Chess World Cup 2007

The Chess World Cup 2007 served as a qualification tournament for the World Chess Championship 2010. It was held as a 128-player single-elimination tournament, between 24 November and 16 December 2007, in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia.[1]

In an event attended by most leading players of the world, American Gata Kamsky emerged as the winner. He was unbeaten in the tournament, going into tie-break only once and defeating Spaniard Alexei Shirov, 2½–1½, in the four-game final. Two 17-year-old players, Sergey Karjakin and Magnus Carlsen, reached the semifinals.

By winning, Kamsky qualified for the Challenger Match, the final stage in determining the challenger for the World Chess Championship 2010; his participation in that match allowed him direct entry into the Candidates Matches for the World Chess Championship 2012.

The final four also received direct entry into the FIDE Grand Prix 2008–10, a qualifying stage for the World Chess Championship 2012.

The winner of the Chess World Cup 2005, Levon Aronian, was defeated by Dmitry Jakovenko in the fourth round.

Background

The 2007 World Cup was part of the cycle for the World Chess Championship 2010. Gata Kamsky, as the winner of this tournament, played an eight-game match against Veselin Topalov in 2008, for the right to be the challenger for the World Chess Championship 2010. Ultimately Topalov won the match and will face World Champion Viswanathan Anand, who successfully defended his title against former champion Vladimir Kramnik at the World Chess Championship 2008.

Prominent non-participants

Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov were ineligible to participate, due to special privileges they already had in the 2008–2010 World Championship cycle.

All other leading players, including world champion Viswanathan Anand, were eligible to participate. However Anand, who was already seeded into the 2008–2010 cycle, elected not to play.

Three other players who had recently competed in the World Chess Championship 2007 in Mexico - Péter Lékó, Aleksandr Morozevich and Boris Gelfand - elected not to play. Lékó and Morozevich refused to take part as a form of protest against the special privileges given for the inclusion of Kramnik and Topalov in the World Chess Championship Cycle.[2][3]

The only other player from the Top 30 who did not participate was Judit Polgár.

Qualification

The final list of 128 qualifiers for the World Cup was as follows:[4]

• Three of the eight participants of the World Chess Championship 2007 (Levon Aronian, Peter Svidler, Alexander Grischuk). The other five qualifiers in this category were replaced by five players from the average rating list.
• Women's World Champion 2006 (Xu Yuhua).
• Junior World Champion 2006 (Zaven Andriasian).
• Twenty-five players with the highest Elo rating (including five replacements). The average ratings from July 2006 and January 2007 were used.
• 89 players qualified from the continental and zonal championships:
  • 45 players from Europe (16 from the 2006 European Individual Chess Championship and 29 from 2007)
  • 19 players from the Americas (7 from the 4th American Continental Championship, 12 from the 2.1 through 2½ Zonals),
  • 19 players from Asia and Oceania (10 from the 6th Asian Championship, 9 from the 3.1 through 3.6 Zonals),
  • 6 players from Africa (2007 African Championship).
• 5 nominees of the FIDE President (Sergei Rublevsky, Evgeny Bareev, Sergei Zhigalko, Ziaur Rahman, and Boris Savchenko).
• 4 nominees of the local Organising Committee (Evgeny Alekseev, Nikolai Kabanov, Aleksei Pridorozhni, and Vladimir Genba).

The individual Zones (for Zonals) are described in the FIDE handbook.[5]

Participants

All players are Grandmasters unless indicated otherwise.

