GCT Cote d’Ivoire Rapids /Rd 4-6

Day 2 of Rapids Carlsen leads by 2 points with 10/12.

Back to back victories.. In the 4th round he defeated Karjakin, then MVL in the 5th..

Round 6 draws with Veselin Topalov ..

Rd5 Carslen -Vachier-Lagrave 1-0

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Bg7 10. Qd2 Nc6 11. Nb3 Be6 12. h4 gxh4 13. Bxh4 b5 14. f4 b4 15. Na4 Qc7 16. O-O-O Rb8 17. Kb1 Na5 18. Nxa5 Qxa5 19. b3 Qc7 20. Be2 h5 21. f5 Bd7 22. Bxg4 hxg4 23. Qg5 Bf6 24. Qxg4 Bxa4 25. Bxf6 Rxh1 26. Rxh1 exf6 27. bxa4 Ke7 28. Qf3 Rc8 29. Qd3 a5 30. Rd1 Rg8 31. Qe2 Rg3 32. Qf2 Ra3 33. g4 Rxa4 34. g5 fxg5 35. f6+ Ke8 36. Qe2 b3 37. axb3 Rb4 38. e5 dxe5 39. Rd5 Kf8 40. Qh5 Rh4 41. Qxg5 Rh7 42. Qd2 1-0

Hikaru Nakamura starts off with a win in round 4 against Veslen Toplaov , Round 5 hit a speed bump goes 0-1 then wins round 6 playing the White side of the Ruy Lopez against Ding Liren.

Rd4 Nakamura – Topalov 1-0

1. Nf3 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Qc2 e5 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. a3 Bd6 8. d4 O-O 9. Bd3 h6 10. O-O exd4 11. Nxd5 cxd5 12. Nxd4 Nc5 13. Be2 Re8 14. Bd2 Bd7 15. Bf3 Ne4 16. Bb4 Be5 17. Rad1 Qb6 18. Qb3 Bxd4 19. Rxd4 a5 20. Qxd5 Bb5 21. Bxe4 Bxf1 22. Bc5 Qa6 23. Qf5 Rxe4 24. Qxe4 Rc8 25. h4 b6 26. Rd6 Qb5 27. Bd4 Bd3 28. Qg4 Rc1+ 29. Kh2 Bg6 30. Rxb6 Qd5 31. h5 Qxh5+ 32. Qxh5 Bxh5 33. Rb5 Bg6 34. Rxa5 Rc2 35. Kg3 h5 36. Rg5 Kh7 37. f3 Rd2 38. a4 f6 39. Rxg6 Kxg6 40. a5 Rd1 41. a6 Ra1 42. a7 Kf7 43. b4 Ra2 44. b5 1-0

SPEED BUMP* The local GM Bessem Amin was /is having a tough go at it losing his first four games . Round 5 he played with pride and a fighting spirit [1. e4 c5] combined with a bit of luck winning a good game against Hikaru Nakamura giving him his first loss and Bessem’s first points . Round 6 he drew with Sergey Karjakin.

Rd5 Amin – Nakamura 1-0

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d3 Nc6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. O-O d6 7. c3 Nf6 8. Re1 O-O 9. d4 e5 10. dxc5 dxc5 11. Qxd8 Rxd8 12. Na3 Ne8 13. Bf1 f6 14. Bc4+ Kf8 15. Be3 b6 16. Bd5 Bd7 17. Nb5 Rab8 18. a4 a6 19. Na3 Ne7 20. Bb3 Nc6 21. Nd2 Nc7 22. f4 Bh6 23. Kg2 Na5 24. Bc2 Bc6 25. b4 Nb7 26. Ndc4 exf4 27. gxf4 b5 28. axb5 axb5 29. Nb6 cxb4 30. cxb4 Nd6 31. Kg3 Bxe4 32. Bc5 Bxc2 33. Nxc2 Kg8 34. Nd4 Nc4 35. Nxc4 bxc4 36. Nc6 Rd3+ 37. Kf2 Rb7 38. f5 c3 39. Re2 Bf8 40. Bxf8 Kxf8 41. fxg6 hxg6 42. Ra5 Rb6 43. Rc5 Ne8 44. Ne7 Kf7 45. Nd5 Rb7 46. b5 Nd6 47. Nxc3 g5 48. Kg2 Kg6 49. Rb2 Nf5 50. Ne4 Ne3+ 51. Kg1 Re7 52. Nf2 Ra3 53. Rc1 Rb7 54. h3 Ra5 55. Rc5 Nf5 56. Ne4 Nd4 57. Nd6 Rd7 58. Nc4 Ra1+ 59. Kf2 Rh7 60. b6 Ra8 61. b7 Rb8 62. Nd6 Rxh3 63. Rb4 Rh2+ 64. Kf1 Rh1+ 65. Kg2 Rd1 66. Rc8 Rd2+ 67. Kf1 Nf3 68. Rb3 Rxb7 69. Nxb7 g4 70. Nc5 Rc2 71. Rd3 Kf5 72. Nb7 Rb2 73. Nd6+ Ke6 74. Re8+ Kd7 75. Re2 Rb1+ 76. Kf2 Ne5 77. Rdd2 Kc6 78. Ne4 Rb3 79. Rd6+ Kb5 80. Rxf6 Nd3+ 81. Kg2 Ra3 82. Rf5+ Kc4 83. Nf2 Nb4 84. Re4+ Kc3 85. Re3+ 1-0

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave wins rd4 against Wei Yi playing the Petroff’s Defence.

Rd4 Vachier-Lagrave -Wei 1-0

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nd7 9. O-O-O Nf6 10. Bd3 d5 11. Rhe1 Bg4 12. h3 Bxf3 13. gxf3 Re8 14. f4 c5 15. Kb1 Qa5 16. f5 Rad8 17. Rg1 Kh8 18. c4 Qxd2 19. Bxd2 d4 20. c3 dxc3 21. Bxc3 Bd6 22. Rge1 Rxe1 23. Rxe1 Re8 24. Rxe8+ Nxe8 25. Be4 b6 26. Bc6 Nf6 27. Kc2 Kg8 28. Kb3 Kf8 29. Ka4 Ke7 30. Kb5 Kd8 31. Ka6 Kc7 32. Bd5 Kb8 33. Bxf7 Ne4 34. Bxg7 Nxf2 35. h4 Nd3 36. a3 Be5 37. Bf8 Nxb2 38. Be6 Kc7 39. Be7 Nd3 40. f6 Bd6 41. Kxa7 Ne5 42. Bxd6+ Kxd6 43. f7 1-0

Ian Nepomniachtchi won round 4 over Amin . Lost round 5 playing the Kings Indian Defense against Ding Liren , then draws Round 6 against Wei Yi who had one loss and 2 draws for the day..