Only four players from the initial 128 can now become World Cup Champion in 2009. All are vying for the $120,000 (96,000 after tax) winners prize. In case you were wondering, the losing semi-finalists will earn $50,000 ($40,000 net) and the losing finalist $80,000 ($64,000 net).
Boris Gelfand won convincingly today and so must have odds of something like 90% to be involved in the coveted final match which will be over four classical games rather than two.
| Name | Country | Rating | Age | Original seed | Classical game 1 | Classical game 2 |
| Boris Gelfand | ISR | 2758 | 41 | 1 | 1 | |
| Sergey Karjakin | UKR | 2723 | 19 | 12 | 0 |
Sergey Karjakin (2723) - Boris Gelfand (2758)
Khanty Mansiysk (World Cup 6.1) 06.12.2009
Quiet Italian (C55)
1.e4 e5 2.♗c4
This move order is used to avoid Petroff's defence (that arises after 2.♘f3 ♘f6) of which Gelfand is a great specialist.
2...♘f6 3.d3 ♘c6 4.♘f3 ♗e7
Naming openings isn't always straightforward! This one started out as a 'Bishop's Opening' but transposed to a line of the Two Knights Defence, which in the case of the positional d2-d3, I call the 'Quiet Italian'!
5.0-0 0-0 6.♗b3 d5!?
The most ambitious. Black aims to open up lines for his pieces, at the risk of weakening his e-pawn.
A few months ago Karjakin played the more prudent 6...d6 against Radjabov but after 7.c3 then continued with 7...d5!? anyway. The justification for this tempo loss being that the d3-square can now become weak.
7.exd5 ♘xd5 8.h3
A cautious try aimed at avoiding ...♗g4.
The critical (and unclear) line is 8.♖e1 ♗g4 9.h3 ♗xf3 10.♕xf3 ♘d4 11.♕xd5 ♕xd5 12.♗xd5 ♘xc2 13.♖xe5 which Tiviakov has played a couple of times (1.5/2) recently.
8...a5
Obliging some sort of concession on the queenside.
9.a4
After 9.a3 Black consolidates by 9...a4 10.♗a2 ♔h8 11.♖e1 f6 with a rock-solid position.
9...♘d4 10.♘xd4
The materialistic 10.♘xe5 ♘xb3 11.cxb3 ♖e8 12.♘c3 leaves White's pawns so corrupted the fact that he has an extra one is of little significance. Black has such comfortable development, as well as the far-superior structure, he may even be better.
10...exd4 11.♖e1 ♖a6!
A dynamic rook shift.
12.♕h5 ♘b4
Another point behind the early ...a5 (that is after the reply a2-a4) is the creation of this outpost.
13.♘a3 ♖g6 14.♗f4
14.♕xa5?! allows 14...♗xh3
14...b6 15.♕f3
15...♗e6!
Trading White's best minor piece and opening the f-file.
16.♗xe6 fxe6 17.♕e4 ♗d6!
Now Gelfand trades his opponent's other bishop (and best defensive piece) when Black will have the more active set-up. Note in particular the position of White's knight stuck offside on a3.
18.♗xd6 cxd6 19.♕xd4
Taking a pawn gives White only temporary pleasure, the rest of the game being quite depressing from his point of view.
19...♕g5 20.g3 ♕f5
Probing away at White's poorly defended kingside.
21.g4 h5 22.♖e4
This fails to Black's next move, but it's already hard to suggest a decent move for White.
22...d5
Karjakin's position is a shambles.
23.♔h2 ♕f3
Or here 23...♕xf2+ 24.♕xf2 ♖xf2+ 25.♔g3 dxe4 26.♔xf2 exd3 is also promising.
24.♖ee1 hxg4 25.♕e3 gxh3 26.♕xf3 ♖xf3
White saves his king by exchanging queens but the simplified position is hopeless.
27.♖g1 ♖xf2+ 28.♔xh3 ♖xg1 29.♖xg1 ♘xc2 30.♘b5 ♖f3+ 31.♔g4 ♖xd3 32.♘d6 ♘e3+ 33.♔f4 ♘c4
0-1
In the other match, Ponomariov kept plugging away with the white pieces but Malakhov never looked in danger. A repetition in a double-bishop ending signalled the end of hostilities. The Chebanenko Slav was again used by Malakhov to great effect (see also his quarter-final win against Svidler) a sign that this system is a tough not to crack.
| Name | Country | Rating | Age | Original seed | Classical game 1 | Classical game 2 |
| Vladimir Malakhov | RUS | 2706 | 29 | 22 | 0.5 | |
| Ruslan Ponomariov | UKR | 2739 | 26 | 7 | 0.5 |
More details are available on the official site
