4 g5 [11...a5=]
12.Bd3
gxf4 13.Rhe1 Kf8 14.Bf5 Bb4 15.a3 Bxc3 16.Qxc3 Nb6 17.g4 [17.Bc2²]
17...Bxf5
[17...fxg3!= 18.Qc5+ Kg8 19.Bxc8 Rxc8]
18.Qc5+
Kg7 19.gxf5 Qf6 [Better is 19...Nc4!= ]
20.Re7 Rhe8 21.Rg1+!
Kh7 22.Rge1! [Much weaker is 22.Rxb7?! Nc4=]
22...Rxe7
23.Qxe7 Qxf5? [23...Qxe7± 24.Rxe7 Kg8]
24.Nh4! Qd7 25.Qf6 Rg8 26.Re7
Qg4+- 27.Nf5 Qg1+ 28.Kc2 Qxf2+ 29.Kb3 1–0
Emesto
Inarkiev (1.5) vs Ding Liren (1.5) BLACK WINS
The Chinese
GM converted an Anti-Marshall Closed Ruy Lopez into the full point for black
with the superb 20. … Nxe4!!
Inarkiev,Ernesto (2683) - Ding,Liren (2774)
FIDE Grand Prix Palma
2017 Palma de Mallorca (4), 19.11.2017
1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0–0 8.a4 b4 9.d4 d6
10.dxe5 Nxe5 11.Nxe5 C88: Closed Ruy Lopez: Anti-Marshall Systems
11...dxe5 12.Qf3 [12.Qe2
a5 13.Bg5 Bc5 14.Nd2 h6 15.Bh4 Qe7 16.h3 Rd8 17.Nf3 Bb7 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 1–0 (52)
Navara,D (2726)-Grandelius,N (2653) Germany 2017]
12...Bc5 13.h3 Bb7 14.Nd2
Kh8 15.Qg3N [15.g4 Ne8 16.Nc4 Nd6 17.Nxd6 Qxd6 18.Be3 Bxe3
19.Qxe3 ½–½ (59) Klein,F (2323)-Van Meegen,R (2241) Maastricht 2017]
15...Qe7
16.Qh4 g5 17.Qxg5 Rg8 18.Qf5 18...Rg7! 19.Nf3? [19.Nf1µ]
19...Rag8
20.Bg5 20...Nxe4!! 21.h4 [¹21.Rxe4 Rxg5 22.Nxg5 Rxg5 23.Rxe5
Qxe5 24.Qxe5+ Rxe5 25.Kf1]
21...Nxg5 22.hxg5 Rxg5 23.Nxg5 Rxg5 24.Qh3 Qf6
25.Re3 Rxg2+ 26.Qxg2 Bxg2 27.Kxg2 Bxe3 28.fxe3 c5 29.Bc4 Qg6+ 30.Kf3 Qf5+
31.Kg3 Qe4 32.b3 Qxe3+ 33.Kg2 Qd2+ 34.Kh1 f5 35.Rg1 Qh6+ 36.Kg2 Kg7 37.Rd1 Qg5+
38.Kf2 Qf4+ 39.Ke2 Qh2+ 40.Ke3 f4+ 41.Ke4 Qxc2+ 42.Rd3 Kf6 43.Bxa6 Qg2+ 44.Rf3
Ke6 [44. ...Kd4] 0–1
Pentala
Harikrishna (1.5) vs Francisco Vallejo Pons (1.5) WHITE WINS
Nice work by
the Indian GM building steady pressure out of an English Opening.
Harikrishna,Pentala (2738) - Vallejo Pons,Francisco (2705)
FIDE Grand Prix Palma
2017 Palma de Mallorca (4), 19.11.2017
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Bb4 3.Nd5 Na6 [3...Bc5
4.b4 Bf8 5.Bb2 c6 6.Ne3 Bxb4 7.Bxe5 Nf6 8.g3 0–0 9.Bg2 Re8 10.Nf3 d6 11.Bb2
Nbd7 12.0–0 Ne5 1–0 (34) Aronian,L (2793) -Anand,V (2786) Leuven 2017]
4.Nxb4 Nxb4 5.a3 Nc6 6.b4 A21: English Opening: 1...e5 2 Nc3
6...d5 7.e3N [7.b5 Na5 8.cxd5 Qxd5 9.Rb1 Qa2 10.Rb4 Be6 11.d3 1/2–1/2 (64) Monte,E
(1713)-Paiva,L (1753) Fortaleza 2012]
7...Nf6 8.Bb2 White is slightly
better.
8...d4 9.Nf3 Bg4 10.h3 Bxf3! 11.gxf3 [11.Qxf3 is interesting.
