US Championship Round 1

GM Yury Shulman 1-0 IM Enrico Sevillano
GM Ildar Ibragimov 0-1 GM Gata Kamsky
GM Hikaru Nakamura 1-0 GM Alexander Shabalov
GM Joshua Friedel ½-½ GM Alexander Onischuk
IM Robert Hess 1-0 GM Larry Christiansen
GM Julio Becerra 1-0 IM Ray Robson
IM Anna Zatonskih 0-1 GM Varuzhan Akobian
GM Gregory Kaidanov ½-½ IM Irina Krush
IM Samuel Shankland ½-½ GM Joel Benjamin
GM Jaan Ehlvest 1-0 IM Michael Brooks
Charles Lawton 0-1 GM Melikset Khachiyan
GM Boris Gulko 0-1 Tyler Hughes

Round 1 Photos
Round 1 Video Wrapup

2008 Chess Oscar goes to....

Anand!

Grand Prix Nalchik R13 (Final)

Aronian,L (2754) - Leko,P (2751) [E55]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0-0 5.Bd3 d5 6.Nf3 c5 7.0-0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nbd7 9.Qe2 b6 10.Rd1 cxd4 11.exd4 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Bb7 13.Bb3 Qc7 14.c4 Rfe8 15.Bb2 Qf4 16.Qe3 Qf5 17.Ne1 b5 18.c5 Nd5 19.Qg3 Nf4 20.Rd2 Nf6 21.f3 N6h5 22.Qf2 Bd5 23.Bc2 Qg5 24.Kh1 Bc4 25.g3 Ng6 26.Ng2 Bd5 27.Ne3 Nf6 28.h4 Qh5 29.Nxd5 Nxd5 30.Re1 Red8 31.Rde2 Rab8 32.Bc1 h6 33.Kg2 Nc3 34.Re5 Nxe5 35.Rxe5 f5 36.Bb3 Nd5 37.Rxe6 Kh8 38.Qe1 Nf6 39.Qe5 Re8 40.c6 Rbc8 41.Qxb5 Qg6 42.h5 Qxh5 43.Bf4 a6 44.Qxa6 Nh7 45.c7 Ng5 46.Rxe8+ Qxe8 47.d5 Ra8 48.Qc4 Kh7 49.d6 Qe1 50.Qf1 Qe8 51.Qd3 Qd7 52.Qc4 Qe8 53.Bxg5 hxg5 54.Qg8+ 1-0

Bacrot,E (2728) - Alekseev,Evgeny (2716) [C43]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.d4 Nxe4 4.dxe5 d5 5.Nbd2 Nxd2 6.Qxd2 c5 7.c4 Be6 8.Ng5 Nc6 9.Nxe6 fxe6 10.cxd5 Qxd5 11.Qxd5 exd5 12.Bb5 Kf7 13.f4 Nd4 14.Ba4 b5 15.Bd1 c4 16.Be3 Bc5 17.Bxd4 Bxd4 18.Bf3 Rad8 19.Rd1 Bxb2 20.Bxd5+ Ke7 21.Ke2 Rc8 22.Be4 c3 23.Bc2 Rc4 24.f5 Rb8 25.Rd5 a5 26.Rhd1 Rb7 27.Rd8 Ba3 28.Rh8 Rc5 29.f6+ Ke6 30.Re8+ Kf7 31.Rdd8 Rc4 32.Rh8 Rh4 33.fxg7 Kxg7 34.Rdg8+ Kh6 35.Rg6+ Kh5 36.Rg3 Kh6 37.Rg6+ Kh5 38.Rg3 Kh6 39.Rxc3 Bb4 40.Rc6+ Kg7 41.Rcc8 a4 42.Rcg8+ Kh6 43.Rg6+ Kh5 44.Rg3 Kh6 45.Rg6+ Kh5 46.Bf5 Rc4 47.Rg3 Kh6 48.Rg6+ Kh5 49.Rgg8 Rcc7 50.Bg6+ Kh6 51.Be4 Rb6 52.g4 Bc3 53.g5+ Kh5 54.g6 Bxe5 55.Rxh7+ Rxh7 56.gxh7 Rh6 57.Kf3 b4 58.Kg2 Kh4 59.Bf3 Bc3 60.Rg4+ Kh5 61.Kh3 Rxh7 62.Rh4+ Kg6 63.Be4+ 1-0

Gelfand,B (2733) - Karjakin,Sergey (2721) [D15]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.e3 b5 6.c5 Nbd7 7.a3 a5 8.Qc2 Qc7 9.e4 Nxe4 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Qxe4 Nf6 12.Qe5 Qxe5+ 13.Nxe5 Bb7 14.a4 b4 15.Bf4 Nd7 16.Nc4 Ba6 17.Nb6 Ra7 18.Bxa6 Rxa6 19.Nc4 Ra7 20.0-0-0 e6 21.Be5 Nf6 22.Bb8 Rb7 23.Bg3 Ra7 24.Bb8 Rb7 25.Be5 Ra7 26.f4 Nd5 27.Rhe1 f6 28.Bd6 Kd7 29.g3 Bxd6 30.Nxd6 b3 31.Re2 Rb8 32.Rde1 Rb4 33.Rxe6 Rxa4 34.Kb1 Ra8 35.Ne8 Rxd4 36.Rd6+ Kc8 37.Rxc6+ Kb7 38.Rce6 Rd3 39.c6+ Ka7 40.c7 a4 41.Rc1 a3 42.bxa3 Nc3+ 43.Rxc3 Rxc3 44.Kb2 Rxe8 45.Kxc3 1-0

Eljanov,P (2693) - Akopian,Vl (2696) [D12]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bf5 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4 Bg6 7.Be2 Nbd7 8.g3 Bd6 9.0-0 0-0 10.Nxg6 hxg6 11.b3 Qe7 12.Bf3 Rfe8 13.Bg2 a6 14.a3 Rad8 15.Qc2 Bb8 16.Bd2 Ba7 17.c5 e5 18.b4 e4 19.a4 Nf8 20.b5 Ne6 21.Qd1 Ng5 22.bxc6 bxc6 23.h4 Ngh7 24.Bh3 g5 25.h5 g4 26.Bxg4 Nxg4 27.Qxg4 Ng5 28.Kg2 Nf3 29.Ra2 Rf8 30.Qf5 g6 31.Qg4 Kg7 32.Ne2 Rh8 33.Nf4 Bb8 34.Ba5 Bxf4 35.Bxd8 Qxd8 36.Qxf4 Rxh5 37.g4 Rh2+ 38.Qxh2 Nxh2 39.Kxh2 Qh4+ 40.Kg2 Qxg4+ 41.Kh2 f5 42.Rg1 Qh5+ 43.Kg2 g5 44.Rb2 f4 45.exf4 gxf4 46.Rb8 Kf7 47.Rb3 f3+ 48.Kf1 Qh6 49.Re3 Qh8 0-1

Final standings:
Aronian wins by a full point at +4 (8.5/13)
Leko and Akopian tied for second at +2 (7.5/13)
Grischuk and Bacrot tied for fourth at +1 (7/13)

Grand Prix Nalchik R12

Grischuk,A (2748) - Bacrot,E (2728) [A63]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.Nc3 exd5 6.cxd5 g6 7.g3 Bg7 8.Bg2 0-0 9.0-0 Nbd7 10.h3 a6 11.a4 Rb8 12.Bf4 Ne8 13.Rc1 b6 14.e4 Ne5 15.Re1 Bd7 16.Bf1 Nxf3+ 17.Qxf3 b5 18.axb5 axb5 19.b4 g5 20.Bd2 c4 21.Qd1 f5 22.exf5 Bxf5 23.Be3 h6 24.Bd4 Bxd4 25.Qxd4 Qf6 26.Qxf6 Nxf6 27.Ra1 Nd7 28.g4 Bd3 29.Re6 Ne5 30.Bg2 Nf3+ 31.Bxf3 Rxf3 32.Re3 Rxe3 33.fxe3 Re8 34.Kf2 Rf8+ 35.Kg3 Re8 36.Kf3 Rf8+ 37.Kg2 Re8 38.Kf2 Rf8+ 39.Kg2 Re8 40.Kf3 Rf8+ 41.Kg3 Re8 42.Re1 Ra8 43.e4 Ra3 44.Nxb5 Rb3 45.Kf2 Rxb4 46.Nxd6 c3 47.Ke3 c2 48.Kxd3 Rb1 49.Kxc2 Rxe1 50.Kd3 h5 51.Kd4 Kf8 52.Nf5 Rh1 53.e5 Rxh3 54.e6 hxg4 55.d6 Rh1 56.d7 Rd1+ 1-0

Karjakin,Sergey (2721) - Svidler,P (2726) [C92]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Re8 10.d4 Bb7 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a3 h6 13.Bc2 Nb8 14.a4 Nbd7 15.Bd3 c6 16.b3 g6 17.Ba3 Qc7 18.Qc2 Rad8 19.Rad1 Bg7 20.axb5 axb5 21.dxe5 Nxe5 22.Nxe5 Rxe5 23.c4 bxc4 24.Nxc4 Ree8 25.Bb4 Qb8 26.Ba5 Rd7 27.Bc3 Rde7 28.Qb2 Re6 29.Ne3 d5 30.exd5 cxd5 31.b4 Qd6 32.Bf1 Nh5 33.Bxg7 Nxg7 34.b5 h5 35.Nc4 Qc7 36.Rxe6 Nxe6 37.b6 Qc5 38.Ne5 d4 39.Qb5 Rc8 40.Qd7 Qxe5 41.Qxb7 Rb8 42.Qa7 Qd6 43.Rb1 Rd8 44.b7 Qb8 45.Ra1 Qc7 46.Bc4 Qxc4 47.b8Q Rxb8 48.Qxb8+ Kh7 49.Ra7 Ng7 50.Qc7 Qxc7 51.Rxc7 Kg8 52.Rc8+ 1-0

Leko,P (2751) - Kasimdzhanov,R (2695) [C42]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Nc3 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bg4 10.Re1 0-0 11.Bf4 Bd6 12.Bxd6 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Qxd6 14.Re3 Rae8 15.Rae1 Rxe3 16.Rxe3 g6 17.h4 Nb8 18.h5 Nd7 19.g4 Nf6 20.h6 Kh8 21.Re5 c6 22.c4 Ng8 23.Qe3 dxc4 24.Bxc4 g5 25.Rxg5 Nxh6 26.Qe4 f6 27.Rh5 f5 28.gxf5 Nxf5 29.Be6 Qxd4 30.Rxh7+ 1-0

Standings:
Leko, Aronian at +3
Grischuk, Alekseev, Akopian at +1

Grand Prix Nalchik R11

Gelfand,B (2733) - Mamedyarov,S (2725) [E10]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.d4 d5 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Be7 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 c6 8.Bf4 Nbd7 9.Nc3 Nh5 10.Bc1 Nhf6 11.Bf4 Nh5 12.Bc1 Nhf6 13.b3 b6 14.Nd2 Ba6 15.Bb2 b5 16.cxd5 cxd5 17.a3 Nb6 18.Nf3 Rc8 19.Ne5 Bd6 20.Nd3 Qd7 21.Qd2 Bb7 22.Rfc1 a6 23.Na2 Qe7 24.Qa5 Bc7 25.Nc5 Nbd7 26.Qd2 Nxc5 27.dxc5 Bb8 28.Bxf6 Qxf6 29.b4 Bc6 30.Nc3 Rfd8 31.e3 Be5 32.Rab1 Bxc3 33.Rxc3 d4 34.exd4 Bxg2 35.Kxg2 Rxd4 36.Rd3 Rcd8 37.Rxd4 Qxd4 38.Qxd4 Rxd4 39.Rc1 Kf8 40.Kf3 Ke7 41.Ke3 Rd8 42.a4 bxa4 43.Ra1 e5 44.Rxa4 Rd4 45.f4 f6 46.Rxa6 Rxb4 47.Ra7+ Ke6 48.fxe5 Rb3+ 49.Ke4 f5+ 50.Kd4 Rb4+ 51.Kc3 Rb5 52.Kc4 Rb2 53.c6 Kxe5 54.Rxg7 Rxh2 55.c7 Rc2+ 56.Kb3 1-0

Bacrot,E (2728) - Karjakin,Sergey (2721) [B90]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7 10.h3 Nf6 11.Qe2 Nc6 12.Nxc6 bxc6 13.e5 dxe5 14.Bxe5 0-0 15.h4 g4 16.g3 Bf5 17.Bg2 Qd7 18.0-0 Rfd8 19.Rfe1 e6 20.Na4 Qb7 21.c4 Nd7 22.Bxg7 Kxg7 23.Rad1 Rab8 24.Qe3 Qc7 25.b3 a5 26.Nc5 Nxc5 27.Qxc5 Rxd1 28.Rxd1 Rd8 29.Rxd8 Qxd8 30.Bxc6 Qd2 31.Qe5+ Kg8 32.c5 Qxa2 33.Bg2 Qb1+ 34.Kh2 Qxb3 35.c6 a4 36.Qc5 a3 37.c7 e5 38.Bd5 1-0

Ivanchuk,V (2746) - Grischuk,A (2748) [E97]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.c5 Nf4 11.Bxf4 exf4 12.Rc1 h6 13.Nd4 a6 14.h3 Kh8 15.Qd2 Ng8 16.Rfd1 h5 17.Qxf4 Bh6 18.Qg3 h4 19.Qd3 Bxc1 20.Rxc1 Qg5 21.Re1 Bd7 22.c6 bxc6 23.dxc6 Be6 24.Bg4 Bxg4 25.hxg4 Ne7 26.Qd1 Rab8 27.a3 Kg7 28.Re3 Qf6 29.Nf3 Nxc6 30.Nd5 Qe6 31.Nxc7 Qxg4 32.Qxd6 Rbd8 33.Qxc6 Rd1+ 34.Ne1 h3 35.Qc3+ f6 36.Rxh3 Rc8 37.e5 1-0

Standings:
Aronian at +3
Leko at +2
Alekseev, Bacrot, Akopian at +1

Message from Jennifer Shahade

I'm excited about this year's fantasy chess competition where YOU decide who will get more points in match-ups such as Shulman-Onischuk and Krush-Zatonskih. (You are predicting whether Zatonskih or Krush will get more points in the entire event, not what will happen if they are paired together.)

Here is a link to play: http://uschess.org/fc_2009/
Here are the rules and prizes: http://uschess.org/content/view/9328/525

This event will be hosted on www.uschess.org, so to play, you need to register on the site or login (to register as a member, you need your pin number,which you can find on the back of any personal Chess Life label). You must be an active USCF member to win the prizes which include a Monroi Personal Chess Manager, a signed chess board by all the participants and a copy of Kasparov vs Karpov signed by Kasparov to a "Good Guesser."

I'll be commenting live on the Championship daily along with GM Emil Sutovsky. If you're not in Saint Louis, follow the twitter feed and live streaming on the Internet Chess Club and www.uschesschamps.com. On www.uschess.org, read about club founder Rex Sinquefield and during the event, watch CLO for video wrap-ups, blogs and of course, fantasy updates by Arun Sharma.

Good luck in fantasy chess and no matter how your team does, be sure to get the most out of what should be two very exciting weeks for chess fans.

US Championship Coming Up

I will be following this year's tournament more closely than I have past tournaments. It will take place in St Louis May 8-17. The 24 contenders will compete for a $135,400 guaranteed prize pool.

The players and the reason for their inclusion are listed below:
Varuzhan Akobiana, Rating
Julio Becerra, Rating
Joel Benjamin, Rating
Michael Brooks, Wildcard
Larry Christiansen, Rating
Jaan Ehlvest, Rating
Josh Friedel, Wildcard
Boris Gulko, Rating
Robert Hess, Wildcard
Tyler Hughes, Qualified - 2008 U.S. Junior Closed Champion
Ildar Ibragimov, Rating
Gregory Kaidanov, Rating
Gata Kamsky, Rating
Melik Khachiyan, Rating
Irina Krush, Female Rating
Charles Lawton, Wildcard
Hikaru Nakamura, Rating
Alexander Onischuk, Rating
Ray Robson, Wildcard
Enrico Sevillano, Qualified - 2008 U.S. Open Champion
Alexander Shabalov, Wildcard
Sam Shankland, State Champion of Champions
Yury Shulman, Qualified - defending U.S. Champion
Anna Zatonskih, Female rating

This year's organizers are doing a great job press-wise. There's a very carefully crafted media kit available on their website.

Grand Prix Nalchik R10 - Five Wins

Aronian,L (2754) - Eljanov,P (2693) [D37]
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.d4 d5 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bf4 Bb4 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Qb3 c5 8.dxc5 Qa5 9.a3 Bxc3+ 10.bxc3 Qxc5 11.Qb4 Ne4 12.Nd4 b6 13.f3 a5 14.Qxc5 Nexc5 15.Nf5 Ne6 16.Bg3 g6 17.Nd6+ Ke7 18.e3 Rd8 19.Rb1 Ba6 20.Kf2 f5 21.Nb5 Rdc8 22.Be2 Bxb5 23.Rxb5 Rxc3 24.Rxd5 Nf6 25.Rd2 Nc5 26.Rb1 Nfe4+ 27.fxe4 Nxe4+ 28.Ke1 Nxd2 29.Kxd2 Rxa3 30.Bh4+ Kf7 31.Bc4+ Kg7 32.Rxb6 Ra4 33.Bf6+ Kh6 34.Rc6 Ra7 35.h4 Kh5 36.Ke1 Rb7 37.Kf2 Rab4 38.Bg5 Rb2+ 39.Be2+ Rxe2+ 40.Kxe2 Kg4 41.Kf2 Rb2+ 42.Kg1 Kg3 43.Bf4+ Kxh4 44.Rc7 h5 45.Rc4 Rb4 46.Rd4 g5 47.Bd6+ Rxd4 48.exd4 Kg4 49.d5 f4 50.Bxf4 1-0

Grischuk,A (2748) - Alekseev,Evgeny (2716) [E58]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.e3 0-0 6.Bd3 c5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qc7 10.h3 dxc4 11.Bxc4 b6 12.Bd3 Rd8 13.Bb2 Ne7 14.Re1 Ng6 15.e4 Bb7 16.Nd2 Rd7 17.Bf1 Rad8 18.Qe2 Qc6 19.Qc4 Qc7 20.Qe2 Qc6 21.Qc4 Qc7 22.Rac1 h5 23.Qe2 h4 24.e5 Nd5 25.Qg4 Nde7 26.Bd3 Nf5 27.Bxf5 exf5 28.Qxf5 Qc6 29.Ne4 Qe6 30.Qg5 Qe7 31.Qg4 Qe6 32.Qg5 Qe7 33.Qe3 Qe6 34.Nd6 Ba8 35.Qg5 Ne7 36.Qxh4 Nf5 37.Nxf5 Qxf5 38.e6 Qg6 39.exf7+ Rxf7 40.Qg4 Qxg4 41.hxg4 Rc8 42.dxc5 Rxc5 43.c4 Kh7 44.f3 Rfc7 45.Re5 Bb7 46.Rxc5 Rxc5 47.Rd1 Bc8 48.Rd8 Rxc4 49.Re8 Rc7 50.Be5 Rc1+ 51.Kh2 Re1 52.Re7 1-0

Akopian,Vl (2696) - Bacrot,E (2728) [B35]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bb3 d6 10.h3 Bd7 11.Re1 Rfc8 12.Qd2 Ne5 13.Bh6 Nc4 14.Bxc4 Bxh6 15.Qxh6 Rxc4 16.Nb3 Qb6 17.Rad1 a5 18.e5 dxe5 19.Rxe5 a4 20.Nd2 Rd4 21.Qe3 Qd6 22.Ne2 Rd5 23.Rxd5 Qxd5 24.Nc3 Qe6 25.Qxe6 Bxe6 26.a3 Nd5 27.Nde4 Nb6 28.Nc5 Bf5 29.Rd4 Rc8 30.N5xa4 Nxa4 31.Rxa4 Bxc2 32.Rb4 Rc7 33.Kf1 Bd3+ 34.Ke1 e5 35.h4 Kg7 36.g3 h6 37.Rb6 g5 38.hxg5 hxg5 39.f3 Rd7 40.a4 Rc7 41.g4 Rd7 42.a5 Bc2 43.Kf2 f5 44.gxf5 Bxf5 45.Kg3 g4 46.fxg4 Rd3+ 47.Kh4 Rd4 48.Rxb7+ Kf6 49.Rb4 Be6 50.Ne4+ Ke7 51.Rxd4 exd4 52.g5 Bd5 53.Nd2 Kd6 54.g6 Kc5 55.g7 d3 56.Kg3 Kb5 57.b4 1-0

Mamedyarov,S (2725) - Svidler,P (2726) [D45]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 h6 8.h3 a6 9.c5 Bc7 10.Bd2 b5 11.cxb6 Nxb6 12.Bd3 Bd6 13.e4 Be7 14.0-0-0 Bb7 15.Kb1 Rc8 16.Rhg1 c5 17.dxc5 Bxc5 18.g5 dxe4 19.Nxe4 Nxe4 20.Bxe4 Bxe4 21.Qxe4 Qd5 22.Qe2 hxg5 23.Nxg5 Rh4 24.Bc3 Qc4 25.Qf3 Rf4 26.Qb7 Bxf2 27.Rgf1 Nd5 28.Be5 Rf5 29.Rc1 Qd3+ 30.Ka1 Rd8 31.Qc6+ Ke7 32.Rxf2 Rxg5 33.Qb7+ Rd7 34.Rxf7+ Kxf7 35.Qxd7+ Kg8 36.Bxg7 1-0

