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After the classical games of the 1^st Round the participants of the World Cup are divided into three groups.

The first consists of the mental giants or simply lucky ones who managed to win in the main games and to be qualified into the second Round thus having one extra rest day to rest and to prepare. The second group can be sympathized, because the tournament is over for them — either they are leaving Khanty-Mansiysk or registering to participate in the «consolatory» Governor’s Cup (by the way, the tournament is perfect, but it can note be compared with the competitions to qualify for the World Championship).Finally, we have come to the third group of participants — these are the main hardworking ones of the black-and white squares, for them the 1^st Round is still going on. Chess does not let go those who drew the games: they will continue fighting in tie-breaks on Tuesday.

Maria Fominykh is reporting from the Chess Academy of UGRA.

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Right before the start of the second day Sergey Karjakin came up to me and said happily that by that moment he already had a good chance to qualify for the 2^nd Round: there was only one minute left before the clocks were supposed to be started and he still did not see his opponent.

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However right after this he saw his opponent Meidi Kaabi and the rating favorite of the World Cup had to work off the entire playing day. After the game Karjakin confessed that his «plus» would have made him very happy since the game took too much of his energy. Then he thought for a moment and added: «On the plus side he gained in his rating »!

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Russians Vladimir Genba and Alexander Grischuk

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Ukrainian Grandmasters are walking in every row

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Azeri friends Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Teimour Radjabov are laughing before the games and Vassily Ivanchuk is very serious

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Teimour did not give any chances to the Cuban Frank De La Pas Perdomo

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Shakhriyar does not hang behind his friend — he defeated whitewash Ibrahim Hatim

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Egyptian Hatim Ibrahim

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Sergei Movsesian (ARM)

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Sergei Movsesian: «Only from the third attempt I managed to qualify to the 2nd Round». At the press conference Hou Yifan said that very soon she is to play in the next stage of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Series that starts on 6 September in China. I wonder what would she do if she was performing successfully on the Ugorian land?

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Baadur Jobava (Georgia)

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Samuel Shankland — World Cup opening. The American that does not consider himself to be a professional defeated the glorious Peter Leko.

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During the analysis Vigar Gashimov suggested various ways to lead Peter’s attack, but White were out of danger and made a draw being in a strong position.

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Press-Officer of the tournament Nikita Kim and the hero of the day

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Peter agreed to face the journalists at the press conference, was answering their questions, joking and smiling. We can only guess what efforts it took him.

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If there was a Rating List of the most polite Grandmasters, Leko would surely be included into it. However, the leader of this List would have been David Navara. To illustrate it here is a very short episode: after the second game was over the strongest Czech Grandmaster came to the press center and excused himself for not appearing after the first game, answered questions and translated his answers into English himself. The press conference was so original that I dared think that in case I run out of all my questions, I can ask David ask him questions himself. I am afraid he would have agreed for that …

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David Navara left his signature on the huge «board of glory». The same ritual is waiting for all the winners of the 1^st Round.

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Ian Nepomniachtchi is putting his signature

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Among «celebrities» — the elegant Vugar Gashimov

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The favorite of Ugra — Dmitry Jakovenko

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Invisible man in the green shirt — Wang Yue became one of the «2700s» who left the tournament

 

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Rustam Kasimdzhanov fixed the draw by a beautiful move in the game with Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu and joined the list of the 1^st Round winners.

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Nisipeanu: «I and Rustam know each other very well, we are close friends. When I looked at the pairings I got disappointed…»

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Sandro Mareco (Argentina)

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Alexei Pridorozhni (Russia)

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For Chinese players this World Cup is maybe the worst in the history. Zhao Zong Yuan playing White tried to play off with Tomashevskybut got a mate

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One of the two «survived» Chinese — Ni Hua will continue playing in tie-break against Russian Ildar Khairullin. So far only Bu Xiangzhi qualified for the 2^nd Round: he won the first game playing against Ahmed Adly (Egypt) and the latter did not appear for the second one due to health problem.

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Nikita Vitiugov (Russia)

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Miracles happen in the ultra modern Academy. This lady who seems to have just appeared from the Russian fairy-tale is not troubled with blunders, time-troubles, zugzwangs and tie-breaks.