Saturday, December 03, 2005

Paragua Eliminated

Pinoy player Mark Paragua was eliminated from the World Chess Cup event overnight, losing to Russian, Alexey Dreev. The mini match went into tiebreaks after both players split the points in their regulation games.

Paragua drew first blood in the first rapid game, but Dreev struck back quickly on the reverse with the White side of a Queen's Gambit Accepted. The two players were then forced into a blitz play-off with Dreev eventually prevailing 1.5-0.5.

WCC 2005
Paragua, Mark
Black "Dreev, Alexey

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 a6 6. a3 Nbd7 7. b4 g6 8. Bd3 Bg7 9. O-O O-O 10. Bb2 b5 11. cxd5 exd5 12. e4 Nb6 13. Ne5 Bb7 14. exd5 Nfxd5 15. Rc1 Nxc3 16. Bxc3 f6 17. Ng4 Qd6 18. h4 Bc8 19. Nh2 Be6 20. Re1 Bc4 21. Bb1 Rfe8 22. Qf3 Bd5 23. Qh3 Be6 24. Qf3 Bd5 25. Qh3 Bh6 26. Rcd1 Be6 27. Ng4 Bg7 28. h5 Bxg4 29. Qxg4 f5 30. Qf3 Nd5 31. Bb2 Qf4 32. Qxf4 Nxf4 33. hxg6 hxg6 34. g3 Nd5 35. Ba2 Kf8 36. Rxe8+ Rxe8 37. Kf1 Rd8 38. Ke2 Ke7 39. Rc1 Kd6 40. Bxd5 Kxd5 41. Kd3 Rh8 42. Rc5+ Kd6 43. Bc1 Rh1 44. Bf4+ Kd7 45. Bd2 Ra1 46. Bc1 Ra2 47. f3 Bf8 48. Rc2 Ra1 49. g4 Bd6 50. gxf5 gxf5 51. d5 cxd5 52. Kd4 Rb1 53. Rc3 Bg3 54. Kxd5 a5 55. bxa5 b4 56. axb4 Rxb4 57. Rd3 Rb5+ 58. Kc4+ Kc6 59. f4 Rc5+ 60. Kb4 Rxc1 61. Rxg3 Rf1 62. Rc3+ Kb7 63. Rc4 Ka6 64. Rd4 Re1 65. Rd6+ Kb7 66. Kc5 Ra1 67. a6+ Kc7 68. Rc6+ Kd7 69. Rg6 Ra4 70. a7 Kc7 71. Rg8 1-0

Meanwhile the top players like Shirov, Kamsky, Ponomariov and Bacrot have made it. For my money, I'm betting on Kamsky to win the whole thing. It's certainly satisfying to see this powerful American making a come-back.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Last year, GM Mark Paragua was eliminated by GM Bologan in the first round but only after pushing GM Bologan to the tie-breaks. This year, GM Paragua defeated a world-class player in GM Movsasian in the first round. He lost to Super-GM Dreev in the second round, but GM Dreev did not get the win easily. He has to go to the tie-breaks in order to defeat GM Paragua. Next year, i imagine GM Paragua to enter the last 18. GOOD LUCK MARK. And by the way, watch out for another pinoy chess wiz ihn the making. His name is Wesley So. He's not yet a teenager but he is a FIDE Master already. watch out for him, will you?

Anonymous said...

GM Mark Paragua of the Philippines played a good . Its okay to be eliminated by a top player like Dreev

The Closet Grandmaster said...

OK, I will. I have heard of him. Didn't he finish in the high rankings in some youths tournament or something?