Leko,P (2751) - Gelfand,B (2733) [C42]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.0-0 Be7 8.Re1 Bg4 9.c4 Nf6 10.Nc3 Bxf3 11.Qxf3 Nxd4 12.Qd1 Ne6 13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.Bb5+ c6 15.Nxd5 cxb5 16.Qb3 0-0 17.Be3 Bc5 18.Rad1 Bxe3 19.Rxe3 Qa5 20.Qc2 Rfe8 21.f4 b4 22.f5 Nf8 23.Red3 Nd7 24.Qc7 Qc5+ 25.Kf1 Qb5 26.Qg3 Ne5 27.f6 g6 28.Qg5 Kh8 29.Qh6 Rg8 30.Nc7 Qc4 31.b3 Qg4 32.Rd4 Qf5+ 33.Rf4 Ng4 34.Qg7+ Rxg7 35.fxg7+ Kxg7 36.Rxf5 gxf5 37.Nxa8 Ne3+ 38.Ke2 Nxd1 39.Kxd1 Kf6 40.Kd2 Ke5 41.Nc7 f4 42.Kd3 a6 43.Na8 1-0

Standings:
Aronian at +3
Leko at +2
Grischuk, Alekseev, Akopian at +1

Grand Prix Nalchik R9

Grischuk,A (2748) - Kamsky,G (2720) [C95]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 15.a4 c5 16.d5 c4 17.Bg5 h6 18.Be3 Nc5 19.Qd2 h5 20.Bxc5 dxc5 21.Bd1 Rb8 22.Qe3 Kh7 23.Nf1 Qc7 24.Ng5+ Kg8 25.Be2 Bc8 26.Ra2 Qb6 27.Nf3 Kh7 28.Ng5+ Kg8 29.axb5 axb5 30.Nd2 Bh6 31.Qg3 Nh7 32.Ndf3 Qf6 33.h4 Nf8 34.Ra7 Bd7 35.Rea1 Qd6 36.R7a6 Qe7 37.Ra7 Qd6 38.R7a6 Qe7 39.Nh2 Bc8 40.Ra7 Rb7 41.Ra8 Nd7 42.Nf1 Nb6 43.R8a5 Bd7 44.Ne3 Qf6 45.Ra7 Reb8 46.R1a6 Be8 47.Rxb7 Rxb7 48.Bxh5 gxh5 49.Nf5 Bg7 50.d6 Nd7 51.Qf3 Bf8 52.Qxh5 Qg6 53.Qg4 f6 54.Ne7+ Bxe7 55.dxe7 Rb6 56.Rxb6 Nxb6 57.Qe6+ Kg7 58.Nf3 Na4 59.h5 Qxh5 60.g4 Qh3 61.Nxe5 Nxb2 62.Qc8 Qh8 63.Nd7 Nd3 64.Nf8 Qh4 65.Qxe8 Qxf2+ 66.Kh1 Qh4+ 67.Kg2 Qxg4+ 68.Kh2 Ne5 69.Kh1 Nf3 70.Ne6+ Qxe6 71.Qf8+ Kh7 72.Kg2 Nh4+ 73.Kf2 Ng6 74.e8Q Nxf8 75.Qxf8 b4 76.Qxc5 b3 77.Qc7+ Kg6 78.Qg3+ Kh5 79.Kf3 Qd7 80.Qg8 Qd3+ 81.Kf4 Qd2+ 82.Kf3 Qxc3+ 83.Kf4 Qc1+ 84.Kf3 Qf1+ 85.Ke3 Kh4 86.Kd4 Qd3+ 87.Kc5 Qxe4 88.Qh8+ Kg5 89.Qg7+ Qg6 90.Qb7 Qd3 0-1

Bacrot,E (2728) - Mamedyarov,S (2725) [B46]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.0-0 Nf6 9.Re1 Be7 10.e5 Nd7 11.Qg4 g6 12.Na4 c5 13.c4 Qa5 14.Qd1 dxc4 15.Be4 Rb8 16.Bh6 Rb4 17.Nc3 Rxb2 18.Qc1 Rb8 19.Bc6 Bb7 20.Ba4 Kd8 21.Rd1 Bd5 22.Qc2 Rb4 23.Bd2 Ba8 24.Be1 Rxa4 25.Nxa4 Qb5 26.Rab1 Qc6 27.f3 Ke8 28.Rxd7 Kxd7 29.Qd1+ Kc8 30.Nb6+ Kb7 31.Nd5+ 1-0

Alekseev,Evgeny (2716) - Karjakin,Sergey (2721) [B90]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.h3 e6 7.g4 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.Nde2 Bb4 10.Bg2 0-0 11.0-0 Nxc3 12.Nxc3 Nc6 13.Qxd8 Rxd8 14.Na4 e5 15.c3 Be7 16.Nb6 Rb8 17.Nxc8 Rbxc8 18.Be3 Kf8 19.Rfd1 Rd6 20.Kf1 Na5 21.Rxd6 Bxd6 22.Rd1 Ke7 23.b3 Nc6 24.Be4 b5 25.b4 Nd8 26.Rc1 Ne6 27.Ke2 Rb8 28.Ra1 Nf4+ 29.Kd2 Nxh3 30.Rh1 Nf4 31.Rxh7 Kf6 32.Kc2 Bc7 33.Ba7 Rd8 34.Rh1 a5 35.Rb1 axb4 36.Rxb4 Kg5 37.f3 g6 38.Rxb5 f5 39.gxf5 gxf5 40.Bb7 Ng2 41.Bf2 Bd6 42.a4 Kf4 43.a5 e4 44.fxe4 fxe4 45.Bb6 Rg8 46.a6 e3 47.Kd3 1-0

Standings:
Alekseev, Aronian at +2
Leko, Svidler, Bacrot at +1

Grand Prix Nalchik R8

Kasimdzhanov,R (2695) - Gelfand,B (2733) [D43]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Ne5 Nbd7 10.Nxc6 Qb6 11.d5 Bb7 12.a4 a6 13.Be2 Bg7 14.dxe6 Bxc6 15.exd7+ Nxd7 16.axb5 axb5 17.Rxa8+ Bxa8 18.0-0 Ne5 19.Nd5 Qc5 20.Kh1 0-0 21.f4 gxf4 22.Bxf4 f5 23.b4 Qd6 24.Bf3 fxe4 25.Bxe4 Rd8 26.Rf2 c3 27.Rf3 Bxd5 28.Rd3 Nxd3 0-1

Kamsky,G (2720) - Eljanov,P (2693) [C91]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.d4 Bg4 10.d5 Na5 11.Bc2 c6 12.h3 Bc8 13.dxc6 Qc7 14.Nbd2 Qxc6 15.Nf1 Nc4 16.Ng3 Re8 17.a4 Bb7 18.Qe2 Bf8 19.Bg5 Nd7 20.b3 Ncb6 21.a5 Nc8 22.c4 bxc4 23.Rec1 Na7 24.Be3 Qc8 25.bxc4 Nc5 26.Rcb1 Qc7 27.Nf5 Nc6 28.Qd2 Rad8 29.Qc3 Ba8 30.Rb6 Rb8 31.Bxc5 dxc5 32.Ba4 Rxb6 33.axb6 Qxb6 34.Nxe5 Nd4 35.Nxd4 Rxe5 36.Nf5 Rxe4 37.Bc2 Re8 38.Qg3 g6 39.Ne3 Bd6 40.Qh4 Be5 41.Rb1 Qd6 42.Ba4 Rb8 43.Rd1 Bd4 44.Qg4 h5 45.Qg5 Qe6 46.Nd5 Bxd5 47.cxd5 Qe2 48.d6 Qxf2+ 49.Kh1 Qa2 50.d7 Qxa4 51.d8Q+ Rxd8 52.Qxd8+ Kg7 53.Rb1 Qa2 54.Qb6 a5 55.Qb3 Qxb3 56.Rxb3 c4 57.Ra3 c3 58.Ra4 c2 59.Rc4 a4 60.Rxc2 a3 61.Ra2 Bb2 62.Kg1 h4 63.Kf2 Kf6 64.Kf3 Kf5 65.Ke3 Ke5 66.Kf3 f5 67.Ke3 g5 0-1

Standings:
Aronian at +2
Alekseev, Karjakin, Grischuk, Leko, Svidler at +1

Grand Prix Nalchik R7

Karjakin-Kamsky
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 cxd4 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 Qc7 10.Ne2 Nbc6 11.f4 dxc3 12.Qd3 d4 13.Ng3 Bd7 14.Be2 O-O-O 15.O-O Qb6 16.Ne4 Nd5 17.Nd6+ Kb8 18.Nxf7 Rdf8 19.Nd6 Nce7 20.Bf3 Bc6 21.a4 Nb4 22.a5 Qc5 23.Qh7 d3+ 24.Kh1 d2 25.Bxd2 cxd2 26.Qxe7 Rxf4 27.Rab1 Rgf8 28.c4 a6 29.h3 Ka8 30.Qg7 Qe3 31.Kh2 d1Q 32.Rbxd1 1-0

Gelfand-Eljanov
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.b3 c5 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.cxd5 exd5 7.O-O Bg4 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Bxf3 Bd6 10.Nc3 Be5 11.Ba3 Qa5 12.Bb2 O-O 13.Bg2 Rac8 14.Rc1 Qa6 15.a4 Rfe8 16.Ba3 Bxc3 17.dxc3 Na5 18.Re1 c4 19.bxc4 Nxc4 20.Ra1 Qe6 21.Bc1 b6 22.Qd4 Na5 23.Qd3 Ne4 24.Bb2 Nc4 25.Bc1 Ne5 26.Qa6 h5 27.Be3 h4 28.g4 Rxc3 29.Bd4 Rc4 30.Bxe5 Qxe5 31.Qxa7 Nxf2 32.Kxf2 Qg3+ 33.Kf1 Rf4+ 34.Bf3 Qxh3+ 35.Kg1 Qg3+ 36.Kh1 Rxf3 0-1

Standings:
Aronian at +2
Karjakin, Alekseev, Leko, Grischuk, Svidler at +1

Grand Prix Nalchik R6

Mamedyarov,S (2725) - Grischuk,A (2748) [D10]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6 5.Qc2 e6 6.Nf3 c5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Be2 Nc6 9.Ne5 Qc7 10.Nxc6 Qxc6 11.0-0 Bd6 12.dxc5 Qxc5 13.Bd2 0-0 14.Rac1 d4 15.Ne4 Nxe4 16.Qxe4 Qe5 17.Qxe5 Bxe5 18.b3 dxe3 19.Bxe3 Be6 20.Bf3 Rab8 21.Ba7 Ra8 22.Bc5 Rfb8 23.g3 a5 24.Rfe1 Bc7 25.Be3 Bd6 26.Red1 Be5 27.Rc5 f6 28.Rb5 a4 29.Bxb7 axb3 30.axb3 Ra3 31.b4 Ra4 32.Bc5 Kf7 33.h4 Ra2 34.Rb6 Rb2 35.Re1 Ba2 36.f4 Bc3 37.Re7+ Kg6 38.Be4+ 1-0

Eljanov,P (2693) - Svidler,P (2726) [D91]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bg5 Ne4 6.Bf4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.e3 0-0 9.cxd5 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qxd5 11.Be2 Nc6 12.0-0 Bf5 13.Qa4 Rac8 14.Rac1 Qa5 15.Qxa5 Nxa5 16.Nd2 Nc6 17.g4 Be6 18.a3 Rfd8 19.Bf3 Bd5 20.Bxd5 Rxd5 21.Ne4 Bxd4 22.Rcd1 Rcd8 23.exd4 Rxd4 24.Rxd4 Rxd4 25.f3 f5 26.gxf5 gxf5 27.Be3 Rd3 28.Bh6 fxe4 29.fxe4 Rd8 30.Rf5 Nd4 31.Rg5+ Kf7 32.Rg7+ Kf6 33.Kf2 Nc6 34.h4 Rd2+ 35.Kg3 Rd3+ 36.Kg2 Rxa3 37.Rxh7 Kg6 38.Rh8 Ra4 39.Bf4 Rxe4 40.Kf3 Rc4 41.h5+ Kg7 42.Ra8 a5 43.Bd2 a4 44.Ke2 b5 45.Ra6 Nd4+ 46.Kd1 Rc5 47.h6+ Kh7 48.Ra7 Nf5 49.Ra6 Rd5 50.Kc1 Rd6 51.Ra7 Rd3 52.Rb7 a3 53.Ra7 Rb3 54.Ra6 Nd4 55.Ra7 Nc6 56.Ra8 b4 57.Ra6 Rh3 58.Rxc6 Rh1+ 59.Kc2 a2 60.Ra6 a1Q 61.Rxa1 Rxa1 62.Bxb4 Ra7 63.Bd2 Ra3 64.Kd1 Rh3 65.Ke2 Kg6 66.Bc1 Kf5 67.Kf2 e5 68.Be3 Kg4 69.Ke2 Rh2+ 70.Kd3 Kf3 71.Bg5 Rh1 72.Kc4 e4 73.Kd4 Rg1 0-1

Aronian,L (2754) - Ivanchuk,V (2746) [A31]
1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nf6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Bg5 Qc7 7.e3 b6 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.0-0 Nc6 10.Rc1 Rc8 11.Be2 Be7 12.Nxc6 Bxc6 13.Nd5 exd5 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.cxd5 Bxb2 16.Rc2 Be5 17.dxc6 dxc6 18.Bxa6 Rd8 19.Qf3 c5 20.Bb5+ Kf8 21.g3 g6 22.Rd1 Kg7 23.Rcd2 Rxd2 24.Rxd2 Rd8 25.Rxd8 Qxd8 26.Kg2 h5 27.Qe4 Bc3 28.Qb7 Bf6 29.Bc4 Qe7 30.Qd5 h4 31.e4 hxg3 32.hxg3 Bd4 33.f4 f6 34.Kf3 Kh6 35.Qg8 g5 36.e5 fxe5 37.Bd3 e4+ 38.Bxe4 Qg7 39.Qe6+ Qf6 40.Qd7 1-0

Akopian,Vl (2696) - Karjakin,Sergey (2721) [B90]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 Bg7 10.h3 Nf6 11.Qf3 Qb6 12.0-0-0 Nc6 13.Nxc6 Qxc6 14.Be2 Nd7 15.Nd5 Ne5 16.Qa3 b5 17.h4 Be6 18.hxg5 Rc8 19.Rd2 hxg5 20.Rxh8+ Bxh8 21.Qe3 Nc4 22.Bxc4 bxc4 23.c3 f6 24.Qa7 Bd7 25.f3 Bg7 26.Nb6 Rd8 27.Qxa6 Be6 28.Qa7 Kf7 29.Nd5 Bxd5 30.exd5 Qa8 31.Qc7 Rc8 32.Qd7 Rh8 33.Qe6+ Kf8 34.a3 Rh1+ 35.Rd1 Rxd1+ 36.Kxd1 Qa4+ 37.Kd2 Qb3 38.Kc1 Qb6 39.Be1 Qg1 40.g4 Qf1 41.Qe4 Ke8 42.Kd2 Kd8 43.Qe2 Qh1 44.Kc2 f5 45.gxf5 Qh3 46.Qxc4 Qxf3 47.Qd3 Qg2+ 48.Kb3 g4 49.a4 Be5 50.a5 Qg1 51.Qb5 Qxe1 52.a6 Qa1 53.Qb8+ Kd7 54.Qb5+ Kd8 55.Qb6+ Kc8 56.Qc6+ Kd8 57.Qa8+ Kd7 58.Qc6+ Kd8 59.Qa8+ Kd7 60.Qb7+ Kd8 61.Qb8+ Kd7 62.a7 Qd1+ 63.Kb4 Bxc3+ 64.Kxc3 Qc1+ 65.Kb3 Qd1+ 66.Kb4 Qe1+ 67.Kb5 Qf1+ 68.Kb6 Qg1+ 69.Ka6 Qa1+ 70.Kb7 Qc1 71.a8N 1-0

Standings:
Aronian at +2
Leko, Grischuk, Alekseev, Svidler at +1

Grand Prix Nalchik R5

Ivanchuk-Kasimdzhanov
1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Be7 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4 Nf6 6.e3 Bf5 7.Qb3 Nc6 8.a3 Na5 9.Qa2 0-0 10.Nf3 c5 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Be5 Be6 13.Bd4 Bxd4 14.Nxd4 Nc6 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Be2 Qe7 17.0-0 Rac8 18.Rac1 Kh8 19.Rfd1 Nd7 20.Rd2 Nde5 21.Qb3 Qf7 22.Bf1 d4 23.Na2 [23.exd4 Nxd4 24.Qd1 Ndf3+! 25.gxf3 Nxf3+ 26.Kh1 Qf4] Ng4 24.Rdc2 dxe3 25.fxe3 Na5 0-1 [26.Qd3 Rxc2 27.Qxc2 Qxf1+ 28.Rxf1 Rxf1+ 29.Kxf1 Nxe3+]

Akopian-Kamsk
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Ngf3 cxd4 6.Bc4 Qd6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Nb3 Nc6 9.Nbxd4 Nxd4 10.Nxd4 Be7 11.b3 0-0 12.Bb2 Qf4 13.Qe2 Rd8 14.Rad1 Bd7 15.Bd3 Bc5 16.Nf3 Bc6 17.Ne5 Be4 18.Rde1 Bf5 19.g3 Bxd3 20.Nxd3 Qf5 21.Nxc5 Qxc5 22.c4 Ne8 23.Rd1 Qc6 24.Rd3 Rxd3 25.Qxd3 f6 26.Rd1 Rc8 27.Qd7 Qxd7 28.Rxd7 Rc7 29.Rd8 Kf7 30.Ba3 e5 31.g4 g6 32.Kg2 h5 33.h3 a6 34.Bb4 b5 35.cxb5 axb5 36.Rb8 Rc2 37.Rb7+ Kg8 38.Rb8 Kf7 39.Rb7+ Kg8 40.gxh5 gxh5 41.a4 bxa4 42.bxa4 Ra2 43.a5 Ra4 44.Kf3 f5 45.Ke2 Nf6 46.Kd1 Nd5 47.Bd2 Ra2 48.Rb5 Nf4 49.Rxe5 Ra1+ 50.Kc2 Ra2+ 51.Kc3 Nxh3 52.Rxf5 Nxf2 53.Bc1 Re2 54.Rxh5 Kf7 55.Kb3 Nd3 56.Ba3 Ne5 57.Rh7+ Ke6 58.Re7+ Kd5 59.a6 Rg2 60.Ka4 Nc4 61.a7 Rg8 62.Rb7? [62.Rc7! Nxa3 63.Kxa3 Kd6 64.Rg7] Ra8 63.Rb5+ Kc6 64.Bc5 Kc7 65.Rb4 Rg8 66.Rxc4 Kb7 67.Ka5 Rc8 68.Rb4+ Ka8 69.Rb5 Re8 70.Bd4 Rc8 71.Rd5 Kb7 72.Bb6 Rg8 73.Kb5 Re8 74.a8Q+ Kxa8 75.Kc6? [75.Rd7 or 75.Bc5 was required; the position is now a draw.] Re6+ 76.Kc7 Re7+ 77.Kd6 Rh7 78.Kc6 Rh6+ 79.Kc7 Rh7+ 80.Kc8 Rh8+? [80...Rh5! is the move to draw; now White can win.] 81.Bd8 Rh7 82.Ra5+ Ra7 83.Rb5 Rb7 84.Rh5 Rf7 85.Ra5+ Ra7 86.Rb5 Rb7 87.Re5 Rh7 88.Re1 Rb7 89.Ra1+ Ra7 90.Rb1 Rb7 91.Re1 Rh7 92.Re2 Rb7 93.Be7? Rb8+? [93...Rxe7!= ] 94.Kc7 Rb7+ 95.Kc6 Ra7 96.Bd8 Rh7 97.Bc7 Rh6+ 98.Bd6 1-0

Standings
Grischuk at +2
Karjakin, Leko, Aronian, Alekseev at +1

Grand Prix Nalchik R4

Kamsky,G (2720) - Svidler,P (2726) [C91]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.d4 Bg4 10.d5 Na5 11.Bc2 Qc8 12.h3 Bd7 13.Nbd2 c6 14.dxc6 Qxc6 15.Nf1 Nc4 16.Ng3 Rfe8 17.a4 h6 18.b3 Na5 19.Bd2 Qc7 20.axb5 axb5 21.Nh4 Nc6 22.Nhf5 Rxa1 23.Qxa1 Bf8 24.Bd3 Nd8 25.c4 Ne6 26.cxb5 Nc5 27.Bc4 Bxf5 28.Nxf5 Ncxe4 29.Bb4 Qb6 30.Ne3 d5 31.Ba5 Qc5 32.b4 Qa7 33.b6 Qb7 34.Bb5 Re6 35.Rc1 Rxb6 36.Bxb6 Qxb6 37.Qa5 Qb8 38.Bd3 Qxb4 [38...Nxf2 39.Kxf2 e4 40.Qc7 Qxb4 41.Rb1] 39.Qxb4 Bxb4 40.Rc8+ Bf8 41.Nxd5 Nxd5 42.Bxe4 Ne7 43.Rc5 f6 44.Bc2 g6 45.Kf1 h5 46.Rc7 f5 47.Ke2 Kf7 48.Rb7 Bh6 49.Bb3+ Kf8 50.Kd3 h4 51.f3 Bf4 52.Kc4 e4 53.fxe4 fxe4 54.Kc3 Be5+ 55.Kd2 Bf4+ 56.Ke2 Nf5 57.Bd5 Ng3+ 58.Kd1 g5 59.Rb6 Ke7 60.Rb4 e3 61.Bf3 Kd6 62.Rb5 Ke6 63.Ra5 Kf6 64.Bg4 Ne4 65.Ke2 Nd6 [65...Nf2] 66.Kd3 Ke7 67.Kd4 Kf6 68.Kd5 Ke7 69.Ra7+ Kf6 70.Ra6 Ke7 71.Ra7+ Kf6 72.Bh5 Be5 73.Ra6 Kf5 74.Bg4+ 1-0

Standings:
Grischuk at +2
Karjakin, Kamsky, Leko, Aronian, Alekseev at +1

Grand Prix Nalchik R3

Karjakin,Sergey - Aronian,Levon

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.a4 b4 9.d4 d6 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Qxd8 Rxd8 12.Nbd2 Bd6 13.a5 h6 14.Bc4 Kf8 15.b3 Ke7 16.Bd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 Na7 18.Nxe5 Kf8 19.Ndc4 Bxe5 20.Rxe5 Nc6 21.Bg5 hxg5 22.dxc6 f6 23.Rc5 Be6 24.Nb6 Rab8 25.Nd7+ Bxd7 26.cxd7 Rxd7 27.Rc6 Rb5 28.Rxa6 Rd2 29.Ra8+ Kf7 30.g4 Rc5 31.a6 Rcxc2 32.Rc8 c6 33.a7 Rxf2 34.Rh8 1-0

