Danzhou 07-09: Hari finishes second after defeating the leader
After an early loss, Harikrishna did a splendid job of solidifying his position and reaching fifty percent at the end of six rounds. It was important that he keep the momentum going. He did just that with a timely win over the leader Nepomniachtchi. He finished with two draws against the Chinese to take the second place in the super-tournament. An illustrated report.
Danzhou 07-09: Hari finishes second after defeating the leader
After an early loss, Harikrishna did a splendid job of solidifying his position and reaching fifty percent at the end of six rounds. It was important that he keep the momentum going, and in the seventh round, he had the white pieces against the leader GM Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia.
Retrospectively, this turned out to be a very important game for Hari.
An h3-najdorf resulted in a novel position, where Nepo decided to sacrifice a pawn to divert white's attention from the possibilities of a kingside attack, and instead, play in the centre. White grabbed the material on offer, regrouped and improved his pieces to just reach a commanding position, eventually winning the game.
[Event "7th Danzhou GM"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.07.15"] [Round "7"] [White "Harikrishna, P."] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B90"] [WhiteElo "2755"] [BlackElo "2725"] [PlyCount "85"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [WhiteClock "0:36:00"] [BlackClock "0:36:00"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h3 e5 7. Nde2 h5 8. g3 Nbd7 9. a4 b6 10. Nd5 (10. Bg2 Bb7 11. Nd5 Nxd5 12. exd5 g6 13. c4 $11) 10... Nxd5 11. Qxd5 Rb8 12. Nc3 Bb7 13. Qd2 (13. Qd3 Nc5 14. Qf3 g6 15. Be3 Qc7 ( 15... Bg7 16. Bc4 $14)) 13... Nf6 (13... h4 14. g4 Rc8 15. Bd3 Nc5 16. O-O Be7 17. Qe2 Bg5 18. Bc4 Bxc1 19. Raxc1 $14) 14. Bg2 Be7 15. O-O O-O 16. Qe2 { Nepo puts into use a sharp idea to to bring the black pieces to life.} h4 17. gxh4 {Hari decides to take the gambit.} (17. g4 {is not bad.} Nh7 18. Rd1 Ng5 19. Be3 Ne6 20. Rd2 Qd7 (20... Qc7 21. Nd5 Bxd5 22. exd5 Nf4 23. Bxf4 exf4 24. Qxa6 $16) 21. Rad1 $14) 17... b5 {fighting for the center.} 18. axb5 axb5 19. h5 (19. Nxb5 Nxe4 20. Bxe4 Bxe4 21. Qxe4 Rxb5 22. h5 Bg5 23. b3 Bxc1 24. Rfxc1 Qg5+ 25. Qg4 e4 26. c4 Re5 27. Qxg5 Rxg5+ 28. Kh2 Rf5 29. Rc2 Rb8 30. Rb2 Rc5 31. Ra4 f6 32. Kg3 Rxh5 33. b4 Kf7 $11) 19... b4 20. Nd1 (20. Nd5 Nxd5 21. exd5 Bc8 22. Kh2 Bd7 23. Rg1 Bg5 $11) 20... Ra8 21. Rxa8 Qxa8 22. Re1 Re8 23. c4 Bf8 24. Bd2 Rc8 25. Bg5 Nh7 26. h4 (26. Bh4 Rc5 27. Qc2 f5 28. Ne3 Bxe4 29. Bxe4 Qxe4 30. Qxe4 fxe4 31. b3 Ra5 32. Nd5 Ra3 33. Re3 Kf7 34. f3 exf3 35. Rxf3+ Kg8 36. Kg2 $16) 26... Qa2 27. Bf1 Rc7 28. Qd3 {to defend c4 better.} Ba6 29. b3 Bc8 30. Ne3 Be6 31. Nd5 Rb7 $16 {White is a pawn up and his pieces are working quite well.} 32. Bh3 Qa8 33. Bf5 Ra7 34. Nxb4 $18 Ra1 35. Rxa1 Qxa1+ 36. Kg2 Bxf5 37. exf5 e4 38. Qxe4 Qc3 39. Nd5 Qxb3 40. h6 gxh6 41. Bf6 Nxf6 42. Nxf6+ Kg7 {4500} 43. Nd7 {4530} 1-0
After a first round loss to Bu, Hari had suddenly come into contention with victories over the top seed Chinese GM Ding Liren and the leader GM Ian Nepomniachtchi.
