Grand Chess Tour Magnus wins

Magnus: “I found some life again after I won the last game against Wesley.”

Final playoff game

 

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Sinquefield Cup Chess 2015

SaintLouis ChessClub ‏@CCSCSL 12m12 minutes ago

Nakamura seems lost: a quick Bf2 will be hard to deal with, his King on g5 is too weak. #SinquefieldCup @GrandChessTour

Source: Please click here to read the article on the site of ‘Business Insider.’

The Sinquefield Cup Chess Tournament is on at the moment in St Louis and I’ve been following some of the games and thought it was high time to blog about a ‘big’ tournament again. The images above are from twitter The link below is game 7 where Anand is playing against Wesley So. You can see the moves up to move 11 by Anand.
Please click HERE to follow the game live.
1 e4 e5
2 Nf3 Nc6
3 Bb5 Nf6
4 d3 Bc5
5 Bxc6 dxc6
6 Nbd2 O-O
7 O-O Re8
8 Nc4 Nd7
9 b3 a5
10 a4 f6
11 Be3 Bb4
12 Rc1 b5

Chess Sinquefield Cup round 7 Anand vs Wesley So

Round 7 – Aronian and Nakamura

Round 7 – Magnus vs Grischuk

Round 7 – Caruana vs Vachier Lagrave

Magnus Carlsen on his way to the playing venue – photo: @CCSCSL   SaintLouisChessClub

The rest of the schedule:

30-Aug	Sunday	1:00 PM	Round 7	Chess Club
31-Aug	Monday	1:00 PM	Round 8	Chess Club
1-Sep	Tuesday	1:00 PM	Round 9	Chess Club
2-Sep	Wednesday	12:00 PM	Playoff

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Tromso Chess Round 5

Norwegian camera teams may have been swarming around Magnus Carlsen before his meeting with world number two Levon Aronian, but the serious chess spectators had eyes firmly fixed on the start of Kramnik-Topalov, where the feud that began in their acrimonious 2006 world title match has resulted in permanently frosty relations.

by GM Jonathan Tisdall

Some of the games played today round 5. On this link you can follow the live games or play through games already played in previous rounds.

Tromso round 5: Topalov vs Kramnik

Round 5: Kramnik vs Topalov 1-0

Round 5: Ivan Cheparinov vs Peter Svidler 1/2-1/2
Round 5: Aronian vs Carlsen 1/2-1/2

Round 5: Barileng Gaealafshwe vs Kenny Solomon 0-1
On this youtube.com/watch?v=-xABHJdf31o link you can see Kenny as South Africa’s Chess Grandmaster and it’s strange that Fide still has him as an IM on his profile here: ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=14300192 Melissa Greeff is South Africa’s first Women Chess Grandmaster.

Chess art at Tromso

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Anand vs Topalov 2

Image: Official site

Anand vs Topalov ..the battle continues! Anand is my favourite…go Anand! See my other entries  HERE and  HERE where you can see chess graphics of their other games, especially on the first link.

See the Official Website’s link to the sidebar of my blog…top right.

GAME 7: 3rd May 2010 Anand vs Topalov 1/2

Game 7 move 8

Game 7 move 25

Game 7 – Anand playing white : Image: chessdom

Click on images for a clear view – move 28

 Game 7 Move 31

Game 7 move 44

Game 7 end position Anand 1/2 Topalov 1/2

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 game_7”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.05.03”]
[Round “7”]
[White “Anand, V.”]
[Black “Topalov, V.”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “E11”]
[WhiteElo “2787”]
[BlackElo “2805”]
[PlyCount “115”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Bf4
dxc4 9. Ne5 b5 10. Nxc6 Nxc6 11. Bxc6 Bd7 12. Bxa8 Qxa8 13. f3 Nd5 14. Bd2 e5 15. e4 Bh3 16. exd5 Bxf1 17. Qxf1 exd4 18. a4 Qxd5 19. axb5 Qxb5 20. Rxa7 Re8 21. Kh1 Bf8 22. Rc7 d3 23. Bc3 Bd6 24. Ra7 h6 25. Nd2 Bb4 26. Ra1 Bxc3 27. bxc3 Re2 28. Rd1 Qa4 29. Ne4 Qc2 30. Rc1 Rxh2+ 31. Kg1 Rg2+ 32. Qxg2 Qxc1+ 33. Qf1 Qe3+ 34. Qf2 Qc1+ 35. Qf1 Qe3+ 36. Kg2 f5 37. Nf2 Kh7 38. Qb1 Qe6 39. Qb5 g5 40. g4 fxg4 41. fxg4 Kg6 42. Qb7 d2 43. Qb1+ Kg7 44. Kf1 Qe7 45. Kg2 Qe6 46. Qd1 Qe3 47. Qf3 Qe6 48. Qb7+ Kg6 49. Qb1+ Kg7 50. Qd1 Qe3 51. Qc2 Qe2 52. Qa4 Kg8 53. Qd7 Kf8 54. Qd5 Kg7 55. Kg3 Qe3+ 56. Qf3 Qe5+ 57. Kg2 Qe6 58. Qd1 1/2-1/2

 Update from the Official site:

The FIDE World Chess Championship match resumed on Monday with Viswanathan Anand once again having the White pieces, as according to the regulations, the piece colors are alternating halfway through the match.

The players seem to be very persistent in thorough investigation of the Catalan opening, as the same setup appeared four times when Anand had White pieces.

Once again Topalov switched the variation, and included 4…Bb4+ instead of 4…dxc4. Later on, instead of the almost automatic 8. Qc2, Anand preferred the rare 8. Bf4, which prompted Black to immediately capture the pawn on c4 and then hang on it with b5.

The similar position was seen in the encounter Gelfand-Ivanchuk. Topalov varied from that game by playing 11…Bd7.

Anand accepted the gift in the view of exchange on a8, and the game became highly imbalanced as Black caught up the initiative.

A timely opening of the a-file and breach to the 7th rank gave Anand solid counterplay. After the exchange of the Bishops, it appeared that White managed to stabilise and block the dangerous d-pawn.

Topalov brought his heavy artillery to the 2nd rank, but could not achieve more than perpetual check as White kept the enemy Queen under contact attack.