Alekseev,Evgeny - Eljanov,Pavel

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Nbd7 5.Bg5 Bb4 6.Qb3 c5 7.cxd5 exd5 8.a3 Bxc3+ 9.Qxc3 c4 10.Nd2 0-0 11.e3 h6 12.Bh4 Qe8 13.f3 b5 14.Kf2 a5 15.g4 Qe7 16.Bg3 b4 17.Qc2 b3 18.Qc3 Nb6 19.Re1 Na4 20.Qc1 Re8 21.h3 c3 22.bxc3 b2 23.Qc2 Bd7 24.Nb1 Bc6 25.Bd3 Qb7 26.h4 Bb5 27.Qb3 Bc6 28.Qxb7 Bxb7 29.Bb5 Nb6 30.g5 hxg5 31.hxg5 Nh7 32.Re2 Re6 33.Rxb2 Nxg5 34.Bf4 Nh7 35.Nd2 Ba6 36.Rc1 Nf6 37.Bxa6 Rxa6 38.Rb5 Rc6 39.e4 Ra8 40.c4 Nxc4 41.Nxc4 dxc4 42.d5 Rcc8 43.Ke3 Nd7 44.Kd4 f6 45.Rxc4 Rxc4+ 46.Kxc4 Rc8+ 47.Kd4 g5 48.Bd6 Kf7 49.Rxa5 Rc1 50.Ra7 Ke8 51.a4 Rf1 52.a5 Rxf3 53.Ra8+ Kf7 54.a6 Rf1 55.Rd8 Rd1+ 56.Kc3 Nb6 57.Rb8 1-0

Grischuk,Alexander - Kasimdzhanov,Rustam

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bxc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Nc6 7.Be3 Bf5 8.Ne2 e6 9.Nbc3 Qd7 10.a3 0-0-0 11.0-0 h5 12.Rc1 Kb8 13.Na4 Be7 14.Nxb6 axb6 15.Ba4 h4 16.f3 f6 17.Bb5 Qc8 18.Qb3 Na7 19.Bc4 fxe5 20.dxe5 Bc5 21.Bxc5 bxc5 22.Qe3 b6 23.b4 b5 24.Ba2 c4 25.Nd4 Qb7 26.a4 h3 27.axb5 hxg2 28.Rfd1 Nxb5 29.Nxf5 exf5 30.Bxc4 f4 31.Qxf4 Rdf8 32.Bf7 Qb6+ 33.Rc5 Nc3 34.Rd2 Na4 35.e6 Nxc5 36.bxc5 Qxc5+ 37.Kxg2 Kc8 38.Qg4 Qe7 39.Ra2 1-0

Akopian,Vladimir - Leko,Peter

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.a3 Bd6 10.0-0 0-0 11.Qc2 Qe7 12.Ng5 h6 13.Nge4 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 c5 15.Nxd6 Qxd6 16.Bxb5 cxd4 17.Rd1 Qd5 18.Bf1 Rac8 19.Qe2 Nc5 20.Rxd4 Qf5 21.Rf4 Qe5 22.Bd2 Qxb2 23.Rd1 Ba6 24.Qe1 Bxf1 25.Qxf1 Rfd8 26.Rb4 Qc2 27.Rc4 Qa2 28.Rdc1 Rxd2 29.Rxc5 Rxc5 30.Rxc5 Qxa3 31.Rc8+ Kh7 32.Qb1+ f5 33.g3 Rb2 34.Qd1 Qb4 35.h4 a5 36.Qf3 a4 37.Kg2 a3 38.Qa8 Qe4+ 39.Qxe4 fxe4 40.Ra8 a2 41.h5 g5 42.hxg6+ Kxg6 43.g4 e5 44.Kg3 Re2 45.Ra5 Kf6 46.Ra6+ Kf7 47.Ra5 Ke6 48.Kh4 Rxf2 49.Kh5 Rg2 50.Kxh6 Rxg4 51.Rxa2 Rg3 52.Kh5 Kf5 53.Kh4 Rxe3 54.Ra8 Rf3 55.Rf8+ Ke6 56.Re8+ Kd5 57.Rd8+ Kc4 58.Kg4 Rf1 59.Rc8+ Kd3 60.Rd8+ Ke2 61.Ra8 Rg1+ 0-1

Standings:

Grischuk at +2
Aronian, Svidler, Leko, Alekseev, Karjakin at +1

Grand Prix Nalchik R2

Svidler,Peter - Ivanchuk,Vassily [C78]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bb7 7.d3 Be7 8.a4 0-0 9.Re1 d6 10.Nbd2 Re8 11.Nf1 h6 12.Ne3 Bf8 13.g4 Nd4 14.Nxd4 exd4 15.Nf5 d5 16.axb5 dxe4 17.dxe4 axb5 18.Rxa8 Qxa8 19.e5 Ne4 20.e6 fxe6 21.Nxd4 Rd8 22.Bxe6+ Kh8 23.g5 Rxd4 24.Qxd4 Bc5 25.Qe5 Bxf2+ 26.Kf1 Qf8 27.gxh6 Bxe1+ 28.Bf4 Nd2+ 29.Ke2 1-0

Aronian,Levon - Akopian,Vladimir [D45]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 a6 6.c5 Nbd7 7.b4 b6 8.Bb2 a5 9.a3 Be7 10.Bd3 0-0 11.0-0 Qc7 12.Qe2 axb4 13.axb4 Bb7 14.h3 bxc5 15.bxc5 Rxa1 16.Rxa1 Ra8 17.Qd1 Rxa1 18.Qxa1 h6 19.Qa4 Bd8 20.Na2 Qa5 21.Qxa5 Bxa5 22.Bc3 Bc7 23.Nd2 Kf8 24.Nb3 Ke7 25.Ba5 Kd8 26.Nb4 Nb8 27.Kf1 Bxa5 28.Nxa5 Kc7 29.Ke2 Bc8 30.Nb3 Ng8 31.f3 Ne7 32.e4 dxe4 33.fxe4 Nd7 34.Ke3 Bb7 35.Bc4 Nf6 36.Nd2 Nd7 37.Ba2 Kd8 38.Nc4 Nc8 39.Bb3 Kc7 40.e5 f6 41.Nd3 Ba6 42.Nf4 Nf8 43.Nd6 Kd7 44.Nh5 fxe5 45.dxe5 Ne7 46.g3 g5 47.Nf6+ Kc7 48.Nf7 Bf1 49.Nxh6 Bxh3 50.Ne4 g4 51.Kd4 Bg2 52.Nf6 Bd5 53.Bd1 Bf3 54.Bc2 Kd8 55.Ne4 Nd5 56.Nf2 Ne7 57.Bd3 Kc7 58.Be4 Bxe4 59.Kxe4 Nd7 60.Nd3 Nd5 61.Nxg4 Kd8 62.Nh2 Nc3+ 63.Ke3 Nd5+ 64.Kd4 Ne7 65.Ke4 Ng6 66.Nf3 Ke7 67.Nd4 Nb8 68.Kf3 Kf7 69.Kg4 Ne7 70.Kh5 Nf5 71.Ne2 Ne3 72.g4 Nd5 73.g5 Nd7 74.g6+ Kg7 75.Kg5 Kg8 76.Nef4 Nxf4 77.Kxf4 Kf8 78.Kg4 Kg8 79.Kh5 Kh8 80.Kh6 Kg8 81.Kg5 Kg7 82.Nf4 Nxe5 83.Nxe6+ Kg8 84.Kf6 Nd7+ 85.Kf5 Kh8 86.Kg5 Kg8 87.Kh6 Ne5 88.Nd4 Ng4+ 89.Kg5 Ne5 90.Nf5 Kh8 91.Kf6 Ng4+ 92.Ke6 Kg8 93.Ne7+ Kg7 94.Nxc6 1-0

Standings:
Aronian - 2
Grischuk, Svidler - 1.5

Grand Prix Nalchik R1

Grischuk Alexander - Gelfand Boris
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 b6 8.Be2 Bb7 9.Bxf6 Bxf6 10.cxd5 exd5 11.b4 c5 12.bxc5 bxc5 13.Rb1 Bc6 14.0-0 Nd7 15.Bb5 Qc7 16.Qd3 Rfc8 17.Rfd1 Rab8 18.a4 cxd4 19.exd4 Ba8 20.Qf5 Qxc3 21.Qxd7 Qc7 22.Qf5 Rb6 23.Ne5 g6 24.Qf4 Bg5 25.Qg4 a6 26.h4 Bf6 27.Bd3 Rxb1 28.Rxb1 h5 29.Qf4 Bxe5 30.dxe5 Re8 31.Rc1 Qd7 32.Bxa6 d4 33.Bc4 Qf5 34.Qxf5 gxf5 35.Rd1 Rxe5 36.Rxd4 Bc6 37.Bb3 Re1+ 38.Kh2 Rb1 39.Bd5 Bxd5 40.Rxd5 Rb4 41.g3 f4 42.a5 fxg3+ 43.fxg3 Ra4 44.Rxh5 Kg7 45.Rf5 Kg6 46.g4 f6 47.h5+ Kg7 48.g5 fxg5 49.Rxg5+ Kf6 50.Rb5 1-0

Mamedyarov Shakhriyar - Aronian Levon
1.e4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Na5 5.Nge2 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 Nxc4 8.dxc4 d6 9.b3 Be6 10.a5 c6 11.a6 b6 12.Ba3 Qc7 13.f4 Rad8 14.Kh1 Bc8 15.Bb2 Ng4 16.Qd3 exf4 17.Nxf4 Bh4 18.Qe2 Rfe8 19.h3 Ne5 20.Nd1 Bg5 21.Nh5 Qe7 22.Ne3 g6 23.Nf4 Nd7 24.Nh5 Qxe4 25.Qf2 f5 26.Ng4 gxh5 27.Nh6+ Bxh6 28.Qg3+ Kf7 29.Rae1 Rg8 30.Qf2 Qxg2+ 31.Qxg2 Rxg2 32.Kxg2 0-1

April 1 Rating List

1 Topalov, Veselin g BUL 2812 17 1975
2 Anand, Viswanathan g IND 2783 14 1969
3 Carlsen, Magnus g NOR 2770 27 1990
4 Kramnik, Vladimir g RUS 2759 0 1975
5 Radjabov, Teimour g AZE 2756 27 1987
6 Aronian, Levon g ARM 2754 37 1982
7 Jakovenko, Dmitry g RUS 2753 5 1983
8 Morozevich, Alexander g RUS 2751 13 1977
9 Leko, Peter g HUN 2751 0 1979
10 Grischuk, Alexander g RUS 2748 14 1983
11 Movsesian, Sergei g SVK 2747 23 1978
12 Ivanchuk, Vassily g UKR 2746 37 1969
13 Shirov, Alexei g ESP 2745 0 1972
14 Wang, Yue g CHN 2738 38 1987

World Championship News

A FIDE Presidential Board meeting in Istanbul decided to postpone the World Championship match between Viswanathan Anand and Veselin Topalov until 2010 and opened the bidding process. Originally the match was scheduled for September this year. Translation: No bids were received

The Board also accepted the bid by UEP to stage the world chess championship cycle 2010-2011. In 2010, there will be a Candidate Matches/Tournament [so which is it?] consisting of Kamsky, the loser of the Anand-Topalov match, two players from the Grand Prix series, one player from the World Cup, the two highest rated players not already qualified and a player nominated by the organizer [I hate this idea, which has become so prevalent in recent years]. The winner will play the World Champion in 2011.

Linares Round 14 (Final) - All games drawn

Grischuk and Ivanchuk 1st-2nd at +2; Grischuk on tiebreak (most wins)
Carlsen 3rd at +1
Anand 4th with an even score

Linares Round 13

Ivanchuk,V (2779) - Aronian,L (2750) [D45]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.b3 0-0 8.Be2 b6 9.0-0 Bb7 10.Bb2 Rc8 11.Rac1 c5 12.dxc5 bxc5 13.Rfd1 Qe7 14.g3 Rfd8 15.cxd5 exd5 16.Nh4 Bb8 17.Bf1 Ne5 18.Bh3 Rc7 19.Bg2 d4 20.Nf5 Qe8 21.exd4 cxd4 22.Nxd4 Bxg2 23.Kxg2 g6 24.Ne4 Qe7 25.Nxf6+ Qxf6 26.Qe2 Rxc1 27.Rxc1 Qd6 28.Qe4 Qb4 29.Rc2 f5 30.Qe2 Qb7+ 31.Nc6 Re8 32.Kg1 Nf3+ 33.Qxf3 Re1+ 34.Kg2 Qb5 35.Rc4 1-0

Standings:
Ivanchuk, Grischuk at +2
Carlsen at +1

Linares Round 12

Carlsen,M (2776) - Grischuk,A (2733) [B84]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be2 e6 7.0-0 Be7 8.a4 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.f4 Qc7 11.Kh1 Re8 12.Bf3 Bf8 13.Qd2 Rb8 14.Qf2 e5 15.fxe5 dxe5 16.Nb3 Nb4 17.Ba7 Ra8 18.Bb6 Qe7 19.Rad1 Be6 20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.exd5 e4 22.d6 Qe6 23.Nc5 Qf5 24.Be2 Qxf2 25.Rxf2 Nbd5 26.a5 Nxb6 27.axb6 Rab8 28.Rxf6 gxf6 29.Nd7 f5 30.c4 a5 31.c5 Bg7 32.Nxb8 Rxb8 33.Ba6 Bf6 34.Bxb7 Rxb7 35.c6 Rxb6 36.Rc1 Bxb2 37.d7 1-0

Standings:
Grischuk at +2
Ivanchuk, Carlsen at +1

Linares Round 11

All games drawn

Linares Round 10

Carlsen,M (2776) - Wang Yue (2739) [D10]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6 5.Nf3 b5 6.b3 Bg4 7.Bd2 Nbd7 (7...e6 8.h3 Bh5 9.g4 Bg6 10.Ne5) 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 b4 10.Na4 e5! 11.Rc1 Bd6 12.cxd5 cxd5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Qd1 0-0 15.Be2 a5 16.Rc2 Qe7 17.Bc1 Rad8 18.Bb2 Ng6 19.0-0 Ne4 20.Bd4 Nh4! 21.Bd3 (21.Bb6 Qg5 22.Bg4 h5! 23.Bxd8 Rxd8 24.f4 Qe7 25.Bxh5 Ng3 26.Re1 Nxh5 27.Qxh5 Bxf4 28.Qe2 Bg5) Nf5 22.Bb6 Rb8 23.Bxe4 (23.Qe2!? Qe5 24.g3 Rfc8 25.Rxc8+ Rxc8 26.Rd1 g6 27.Qf3 h5) Qxe4 24.Rd2 (24.Qe2 Nh4 25.f3 Qg6 26.Rd2 Rfe8) Rxb6! 25.Nxb6 Qe5 (25...Nxe3!? 26.fxe3 Qxe3+ 27.Rdf2 Qxb6 28.Kh1 Qe3 29.Qf3 Qe5 30.g3) 26.Re1? (26.g3! Nxg3 27.Re1 Ne4 28.f4 Qe6 29.Rg2 Bc5 30.Na4 Ba7 31.Qg4 g6 32.Qxe6 fxe6=) Qh2+ 27.Kf1 Qh1+ 28.Ke2 Qxg2 29.Rxd5 Ng3+ 30.Kd3 Bc7! 31.fxg3 Bxb6 32.Kc4 Rb8! 33.Kb5 Bd4+?! (33...Bd8+!) 34.Ka6 Bc7 35.Qd4 Qxh3 34.Kc4 Bf6 35.Qd3 Qxg3 36.Rd1 Qc7+ 37.Rc5 Qb7 38.Qd6? (38.Qd7! Qe4+ 39.Rd4 Qc2+ 40.Kd5 Qg2+ 41.e4 g6 42.Rc8+ Rxc8 43.Qxc8+ Kg7 44.Rd3) Qe4+ 39.Rd4 Qc2+ 40.Kd5 Qg2+ 41.e4 Rd8 42.Qxd8+ Bxd8 43.Rc8 g6 44.Rxd8+ Kg7 45.Rd3 Qc2 46.Kd4 a4 47.bxa4 Qxa2 48.Kc5 b3 49.Rb8 b2 50.Rdb3 Qxa4 51.Rxb2 Qxe4 52.R8b3 Kh6 53.Rc3 f5 54.Rbb3 Qe5+ 55.Kc4 Kh5 56.Kd3 Kh4 57.Kd2 f4 58.Rf3 g5 59.Rfd3 Qc5 60.Rbc3 Qf2+ 61.Kd1 Qf1+ 62.Kd2 Qg2+ 63.Kd1 Qe4 64.Kd2 h5 0-1

Radjabov,T (2761) - Aronian,L (2750) [A07]
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Bg4 3.Bg2 e6 4.0-0 Nd7 5.d4 c6 6.Nbd2 Ngf6 7.Re1 Be7 8.e4 dxe4 9.Nxe4 0-0 10.c3 Re8 11.Nxf6+ Bxf6?! 12.h3 Bh5 13.Qb3 Qb6 14.Nd2! e5 15.d5 Qc7 16.d6 Qb8 17.Ne4 Bd8 18.Be3 Bb6 19.h4 h6 20.Bh3 Qd8 21.Bxh6! Nc5!? (21...gxh6 22.Bxd7 Qxd7? 23.Nf6+) 22.Nxc5 Qxd6 23.Nd7 Qxh6 24.Nxb6 axb6 25.Qxb6 Bf3 26.Qe3 Qh5 27.Bg2 Bxg2 28.Kxg2 Ra4 29.Qg5 Qxg5 30.hxg5 Kh7 (30...Rg4 31.f4!) 31.a3 Kg6 32.Rad1 Re6 33.Rd7 b5 34.Red1 Rc4 35.Rc7 e4 36.Rdd7 e3 37.fxe3 Rxe3 38.Rxf7 Rg4 39.Rxg7+ Kh5 40.Rh7+ Kg6 41.Rcg7+ Kf5 42.Rf7+ Kg6 43.Rhg7+ Kh5 44.Rf3 Re2+ 45.Kh3 Rxg5 46.g4+ Kh6 47.Rxg5 Kxg5 48.b3 Kg6 49.Kg3 Ra2 50.Kf4 Rxa3 51.b4 Kf7 (51...Ra1 52.Rd3) 52.Ke5+ Ke7 53.Rh3 Kd7 54.g5 Ra1 55.Rh7+ Ke8 56.Rc7 1-0

Standings:
Grischuk at +3
Ivanchuk at +1

Linares Round 9

Dominguez Perez,L (2717) - Carlsen,M (2776) [B78]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rb8 11.Bb3 Na5 12.Bh6 Bxh6 13.Qxh6 b5 14.g4 Nxb3+ 15.Nxb3 b4 16.Nd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 Rb6 18.Rhe1 e5 19.dxe6 fxe6 20.Re3 Rf7 21.Nd2 d5 22.Nb3 Qc7 23.Kb1 Rb8 24.Rde1 Rc8 25.R1e2 Qb6 26.h4 d4 27.Re5 d3 28.cxd3 Rxf3 29.d4 Bb5 30.R2e3 Bd3+ 31.Ka1 Qxd4 32.Rxe6 Rf1+ 33.Re1 Qxg4 34.Rxf1 Qxe6 35.Nc5 Qe2 36.Rc1 Bf5 37.Qf4 a5 38.h5 Qe7 39.Qc4+ Be6 40.Qc2 Qg5 41.hxg6 hxg6 42.a3 bxa3 43.Qc3 axb2+ 44.Kxb2 Qd5 45.Rc2 a4 46.Ka1 a3 47.Qe3 Bf7 48.Qc3 g5 49.Qe3 Re8 50.Qc3 Re2 51.Nb3 Rxc2 52.Qxc2 Qe5+ 53.Kb1 Kg7 54.Qd2 Bxb3 0-1

Standings:
Grischuk at +3
Ivanchuk, Carlsen, Aronian at +1

Linares Round 8

Carlsen,M (2776) - Aronian,L (2750) [D45]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 h6 8.Bd2 dxc4 9.Bxc4 b5 10.Be2 Bb7 11.e4 Be7 12.g5 hxg5 13.Nxg5 b4 14.Na4 c5 15.Nxc5 Nxc5 16.dxc5 Rc8 17.Qa4+ Bc6 18.Bb5 Bxb5 19.Qxb5+ Qd7 20.Qxd7+ Nxd7 21.Ke2 Rh4 22.Rac1 Rxc5 23.Rxc5 Bxc5 24.f4 e5 25.h3 exf4 26.Nf3 Rh6 27.Bxf4 Re6 28.Nd2 Bd4 29.Rb1 Ra6 30.a3 bxa3 31.bxa3 Rxa3 32.Nc4 Ra2+ 33.Kd3 Bf2 34.Bd6 Nb6 35.Bb4 Nxc4 36.Kxc4 Bb6 37.Kd5 Rg2 38.Rb3 Rg5+ 39.e5 Bc7 40.Bd6 Bxd6 41.Kxd6 Rg6+ 42.Kd5 Rb6 43.Rc3 Kd7 44.Rf3 Ke7 45.Rc3 Rb7 46.Rc6 g6 47.Ra6 Kf8 48.Ke4 Kg7 49.Kf4 Re7 50.Ra5 Kh6 51.Kg4 a6 52.Rxa6 Rxe5 53.Rb6 Re3 54.Ra6 f5+ 55.Kh4 Re4+ 56.Kg3 Kg5 57.Ra3 Re2 58.Kf3 Rh2 59.Kg3 Rb2 60.Ra8 Rb3+ 61.Kg2 Kf4 62.Ra4+ Ke3 63.h4 Rb6 64.Kg3 Rd6 65.Rf4 Rd1 66.Rf3+ Ke4 67.Rf4+ Ke5 68.Ra4 f4+ 69.Kg2 Rd2+ 70.Kf3 Rd3+ 71.Kg2 Rg3+ 72.Kh2 Kf5 73.Ra6 Re3 74.Ra5+ Re5 75.Ra2 Kg4 76.Rg2+ Kh5 77.Kh3 Ra5 78.Rg1 Ra3+ 79.Kh2 Ra6 80.Kh3 Ra5 81.Rg2 Rc5 82.Rg1 f3 83.Kg3 Rf5 84.Rf1 f2 85.Kh3 Rf3+ 86.Kg2 Kg4 87.h5 Rg3+ 88.Kh2 Kf3 89.Ra1 Rg2+ 90.Kh1 Rg5 91.Ra3+ Kf4 92.Ra4+ Kg3 93.Ra3+ Kh4 0-1

Standings:
Grischuk at +3
Aronian, Ivanchuk at +1

Topalov Wins Match 4.5-2.5

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Ngf3 cxd4 6.Bc4 Qd6 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Re1 Be7 9.Nb3 Nc6 10.Nbxd4 Nxd4 11.Nxd4 0-0 12.c3 Bd7 13.Qf3 Qb6N (13...Qc7) 14.Bb3 a5 15.Be3 Bc5 16.Rad1 a4 17.Bc2 Qxb2 18.Bg5 Nd5 19.c4 Bxd4 20.Qd3 f5 21.Qxd4 Qxc2 22.cxd5 Qxa2 23.Qb6 a3 24.Be7 (24.dxe6 Bc6) Rfe8 25.Qd6 Ba4 (25...Kf7!? 26.Rxe6) 26.Qxe6+ Kh8 27.Ra1 Qc4 28.Rec1!? (28.Rxa3 Bb3 29.Rxa8 Rxa8 30.Qxf5 Qxd5=) Bc2! 29.Qd7 a2 30.d6 b5 31.Qb7 Reb8? (31...b4! 32.d7 Reb8! 33.d8Q+ Rxd8 34.Bxd8 Rxd8) 32.Qc7! Rc8?! (32...Bd3!! 33.Rxc4 bxc4 34.Qxb8+ Rxb8 35.h4 Rb1+ 36.Kh2 Rxa1 37.d7 Rh1+ 38.Kg3! h5 39.d8Q+ Kh7 40.Bf6! gxf6 41.Qe7+=) 33.Qxc4 Rxc4 34.d7 Bb1 (34...b4 35.Rxa2!) 35.Rd1 Kg8 36.d8Q+ Rxd8 37.Bxd8 Bc2 38.Rdc1 b4 39.Rxa2 b3 40.Ra8 Kf7 41.Rb8 Ke6 42.Re1+ Kd5 43.Be7 Ra4 44.Bf8 Ra7 45.h4 1-0

So we've had Kramnik-Topalov and Anand-Kramnik matches. A match between Anand and Topalov will round things out. And if Anand wins, perhaps we can get away from all the silly special privileges that FIDE has vested upon Topalov since 2006.

