Shakhriyar Hits Twice
Ultimate Round and Closing Ceremony of the Vugar Gashimov Memorial and Winner’s Interview in the Review of Eteri Kublashvili
The tournament situation was intriguing with one round to go: trailing half a point behind the yesterday defeated leader Shakhriyar Mamedyarov were Veselin Topalov and Wesley So. This said, Mamedyarov was White against Topalov, and So was Black against Harikrishna.
However, further events showed that no drama was destined to take place in Shamkir that sunny Sunday. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Veselin Topalov negotiated peace pretty early and went on to participate in a friendly press conference hosted by Ljubomir Ljubojevic. After that, when Wesley So was still playing his game, the winner answered the questions of your correspondent.
- Shakhriyar, congratulations on your victory! What was your mindset going into the decisive ultimate round following your frustrating loss to Radoslaw Wojtaszek?
- It was probably for the first time during the entire tournament that it had taken me so long to have myself prepared for the game. As Veselin never shies from taking chances, I looked into a lot of his openings such as Benoni, various King Indian setups. I did not rule out his sacrificing material to play for a win, so I prepared very thoroughly, but did not mind a draw and was willing to play solid chess, exactly what has happened today. It was a game for two results.
Yesterday’s game was a real frustration. It was a shock to me since I had been fine as Black for the whole tournament, and then I suddenly go down in the most mediocre of games! It was horrible!
- You mentioned your second as having failed to have a proper look into something, but you still would not name him...
No, I’m going to give out no names because I believe him to be perfectly well aware of his error. It is not Rauf Mamedov, however.
I like going over my lines before a game, and on the eve of round eight I broke my pattern neither, but the line did have a bug.
- The press conference had you saying that you were most pleased with your performance against Vladimir Kramnik. What is the reason?
It is a great pleasure to deliver an accurate and strong performance in time trouble, as I did against Kramnik prior to moves 40 and 60. I liked my play as I seem to have done great on both occasions. This is the reason I think it to be my best game here.
Besides, I think that in all games that I have won – those against So and Eljanov – I would raise to the occasion at certain moments. It goes without saying that at times I would rush into peril to end up in inferior positions.
- You have defeated tournament seeds one and two here. How do you fare against Kramnik and So?
- It used to be extremely tough for me to face Kramnik from the onset of my chess career. I lost not a few games to him, including a very important one as Black in the Candidates Tournament, in which I was absolutely winning at a certain moment but went down nonetheless. Nevertheless, the tables have somehow turned around after that. I have gained the upper hand in three out of the last four encounters. To be honest, Kramnik is one of my favorite chess players as he demonstrates very beautiful and strong chess. I’m very happy to be able to do well against him from time to time.
Meanwhile, all our games with So were drawn. This is the first time I have ever defeated him. By the way, this time was much like the previous year, when I outplayed the top two seeds Giri and Caruana and won the tournament thanks to that.
- What is your take on the tournament and its management in general?
- I think that little, if anything has changed during the past four years here. The Vugar Gashimov Memorial has been traditionally very well organized to give players excellent conditions. Players are happy indeed. Everything is fine in terms of hotel, food, and tournament venue. The city is a pleasure to walk around.
- Do people recognize you out-of-doors?
- They know me more in my native Sumgait and Baku than here in Shamkir (smiling). I am still recognized here by the audience that visits the event venue on a daily basis. It makes me happy that Shamkir hosts an event dedicated to the memory of Vugar and I hope it to go on next year as well.
- You are now heading for Sochi to participate in the Russian Team Championship, then you will travel to Moscow for the FIDE Grand Prix. Seems like too many tournaments in a row, does not it?
- Way too many! This said, I have been willing to perform for a strong team in the European Club Cup as I thought it of high importance for me. Meanwhile, I have been invited by Siberia to fight alongside with Kramnik. From here we travel straight there and I hope to be of help to the team in taking both the Russian and the European Club Cup championships.
Sometimes, thought, when you do well in the first tournament, your mind is likely to question you with why should you go anyplace else? However, this is not my attitude as I am happy to be at the board no matter what!
