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Gelfand remains in command in World Cup
Top seed Boris Gelfand of Israel advanced to the semifinals after scoring a comfortable win over Russian Dmitry Jakovenko in the tiebreak rapid games of the World Chess Cup quarterfinals here.
Khanty Mansiysk: Top seed Boris
Gelfand of Israel advanced to the semifinals after scoring a
comfortable win over Russian Dmitry Jakovenko in the tiebreak
rapid games of the World Chess Cup quarterfinals here.
The Azerbaijani challenge in the event ended as former
world champion Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine handed Vugar
Gashimov a defeat.
With Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine already in along with
Russian Vladimir Malakhov, Gelfand and Ponomariov complete the
line up for the semis.
By his previous exploits, Ponomariov emerges as the
favourite having won the world championship when it was in the
similar format in the year 2001 in Moscow.
The final then was an all Ukrainian affair after Vassily
Ivanchuk beat India`s Viswanathan Anand in the semis.
After drawing the first game as black, Gelfand juggled
his moves in spectacular fashion and Jakovenko proved no match
against the wisdom, experience and confidence of his opponent.
Ponomariov took the upperhand straight up against second
seed Gashimov who had nonchalantly walked up to the last-eight
stage.
Ponomariov got a chance to sacrifice a piece and did not
hesitate in a double edged position that he converted nicely
in the first rapid game. Needing just a draw in the remaining
two rapid games, Ponomariov won the psychological battle in no
time.
PTI
PTI