1.  Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR), 2787
2.  Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE), 2752
3.  Teimour Radjabov (AZE), 2742
4.  Levon Aronian (ARM), 2741
5.  Alexei Shirov (ESP), 2739
6.  Peter Svidler (RUS), 2732
7.  Michael Adams (ENG), 2729
8.  Evgeny Alekseev (RUS), 2716
9.  Alexander Grischuk (RUS), 2715
10.  Magnus Carlsen (NOR), 2714
11.  Gata Kamsky (USA), 2714
12.  Vladimir Akopian (ARM), 2713
13.  Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS), 2710
14.  Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR), 2705
15.  Wang Yue (CHN), 2703
16.  Étienne Bacrot (FRA), 2695
17.  Sergey Karjakin (UKR), 2694
18.  Bu Xiangzhi (CHN), 2692
19.  Pavel Eljanov (UKR), 2691
20.  Zoltán Almási (HUN), 2691
21.  Vladimir Malakhov (RUS), 2690
22.  Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB), 2690
23.  Leinier Domínguez (CUB), 2683
24.  Loek van Wely (NED), 2679
25.  Konstantin Landa (RUS), 2678
26.  Andrei Volokitin (UKR), 2678
27.  Sergei Rublevsky (RUS), 2676
28.  Alexander Onischuk (USA), 2674
29.  Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS), 2674
30.  Vadim Zvjaginsev (RUS), 2674
31.  Ivan Cheparinov (BUL), 2670
32.  Pendyala Harikrishna (IND), 2668
33.  Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (ROU), 2668
34.  Vladislav Tkachiev (FRA), 2661
35.  Krishnan Sasikiran (IND), 2661
36.  Francisco Vallejo Pons (ESP), 2660
37.  Predrag Nikolić (BIH), 2657
38.  David Navara (CZE), 2656
39.  Emil Sutovsky (ISR), 2655
40.  Laurent Fressinet (FRA), 2654
41.  Evgeny Bareev (RUS), 2653
42.  Nigel D. Short (ENG), 2649
43.  Kiril Georgiev (BUL), 2649
44.  Sergey Volkov (RUS), 2648
45.  Bartosz Soćko (POL), 2646
46.  Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS), 2646
47.  Alexander Motylev (RUS), 2645
48.  Zhang Pengxiang (CHN), 2644
49.  Michael Roiz (ISR), 2643
50.  Sergei Tiviakov (NED), 2643
51.  Wang Hao (CHN), 2643
52.  Alexander Khalifman (RUS), 2643
53.  Zviad Izoria¹ (GEO), 2643
54.  Boris Avrukh (ISR), 2641
55.  Arkadij Naiditsch (GER), 2639
56.  Evgeniy Najer (RUS), 2635
57.  Konstantin Sakaev (RUS), 2634
58.  Mikhail Gurevich (TUR), 2627
59.  Alexander Shabalov (USA), 2626
60.  Yuri Shulman (USA), 2616
61.  Maxim Rodshtein (ISR), 2615
62.  Viktor Laznicka (CZE), 2610
63.  Zdenko Kozul (CRO), 2609
64.  Mateusz Bartel (POL), 2608
65.  Aleksandr Galkin (RUS), 2608
66.  Lazaro Bruzon Batista (CUB), 2607
67.  Bartłomiej Macieja (POL), 2606
68.  Jan Gustafsson (GER), 2606
69.  Rafael Leitão (BRA), 2601
70.  Dusko Pavasovic (SLO), 2597
71.  Gregory S. Kaidanov (USA), 2597
72.  Nikita Vitiugov (RUS), 2594
73.  Emanuel Berg (SWE), 2593
74.  Julio E. Granda Zuniga (PER), 2592
75.  Gilberto Milos (BRA), 2592
76.  Ehsan Ghaem Maghami (IRI), 2591
77.  Vladimir Belov (RUS), 2587
78.  Robert Markuš (SRB), 2586
79.  Surya Shekhar Ganguly (IND), 2585
80.  Varuzhan Akobian (USA), 2584
81.  Merab Gagunashvili (GEO), 2584
82.  Boris Savchenko (RUS), 2583
83.  Rauf Mammadov (AZE), 2582
84.  Vladimir Georgiev (MKD), 2576
85.  Grzegorz Gajewski (POL), 2573
86.  Susanto Megaranto (INA), 2569
87.  David Baramidze (GER), 2569
88.  Julio Becerra Rivero (USA), 2568
89.  Diego Flores (ARG), 2566, IM
90.  Zhou Jianchao (CHN), 2565
91.  Alexander Ivanov (USA), 2565
92.  Artem Iljin (RUS), 2565
93.  Sergey Kudrin (USA), 2563
94.  Sergei Zhigalko (BLR), 2562
95.  Csaba Balogh (HUN), 2561
96.  Bassem Amin (EGY), 2561
97.  Zhao Jun (CHN), 2552
98.  Juan Carlos González Zamora¹ (MEX), 2552
99.  Abhijit Kunte (IND), 2547
100.  Fernando Peralta (ARG), 2546
101.  Zaven Andriasian (ARM), 2546
102.  Imre Hera, Jr. (HUN), 2544
103.  Lê Quang Liêm (VIE), 2534
104.  Vladislav Nevednichy (ROU), 2531
105.  Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son (VIE), 2530
106.  Alexei Iljushin (RUS), 2528
107.  G.N. Gopal (IND), 2520, IM
108.  Xu Yuhua (CHN), 2517
109.  Wen Yang (CHN), 2515, IM
110.  Enamul Hossain (BAN), 2514, IM
111.  Nikolai Kabanov (RUS), 2512, IM
112.  Everaldo Matsuura (BRA), 2511, IM
113.  Darwin Laylo (PHI), 2508, IM
114.  Aleksei Pridorozhni (RUS), 2506, IM
115.  Essam El Gindy (EGY), 2503, IM
116.  Ziaur Rahman (BAN), 2497
117.  Anton Filippov (UZB), 2496, IM
118.  Ahmed Adly (EGY), 2494
119.  Zhao Zong-Yuan (AUS), 2491, IM
120.  Darcy Lima (BRA), 2484
121.  Anuar Ismagambetov (KAZ), 2480, IM
122.  Igor Zugic (CAN), 2477, IM
123.  Eduardo Iturrizaga (VEN), 2435, IM
124.  Robert Gwaze (ZIM), 2429, IM
125.  Juan Pablo Hobaica (ARG), 2427, IM
126.  Vladimir Genba (RUS), 2413, IM
127.  Khaled Abdel Razik (EGY), 2389, FM
128.  Pedro Aderito (ANG), 2352, IM

