This was the setup round in Biel, and the best chance for someone not named "Magnus Carlsen" to win the tournament. Anish Giri was just a point behind Carlsen (remember, they're using 3-1-0 scoring) and had White against the Norwegian, but failed to achieve anything against the latter's unambitious but very solid line of the Queen's Indian. The pieces came off quickly, and by move 23 the only remaining task was to make the draw official.
That seemed like great news for Wang Hao, who entered the round tied for first. He had the black pieces, but his opponent was Viktor Bologan, who had only managed one draw against five losses in his previous games. Unfortunately for Wang Hao, results aren't pro-rated based on earlier games, and things didn't turn out his way. Bologan enjoyed an advantage most of the way in a positional Najdorf, but let it slip near the end of the time control. Most of the advantage was already gone before White's 40th move, and when Bologan played 40.Re2 rather than 40.Rf2, it was equal. Unluckily for Wang Hao, he didn't have time to properly calculate his 40th move, and on the last move of the time control he played 40...Ne5(?? - 40...Ne8=). The move loses material to the obvious 41.Rxb2, when 41...Qxb2 42.Qxb2 Rxb2 43.Bd4 wins. Wang Hao chose instead 41...Rxb2, when here too 42.Bd4 wins material.
There's no doubt in my mind that Wang Hao saw this obvious two-mover, but thought his kingside counterplay would be enough. It's close, but Bologan found all the only-moves to pull out the win. For instance, after 42...Qg3 White correctly played 43.Bxb2! If instead 43.Qxb2? Black draws with 43...Nfg4 44.hxg4 Nxg4 45.Rf2 (45.Rd1 Qh2+ 46.Kf1 Ne3+ 47.Bxe3 Bxb2=) 45...Bxd4 46.Qxd4 Qh2+ 47.Kf1 Qh1+ 48.Ke2 Qxb1 and despite the extra rook White cannot win, e.g. 49.Rf4 Qa2+ 50.Qd2 Qa6+=.
After 43.Bxb2! Nf3+ 44.Rxf3 exf3 45.Qd2! (45.Qc2?? Qe1+ 46.Kh2 f2-+) it's fortunate that White can meet 45...Bh6 with 46.Nxf5!! - without this resource, Black wins! I doubt Bologan foresaw this in time trouble; indeed, he burned lots of time in the second control working through all the complications. But he succeeded in clearing all the hurdles and obtained his first victory of the tournament.
Finally, Etienne Bacrot vs. Hikaru Nakamura was a tough fight that ended abruptly when Bacrot blundered with 30.Re1??, losing on the spot to the elementary desperado 30...Qxe1+. Before that their Semi-Slav had been quite unclear: White enjoyed a bit more space thanks to the passed d-pawn, but his light-squared weaknesses and the presence of opposite-colored bishops gave Nakamura enduring counterplay.
Going into the last round, here are the standings:
1. Carlsen 17
2-3. Wang Hao, Giri 16
4. Nakamura 13
5. Bacrot 6
6. (Morozevich/)Bologan 4
Last Round Pairings:
Nakamura - Bologan
Wang Hao - Giri
Carlsen - Bacrot