But Anand refused the possibility of perpetual, on two occasions, and continued to fight for more. Nevertheless, the Black passed pawn demanded lots of caution, and White was unable to gain more with the Knight burdened on f2. The draw was finally agreed on move 58.

Game eight is taking place tomorrow, with Veselin Topalov playing the White pieces. Live commentary at the official website is starting at 14:45 local time.

GAME 8 – Topalov vs Anand : 4th May 2010

Game 8 move 8

Game 8 move 53

Game 8 Final position Topalov 1 – Anand

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 Game_8”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.05.04”]
[Round “8”]
[White “Topalov, V.”]
[Black “Anand, V.”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “D17”]
[WhiteElo “2805”]
[BlackElo “2787”]
[PlyCount “111”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 e6 7. f3 c5 8. e4 Bg6
9. Be3 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Bxd4 Nfd7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bxc4 Rc8 14. Bb5 a6 15. Bxd7+ Kxd7 16. Ke2 f6 17. Rhd1 Ke8 18. a5 Be7 19. Bb6 Rf8 20. Rac1 f5 21. e5 Bg5 22. Be3 f4 23. Ne4 Rxc1 24. Nd6+ Kd7 25. Bxc1 Kc6 26. Bd2 Be7 27. Rc1+ Kd7 28. Bc3 Bxd6 29. Rd1 Bf5 30. h4 g6 31. Rxd6+ Kc8 32. Bd2 Rd8 33. Bxf4 Rxd6 34. exd6 Kd7 35. Ke3 Bc2 36. Kd4 Ke8 37. Ke5 Kf7 38. Be3 Ba4 39. Kf4 Bb5 40. Bc5 Kf6 41. Bd4+ Kf7 42. Kg5 Bc6 43. Kh6 Kg8 44. h5 Be8 45. Kg5 Kf7 46. Kh6 Kg8 47. Bc5 gxh5 48. Kg5 Kg7 49. Bd4+ Kf7 50. Be5 h4 51. Kxh4 Kg6 52. Kg4 Bb5 53. Kf4 Kf7 54. Kg5 Bc6 55. Kh6 Kg8 56. g4 1-0

 GAME 9 Thursday 6th May 2010

Game 9 move 8

Game 9 move 43

Game 9 Final Position Anand 1/2 Topalov 1/2

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 Game_9”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.05.06”]
[Round “9”]
[White “Anand, V.”]
[Black “Topalov, V.”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “E54”]
[WhiteElo “2787”]
[BlackElo “2805”]
[PlyCount “165”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 O-O 5. Bd3 c5 6. Nf3 d5 7. O-O cxd4 8. exd4 dxc4 9. Bxc4 b6 10. Bg5 Bb7 11. Re1 Nbd7 12. Rc1 Rc8 13. Bd3 Re8 14. Qe2 Bxc3 15. bxc3 Qc7 16. Bh4 Nh5 17. Ng5 g6 18. Nh3 e5 19. f3 Qd6 20. Bf2 exd4 21. Qxe8+ Rxe8 22. Rxe8+ Nf8 23. cxd4 Nf6 24. Ree1 Ne6 25. Bc4 Bd5 26. Bg3 Qb4 27. Be5 Nd7 28. a3 Qa4 29. Bxd5 Nxe5 30. Bxe6 Qxd4+ 31. Kh1 fxe6 32. Ng5 Qd6 33. Ne4 Qxa3 34. Rc3 Qb2 35. h4 b5 36. Rc8+ Kg7 37. Rc7+ Kf8 38. Ng5 Ke8 39. Rxh7 Qc3 40. Rh8+ Kd7 41. Rh7+ Kc6 42. Re4 b4 43. Nxe6 Kb6 44. Nf4 Qa1+ 45. Kh2 a5 46. h5 gxh5 47. Rxh5 Nc6 48. Nd5+ Kb7 49. Rh7+ Ka6 50. Re6 Kb5 51. Rh5 Nd4 52. Nb6+ Ka6 53. Rd6 Kb7 54. Nc4 Nxf3+ 55. gxf3 Qa2+ 56. Nd2 Kc7 57. Rhd5 b3 58. Rd7+ Kc8 59. Rd8+ Kc7 60. R8d7+ Kc8 61. Rg7 a4 62. Rc5+ Kb8 63. Rd5 Kc8 64. Kg3
Qa1 65. Rg4 b2 66. Rc4+ Kb7 67. Kf2 b1=Q 68. Nxb1 Qxb1 69. Rdd4 Qa2+ 70. Kg3 a3 71. Rc3 Qa1 72. Rb4+ Ka6 73. Ra4+ Kb5 74. Rcxa3 Qg1+ 75. Kf4 Qc1+ 76. Kf5 Qc5+ 77. Ke4 Qc2+ 78. Ke3 Qc1+ 79. Kf2 Qd2+ 80. Kg3 Qe1+ 81. Kf4 Qc1+ 82. Kg3 Qg1+ 83. Kf4 1/2-1/2

 Game 10 Topalov vs Anand 7th May 2010 – 1/2

Game 10 move 7

Game 10 move 52

Game 10 End position Topalov 1/2 Anand 1/2

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 Game_10”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.05.07”]
[Round “10”]
[White “Topalov, V.”]
[Black “Anand, V.”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “D87”]
[WhiteElo “2805”]
[BlackElo “2787”]
[PlyCount “119”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

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 O-O 10. O-O b6 11. Qd2 Bb7 12. Rac1 Rc8 13. Rfd1 cxd4 14. cxd4 Qd6 15. d5 Na5 16. Bb5 Rxc1 17. Rxc1 Rc8 18. h3 Rxc1+ 19. Qxc1 e6 20. Nf4 exd5 21. Nxd5 f5 22. f3 fxe4 23. fxe4 Qe5 24. Bd3 Nc6 25. Ba6 Nd4 26. Qc4 Bxd5 27. Qxd5+ Qxd5 28. exd5 Be5 29. Kf2 Kf7 30. Bg5 Nf5 31. g4 Nd6 32. Kf3 Ne8 33. Bc1 Nc7 34. Bd3 Bd6 35. Ke4 b5 36. Kd4 a6 37. Be2 Ke7 38. Bg5+ Kd7 39. Bd2 Bg3 40. g5 Bf2+ 41. Ke5 Bg3+ 42. Ke4 Ne8 43. Bg4+ Ke7 44. Be6 Nd6+ 45. Kf3 Nc4 46. Bc1 Bd6 47. Ke4 a5 48. Bg4 Ba3 49. Bxa3+ Nxa3 50. Ke5 Nc4+ 51. Kd4 Kd6 52. Be2 Na3 53. h4 Nc2+ 54. Kc3 Nb4 55. Bxb5 Nxa2+ 56. Kb3 Nb4 57. Be2 Nxd5 58. h5 Nf4 59. hxg6 hxg6 60. Bc4 1/2-1/2