Linares Round 7

Aronian,L (2750) - Ivanchuk,V (2779) [E92]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 c6 8.d5 Ng4 9.Bg5 f6 10.Bh4 c5 11.0-0 h5 12.Ne1 Nh6 13.f3 Nf7 14.Rb1 Bh6 15.Bf2 Na6 16.a3 b6 17.b4 f5 18.exf5 gxf5 19.f4 Bxf4 20.Bxh5 Bd7 21.Rb3 Qg5 22.b5 Nc7 23.Bxf7+ Rxf7 24.Ne2 Rg7 25.Nxf4 Qxf4 26.Bxc5 Qh6 27.Be3 f4 28.Bc1 Bg4 29.Qd2 Rf8 30.Nd3 Ne8 31.Nxf4 Rxf4 32.Rxf4 Qxf4 33.Qxf4 exf4 34.Bxf4 Rf7 35.g3 Re7 36.h3 Bxh3 37.Kf2 Nf6 38.g4 Bxg4 39.Re3 Ne4+ 40.Ke1 Kf7 41.a4 Nc5 42.Kd2 Rxe3 43.Kxe3 Ke7 44.Kd4 0-1
Standings:
Grischuk at +3
Ivanchuk, Carlsen at +1

Linares Round 6

Carlsen,M (2776) - Anand,V (2791) [D45]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 Nxg4 8.Rg1 Qf6 9.Rxg4 Qxf3 10.Rxg7 Nf6 11.h3 Qf5 12.Qxf5 exf5 13.cxd5 cxd5 14.Nb5 Bb4+ 15.Bd2 Bxd2+ 16.Kxd2 Ke7 17.Bd3 Be6 18.Nc7 Rag8 19.Nxe6 Kxe6 20.Rxg8 Nxg8 21.Ke2 Ne7 22.Kf3 Rc8 23.a4 Rc7 24.a5 h6 25.h4 Kf6 26.h5 Nc8 27.Kf4 Nd6 28.Rg1 Rc8 29.f3 Ke6 30.Rg7 Rh8 31.Bc2 Rc8 32.Bb3 Rh8 33.Rg1 Rc8 34.Rg7 Rh8 35.Rg2 Rc8 36.Rg1 Ne8 37.e4 fxe4 38.fxe4 Nf6 39.e5 Ne4 40.Ke3 b6 41.axb6 axb6 42.Kd3 Nf2+ 43.Ke2 Ne4 44.Ke3 f6 45.Rg6 Rc1 46.Rxh6 Rh1 47.Bc2 Rh3+ 48.Kf4 Rh4+ 49.Kf3 Nd2+ 50.Ke2 Rh2+ 51.Kd1 Nc4 52.Rxf6+ Ke7 53.Bg6 Rd2+ 54.Kc1 Rxd4 55.b3 Nxe5 56.Rxb6 Rh4 57.Bf5 Nf3 58.h6 Nd4 59.h7 Nxf5 60.Rb8 Nd4 61.Kb2 Kd6 62.h8Q Rxh8 63.Rxh8 Kc5 64.Rh5 Nc6 65.Rh4 Nb4 66.Ka3 d4 67.Rh5+ Nd5 68.Kb2 Kc6 69.Ka3 Kc5 70.Rh4 Nb4 71.Rh8 Nc6 72.Rh5+ Kd6 73.b4 d3 74.Rh3 Ne5 75.Kb3 d2 76.Kc2 Nc6 77.Rh4 Kd5 1-0

Grischuk,A (2733) - Aronian,L (2750) [D43]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Ne5 h5 10.h4 g4 11.Be2 Bb7 12.0-0 Nbd7 13.Qc2 Nxe5 14.Bxe5 Bg7 15.b3 0-0 16.bxc4 Nh7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.Rad1 Qxh4 19.cxb5 cxb5 20.Nxb5 Rac8 21.Qd3 Rfd8 22.d5 exd5 23.Qd4+ Kg8 24.Qxa7 Qe7 25.e5 Qxe5 26.Qxb7 Rb8 27.Qc7 Qxe2 28.Nd4 Qc4 29.Qe5 Re8 30.Qxh5 Rb6 31.Nf5 Rbe6 32.Ne3 Qxa2 33.Nxg4 Qe2 34.Qh4 Qc4 35.f4 Rg6 36.Rf3 Qc5+ 37.Kh1 Qe7 38.Qh3 Qd6 39.f5 Rg5 40.Nh6+ Kf8 41.Nxf7 Qf6 42.Nxg5 Nxg5 43.Qh4 Re7 44.Rh3 Qxf5 45.Qh8+ Kf7 46.Rh5 Re8 47.Qh6 Rg8 48.Qd6 Rg6 49.Qxd5+ Qxd5 50.Rxd5 Ne4 51.Rhf5+ Kg7 52.Rd7+ Kh6 53.Rf4 Ng3+ 54.Kh2 Nh5 55.Ra4 Nf6 56.Rdd4 Rg5 57.Rf4 Rg6 58.Rf3 Nh7 59.Rh3+ 1-0

Standings:
Grischuk at +3
Carlsen, Aronian at +1

Topalov-Kamsky Game 6

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 c5 6.Be3 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Ne7 8.Nd2 Nbc6 9.N2f3 Bg4 10.0-0 Bxf3 11.Nxf3 g6!? 12.c4?! (12.Qd2 Bg7 13.Bf4 0-0 14.Rfe1 Qc7 15.Bd3 Rac8 16.h4) Bg7 13.cxd5 Nxd5 14.Bc5 Bf8 15.Qc1 Rc8! 16.Bxf8 Nd4 17.Qd1 Nxe2+ 18.Qxe2 Kxf8 19.Rac1 Kg7 20.h4 Qb6 21.g3 h6 22.a3 Rc5 23.Rc2 Rhc8 24.Rfc1 a5 25.Qd2 Rxc2 26.Rxc2 Rc5 27.Qc1 Rxc2 28.Qxc2 Ne7 29.Qc3 Nc6 30.b3 Qd8 31.a4 Qd1+ 32.Kg2 Qe2 33.Qe3 Qd1 (33...Qxe3 34.fxe3) 34.Nd2 Nb4 35.Nc4 Nc2 36.Qd2 Qb1 37.Qf4 Ne1+ 38.Kh2 Qxb3 39.Qf6+ Kg8 40.Qd8+ Kh7 41.Qf6 Kg8 (41...Qf3 42.Qxf3 Nxf3+ 43.Kh3 Nd4 44.Nxa5 b5=) 42.Qd8+ Kh7 43.Qf6 Kg8 draw

Linares Round 5

All games drawn

Topalov-Kamsky Game 5

Topalov leads 3-2

1.e4 e6 [Kamsky had never played the French opening in a recorded game. - Marin] 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd7 7.Nxc6 Bxc6 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.c4 Bd6 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.exd5 exd5 12.0-0 Ne7 13.Nf3 0-0 14.Qd3 Qd7 15.Rd1 Rfd8 16.Be3 [16.Nd4 Be5; 16.Bg5 f6 17.Be3 Be5] a5 [16...Nf5 17.Bg5! f6? 18.Qxd5+ Kh8 19.Bf4] 17.g3 h6 18.Bb6 Rdc8 19.Bd4 Bc5 20.Bc3 Bb4 21.Be5 Bd6 22.Rd2 Bxe5 23.Nxe5 Qd6 [23...Qb7 24.Qf3 Rf8 25.Re1 Ra6] 24.Re1 Rc7 25.Qf3 Rf8 26.Kg2 [26.h4!?] Rb7?! [26...g6!? 27.h4 h5] 27.h4! Qb4 28.Ree2 Qa4 29.b3 Qb4 30.Nd3 Qd6 31.h5 Rc7 32.Nf4 d4? [32...Rd8] 33.Re4 Nc6 34.Nd3 Rd8 35.Rc2 Nb4? [A terrible blunder. - Marin] 36.Nxb4 axb4 37.Rxd4! Qf8? [37...Rxc2? 38.Rxd6 Rxd6 39.Qa8+ Kh7 40.Qe4+; 37...Qxd4 38.Rxc7 Qd5] 38.Rxd8 Qxd8 39.Rxc7 Qxc7 40.Qa8+ Kh7 41.Qe4+ Kg8 42.Qxb4 Qc6+ 43.Kg1 Qc1+ 44.Kh2 Qc2 45.Qe1 Kf8 46.a3 Qb2 47.Qb4+ Kg8 48.Kg2 Qe5 49.Qg4 Qb2 50.Qc8+ Kh7 51.Qc4 Qxa3 52.Qxf7 Qb4 53.Qc4 Qb7+ 54.Kg1 Qf3 55.g4 1-0

Linares Round 4

Anand,V (2791) - Wang Yue (2739) [D15]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.a4 e6 6.g3 dxc4 7.Bg2 c5 8.dxc5 Qxd1+ 9.Nxd1 Bxc5 10.Ne5 Nd5 11.Ne3 Nxe3 12.Bxe3 Bxe3 13.fxe3 c3 14.b4 Nd7 15.Nd3 Rb8 16.0-0 b5 17.axb5 Rxb5 18.Rfc1 Ne5 19.Nxe5 Rxe5 20.Rxc3 0-0 21.Bc6 Rd8 22.e4 Kf8 23.Kf2 Ke7 24.b5 axb5 25.Ra7+ Kf6 26.Rf3+ Kg6 27.Rfxf7 Rg8 28.Rfc7 Rh5 29.h4 Kf6 30.Ra8 Rc5 31.Rcxc8 Rxc8 32.Rxc8 b4 33.Bd7 1-0

Radjabov,T (2761) - Grischuk,A (2733) [E17]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Be7 6.d5 exd5 7.Nh4 c6 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Nf5 0-0 10.e4 Nc7 11.Bf4 d5 12.Qg4 Ne6 13.Nc3 Kh8 14.Be5 Bf6 15.Bxf6 Qxf6 16.0-0-0 Nd7 17.f4 Ndc5 18.e5 Qg6 19.Qh3 f6 20.Nh4 Qh6 21.Nf3 Qxh3 22.Bxh3 Nc7 23.b4 N5a6 24.b5 cxb5 25.Rhe1 b4 26.Ne2 Bc8 27.Bg2 Bf5 28.Nfd4 fxe5 29.fxe5 Be4 30.Bxe4 dxe4 31.Nf4 Nc5 32.h4 Rae8 33.e6 a5 34.Kb1 N7xe6 35.Ndxe6 Nxe6 36.Nd5 Nc5 37.Nxb6 h6 38.Nc4 Rf2 39.Rd5 Na4 40.Rxa5 Nc3+ 41.Ka1 0-1

Aronian,L (2750) - Dominguez Perez,L (2717) [D27]
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 a6 6.0-0 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nbd2 Ke7 10.b3 Nbd7 11.Be2 b6 12.Ne1 a5 13.Bb2 Rd8 14.a4 Ba6 15.Bxa6 Rxa6 16.Nd3 Ne5 17.Nxc5 bxc5 18.Bc3 Rd3 19.Rac1 Ned7 20.e4 c4 21.b4 axb4 22.Bxb4+ Kd8 23.a5 Ne5 24.Nxc4 Nc6 25.Bc3 Nxe4 26.Bxg7 Ke7 27.Rfd1 Rxd1+ 28.Rxd1 f6 29.Bh6 e5 30.Kf1 Nd4 31.Rb1 Rc6 32.Rb4 Nf5 33.Nb6 Nc5 34.Bd2 Na6 35.Rb3 Ke6 36.g4 Nd4 37.Rh3 Rc2 38.Be3 Ra2 39.Rh6 Nc5 40.Nc4 Ra4 41.Nd2 Rxa5 42.Rxh7 Ra4 43.h4 Nd3 44.Rh6 Ra1+ 45.Kg2 Ne1+ 46.Kh3 Ke7 47.Ne4 Nef3 48.Ng3 Ne6 49.Rh7+ Kf8 50.Rh6 Ke7 51.Nf5+ Kf7 52.Rh7+ Kf8 53.Rb7 Ra3 54.Rb6 Kf7 55.Nh6+ Ke7 56.Rb7+ Kd8 57.Nf7+ Ke8 58.Nd6+ Kf8 59.Rf7+ Kg8 60.Rxf6 Nf4+ 61.Kg3 Nd2 62.g5 Nf1+ 63.Kg4 Nxe3+ 64.fxe3 Rxe3 65.Nf7 Re1 66.Nxe5 Nd5 67.Rg6+ Kh7 68.Rh6+ Kg7 69.Nf3 Re4+ 70.Kg3 Ne3 71.Rf6 Rg4+ 72.Kh3 Re4 73.Rc6 Nf5 74.h5 Rf4 75.Kg2 Rg4+ 76.Kf2 Kg8 77.Rc8+ Kg7 78.Rc6 Kg8 79.Rb6 Kh7 80.Ra6 Kg8 81.h6 Re4 82.Rf6 Ne3 83.Kg3 Nd5 84.Rf5 Ne7 85.Re5 Rxe5 86.Nxe5 Kh7 87.Kg4 Nd5 88.Nd3 Ne7 89.Nf4 Ng8 90.Kh5 Kh8 91.Nd5 Kh7 92.Nf6+ 1-0

Standings:
Aronian and Grischuk at +2
Anand at +1

Topalov-Kamsky Game 4

Kamsky strikes back; match tied 2-2

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.Ng5 Re7 13.d5 Nb8 14.Nf1 Nbd7 15.Ng3 g6 16.Bc2 h6 17.Nf3 Nb6 18.h4 Qd7 19.Nh2 Bg7 20.h5 Rf8 21.Nhf1 c6 22.dxc6 Qxc6 23.Ne3 Kh7 24.Qf3 Bc8 25.Rd1 Be6 26.b3 Qxc3 27.Bd2 Qc7 28.Ba5 Qb8 29.Rd2 Nc8 30.Rad1 b4 31.Qe2 Kh8 32.Bd3 Na7 33.Rc1 Nb5 34.Bxb5 axb5 35.Bxb4 Rd7 36.Rc6 Rfd8 37.Qd1 Bf8 38.Qc2 Kh7 39.Ba5 Re8 40.hxg6+ fxg6 41.Bc7 Qb7 42.Bxd6 Bf7 43.Bb4 Bxb4 44.Rxd7 Qxd7 45.Rxf6 Re6 46.Nd5 Bf8 47.Rf3 Kg7 48.Rc3 Ra6 49.Rc7 Qd6 50.Qe2 Kg8 51.Qxb5 Rxa2 52.Qb7 Ra1+ 53.Kh2 Bxd5 54.exd5 Qf6 55.Qc8 Qh4+ 56.Qh3 Qxh3+ 57.Kxh3 Rd1 58.Ne4 Ba3 59.Ra7 Bb4 60.Rb7 Ba3 61.f3 Kf8 62.Rb5 h5 63.Kg3 Rc1 64.Rb8+ Kf7 65.Rb7+ Kf8 66.Kf2 Rc2+ 67.Kf1 Rc1+ 68.Ke2 Rc2+ 69.Kd3 Rxg2 70.Ra7 Be7 71.d6 Bd8 72.Nc5 Ke8 73.Rh7 1-0

Linares Round 3

All games drawn; Aronian and Grischuk in lead at +1

Linares Round 2

Anand,V (2791) - Aronian,L (2750) [D47]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bd6 9.0-0 0-0 10.Qc2 Bb7 11.a3 a6 12.Ng5 Bxh2+ 13.Kxh2 Ng4+ 14.Kg1 Qxg5 15.f3 Ngf6 16.e4 Qh4 17.Be3 e5 18.Ne2 Nh5 19.Qd2 h6 20.Rfd1 Rae8 21.Bc2 Re6 22.Bf2 Qe7 23.g4 Rg6 24.Kf1 Nhf6 25.Ng3 Nxg4 26.fxg4 Qh4 27.Nf5 Qxg4 28.Qc3 Re8 29.Qg3 Qh5 30.Qh4 Qf3 31.Rd3 Qg2+ 32.Ke2 exd4 33.Rg3 Rxg3 34.Qxg3 Rxe4+ 35.Kd2 Rg4 36.Qxg2 Rxg2 37.Ke2 c5 38.Rg1 Ne5 39.Rxg2 Bxg2 40.Kd2 h5 41.b4 Nc4+ 42.Kc1 Nxa3 43.Bd1 cxb4 44.Bxh5 g6 45.Ne7+ Kf8 46.Nxg6+ fxg6 47.Bxg6 Ke7 48.Bxd4 Kd6 49.Bd3 Nc4 50.Bg7 a5 51.Be2 Be4 52.Bf6 a4 53.Bg7 Kd5 0-1

Grischuk,A (2733) - Wang Yue (2739) [D17]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Nb6 8.Ne5 a5 9.e3 g6 10.Bd3 Be6 11.0-0 Bg7 12.f4 Nfd7 13.Nf3 c5 14.Ng5 cxd4 15.Nxe6 fxe6 16.Ne4 0-0 17.Qg4 Rf5 18.Qh3 Nc5 19.Nxc5 Rxc5 20.Qxe6+ Kh8 21.e4 Rac8 22.e5 R8c6 23.Qf7 Nd5 24.Bd2 Qf8 25.Qxf8+ Bxf8 26.Rac1 e6 27.Kf2 b6 28.Kf3 Kg7 29.g3 Rxc1 30.Rxc1 Rxc1 31.Bxc1 Kf7 32.Bc4 Ne3 33.b3 Bc5 34.Ke2 h5 35.Bb2 g5 36.fxg5 Ng4 37.Bd3 Nxe5 38.Be4 Ng4 39.h3 Ne3 40.Bc1 e5 41.Bxe3 dxe3 42.h4 Kg7 43.Kf3 Kf7 44.Bd3 Bd4 45.Be2 Kg7 46.Ke4 Kg6 47.Bd1 Bc3 48.Kxe3 Kf5 49.Bxh5 Be1 50.Kf3 e4+ 51.Kg2 Bc3 52.Be2 Be1 53.Kh3 Bf2 54.Bb5 Be1 55.Bd7+ Ke5 56.Kg4 e3 57.Bb5 Kd5 1-0

Topalov-Kamsky Game 3

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Qb3 dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bg7 6.e4 0-0 7.Be2 [One of the points behind this move order is to avoid the possible structural damage after 7.Nf3 Nfd7 8.Be3 Nb6 9.Qb3 Bg4 10.Rd1 Nc6 11.d5 Ne5 - Marin] a6 8.Bf4 b5!? 9.Qxc7 Qxc7 10.Bxc7 b4 11.Na4 Nc6 12.d5 Nd4 13.Bd3 Bd7 14.Nb6 Bb5! 15.Be5 [15.Bxb5 axb5 16.Nxa8 is too risky because of 16...Nc2+ 17.Kd1 Nxa1 18.Nb6 Nxe4 - Marin] Nxe4 [15...Bxd3 would have offered him chances to fight for the initiative, for instance 16.Bxd4 Rab8 17.e5 Rxb6 18.Bxb6 Nxd5 19.Bd4 Rc816.Bxg7 Kxg7 - Marin] 17.Bxe4 Rab8 18.0-0-0 Nf5 19.Bxf5 gxf5 20.d6 Rxb6 21.dxe7 Re8 [It is difficult to say whether the intermediate 21...Rc8+ would have been better. - Marin] 22.Nf3 Rxe7 23.Nd4 Bd7 24.Rhe1 Rxe1 25.Rxe1 Rh6! [25...Rd6 26.Rd1] 26.Re7 [26.h3 f4] Rd6! 27.Ne2 Kf6 28.Re3 Ba4 29.b3 Bc6 30.Nf4 a5 31.g3 Be4 32.f3 Bc6 33.h4 Rd4 34.Kc2 Bb5 35.Nh5+ Kg6 36.Nf4+ Kf6 37.Nh5+ Draw