11...0–0 12.Be2 Re8 13.0–0 Qe7 14.Bd1]
11...0–0 12.Qc2 a5 [12...Qd6=]
13.b5ƒ White fights for an advantage.
13...Ne7 14.f4 dxe3 15.0–0–0 e2 16.Bxe2 exf4 17.h4 Kh8 [Black should try 17...c6 ]
18.h5± White has strong
compensation.
18...h6 19.Rdg1! Qd6? [19...Rg8±]
20.c5? [20.Rxg7!! Intending Rh7+ and mate. 20...Kxg7 21.Rg1+ Kh8 22.c5]
20...Qd5+- 21.Rh4 And now Rxg7! would win.
21...Rfe8? [21...Rg8±]
22.Rxf4 White
is clearly winning.
22...Neg8 23.Bf3 Qe6 24.Qc3 Rad8 25.Rfg4! Qf5 Strongly threatening ...Rd3. [25...Nxg4 26.Qxg7#]
26.Rxg7 Re1+ 27.Rxe1 Kxg7 28.Bxb7 Kf8 29.f3 Nxh5 30.Qe5 Qd7 31.Bc3 Ngf6 32.Bc6 Qe6 33.Qxe6 1–0
Hikaru
Nakamura (1.5) vs Teimour Radjabov (2) WHITE WINS
Naka’s win
against Radjabov’s Sicilian has helped propel Aronian into the sole lead of the
tournament. But with 5 rounds still to go, a lot can still happen.
Nakamura,Hikaru (2780) - Radjabov,Teimour (2741)
FIDE Grand Prix Palma
2017 Palma de Mallorca (4), 19.11.2017
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 e6 4.0–0 Nge7 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4
Ng6 B30: Sicilian: 2...Nc6 3 Bb5, lines without ...g6
7.Be3 Be7 8.Be2
0–0 9.Nc3 [9.c4 Nxd4 10.Bxd4 b6 11.Re1 Bb7 12.Nc3 Bc6 13.Bf1 Bc5 14.Qd2
Bxd4 15.Qxd4 ½–½ (32) Nepomniachtchi,I (2733)-Lenic,L (2650) Heraklio 2017]
9...Qc7
10.f4 Nxd4N [10...a6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.e5 d6 13.exd6 Bxd6 14.Qd2
Rd8 15.Bd3 Rb8 16.b3 Qa5 17.Ne4 Qxd2 18.Bxd2 Bc7 19.Be3 ½–½ (19) Kulish,I
(2280)-Shumiakina,T (2407) Moscow 1999]
11.Qxd4 b6 12.Qd2 Bb7 13.Rad1 Bc6
14.a3 Bf6 15.g3 Rac8 16.e5 Be7 17.h4 Rfd8 18.h5 Nf8 19.Ba6 Rb8 20.Qd6 Bxd6
21.exd6 Qc8 22.Bxc8 Rbxc8 23.a4 h6 24.Ra1 Ba8 25.a5 Rc6 26.Rfd1 b5 [26...bxa5=
27.Rxa5 (27.Bxa7 Ra6³) 27...a6]
27.a6 [Of course not 27.Bxa7?!
b4=]
27...b4 28.Nb5! Rxc2 29.Rd2! Rdc8 30.Nc7!
[But not 30.Nxa7?! Rc1+ 31.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 32.Kf2 Nh7=]
30...Rxd2 31.Bxd2 Bc6
32.Be3 Nh7 33.Bxa7 Nf6 34.Bc5 Ne4 [34...Nxh5 was called for. 35.Kh2 (35.Bxb4
Nxg3 36.a7 Ne2+ 37.Kf2 Nxf4²) 35...Nf6 36.Bxb4 Nd5]
35.Bxb4 Nxg3 36.a7
Ne2+ 37.Kh2 Nxf4 38.Ra6 Be4 39.Rb6 Nxh5 [¹39...Kh7 40.Bd2 Ne2]
40.Rb8
Rf8 41.Bd2 Nf6 42.b4+- 1–0
Alexander
Riazantsev (1.5) vs Evgeny Tomashevsky (1.5) DRAW
This uninspiring
draw out of a Nimzo Indian came after the two players put in a combined
thinking time of 45 minutes over their respective seventeenth moves. At least
there were more interesting boards to follow during this slumber fest.