 GAME 11 Anand vs Topalov 9th May 2010

Anand vs Topalov game 11 results: 1/2

Game 11 move 7

Game 11 move 15

Game 11 move 26

Game 11 move 39

Game 11 move 47

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 Game_11”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.05.09”]
[Round “11”]
[White “Anand, V.”]
[Black “Topalov, V.”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “A29”]
[WhiteElo “2787”]
[BlackElo “2805”]
[PlyCount “130”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. O-O Be7 8. a3 O-O 9. b4 Be6 10. d3 f6 11. Ne4 Qe8 12. Nc5 Bxc5 13. bxc5 Nd5 14. Bb2 Rd8 15. Qc2 Nde7 16. Rab1 Ba2 17. Rbc1 Qf7 18. Bc3 Rd7 19. Qb2 Rb8 20. Rfd1 Be6 21. Rd2 h6 22. Qb1 Nd5 23. Rb2 b6 24. cxb6 cxb6 25. Bd2 Rd6 26. Rbc2 Qd7 27. h4 Rd8 28. Qb5 Nde7 29. Qb2 Bd5 30. Bb4 Nxb4 31. axb4 Rc6 32. b5 Rxc2 33. Rxc2 Be6 34. d4 e4 35. Nd2 Qxd4 36. Nxe4 Qxb2 37. Rxb2 Kf7 38. e3 g5 39. hxg5 hxg5 40. f4 gxf4 41. exf4 Rd4 42. Kf2 Nf5 43. Bf3 Bd5 44. Nd2 Bxf3 45. Nxf3 Ra4 46. g4 Nd6 47. Kg3 Ne4+ 48. Kh4 Nd6 49. Rd2 Nxb5 50. f5 Re4 51. Kh5 Re3 52. Nh4 Nc3 53. Rd7+ Re7 54. Rd3 Ne4 55. Ng6 Nc5 56. Ra3 Rd7 57. Re3 Kg7 58. g5 b5 59. Nf4 b4 60. g6 b3 61. Rc3 Rd4 62. Rxc5 Rxf4 63. Rc7+ Kg8 64. Rb7 Rf3 65. Rb8+ Kg7 1/2-1/2

 GAME 12 – Final game

Results: Anand retains his title!! YIPPEE!!!

Topalov vs Anand 0-1

Game 12 move 7

Game 12 move 15

Game 12 move 22

Game 12 move 48

Game 12 End Position

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 Game_12”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.05.11”]
[Round “12”]
[White “Topalov, V.”]
[Black “Anand, V.”]
[Result “0-1”]
[ECO “D56”]
[WhiteElo “2805”]
[BlackElo “2787”]
[PlyCount “112”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 O-O 7. e3 Ne4 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Rc1 c6 10. Be2 Nxc3 11. Rxc3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 Nd7 13. O-O b6 14. Bd3 c5 15. Be4 Rb8 16. Qc2 Nf6 17. dxc5 Nxe4 18. Qxe4 bxc5 19. Qc2 Bb7 20. Nd2 Rfd8 21. f3 Ba6 22. Rf2 Rd7 23. g3 Rbd8 24. Kg2 Bd3 25. Qc1 Ba6 26. Ra3 Bb7 27. Nb3 Rc7 28. Na5 Ba8 29. Nc4 e5 30. e4 f5 31. exf5 e4 32. fxe4 Qxe4+ 33. Kh3 Rd4 34. Ne3 Qe8 35. g4 h5 36. Kh4 g5+ 37. fxg6 Qxg6 38. Qf1 Rxg4+ 39. Kh3 Re7 40. Rf8+ Kg7 41. Nf5+ Kh7 42. Rg3 Rxg3+ 43. hxg3 Qg4+ 44. Kh2 Re2+ 45. Kg1 Rg2+ 46. Qxg2 Bxg2 47. Kxg2 Qe2+ 48. Kh3 c4 49. a4 a5 50. Rf6 Kg8 51. Nh6+ Kg7 52. Rb6 Qe4 53. Kh2 Kh7 54. Rd6 Qe5 55. Nf7 Qxb2+ 56. Kh3 Qg7 0-1

 Anand 6 1/2 – Topalov 5 1/2

Anand retained the title of the World Chess Champion

The last classical game of the FIDE World Chess Championship was opened with Lasker variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined as Viswanathan Anand sought for a solid defence in which White would have only minimal chances to score a victory. The opening went quietly until Anand moved the slightly unusual 16…Nf6. This was the moment where Veselin Topalov took a bit longer to decide on the middlegame plan.

Topalov allowed Black to trade the Be4 and in return he forced an isolated pawn on c5. But is was not easy to besiege this pawn as Black successfully coordinated pieces and obtained excellent counterplay.

White took some time to consolidate the position and avoid tactics on the back-rank and against the Knight on d2. Anand silently offered a moves repetition with Bd3-a6, but Topalov snubbed the offer.

White established the Knight on c4, while Black Bishop possessed a long diagonal from a8. Exactly in this moment, Topalov erred in an attempt to prevent Black’s e5-e4. He played e4 himself, but Anand did not hesitate long before breaking the formation with 30…f5 and 31…e4.

Topalov carelessly traded the pawn on e4 and fell under a strong attack. The Black battery Queen-Rook-Bishop worked perfectly in the pursuit after White King. It looked like the game was over, and even Anand admitted that he couldn’t see a defence for White, but Topalov found some remarkable resources and managed to prolong the game.

But with a series of precise moves, Anand managed to convert the advantage and bring victory home on move 56. The final score is 6,5:5,5.

Thus Anand retained the title of the World Chess Champion! Congratulations!

Source: Official site… Anand-Topalov

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Anand vs Topalov

Anand…my favourite – image: Official site

 

Schedule

See the image/link to the Official site on my blog’s sidebar [top right]. The link will open in a new window.

