The fifteen year old Norwegian prodigy Magnus Carlsen is still in the race to reach the Fide WCC Candidates matches after defeating Joel Lautier 1.5-0.5 in the fifth round of the Fide World Cup taking place at Khanty Mansyisk in Siberia.

Carlsen is in a group of eight players who lost in round four and are contesting another knockout to decide who takes ninth and tenth place. Four players remain in contention and the two winners in the next round will get through to the Candidates to be held in September 2006.

In the group contesting places 1-8 four players are seeking the top prize of $80,000 and a number one seeding in the Candidates which would ensure a favourable draw.

The Spanish GM Francisco Vallejo Pons reached the semi final in the group fighting for 9th-16th place with some cool defence against a sacrificial onslaught in a Rapid Chess play off game.

L Van Wely - F Vallejo Pons
Fide World Cup (9-16th) (5.4)
25m + 10s

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 (6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 is the steady way to play but Van Wely was not in a peaceful mood) 6...dxc4 7.e4 ( Gambiting a pawn for an attack on the kingside. This is one of the wildest lines of the Semi Slav) 7...g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Ne5 a6 12.f4 gxf4 13.Bxf4 Rh7! (Trying to shore up the weak point in Black's position on f7) 14.Nxf7!? (White decides to go all in not 14.Bh5 Nxh5 15.Qxh5 Nf6; but 14.Nxd7 Qxd7 15.Be5! is strong and14.Nxd7 Nxd7 15.Qc2!? unclear) 14...Rxf7 15.e5 Qb6! (Preparing to run with the king) 16.Bh5!? (16.exf6 Nxf6 17.Be5! wins but 16.exf6 0-0-0! is unclear) 16...Nxh5 17.Qxh5 Qxd4+ 18.Kh1 (At first sight it looks like f7 cannot be held but Black has a hidden defence) 18...Qd3! 19.Bxh6 (19.Bg3 Qh7 20.Rf3 c5 21.Rf2 was still unclear as White threatens Raf1 ) 19...Nxe5! 20.Bxf8 Kxf8 21.Qh8+? (21.Qxe5 Qxf1+ 22.Rxf1 Rxf1#; 21.Ne2! Qe3? 22.Rxf7+ Nxf7 23.Rf1 so Black must play 21.Ne2 Kg8 22.Qxe5 Qd5! 22.Rxf7+ Nxf7 23.Rf1) 21...Ke7 22.Qh4+ Ke8 23.Rfe1 c5 24.Qg5 Qf5 25.Qg8+ Kd7 26.Rad1+ Nd3 0-1

Vallejo Pons

Van Wely

Final position after 26...Nd3

Round five

Places 1-8

Bareev draw 0-1 Ponomariov, Ponomariov wins
Rublevsky draw 0-1 Bacrot, Bacrot wins
Aronian draw 1-0 Gurevich, Aronian wins
Gelfand1-0 0-1 Grischuk, play off; draw draw 0-1 0-1 Grischuk wins

Places 9-16

Carlsen draw 1-0 Lautier, Carlsen wins
Kamsky 1-0 draw Sakaev, Kamsky wins
Malakhov1-0 draw Dreev, Malakhov wins
Vallejo Pons draw Van Wely, play off; draw 1-0 Vallejo Pons wins