Grandmaster and Asian champion P. Harikrishna guided India to a much-needed 2.5-1.5 victory over Israel in the fourth round of the World Team Chess Championship here on Wednesday. Harikrishna outclassed Emil Sutovsky as he came up with a stupendous effort in a seemingly drawn endgame to win the decisive game in the match. The Indians drew the remaining three boards to register their first victory in the event. Krishnan Sasikiran also raised visions of a victory on the second board against Michael Roiz before fizzling out. After two successive losses, Surya Shekhar Ganguly held on to his own against Ilya Smirin in the third, while a marathon game between G N Gopal and Tamir Nabaty also ended in a draw after 118 moves. Meanwhile, at the top of the table, Azerbaijan caused the biggest flutter in the tournament, defeating holders Russia by a 3-1 margin. The victories were achieved by Vugar black Gashimov who scored over Alexander Grischuk and Gadir Guseinov who got the better of Peter Svidler. Russia's loss turned out to be Armenia’s gain after they effortlessly drubbed Egypt 3.5-0.5 to take their tally to six points out of a possible eight. Russia slipped to joint second spot on five points and they now share it with Azerbaijan, China and Hungary. Ukraine and Israel share the sixth spot on four points apiece while India has now inched up to joint eighth spot along with United States on three points. For India’s cause, Harikrishna and Sasikiran had to fire and they did so perfectly. Harikrishna is a renowned endgame expert and he proved that yet again by outwitting his opponent in a queen-less position. Sutovsky went for the main variation in the Berlin defense but exchanges at regular intervals did not yield the desired results.
After a day where three of the top four teams lost Armenia retook lead after the 4th round of the 8th World Team Championship in Ningbo, China. Azerbaijan comfortably beat Russia 3-1 with wins for Gashimov against Grischuk and Guseinov against Svidler. The Ukraine haven't look that convincing so far and lost to Hungary thanks to a win on the black side of a Marshall by Leko against Ivanchuk. China crushed USA 3.5-0.5. Armenia beat Egypt comfortably and rested their number one Levon Aronian. Finally India beat Israel after Harikrishna beat Sutovsky, the remaining games being drawn.
Azerbaijan beat Russia (3-1)
Azerbaijan bounced back from their loss to Hungary to beat the top seeds Russia 3-1 in Round 4. Teimour Radjabov brought out his Schliemann Defence to the Ruy Lopez against Sergey Karjakin to hold a comfortable draw.
Gashimov Vs. Grischuk Vugar Gashimov gradually took the initiative after Alexander Grischuk missed the idea of 25...g6 directly eliminating a dangerous e-pawn and had a decisive advantage at first time control.
Gashimov Vugar beat Grischuk Shakhriyar Mamedyarov looked to be doing well out of the opening, an Advanced French Defence, as black against Ian Nepomnichtchi but eventually the game was drawn by repetition.
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar
Gadir Vs. Svidler Peter Svidler's position went downhill fast after Gadir Guseinov got in 26.f5 in a Sicilian Kan, probably Svidler would have been just fine if he had chosen 25...Qb4 or dxe5.
Gadir Vs. Svidler In combat, acceptable to the black position after
23.Rae1 Svidler played recklessly enough
23 ... a4?! 24.e5 Ne8 .After
25.bxa4 taking the natural
25 ... Rxa4? exacerbated the difficulties encountered in black:
26.f5! , and they soon found themselves in a critical situation. For example, did not help at this point 26 ... exf5 27.Nxf5 Bxf5 28.Qxf5 Rc7 view 29.e6!. A continuation of the party
26 ... dxe5 27.fxe6 fxe6after smashing jump
28.Nf5! (with nuance as 28 ... Bxc6? 29.Nxh6 +!)
28 ... exf5 29.Qxd7 led to the double blow of the field c d7 and the loss of black material. In a bad position for him, Peter was wrong once again move 31 ... Qd6?, And the fight ended quickly.
Hungry beat Ukraine (2.5-1.5) defeated Ukraine 2.5-0.5. Peter Leko scored his first win in the event against Vassily Ivanchuk, and there was no particular surprise that it came on the black side of a Ruy Lopez Marshall, an opening in which he is a renowned expert. Ivanchuk just couldn't find the right way of arranging the Rook and two Bishops he had for a Queen and lost pawns that quickly became the decisive factor. Almasi-Eljanov, Efimenko-Polgar and Balogh-Moiseenko were all drawn without any great moments of interest.
Adly Ahmed left lost to Movsesian Sergei in Armenia - Egypt (3.5-0.5) did their job against the bottom seeds Egpyt winning 3.5-0.5 with only Shoker securing a draw for Egpyt but Bassem Amin blew a decisive advantage against Vladimir Akopian where he won his opponent's queen but later went badly astray. This result took Armenia back to the top of the standings as all their rivals around them lost.
China crushed USA (3.5-0.5) crushed the US 3.5-0.5. Kamsky got nothing against Wang Hao. Alexander Onischuk didn't play especially well at the US Championship recently, and here, apart from against Egypt, he has lost all his games, the latest being a terrible loss where his 27...f5 lost almost immediately in a levelish position against Wang Yue. Yuri Shulman was a pawn up against Li Chao but with his pieces in a bit of a tangle and he never solved this problem and ended up losing material defending his king. Yasser Seirawan got some play for lost material against Yu Yangyi but never looked like saving the game.