- Will it then be followed by a period of timeout?
- Indeed, I will enjoy twenty rest days prior to the start of the Grand Chess Tour leg in Paris.
- You are said to have got engaged. Congratulations!
- Thank you.
- Have you set the wedding date yet?
- It has not been finally settled yet, but I do hope it to take place before long.
- Let me wrap up by asking whether you intend to open your chess academy.
- This is an excellent idea, but I do want to yet play and achieve more in chess. When the time is ripe, I will put my heart into coaching. I will then be looking forward to showing my worth as a coach. As for now, it is somewhat premature yet.
***
Pentala Harikrishna left no chances to Wesley So, and their encounter ended peacefully in a rook ending. Thus, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov has become a two-time winner of the Vugar Gashimov Memorial.
Vladimir Kramnik has outperformed Pavel Eljanov in a lengthy struggle to grant many vivid emotions to chess fans. Thanks to the ultimate round victory, Vladimir Kramnik has landed second, overtaking both place No. 3 Wesley So and Veselin Topalov on tiebreakers (number of wins).
The games Radjabov – Karjakin and Adams – Wojtaszek were drawn.
Thus, the players have ended up sorted out into the following standings:
1-st place - Shakhriyar Mamedyarov with 5.5 points; 2-4. Vladimir Kramnik, Wesley So, Veselin Topalov with 5; 5-7. Sergey Karjakin, Radoslaw Wojtaszek, Michael Adams with 4.5; 8th. Teimour Radjabov with 4; 9-10. Pavel Eljanov, Pentala Harikrishna with 3.5 points.
Closing ceremony speeches were delivered by Alimpasha Mamedov - Chief Executive of the Shamkir region, Mahir Mamedov - Vice-President of the Azerbaijani Chess Federation, Georgy Giorgadze - President of the Georgian Chess Federation, Sarkhan Gashimov - Vugar's brother, Farid Huseynov - Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Deputy Chairman of the OAO "Synergy Group” Board of Directors, as well as by Vice-president of the Azerbaijani Chess Federation Faiq Hasanov.
A Shamkir female artist gifted Vladimir Kramnik with a portrait of Vladimir’s. Sarkhan Gashimov awarded a Fair Play Cup to Pentala Harikrishna and a cup for cooperation to Farid Huseynov.
After Faiq Hasanov announced the final tournament standings, Farid Huseynov awarded the winner’s cup to Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.
After the end of ceremony, the tournament impressions were shared by Mahir Mamedov as follows:
- The tournament was a triumph! It has been yet another display of the highest level organization. The Vugar Gashimov memorial featuring a high prize fund, organizers putting all their hearts into work, grandmasters playing in a beautiful tournament hall, the Memorial being well covered in the press, makes it into a really elite tournament in all its bearings. Let me recall that FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov was also among the ceremony attendees.
This is a tournament of a hard-to-maintain level, but we need this event. Therefore, everyone agreed that the fifth jubilee tournament should not fail to take place next year and that the Vugar Gashimov Memorial should go on in the years to come.
It is hard to step up the tournament category even further, for which purpose the jubilee tournament should secure participation of the World Champion Magnus Carlsen. I hope that he succeeds in finding a gap in his tight schedule. Based on results of the previous memorials, the score has now been levelled to 2:2 as Magnus Carlsen won the first two editions and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov shined in the third and the fourth ones. In general, it is a pleasure to note that fighting spirit seems to be built into this event. I do hope that the next edition is going to be as vivid as the current one.
- Should the best game prize be awarder, who would you have given it to?
- I think there are no two opinions about it belonging to the 14th world champion Vladimir Kramnik for his sacrificing and playing a whole game down a rook against Pentala Harikrishna. That is for sure.
***
Let me add that the Shamkir tournament was indeed a remarkable event that has passed as though in one breath. I want to thank the players for exciting struggle and the organizers for excellent working conditions and wish them success in carrying out the planned jubilee Memorial of Vugar Gashimov!