Round 1: Topalov vs Anand –  move 19 [click on images for a larger view]

Round 1 move 23

Move 25

Round 1 move 29 – big trouble – Anand has resigned this game

Topalov – 1 Anand – 0

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC2010”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.04.24”]
[Round “1.22”]
[White “Topalov, V.”]
[Black “Anand, V.”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “D87”]
[WhiteElo “2805”]
[PlyCount “59”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

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 O-O 10. O-O Na5 11. Bd3 b6 12. Qd2 e5 13. Bh6 cxd4 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. cxd4 exd4 16. Rac1 Qd6 17. f4 f6 18. f5 Qe5 19. Nf4 g5 20. Nh5+ Kg8 21. h4 h6 22. hxg5 hxg5 23. Rf3 Kf7 24. Nxf6 Kxf6 25. Rh3 Rg8 26. Rh6+ Kf7 27. Rh7+Ke8 28. Rcc7 Kd8 29. Bb5 Qxe4 30. Rxc8+ 1-0

Game 2 Image: Chessdom
ROUND 2 – Sunday 25th April: Anand 1-Topalov 0

Anand vs Topalov Round 2 move 14

Round 2 move 16

Round 2 move 19

Round 2 move 28

Round 2 move 32

Round 2 move 37

Round 2: End position

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC2010 game_2”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.04.??”]
[Round “2”]
[White “Anand, V.”]
[Black “Topalov, V.”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “E04”]
[WhiteElo “2787”]
[BlackElo “2805”]
[PlyCount “85”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 a6 6. Ne5 c5 7. Na3 cxd4 8. Naxc4 Bc5 9. O-O O-O 10. Bd2 Nd5 11. Rc1 Nd7 12. Nd3 Ba7 13. Ba5 Qe7 14. Qb3 Rb8 15. Qa3 Qxa3 16. bxa3 N7f6 17. Nce5 Re8 18. Rc2 b6 19. Bd2 Bb7 20. Rfc1 Rbd8 21. f4 Bb8 22. a4 a5 23. Nc6 Bxc6 24. Rxc6 h5 25. R1c4 Ne3 26. Bxe3 dxe3 27. Bf3 g6 28. Rxb6 Ba7 29. Rb3 Rd4 30. Rc7 Bb8 31. Rc5 Bd6 32. Rxa5 Rc8 33.Kg2 Rc2 34. a3 Ra2 35. Nb4 Bxb4 36. axb4 Nd5 37. b5 Raxa4 38. Rxa4 Rxa4 39. Bxd5 exd5 40. b6 Ra8 41. b7 Rb8 42. Kf3 d4 43. Ke4 1-0

 Anand 1-Topalov 0

Anand Image: Chessdom

Image: Chessdom

Game 3 Topalov vs Anand – Move 26

Game 3 Final Position

Game 3: Topalov 1/2 – Anand 1/2

Results after round 3: Anand 1 1/2   –   Topalov  1 1/2

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 game_3”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.04.27”]
[Round “3”]
[White “Topalov, V.”]
[Black “Anand, V.”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “D17”]
[WhiteElo “2805”]
[BlackElo “2787”]
[PlyCount “91”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BTN”]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 e6 7. f3 c5 8. e4 Bg6
9. Be3 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Bxd4 Nfd7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bxc4 a6 14. Rc1 Rg8 15. h4 h6 16. Ke2 Bd6 17. h5 Bh7 18. a5 Ke7 19. Na4 f6 20. b4 Rgc8 21. Bc5 Bxc5 22. bxc5 Rc7 23. Nb6 Rd8 24. Nxd7 Rdxd7 25. Bd3 Bg8 26. c6 Rd6 27. cxb7 Rxb7 28. Rc3 Bf7 29. Ke3 Be8 30. g4 e5 31. Rhc1 Bd7 32. Rc5 Bb5 33. Bxb5 axb5 34. Rb1 b4 35. Rb3 Ra6 36. Kd3 Rba7 37. Rxb4 Rxa5 38. Rxa5 Rxa5 39. Rb7+ Kf8 40. Ke2 Ra2+ 41. Ke3 Ra3+ 42. Kf2 Ra2+ 43. Ke3 Ra3+ 44. Kf2 Ra2+ 45. Ke3 Ra3+ 46. Kf2 1/2-1/2

Image: Chessdom

Game 4

Game 4 move 25

Anand 1 – Topalov 0

Game 4: Final Position – Anand 1 – Topalov 0

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 game_4”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.04.28”]
[Round “4”]
[White “Anand, V.”]
[Black “Topalov, V.”]
[Result “1-0”]
[ECO “E04”]
[WhiteElo “2787”]
[BlackElo “2805”]
[PlyCount “63”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 a5 7. Qc2 Bxd2+ 8.
Qxd2 c6 9. a4 b5 10. Na3 Bd7 11. Ne5 Nd5 12. e4 Nb4 13. O-O O-O 14. Rfd1 Be8 15. d5 Qd6 16. Ng4 Qc5 17. Ne3 N8a6 18. dxc6 bxa4 19. Naxc4 Bxc6 20. Rac1 h6 21. Nd6 Qa7 22. Ng4 Rad8 23. Nxh6+ gxh6 24. Qxh6 f6 25. e5 Bxg2 26. exf6 Rxd6 27. Rxd6 Be4 28. Rxe6 Nd3 29. Rc2 Qh7 30. f7+ Qxf7 31. Rxe4 Qf5 32. Re7 1-0

Game 4 – Anand vs Topalov

Anand – Game 4 -28th April
Game 4: Anand leads by one point after the second Catalan opening in the match.

The fourth game of the FIDE World Chess Championship match between Viswanathan Anand of India and Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria saw another Catalan opening on the board. This is the first opening that was played twice in the match, the players are obviously willing to have a theoretical discussion. Topalov was the one to deviate from the second game, as early as on move 5, when he played the sharper Bb4+ instead of a6.

Similar to the earlier Catalan game, Black clutched onto the extra pawn while White tried to take advantage of his faster pieces’ development. Anand aggressively advanced in the center to break opponent’s pawn formation and open up the files and diagonals. At the same time, Topalov was carefully clearing the queenside in order to reduce the positional pressure.

