M-Tel Masters Chess 2008

Results round 5: Please click HERE to play through the games of round 5….and it seems to me that…Ivanchuk is on his way to fame!
The results in round 5:

Veselin Topalov 1-0 Bu Xiangzhi
Levon Aronian 0-1 Vassily Ivanchuk
Ivan Cheparinov ½-½ Teimour Radjabov
Click on THIS LINK to play through a few games from the first 3 rounds and also, see 2 videos of Ivanchuck’s games in rounds 4 and 5….

 Results of rounds 2-4

Please click HERE to play through the games of round 2 and to see the standings after round 2! The games take a few seconds to load.
If you click HERE you can view the games of round 3 and the standings after round 3…the games take a few seconds to load…

Results of round 4:
On THIS LINK you can play through the games of round 4 and see the results.

The positions after round 4:
Ivanchuk, Vassily UKR 2740 4
Topalov, Veselin BUL 2767 2½
Radjabov, Teimour AZE 2751 1½
Aronian, Levon ARM 2763 1½
Cheparinov, Ivan BUL 2696 1½
Bu Xiangzhi CHN 2708 1

 
Please click HERE for the MTEL site and live games…on the side bar of my blog you will find the MTEL-link to live links too.
The M-Tel Masters tournament will take place between the 8th and the 18th May in Sofia, Bulgaria. The competitors in this ultra-strong double round-robin tournament are:

Veselin Topalov Bulgaria ELO 2767
Vassily Ivanchuk Ukraine ELO 2740
Levon Aronian Armenia ELO 2763
Teimour Radjabov Azerbaijan ELO 2751
Ivan Cheparinov Bulgaria ELO 2695
Bu Xiangzhi China ELO 2708

This event forms part of the ‘Grand Slam’ circuit which also includes the tournaments at Wijk Aan Zee, Moreila/Linares and Mexico City. The four winners of these tournaments will play against one another in a final tournament in Bilbao in September. Info…chess.com

Schedule

Blindfold: Topalov vs Juett (winner in the game Play like Topalov 2007): May 06, 19.00 EEST (16.00 UTC))
Press conference: May 07, 12.00 EEST (09.00 UTC)
Official opening: May 07, 18.00 EEST (15.00 UTC)
Cocktail party: May 07, 19.00 EEST (16.00 UTC)

Round 1: May 08, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC)
Round 2: May 09, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC)
Round 3: May 10, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC)
Round 4: May 11, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC) 
Round 5: May 12, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC)

Rest Day: May 13
Football: FC Levski vs Chess United
May 13, 12.00 EEST (09.00 UTC)

Round 6: May 14, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC) 
Round 7: May 15, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC) 
Round 8: May 16, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC) 
Round 9: May 17, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC) 
Round 10: May 18, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC)

Tie breaks: 19.00 EEST (16.00 UTC)
Closing ceremony: 20.00 EEST (17.00 UTC)
Cocktail party: 21.00 EEST (18.00 UTC)

 

Image:chessbase

 

 

Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria

Five things to see in Sofia

Bulgaria joined the EU in January and Sofia, its capital, is ready for visitors. It may not be as glamorous as those favorite eastern European capitals, Prague and Budapest, but this city of just over a million, surrounded by snow-covered peaks, is a pleasant surprise.

Start at the statue
Almost everything is in the center of town and can be visited on foot. Start a tour at the statue of St. Sofia, the city’s patron whose golden statue was erected atop a tall pedestal five years ago. The citizens of Sofia are said to love the statue but the church condemns it, contending that it is not a religious rendition of a saint. They may have a point: The golden saint, wearing a form-fitting gown with a plunging neckline, looks more like a Greek goddess.

Roman remains by the rotunda
Head over to the Sheraton hotel, which was built in front of the oldest and best preserved building in Sofia, the 4th-century St. George Rotunda. This ancient church is surrounded by ruins of the Roman town of Serdica. Within the structure, three layers of frescoes were discovered, the oldest dating to the 10th century.
Battenburg Square
Walk through Alexander Battenburg Square, named after the man who became the country’s first prince in 1879 when the country was liberated from 400 years of occupation by the Turks. Pass the National Art Gallery, a yellow building which was the former royal palace, and continue down Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard past the Russian Church of St. Nicholas. This is Sofia’s prettiest church with a bright yellow-tiled exterior, gilded domes, and an emerald green spire, all sparkling in the sun-a delightful jewel in the midst of the busy city. It was built in 1913 in the traditional Moscow decorative style as the project of a Russian architect.

St. Alexander Nevski
The golden dome of St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the city’s largest place of worship, dominates the skyline. Built between 1908 and 1912, it commemorates the 200,000 Russian soldiers who perished in the Bulgarian War of Liberation.

The majority of Bulgarians are Christian Orthodox and their churches are lavishly decorated with frescoes, icons, chandeliers-and candles. Some are dark and mysterious places with just the flickering of candles casting a soft glow on the silver that covers many of the icons. Thanks to large clear windows, St. Alexander Nevski is brighter than most orthodox churches.

Markets
There’s a lively and colorful street market near the church. Everything from Russian fur hats and lacquered boxes to icons, embroidery, and flea market bric-a-brac is for sale. And on Vitosha Boulevard, the city’s main shopping thoroughfare, pedestrians saunter down the middle of the street, which is closed to all traffic except trams, and is as busy as the city’s covered market. In the middle of the market hall, surrounded by shops-bakeries, butchers, vegetable stands, and souvenir boutiques-are a fountain and two popular restaurant/bar complexes.

Source: Internationalliving.com

 

Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria. The city was founded around 7 000 years ago in a close proximity to the Vitosha Mountain and has now turned into a real cosmopolitan city. As it is with other capitals, Sofia is the centre of the political, cultural and business life in Bulgaria. The city offers many international events, as well as theatres, operas, concert halls, museums and galleries. The place is also suitable for congresses, symposia, meetings and conferences because its business centre and hotels are very near the centre of the city. For the comfort-lovers there are many luxurious five, four and three-stars hotels. And for those who want comfort, rest and tranquility, there are many small private hotels in Sofia’s surroundings.

Read more: bulgaria-trips.info/Sofia/sofia.html

image:bghouses.com

The Mtel Chess Masters Round 2- Images: Mtel Official site

 

Shirov vs Topalov Round 2 move 7

Ivanchuk vs Wang round 2 move 7

Dominguez vs Carlsen round 2 move 7

Dominguez vs Carlsen round 2 end position 1/2