Unheralded Vladimir Potkin stunned his sixthed seed Russian compatriot Alexander Grischuk in the first game of the World Cup chess championship pre-quarterfinals at Khanty Mansiysk, Russia, on Tuesday.
The day produced six decisive verdicts from eight encounters, with Ukraine’s Vassily Ivanchuk and Ruslan Ponomariov, seeded two and four, involved in drawn encounters.
Gata Kamsky surrendered to Peter Svidler following a late blunder while Judit Polgar lost, with white pieces, to Cuban Leinier Dominguez Perez.
Azerbaijan’s duo of Vugar Gashimov and Teimour Radjabov, seeded five and seven, played to their ranking and moved within a draw of reaching the quarterfinals.
The results:
Pre-quarterfinals: Game One: Judit Polgar (Hun) lost to Leinier Dominguez Perez (Cub); Bu Xiangzhi (Chn) drew with Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukr); Yaroslav Zherebukh (Ukr) lost to David Navara (Cze); Lazaro Bruzon (Cub) drew with Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukr); Vugar Gashimov (Aze) bt Peter Heine Nielsen (Den); Vladimir Potkin (Rus) bt Alexander Grishcuk (Rus); Teimour Radjabov (Aze) bt Dmitry Jakovenko (Rus); Peter Svidler (Rus) bt Gata Kamsky (USA).