¹ Izoria did not appear at the Cup due to visa problems. Gonzalez Zamora did not appear at the Cup due to illness.[6]

Playing conditions

The tournament is in the style of the FIDE World Chess Championships 1998–2004: each round consists of a two-game match (except for the final round, which will be a four-game match), followed by tie breaks at faster time controls if required.[7][8]

The time control for regular games is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves and 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with 30 seconds added after each move. Tie breaks consist of two rapid chess games (25 minutes each + 10 seconds per move); followed by two blitz games if required (5 minutes + 10 seconds per move); followed by a single Armageddon chess game if required (white has 6 minutes and must win, black has 5 minutes and only needs to draw).

The prize money ranged from US$6,000 for players eliminated in the first round to $80,000 for the losing finalist and $120,000 for the winner.

Results, rounds 1–4

Summary

Round 1

Most of the top seeds progressed. From the top 32, the only higher seeded players eliminated were Pavel Eljanov (19th seed), Konstantin Landa (25) and Pendyala Harikrishna (32).[6]

Round 2

Players in the top 32 eliminated in regular games were Teimour Radjabov (seeded 3), Loek van Wely (24).[9][10] Top 32 players eliminated in tie breaks were Rustam Kasimdzhanov (22), Andrei Volokitin (26) and Vadim Zvjaginsev (30). This left 24 of the top 32 seeds in the final 32.

High seeds needing tie breaks to progress included Vassily Ivanchuk (1), Magnus Carlsen (10), Ruslan Ponomariov (14) and Wang Yue (15).[11]

Round 3

After the two regular games, 10 of the 16 matches had decisive results. Players going through on the regular games are: Alexei Shirov (seeded 5), Michael Adams (7), Evgeny Alekseev (8), Magnus Carlsen (10), Gata Kamsky (11), Vladimir Akopian (12), Dmitry Jakovenko (13), Ruslan Ponomariov (14), Wang Yue (15) and Ivan Cheparinov (31).[12][13] Cheparinov eliminated the number 2 seed Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.

