Third Round of FIDE Grand Prix Leg Finished in Moscow

Ding Liren, Svidler, Mamedyarov, Salem, and Hammer won.

On Sunday, May 14, the third round of the FIDE Grand Prix leg was played in the Central Telegraph. Many resulting games were played. 

Ding Liren won the Chinese derby with Black. His rival Hou Yifan lost a pawn in a sharp middlegame and didn’t manage to hold the endgame after all simplifications. 

Pentala Harikrishna, who played White against Peter Svidler, treated the Grünfeld Defence much too creatively. White sacrificed two pawns but didn’t manage to develop a dangerous initiative. Trying to sharpen the game, Harikrisha made a mistake which was met by Svidler’s precise tactical blow. Black won a pawn and brilliantly converted his material edge into a victory. 

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov outplayed Michael Adams with White in the Nimzo-Indian Defence. In a right moment, White organized an accelerated march on the kingside and in the centre, temporarily sacrificed a knight and finally reached the black king. Adams resigned on the 30th move. 

Saleh Salem, who played against Ian Nepomniachtchi, sacrificed a pawn for an initiative in the middlegame and then attacked the rival’s king. Nepomniachtchi had to give back the material, but the stability was out of question. Soon the Russian blundered a tactical blow and his king turned out to be completely helpless in front of black pieces. 

Ernesto Inarkiev lost the second game in a row; this time his opponent was Jon Ludvig Hammer. The Russian made a mistake in a complex position before the time control, and his situation immediately became hopeless. Hammer celebrated victory in the endgame with two extra pawns. 

Quick draws with perpetuals happened in Tomaskevsky-Nakamura and Radjabov-Grischuk games.  

The encounter between Anish Giri and Francicso Vallejo in the Queen’s Gambit went on smoothly. Black had a slight advantage in the final position, but, being in a huge time trouble, Vallejo offered a draw which was accepted. 

Boris Gelfand, who played Black against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, chose his favorite line in the Accelerated Dragon. Black demonstrated a deep analysis and didn’t face serious problems. The game ended in a draw in the endgame. 

Round 3 standings:

1. Ding Liren 2.5
2-4. Svidler, Mamedyarov, Salem - 2
5-14. Hou Yifan, Vachier-Lagrave, Giri, Grischuk, Vallejo, Radjabov, Nakamura, Gelfand, Tomashevsky, Hammer - 1.5
15-17. Nepomniachtchi, Harikrishna, Adams - 1
18. Inarkiev 0.5

Round 4 pairings:

Ding Liren - Svidler, Salem - Mamedyarov, Grischuk - Vachier-Lagrave, Nakamura - Hou Yifan, Hammer - Giri, Gelfand - Tomashevsky, Vallejo - Radjabov, Adams - Nepomniachtchi, Inarkiev - Harikrishna

Event on Chess-Results

Official website

Photos by Eteri Kublashvili and Vladimir Barsky