Robert Markus going home

Unfortunately, experienced GM Mikhail Gurevich has beaten young SCG star Robert Markus in the playoff games of the World Chess Cup 1st round. If anything, Robert will have 6000$ in his pocket.


GM Mikhail Gurevich (2652) - GM Robert Markus (2579)
1. c4 Nf6 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Nc3 Nc7 6. Qb3 Nc6 7. Bxc6+ bxc6 8. Qa4 Bd7 9. Nf3 f6 10. d3 e5 11. O-O Be7 12. Ne4 Ne6 13. Be3 Nd4 14. Bxd4 cxd4 15. Rfc1 Qb6 16. Qc4 Qb5 17. Nfd2 Qxc4 18. Nxc4 O-O 19. Na5 Rfc8 20. Nc5 Be8 21. b4 Rab8 22. a3 Bd8 23. Ncb3 c5 24. Rxc5 Rxc5 25. Nxc5 Bxa5 26. bxa5 Bh5 27. f3 Rb5 28. Rc1 Rxa5 29. g4 Bg6 30. a4 h5 31. h4 hxg4 32. fxg4 Be8 33. Nb7 Rd5 34. Rc8 Kf7 35. Rc7+ Rd7 36. Nd6+ Kf8 37. Rc6 Ke7 38. Nxe8 Kxe8 39. Kf2 Kf7 40. h5 Rb7 41. Kf3 Kg8 42. Rc8+ Kh7 43. Ra8 Rc7 44. a5 Rc2 45. Rxa7 Ra2 46. Ra8 Kh6 47. a6 Ra5 48. a7 Kh7 49. g5 fxg5 50. Kg4 g6 51. hxg6+ Kg7 52. Kxg5 e4+ 53. Kf4 exd3 54. exd3 Ra6 55. Ke4 1-0



Again, few surprises in the round 2 - Vassily Ivanchuk (2748) lost to Ivan Cheparinov (2618, Topalov's second) and Viorel Bologan (2682) was knocked off by Zahar Efimenko (2637).


Ivan Cheparinov (2618) - Vassily Ivanchuk (2748)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. b6 d6 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. a4 a5 8. e4 g6 9. Nf3 Bg7 10. Be2 O-O 11. O-O Qxb6 12. Nd2 Ba6 13. Nb5 Rfb8 14. Qc2 Qd8 15. Nc4 Nb6 16. Nca3 Ne8 17. Rb1 Nc7 18. b3 Bxb5 19. Nxb5 Na6 20. Bg5 Nb4 21. Qd2 Qd7 22. f4 Rb7 23. f5 Qe8 24. Rf3 Nd7 25. Rbf1 Be5 26. Rh3 f6 27. Be3 g5 28. g4 Rc8 29. Bc4 Bd4 30. Nxd4 cxd4 31. Bxg5 Ne5 32. Bh6 d3 33. g5 Qf7 34. Rg3 Kh8 35. g6 hxg6 36. fxg6 Nxg6 37. Rf5 Ne5 38. Bf8 Qh7 39. Bg7+ Qxg7 40. Rh5+ Kg8 41. Rxg7+ Kxg7 42. Qh6+ Kf7 43. Qh7+ Ke8 44. Qf5 1-0


Etienne Bacrot (2725) - Robert Kempinski (2619)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 O-O 5. Be2 d6 6. Nf3 e5 7. Be3 Na6 8. O-O Ng4 9. Bg5 Qe8 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. h3 Nf6 12. Be3 b6 13. a3 Bb7 14. Qc2 Nh5 15. b4 Nf4 16. c5 Nxe2+ 17. Qxe2 f5 18. Rfc1 bxc5 19. b5 Nb8 20. Bxc5 Rf7 21. Ng5 Rd7 22. Rd1 h6 23. Qc4+ Kh8 24. Qe6 Qxe6 25. Nxe6 fxe4 26. Be3 Bc8 27. Nd5 Rxd5 28. Nxc7 1-0


Alexander Grischuk (2720) - Anderi Istratescu (2622)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Bd3 Bc5 6. Nb3 Ba7 7. Qg4 g6 8. Qg3 Nc6 9. Nc3 d6 10. h4 Nf6 11. Bh6 Ne5 12. Be2 b5 13. f4 Nc4 14. O-O-O Ne3 15. Rd4 Nfg4 16. Bxg4 Nxg4 17. Qxg4 Bxd4 18. Nxd4 b4 19. Na4 Bd7 20. b3 Bxa4 21. bxa4 Qd7 22. Kb1 Rc8 23. Rd1 Qxa4 24. f5 Ke7 25. fxe6 f6 1-0


Teimur Radjabov (2704) - Murtas Kazhgaleyev (2601)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O Ne7 6. Nxe5 Qd4 7. Qh5 g6 8. Qg5 Bg7 9. Nd3 f5 10. e5 c5 11. b3 b6 12. Bb2 Qg4 13. Qe3 Nd5 14. Qe1 Bb7 15. f3 Qg5 16. Nc3 O-O-O 17. Nxd5 Bxd5 18. Qe2 f4 19. b4 c4 20. Nf2 Rhe8 21. Rfe1 Qe7 22. a3 Kb8 23. d3 cxd3 24. cxd3 g5 25. d4 h5 26. Qxa6 g4 27. Qe2 Bf6 28. Ne4 Bh4 29. Rf1 Rg8 30. Kh1 Rdf8 31. Nd2 Bg3 32. Rfc1 Qh4 0-1


Magnus Carlsen (2570) - Farrukh Ammonatov (2572)
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nf3 Qc7 8. a4 b6 9. Nd5 Nxd5 10. Qxd5 Nc6 11. Ng5 Rb8 12. Bc4 Nd8 13. Qd3 h6 14. Nf3 Ra8 15. Nd2 Ne6 16. Bd5 Rb8 17. Qc4 Nc5 18. b4 b5 19. axb5 axb5 20. Qc3 Ne6 21. Qxc7 Nxc7 22. Ba7 Nxd5 23. Bxb8 Nxb4 24. O-O Nc6 25. Rfb1 Be7 26. Rxb5 O-O 27. Nc4 Be6 28. Bxd6 Bxc4 29. Rc5 Rc8 30. Rxc4 Bxd6 31. Ra6 Rb8 32. g3 Nd4 33. Rxd6 Rb1+ 34. Kg2 Rb2 35. c3 Nc2 36. Kf1 1-0