The other six matches were decided in the tie breaks. Winners were Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (33) (eliminating top seed Vassily Ivanchuk), Krishnan Sasikiran (35), Evgeny Bareev (41), Levon Aronian (4), Peter Svidler (6), Sergey Karjakin (17).[14]

Round 4

In the regular time control games, Shirov, Ponomariov, Carlsen, Karjakin and Cheparinov won their respective matches against Akopian, Sasikiran, Adams, Nisipeanu and Wang Yue. The other three matches (Jakovenko-Aronian, Svidler-Kamsky and Bareev-Alekseev) proceed to tie breaks,[15][16] with wins to Jakovenko, Kamsky and Alekseev.

Section 1

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	1	Vassily Ivanchuk	2
	128	Pedro Aderito	0
						1	Vassily Ivanchuk	2½
						65	Aleksandr Galkin	1½
	64	Mateusz Bartel	1
	65	Aleksandr Galkin	3
											1	Vassily Ivanchuk	2½
											33	Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu	3½
	32	Pendyala Harikrishna	1½
	97	Zhao Jun	2½
						97	Zhao Jun	1½
						33	Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu	2½
	33	Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu	1½
	96	Bassem Amin	½
																33	Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu	½
																17	Sergey Karjakin	1½
	16	Étienne Bacrot	1½
	113	Darwin Laylo	½
						16	Étienne Bacrot	1½
						49	Michael Roiz	½
	49	Michael Roiz	4
	80	Varuzhan Akobian	3
											16	Étienne Bacrot	1
											17	Sergey Karjakin	3
	17	Sergey Karjakin	2
	112	Everaldo Matsuura	0
						17	Sergey Karjakin	1½
						48	Zhang Pengxiang	½
	48	Zhang Pengxiang	2½
	81	Merab Gagunashvili	1½

Section 2

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	8	Evgeny Alekseev	2½
	121	Anuar Ismagambetov	1½
						8	Evgeny Alekseev	1½
						57	Konstantin Sakaev	½
	57	Konstantin Sakaev	4
	72	Nikita Vitiugov	3
											8	Evgeny Alekseev	1½
											40	Laurent Fressinet	½
	25	Konstantin Landa	½
	104	Vladislav Nevednichy	1½
						104	Vladislav Nevednichy	½
						40	Laurent Fressinet	1½
	40	Laurent Fressinet	2
	89	Diego Flores	0
																8	Evgeny Alekseev	3
																41	Evgeny Bareev	1
	9	Alexander Grischuk	1½
	120	Darcy Lima	½
						9	Alexander Grischuk	1½
						56	Evgeniy Najer	½
	56	Evgeniy Najer	1½
	73	Emanuel Berg	½
											9	Alexander Grischuk	1½
											41	Evgeny Bareev	2½
	24	Loek van Wely	3½
	105	Nguyen Ngoc Truong Son	2½
						24	Loek van Wely	½
						41	Evgeny Bareev	1½
	41	Evgeny Bareev	2
	88	Julio Becerra Rivero	0

Section 3

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	4	Levon Aronian	2
	125	Juan Pablo Hobaica	0
						4	Levon Aronian	1½
						68	Jan Gustafsson	½
	61	Maxim Rodshtein	½
	68	Jan Gustafsson	1½
											4	Levon Aronian	3
											29	Ernesto Inarkiev	1
	29	Ernesto Inarkiev	1½
	100	Fernando Peralta	½
						29	Ernesto Inarkiev	1½
						36	Francisco Vallejo Pons	½
	36	Francisco Vallejo Pons	1½
	93	Sergey Kudrin	½
																4	Levon Aronian	1½
																13	Dmitry Jakovenko	2½
	13	Dmitry Jakovenko	2
	116	Ziaur Rahman	0
						13	Dmitry Jakovenko	1½
						77	Vladimir Belov	½
	52	Alexander Khalifman	1½
	77	Vladimir Belov	2½
											13	Dmitry Jakovenko	1½
											20	Zoltán Almási	½
	20	Zoltán Almási	1½
	109	Wen Yang	½
						20	Zoltán Almási	2
						45	Bartosz Soćko	0
	45	Bartosz Soćko	2
	84	Vladimir Georgiev	0

