Kasimdzhanov beats Cheparinov in round 9 GP Jermuk

Again, only one game was decided in the 9th round in Jermuk, Armenia: Kasimdzhanov beat Cheparinov. With 6/9 the Uzbek grandmaster joined Ivanchuk and Leko at the top of the standings. Wednesday is a rest day.

The 5th tournament in the FIDE Grand Prix Series takes place in Jermuk, Armenia. It's a 14-player round-robin with Aronian, Jakovenko, Leko, Gelfand, Bacrot, Kamsky, Karjakin, Eljanov, Alekseev, Akopian, Ivanchuk, Cheparinov, Inarkiev and Kasimdzhanov. More info on the GP and Jermuk in our preview.

Round 9

After two victories in the last fourteen games, the drawing percentage in Jermuk is back to 62% but the tournament has remained very interesting to follow.

We know that Kasimdzhanov, a former FIDE World Champion, can beat the strongest players, but nonetheless he surprises positively with his shared first place after 9 rounds. Yesterday he beat Cheparinov in a fantastic attacking game that started like an Pazter - Expert encounter, where you see the Patzer starting aggression with his queenside still undeveloped, and the Expert defending smoothly and easily exploiting the opponent's weaknesses in the ending.

But this time the attacker was Kasimdzhanov, and his new 17.g4!? had been prepared - an amazing move also keeping in mind the h1-a8 diagonal being opened. Initially Cheparinov's reaction was excellent, but perhaps he should have preferred 22...Rh8 or 22...Bxb2!? because what followed in the game seems more or less forced. With the exception of move 31 perhaps, where 31.Ng5 might have been even stronger, an excellent game by the Uzbek.



Tournament leaders Leko and Ivanchuk both had Black, and both drew easily; Ivanchuk even had chances to win after manoeuvering better than his compatriot Eljanov, in a QGA. Leko quickly reached a very active position against Kamsky's personal Anti-Marshall (8.d4 & 9.Bxf7), which the American had played against Anand at the Amber tournament this year. The spectacular rook-sac-to-give-perpetual gave the players an extra semi-rest day.



Inarkiev is like wounded deer in the Jermuk forest, so everyone goes out hunting. Yesterday it was Karjakin's turn, and by using some nice tactics he did get some chances (30.Qf5! Bc5 31.Bd3 Qe7 32.Qg6 would have won a pawn) but then he overpressed and almost lost: just before the end, for one move (68...Rd3!) Inarkiev was totally winning. How much can one stand in one tournament?



The last three games all seem to fit in the category "correct draws that one can hardly comment upon". Gelfand-Alekseev was very balanced all the time while the two Armenians, who constantly play with the same color in this tournament, both drew with the Semi-Slav; Aronian in a Moscow variation against Bacrot and Akopian in a Latvian Attack (Jakovenko's choice).

Round 9 games

Game viewer by ChessTempo

Jermuk Grand Prix 2009 | Schedule & results

All photos © Arman Kharakhanyan

Links

• Official website
• Games in PGN