World Cup R1.2– Leko, Wang Yue eliminated

The tournament is taking place in the Ugorian Chess Academy in the very heart of Khanty-Mansiysk, which has hosted three previous World Cups: 2005, 2007, and 2009. The 128 participants hail from 46 different countries, and are playing for a total prize fund of US $1.6 million. In addition the first three finisher get tickets to the Candidates tournament in the next World Championship cycle.

Round one game two report

It was not a good day for the Chinese. Wang Yue, who occasionally heads the Chinese rankings, and at 2709 Elo is number 27 in the World Cup, was knocked out by a young Brazilian, Alexandr Fier, rated 2566 and number 102 in the list. Then a fellow member of the Chinese national team, Li Chao, lost to the Vietnamese GM Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son and was eliminated. Things went from bad to worse when Zhou Jianchao lost to the Ukrainian Anton Korobov for a second time, and Yu Yangyi, playing white, lost to Mircea-Emilian Parligras from Romania. Both can now leave Khanty-Mansiysk.

The tragedy of Chinese team, however, was 17-year-old Women's World Champion Hou Yifan (picture above), who in yesterday's game had blundered a promising position against Sergei Movsesian. Today Yifan pulled out the big guns and outplayed her Armenian opponent, who is 125 points ahead of her on the international rating scale. But just when she had the win – a beautiful rook sacrifice on move 30 – on the board she failed to see it, gave away her giant advantage, allowed the opponent back into the game, and then lost in her desperate attempt to win. GM Jan Gustafsson commented on the game in Playchess.

GM Jan Gustafsson analysing with spectators on the Playchess server

Below are the lines he looked at – although without his wry verbal commentary half the pleasures is gone.

Hou Yifan and Sergei Movsesian in the press conference after their game

A brief but brave sojourn for Hou Yifan at the World Cup in Khanty Mansiysk

Liren Ding and Ni Hua are two of three Chinese players left in the tournament: they will fight in the tie-breaks tomorrow. Only Bu Xiangzhi has secured himself a place in the second round: he won his first game against Egyptian GM Ahmed Adly, who then fell ill and missed the second game. Adly had to go to hospital for a kidney operation – not too serious, and in two days he will be able to depart for home.

Shocking: Peter Leko knocked out in round one of the World Cup

Hungarian Grandmaster Peter Leko is probably the most prominent player to be eliminated in the first round. After losing a fighting, maybe over-reaching game against US GM Samuel Shankland yesterday, Peter had to go for broke in their second encounter. He played recklessly in the opening, over-stretching for a second time. Shankland played a strong, logical game and took the advantage, and in the end a dejected Peter Leko had to offer a draw.

The man who knocked out Peter Leko: American GM Samual Shankland

A remarkable result was the win of Brazilian IM Diego Rafael Di Berardino, rated 2480, over US grandmaster Gata Kamsky, rated 2741 to force a tiebreak.

Young GM Jorge Cori from Peru defeated Spanish GM Francisco Vallejo Pons, while French GM Sebastien Feller beat his Moldovan colleague Viorel Iordachescu. The score in both matches were 1:1, forcing the opponents into the tiebreaks on Tuesday. Alexander Morozevich (RUS) and Stelios Halkias (GRE), Nikita Vitiugov and Alexei Bezgodov, Mikhail Kobalia and Igor Lysyj (all from Russia), Etienne Bacrot (FRA) and Ray Robson (USA) will also have to settle their scores on the third day. In total there will be 17 tiebreak matches on August 30.

• You can watch the live video coverage of the round, if you want in full screen HD

First round results

• Source: official results page

The tiebreak games of the Round One will be played on Tuesday, August 29. There will be two rapid games, then two semi-rapid game, two blitz games, and, if necessary, one sudden death blitz game (Armageddon).

The live commentary on Playchess will continue on at 13:00h CEST (= 15:00h Moscow, 7 a.m. New York), with GM Jan Gustafsson analysing with the spectators in English, and GM Klaus Bischoff in German. At around 19:00h there will be a wrap-up of the day's events. We will publish a schedule of the GMs commenting in each round presently.

Remaining schedule of the World Chess Cup 2011

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 11 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.

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