The game appeared to be taking a normal course but then Anand’s sudden Knight movement (e3-g4) caught Topalov without guard and on the wrong foot. Not hesitating much, Anand knocked a piece sacrifice on h6 and picked a strong attack against the Black King. Still precision was needed in carrying out the assault, but Anand never blinked and found the crushing 25. e5!

Topalov continued for a few moves more, but resigned at the imminent danger of a mate. Anand takes the lead in the match 2,5-1,5, tomorrow is a rest day and the games continue on Friday at 15:00 Source: Official Site

Anand crushes Topalov in fourth game

The fourth game of the World chess championship match in Sofia saw Viswanathan Anand’s best performance to date with a slashing attack against challenger Veselin Topalov.

“Anand really played brilliantly today,” said commentator Zurab Azmaiparashvili, having watched the World champion sacrifice a pawn, then a knight and then a bishop to create a winning assault against

Topalov’s exposed king.

Anand was pleased with his performance. “It was a very complex position with a lot of tension on the queenside,” said Anand. “I thought (my 23rd move) was clinching it but you can’t be 100 per cent sure.”

Anand explained that in a key variation he was prepared to give away both his rooks as well to ensure a checkmate: “Once I saw that I knew I was winning.”

Poor start
After a poor start, Anand, 40, has taken the lead for the first time in the €2 million match and the Bulgarian challenger is looking shaky. “I though I had a decent position,” said Topalov, “but if I was able to answer so simply what went wrong then the result might have been different.

“Certainly my (20th move) was especially bad.”

Playing with white pieces, Anand used the Catalan Opening which had brought him success in game two but Topalov, 35, defended differently this time. Soon Anand sacrificed a pawn and Topalov needed no invitation to grab the material and attempt to hang on to it.

Anand’s unorthodox 10th move, moving a knight to the edge of the board, appeared to be new. However, a member of Team Anand, computer expert Eric van Reem, explained that Anand was following an earlier game, a precedent apparently unknown to Topalov who began thinking hard for the first time in the game.

Excellent compensation
Soon it became clear that Anand had excellent compensation for his pawn when the apparently offside knight moved to the centre, stymieing Topalov’s freedom of movement. Although the position was highly unbalanced — the type of game at which Topalov usually excels — Anand’s speed of play indicated that he had checked the ideas at home with his team and had everything under control.

Anand was coy when asked if the sacrifices were prepared with his team. “I won’t be able to tell you that until the match is over,” said Anand, who has managed to keep the identity of some of his helpers secret as well.

On the 23rd move, after cogitating for only five minutes, Anand sacrificed a knight and Topalov immediately found his king under massive fire. Another sacrifice followed and Topalov was soon defenceless. The challenger resigned after 32 moves and three-and-a-half hours’ play.

Anand leads Topalov 2.5-1.5 with eight games remaining after Wednesday’s encounter. The fifth game, with Topalov holding the first move, will be played on Friday starting at 5.30 p.m. IST. Source:
http://beta.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/article414219.ece
GAME 5 – 30th April -Topalov vs Anand 1/2

Bulgaria Chess Master Topalov Hopes to Crush Anand’s Defense

Click on the image for a clear view -the article continues here:

“We hope to have finally figured out the secret of Anand’s defense. We have five people on our team working with top notch computers on this task, and we hope to see results today,” Danailov explained.

The first move of the fifth game of the Sofia World Chess Title Match was made Friday by Nobel Prize winning professor of economics Robert Mundell, known as “the father of the euro”.

Danailov said Topalov’s team met Professor Mundell during a tournament in China which was won by the Bulgarian chess master.

“I wanted to invite Professor Mundell as a guest during the last M-Tel Masters tournament but he was busy then. This time, however, he managed to find time to be our guest,” Danailov explained.

“It is a pleasure for me to be here. I have come as an economist and a fan of chess,” said the Nobel Prize laureate expressing his happiness to be present at the event.

Source: novinite.com

Game 5 move 17

Game 5 move 32

Game 5 move 39

Game 5 move 42 – Topalov vs Anand 1/2

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 game_5”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.04.30”]
[Round “5”]
[White “Topalov, V.”]
[Black “Anand, V.”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “D17”]
[WhiteElo “2805”]
[BlackElo “2787”]
[PlyCount “87”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 e6 7. f3 c5 8. e4 Bg6
9. Be3 cxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. Bxd4 Nfd7 12. Nxd7 Nxd7 13. Bxc4 a6 14. Rc1 Rg8 15. h4 h5 16. Ne2 Bd6 17. Be3 Ne5 18. Nf4 Rc8 19. Bb3 Rxc1+ 20. Bxc1 Ke7 21. Ke2 Rc8 22. Bd2 f6 23. Nxg6+ Nxg6 24. g3 Ne5 25. f4 Nc6 26. Bc3 Bb4 27. Bxb4+ Nxb4 28. Rd1 Nc6 29. Rd2 g5 30. Kf2 g4 31. Rc2 Rd8 32. Ke3 Rd6 33. Rc5 Nb4 34. Rc7+ Kd8 35. Rc3 Ke7 36. e5 Rd7 37. exf6+ Kxf6 38. Ke2 Nc6 39. Ke1 Nd4 40. Bd1 a5 41. Rc5 Nf5 42. Rc3 Nd4 43. Rc5 Nf5 44. Rc3 1/2-1/2

News/comments from the Official site:

After the second rest day, the FIDE World Chess Championship match between Viswanathan Anand of India and Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria continued today with game five in which Topalov played with White pieces.

The first symbolic move were made by the “father of the euro” professor Robert Mundell. The President of Bulgaria Mr. Georgi Parvanov visited the match.

The opening was replay of game three in which Anand used the Slav defence and comfortably held a draw. The expectation were that Topalov will find an improvement in the variation and fight for opening advantage.

But it was Anand who first diverted from the earlier game by moving 15…h5 instead of 15…h6. Topalov continued with the logical 16. Ne2 having in mind Nf4, to exploit the newly created situation with Black pawn on h5. Anand established strong Knight outpost on e5 and traded off a pair of Rooks to reduce White’s chances of gaining initiative.

After further exchange of minor pieces, an endgame with Rook and Bishop versus Rook and Knight has arisen. Anand’s 29…g5 initiated changes in the pawn structure, which allowed him to solve one issue and concentrate on pieces’ play.

