Cautious Start To World Cup Semis
The opening semi-final games of the 2011 World Cup were filled with caution, precipitating two early draws.
Peter Svidler refused to consent to the Berlin defence offered by Ponomariov, but any life in the position quickly evaporated and hostilities ended at move 20.
The game between Vassily Ivanchuk and Alexander Grischuk lasted just two moves more before reaching the same conclusion.
So Russia has failed to make a mark with the white pieces, and now Ukraine will have their chance tomorrow.
The standings:
| Name | G1 | G2 | R1 | R2 | r3 | r4 | B1 | B2 | SD | Tot |
| Semi-final Match 01 | ||||||||||
| Svidler, Peter (RUS) | ½ | 0.5 | ||||||||
| Ponomariov, Ruslan (UKR) | ½ | 0.5 | ||||||||
| Semi-final Match 02 | ||||||||||
| Grischuk, Alexander (RUS) | ½ | 0.5 | ||||||||
| Ivanchuk, Vassily (UKR) | ½ | 0.5 |
Grischuk kibitzes on Ponomariov's game
The time control for the regular games is 40 moves in 90 minutes followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30 second increment from the start. Tie-breaks are at a rate of 25 minutes plus 10 second increment, then 10 minutes plus 10 second increment, then 5 minutes plus 3 second increment, and finally sudden-death 5 min v 4 min with a 3 second increment after move 60.
The official website with live coverage and commentary in Russian and English is here.
Photo from the official website.