Linares Round 1

Anand,V (2791) - Radjabov,T (2761) [B33]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Bxf6 gxf6 10.Nd5 Bg7 11.Bd3 Ne7 12.Nxe7 Qxe7 13.0-0 0-0 14.c4 f5 15.Qf3 d5 16.cxd5 fxe4 17.Bxe4 Rb8 18.Rfd1 f5 19.d6 Qf6 20.Bc6 Be6 21.Bd5 Rbd8 22.Qb3 Bf7 23.Nc2 Rxd6 24.Bxf7+ Rxf7 25.Rxd6 Qxd6 26.Ne3 f4 27.Rd1 Qg6 28.Nd5 Bf8 29.f3 Kh8 30.Nc3 Rg7 31.Rd2 Bc5+ 32.Kf1 Bd4 33.Ne4 Rc7 34.Rc2 Rc6 35.Qd3 Kg7 36.b3 h6 37.g4 fxg3 38.hxg3 Qe6 39.Kg2 Qc8 40.Rxc6 Qxc6 41.Qd2 Qe6 42.g4 Qc6 43.Ng3 Kh7 44.Nf5 Bb6 45.Qd3 Kh8 46.Qe2 Bc7 47.Qd2 Kh7 48.Ne7 Qc5 49.Qd3+ Kh8 50.Qd7 e4 51.Qe8+ Kg7 52.Nf5+ Kf6 53.Qxe4 Bb6 54.Kh3 h5 55.g5+ Kxg5 56.Ne7 Kf6 57.Nd5+ Kg7 58.Qe5+ Kh6 59.Qf6+ Kh7 60.Qf7+ Kh6 61.Ne7 1-0

Topalov-Kamsky Game 2

Topalov draws first blood with Black

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Bc5 5.Nxe5 Nxe4 6.Qe2 Nxe5 7.d4 Qe7 8.dxc5 Nxc5 9.Nc3 Ng6 10.Qh5 c6 11.Bg5 f6 12.Rae1 Ne6 13.Bd3 0-0 14.Bd2 d5 15.f4 Qc5+ 16.Kh1 d4 17.Bf5 Rf7 18.Ne4 Qd5 19.Bxg6 hxg6 20.Qxd5 cxd5 21.Nd6 Rc7 22.c4 dxc3 23.Bxc3 d4 24.Bb4 Bd7 25.Rf2 a5 26.Ba3 b5 27.b3 b4 28.Bb2 Ra6 29.Ne4 Rac6 30.Kg1 Rc2 31.g3 d3 32.Rd1 f5 0-1

Topalov-Kamsky Game 1

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 c5 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.Be3 0-0 10.0-0 Na5 11.Bd3 b6 12.Qd2 e5 13.Bh6 cxd4 14.Bxg7 Kxg7 15.cxd4 exd4 16.f4 f6 17.e5 N [17.Rac1 ... Cheparinov-Kamsky] Bd7 18.exf6+ Qxf6 19.Ng3 Kh8 20.f5 gxf5 21.Bxf5 Bxf5 22.Rxf5 Qd6 23.Raf1 Nc6 24.Ne4 Qe7 25.Qh6 Rxf5 26.Rxf5 Ne5 27.h3 Ng6 28.Rh5 Rg8 29.Nf6 Rg7 30.Nxh7 Rxh7 31.Qxg6 Qe3+ 32.Kf1 Qc1+ 33.Kf2 Qd2+ 34.Kg3 Qe3+ 35.Kh2 Qf4+ 36.Kg1 Qc1+ Draw

Wijk aan Zee Round 13 (Final)

Karjakin beats Dominguez, wins tournament!

Wang Yue (2739) - Carlsen,M (2776) [D45]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c6 5.e3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 b6 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Bxc4 c5 10.Rd1 Qc8 11.d5 exd5 12.Nxd5 Bxd5 13.Bxd5 Nxd5 14.Rxd5 Be7 15.e4 0-0 16.Bg5 Re8 17.Rad1 Nf8 18.Qc4 Qe6 19.b3 h6 20.Bf4 Ng6 21.Bg3 Bf8 22.Nd2 Ne7 23.Rd3 Nc6 24.Qxe6 Rxe6 25.a4 a6 26.f3 b5 27.Bf2 Rc8 28.axb5 axb5 29.Nf1 Nb4 30.Rc3 Ra6 31.Ne3 Ra3 32.Be1 Nc6 33.Rb1 Rca8 34.Kf1 Nd4 35.Rd3 Ra2 36.b4 R8a3 37.Rbd1 Ne6 38.bxc5 Bxc5 39.Rxa3 Rxa3 40.Nd5 Rb3 41.h4 b4 42.f4 Rb2 43.f5 Nd4 44.Bxb4 Bxb4 45.Rxd4 Rb1+ 46.Ke2 Rb2+ 47.Kf3 Be1 48.h5 Rf2+ 49.Ke3 Rxg2 50.Ra4 Bh4 51.Ra8+ Kh7 52.Rf8 Bg5+ 53.Kf3 Rh2 54.Rxf7 Kg8 55.Ra7 Rxh5 56.e5 Rh3+ 57.Ke4 Rh1 58.e6 Re1+ 59.Kd4 h5 60.Kc5 Re5 61.f6 Bxf6 62.Kd6 Rf5 63.Nxf6+ Rxf6 64.Kd7 h4 65.e7 Rf7 66.Kd8 Kh7 67.Ra6 1-0

Dominguez Perez,L (2717) - Karjakin,Sergey (2706) [B90]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 Ng4 7.Bc1 Nf6 8.Be3 Ng4 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bh4 g5 11.Bg3 Bg7 12.h3 Nf6 13.Qe2 Nc6 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.e5 dxe5 16.Bxe5 0-0 17.g4 a5 18.h4 Bxg4 19.f3 Bf5 20.hxg5 hxg5 21.Qe3 a4 22.Qxg5 Bg6 23.Bd3 a3 24.b4 Qb6 25.Rh4 Nh7 26.Rxh7 Kxh7 27.0-0-0 Qxb4 28.Rh1+ Kg8 29.Bxg7 Kxg7 30.Qh6+ Kf6 31.Ne4+ Ke6 32.Rd1 Qb2+ 33.Kd2 Kd7 34.Qf4 Rfd8 35.Ke2 Ke8 36.Rh1 Ra5 37.Qc7 Rad5 38.Ke3 Kf8 39.c3 Rxd3+ 40.Kf4 f6 41.Rh8+ Kf7 0-1

Morozevich,A (2771) - Ivanchuk,V (2779) [D10]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 a6 5.Nf3 b5 6.b3 Bg4 7.Bd2 e6 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Ba3 10.Bd3 0-0 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Rad1 Rc8 13.Qe2 Re8 14.c5 Bb4 15.a3 Bxc3 16.Bxc3 e5 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Bf5 Ra8 19.Bd4 Qe7 20.Bb1 a5 21.Qb2 a4 22.f4 Ned7 23.b4 Qf8 24.g4 Ne4 25.g5 f5 26.gxf6 Ndxf6 27.Kh2 g6 28.Rg1 Kf7 29.Qg2 Qh6 30.Rdf1 Qh5 31.Qb2 Ra7 32.Rg5 Qh4 33.Qg2 Rae7 34.Bc2 Kf8 35.Re5 Rf7 36.Rxe8+ Kxe8 37.f5 g5 38.Bxe4 Nxe4 39.f6 h5 40.Rf4 gxf4 41.Qg8+ Rf8 42.Qe6+ Kd8 43.Qe7+ Kc8 44.Qxf8+ Kd7 45.Qe7+ 1-0

Final Standings:
1st - Karjakin at +3 with 8/13
2nd (tie) - Aronian, Radjabov, Movsesian at +2 with 7.5/13
5th (tie) - Carlsen, Dominguez at +1 with 7/13

Wijk aan Zee Round 12

Carlsen,M (2776) - Smeets,J (2601) [B10]
1.c4 c6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.cxd5 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nxd5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Bb5 e6 8.0-0 Be7 9.d4 0-0 10.Re1 Bd7 11.Bd3 Rc8 12.Nxd5 exd5 13.Ne5 Bf6 14.Bf4 g6 15.Qb3 Na5 16.Qb4 Be6 17.Bh6 Bg7 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.h4 Re8 20.h5 f6 21.Nf3 b6 22.Bb5 Re7 23.Re2 Rcc7 24.Rae1 Kf7 25.Qd2 Qf8 26.Qf4 Bf5 27.g4 Bc8 28.b4 Nb7 29.Bc6 1-0

Karjakin,Sergey (2706) - Adams,Mi (2712) [C92]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.a4 Na5 13.Bc2 b4 14.cxb4 Nc6 15.Nb3 exd4 16.Bd2 d5 17.e5 Ne4 18.Nc5 Bxc5 19.bxc5 Rb8 20.b4 Ba8 21.Rb1 g6 22.b5 axb5 23.axb5 Nxe5 24.Nxe5 Rxe5 25.Bf4 Nc3 26.Qxd4 Rxe1+ 27.Rxe1 Nxb5 28.Qe5 Qf8 29.Bd3 Na7 30.Qxc7 Nc6 31.Ra1 Rb7 32.Qd6 Ra7 33.Rxa7 Nxa7 34.Qd7 Nc6 35.Bb5 1-0

Standings:
* Six-way tie for first at +2: Carlsen, Radjabov, Aronian, Karjakin, Dominguez, Movsesian
* Kamsky one point behind with an even score
* Leaders playing each other in final round tomorrow are Karjakin-Dominguez and Movsesian-Kamsky

Wijk aan Zee Round 11

Van Wely,L (2625) - Movsesian,S (2751) [A27]
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.g3 Bg7 5.Bg2 d6 6.d3 f5 7.0-0 Nf6 8.Rb1 a5 9.a3 0-0 10.b4 axb4 11.axb4 h6 12.b5 Ne7 13.Bb2 g5 14.Ra1 Rxa1 15.Qxa1 Be6 16.Qa7 b6 17.Rc1 Rf7 18.Nd2 Kh7 19.Qb7 g4 20.Ra1 h5 21.Ra8 Qd7 22.e3 h4 23.Ne2 h3 24.Bf1 Ng6 25.d4 f4 26.exf4 exf4 27.gxf4 d5 28.Qc6 dxc4 29.f5 Bxf5 30.Ng3 Be6 31.Bxc4 Bxc4 32.Nxc4 Nd5 33.Qxd7 Rxd7 34.Nf5 Bf6 35.Kf1 Rf7 36.Ra7 Bg5 37.Nfd6 Rf8 38.Ne4 Bf4 39.Ne5 Nxe5 40.dxe5 Bxh2 41.Ra4 Kg6 42.Rd4 Ne3+ 43.Ke2 Bxe5 44.fxe3 h2 0-1

Kamsky,G (2725) - Karjakin,Sergey (2706) [D02]
1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c3 c5 4.dxc5 g6 5.g3 Bg7 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 Nc6 8.Qb3 Qa5 9.Qa3 Qc7 10.Bg5 Ne4 11.Be3 e5 12.Nbd2 f5 13.Rad1 Nf6 14.b4 Re8 15.Nb3 Ne4 16.b5 Ne7 17.Qc1 b6 18.Ng5 bxc5 19.c4 d4 20.Nxe4 fxe4 21.Bg5 Bb7 22.Bxe7 Rxe7 23.Qc2 Rf8 24.Bxe4 Bc8 25.Kg2 Bh6 26.Rd3 Kg7 27.Rf3 Rd8 28.h3 Be6 29.a4 a5 30.Bc6 Qb6 31.e4 dxe3 32.fxe3 Kg8 33.e4 Rd6 34.Bd5 Bxd5 35.cxd5 Rc7 36.Rc3 Rf6 37.Rxf6 Qxf6 38.Nxc5 Rf7 39.Qe2 Bd2 40.Rf3 Qg5 41.Ne6 1-0

Dominguez Perez,L (2717) - Aronian,L (2750) [C88]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.d4 Nxd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.e5 Ne8 11.c3 dxc3 12.Nxc3 d6 13.Bd5 Rb8 14.Be3 Be6 15.Ba7 Bxd5 16.Bxb8 Bb7 17.Ba7 Qa8 18.exd6 Bxd6 19.Bd4 b4 20.Na4 Bxg2 21.Rxe8 Qxe8 22.Kxg2 c5 23.Be3 Qc6+ 24.f3 Re8 25.Bf2 c4 26.Nb6 c3 27.bxc3 bxc3 28.Qd5 Qc7 29.Nc4 Bb4 30.Rc1 Re2 31.Rxc3 h6 32.Re3 Rxa2 33.Re8+ Kh7 34.Ne3 Rxf2+ 35.Kxf2 Bc3 36.Kg2 1-0

Wang Yue (2739) - Radjabov,T (2761) [E92]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 Ng4 8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Nh6 11.d5 Nd7 12.0-0 f5 13.exf5 Nxf5 14.Nd2 Nd4 15.Nde4 h6 16.Bg4 b6 17.f3 Nc5 18.Bxc8 Qxc8 19.Bf2 Qd7 20.Ng3 a5 21.Nce2 Nf5 22.Nxf5 Qxf5 23.Ng3 Qg6 24.Bxc5 bxc5 25.Qb1 Qxb1 26.Raxb1 e4 27.Nxe4 Bd4+ 28.Kh1 a4 29.h4 gxh4 30.Kh2 Rfb8 31.b3 axb3 32.axb3 Ra2 33.Rfd1 Kf7 34.Rd2 Ra3 35.Kh3 Raxb3 36.Rxb3 Rxb3 37.Kxh4 Kg6 38.Rc2 Rb1 39.Ng3 h5 40.f4 Bf6+ 41.Kh3 Rb3 42.Kh2 h4 43.Ne2 Kf5 44.Ra2 Rb4 45.Ra8 Rxc4 46.Re8 Rb4 47.Re6 Rb3 48.g4+ hxg3+ 49.Nxg3+ Kg4 50.Ne2 Rb2 51.Kg2 Be5 52.Kf2 Bxf4 53.Re7 Kf5 54.Rf7+ Ke5 55.Kf3 Bd2 56.Rxc7 Kxd5 57.Ng3 Rb3+ 58.Kg2 Bf4 59.Ne2 Be5 60.Kf2 Ke4 61.Rh7 Rf3+ 62.Ke1 d5 63.Kd2 d4 64.Rh4+ Kd5 0-1

Standings:
Aronian, Radjabov, Dominguez, Movsesian at +2
Carlsen, Karjakin at +1

Wijk aan Zee Round 10

Aronian,L (2750) - Adams,Mi (2712) [E04]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Nf3 dxc4 5.Bg2 Nc6 6.Qa4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nd5 8.Bxb4 Ndxb4 9.Nc3 a6 10.Ne5 0-0 11.Nxc6 Nxc6 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.Qxc4 Rb8 14.b3 Qd6 15.Ne4 Qb4+ 16.Qxb4 Rxb4 17.0-0-0 e5 18.Rd2 a5 19.Rhd1 a4 20.Nc5 axb3 21.axb3 Be6 22.Kb2 Rb5 23.Rc1 Rfb8 24.Rc3 exd4 25.Rxd4 h6 26.Nxe6 fxe6 27.Rd7 R8b7 28.Rd4 Kf7 29.h4 Ke7 30.Re4 R7b6 31.Rce3 c5 32.Rg4 Kf7 33.Rf3+ Kg8 34.Rc3 Rd6 35.Ra4 Kf7 36.Kc2 Ke7 37.Rg4 Ra5 38.Rxg7+ Kf6 39.Rxc7 Ra2+ 40.Kc1 Rxe2 41.Rf3+ Kg6 42.Rxc5 Rdd2 43.h5+ Kg7 44.Rc7+ Kg8 45.Re3 1-0

Carlsen,M (2776) - Dominguez Perez,L (2717) [D81]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Qb3 dxc4 5.Qxc4 Bg7 6.e4 0-0 7.Be2 Nfd7 8.Be3 Nb6 9.Qd3 f5 10.Rd1 f4 11.Bc1 e5 12.d5 c6 13.Nf3 cxd5 14.Nxd5 Nxd5 15.Qb3 Kh8 16.Bc4 Nc6 17.Bxd5 Qe7 18.h3 Nb4 19.Bc4 b5 20.Bxb5 Nxa2 21.Bd2 Rb8 22.Qa4 Qb7 23.0-0 Qxb5 24.Qxa2 Qxb2 25.Qxa7 Qb7 26.Qc5 Be6 27.Qd6 Bb3 28.Rb1 Qxe4 29.Bc3 Rbd8 30.Qa3 Bc2 31.Rb5 Qa4 32.Qb2 Bd3 33.Rb7 Qc2 34.Qb4 Rfe8 35.Re1 Be2 36.Nxe5 Bxe5 37.Bxe5+ Rxe5 38.Qxf4 Qf5 39.Qh6 1-0

Standings:
Aronian at +3
Karjakin at +2
Carlsen, Radjabov, Movsesian, Dominguez at +1

Wijk aan Zee Round 9 - Karjakin, Aronian, Dominguez win, take lead

Karjakin,Sergey (2706) - Movsesian,S (2751) [B80]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be3 Nc6 7.f3 Be7 8.Qd2 0-0 9.g4 d5 10.g5 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Nh5 12.0-0-0 Bxg5 13.Kb1 Kh8 14.Bxg5 Qxg5 15.Rg1 Qf4 16.Qc5 Bd7 17.exd5 Nf6 18.Bh3 exd5 19.Bxd7 Nxd7 20.Qxd5 Nf6 21.Qxb7 Qxh2 22.Ne4 Nxe4 23.Qxe4 Rad8 24.a4 Qc7 25.Rxd8 Rxd8 26.Rg5 g6 27.Rb5 Rd1+ 28.Ka2 Rd7 29.c4 Kg7 30.c5 a6 31.c6 axb5 32.cxd7 Qxd7 33.Qe5+ Kf8 34.axb5 h5 35.Kb3 Kg8 36.b6 h4 37.Qc7 Qd1+ 38.Kb4 Qe1+ 39.Kb5 Qe2+ 40.Ka5 Qd2+ 41.b4 Qa2+ 42.Kb5 Qe2+ 43.Qc4 Qe8+ 44.Qc6 Qe2+ 45.Kc5 Qf2+ 46.Kd6 Qg3+ 47.Kd7 h3 48.b7 h2 49.Qc8+ Kg7 50.b8Q Qxb8 51.Qxb8 h1Q 52.Qe5+ Kg8 53.Qd5 Qh3+ 54.Kc7 Qh2+ 55.Kb7 Qh5 56.Kc6 Qh3 57.Kb7 Qh5 58.Qc6 Kg7 59.b5 Qe5 60.b6 g5 61.Kc8 Qf5+ 62.Kd8 Qa5 63.Qd6 Qa8+ 64.Kc7 Qxf3 65.b7 Qc3+ 66.Kd7 Qh3+ 67.Kd8 Qh8+ 68.Kc7 1-0

Kamsky,G (2725) - Aronian,L (2750) [C67]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 h6 10.b3 a5 11.a4 Be6 12.Ne2 Bd5 13.Rd1 Kc8 14.Ne1 g5 15.Bb2 Bg7 16.Nd3 b6 17.f3 Kb7 18.Kf2 Be6 19.g4 Ne7 20.Ng3 Rhd8 21.h3 c5 22.f4 c4 23.bxc4 Bxc4 24.f5 Nc6 25.e6 Bf8 26.exf7 Bxf7 27.Ne4 Bc4 28.Bf6 Re8 29.Kf3 Ka7 30.Ndf2 Ba6 31.h4 gxh4 32.Bxh4 Bb7 33.Kf4 Nb4 34.c4 Na6 35.Nc3 Bc6 36.Nfe4 Nc5 37.Nf6 Re7 38.Nh5 Rf7 39.Nb5+ Kb7 40.Ra2 Re8 41.Nf6 Ree7 42.Nd4 Bxa4 43.Rxa4 Bg7 44.Nh5 Re4+ 45.Kf3 Bxd4 46.Ra3 Rxf5+ 47.gxf5 Rxh4 48.Ng3 a4 49.Ra2 Be5 50.Rd5 Bd6 51.Rxd6 cxd6 52.f6 Ne6 53.Rxa4 Rf4+ 54.Ke3 Rxf6 55.Ra1 Ng5 56.Ne2 Rf3+ 57.Kd4 Kc6 58.Ra8 Rf8 59.Ra7 Ne6+ 60.Ke3 Rf5 61.Rh7 Re5+ 62.Kd2 h5 63.Rh6 Kc5 64.Kd3 Kb4 65.Ng3 Nf4+ 66.Kd4 Rc5 67.Rxd6 Rxc4+ 68.Ke3 b5 69.Rd1 Ng2+ 70.Kf3 Nh4+ 71.Ke2 Rc2+ 72.Kf1 Ng2 73.Rb1+ Kc4 74.Nf5 b4 75.Kg1 Kc5 76.Ra1 b3 77.Ra5+ Kb4 78.Ra7 Nf4 79.Rb7+ Kc3 80.Ne3 Rc1+ 0-1

