Nakamura Nearly Home In Tata Steel
A draw against Vladimir Kramnik was enough to ensure that Hikaru Nakamura will lead by half a point going into the final round of the Tata Steel tournament.
Kramnik, having lost to Carlsen in the previous round was in no mood for fireworks and Nakamura was happy to edge closer to overall victory with a draw.
Vishy Anand meant business against 16 year-old Anish Giri, but the young GM held his own in a complicated battle, and turned the tables on the champion to have winning chances of his own. In the end, it was the world champion who was lucky to escape with a draw.
With Lev Aronian also only managing a draw, it was left to that man Carlsen to provide another great win by beating Wang Hao with a sparkling attack. But is it too little, too late for Carlsen who lies a full point behind leader Nakamura.
Elsewhere, Vachier-Lagrave beat Nepomniachtchi, and the only other winner in the A Group was Alexander Grischuk who finally nabbed his first win of the event against fellow struggler Jan Smeets.
Discretion was the better part of valour for Nakamura against Kramnik
The world champion overcooks it against a possible future champion, but escapes with a draw
Carlsen is still fighting to the last, winning with another attacking game today
In Group B, Luke McShane won a crucial game against Wesley So to share the joint lead with David Navara who overcame backmarker Nijboer. Quang Liem and Efimenko drew their game with each other to fall half a point behind going into the final round.
McShane and Navara are paired against each other in the final round...will it be a quick draw to ensure a share of first place, or a real fight? We shall see!
McShane ensures he is the joint leader going into the final round, beating So
In Group C, Daniele Vocaturo looked to sailing away with it, but he slipped up in the penultimate round against Swiercz, allowing the diminutive young Ukrainian Illya Nyzhnyk to narrow his lead to just half a point by beating Van Kampen.
By another happy coincidence of the pairings, Nyzhnyk plays Vocaturo in the final round, but he will have to win with the black pieces if he is to snatch overall victory away from his Italian opponent.
14-year old Nyzhnyk could still win Group C (all pics from the official Facebook site)
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The pairings for the last round are:
| Group A | |
| Nepomniachtchi | Anand |
| Kramnik | Vachier-Lagrave |
| Hao | Nakamura |
| Grischuk | Carlsen |
| Aronian | Smeets |
| Shirov | L'Ami |
| Giri | Ponomariov |
| Group B | |
| Hammer | Fressinet |
| Efimenko | Sargassian |
| Ganguly | Quang Liem |
| So | Wojtaszek |
| Navara | McShane |
| Spoelman | Nijboer |
| Chao | Tkachiev |
| Group C | |
| van Kampen | Bok |
| Vocaturo | Nyzhnyk |
| Kazhgaleyev | Swiercz |
| de Jong | Lahno |
| Bluvshtein | Ivanisevic |
| Sachdev | Siebrecht |
| Pruijssers | van der Werf |
The full results and standings going into the final round:
| Group A | ||
| Nakamura, Hikaru | ½-½ | Kramnik, Vladimir |
| Anand, Viswanathan | ½-½ | Giri, Anish |
| Carlsen, Magnus | 1-0 | Wang, Hao |
| Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | 1-0 | Nepomniachtchi, Ian |
| Ponomariov, Ruslan | ½-½ | Shirov, Alexei |
| L'Ami, Erwin | ½-½ | Aronian, Levon |
| Smeets, Jan | 0-1 | Grischuk, Alexander |
| Group B | ||
| McShane, Luke J | 1-0 | So, Wesley |
| Le, Quang Liem | ½-½ | Efimenko, Zahar |
| Sargissian, Gabriel | ½-½ | Hammer, Jon Ludvig |
| Tkachiev, Vladislav | 1-0 | Spoelman, Wouter |
| Wojtaszek, Radoslaw | 0-1 | Ganguly, Surya Shekhar |
| Fressinet, Laurent | 1-0 | Li, Chao |
| Nijboer, Friso | 0-1 | Navara, David |
| Group C | ||
| Nyzhnyk, Illya | 1-0 | Van Kampen, Robin |
| Ivanisevic, Ivan | 1-0 | De Jong, Jan-Willem |
| Lahno, Kateryna | ½-½ | Kazhgaleyev, Murtas |
| Swiercz, Dariusz | 1-0 | Vocaturo, Daniele |
| Bok, Benjamin | 1-0 | Pruijssers, Roeland |
| Siebrecht, Sebastian | 0-1 | Bluvshtein, Mark |
| Van Der Werf, Mark | 0-1 | Tania, Sachdev |
| Group A | |||||||||||||||||
| Nakamura, Hikaru | USA | 2751 | * | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | . | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8½ |
| Anand, Viswanathan | IND | 2810 | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | . | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Carlsen, Magnus | NOR | 2814 | 1 | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | . | 1 | ½ | 7½ |
| Aronian, Levon | ARM | 2805 | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | . | 1 | 7½ |
| Kramnik, Vladimir | RUS | 2784 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | . | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 7 |
| Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | FRA | 2715 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Giri, Anish | NED | 2686 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | . | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 6 |
| Ponomariov, Ruslan | UKR | 2744 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | * | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 6 |
| Nepomniachtchi, Ian | RUS | 2733 | 0 | . | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | * | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 5½ |
| Wang, Hao | CHN | 2731 | . | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | * | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 5½ |
| L'Ami, Erwin | NED | 2628 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | * | ½ | ½ | . | 4 |
| Grischuk, Alexander | RUS | 2773 | 0 | ½ | . | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Smeets, Jan | NED | 2662 | 0 | 0 | 0 | . | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | * | 1 | 4 |
| Shirov, Alexei | ESP | 2722 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 1 | 0 | * | 3½ |
| Group B | |||||||||||||||||
| McShane, Luke J | ENG | 2664 | * | . | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 8 |
| Navara, David | CZE | 2708 | . | * | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Efimenko, Zahar | UKR | 2701 | 1 | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 7½ |
| Le, Quang Liem | VIE | 2664 | 1 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | . | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| So, Wesley | PHI | 2673 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | . | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 7 |
| Sargissian, Gabriel | ARM | 2667 | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 7 |
| Tkachiev, Vladislav | FRA | 2636 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | . | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 7 |
| Wojtaszek, Radoslaw | POL | 2726 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | . | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 6 |
| Fressinet, Laurent | FRA | 2707 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | * | 1 | 1 | . | 0 | ½ | 5 |
| Li, Chao |
CHN | 2649 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | . | 0 | 0 | * | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 5 |
| Ganguly, Surya Shekhar | IND | 2651 | 0 | 0 | ½ | . | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Hammer, Jon Ludvig | NOR | 2647 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | . | 0 | 0 | * | 1 | ½ | 4 |
| Spoelman, Wouter | NED | 2547 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | * | . | 4 |
| Nijboer, Friso | NED | 2584 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | . | * | 3½ |
| Group C | |||||||||||||||||
| Vocaturo, Daniele | ITA | 2570 | * | . | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8½ |
| Nyzhnyk, Illya | UKR | 2530 | . | * | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 8 |
| Ivanisevic, Ivan | SRB | 2630 | 1 | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | 0 | . | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 7½ |
| Lahno, Kateryna | UKR | 2518 | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | . | ½ | 7 |
| Swiercz, Dariusz | POL | 2540 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | * | 0 | 0 | . | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Tania, Sachdev | IND | 2391 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | * | 0 | 0 | ½ | . | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 6½ |
| Bluvshtein, Mark | CAN | 2590 | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | * | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6½ |
| Kazhgaleyev, Murtas | KAZ | 2637 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | . | 1 | 1 | * | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 6½ |
| Bok, Benjamin | NED | 2453 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | . | 6 |
| Siebrecht, Sebastian | GER | 2439 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | . | 0 | 1 | ½ | * | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 4½ |
| Van Der Werf, Mark | NED | 2439 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | * | . | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Pruijssers, Roeland | NED | 2484 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | . | * | ½ | ½ | 4 |
| De Jong, Jan-Willem | NED | 2437 | 0 | ½ | 0 | . | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | * | 0 | 4 |
| Van Kampen, Robin | NED | 2443 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | . | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | * | 4 |