The penultimate round clash with Chinese GM Wang Hao was a 146-move-long affair.
The game began as a Queen's Indian where a sharp sequence of moves left Hari a pawn ahead, but the pawn structure in question made his chances of winning again doubtful. In the end, Wang Hao just sacrificed his bishop and held for fifty moves with a rook against Black's rook and bishop team.
[Event "7th Danzhou GM"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.07.16"] [Round "8"] [White "Wang, Hao"] [Black "Harikrishna, P."] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "E15"] [WhiteElo "2734"] [BlackElo "2755"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2r2rk1/p3bppp/b1n1pn2/q1pp4/2P2B2/1PN2NP1/P1Q1PPBP/3R1RK1 w - - 0 14"] [PlyCount "266"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [WhiteClock "0:17:00"] [BlackClock "0:26:00"] 14. Bd2 dxc4 (14... Qb6 15. Na4 Qb8 16. Be3 $11) 15. Nd5 cxb3 (15... Qb5 $15 { is another possibility.} 16. Nxe7+ Nxe7 17. Ne5 cxb3 18. axb3 Qxe2 19. Rfe1) 16. Nxe7+ Nxe7 17. axb3 Qb5 18. Ra1 Qxe2 19. Rfe1 Qd3 20. Qxd3 Bxd3 21. Ne5 Bc2 22. Rxa7 Ned5 23. Rb7 Rb8 24. Rxb8 Rxb8 25. Rc1 Bxb3 26. Rxc5 h6 {Black is a pawn ahead, but it is a question if it is enough in such an almost symmetrical position.} 27. h4 Ba4 28. g4 Nb6 29. g5 hxg5 30. hxg5 Nfd7 31. Nxd7 Nxd7 32. Ra5 Bb3 33. f4 Nf8 34. Be4 Rd8 35. Be3 Bd5 36. Bc2 Rc8 37. Rc5 Ra8 38. Rc7 Bf3 39. Bc5 Bh5 40. Bxf8 Kxf8 41. Kf2 Ra3 42. Be4 g6 43. Rc8+ Kg7 44. Ra8 Rb3 45. Ra5 Bg4 46. Rc5 Ra3 47. Bg2 Bd1 48. Be4 Ra4 49. Ke3 Ra2 50. Rc3 Rh2 51. Rc1 Bg4 52. Rg1 Bh5 53. Rc1 Re2+ 54. Kd3 Ra2 55. Ke3 Bg4 56. Rg1 Bh3 57. Rc1 Ra5 58. Kd4 Bg4 59. Ke3 Bh3 60. Rh1 Ra3+ 61. Kf2 Bg4 62. Rc1 Ra2+ 63. Ke3 Ra7 64. Kf2 Kf8 65. Ke3 Ke7 66. Rb1 Ra3+ 67. Kf2 Ra4 68. Rb7+ Kf8 69. Rb8+ Kg7 70. Ke3 Ra2 71. Rb4 Rh2 72. Rc4 Bd1 73. Rc1 Ba4 74. Ra1 Bb3 75. Rb1 Rh3+ 76. Kd4 Kf8 77. Ra1 Rh4 78. Ke3 e5 79. fxe5 Rg4 80. Kf3 Be6 81. Bxg6 fxg6 82. Ra6 Bc8 83. Rxg6 Rg1 84. Kf4 Rf1+ 85. Ke3 Ke7 86. Rh6 Rg1 87. Kd4 Be6 88. g6 Bf5 89. g7 Rxg7 90. Ra6 Rg4+ 91. Kd5 Be4+ 92. Kc5 Bg2 93. Rf6 Re4 94. Rg6 Rxe5+ 95. Kd4 Re2 96. Rb6 Re4+ 97. Kd3 Rh4 98. Ke3 Bd5 99. Ra6 Kd7 100. Rf6 Be6 101. Rf4 Rh5 102. Kd4 Kd6 103. Ke3 Ra5 104. Rb4 Kc5 105. Re4 Bd5 106. Re7 Ra3+ 107. Kf4 Kd4 108. Rd7 Rf3+ 109. Kg4 Rf6 110. Kg5 Rf8 111. Re7 Be4 112. Ra7 Rf5+ 113. Kg4 Rf6 114. Kg5 Rf1 115. Re7 Rf5+ 116. Kg4 Ke3 117. Re6 Ra5 118. Re8 Ra6 119. Re5 Ra1 120. Kg5 Rg1+ 121. Kf6 Rg6+ 122. Ke7 Kd4 123. Re6 Rg1 124. Kf6 Bd5 125. Re7 Rf1+ 126. Kg5 Be4 127. Re8 Bf5 128. Ra8 Be6 129. Ra3 Bd5 130. Kg4 Ke5 131. Re3+ Be4 132. Ra3 Rf8 133. Ra5+ Bd5 134. Kg3 Rg8+ 135. Kf2 Kd4 136. Ra4+ Kd3 137. Ra3+ Kd2 138. Ra5 Rg5 139. Rc5 Kd3 140. Ra5 Rg2+ 141. Kf1 Bf3 142. Ra3+ Ke4 143. Ke1 Re2+ 144. Kf1 Kf4 145. Ra7 Rb2 146. Rf7+ {8760} Ke5 {8220} 1/2-1/2
Nepo beat Bu Xingzhi in a rather fashionable manner, and cemented his victory in the tournament.
