Matches Underway in Europe: Leko Loses to Li Chao, Mamedyarov Attacks Fischer-Style

Along with the usual tournament format, more and more matches are organized all over the world. Two of them are taking place in Europe: a friendly match between Peter Leko and the Chinese guest Li Chao is underway in the Hungarian city of Szeged, while another one has started in Vienna as part of the large chess festival. In the Austrian capital, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is facing the best local GM Markus Ragger.

twitter.com/GMJuditPolgar

The first move in Leko - Li Chao was made by Judit Polgar, but this failed to help her fellow countryman so far. The first two games were drawn, the third one brought success to the Chinese. There are three more encounters to go. 

As for Mamedyarov, he took the bull by the horns at once:

MAMEDYAROV - RAGGER

The position has arisen from the Exchange variation of Ruy Lopez with 8.Nb3, which had been played successfully by Bobby Fischer long ago, but now is less popular than 8.Ne2. In the seemingly quiet position, the Azeri top GM managed to lull his opponent's vigilance and then delivered a spectacular Fischer-style blow:
18.b4! Black collapsed very quickly: 18...axb4 19.a5 bxa5 20.Bxc5 Nh6 21.Rxa5 Rhe8 22.Bb6 Rd6 23.Nc4 Bxc4 24.Rxd6 Re1+ 25.Kf2 Re2+ 26.Kg3 1-0

The match consists of 6 games, as well as the one in Szeged.