Black Knight gradually suppressed White Bishop, which eventually landed on the backward d1-square. Right after the time-control, Topalov offered moves repetition before the situation goes out of the hand. Or perhaps it was a psychological move, attempting to test Anand’s resolve to play for a win, in case of which White would also have chances for full point.

But Anand needed no risk and accepted the threefold repetition. Draw signed on move 44. The current score is 3-2 in favour of Anand who tomorrow plays with White pieces. Live coverage on the official website starting at 14:45 local time.

Anand blacks out Topalov’s ambitions

Viswanathan Anand has retained his narrow lead over Veselin Topalov with a solid draw in the fifth game of the Indian’s world title defence in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Anand, playing black for the third time in the match, repeated the Slav opening which had neutralised Topalov’s ambitions in game three, and also came armed with a new 15th move.

Soon afterwards, as Anand was considering his 17th move, the playing hall — and indeed the entire Military Club — was plunged into darkness by a power blackout. The game timers were stopped by the arbiter but both players remained firmly in their seats, analysing in the dark.

Ten minutes later, emergency power provided some flickering light on the stage and five minutes later the light was good enough for the game to resume.

“I don’t know what would have happened if the lights had not gone on for an hour or more,” admitted Anand. “I don’t know what the rules are for such a situation.”

However, while play continued, the video screen above the players, relaying the game to the audience in the Military Club and to hundreds of thousands of viewers on the internet, remained inoperable. Audible protests from some of the frustrated spectators in the theatre were quickly muted by security guards and five minutes later normal broadcasting of the moves resumed.

Both players reacted calmly to the unexpected interruption, although Anand spent some time re-orientating himself with the position before he made his next move.

“It is very easy to make a mistake after a break in concentration like this,” said Anand, “so I decided to invest an extra ten minutes just to be sure.”

Once again Anand’s opening preparation proved superior to that of his Bulgarian challenger. “I missed Anand’s [22nd move],” confessed Topalov. “It was very strong. I will need to be more precise in future games.”

With other strong pawn moves Anand soon solved all his problems. “I managed to stabilise the position,” explained Anand, “after which I have nothing to complain about.”

Before long Topalov found himself staring at an equal endgame which offered no chances for a win to either player. After four hours play, both players could find nothing better than to repeat moves and a draw was agreed after 44 moves.

The draw was a perfectly satisfactory result for Anand as he retains a 3-2 lead in the best-of-12 contest and will hold the advantage of the first move, equivalent to the serve in tennis, in the next two games.

Anand refused, however, to express any comment on the state of the match so far, saying “I’m just taking it game by game.”

The sixth game will be played on May 1 starting at 17.30 IST. Source:
http://beta.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/article418770.ece
 

Anand vs Topalov…game 6

ANAND vs TOPALOV Game 6

Anand vs Topalov game 6 move 7 – click on images for a larger view

Game 6 move 27

Game 6 move 35

Game 6 move 48

Game 6 End position – Anand 1/2 Topalov 1/2

Game 6

[Event “Sofia BUL, WCC 2010 game_6”]
[Site “Sofia BUL”]
[Date “2010.05.01”]
[Round “6”]
[White “Anand, V.”]
[Black “Topalov, V.”]
[Result “1/2-1/2”]
[ECO “E04”]
[WhiteElo “2787”]
[BlackElo “2805”]
[PlyCount “116”]
[EventDate “2010.04.24”]
[EventType “match”]
[EventRounds “12”]
[EventCountry “BUL”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 a6 6. Ne5 c5 7. Na3 cxd4 8. Naxc4 Bc5 9. O-O O-O 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bxf6 Qxf6 12. Nd3 Ba7 13. Qa4 Nc6 14. Rac1 e5 15. Bxc6 b5 16. Qc2 Qxc6 17. Ncxe5 Qe4 18. Qc6 Bb7 19. Qxe4 Bxe4 20. Rc2 Rfe8 21. Rfc1 f6 22. Nd7 Bf5 23. N7c5 Bb6 24. Nb7 Bd7 25. Nf4 Rab8 26. Nd6 Re5 27. Nc8 Ba5 28. Nd3 Re8 29. Na7 Bb6 30. Nc6 Rb7 31. Ncb4 a5 32. Nd5 a4 33. Nxb6 Rxb6 34. Nc5 Bf5 35. Rd2 Rc6 36. b4 axb3 37. axb3 b4 38. Rxd4 Rxe2 39. Rxb4 Bh3 40. Rbc4 Rd6 41. Re4 Rb2 42. Ree1 Rdd2 43. Ne4 Rd4 44. Nc5 Rdd2 45. Ne4 Rd3 46. Rb1 Rdxb3 47. Nd2 Rb4 48. f3 g5 49. Rxb2 Rxb2 50. Rd1 Kf7 51. Kf2 h5 52. Ke3 Rc2 53. Ra1 Kg6 54. Ra6 Bf5 55. Rd6 Rc3+ 56. Kf2 Rc2 57. Ke3 Rc3+ 58. Kf2 Rc2 1/2-1/2

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Anand-Topalov fighting it out

Anand in Sofia – Anand and Topalov are going to fight the mother battle of all battles. [chess of course!] I hope [if you’re a chess player] that you’re going to follow their games with me. Anand is my favourite and my money is on him. Those of you who don’t know anything about these players…they are THE big chess-engines of the world of chess…and they’re playing in Sofia[Bulgaria]. Anand is from India and Topalov from Bulgaria. Anand is the current World Champion and Topalov the challenger.

What is said about Anand- ‘….extreme efficiency, his splendid personality…’ -watch the videos about Anand and Topalov on the official site…

Anand is the fastest thinking chess player

Ah…they look so handsome… – is that what he’s thinking [haha]

Enjoy the music of the Hungarian Rhapsody no2 [unfortunately not the Bulgarian Rhapsody…but let’s pretend lol -also not the complete music file]

Topalov…hmmm…wonder if he’s going to beat me up!..

Press Conference – Sofia

Postal Items devoted to the Anand-Topalov Chess tournament in Sofia [Bulgaria]

Please click HERE to visit the official site of Anand-Topalov to read more or to play through their games. The first game starts on the 24th April. [see the playing schedule] You will also find this link on the sidebar of my blog.[top] Images in this post are all from the Official site of Anand/Topalov. 
 

