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Sunday, July 28, 2013
Dortmund Chess: Adams, Wang Hao Score Wins
Alexandra Kosteniuk's Chess Blog for Daily Chess News and Trivia (c) 2013
Hi everyone,
The second round of the Sparkassen Chess Meeting in Dortmund saw four out of five games starting with 1.e4 e5. Wang Hao and Michael Adams both won their games with white in rather long struggles. After two rounds, four players are sharing first place with 1.5/2. The elite German event is just beginning. The players chose slow fighting lines today. The Russians went for the Berlin Defense: Vladimir Kramnik held yet another draw with his beloved defensive weapon while his colleague Dmitry Andreikin suffered a loss against experienced GM Michael Adams. Daniel Fridman loss with the Petrov against Wang Hao.
German GM Daniel Fridman has used the Petrov effectively for a long time. This Defense has a reputation of extreme solidity and was the chosen weapon of players such as Boris Gelfand and Vladimir Kramnik for a long time. Today, Wang Hao was able to break the Russian wall in 48 moves thanks to his active accurate play.
The setup with opposite side castling was chosen by white. Even though this spoils the queenside pawn structure, it allows for a kingside attack. Wang Hao advanced his pawns fearlessly and started to handle his initiative carefully. By move 35, black had the pair of bishops, but they were highly uncomfortable sitting on c1 and d1. White’s queen was already close to the opposite king and things seemed pretty unclear. Fridman started to falter under pressure and the Chinese showed his class to get the full point after yesterday’s loss.
Dmitry Andreikin got an invitation to this event very deservedly. He is the current Russian champion and has proved his strength in events like the Tal Memorial. However, he started with the wrong foot in Germany; today was his second loss in a row. Michael Adams demonstrated how patient he can be when he has a small edge in seemingly lifeless positions.
The game started with a Berlin Wall put up by the Russian. The players went into the usual path, exchanging queens, giving black the pair of bishops and creating a long strategical battle. Everything seemed to be heading for a draw when bishops of opposite colors appeared on the board. Adams evaluated the position as slightly better for him and started to maneuver in order to get a win with his kingside pawn majority. The plan worked as Andreikin had to offer his hand in resignation after 64 moves.
The Berlin Wall that made Vladimir Kramnik world champion worked as a charm for the Russian. Arkadij Naiditsch avoided a heavy theoretical battle and decided that a draw was enough against such a strong opponent. The players signed the score-sheets after 38 moves.
Peter Leko and Fabiano Caruana discussed the very fashionable lines of the Spanish with d3. Caruana found a way to force a threefold repetition and get a solid draw with the black pieces. Locals Igor Khenkin and Georg Meier played a Queen’s Gambit Declined that finished peacefully after 45 moves. (www.chessdom.com)
Standings after 2 rounds: 1 Kramnik, Vladimir RUS 2784 1½ 2 Meier, Georg GER 2610 1½ 3 Caruana, Fabiano ITA 2796 1½ 4 Adams, Michael ENG 2740 1½ 5 Khenkin, Igor GER 2605 1 6 Leko, Peter HUN 2737 1 7 Wang, Hao CHN 2752 1 8 Fridman, Daniel GER 2629 ½ 9 Naiditsch, Arkadij GER 2710 ½ 10 Andreikin, Dmitry RUS 2727 0
3 super chess events with top GMs of the world beginning soon
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
There are three major chess events coming up this July. These include the Biel, the World Team and Dortmund events. You could catch our regular updates here onwww.chessblog.com and plenty of live coverage at www.chessdom.com. Here are the links:
WTCC 2011 - World team chess championship starts July 17 in Ningbo, China. Plenty of top-rated players there including Grischuk, Sasikiran, Radjabov, Wang Yue, etc.
Biel Chess 2011 - The 44th Biel Chess Festival begins on July 18 with the main event being the Accentus Grandmaster Tournament with six players taking part in the round-robin event. These are Carlsen, Vachier-Lagrave, Shirov, Caruana, Morozevich and Pelletier.
Dortmund Chess 2011 - has its first round on July 21 and it is a double round robin event with Kramnik, Nakamura, Giri, Ponomariov, Liem and Meier.
Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting 2011 pairings announced
Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2011
Hi everyone,
The names of all the participants and pairings for the 39th Sparkassen Chess Meeting - from July 21 to 31 - have been announced. The line-up includes Vladimir Kramnik, Ruslan Ponomariov, Hikaru Nakamura, Anish Giri, Le Quang Liem and Georg Meier.
The 39th edition of the Dortmund chess festival takes place July 21-31 in the city theater of Dortmund, Germany. With Kramnik (2785, Russia), Ponomariov (2743, Ukraine), Nakamura (2774, USA), Giri (2690, Netherlands), Le Quang Liem (2689, Vietnam) and Meier (2669, Germany), at the moment the tournament boasts of an average rating of 2725. The tournament keeps the format of recent years: a 6-player, double round-robin.
For the second time Dortmund uses the Sofia rule. This is stated in the press release (without calling it the Sofia rule): Draw ban: In this year ‘s edition the grandmasters are not allowed to offer a draw during the game. The game will be declared a draw when a win for either side is not possible anymore, or in case of a three-fold repetition.
Traditionally the drawing of lots for the Dortmund tournament always takes place months in advance to help players start preparing. You can access the official website here.
Dortmund Sparkassen Chess: Ponomariov wins in style
Ruslan Ponomariov with the Dortmund Sparkassen
Chess Meeting winner's trophy.
Hi Everybody!
Ponomariov won the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meet after drawing his last round game with the Vietnamese Le Quang Liem who came second in the tournament.
The 38th edition of the tournament was held from July 15 to July 25 in Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany. It was a six-player round robin with Vladimir Kramnik being the defending champion from last year. What made the event exciting was the no-draw offer rule. You can check the official website for more details and photos. The Ponomariov-Liem game is very well commented in German on the official website. You can read an English translation here.
Results of Round 10
------------------------
Peter Leko-Arkadij Naiditsch 1-0
Vladimir Kramnik-Shak. Mamedyarov 1-0
Ruslan Ponomariov-Liem Le Quang 1/2-12/
Final Standings
-----------------
R, Ponomariov 6.5
Le Quang Liem 5.5
V. Kramnik 5.0
S. Mamedyarov 5.0
A. Naiditsch 4.0
P. Leko 4.0
Here is the exciting Ponomariov-Liem game that you can see in our pgnplayer or watch in flash below.
Dortmund Sparkassen Chess: Ponomariov keeps lead with one round to go
Le Quang-Leko: A draw after plenty of tension
Hello Everyone!
Round 9 of the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meet is surely going to be remembered for just one reason: Mamedyarov 5. g4! And, maybe, Vladimir Kramnik's loss to Arkadij Naiditsch.
But first about Mamedyarov. Ponomariov maintained his lead by drawing Mamedyarov. With just one round to go, Mamedyarov knew this was his last chance to catch up with Ponomariov so he tried an interesting novelty right on the fifth move against him in a Queens Gambit Declined game. There are very, very few games played with this novelty... that too usually by chess players of far lower rating. But grandmasters are always preparing new stuff. Meanwhile, Le Quang also managed to draw with Leko after a long game.
Needless to add, Ponomariov is assured of at least joint first.
Results of Round 9
-----------------------
Liem Le Quang-Peter Leko 1/2-1/2
Shak. Mamedyarov-Ruslan Ponomariov 1/2-1/2
Arkadij Naiditsch-Vladimir Kramnik 1-0
Standings after Round 9
--------------------------
1. Ponomariov R. 6.0
2. Le Quang Liem 5.0
3. Mamedyarov S. 5.0
4. Kramnik V. 4.0
5. Naiditsch 4.0
6. Leko P. 3.0
Here is the Mamedyarov-Ponomariov game for you to watch in flash below or run through our pgnplayer. You can check the official website here.
Dortmund Sparkassen Chess: Ponomariov extends lead to full point after eight rounds
German GM Arkadij Naiditsch: Not so happy about Round 8
Hi Everybody!
GM Ruslan Ponomariov has extended his lead to a full point after eight rounds in the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meet. The Ukrainian Grandmaster took advantage of a tactical error by top German Grandmaster Arkadij Naiditsch. There are two more rounds to go. The other two games ended as draws.