India beat Israel 2.5-1.5 Emil Sutovsky went astray on the white side of a Berlin Defence and was ground down by Pentala Harikrishna, Sasikiran couldn't quite convert an advantage in an ending against Michael Roiz, Smirin drew against Ganguly and Tamir Tabaty tried long and hard before drawing with Gopal in the final game to finish. Source: TWIC
| Results round 4 on 2011/07/20 at 15:00 |
| Bo. | 10 | Russia | Rtg | - | 7 | Azerbaijan | Rtg | 1 : 3 |
| 1.1 | GM | Karjakin Sergey | 2788 | - | GM | Radjabov Teimur | 2744 | ½ - ½ |
| 1.2 | GM | Grischuk Alexander | 2746 | - | GM | Gashimov Vugar | 2760 | 0 - 1 |
| 1.3 | GM | Nepomniachtchi Ian | 2711 | - | GM | Mamedyarov Shakhriyar | 2765 | ½ - ½ |
| 1.4 | GM | Svidler Peter | 2739 | - | GM | Guseinov Gadir | 2625 | 0 - 1 |
| Bo. | 8 | Ukraine | Rtg | - | 6 | Hungary | Rtg | 1½:2½ |
| 2.1 | GM | Ivanchuk Vassily | 2768 | - | GM | Leko Peter | 2717 | 0 - 1 |
| 2.2 | GM | Eljanov Pavel | 2697 | - | GM | Almasi Zoltan | 2726 | ½ - ½ |
| 2.3 | GM | Efimenko Zahar | 2706 | - | GM | Polgar Judit | 2699 | ½ - ½ |
| 2.4 | GM | Moiseenko Alexander | 2715 | - | GM | Balogh Csaba | 2643 | ½ - ½ |
| Bo. | 9 | Israel | Rtg | - | 5 | India | Rtg | 1½:2½ |
| 3.1 | GM | Sutovsky Emil | 2700 | - | GM | Harikrishna Pentala | 2669 | 0 - 1 |
| 3.2 | GM | Roiz Michael | 2669 | - | GM | Sasikiran Krishnan | 2681 | ½ - ½ |
| 3.3 | GM | Smirin Ilya | 2676 | - | GM | Ganguly Surya Shekhar | 2627 | ½ - ½ |
| 3.4 | GM | Nabaty Tamir | 2584 | - | GM | Gopal G.N. | 2576 | ½ - ½ |
| Bo. | 1 | USA | Rtg | - | 4 | China | Rtg | ½ :3½ |
| 4.1 | GM | Kamsky Gata | 2741 | - | GM | Wang Hao | 2718 | ½ - ½ |
| 4.2 | GM | Onischuk Alexander | 2675 | - | GM | Wang Yue | 2709 | 0 - 1 |
| 4.3 | GM | Shulman Yuri | 2617 | - | GM | Li Chao B | 2669 | 0 - 1 |
| 4.4 | GM | Seirawan Yasser | 2635 | - | GM | Yu Yangyi | 2672 | 0 - 1 |
| Bo. | 2 | Armenia | Rtg | - | 3 | Egypt | Rtg | 3½: ½ |
| 5.1 | GM | Movsesian Sergei | 2700 | - | GM | Adly Ahmed | 2631 | 1 - 0 |
| 5.2 | GM | Akopian Vladimir | 2667 | - | GM | Amin Bassem | 2609 | 1 - 0 |
| 5.3 | GM | Sargissian Gabriel | 2663 | - | IM | Shoker Samy | 2475 | ½ - ½ |
| 5.4 | GM | Hovhannisyan Robert | 2556 | - | IM | Ezat Mohamed | 2430 | 1 - 0 |
Rank Table after round 4
| Rk | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | TB1 | TB2 | TB3 |
| 1 | Armenia | * | | | 2 | | | 3½ | | 2 | 3½ | 6 | 11.0 | 0 |
| 2 | Azerbaijan | | * | 2 | 3 | 1½ | | | 3 | | | 5 | 9.5 | 1 |
| 3 | China | | 2 | * | | | 2½ | 1½ | | 3½ | | 5 | 9.5 | 1 |
| 4 | Russia | 2 | 1 | | * | 3 | | | | 3 | | 5 | 9.0 | 0 |
| 5 | Hungary | | 2½ | | 1 | * | 2½ | | 2 | | | 5 | 8.0 | 0 |
| 6 | Ukraine | | | 1½ | | 1½ | * | | 2½ | | 2½ | 4 | 8.0 | 0 |
| 7 | Israel | ½ | | 2½ | | | | * | 1½ | | 3 | 4 | 7.5 | 0 |
| 8 | India | | 1 | | | 2 | 1½ | 2½ | * | | | 3 | 7.0 | 0 |
| 9 | USA | 2 | | ½ | 1 | | | | | * | 3½ | 3 | 7.0 | 0 |
| 10 | Egypt | ½ | | | | | 1½ | 1 | | ½ | * | 0 | 3.5 | 0 |