Section 4

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	5	Alexei Shirov	2
	124	Robert Gwaze	0
						5	Alexei Shirov	1½
						60	Yuri Shulman	½
	60	Yuri Shulman	3
	69	Rafael Leitão	1
											5	Alexei Shirov	1½
											28	Alexander Onischuk	½
	28	Alexander Onischuk	2½
	101	Zaven Andriasian	1½
						28	Alexander Onischuk	1½
						37	Predrag Nikolić	½
	37	Predrag Nikolić	2
	92	Artem Iljin	0
																5	Alexei Shirov	1½
																12	Vladimir Akopian	½
	12	Vladimir Akopian	2½
	117	Anton Filippov	1½
						12	Vladimir Akopian	1½
						76	Ehsan Ghaem Maghami	½
	53	Zviad Izoria
	76	Ehsan Ghaem Maghami	w/o
											12	Vladimir Akopian	1½
											21	Vladimir Malakhov	½
	21	Vladimir Malakhov	2
	108	Xu Yuhua	0
						21	Vladimir Malakhov	2½
						44	Sergey Volkov	1½
	44	Sergey Volkov	1½
	85	Grzegorz Gajewski	½

Section 5

First round

Second round

Third round

Fourth round

2

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

2

127

Khaled Abdel Razik

0

2

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

1½

63

Zdenko Kozul

½

63

Zdenko Kozul

3½

66

Lazaro Bruzon Batista

2½

2

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

½

31

Ivan Cheparinov

1½

31

Ivan Cheparinov

w/o

98

Juan Carlos González Zamora

31

Ivan Cheparinov

3½

34

Vladislav Tkachiev

2½

34

Vladislav Tkachiev

1½

95

Csaba Balogh

½

31

Ivan Cheparinov

1½

15

Wang Yue

½

15

Wang Yue

1½

114

Aleksei Pridorozhni

½

15

Wang Yue

2½

50

Sergei Tiviakov

1½

50

Sergei Tiviakov

1½

79

Surya Shekhar Ganguly

½

15

Wang Yue

1½

18

Bu Xiangzhi

½

18

Bu Xiangzhi

2

111

Nikolai Kabanov

0

18

Bu Xiangzhi

3½

47

Alexander Motylev

2½

47

Alexander Motylev

1½

82

Boris Savchenko

½

Section 6

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	7	Michael Adams	1½
	122	Igor Zugic	½
						7	Michael Adams	1½
						58	Mikhail Gurevich	½
	58	Mikhail Gurevich	2½
	71	Gregory S. Kaidanov	1½
											7	Michael Adams	1½
											90	Zhou Jianchao	½
	26	Andrei Volokitin	1½
	103	Lê Quang Liêm	½
						26	Andrei Volokitin	3
						90	Zhou Jianchao	4
	39	Emil Sutovsky	½
	90	Zhou Jianchao	1½
																7	Michael Adams	½
																10	Magnus Carlsen	1½
	10	Magnus Carlsen	2
	119	Zhao Zong-Yuan	0
						10	Magnus Carlsen	3
						55	Arkadij Naiditsch	1
	55	Arkadij Naiditsch	1½
	74	Julio E. Granda Zuniga	½
											10	Magnus Carlsen	1½
											23	Leinier Domínguez	½
	23	Leinier Domínguez	2
	106	Alexei Iljushin	0
						23	Leinier Domínguez	1½
						87	David Baramidze	½
	42	Nigel D. Short	1½
	87	David Baramidze	2½