Dominguez Perez,L (2717) - Stellwagen,D (2612) [C19]
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2 Nbc6 11.f4 Bd7 12.Qd3 dxc3 13.Rb1 0-0-0 14.Nxc3 Na5 15.h3 Kb8 16.g4 Rc8 17.Nb5 Bxb5 18.Rxb5 a6 19.Rb1 Nc4 20.Qc3 d4 21.Qxd4 Rgd8 22.Qxc4 Qa5+ 23.Qb4 Qd5 24.Be3 Qf3 25.Qxb7+ Qxb7 26.Rxb7+ Kxb7 27.Bd3 Nd5 28.Bd2 Nc3 29.Kf2 Rd4 30.Ke3 Ra4 31.Bxc3 Rxc3 32.h4 Raxa3 33.Kd4 Rc8 34.h5 Ra4+ 35.Ke3 a5 36.h6 Rb4 37.g5 a4 38.h7 Rh8 39.Ra1 Kb6 40.c3 Rb3 41.Rxa4 Rxc3 42.Kd2 Rxd3+ 43.Kxd3 Rxh7 44.Ra8 Kb7 45.Ra1 Rh3+ 46.Ke2 Rc3 47.Rh1 Kc8 48.Rh7 Rc7 49.g6 fxg6 50.Rxc7+ Kxc7 51.Kf3 1-0

Standings:
Karjakin, Aronian, Dominguez at +2
Radjabov, Movsesian at +1

Wijk aan Zee Round 8

Wang Yue (2739) - Morozevich,A (2771) [D85]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bd2 Nb6 6.Bf4 Bg7 7.e3 c5 8.dxc5 Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Qxd1+ 10.Rxd1 N6d7 11.Bb5 a6 12.Ba4 f6 13.Bxb8 Rxb8 14.Ne2 e6 15.Nd4 Ke7 16.Nb3 f5 17.Rd4 Nf6 18.Na5 Ne4 19.Rc4 e5 20.f3 Nf6 21.Rb4 Be6 22.c4 Rhc8 23.0-0 Nd7 24.c6 bxc6 25.Rxb8 Nxb8 26.Rb1 Kf6 27.Kf2 g5 28.Rb6 Nd7 29.Rxc6 Nc5 30.Rxc8 Bxc8 31.Bc2 Ke7 32.Ke2 Kd6 33.Kd2 h5 34.Kc3 h4 35.Nb3 f4 36.exf4 exf4 37.h3 Bb7 38.Bf5 Bc6 39.Kd4 Ne6+ 40.Bxe6 Kxe6 41.Nc5+ Kf6 42.Nxa6 g4 43.hxg4 h3 44.gxh3 Bxf3 45.Nc5 1-0

Ivanchuk,V (2779) - Karjakin,Sergey (2706) [B92]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 a6 6.Be2 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Be3 Be6 10.Qd2 Nbd7 11.a4 Qc7 12.Rfd1 Rac8 13.a5 Nc5 14.Nxc5 dxc5 15.Qe1 Rfd8 16.Rxd8+ Rxd8 17.f3 c4 18.Na4 Nd7 19.Qc3 f6 20.b3 Rc8 21.b4 Qc6 22.Qa3 f5 23.b5 axb5 24.Qxe7 bxa4 25.Rd1 Nf8 26.Rd6 Re8 27.Rxc6 Rxe7 28.Bc5 Rd7 29.Rb6 fxe4 30.fxe4 c3 31.Kf2 Ba2 32.a6 bxa6 33.Rb8 Rf7+ 34.Ke3 g6 35.Bd6 Rf6 36.Rd8 a3 37.Bxa3 Kg7 38.Bd6 Rf7 39.Bxe5+ Kh6 40.Bxa6 Ne6 41.Rc8 1-0

Standings:
Movsesian at +2
Radjabov, Aronian, Dominguez, Karjakin at +1

Wijk aan Zee Round 7

Ivanchuk,V (2779) - Movsesian,S (2751) [B80]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be3 Nc6 7.f4 Bd7 8.Be2 Be7 9.Ndb5 Qb8 10.a4 0-0 11.0-0 Rd8 12.Kh1 Nb4 13.Bf3 e5 14.Qe2 Bc6 15.fxe5 dxe5 16.a5 b6 17.axb6 axb6 18.Rxa8 Bxa8 19.Na4 Bc6 20.c4 Nxe4 21.Nxb6 f5 22.Nc3 Qb7 23.c5 Nd3 24.Bxe4 Bxe4 25.b4 Kh8 26.Rb1 f4 27.Bg1 Bg6 28.Nc4 e4 29.Na5 Qa8 30.c6 Bxb4 31.Nb7 f3 32.gxf3 exf3 33.Qxf3 Rf8 34.Qd5 Bxc3 35.c7 Nf4 0-1

Morozevich,A (2771) - Smeets,J (2601) [D11]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bg4 5.Qb3 Qb6 6.Nc3 e6 7.Nh4 Bh5 8.h3 g5 9.Nf3 h6 10.g4 Bg6 11.h4 Qxb3 12.axb3 Rg8 13.hxg5 hxg5 14.c5 Nxg4 15.b4 f6 16.b5 cxb5 17.Rg1 Nh6 18.Nxb5 Kd7 19.Rxa7 Rxa7 20.Nxa7 Nc6 21.Nxc6 bxc6 22.b4 Be7 23.Kd2 Be4 24.Ne1 g4 25.Kc3 f5 26.Nd3 Bh4 27.f4 gxf3 28.Rh1 Bg5 29.Ne5+ Kc7 30.Rh3 Ra8 31.Nxf3 Bxf3 32.Rxf3 Ra2 33.Rh3 Ng4 34.b5 cxb5 35.Bxb5 Rh2 36.Rxh2 Nxh2 37.Kd3 Ng4 38.Bd2 Bh4 39.Ba5+ Kc8 40.Be8 Nf6 41.Bf7 Kd7 42.c6+ Kxc6 43.Bxe6 Ne4 44.Bxf5 Nd6 45.Bg4 Nc4 46.Bc3 Nd6 47.Bf3 Bf2 48.Bd2 Nc4 49.Bxd5+ 1-0

Standings:
Karjakin, Movsesian at +2
Radjabov, Aronian, Dominguez at +1

Wijk aan Zee Round 6

Movsesian,S (2751) - Morozevich,A (2771) [B19]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bd2 Ngf6 12.0-0-0 Be7 13.Rhe1 0-0 14.Qe2 a5 15.Ne5 Bb4 16.c3 Bd6 17.f4 Re8 18.Qf3 Qc7 19.Ne2 c5 20.g4 cxd4 21.Nxd7 Nxd7 22.Nxd4 a4 23.Nb5 Qc4 24.Nxd6 Qxa2 25.c4 a3 26.Bc3 Nc5 27.Qe3 b6 28.g5 e5 29.fxe5 Na4 30.b4 Qb3 31.Bd4 Qxb4 32.Qd2 Qb3 33.Re3 Nc5 34.Qf2 1-0

Wang Yue (2739) - Adams,Mi (2712) [D58]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.e3 b6 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.0-0 Nbd7 10.Qe2 c5 11.Rfd1 Ne4 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.cxd5 exd5 14.Rac1 Rac8 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.Ba6 Ndf6 17.Nxe4 Nxe4 18.Nd2 Ng5 19.Qb5 Bxa6 20.Qxa6 Rc7 21.Qa3 Rd8 22.Nb3 Ne6 23.h3 Rc6 24.Rc2 d4 25.exd4 Rcd6 26.d5 Rxd5 27.Rcd2 Rxd2 28.Rxd2 Nd4 29.Qa6 Rd5 30.Qf1 Re5 31.Rd1 Nxb3 32.axb3 Re2 33.Rc1 g6 34.g3 Qe4 35.Rc4 Qe6 36.Rc1 Rxb2 37.Rxc5 Qxb3 38.Rc1 a5 39.Qe1 Qf3 40.Ra1 Re2 41.Qf1 Rd2 42.Qe1 Re2 43.Qf1 Rd2 44.Qe1 Qd5 45.Qe3 Rd1+ 46.Rxd1 Qxd1+ 47.Kh2 a4 48.h4 h5 49.Qe8+ Kg7 50.Qe5+ Kh7 51.Qf4 Qd7 52.g4 hxg4 53.h5 gxh5 54.Qg5 Qd6+ 55.Kg1 a3 56.Qxh5+ Kg7 57.Qa5 g3 58.fxg3 Qxg3+ 59.Kh1 Qf3+ 60.Kg1 Qe3+ 61.Kh1 Qc1+ 62.Kh2 Qc2+ 63.Kh1 a2 64.Qe5+ Kh7 65.Qh5+ Kg8 0-1

Radjabov,T (2761) - Kamsky,G (2725) [B18]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Nc5 b6 6.Nb3 e6 7.Nf3 Nf6 8.g3 Nbd7 9.Bg2 Qc7 10.0-0 Rd8 11.Qe2 Bd6 12.Re1 0-0 13.Nh4 Bg4 14.Qc4 Nd5 15.Bg5 Rc8 16.a4 b5 17.Qd3 N7b6 18.Nc5 h6 19.Bd2 Nc4 20.axb5 cxb5 21.h3 Bh5 22.Bxd5 exd5 23.Bc3 Rfe8 24.b3 Ne5 25.Qxb5 Bxc5 26.Qxc5 Qd7 27.Qxa7 Qxa7 28.Rxa7 Nf3+ 29.Nxf3 Bxf3 30.Rxe8+ Rxe8 31.b4 Bd1 32.Ra2 Rc8 33.b5 Rb8 34.Rb2 f6 35.Ba5 Be2 36.b6 Rb7 37.Rb1 Kf7 38.Bd2 g5 39.Bc1 Bf3 40.Ba3 Be4 41.Bd6 1-0

Standings:
Karjakin at +2
Radjabov, Smeets, Dominguez, Aronian, Movsesian at +1

Wijk aan Zee Round 5

Aronian,L (2750) - Movsesian,S (2751) [D15]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.a4 e6 6.g3 dxc4 7.Bg2 c5 8.dxc5 Qxd1+ 9.Nxd1 Nc6 10.Ne3 Bxc5 11.Nxc4 Ke7 12.0-0 Nd5 13.Rd1 f6 14.Nfd2 Rd8 15.Nb3 Ba7 16.Nca5 Rb8 17.Nxc6+ bxc6 18.Na5 Bd7 19.b3 Bc5 20.Bd2 Bb4 21.Rac1 Rdc8 22.Bxb4+ Nxb4 23.f4 c5 24.Kf2 Rc7 25.Rc3 Be8 26.Rdc1 Kd6 27.Re3 Bf7 28.Bh3 Ke7 29.Re4 g6 30.Rec4 Kd6 31.Bg2 Nd5 32.h4 Nb4 33.g4 h6 34.g5 hxg5 35.hxg5 fxg5 36.fxg5 Nd5 37.Rh1 Rb4 38.Rh8 Ke7 39.Be4 e5 40.Rh7 Kd6 41.e3 Ke6 42.Bd3 Rb8 43.Rc1 Be8 44.Rch1 Rxh7 45.Rxh7 Nb4 46.Be4 Rd8 47.Nc4 Bc6 48.Bxg6 Rf8+ 49.Ke2 Bf3+ 50.Ke1 e4 51.Rh6 Nd3+ 52.Kd2 Ke7 53.Kc3 Rd8 54.Rh7+ Ke6 55.Rc7 Rh8 56.Bh7 Nb4 57.Rxc5 Nd5+ 58.Rxd5 1-0

Karjakin,Sergey (2706) - Stellwagen,D (2612) [B48]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.0-0-0 Bb4 9.f3 Ne5 10.Nb3 b5 11.Qe1 Rb8 12.Qg3 Nh5 13.Qf2 Bxc3 14.Bc5 d5 15.bxc3 Bb7 16.Qh4 Nf4 17.Qg3 Nfg6 18.f4 Nd7 19.Bb4 Qxf4+ 20.Qxf4 Nxf4 21.Bd6 Ng6 22.Bxb8 Nxb8 23.Na5 Ba8 24.exd5 Bxd5 25.c4 bxc4 26.Nxc4 Ke7 27.Ne3 Bc6 28.Rd4 Ne5 29.Be2 Nbd7 30.Rhd1 Nc5 31.g3 Rc8 32.Nc4 Nxc4 33.Bxc4 a5 34.Re1 f6 35.Re3 e5 36.Be2 Be8 37.Rh4 h6 38.Ra3 Ra8 39.Rb4 Kd6 40.Bf3 Ra7 41.Rb8 Bd7 42.Kd2 e4 43.Be2 f5 44.h4 a4 45.Rc3 Rc7 46.a3 g5 47.Rh8 f4 48.Rxh6+ Ke5 49.hxg5 f3 50.Bf1 Bf5 51.Ke3 Na6 52.Rhc6 1-0

Van Wely,L (2625) - Radjabov,T (2761) [E97]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.Re1 f5 11.Ng5 Nf6 12.f3 Kh8 13.Rb1 h6 14.Ne6 Bxe6 15.dxe6 fxe4 16.fxe4 Nc6 17.Nd5 Ng8 18.Bd3 Nd4 19.Qg4 g5 20.h4 Nf6 21.Qg3 gxh4 22.Qxh4 Nxe6 23.Bxh6 Kg8 24.Qh3 Bxh6 25.Qxh6 c6 26.Re3 Kf7 27.Rf1 cxd5 28.exd5 Ke7 29.dxe6 Kxe6 30.Ref3 a5 31.Be4 1-0

Dominguez Perez,L (2717) - Morozevich,A (2771) [B90]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.Qd2 Nbd7 9.f3 b5 10.0-0-0 Rc8 11.g4 Nb6 12.g5 b4 13.Na4 Nxe4 14.fxe4 Nxa4 15.Qxb4 Qc7 16.Rd2 Bd7 17.Qa5 Qc6 18.Bxa6 Rb8 19.Rd5 Be7 20.Ba7 Ra8 21.Bb5 Qb7 22.Qxa4 Rxa7 23.Na5 Qc7 24.Rhd1 Bxb5 25.Qxb5+ Kf8 26.Kb1 g6 27.Nc4 Rb7 28.Qa4 Qb8 29.b3 Ra7 30.Qc6 Rc7 31.Rb5 Qa7 32.Qd5 Qf2 33.Qd2 Qf3 34.Nxd6 Bxg5 35.Nf5 Rc8 36.Rb8 1-0

Standings:
Karjakin +2
Smeets, Aronian, Kamsky, Dominguez at +1

Wijk aan Zee Round 4

All games drawn

Grand Prix Collapses?

Almost certainly!

The last leg of the grand prix, scheduled for December in Karlovy Vary, has been cancelled. The next leg had already been cancelled. That leaves one tournament in Elista scheduled for August, but Elista already picked up a tournament when Qatar cancelled last year. There are theoretically two backup cities - Tehran and Istanbul, but clearly that isn't worth very much or they would have replaced Qatar in the first place. It isn't at all certain that any of the three legs of the grand prix scheduled for this year can actually take place.

The only thing that is absolutely certain is that FIDE is killing professional chess. ARGH!

Wijk aan Zee Round 3

Kamsky - Morozevich [C78]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3 d6 8.a4 Rb8 9.axb5 axb5 10.d3 [The main line is 10.d4] 10...0-0 11.h3 Ne7 12.Na3 Ng6 13.Nc2 h6 14.Re1 Bb6 15.Ne3 c6 16.Nh2 Kh8 [16...Be6] 17.Nhg4 Nxg4?! 18.hxg4 Qh4 19.d4 exd4?! [19...Be6] 20.cxd4 Qf6 21.Nf5 Kg8 [21...Bxf5 22.exf5 Bxd4 23.g5! hxg5 24.Qh5+ Kg8 25.Qxg6 ] 22.Be3 Bxf5 23.gxf5 Ne7 24.Bc2 Rfd8 25.b4 c5 26.bxc5 dxc5 27.Qg4! Rxd4 [27...cxd4 28.e5 Qxe5 29.Bxh6 Qf6 30.Bg5] 28.Bxd4 Qxd4 29.Qg3 Nc6 30.e5 c4 31.Rad1 Qb2 32.f6 g5 33.Re2 Qb4 34.Qh3 1-0

Ivanchuk - Radjabov [E97]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 0-0 6.Nf3 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Ne8 [9...Nh5] 10.a4 f5 11.a5 Nf6 12.Bg5 Nh5 13.exf5 gxf5 14.Qd2 Nf6 15.c5 Bd7 16.b5 Be8 17.c6!? [17.b6 axb6 18.axb6 Rxa1 19.Rxa1 cxb6 20.cxd6 Qxd6 ] 17...b6 18.Nh4 Bf7 19.Bd3 Bg6 20.f3 Qe8 21.Kh1 Kh8 22.Bc2 Qf7 23.g4!? Nfg8 24.Ra4 Rae8 25.axb6 axb6 26.Ra7 Rc8 27.Nxg6+ Qxg6 28.Rg1 Qf7 [Ivanchuk was down to barely a minute on the clock to reach the time control at move 40.] 29.Rg3 e4 30.Ne2 Nf6 31.Nf4 exf3 32.gxf5 Nfxd5 33.Rxf3 Nxf4 34.Qxf4 Bf6 35.Bb3 Qh5 36.Bxf6+ Rxf6 37.Be6 Rcf8 38.Rxc7?? [38.Rg3 Rxe6 39.fxe6 Qd1+ 40.Kg2 Qe2+=] 38...Rxe6 39.fxe6 Rxf4 40.Rxf4 Qd5+ 41.Kg1 Qg5+ 0-1

Standings:
Movsesian, Radjabov, Karjakin, Smeets, Kamsky at +1

Wijk aan Zee Round 2

Wang,Yue (2739) - Ivanchuk,Vassily (2779) [D30]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Bg5 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Nbd7 6.Nc3 a6 7.g3N [7.e4] 7...b5 8.Nxb5 Rb8 9.Na7?? Rb4 10.Bxf6 gxf6 11.Qa5 Bb7 12.Bh3 Qb8 13.Qh5 Ke7?! [13...Rb6] 14.d5 Qxa7 15.dxe6 fxe6 16.Bxe6! Kxe6 17.Qe8+ Be7 18.Qxh8 Nf8 19.Qg8+ Kd7 20.0-0-0+? [20.Qg4+ Kc6 21.Qe4+ Kd7 22.Qf5+] Ke8 21.Qg4 Qc5 22.a3 Rxb2! 23.Kxb2 Qxa3+ 24.Kb1 Qb3+ 25.Ka1 c3 0-1

Morozevich,Alexander (2771) - Van Wely,Loek (2625) [D97]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 a6 8.Qb3 c5 9.dxc5 Qc7 10.Qb6 Qxb6 11.cxb6 Nbd7 12.Be2 Nxb6 13.Be3 Nbd7 14.Nd4 b6 15.f3 Bb7 16.0-0-0 h5 17.Nb3 Kh7 18.Rd4 Rfc8 19.Rhd1 Rc7 20.Kb1 Bh6 21.Bxh6 Kxh6 22.Nd2 g5 23.a4 Ne5 24.Nc4 Nxc4 25.Rxc4 Rac8 26.Rcd4 Kg7? [26...Rc5!] 27.e5 Ne8 28.g3 f6 29.f4 fxe5 30.fxe5 g4 31.Rb4 Rc6 32.Nd5 Rc2 33.Nf4 b5?! [33...Bf3] 34.axb5 axb5 35.Nxh5+ Kh6 36.Bxg4 R8c5 37.Nf4 Rxh2 38.Nd3 Rcc2 39.Bf5 Bf3 40.Rf1 Be2 41.Kxc2 Bxf1+ 42.Kc3 Nc7 43.Rg4 1-0

Movsesian,Sergei (2751) - Adams,Michael (2712) [C50]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 Nf6 5.d4!? Bxd4 [5...exd4 leads to the Max Lange Attack] 6.Nxd4 Nxd4 7.f4 d6 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.Bg5 Be6 10.Na3 Qe7 11.c3 Nc6 12.Kh1 Rd8N [12...h6] 13.Qe2 h6 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.Rf2 Rg8 16.Raf1 Rg6 17.Nc2 Kf8 18.Ne3 Nb8 19.Qh5 Kg7 20.Qf3 Kh7 21.Nd5 Bxd5 22.exd5 e4 23.Qf4 Rd6?! [23...b5 24.Bb3 Na6] 24.Re2 Nd7 25.Rxe4 Ne5 26.Bb3 Kg8 27.c4 b6 28.Bc2 Qf8 29.Re3 Rg5 30.Bf5 Kh8 31.Rfe1 a5 32.b3 c6 33.dxc6 Rxc6 34.h4 Rg8 35.Rd1 a4 36.Rd8! Qg7 37.Rxg8+ Kxg8 38.Rg3 1-0

Standings:
Karjakin, Smeets, Movsesian at +1

Wijk aan Zee Round 1 - Two Upsets

Ivanchuk - Smeets [D44]
1.c4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.a4 Bb4 7.e4 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 Qa5 9.e5 Ne4 10.Bd2 Qd5 11.Qc2 c5 12.Be3 cxd4 13.cxd4 Qa5+ 14.Nd2 Nxd2 15.Bxd2 Qd5 16.Qxc4 Qxc4 17.Bxc4 Nc6 18.Bc3 Ne7 19.a5 Bd7 20.Bb4 Rc8 21.Be2 Nc6 22.Bc5 Nxe5 23.Rb1 Nc6 24.Rxb7 Nxa5 25.Rxa7 Nc6 26.Rb7 Nd8 27.Rb3 Bc6 28.0-0 Nb7 29.Ba3 Kd7 30.Rc1 Nd6 31.Rb6 Nf5 32.d5 exd5 33.Bg4 g6 34.Bb2 Rhe8 35.Bxf5+ gxf5 36.f3 Re2 37.Bd4 Rd2 38.Be3 Rd3 39.Bf4 d4 40.Re1 0-1

Karjakin - Morozevich [B48]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be3 a6 7.Qd2 Nf6 8.0-0-0 Be7 9.f3 0-0 10.g4 b5 11.g5 Ne8 12.h4 Ne5 13.Kb1 Bb7 14.h5 Rc8 15.Qg2 b4 16.Na4 f5 17.gxf6 Nxf6 18.Bd3 Rf7 19.b3 Rcf8 20.Rdg1 Ne8 21.Rh3 Bf6 22.Nb2 Nc6?! [22...Qc3 or 22...Nd6] 23.Nxc6 Qxc6?? [23...Bxc6 24.Nc4 d5] 24.Nc4 [24.e5!] d5 [24...d6 25.e5 dxe5 26.Bxh7+; 24...Bc3 25.Na5 Qc7 26.Nxb7 Qxb7 27.e5] 25.exd5 exd5 26.h6 1-0

