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Quick draw between Polgar and Giri. Ivanchuk seemed to miss at least one winning chance against Tiviakov but after that Tiviakov only had to be careful to ensure the draw. All games drawn so all players on 1.5/3 at the half way stage and going into the rest day on Wednesday.

Vassily Ivanchuk took the initiative Sergei Tiviakov in the Caro Kann Defence. Ivanchuk seems to have missed a straightforward win with 29...Rxh3. He still had a somewhat favourable position but most of the advantage had dissipated by first time control. Tiviakov's technique held fast as Ivanchuk tried for 146 moves to win.

Tiviakov,Sergei - Ivanchuk,Vassily [B17]

Unive Crown Hoogeveen NED (3), 20.10.2009

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Nxf6+ Nxf6 7.Bc4 Bf5 8.Qe2 e6 9.Bg5 Qa5+

[9...Be7; 9...h6; 9...Bg4; 9...Bd6; 9...Qb6; 9...Qc7]

10.c3

[10.Bd2 0-1 Gusev,Y-Flohr,S/Moscow 1952 (52)]

10...Bg4

[10...Ne4 0-1 Carlson-Coplin,L/USA 1970 (20)]

11.Qe5N

[11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.0-0 Qh5 13.Rfe1 Bd6 14.h3 Bxh3 15.Qe4 Rg8 16.g3 f5 17.Qe2 Bxg3 18.fxg3 Rxg3+ 19.Kf2 Rg2+ 20.Ke3 f4+ 21.Kd3 Rxe2 22.Kxe2 Bg2 23.Rf1 0-0-0 24.Rf2 Rg8 25.Raf1 Bxf1+ 26.Rxf1 Rg2+ 27.Kd1 Rxb2 28.Kc1 Rg2 29.Nd2 Qh2 30.Rd1 Qg3 31.Kc2 Qe3 32.Bd3 h5 33.a3 h4 34.a4 h3 35.Bf1 Rf2 36.Bxh3 0-1 Comp Mephisto Berlin-Siger,C/Sarospatak 1996]

11...Nd5 12.Nd2 f6 13.Qg3 h5 14.h3 Bf5 15.Be3 g5 16.Qf3 g4 17.Qe2 gxh3 18.gxh3 0-0-0 19.Nb3 Qa4 20.Bd3 Bxd3 21.Qxd3 c5 22.Qe2 cxd4 23.Nxd4 e5

Vassily Ivanchuk

Sergei Tiviakov

Position after 23...e5

24. Qc2 Qc4 25. Qe2 Nxe3 26. fxe3 Qxe2+ 27. Nxe2 Rd3 28. Rf1 Rxe3 29. Rxf6

Vassily Ivanchuk

Sergei Tiviakov

Position after 29.Rxf6

29...Be7?!

29... Rxh3 30. Rd1 Be7 and Ivanchuk seems to be winning.

30. Rf5 e4 31. Kd2 Rxh3 32. Re5 e3+ 33. Kd3 Bd6 34. Rxe3 Rxe3+ 35. Kxe3 h4 36. Rd1 Bc7 37. Ng1 Bb6+ 38. Kf4 Rf8+ 39. Ke4 Rf2 40. Nf3 Rxb2 41. Nxh4 Rxa2

With the reduction of material the draw seems inevitable.

42. Nf5 Kc7 43. Rh1 Bc5 44. Kd5 Ra5 45. Kc4 a6 46. Ng7 Bb6 47. Ne8+ Kb8 48. Nd6 Rc5+ 49. Kb3 Rc6 50. Rh8+ Kc7 51. Nc4 Bf2 52. Rh7+ Kb8 53. Rd7 Bg3 54. Ne3 Be5 55. Nd5 Rc5 56. c4 Rc8 57. Nb6 Rc6 58. Nd5 Bd6 59. Rd8+ Ka7 60. Rd7 Bf8 61. Rd8 Bc5 62. Rd7 Rh6 64. Kc2 Bd4 65. Re7 a5 66. Re4 Bh8 Bh8

Vassily Ivanchuk

Sergei Tiviakov

Position after 66...Bh8

67. Re3 Rh2+ 68. Kb3 Bd4 69. Re8 Bc5 70. Ka4 b6 71. Rg8 Rb2 72. Rg7+ Ka6 73. Nc7+ Kb7 74. Nb5+ Kc8 75. Na7+ Kd8 76. Nc6+ Ke8 77. Rh7 Ra2+ 78. Kb3 Ra3+ 79. Kc2 Re3 80. Ra7 Re6 81. Nxa5 bxa5 82. Rxa5 Re5 83. Kd3 Kd7 84. Ra6 Kc7 85. Rg6 Re3+ 86. Kd2 Rh3 87. Rf6 Bb4+ 88. Ke2 Rc3 89. Rf3 Rc2+ 90. Kd3 Rd2+ 91. Ke4 Kc6 92. Rf5 Rd1 93. Rd5 Rc1 94. Kd3 Rc3+ 95. Kd4 Rh3 96. Rg5 Bc3+ 97. Ke4 Bb2 98. Rd5 Ba3 99. Rg5 Bd6 100. Rd5 Bc5 101. Re5 Re3+ 102. Kf5 Rc3 103. Re4 Bb4 104. Re6+ Kc5 105. Re4 Rd3 106. Kf4 Bd2+ 107. Kg4 Bc3 108. Kf4 Bd4 109. Re2 Kxc4 110. Ke4 Rh3 111. Rc2+ Bc3 112. Re2 Rh4+ 113. Ke3 Bd4+ 114. Kd2 Rh1 115. Kc2 Ra1 116. Kd2 Bc3+ 117. Ke3 Kd5 118. Kd3 Bd4 119. Kc2 Ra3 120. Re8 Kc4 121. Rc8+ Bc5 122. Rc7 Ra2+ 123. Kc1 Rg2 124. Rc8 Kd4 125. Kb1 Kd5 126. Rc7 Be3 127. Rc2 Rg1+ 128. Ka2 Bd4 129. Rc8 Ke4 130. Kb3 Rb1+ 131. Ka4 Kd5 132. Ka3 Rb7

The draw is just technique, but a little stressful for the defender.

133. Rc2 Ke4 134. Ka4 Kd3 135. Rc8 Bc3 136. Rc5 Rb6 137. Rb5 Ra6+ 138. Kb3 Ra1 139. Rd5+ Bd4 140. Rb5 Rc1 141. Rb4 Bc5 142. Rb5 Rc3+ 143. Kb2 Ba3+ 144. Ka2 Kc4 145. Rb8 Bc5 146. Kb2 Rh3 1/2-1/2

Judit Polgar achieved nothing against Anish Giri's Petroff Defence allowing the youngster to reach 50% at the half way stage. The Petroff Defence is still proving problematic for players of 1.e4 and Giri didn't seem to have any difficulty equalising. I really wish white would find something that gives black a harder time as I find this opening horribly dull, but again you can't blame Giri for playing it.

Polgar,Judit - Giri,Anish [C43]

Unive Crown Hoogeveen NED (3), 20.10.2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.Bd3 d5 5.dxe5 Be7 6.0–0 Nc5 7.Be2 0–0 8.Nc3 c6 9.Nd4 Qc7 10.Bf4 Nbd7 11.Nf3 Ne4 12.Bd3 Ndc5 13.Re1 Qb6 14.Bxe4 dxe4 15.Nd2 Qxb2 16.Ndxe4 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Bf5 18.Nd6 Qxc2 ½–½

Anish Giri

Judit Polgar

Final position after 18...Qxc2

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