The Jermuk Grand Prix ended in a very tense last round. Ivanchuk and Leko led with Aronyan and Gelfand just a half point behind. The lineup was Gelfand-Leko, Akopyan-Ivanchuk and Aronyan-Inarkiev. Gelfand and Aronyan both established edges in the middlegame while Ivanchuk got on top in a time-scramble.
Aronyan converted quickly. Ivanchuk and Gelfand took longer with the former avoiding stalemate while the latter showed good technique in an ending. Ivanchuk ended champion with Gelfand and Aronyan tying for second. Leko tied for 4-6 with Alekseev and Kasimdzhanov.
The GP has one tournament to go but Aronyan has clinched victory. The format counts the three best results (each player plays 4). Aronyan has played three with two wins (Sochi, Nalchik) and a tie for 2-3 (Jermuk). He cannot be caught by his nearest rival, Radjabov. Apart from Euro 150,000-odd, the Armenian GM has qualified for one of two Candidates spots.
Qualification for the 2010 Amber is the main sweetener for the annual Youth Vs Experience NH Challenge match in Amsterdam. This Scheveningen features the “experienced” Svidler, Van Wely, Peter Heine Nielsen, Alexander Belyavsky and Ljubomir Ljubojevic against Hikaru Nakamura, Hou Yifan, Daniel Stellwagen, Fabiano Caruana and Jan Smeets. “Experience” leads 16-14 with Jan Smeets having the best individual performance so far, with 4.5 from 6. He's the only “Youth” player with a plus while Svidler, Ljubo and Nielsen all have pluses.
In another recent Scheveningen match, the Russian men beat the PRC men 13-12 while the PRC women beat the Russian women 13.5-11.5 at standard controls. Russia won handily overall at rapid and blitz controls, to take the overall trophy with 130.5-119.5. And in Zurich, Vladimir Kramnik won the Rapid tournament with 5/7 ahead of Anand 4.5 and Topalov, Ponomariov, Khalifman, Judit Polgar, Karpov and Werner Hug.
The Diagram, BLACK TO PLAY, (Belyavsky Vs Nakamura NH Challenge 2009) is the launch-pad for 20...g3!! 21.Nxc7 Nxe4! White may be objectively winning but this is a great try. The R+R+Kt offer wins after 22. Nxa8 Qh4 23. h3 Bxh3 but engine defences like 22. fxe4 Qh4 23 h3 Bxh3 24. gxh3 Qxh3 25. Rf2 gxf2+ 26. Kxf2 Qh2+ 27. Kf1 f3! 28. Nxa8! may leave white on top.
Instead White continued 22.Ne6 Bxe6 23.dxe6 gxh2+ 24.Kxh2 Qh4+ 25.Kg1 Ng3 26.Bxc5 e4! 27.Ra4 Rc8 28.Bxa7 b5 – analysis suggests 27.Ra3 may have been better. Now black is winning. The game ended 29.Rb4 bxc4 30.Bxc4 Qh1+ (Black could finish quicker with 30. — e3 31. Bxe3 fxe3 32. e7+ Kh8 and Qh1#) 31.Kf2 e3+ 32.Bxe3 fxe3+ 33.Kxe3 Nxf1+ 34.Bxf1 Qg1+ (0-1). It's convincing 35. Ke2 Rc3 — white was down to his last minute while black had plenty of time.