January 2009 Rating List

1 Topalov, Veselin BUL 2796 8 1975
2 Anand, Viswanathan IND 2791 11 1969
3 Ivanchuk, Vassily UKR 2779 19 1969
4 Carlsen, Magnus NOR 2776 17 1990
5 Morozevich, Alexander RUS 2771 20 1977
6 Radjabov, Teimour AZE 2761 27 1987
7 Jakovenko, Dmitry RUS 2760 40 1983
8 Kramnik, Vladimir RUS 2759 20 1975
9 Leko, Peter HUN 2751 23 1979
10 Movsesian, Sergei SVK 2751 16 1978
11 Aronian, Levon ARM 2750 16 1982
12 Shirov, Alexei ESP 2745 19 1972
13 Wang, Yue CHN 2739 28 1987

Elista Grand Prix Round 13 (Final)

Eljanov,P (2720) - Inarkiev,E (2669) [D17]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Nh4 e6 7.Nxf5 exf5 8.e3 Bb4 9.Bxc4 0-0 10.Qc2 g6 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.f3 Nb6 13.Bb3 a5 14.Na2 Be7 15.Kh1 Nh5 16.Nc3 Rc8 17.Rd1 Bb4 18.Qf2 Nf6 19.e4 fxe4 20.Nxe4 Nbd5 21.Nc5 Nd7 22.Nd3 Bd6 23.Bd2 Re8 24.Re1 Qb6 25.Bc4 Nb4 26.Bxb4 Bxb4 27.Rf1 Kg7 28.Rad1 Rcd8 29.f4 Re4 30.Ne5 f6 31.Nf3 Qc7 32.f5 Rde8 33.Bd3 R4e7 34.fxg6 hxg6 35.Nh4 Rh8 36.Bxg6 Rxh4 37.Qxh4 Kxg6 38.Rf4 Bd2 39.Qg4+ Kh7 40.Qh5+ Kg8 41.Qg6+ Rg7 42.Qe8+ Nf8 43.Rxf6 Qe7 44.Qxf8+ Qxf8 45.Rxf8+ Kxf8 46.Rxd2 Ke7 47.g3 Kd6 48.Kg2 b5 49.h4 Kd5 50.Kh3 bxa4 51.h5 Ke4 52.Kh4 Rd7 53.g4 c5 54.d5 c4 55.Rc2 Kd4 56.h6 a3 57.bxa3 c3 58.g5 Kd3 59.Rxc3+ Kxc3 60.g6 Rd6 61.h7 1-0

Elista Final Results:
Radjabov, Jakovenko, Grischuk (at +3) - 153.33
Gashimov (at +2) - 110
Wang, Mamedyarov, Bacrot, Leko, Kasimdzhanov (at 0) - 80
Cheparinov (at -1) - 50
Eljanov, Alekseev (at -2) - 35
Inarkiev, Akopian (at -3) - 15

Grand Prix Standings:
Teimour Radjabov 363.33 (3)
Wang Yue 353.33 (3)
Vugar Gashimov 328.33 (3)
Alexander Grischuk 303.33 (3)
Dmitry Jakovenko 243.33 (2)
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov 185.00 (2)
Levon Aronian 180.00 (1)
Gata Kamsky 180.00 (2)
Peter Svidler 175.00 (2)
Sergey Karjakin 150.00 (2)
Ivan Cheparinov 130.00 (3)
Etienne Bacrot 95.00 (2)
Peter Leko 80.00 (1)
Rustam Kasimdzhanov 80.00 (1*)
Vassily Ivanchuk 65.00 (1)
David Navara 50.00 (2)
Pavel Eljanov 35.00 (1*)
Evgeny Alekseev 35.00 (1*)
Boris Gelfand 30.00 (1)
Ernesto Inarkiev 30.00 (2)
Vladimir Akopian 15.00 (1)

(*) Eljanov, Alekseev and Kasimzhjanov came in mid-cycle and are down one tournament from where they should be. FIDE intends to rectify this by counting only 3 out of 4 tournaments to determine final winners.

Elista Grand Prix Round 12

Kasimdzhanov,R (2672) - Cheparinov,I (2696) [E92]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.Be3 Ng4 8.Bg5 f6 9.Bh4 g5 10.Bg3 Nh6 11.d5 Nd7 12.0-0 f5 13.exf5 Nc5 14.Qd2 g4 15.Nh4 a5 16.f3 gxf3 17.Rxf3 Ng4 18.h3 Bh6 19.Qe1 e4 20.Rf1 [20.hxg4 exf3 21.Nxf3] 20...Ne5 21.Bxe5 dxe5 22.g4 Be3+ 23.Kh1 Ra6 24.Ng2 Bd4 25.Qg3 Qg5 26.Rad1 Bxf5 27.Nb5 Qg7 28.Kh2 Bg6 29.Rxf8+ Kxf8 30.Nxc7 Rf6 [30...Qxc7 31.Rxd4] 31.Nb5 Bxb2 32.g5 Rf5 33.Bg4 Rf7 34.Rb1 Nd3 [34...Bd4 35.Nxd4 exd4 36.Qb8+ Ke7 37.d6#] 35.Rxb2 Nxb2 36.Qa3+ Kg8 37.Qxb2 Rf1 38.Nd6 Qe7 39.Be6+ Kf8 40.Qxe5 Qg7 41.Qxg7+ Kxg7 42.Nxb7 Rf2 43.c5 Rd2 44.c6 e3 45.Kg3 e2 46.c7 1-0

Standings:
Jakovenko, Radjabov, Grischuk at +3
Gashimov at +2

Elista Grand Prix Round 11

Inarkiev,E (2669) - Kasimdzhanov,R (2672) [C92]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Re8 10.d4 Bb7 11.Nbd2 Bf8 12.Bc2 Nb8 13.b3 g6 14.a4 Nbd7 15.Ba3 c6 16.Nf1 Qc7 17.Ng3 Rad8 18.Qd2 Bg7 19.Rad1 c5 20.d5 bxa4 21.bxa4 a5 22.Qe3 Ba6 23.Nd2 Rb8 24.Ngf1 Nb6 25.Bb3 Nh5 26.c4 Rb7 27.Qc3 Nd7 28.Ne3 Nhf6 29.Rc1 Bh6 30.Qc2 Reb8 31.Ba2 Nb6 32.Bb3 Bf4 33.g3 Bh6 34.Kg2 Qd7 35.Rb1 Ra7 36.Qc3 Bc8 37.Rh1 Rbb7 38.Ra1 Qe8 39.Ng4 Bxg4 40.hxg4 Nbxd5 41.cxd5 Bxd2 42.Qd3 Bg5 43.f3 h5 44.gxh5 Nxh5 45.Bc4 Qxa4 46.Bxc5 Rb2+ 47.Bf2 Qd7 48.Ra2 Rab7 49.Qa3 Rxa2 50.Qxa2 Qc7 51.Rd1 Qb8 52.Qxa5 Rb2 53.Qe1 Kg7 54.Kg1 Qc8 55.Bf1 Qc2 56.Bd3 Qa4 57.Ra1 Qb3 58.Rb1 Bd8 59.Rxb2 Qxb2 60.Qe2 Qc1+ 61.Qe1 Qb2 62.Qe2 Qb4 63.Qe3 Nxg3 64.f4 exf4 65.Qxf4 Nh5 66.Qe3 Kg8 67.Kg2 Qb2 68.Be2 Qxe2 69.Qxe2 Nf4+ 70.Kf3 Nxe2 71.Kxe2 Bf6 72.Kf3 Be5 73.Kg4 f6 74.Be3 Kf7 75.Kf3 Ke7 76.Ke2 Kd7 77.Kd3 Kc7 78.Kc4 Kb7 79.Kb5 g5 80.Bg1 g4 81.Bf2 g3 82.Be3 g2 83.Bg1 Bb2 84.Ka4 Ka6 85.Kb4 Be5 86.Kc4 Ka5 0-1

Standings:
Jakovenko, Radjabov, Grischuk at +3
Gashimov at +2

Elista Grand Prix Round 10

Mamedyarov,S (2731) - Eljanov,P (2720) [D30]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Bg5 Bb4+ 5.Nbd2 dxc4 6.Qc2 b5 7.a4 c6 8.g3 Bb7 9.Bg2 Nbd7 10.0-0 Qc8 11.b3 c3 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Qxe4 c5 14.Qg4 h5 15.Qh4 f6 16.Be3 c4 17.axb5 Bd5 18.Ra4 Be7 19.bxc4 g5 20.Nxg5 Bxg2 21.Kxg2 fxg5 22.Qe4 Nf6 23.Qg6+ Kd8 24.Rfa1 h4 25.d5 h3+ 26.Kg1 Rg8 27.Qd3 exd5 28.cxd5 Ke8 29.d6 Bd8 30.Rxa7 Rxa7 31.Rxa7 c2 32.d7+ Nxd7 33.Qe4+ Kf8 34.Qf5+ Bf6 35.Bc1 Qc3 36.Qxh3 Rg7 37.Kg2 Qd4 38.Ba3+ Kg8 39.Ra8+ Kf7 40.Qf5 g4 41.Rd8 1-0

Leko,P (2747) - Gashimov,V (2703) [C42]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.dxc3 Be7 7.Be3 Nc6 8.Qd2 Be6 9.0-0-0 Qd7 10.h4 0-0-0 11.Ng5 Bxg5 12.hxg5 a6 13.b3 Kb8 14.c4 Rdf8 15.Bd3 Bf5 16.Be2 Bg4 17.f3 Be6 18.Qc3 f6 19.gxf6 Rxf6 20.b4 Ne7 21.Kb2 Nc8 22.b5 axb5 23.cxb5 Re8 24.Bd3 Bf5 25.Bc4 Be6 26.Bf1 Bg8 27.Bd4 Rf4 28.a4 Qf7 29.Qb3 Qf8 30.Bc4 Bxc4 31.Qxc4 Nb6 32.Qb3 d5 33.Rxh7 Nc4+ 34.Ka2 g5 35.Rh8 Qf7 36.Rxe8+ Qxe8 37.Bc3 g4 38.Rxd5 gxf3 39.gxf3 Nb6 40.Re5 Qd8 41.a5 Ra4+ 42.Kb2 Nc4+ 43.Kc1 Qf8 44.Kb1 Na3+ 45.Ka1 Rf4 46.Ka2 Nc4 47.Rh5 Rxf3 48.b6 cxb6 49.axb6 Nxb6 50.Rb5 Nd7 51.Rxb7+ Kc8 52.Rxd7 Kxd7 53.Qb7+ Ke6 54.Qc6+ Qd6 55.Qxf3 Qa6+ 56.Kb1 Qb6+ 57.Bb2 1-0

Cheparinov,I (2696) - Akopian,Vl (2679) [D18]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Nbd7 8.0-0 Bb4 9.Qe2 0-0 10.e4 Bg6 11.Bd3 Bh5 12.e5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 cxd5 14.Qe3 Be7 15.Ng5 Bxg5 16.Qxg5 Bg6 17.Be2 Qxg5 18.Bxg5 Nb8 19.a5 Nc6 20.Be3 Rfc8 21.Ra3 Nd8 22.Re1 Rc2 23.b4 Nc6 24.b5 Nb4 25.Rb3 Na2 26.h4 h5 27.Bf1 Rac8 28.b6 a6 29.Kh2 Kf8 30.Re2 Rxe2 31.Bxe2 Ke7 32.Bd2 Kd7 33.Rb2 Nc3 34.Bxc3 Rxc3 35.Bxa6 Kc8 36.Be2 Kb8 37.Bb5 Kc8 38.Rb4 Ra3 39.Ba4 f6 40.exf6 gxf6 41.a6 bxa6 42.Bd7+ Kb7 43.Bxe6 Ra5 44.Bd7 Bd3 45.Bc6+ Kb8 46.Rb2 Bc4 47.f3 Ra1 48.g4 hxg4 49.fxg4 Re1 50.h5 Re6 51.Bd7 Re7 52.Bf5 Kb7 53.h6 a5 54.h7 Re8 55.g5 fxg5 56.Rg2 a4 57.Rxg5 a3 58.Rg8 a2 59.Rxe8 1-0

Radjabov,T (2751) - Alekseev,Evgeny (2715) [A13]
1.c4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 Be7 6.b3 0-0 7.Bb2 d5 8.e3 Nbd7 9.Nc3 a6 10.Qe2 Bd6 11.d3 Qe7 12.Nh4 g6 13.f4 c6 14.e4 dxe4 15.Nxe4 Nxe4 16.Bxe4 Nf6 17.Bg2 Rad8 18.Rad1 Rfe8 19.Ba1 Rd7 20.Kh1 Nh5 21.Qb2 f6 22.d4 Qf8 23.Nf3 Qh6 24.Kg1 c5 25.Ne5 Bxg2 26.Nxd7 Bxf1 27.Rxf1 Qg7 28.Nxb6 g5 29.Qe2 Nxg3 30.hxg3 gxf4 31.Qh5 Rb8 32.Na4 cxd4 33.Bxd4 e5 34.Bf2 fxg3 35.Be3 Qf7 36.Qxf7+ Kxf7 37.Kg2 Rg8 38.Nc3 Ke6 39.Ne4 Be7 40.Bc5 Bd8 41.Nxg3 f5 42.Kh3 f4 43.Ne4 Kf5 44.Re1 h5 45.b4 Rg4 46.Bf2 Be7 47.c5 f3 48.c6 Bd8 49.Rd1 Bc7 50.Ng3+ Ke6 51.Rd7 Bd6 52.Nxh5 Rc4 53.Ng7+ Kd5 54.Bc5 1-0

Jakovenko,D (2737) - Inarkiev,E (2669) [D11]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bg4 5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 e6 7.Nc3 Nbd7 8.Bd2 Bb4 9.Bd3 0-0 10.0-0 Re8 11.Qd1 dxc4 12.Bxc4 Nb6 13.Be2 Qe7 14.Qb3 Rad8 15.Bf3 e5 16.dxe5 Qxe5 17.Qxb4 Rxd2 18.Rad1 Red8 19.Rxd2 Rxd2 20.Na4 Qd6 21.Qxd6 Rxd6 22.Nc5 Rd2 23.Rd1 Rxd1+ 24.Bxd1 Nc4 25.Nxb7 Nxb2 26.Bf3 Nd5 27.Na5 Nc3 28.Nxc6 a6 29.Kf1 Nxa2 30.Be2 Nc3 31.Bxa6 Ne4 32.Ke2 Nd6 33.Bd3 Na4 34.e4 Nc3+ 35.Ke3 Nd1+ 36.Kf3 f6 37.Bc2 Nc3 38.Ke3 g5 39.Kd4 Ne2+ 40.Kd5 Nf7 41.Ke6 Kg7 42.g3 Ng1 43.Nd4 Nxh3 44.Nf5+ Kg6 45.Ne7+ Kg7 46.Nf5+ Kg6 47.f3 Nd8+ 48.Kd7 Nf7 49.Ke6 Nd8+ 50.Kd7 Nf7 51.Ke7 h5 52.Ba4 g4 53.f4 Nh6 54.Be8+ Kh7 55.Kxf6 Nxf4 56.gxf4 Nxf5 57.Bg6+ Kh6 58.Bxf5 1-0

Standings:
Jakovenko, Radjabov and Grischuk at +3
Gashimov at +2

Elista Grand Prix Round 9

Jakovenko,D (2737) - Kasimdzhanov,R (2672) [B90]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be7 8.Qd2 0-0 9.0-0-0 Ng4 10.Kb1 Be6 11.g3 Nc6 12.f4 Nxe3 13.Qxe3 Rc8 14.Nd5 Bxd5 15.exd5 exf4 16.gxf4 Nb8 17.Bd3 Nd7 18.Qe4 g6 19.h4 Bf6 20.h5 Bg7 21.hxg6 hxg6 22.c3 Qf6 23.Nd4 Rfe8 24.Qf3 Nb6 25.f5 g5 26.Rdg1 Re5 27.Qh5 Kf8 28.Nf3 Rxc3 29.Nxe5 Rc7 30.Qxg5 Qxg5 31.Ng6+ Qxg6 32.fxg6 Nxd5 33.gxf7 Nf4 34.Rxg7 1-0

Eljanov,P (2720) - Radjabov,T (2751) [E99]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.Ne1 Nd7 10.f3 f5 11.g4 Kh8 12.h4 c6 13.Kg2 Nf6 14.Nd3 b5 15.b3 Rb8 16.Nf2 b4 17.Na4 Bb7 18.Bg5 Qd7 19.Qd2 cxd5 20.cxd5 Neg8 21.Rac1 Ba8 22.Qc2 Rf7 23.Qd3 Ne7 24.Kg1 h5 25.Bxf6 Rxf6 26.g5 fxe4 27.fxe4 Rf4 28.Rc4 Rxh4 29.Qg3 Rf4 30.Nd3 Bxd5 31.exd5 Rxc4 32.bxc4 Qxa4 33.c5 Qxa2 34.cxd6 Nf5 35.Rxf5 Qxe2 36.Rf2 Qe4 37.d7 Qxd5 38.Kh2 Kh7 39.Rf6 Qxd7 40.Nxe5 Qd2+ 0-1

Wang Yue (2736) - Cheparinov,I (2696) [E95]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Be2 Nbd7 7.0-0 e5 8.Re1 Re8 9.Bf1 h6 10.Rb1 c6 11.d5 c5 12.Bd2 Nh7 13.Qc1 f5 14.exf5 gxf5 15.Bxh6 e4 16.Bxg7 Kxg7 17.Nd2 Nhf6 18.Be2 Ne5 19.Nf1 Nfg4 20.Bxg4 Nxg4 21.Ne2 Rh8 22.Qc3+ Qf6 23.f4 exf3 24.Qxf3 Bd7 25.Qc3 Ne5 26.Nf4 Kf7 27.Re3 Rh4 28.g3 Rg8 29.Kh1 Qg7 30.Nd3 f4 31.Nxe5+ dxe5 32.Rxe5 Qh6 33.gxh4 Qg6 34.Ng3 Qxb1+ 35.Re1 Qg6 36.Qe5 Qf6 37.Qc7 Rd8 38.Rf1 f3 39.Ne4 1-0
Gashimov,V (2703) - Mamedyarov,S (2731) [B63]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Bg5 e6 7.Qd2 Be7 8.0-0-0 a6 9.f4 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 b5 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.Bd3 Qc7 13.Qe3 Bd7 14.Kb1 Qc5 15.Qg3 0-0-0 16.Ne2 Kb8 17.f5 Rdg8 18.Qf3 h5 19.Nf4 h4 20.Rhe1 Bd8 21.c3 Bc7 22.Bc2 Qe5 23.g3 Qc5 24.g4 Bc8 25.h3 Qe5 26.Nh5 Bb6 27.Qf1 Re8 28.Nf4 Rhg8 29.Re2 Bc7 30.Nd3 Qg3 31.Nf4 Bb6 32.Rde1 1-0

Standings:
Gashimov and Grischuk at +3
Jakovenko and Radjabov at +2

Elista Grand Prix Round 8

Kasimdzhanov,R (2672) - Akopian,Vl (2679) [D45]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 Nxg4 8.Rg1 f5 9.h3 Ngf6 10.Rxg7 Ne4 11.Bd2 Qf6 12.Rg2 Nf8 13.Qb3 Ng6 14.0-0-0 b6 15.Kb1 Bb7 16.Qa4 Nxd2+ 17.Rxd2 0-0 18.Qd1 Rae8 19.cxd5 exd5 20.Bd3 Re7 21.h4 Kh8 22.Qh1 Rg7 23.Rd1 Rfg8 24.Rg5 Bc8 25.Ne2 f4 26.e4 dxe4 27.Bxe4 c5 28.Nc3 cxd4 29.Nxd4 Ne7 30.Bc2 Qh6 31.Ne4 Bb7 32.Qe1 Bb8 33.Rxg7 Rxg7 34.Ng5 Bd5 35.Nde6 1-0

Grischuk,A (2719) - Wang Yue (2736) [D17]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Nb6 8.Ne5 a5 9.e3 g6 10.Bd3 Be6 11.Be2 Bg7 12.e4 Nfd7 13.Nf3 Bg4 14.0-0 0-0 15.h3 Bxf3 16.Bxf3 e5 17.d5 Re8 18.g3 Qe7 19.b3 Rad8 20.Be3 cxd5 21.Nxd5 Nxd5 22.Qxd5 b6 23.Qb5 Bf8 24.Rad1 Qb4 25.Be2 Nc5 26.Qxb4 axb4 27.Bc4 Kg7 28.Kg2 f6 29.Bd5 Rb8 30.Rc1 Na6 31.Rc6 Bc5 32.a5 Bxe3 33.fxe3 Nc5 34.axb6 Nd7 35.Rc7 Re7 36.Bc6 Rxb6 37.Rxd7 1-0

Cheparinov,I (2696) - Alekseev,Evgeny (2715) [C95]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.a4 Bf8 14.Bd3 c6 15.b3 Qc7 16.Bb2 g6 17.Qc2 Rac8 18.Bf1 Qb8 19.Rad1 Bg7 20.g3 Ba8 21.axb5 axb5 22.b4 Bf8 23.Qb3 h6 24.dxe5 Nxe5 25.c4 bxc4 26.Nxc4 Nfd7 27.Nfxe5 Nxe5 28.Nxe5 dxe5 29.Rd7 Re7 30.Red1 Rce8 31.Bc4 Kg7 32.Qf3 c5 33.Qxf7+ Rxf7 34.Rxf7+ Kh8 35.Rdd7 1-0

Standings:
Grischuk at +3
Gashimov at +2
Radjabov and Jakovenko at +1

Elista Grand Prix Round 7

Inarkiev over Radjabov, Eljanov over Cheparinov in a 125 move marathon, and Grischuk over Alekseev with black.

