Wang Hao wins Biel

Perhaps not many remember the Wang Hao who still untitled, won the Malaysian Open (what year?) with a perfect 11/11  10/11. Since then the Chinese has gained the GM title and an over 2700+ rating. Now he adds Biel 2012 to his list of achievements.

Actually Wang Hao was trailing in the last round against Magnus Carlsen by half a point. Magnus could not win the last game against Etienne Bacrot while Wang benefited from a tactical error from Giri and won easily.


Second was Magnus Carlsen who actually beat Wang twice.  But Wang won more games and under the "football" rules where a win is worth 3 points, he took the title ahead of Magnus by a full point. The table below shows the final standings. Magnus went through undefeated and raised his "live" rating to 2842.8. He needs another nine points to better Kasparov's all time best rating of 2851.

Wang Hao - Giri, A

Giri as black has just played 24....e6 which everyone on Playchess recognized as a tactical error (using their engines of course :)

The game ended

25. dxe6 Rxd1+ 26. Qxd1 fxe6

Here is what Giri miscalculated. After 26....Qxc6 27. exf7+ Kh8 (27...Kxf7?? 28. Ne5+) 28. Be7! Nxe7 29. Rxc6 Nxc6

After 29...Nxc6

It looks like black has won rook, bishop and knight for queen. But now 30. Qd6 Bg7 31. f8=Q+ and black has to lose one of his knights.

27. Ba4 Qd8 28. Qe2 Ng7 29. Ne5 Ne4 30. Nc6 Rxc6 31. Bxc6 Nxc5 32. Rxc5 1-0