Exciting finish in Kazan!

Russian Chess Championship Qualifier had a thrilling last round. GM Sergey Volkov (2622), who was leading most of the race, lost the last round game to GM Alexander Khalifman (2653). Still he managed to stay in top 7, which gave him ticket for Super-final tournament of 58th Russian Individual Chess Championship.

Last round results:
GM Khalifman (2653) - GM Volkov (2622) 1-0
GM Bareev (2688) - GM Bocharov (2574) 1-0
GM Motylev (2675) - GM Najer (2614) draw
GM Jakovenko (2627) - GM Rublevsky (2645) draw
GM Korotylev (2604) - GM Timofeev (2661) draw
GM Zvjaginsev (2659) - GM Shariyazdanov (2592) 1-0
GM Smirnov (2635) - GM Tomashevsky (2555) 0-1 etc.


Final standings:
1-2. Evgeny Bareev, Alexander Khalifman 6,5 points
3-9. Sergey Volkov, Sergei Rublevsky, Dmitry Jakovenko, Evgeny Najer, Vadim Zvjaginsev, Evgeny Tomashevsky, Alexander Motylev 6 points
10-15. Mikhail Kobalia, Dmitry Bocharov, Artyom Timofeev, Evgeny Alekseev, Alexey Korotylev, Alexander Galkin 5,5 points etc.

This tournament had 66 players, with 20 of them rated over 2600 FIDE. Prize fund was 100.000 USD.


White: GM Khalifman 2653
Black: GM Volkov 2622
2005.09.11; Round 9; ECO C07
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Ngf3 cxd4 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Nb3 Nc6 9. Nbxd4 Nxd4 10. Nxd4 a6 11. Bb3 Qc7 12. Qf3 Bd6 13. h3 Be5 14. c3 h6 15. Re1 O-O 16. Be3 Bd7 17. Re2 Rad8 18. Rae1 Rfe8 19. Bxh6 Bxd4 20. cxd4 Bc6 21. Qe3 gxh6 22. Qxh6 Nh7 23. Bc2 f6 24. Rxe6 Rxe6 25. Rxe6 Bd5 26. Bxh7+ Qxh7 27. Qxf6 Qb1+ 28. Kh2 Bxe6 29. Qxd8+ Kg7 30. Qe7+ Bf7 31. Qe5+ Kh7 32. Qc7 Qf5 33. f3 Qd5 34. a3 Qb3 35. h4 Kg8 36. Qc8+ Kh7 37. Qc3 Qb6 38. Qc2+ Kg7 39. Qd2 Qc7+ 40. Kh3 Qc4 41. Qg5+ Kh7 42. Qf5+ Kg8 43. Qg5+ Kh7 44. Qf6 Qb3 45. g4 Bd5 46. Kg3 Bc6 47. h5 Qd1 48. Qg6+ Kh8 49. Qh6+ Kg8 50. Qe3 Kf8 51. b4 Be8 52. h6 Qb1 53. d5 Qd1 54. Qe5 Bf7 55. d6 Qg1+ 56. Kh4 Qh1+ 57. Kg5 1-0


White: GM Bareev 2685
Black: GM Bocharov 2574
2005.09.11; Round 9; ECO E11
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Nbd2 O-O 5. a3 Be7 6. e4 d5 7. e5 Nfd7 8. b4 a5 9. b5 c5 10. Bb2 cxd4 11. Be2 Nc5 12. Bxd4 Nbd7 13. a4 Nb6 14. Qc2 Nxc4 15. Bxc4 dxc4 16. Nxc4 b6 17. Rd1 Qc7 18. Nd6 Bb7 19. Bxc5 Bd5 20. Nd4 bxc5 21. N4f5 Bg5 22. O-O c4 23. Qc3 f6 24. f4 Bh6 25. Qe3 fxe5 26. b6 Qd7 27. Qxe5 Rad8 28. Rfe1 Kh8 29. Rxd5 exd5 30. Nxh6 c3 31. b7 c2 32. Ndf7+ 1-0


White: GM Sakaev
Black: GM Yakovich
2005.09.11; Round 9; ECO D37
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. e4 Bb4 6. Bg5 b5 7. a4 c6 8. e5 h6 9. exf6 hxg5 10. fxg7 Rg8 11. g3 Bb7 12. Bg2 c5 13. O-O g4 14. Nh4 Bxg2 15. Nxg2 cxd4 16. Nxb5 Nc6 17. Qxg4 a6 18. Qe4 Rc8 19. Qh7 Ne7 20. Nf4 axb5 21. Nh5 f5 22. Qh6 Qd6 23. axb5 Qe5 24. Ra6 Bd6 25. Nf6+ Kf7 26. Nd7 Qd5 27. Qf6+ Ke8 28. Rxd6 Qxd6 29. Ne5 d3 30. b6 1-0


White: GM Zvaginsev 2659
Black: GM Shariyazdanov 2592
2005.09.11; Round 9; ECO B30
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bc4 Nb6 6. Bb3 d5 7. exd6 c4 8. Bc2 Qxd6 9. O-O Bg4 10. Re1 e6 11. b3 Be7 12. Na3 cxb3 13. axb3 Nd5 14. Nb5 Qd7 15. Ra4 Ncb4 16. Nbd4 Bf6 17. h3 Nxc2 18. Qxc2 Bh5 19. Ba3 b5 20. Ra5 Bxf3 21. Nxf3 Bd8 22. Ra6 Qb7 23. Raxe6+ fxe6 24. Rxe6+ Ne7 25. Qf5 Rf8 26. Qh5+ Rf7 27. Nd4 g6 28. Qe5 a6 29. Qh8+ Rf8 30. Qxh7 Qd5 31. Rxe7+ 1-0