Section 7

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	3	Teimour Radjabov	2
	126	Vladimir Genba	0
						3	Teimour Radjabov	0
						67	Bartłomiej Macieja	2
	62	Viktor Laznicka	½
	67	Bartłomiej Macieja	1½
											67	Bartłomiej Macieja	2
											35	Krishnan Sasikiran	4
	30	Vadim Zvjaginsev	2½
	99	Abhijit Kunte	1½
						30	Vadim Zvjaginsev	2
						35	Krishnan Sasikiran	4
	35	Krishnan Sasikiran	3½
	94	Sergei Zhigalko	2½
																35	Krishnan Sasikiran	½
																14	Ruslan Ponomariov	1½
	14	Ruslan Ponomariov	2½
	115	Essam El Gindy	1½
						14	Ruslan Ponomariov	2½
						51	Wang Hao	1½
	51	Wang Hao	1½
	78	Robert Markuš	½
											14	Ruslan Ponomariov	1½
											46	Evgeny Tomashevsky	½
	19	Pavel Eljanov	½
	110	Enamul Hossain	1½
						110	Enamul Hossain	½
						46	Evgeny Tomashevsky	1½
	46	Evgeny Tomashevsky	3½
	83	Rauf Mammadov	2½

Section 8

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	6	Peter Svidler	2
	123	Eduardo Iturrizaga	0
						6	Peter Svidler	2
						70	Dusko Pavasovic	0
	59	Alexander Shabalov	½
	70	Dusko Pavasovic	1½
											6	Peter Svidler	2½
											27	Sergei Rublevsky	1½
	27	Sergei Rublevsky	1½
	102	Imre Hera, Jr.	½
						27	Sergei Rublevsky	3½
						38	David Navara	2½
	38	David Navara	1½
	91	Alexander Ivanov	½
																6	Peter Svidler	1½
																11	Gata Kamsky	2½
	11	Gata Kamsky	1½
	118	Ahmed Adly	½
						11	Gata Kamsky	1½
						54	Boris Avrukh	½
	54	Boris Avrukh	3
	75	Gilberto Milos	1
											11	Gata Kamsky	1½
											43	Kiril Georgiev	½
	22	Rustam Kasimdzhanov	4
	107	G.N. Gopal	2
						22	Rustam Kasimdzhanov	3
						43	Kiril Georgiev	4
	43	Kiril Georgiev	2
	86	Susanto Megaranto	0

Results, rounds 5–7

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Final (best of 4)

17

Sergey Karjakin

2½

8

Evgeny Alekseev

1½

17

Sergey Karjakin

1½

5

Alexei Shirov

2½

13

Dmitry Jakovenko

0

5

Alexei Shirov

2

5

Alexei Shirov

1½

11

Gata Kamsky

2½

31

Ivan Cheparinov

½

10

Magnus Carlsen

1½

10

Magnus Carlsen

½

11

Gata Kamsky

1½

14

Ruslan Ponomariov

½

11

Gata Kamsky

1½

Chessbase reports: Round five Game one; Round five Game two; Round five tie breaks; Round six Game one.

Final stats

13 December – 16 December

Seed	Name	Rating	1	2	3	4	Total
5	Alexei Shirov (ESP)	2739	½	0	½	½	1½
11	Gata Kamsky (USA)	2714	½	1	½	½	2½

References

1. "Chess in Khanty-Mansiysk". Archived from the original on 2007-11-11. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
2. "Morozevich: "I cannot play without motivation"". Chessbase. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
3. "Leko's manager Carsten Hensel: "the privilege that Topalov is getting, to play against the winner of the World Cup or to immediately challenge Kramnik in a world championship match, must be of concern to the other top players. I expect all top grandmasters, including Peter Leko, to protest against this special privilege."". Chessbase. 11 July 2007.
4. List of Qualifiers for the World Cup 2007 from fide.com, accessed 2008-04-10.
5. FIDE Handbook, Section D.I1
6. Round 1 Tiebreaks - Chessbase, 26 November 2007.
7. Regulations for the 2007 - 2009 World Chess Championship Cycle Archived 2007-12-15 at the Wayback Machine, section 3.2, FIDE online.
8. "Veselin Topalov and the new FIDE world championship cycle". Chessbase. 24 June 2007.
9. Round 2, Game 1 report at Chessbase
10. Round 2, Game 2 report at Chessbase.
11. "The Week in Chess".
12. Round three Game one, Chessbase, 30 November 2007.
13. Round three Game two, Chessbase, 1 December 2007.
14. Round three tie breaks, Chessbase, 1 December 2007.
15. Round four Game one, Chessbase, 3 December 2007.
16. Round four Game two, Chessbase, 4 December 2007.

External links

• Official site