World Cup 2009 Final-London Day 1

Finally a final for World Cup 2009. Boris Gelfand play best round ever, dismissing Karjakin chances to see the final 2-0. While Malakhov still made it to tie break and win one rapid game, before sent home by Ponomariov after Pono won all remain rapid games. Final semifinal result here.

This leave to a final pairing, Boris Gelfand - Ruslan Ponomariov, Boris is seeded 1 and Pono no. 7 in this tournament. They met many times with Ponomariov in favourable score. Their last game was in Tal Memorial and ended 1/2-1/2. For Boris this will be the second best shot to challenge the World Champion after he also played in 2007 Candidate match. While Ponomariov is looking for the second knock out style title. In 2002 after Pono win, some chess politic manuever caused his bid to match the reign Champion never really had changes. Looking forward for this face off!

Meanwhile, London Chess Classic just started. The event has been highly anticipated at least in CHESS Magazine where they published ads maybe half year prior. Total of eight GM, span from Carlsen to David Howell going to played each other. With Hikaru Nakamura maybe the second most interesting player the chess community wants to see. Round 1 see Carlsen surprised Kramnik in English opening and take strong 1-0. Luke McShane also won (strange) game with Short in 160+ moves. The rest is a draw :

Magnus Carlsen 1-0 Vladimir Kramnik
Luke McShane 1-0 Nigel Short
David Howell ½-½ Michael Adams
Hikaru Nakamura ½-½ Ni Hua

The side event is a Festival Open, with Ludvig Hammer, Simmon Williams, Stuart Conquest playing. See here.

Also a Women Invitational event with some strong , still yet much popular, women playing. See here.

Finalis Piala Dunia Catur 2009 di Siberia akhirnya ketahuan kemarin. Boris Gelfand, GM veteran dari Israel, mengkandaskan pecatur 19 tahun Sergey Karjakin, 2-0. Partai pertama dengan buah hitam Gelfand memukul putih yang bermain 1.e4 tapi 2.Bc4 untuk menghindari Petroff nya Gelfand. Putih bermain resiko dan akhirnya hitam berhasil memetik kemenangan. Sementara di game ke dua, Gelfand memilih langkah yang lebih aman di pertahanan Gambit Menteri di tolak , tetapi hitam yang musti menang kembali bermain resiko mengakibatkan putih dapat menyerang hitam dengan indah. Lihat partai di sini.

Partai semifinal lain, mantan juara Ruslan Ponomariov mengirim pulang pecatur dadakan tapi kuat, Vladimir Malakhov. Malakhov yang masih berstatus semi profesional ini cukup sensasional setelah menghentikan langkah Wesley So di babak 4. Setelah itu, Malakhov menghentikan Svidler dan untuk menantang Ponomariov yang menghentikan Vugar Gashimov. Malakhov bermain solid, dengan pertahanan Slavia yang sukses dimainkan sepanjang turnamen. Kedua pecatur musti melewati babak tie break dengan bermain 4 kali catur cepat. Di catur pertama Malakhov menang tetapi 3 partai sisa dimenangkan Ponomariov.

Partai Final Gelfand dan Ponomariov akan menentukan juara Piala Dunia edisi tahun ini sekaligus sang pemenang akan otomatis bertanding di turnamen kandidat tahun mendatang. Kira-kira 8 pecatur akan main di turnamen kandidat untuk menantang juara dunia atau pemenang duel Anand-Topalov tahun depan. Peserta yang pasti di turnamen kandidat adalah,

1. Levon Aronian (dari Grand Prix),
2. peringkat dua Grand Prix, kemungkinan Teimor Radjabov
3. pecundang dari Anand vs Topalov
4. Juara Piala Dunia, Gelfand vs Ponomariov
5. Peringkat 1 FIDE, kemungkinan Carlsen dan Kramnik
6. Peringkat 2 FIDE,
7. Nominasi dari tuan rumah, kemungkinan Mamedyarov / Gashimov
8. Gata Kamsky, pecundang partai Kamsky vs Topalov 2009.