Click on the image for a larger view…This is the schedule of Anand’s and Topalov’s games.

Map of Bulgaria / Sofia – image: Topnews

The History of Chess…only a few images from the video on the Official site.

See the video on the Official site – link in this post [and on the sidebar of my blog] about the History of Chess. These images are from the video.

40-hour ride to defend the title
New Delhi: World champion Viswanathan Anand Tuesday reached Sofia, Bulgaria, after a strenuous 40-hour road journey from Germany as all flights were cancelled due to the volcanic ash floating across European airspace.

The 40-year old world champion had requested a postponement of the World chess championship match against Veselin Topalov, by three days, but his appeal was rejected by the organising committee.

Not used to travelling such long distances on road along with the refusal to grant a three-day postponement could give Anand’s challenger, Topalov, a significant advantage.

Anand had planned to reach the venue on April 16, which is one week before the first game on April 23. But he arrived four days behind schedule due to factors beyond his control.

Anand might miss the press conference but will attend the opening ceremony according to his wife Aruna Anand. Not rescheduling the games will mean Topalov could have the same advantage that Anatoly Karpov enjoyed in the world title match, in Lausanne, in 1998.

“The news from us is that we reached here safely,” said Aruna Anand.

Had Alexander Alekhine been in Anand’s place, he would have sought a postponement of at least a week as world champions ruled and challengers were at the mercy of champions. Sometimes a handicap is a better way to start a match and Anand can turn the disadvantage into a driving force in the 12-game series.

Earlier, the organising committee had received an e-mailed request for a postponement from Anand and also a word from Fide about the situation.

However, the committee said that the press conference could be postponed but not the opening ceremony scheduled on April 21 because invitations to all official guests, sponsors, politicians, television stations and the media was already sent. Also since many commercial contracts have been signed, there would be serious penalties if any changes were made.

The championship is to be formally inaugurated on April 21 with the first of the 14 games to begin on April 23.

Source:

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100421/jsp/sports/story_12362406.jsp

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Mtel Chess Rounds 7, 8, 9 and round 10

 

Ivanchuk…the winner!

Ivanchuk’s last game…played in round 10…against Cheparinov…as by Kingscrusher of Chess World.

Image:chessdom

Image: discover-bulgaria.com…the building where the tournament is being held.

Ivanchuk the winner of Mtel…Final results…

Ivanchuk…image:chessdom

Ivanchuk Vassily 2740 UKR 8
Topalov Veselin 2767 BUL 6,5
Radjabov Teimour 2751 AZE 5,5
Cheparinov Ivan 2695 BUL 4
Bu Xiangzhi 2708 CHN 3
Aronian Levon 2763 ARM 3 

Please click HERE to play through the games of round 10 — the final round.

Results  round 10…the final round…
Topalov, V vs Radjabov, T….1/2
Cheparinov, I vs Ivanchuk, V….0-1
Aronian, L vs Xiangzhi, Bu….1/2

Please click this link: to access the MTel 2008 games on site of Chessgames.

Round 10 (final)…Aronian vs Xiangzhi…end position

Round 10 — Cheparinov vs Ivanchuk…end position… 0-1

Round 10 — Topalov vs Radjabov…end position…1/2

Cheparinov…image:Chessdom

Aronian and Xiangzhi

 

Topalov

Standings after round 9:

Ivanchuk Vassily 2740 UKR 7
Topalov Veselin 2767 BUL 6
Radjabov Teimour 2751 AZE 5
Cheparinov Ivan 2695 BUL 4
Bu Xiangzhi 2708 CHN 2,5
Aronian Levon 2763 ARM 2,5
Please click HERE to play through the games of round 9.
Round 9: Results… in blue…with the images… Xiangzhi beats Topalov!!

Round 9 Radjabov vs Cheparinov…after move 11

Round 9: End position – Radjabov vs Cheparinov… 1/2

Round 9: Xiangzhi vs Topalov…after move…13

Round 9: Xiangzhi vs Topalov…move 33

Round 9: End position….Xiangzhi vs Topalov….1-0!

Round 9: Ivanchuk vs Aronian ….. move…11

Round 9: Ivanchuk vs Aronian …end position….1/2
Results round 8

Topalov, V vs Cheparinov, I = 1-0
Aronian, L vs Radjabov, T = 0-1
Xiangzhi, Bu vs Ivanchuk, V = 1/2

Images:Europe-echecs

The amazing Veselin Topalov (artist’s impression pictured!) convincingly won his 8th round game against his countryman and friend, Ivan Cheparinov to close the gap to former runaway leader Vassily Ivanchuk to just half a point. 

Ivanchuk was definitely second best in his game but hung on to draw against Bu Xiangzhi.  Since his 5/5 start, Ivanchuk has now drawn his last three games.

Please click HERE to play through the games played in round 8.

Pairings round 9:

Xiangzhi, Bu vs Topalov, V
Ivanchuk, V vs Aronian, L
Radjabov, T vs Cheparinov, I

Round 7: Xiangzhi vs Radjabov…end position


Round 7: Topalov vs Ivanchuck…end position

Round 7: Aronian vs Cheparinov … end position

***This post will be updated as the tournament goes… so everyday’s results – till round 10 – will be added in this post. Click on images for a larger view.
Please click on THIS LINK to see the results of rounds 1-5…also, to read about Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria where this Master’s tournament is taking place!
On this link HERE you can play through games played in earlier rounds and see the results of round 6 and see two video annotations about Ivanchuk’s games in rounds 4 and 5.
On THIS LINK you can follow the video reports after each round….and HERE you will find the games from all the rounds being played. On my blog’s side bar  you will find a LIVE “MTel”- link to the current games of the day they’re busy playing.

Results round 7:

Ivanchuk vs Topalov 1/2
Radjabov vs Xiangzhi 1-0
Cheparinov vs Aronian 1/2

Standings after round 7:

1. Ivanchuk Vassily 2740 UKR 6
2. Topalov Veselin 2767 BUL 5
3. Cheparinov Ivan 2695 BUL 3,5
3. Radjabov Teimour 2751 AZE 3,5
4. Aronian Levon 2763 ARM 2
5. Bu Xiangzhi 2708 CHN 1

Schedule ….for the rest of the tournament…

Round 8: May 16, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC)
Round 9: May 17, 15.00 EEST (12.00 UTC)
Round 10: May 18, 14.00 EEST (11.00 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)

 

Images:MTelmasters.com… the official site

 

 Sofia, 15 May 2008- Author’s copy of the ancient Bulgarian icon “St. Trinity” will be the special prize of the winner in the super chess tournament M-Tel Masters 2008. The author of the icon is the famous Bulgarian painter Katya Bajlekova the size if the icon is 62 x 46 cm and the image is aged by a special technology.