Standings:
1-2. Gashimov, Grischuk 4.5 (+2)
3-4. Jakovenko, Radjabov 4 (+1)

The games are available at http://elista2008.fide.com/tourview/show-43.html

Elista Grand Prix Round 6

Grischuk,A (2719) - Eljanov,P (2720) [C67]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Be7 10.Rd1+ Ke8 11.g4 Nh4 12.Nxh4 Bxh4 13.h3 Be7 14.Kg2 h5 15.f3 hxg4 16.hxg4 f5 17.exf6 gxf6 18.Bf4 Be6 19.Bxc7 f5 20.gxf5 Rg8+ 21.Kf2 Bc5+ 22.Ke2 Rg2+ 23.Kd3 Bxf5+ 24.Ne4 Ke7 25.Rd2 Rxd2+ 26.Kxd2 Bxe4 27.fxe4 Rg8 28.Rh1 Bd4 29.b3 Rg2+ 30.Kd3 Bg7 31.Bf4 b5 32.Rh5 a6 33.a4 Rg4 34.Be3 Rg3 35.c4 Kd7 36.Ke2 bxa4 37.bxa4 Bc3 38.Rh7+ Ke6 39.Rc7 Ke5 40.Rxc6 Bd4 41.Bd2 Ra3 42.Bc1 Ra1 43.Kd2 a5 44.Rh6 Rb1 45.Rh4 Bf2 46.Rg4 Kd4 47.Kc2 Rb7 48.e5+ Kxe5 49.Bb2+ Kf5 50.Rg8 Bc5 51.Rd8 Bb4 52.Rd5+ Ke6 53.Bc3 Bxc3 54.Kxc3 Rb1 55.Kd4 Ra1 56.Rxa5 Kd6 57.Ra6+ Kc7 58.Kc5 Kb7 59.Rb6+ Kc7 60.Rb4 Rh1 61.Kb5 Rh5+ 62.c5 Rh1 63.a5 Kb7 64.a6+ Ka7 65.Rd4 Rb1+ 66.Kc6 Rh1 67.Rd8 Rh5 68.Kb5 Rh7 69.Rd5 Rh1 70.Rd7+ Kb8 71.c6 Rb1+ 72.Kc5 Rc1+ 73.Kb6 Rb1+ 74.Kc5 Rc1+ 75.Kd6 Rd1+ 76.Ke7 Rc1 77.Rd8+ Ka7 78.Kd7 Rd1+ 79.Kc8 1-0

Akopian,Vl (2679) - Alekseev,Evgeny (2715) [C95]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 0-0 9.h3 Nb8 10.d4 Nbd7 11.Nbd2 Bb7 12.Bc2 Re8 13.Nf1 Bf8 14.Ng3 g6 15.b3 Bg7 16.d5 Rc8 17.c4 c6 18.Bd2 Nc5 19.Rb1 Qc7 20.Be3 a5 21.Bxc5 dxc5 22.Bd3 bxc4 23.bxc4 Ba6 24.Qc2 cxd5 25.cxd5 c4 26.Bf1 Bf8 27.Ne2 Nd7 28.Nc3 Bb4 29.Red1 Qd6 30.Nd2 Kg7 31.a3 Bxa3 32.Nb5 Bxb5 33.Rxb5 Bb4 34.Nxc4 Qa6 35.Qa4 Nc5 36.Rxc5 Bxc5 37.d6 Rcd8 38.Nxe5 Qb6 39.Nc4 Bxf2+ 40.Kh1 Qa7 41.e5 Bg3 42.Qa1 Kg8 43.Qxa5 Qf2 44.Qc3 Bf4 45.Rb1 h5 46.Qe1 Qxe1 47.Rxe1 f6 48.Bd3 Kh7 49.g4 hxg4 50.hxg4 Bxe5 51.g5 Kg7 52.gxf6+ Bxf6 53.Rg1 Rh8+ 54.Kg2 Rh4 55.Rb1 Rd4 56.Bf1 Rc8 57.Rb7+ Kh6 58.Rc7 Ra8 59.Rf7 Kg5 60.Rb7 Ra2+ 61.Kg3 Rg4+ 0-1

Standings:
Gashimov and Radjabov at +2
Jakovenko, Grischuk and Alekseev at +1

Elista Grand Prix Round 5

Inarkiev,E (2669) - Cheparinov,I (2696) [B90]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e6 7.Be2 Nbd7 8.f4 b5 9.f5 Ne5 10.fxe6 fxe6 11.0-0 Bd7 12.a4 bxa4 13.Nxa4 Be7 14.Nb3 Rb8 15.Nc3 0-0 16.Rxa6 Qc8 17.Ra7 Rb4 18.Rf4 Qb8 19.Ra1 Ng6 20.Rf3 Nxe4 21.Nxe4 Rxe4 22.Nc5 dxc5 23.Qxd7 Nh4 24.Rxf8+ Bxf8 25.Bc4 Rxe3 26.Bxe6+ Kh8 27.Qf7 Bd6 28.Bd5 Bxh2+ 29.Kf2 Re8 0-1

Gashimov,V (2703) - Grischuk,A (2719) [B97]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 8.Qd3 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.f5 Be7 11.fxe6 fxe6 12.Be2 Qa5 13.Bd2 Qc7 14.0-0 0-0 15.Qc4 Qd7 16.Qb3 Kh8 17.Bc4 d5 18.exd5 b5 19.Be2 Bc5 20.Kh1 exd5 21.Be3 Nc6 22.Ne6 Qxe6 23.Bxc5 Re8 24.Bf3 Bb7 25.a4 Na5 26.Qb4 Nc4 27.Rbd1 Ne4 28.Nxe4 dxe4 29.Be2 e3 30.axb5 axb5 31.Qxb5 Ba6 32.Qb4 Rab8 33.Qa4 Ra8 34.Qb4 Nd2 35.Rfe1 Ne4 36.Kg1 Rab8 37.Qd4 Nf2 38.Ra1 Bxe2 39.Rxe2 Ng4 40.h3 Ne5 41.Rxe3 Rbd8 42.Qc3 Qc4 43.Qxc4 Nxc4 44.Rxe8+ Rxe8 45.Ra7 h6 46.Bd4 Ne5 47.c4 Kh7 48.c5 h5 49.Ra6 Nd3 50.Ra3 Nf4 51.Be3 Nd5 52.Kf2 Re4 53.Rd3 Nxe3 54.Rxe3 Rc4 55.Re5 Rc2+ 56.Kf3 h4 57.Ke4 Kg6 58.Kd5 Rd2+ 59.Ke6 Rxg2 60.c6 Rc2 61.Kd6 Kf6 62.Rd5 g5 63.c7 g4 64.Rc5 1-0

Standings:
Gashimov, Radjabov at +2
Jakovenko at +1

Elista Grand Prix Round 4

Kasimdzhanov,R (2672) - Alekseev,Evgeny (2715) [E58]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 c5 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Bd3 0-0 7.0-0 Nc6 8.a3 Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qc7 10.Bb2 dxc4 11.Bxc4 e5 12.h3 Bf5 13.Ba2 Rad8 14.Qe2 Rfe8 15.d5 Rxd5 16.Bxd5 Nxd5 17.Rfd1 Nb6 18.a4 a6 19.c4 a5 20.Bc3 f6 21.Nd2 Nb4 22.Bxb4 cxb4 23.Rdc1 Rd8 24.c5 Bd3 25.Qe1 Nd5 26.Nb3 h6 27.Ra2 e4 28.Raa1 Ra8 29.Nd4 Rc8 30.Qd2 Kh7 31.f4 Nc3 32.Nb3 Ne2+ 33.Kf2 Nxc1 34.Rxc1 Qd7 0-1

Bacrot,E (2705) - Leko,P (2747) [B19]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bf4 Qa5+ 12.Bd2 Bb4 13.c3 Be7 14.c4 Qc7 15.0-0-0 Ngf6 16.Ne4 0-0 17.g4 Nxg4 18.Qe2 f5 19.Rdg1 Rae8 20.Ne1 e5 21.Ng3 exd4 22.Nxf5 Rxf5 23.Qxg4 Rf7 [23...Rg5 24.Bxg5 Bxg5+ 25.Kb1 Ne5 26.Qf5 Nxc4 ] 24.Bxh6 Bf6 25.Bd2 Ne5 26.Qe2 d3 27.Qe4 Qb6 28.b3 Qc5 29.h6 Qa3+ 30.Kd1 Qxa2 31.Qh7+ 1-0

Wang Yue (2736) - Eljanov,P (2720) [D38]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Rc1 c6 8.e3 Qa5 9.Qb3 Ne4 10.Bd3 Nxg5 11.Nxg5 Nf6 12.0-0 0-0 13.h3 Re8 14.Rfe1 h6 15.Nf3 Qb6 16.Na4 Qa5 17.Nc3 Qb6 18.Qc2 Bd6 19.a3 Qd8 20.Nd2 Bd7 21.Na4 b6 22.Nc3 Rc8 23.Nf3 Qe7 24.Bf5 Bxf5 25.Qxf5 g6 26.Qd3 Ne4 27.Qa6 Rc7 28.Nxe4 dxe4 29.Nd2 c5 30.dxc5 Rxc5 31.Rxc5 Bxc5 32.Qa4 Bd6 33.Rd1 Be5 34.Nc4 Rc8 35.b3 Rc7 36.Qb5 Bf6 37.a4 Rc5 38.Qd7 Rc7 39.Qxe7 Bxe7 40.g4 Kg7 41.Rd5 Bh4 42.Nd6 Rc2 43.Nxe4 Rb2 44.Rb5 Kf8 45.Kg2 Kg7 46.Kf3 Kf8 47.a5 bxa5 48.Rxa5 Rxb3 49.Rxa7 Rb2 50.Rd7 Kg7 51.Rd2 Rxd2 52.Nxd2 Kf6 53.Ke2 Ke6 54.Nf3 Bd8 55.Nd4+ Kd5 56.Kd3 Bb6 57.f3 Ba5 58.e4+ Kd6 59.f4 Be1 60.Kc4 Bd2 61.e5+ Ke7 62.f5 gxf5 63.gxf5 Bg5 64.Kd5 Kf8 65.f6 Bd2 66.Ke4 Bc1 67.Kf5 Bd2 68.Nf3 Bc3 69.Ng1 Bd4 70.Ne2 Bb2 71.Nf4 Bc1 72.e6 fxe6+ 73.Nxe6+ Kf7 74.Nd8+ Ke8 75.Nc6 1-0

Standings:
Radjabov at +2
Jakovenko, Grischuk, Gashimov at +1

Elista Grand Prix Round 3

Eljanov,P (2720) - Alekseev,Evgeny (2715) [E32]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 0-0 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Qxc3 d6 7.f3 c5 8.dxc5 dxc5 9.Bg5 Nc6 10.e3 e5 11.Bd3 h6 12.Bxf6 Qxf6 13.Be4 Bf5 14.Bd5 Ne7 15.Ne2 Nxd5 16.cxd5 Qd6 17.e4 Bd7 18.0-0 Rfe8 19.a4 Qa6 20.Ng3 c4 21.Kh1 Rac8 22.a5 Qd6 23.h3 Rc5 24.Rfc1 Rec8 25.Nf1 f5 26.Ne3 f4 27.Ng4 Bxg4 28.hxg4 Kf7 29.Qb4 Qc7 30.Ra4 Ke8 31.Qc3 Kd7 32.Rca1 Kd6 33.Qa3 Kd7 34.Qc3 Kd6 35.Qa3 Kd7 36.Rb4 Kd8 37.Qa4 Ke7 38.Qa3 Kd8 39.Qa4 Ke7 40.Kh2 Kd6 41.Qa3 Kd7 42.Qc3 Kd6 43.b3 cxb3 44.Qxb3 Rc3 45.Qb1 Rb8 46.Rb5 Kd7 47.Qb4 Rc4 48.Qb3 h5 49.g5 h4 50.Rd1 h3 51.d6 Qc6 52.Rb4 1-0

Radjabov,T (2751) - Kasimdzhanov,R (2672) [B78]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 0-0 9.Bc4 Bd7 10.0-0-0 Rc8 11.Bb3 Ne5 12.h4 h5 13.Kb1 Re8 14.g4 hxg4 15.h5 Nxh5 16.Bh6 Kh7 17.Bxg7 Kxg7 18.fxg4 Bxg4 19.Nf5+ Bxf5 20.exf5 Rh8 21.fxg6 Nxg6 22.Ne4 Nf6 23.Rdf1 Rxh1 24.Rxh1 d5 25.Nxf6 Kxf6 26.Qf2+ Kg7 27.Rf1 f6 28.Qf5 Rc6 29.Rg1 Qe8 30.Bxd5 Rc5 31.Qe6 Rb5 32.c4 Rb6 33.Qh3 e6 34.Bf3 Qd8 35.Qg2 1-0

Leko,P (2747) - Cheparinov,I (2696) [B12]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5 4.Nf3 e6 5.Be2 c5 6.Be3 cxd4 7.Nxd4 Ne7 8.c4 Nbc6 9.Qa4 a6 10.Nc3 dxc4 11.0-0-0 Qa5 12.Qxa5 Nxa5 13.Nxf5 Nxf5 14.Bb6 Nc6 15.f4 Rc8 16.Rd2 Be7 17.Bf3 g5 18.g3 gxf4 19.gxf4 Nb4 20.Kb1 Rg8 21.Rhd1 Nd3 22.Bxb7 Rb8 23.Bc6+ Kf8 24.Ba7 Rc8 25.Be4 Nxf4 26.Na4 c3 27.Nxc3 Ng6 28.Re2 Kg7 29.Rf1 Bc5 30.Bxc5 Rxc5 31.Bxf5 exf5 32.Rxf5 Re8 33.Ref2 Re7 34.Kc2 Rcxe5 35.b4 Rxf5 36.Rxf5 Re6 37.a4 Ne7 38.Rf2 f5 39.Kb3 Kf6 40.b5 axb5 41.axb5 Re3 42.Rd2 Re6 43.Na4 f4 44.b6 Nc6 45.Nc5 Re3+ 46.Ka4 f3 47.b7 Kg5 48.Kb5 Nb8 49.Rd8 Re1 50.Rxb8 f2 51.Rf8 f1Q+ 52.Rxf1 Rxf1 53.Ka4 1-0

Standings:
Radjabov at +2
Grischuk, Jakovenko, Gashimov at +1

Elista Grand Prix Round 2

Grischuk,A (2719) - Leko,P (2747) [E15]
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Rc1 d5 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bg2 Bb7 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Qc2 Re8 13.Rfd1 c6 14.Ne1 Nf8 15.Bg5 Ne6 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.e3 a5 18.Nd3 Be7 19.Rb1 Ba3 20.b4 axb4 21.Nxb4 Qe7 22.Qb3 Ra7 23.Nc2 b5 24.Bxd5 cxd5 25.Nxb5 Ra6 26.Nbxa3 Bc8 27.Nb4 Ng5 28.Nxa6 Qe4 29.Qb5 Rf8 30.Nc5 Qf3 31.Kf1 Nh3 32.Rd2 Qh1+ 33.Ke2 Qxh2 34.Kd3 Nxf2+ 35.Kc3 Qxg3 36.Qe2 Ng4 37.Rf1 Qc7 38.Kb2 Qa5 39.Nb3 1-0

Bacrot,E (2705) - Radjabov,T (2751) [A10]
1.c4 g6 2.g3 Bg7 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.Nc3 d6 5.Rb1 e5 6.b4 a6 7.a4 Nf6 8.b5 axb5 9.axb5 Ne7 10.Nf3 0-0 11.0-0 Be6 12.d3 h6 13.Qb3 c6 14.Ba3 Re8 15.Ra1 Rc8 16.bxc6 bxc6 17.Rfb1 g5 18.Nd2 d5 19.Bc5 Nf5 20.Bb6 Qd6 21.Qa3 dxc4 22.Nxc4 Bxc4 23.dxc4 Qe6 24.Rd1 e4 25.e3 Qxc4 26.Rac1 Qe6 27.Bc5 Ra8 28.Qb4 Reb8 29.Ra1 Nd5 30.Nxd5 Bxa1 31.Nb6 Bg7 32.Qxe4 Ra1 33.Rxa1 Bxa1 34.Qxe6 fxe6 35.Bxc6 Kf7 36.Bf3 Bf6 37.Kg2 Be7 38.Bxe7 Nxe7 39.Nc4 Kf6 40.Nd6 Rd8 41.Ne4+ Ke5 42.Nc5 Nf5 43.Kf1 Rd2 44.Bg4 Ng7 45.Nb3 Rb2 46.Nd4 Kf6 47.h3 e5 48.Ne2 Rc2 49.Bf3 h5 50.Ke1 Rc4 51.Bd5 Rc5 52.Bf3 Rc4 53.Bd5 Rc2 54.Kd1 Rc8 55.Kd2 Nf5 56.Nc3 Nd6 57.Bf3 Rh8 58.Kd3 h4 59.gxh4 gxh4 60.Nd5+ Kg6 61.Bg2 Re8 62.Be4+ Kg7 63.Nc3 Rf8 64.f3 Rd8 65.f4 Nb5+ 66.Nd5 Nc7 67.Kc4 Nxd5 68.Bxd5 exf4 69.exf4 Kf6 70.Kc5 Kf5 71.Kc6 Kxf4 72.Be6 Rd2 73.Kc5 Ke5 0-1

Grischuk, Radjabov, Gashimov, Jakovenko in lead at +1

Elista Grand Prix Round 1

Jakovenko,D (2737) - Wang Yue (2736) [C67]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Ke8 10.h3 Be7 11.g4 Nh4 12.Nxh4 Bxh4 13.Rd1 Be7 14.Kg2 h5 15.f3 Be6 16.Ne2 Rd8 17.Be3 a6 18.Nf4 g6 19.Rxd8+ Kxd8 20.Rd1+ Kc8 21.Nxe6 fxe6 22.f4 b5 23.b3 Rh7 24.Bf2 hxg4 25.hxg4 Rh8 26.Rh1 Rxh1 27.Kxh1 Kd7 28.Kg2 Bb4 29.Kf3 Ke8 30.Ke4 Ke7 31.Bh4+ Ke8 32.f5 gxf5+ 33.gxf5 exf5+ 34.Kxf5 Bc3 35.Bf2 Ke7 36.e6 Ke8 37.Bg3 Ba5 38.Be5 Bb6 39.c3 c5 40.c4 Ba5 41.Kf6 c6 42.e7 Be1 43.Ke6 Bh4 44.Kd6 Bxe7+ 45.Kxc6 bxc4 46.bxc4 Kd8 47.Bd6 Bh4 48.Bxc5 Kc8 49.Kb6 a5 50.Kxa5 Kb7 51.Kb5 Bg3 52.a4 Ka8 53.Be3 Bd6 54.Bd2 Kb7 1-0

Gashimov,V (2703) - Eljanov,P (2720) [C65]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 Be7 6.e5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 0-0 8.Nf5 d5 9.Nxe7+ Nxe7 10.f3 Nc5 11.Re1 c6 12.Bf1 Ng6 13.Be3 Ne6 14.Bf2 Re8 15.Nc3 Qg5 16.Qc1 Qxc1 17.Raxc1 Nef8 18.Bg3 h5 19.h4 Ne7 20.Bf2 Nfg6 21.g3 Nf5 22.f4 Nh6 23.Ne2 Ne7 24.b4 Ng4 25.Nd4 a5 26.a3 Nf5 27.Bd3 Nxd4 28.Bxd4 Nh6 29.b5 Bf5 30.Bf1 Rec8 31.bxc6 bxc6 32.Bc5 Rcb8 33.Re3 Rb2 34.Rc3 Be4 35.Bf2 Ra2 36.Be2 Ng4 37.Bb6 Rb2 38.Rxc6 Rb8 39.Bxg4 hxg4 40.Bxa5 d4 41.Rc4 Bf5 42.Bb4 Rd8 43.Bd6 Ra2 44.Rd1 Bxc2 45.Rdxd4 Bf5 46.Bb4 Ra8 47.Rc5 Be6 48.Rc1 Kh7 49.Rcd1 Rb2 50.R4d2 Rb3 51.Rd3 Rb2 52.R1d2 Rb1+ 53.Kf2 Rc8 54.Rc3 Rxc3 55.Bxc3 Rb3 56.Bb4 Bf5 57.Rd4 Rf3+ 58.Kg2 Re3 59.Kf2 Rf3+ 60.Kg2 Re3 61.Rc4 Be6 62.Rc3 Re2+ 63.Kf1 Rb2 64.Ke1 Kg6 65.Bf8 Rb8 66.Bb4 Kf5 67.Kd2 Ke4 68.Re3+ Kd5 69.Rd3+ Ke4 70.Re3+ Kd5 71.Re1 Kd4 72.Bc3+ Kd5 73.Re3 g6 74.Rd3+ Ke4 75.a4 Rb3 76.Re3+ Kd5 77.Rd3+ Ke4 78.Re3+ Kd5 79.Re1 Bf5 80.a5 Kc4 81.Rc1 Kb5 82.Ra1 Ka6 83.Ra4 Rb5 84.Rd4 Rb8 85.Ke3 Rc8 86.Rd6+ Kb5 87.Rb6+ Kc4 88.Bd4 Rd8 89.a6 Ra8 90.Rd6 Rb8 91.Rc6+ Kd5 92.a7 Ra8 93.Rb6 1-0

Grand Prix Dead?

First Carlsen dropped out. Now Adams dropped out. Presumably AlModiakhi (who was Qatar's nominee) and Pelletier (who was Montreux's nominee) have been kicked out, since he was Qatar's nominee and Qatar is no longer a sponsor. Akopian is in, but that still leaves the circuit three players (each of whom had already participated in one event) down.

Edited 12/14 to add: Eljanov, Alekseev and Kasimdzhanov have been added on the basis of their ratings. That's actually a good thing as far as the chess is concerned, since Pelletier and AlModiakhi were very weak compared to the rest of the field, rated 100 and 200 points below average respectively. However, this still leaves unresolved the problem that three of the new players (Akopian is the exception since Pelletier had not yet participated) are down one tournament. I assume they are going to get around this by dropping each participant's lowest score in determining the overall winner? Whatever.

Furthermore, Kiev's participation as a replacement venue for Montreux is still unverified. FIDE as usual has f'ed this up royally. I predict (big stretch here) that the GP series will NOT be completed.