Both games finish in short draws in World Cup Semi-Finals Game 1

Both Ruslan Ponomariov and Vassily Ivanchuk will be pleased to have obtained easy draws with black in the first games of their two game semi-finals of the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk. Ponomariov improved with 12...c6 against a Svidler game in the Berlin and equalised quickly. Alexander Grischuk looked like he might get something against Vassily Ivanchuk's French but he had to be very precise and in the final position with only 18 minutes left he steered for the draw.

Peter Svidler was surprised by 12...c6 which was Ruslan Ponomariov's improvement over a game Svidler played against Akopian last year and black very quickly achieved at least equality and a draw was ageed on move 20.

Svidler,Peter (2739) - Ponomariov,Ruslan (2764) [C65]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (6.1), 12.09.2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.Nbd2 h6 8.h3 Bb6 9.Nc4 Ne7 10.Ba4 Ng6 11.Bc2 Be6 12.a4 c6

[12...Bxc4 13.dxc4 a5 14.g3 Qe7 15.Kg2 Qe6 16.Qe2 Rfe8 17.Bd2 Nd7 18.Rad1 Nc5 19.Bc1 Qd7 20.b3 Qe6 21.Nh2 Ne7 22.Ng4 h5 23.Ne3 g6 24.g4 Qf6 25.gxh5 gxh5 26.Nd5 Nxd5 27.cxd5 Kf8 28.f4 Ke7 29.fxe5 Qxe5 30.Bf4 Qg7+ 31.Kh1 Nd7 32.e5 Nxe5 33.Bf5 Rg8 34.Rd2 Rae8 35.Qxh5 Kd8 36.Re2 Re7 37.Be4 Rh8 38.Qf5 Ng4 39.Rf3 Nh6 40.Qg5 f6 41.Qxg7 Rxg7 42.Rg3 Rxg3 43.Bxg3 Ng4 44.h4 Ne3 45.c4 f5 46.Bf3 f4 47.Be1 Nf5 48.h5 Be3 49.Rg2 Nd4 50.Bh4+ Ke8 51.Be4 f3 52.Rg7 Kf8 53.Rxc7 Rxh5 54.Rc8+ Kf7 1/2-1/2 Svidler,P (2731)-Akopian,V (2691)/Plovdiv BUL 2010/The Week in Chess 833]

13.Nxb6 axb6 14.Be3

There was some discussion in the broadcast as to whether this was best as it doesn't restrain 14...d5 and that looks to equalise almost instantly.

14...d5 15.d4 exd4 16.Nxd4 Bd7 17.exd5 Nxd5 18.Bd2 Qf6 19.Qf3 Ndf4 20.Bxf4

After a long thought from Svidler. You could tell from the footage he didn't like his position and he decides to make sure his position doesn't end up being worse. Presumably accompanied with a draw offer. Ponomariov thought for some time before accepting.

1/2-1/2

Alexander Grischuk worked very hard at the board against Vassily Ivanchuk's restrained French Defence setup and although he restricted black to an almost Steinitzian style of defence he needed to be very precise to get anything. With 18 minutes left as opposed to Ivanchuk's 49 he gave up and agreed a draw on move 22.

Grischuk,Alexander (2746) - Ivanchuk,Vassily (2768) [C10]
FIDE World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk RUS (6.1), 12.09.2011

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Nxf6+ Nxf6 7.c3 Be7 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qb3 Qc8 10.Ne5 0-0 11.Be2
ooking to place the bishop on f3.

[11.Nxd7 Nxd7 12.Be2 e5 13.0-0 c6 14.Be3 exd4 15.Bxd4 Qc7 16.Rfe1 Bc5 17.Qc4 Bxd4 18.Qxd4 Nb6 19.Bd3 Rfe8 20.a4 Rad8 21.a5 Nc8 22.b4 Qd6 23.Qxd6 Nxd6 24.f3 Rxe1+ 25.Rxe1 Kf8 26.Kf2 h6 27.Re5 b6 28.f4 Re8 29.Ke3 f6 30.Rxe8+ Kxe8 31.Kd4 Kd7 32.c4 bxa5 33.bxa5 Kc7 34.h4 Nb7 35.a6 Nd6 36.h5 Nc8 37.Kc5 Nb6 38.Kd4 Nc8 39.Bf5 Ne7 40.Bd3 Kb6 41.c5+ Kc7 1/2-1/2 Ardelean,G (2449)-Tincu,R (2232)/Timisoara ROM 2006/The Week in Chess 598]

11...Rd8 12.Bf3 Rb8 13.0-0 Be8
Slightly better for white with a space advantage and the break c5 is restrained.

14.Bf4

[14.Bg5; 14.Re1]

14...Nd7 15.Nd3 Bd6 16.Bg5 f6 17.Be3 Bf7 18.Rad1 e5 19.Bd5 Bxd5 20.Qxd5+ Kh8 21.dxe5 Nxe5 22.Nxe5 1/2-1/2

games in pgn: http://www.chess.co.uk/twic/assets/files/pgn/wcup11_6_1.pgn