[Event "7th Danzhou GM"] [Site "?"] [Date "2016.07.16"] [Round "8"] [White "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Black "Bu, Xiangzhi"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C78"] [WhiteElo "2725"] [BlackElo "2723"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2brr3/3qnpk1/p2p1b1p/P1pPp1pQ/1pP1P1N1/1P5P/R4PP1/1BB1R1K1 b - - 0 28"] [PlyCount "40"] [EventDate "2016.??.??"] [SourceDate "2003.06.08"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [WhiteClock "1:16:00"] [BlackClock "0:54:00"] 28... Rh8 29. f4 gxf4 (29... exf4 30. Nxf6 $18) 30. g3 (30. Nxf6 Kxf6 $11) 30... Ng6 31. gxf4 Qe7 32. Nxf6 Qxf6 33. fxe5 dxe5 34. Rg2 Qd6 35. Rf1 Rde8 36. Kh1 Re7 37. Be3 Rc7 38. Rgf2 Rh7 39. Rf6 Qxf6 40. Rxf6 Kxf6 41. Bxh6 Rxh6 42. Qxh6 Re7 43. h4 Re8 44. Qg5+ Kg7 45. h5 Rh8 46. Bc2 Rh6 47. Bd1 f6 {3570} 48. Qg1 {2280} 1-0
The final round game for Hari, against Hou Yifan, ended just as peacefully as it began.
[Event "7th Danzhou GM"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.07.17"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Harikrishna, P."]
[Black "Hou, Yifan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E20"]
[WhiteElo "2755"]
[BlackElo "2653"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteClock "0:46:00"]
[BlackClock "0:41:00"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "2016.07.17"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Harikrishna, P."]
[Black "Hou, Yifan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E20"]
[WhiteElo "2755"]
[BlackElo "2653"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[TimeControl "5400+30"]
[WhiteClock "0:46:00"]
[BlackClock "0:41:00"]
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 c5 8.
dxc5 Nbd7 9. e3 Qa5 10. Qd4 O-O 11. a3 Bxc3+ 12. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 13. bxc3 Ne4 14.
Nd4 g5 15. Bg3 Ndxc5 16. f3 Nxg3 17. hxg3 Kg7 18. g4 Be6 19. Kd2 Rac8 20. Be2
Bd7 21. Rab1 Rc7 22. Rhc1 Rfc8 23. Bd1 b6 24. Bb3 Nxb3+ 25. Rxb3 Rc5 26. Rb4
Ra5 27. Ra1 Rac5 28. Rc1 Ra5 29. Ra1 Rac5 30. Rc1 {3540} Ra5 {3840} 1/2-1/2
dxc5 Nbd7 9. e3 Qa5 10. Qd4 O-O 11. a3 Bxc3+ 12. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 13. bxc3 Ne4 14.
Nd4 g5 15. Bg3 Ndxc5 16. f3 Nxg3 17. hxg3 Kg7 18. g4 Be6 19. Kd2 Rac8 20. Be2
Bd7 21. Rab1 Rc7 22. Rhc1 Rfc8 23. Bd1 b6 24. Bb3 Nxb3+ 25. Rxb3 Rc5 26. Rb4
Ra5 27. Ra1 Rac5 28. Rc1 Ra5 29. Ra1 Rac5 30. Rc1 {3540} Ra5 {3840} 1/2-1/2
Crosstable:
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