Riazantsev,Alexander (2651) - Tomashevsky,Evgeny (2702)
FIDE Grand Prix Palma
2017 Palma de Mallorca (4), 19.11.2017
1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0–0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d5 7.Nf3 dxc4 8.Qxc4 b6 9.Bg5 E36:
Nimzoindisch (4.Dc2) [9.h4 Bb7 10.Bg5 Qd5 11.Rc1 Nbd7 12.Qxd5 Bxd5 13.Ne5 c5
14.Bxf6 Nxf6 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.f3 Rab8 0–1 (36) Kasparov,G (2812)-Aronian,L
(2799) Saint Louis 2017]
9...Ba6 10.Qa4 Qd7 11.Qc2 c5 12.Bxf6 gxf6 13.Rd1 Rc8 14.Qd2N [14.dxc5 Qe7 15.e3 Bxf1 16.Kxf1
Qb7 1–0 (27) Landgren,A (2240)-Thorn,E (2324) Uppsala 2016]
14...Qe7 15.h4
Nd7 16.Rh3 Kh8 17.Qh6 Rg8 18.h5 ½–½
Pavel
Elanjanov (1.5) vs Dmitri Jakovenko (1.5) BLACK WINS
The last
game of the day to finish, by a long way. Six and a half hours after the
players blitzed through a Symmetrical English, Jakovenko reached a won rook and
pawn endgame. However the Russian GM was desperately short of time and needed
to hold his nerve to take the full point.
Eljanov,Pavel (2707) - Jakovenko,Dmitry (2721)
FIDE Grand Prix Palma
2017 Palma de Mallorca (4), 19.11.2017
1.c4 c5
2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.a3 e6 A37: Symmetrical English
vs ...g6: 4 Bg2 Bg7 5 Nf3
7.b4 [7.Rb1 Nge7 8.b4 0–0 9.0–0 b6 10.Bb2 cxb4
11.axb4 Nxb4 12.Nd4 Rb8 13.Ndb5 Nec6 14.Ba3 a6 15.Bxb4 Nxb4 16.Rxb4 axb5
17.Nxb5 1–0 (61) Kovalenko,I (2680)-Svidler,P (2751) Tallinn 2016]
7...Nge7
8.0–0 0–0 9.Bb2 cxb4 10.axb4 Nxb4 11.Qb3 Nec6N [11...Nbc6 12.Nb5 d5 13.Bxg7 Kxg7 14.Qb2+ f6 1–0 (32) Schmittdiel,E
(2470)-Khurtsilava,I (2245) Baunatal 1998]
12.Nb5 Bxb2 13.Qxb2 a6 14.Nbd4
Rb8 15.Nxc6 Nxc6 16.Rfb1 b5 17.cxb5 Rxb5 18.Qc3 Qb6 19.Rxb5 axb5 20.Qf6 Bd7
21.Qf4 d5 22.h4 Qb8 23.Qh6 f6 24.Qe3 Ne5 [24...b4µ 25.Bh3 Qd6]
25.Nxe5
Qxe5 26.Qxe5 fxe5 27.Ra7 Rd8 28.e3 Be8 29.Bh3 Rd6 30.Rb7 Ra6 31.d4 exd4 32.exd4
h5 33.Bf1 [33.f3= keeps the balance.]
33...Ra1 34.Kg2 Rd1 35.Bxb5 Bf7
36.f4 Rxd4 37.Kf2 Rb4 38.Bc6 Rc4 39.Bb5 Rc3 40.Ra7 Kf8 41.Rb7 Ra3 42.Bc6 Ra6
43.Bb5 Ra8 44.Bc6 Rc8 45.Rb6 Ke7 46.Ke3 [¹46.Rb7+ Kf6 47.Rb6]
46...Be8
47.Bxe8 Rxe8 48.Kf3 Rc8 49.Rb3 Kf6 50.Rd3 Rc5 51.g4 hxg4+ 52.Kxg4 Rc8 [52...Rc4–+
53.Ra3 Re4]
53.Rh3 Rh8 54.Rd3 Rd8 55.Kf3 Kf5 56.Ra3 Rc8 57.Re3 Rh8 58.Re5+
Kf6 59.Kg4 d4 60.Re2 d3 61.Rd2 Rd8 62.Kf3 Kf5 63.Ke3 Rd6 64.Kf3 Rd7 65.Ke3 Rd8
66.Kf3 Rh8 67.Rh2 d2! 68.Ke2? [68.Rxd2 Rxh4 69.Rd8 Rxf4+
70.Ke3 Re4+ 71.Kf3]
68...Rd8? [68...Ra8 69.Rh1 Rd8]
69.Kd1 Kxf4 70.h5
gxh5 71.Rxh5 e5 72.Rh4+ Kf3 73.Rh3+ Kg4 74.Re3 Kf4 75.Re2 e4 76.Rf2+ Kg3 77.Re2
Kf3 78.Rh2 e3 79.Rh3+ Kf2 0–1
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