The special prize will be handed to the winner in M-Tel Masters 2008 at the official closing ceremony of the tournament on May 18.

Traditionally, for a fourth year in a row the winner of the Sofia super chess tournament receives as a special prize a copy of an ancient Bulgarian icon. As a three-time winner of M-Tel Masters Veselin Topalov already has in his collection a copy of the icons “Entering Jerusalem”, “St. George the Winner” and “Four Saints – Warriors” by the same painter.
Source: Mtelmasters.com
This video is about the final round…round 10

This video is about round 6….Ivanchuck against Radjabov

This next video is about Topalov playing round 8 against Cheparinov by Chess World.

 
MTel-video about round 8

MTel-video round 9!

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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

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Linares round 13

Please click HERE to play through games from Linares round 13 as well as other rounds…

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Linares 2008 round 12

Image: Chessvibes

Click here to see the game of Carlsen and Topalov on Susan Polgar’s site.
If you click on THIS LINK you can play through the games of the players of rounds played so far. Click on the name on the top-menu to see the rounds of a particular player.

Click HERE to read about Shirov/Aronian’s game. 
Please click HERE to read more about Radjabov/Ivanchuk’s game…
and on THIS LINK about Anand/Leko’s game.

Wednesday is a day of rest…no games and the schedule for the rest of the week:

Round 13 6th March 2008
Ivanchuk, Vassily	vs.	Anand, Viswanathan
Radjabov, Teimour	vs.	Shirov, Alexei
Aronian, Levon	vs.	Carlsen, Magnus
Topalov, Veselin	vs.	Leko, Peter
Round 14 7th March 2008
Anand, Viswanathan	vs.	Topalov, Veselin
Leko, Peter	vs.	Aronian, Levon
Carlsen, Magnus	vs.	Radjabov, Teimour
Shirov, Alexei	vs.	Ivanchuk, Vassily

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Linares Round 8

Official site here….The annual Linares chess tournament, usually played around the end of February, takes its name from the city of Linares in the Jaén province of Andalusia, Spain, in which it is held. It is sometimes described as the Wimbledon of chess. It is one of the strongest annual tournaments held on the chess tour, along with the Corus chess tournament and Dortmund chess tournament.
Read more about LINARES here on Wikipedia…Anand outplays Shirov in Linares chess

LINARES, February 29:   

Viswanathan Anand once again showed excellent technique to outplay Alexei Shirov in the eighth round of the Morelia-Linares chess as the second leg got underway in Linares.Anand’s fourth win in eight rounds took his tally to 5.5 points and extended his lead to a full point. Anand is now one point clear of his nearest rivals Lev Aronian and Magnus Carslen, who have 4.5 points each. Anand also benefited from the win against Shirov as Magnus Carlsen lost a seemingly winning game against Vassily Ivanchuk.In his game against Shirov, whom he beat for the FIDE World title back in 2000, Anand made the Latvian-born Spaniard pay for not being able to get adequate counter play. In Sveshnikov Sicilian, Shirov’s pawn weaknesses ultimately cost him the game. It took Anand 57 moves and some fine technique to bring in the full point.Vaselin Topalov, trying to press too hard for a win, saw the effort backfire as he lost to Aronian. The game was balanced for a long time, but Topalov overpressed and Aronian responded with a defensive exchange sacrifice. That ultimately resulted in a superior endgame for Aronian, who converted it in 65 moves.Ivanchuk squandered a winning chance against Carlsen and made a wrong choice of move on the 20th turn, which ran him into serious time trouble. Carlsen soon won the race between the opposing sides’ passed pawns and grabbed a full point.The game between Teimour Radjabov and Peter Leko was drawn, but it was as exciting as any of the decisive games.Anand finished the first leg in Morelia, Mexico with 4.5 points from seven rounds. The players had four days rest but traveled more than 24 hours and the time difference between Mexico and Spain is seven hours, resulting in considerable jet lag.  
 

Original Report can be read here ….

Read on the US-chess site HERE more about the standings after round 7! There are also games to play through of the Grandmasters participating in this tournament. More chess news…..

Aronyan resumes in Spain from fourth position Morelia/Linares resumed in Spain on Thursday (February 28), with Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronyan (with white) beating Bulgaria’s Veselin Topalov in the opening game.Aronyan finished the Mexican part of the super chess tournament in the fourth position (with 3.5 points in seven games) among eight grandmasters. The 2006 Morelia/Linares winner let Spain’s Alexey Shirov and Bulgaria’s Veselin Topalov (4 points) outstrip him after losing to Norway’s Magnus Carlsen in the last round on Sunday. India’s Vishy Anand, the reigning world champion who is defending his last year’s tournament win, was a clear leader with 4.5 points.On Friday, February 29, Aronyan, with white pieces, was due to play Anand.The Linares part of the tournament is due to end on March 7.Meanwhile, Armenian chess-player Movses Movsisyan, representing the United States, scored 5.5 points out of 7 and took the first prize in the Winter Open held in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. Forty chess-players participated in the tournament, according to http://www.armchess.am.And Armenian GM Varuzhan Hakobyan (also from the USA) scored 5.5 points out of 7 and shared the 2nd-6th places in the 3rd Open held in Morelia, Mexico. Hakobyan was behind the winner GM Ramirez (Costa Rica) with only half a point. Ninety-five chess players participated.

The “Magnicificent Eight” lined up in Spain, the players in this chess tournament.

On THIS LINK you can follow some of the results of round 10.

Peter Leko and his wife….

Vishy Anand and his wife…

Levon Aronian

More pictures/images : ….chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4450
Game…round 1……Topalov against…Aronian……

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World Chess championship

This was last year’s championships…check out these games of Kramnik and Topalov on this site, games are interactive.

“People have been playing against me below their strength for fifteen years.” — Bobby Fischer

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

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