[Event "Match Ragger-Mamedyarov"] [Site "Wien"] [Date "2015.08.17"] [Round "1"] [White "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"] [Black "Ragger, Markus"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C69"] [WhiteElo "2735"] [BlackElo "2688"] [Annotator "Robot 11"] [PlyCount "51"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [EventCountry "AUT"] [TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"] 1. e4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 3. Bb5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} a6 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 4. Bxc6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} dxc6 {[%emt 0:00:04]} 5. O-O {[%emt 0:00:00]} f6 {[%emt 0:00:26]} 6. d4 {[%emt 0:00:05]} exd4 {[%emt 0:00:15]} 7. Nxd4 {[%emt 0:00:05]} c5 {[%emt 0:00:24]} 8. Nb3 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Qxd1 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 9. Rxd1 {[%emt 0:00:04]} Bg4 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 10. f3 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Be6 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 11. Nc3 {[%emt 0:04:10]} Bd6 {[%emt 0:01:57]} 12. Be3 {[%emt 0:03:08]} b6 {[%emt 0:01:57]} 13. a4 { [%emt 0:00:06]} a5 {[%emt 0:09:04]} 14. Nb5 {[%emt 0:01:46]} O-O-O {[%emt 0:00: 28]} 15. Nxd6+ {[%emt 0:16:34]} cxd6 {[%emt 0:00:54]} 16. Nd2 {[%emt 0:00:10]} d5 {[%emt 0:02:50]} 17. exd5 {[%emt 0:02:56]} Bxd5 {[%emt 0:02:31]} 18. b4 { [%emt 0:00:19]} axb4 {[%emt 0:22:38]} 19. a5 {[%emt 0:00:05]} bxa5 {[%emt 0:00: 19]} 20. Bxc5 {[%emt 0:06:05]} Nh6 {[%emt 0:04:43]} 21. Rxa5 {[%emt 0:00:36]} Rhe8 {[%emt 0:08:26]} 22. Bb6 {[%emt 0:04:41]} Rd6 {[%emt 0:09:21]} 23. Nc4 { [%emt 0:01:09]} Bxc4 {[%emt 0:01:28]} 24. Rxd6 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Re1+ {[%emt 0: 00:06]} 25. Kf2 {[%emt 0:00:03]} Re2+ {[%emt 0:00:05]} 26. Kg3 {[%emt 0:00:04]} 1-0 [Event "Match Peter Leko vs Li Chao b"] [Site "Szeged"] [Date "2015.08.16"] [Round "3"] [White "Li, Chao b"] [Black "Leko, Peter"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A34"] [WhiteElo "2748"] [BlackElo "2714"] [Annotator "Robot 3"] [PlyCount "85"] [EventDate "2015.??.??"] [EventCountry "HUN"] [TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"] 1. c4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} c5 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 2. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 3. Nc3 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 4. g3 {[%emt 0:00:22]} d5 {[%emt 0:00:12]} 5. cxd5 {[%emt 0:00:18]} Nxd5 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 6. Bg2 { [%emt 0:00:07]} g6 {[%emt 0:00:24]} 7. Ne4 {[%emt 0:00:19]} Qb6 {[%emt 0:16:12] } 8. O-O {[%emt 0:01:32]} Bg7 {[%emt 0:07:35]} 9. Qc2 {[%emt 0:01:20]} Bf5 { [%emt 0:03:59]} 10. d3 {[%emt 0:01:33]} Bxe4 {[%emt 0:09:16]} 11. dxe4 {[%emt 0:01:50]} Ndb4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 12. Qa4 {[%emt 0:02:00]} Qa5 {[%emt 0:13:40]} 13. Qd1 {[%emt 0:19:25]} O-O {[%emt 0:07:20]} 14. a3 {[%emt 0:02:19]} Na6 { [%emt 0:04:12]} 15. e5 {[%emt 0:08:35]} e6 {[%emt 0:06:59]} 16. Qc2 {[%emt 0: 06:17]} Rac8 {[%emt 0:09:14]} 17. Qe4 {[%emt 0:11:41]} c4 {[%emt 0:00:51]} 18. Bd2 {[%emt 0:03:01]} Qb5 {[%emt 0:06:25]} 19. a4 {[%emt 0:00:31]} Qb3 {[%emt 0: 02:12]} 20. Be3 {[%emt 0:02:10]} Qb4 {[%emt 0:01:25]} 21. Rfc1 {[%emt 0:01:04]} Na5 {[%emt 0:02:32]} 22. Bd2 {[%emt 0:02:11]} Qb6 {[%emt 0:00:06]} 23. Bxa5 { [%emt 0:00:29]} Qxa5 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 24. Rxc4 {[%emt 0:00:16]} Rxc4 {[%emt 0: 03:08]} 25. Qxc4 {[%emt 0:00:04]} Qc7 {[%emt 0:04:35]} 26. Qxc7 {[%emt 0:08:20] } Nxc7 {[%emt 0:00:01]} 27. Rd1 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Nd5 {[%emt 0:00:57]} 28. e4 { [%emt 0:00:07]} Nb4 {[%emt 0:01:29]} 29. Rd7 {[%emt 0:00:09]} a5 {[%emt 0:00: 49]} 30. Rxb7 {[%emt 0:00:50]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:17]} 31. Rb5 {[%emt 0:00:52]} Rb8 {[%emt 0:00:29]} 32. Rc5 {[%emt 0:00:59]} Rb6 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 33. Bf1 { [%emt 0:00:16]} Bf8 {[%emt 0:00:37]} 34. Rb5 {[%emt 0:02:17]} Rxb5 {[%emt 0:00: 53]} 35. Bxb5 {[%emt 0:03:13]} Nb4 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 36. Nd2 {[%emt 0:00:36]} Be7 {[%emt 0:01:01]} 37. Kf1 {[%emt 0:03:06]} Bd8 {[%emt 0:00:19]} 38. Ke2 { [%emt 0:00:28]} Kf8 {[%emt 0:00:21]} 39. f4 {[%emt 0:02:04]} h5 {[%emt 0:00:33] } 40. Nc4 {[%emt 0:02:50]} Ke7 {[%emt 0:00:07]} 41. Kd2 {[%emt 0:31:44]} Bc7 { [%emt 0:03:22]} 42. Kc3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Bd8 {[%emt 0:11:54]} 43. Kd4 {[%emt 0: 00:00]} 1-0

Apart from the Mamedyarov - Ragger match, the Vienna chess festival includes several tournaments with more than 800 participants total. There are 460 players in the main open, but only one, GM Rainer Buhmann, is above 2600.