Le Quang played an Open Catalan against Mamedyarov. Both are tied at second place. Leko also played an Open Catalan against Kramnik but nothing happened more than a draw.
The 38th edition of the annual tournament is is being held in Dortmund, Germany. It is a six-player round robin. No draw offers are allowed. The arbiter declares a draw if no win is possible by a side or a position is repeated three times.
Results of Round 8
----------------------
Peter Leko-Vladimir Kramnik 1/2-1/2
Ruslan Ponomariov-Arkadij Naiditsch 1-0
Le Quang Liem-Shak. Mamedyarov 1/2-1/2
Standings after Round 8
---------------------------
1. Ponomariov R. 5.5
2. Le Quang Liem 4.5
3. Mamedyarov S. 4.5
4. Kramnik V. 4.0
5. Naiditsch 3.0
6. Leko P. 2.5
Here is the nice Ponomariov-Naiditsch game. Pgnplayer works great if you want to run the moves or simply watch in flash below. You can check the official website in German here.
Dortmund Sparkassen Chess: Ponomariov maintains lead after seventh round
Naiditsch and Liem settling their game with a draw.
Hi Everybody!
The Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meet is interestingly poised. Ponomariov kept his half point lead after seven rounds even as Shakhriyar Mamedyarov bounced back with a nice win to stay tied in second spot with Le Quang Liem.
Mamedyarov had ruined a nice White game in the sixth round with a blunder against Naiditsch. In the seventh round, Mamedyarov showed that he has not allowed that blunder to unsettle him in any way!
The seventh round saw two draws and the only win by Mamedyarov over Peter Leko. You can see the official site here.
Results of Round 7
-----------------------
1. Shak. Mamedyarov-Peter Leko 1-0
2. Arkadij Naiditsch-Le Quang Liem 1/2-1/2
3. Vladimir Kramnik-Ruslan Ponomariov 1/2-1/2
Standings after Round 7
-----------------------------
1. Ponomariov R. 4.5
2. Le Quang Liem 4.0
3. Mamedyarov S. 4.0
4. Kramnik V. 3.5
5. Naiditsch 3.0
6. Leko P. 2.0
Here is the nice Mamedyarov-Leko game. You can run it in our pgnplayer or watch in flash below.
Dortmund Sparkassen Chess: Sixth round marked by Mamedyarov's blunder
Arkadij Naiditsch whose opponent decided to self-destruct
Hello Everyone!
This is possibly going to go down as the 'blunder of the year'. A sad one for Mamedyarov during the sixth round at the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting.
Blunders are the most horrifying aspect of chess. You can play hard all through the game and then one careless thought can ruin hours of toil. Check out this step-by-step commentary on how Mamedyarov lost to Naiditsch.
You can look at the full game below in flash or run the pgnplayer with the moves.
Meanwhile, Le Quang tried a novelty against Kramnik and managed to trouble the latter a bit but the game ended in a draw. The Leko-Ponomariov game too ended in a draw. Ponomariov continues to lead with Liem a half point away at second spot. You can find more details at the official website of the tournament.
Dortmund Sparkassen Chess: Ponomariov back in lead after five rounds
Ruslan Ponomariov: Back in lead at Dortmund
Hello Everyone,
Ruslan Ponomariov regained his lead at the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting after beating Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in the fifth round.
Vladimir Kramnik won his first game in the tournament with white against Arkadij Naiditsch. Peter Leko played a sober Caro-Kann Advance variation against Le Quang Liem. Leko lost eventually thanks to a blunder. Ruslan Ponomariov found a slight advantage as White against Mamedyarov and managed to regain the lead.
You can check the official website here. Here is the interesting Ponomariov-Mamedyarov game that you can run in our pgnplayer or watch in flash below.
Le Quang Liem of Vietnam has surprised the chess world early this year by winning the Aeroflot 2010 in Moscow. That's how he had got an entry into the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting. The 19-year-old showed his chess strength again in the fourth round by beating tournament leader Ruslan Ponomariov in the fourth round. The other games were all draws.
Ponomariov's loss allowed Mamedyarov to take the lead with half a point. Liem jumped to third spot. Plenty of games to go in the tournament so watch out for more exciting chess and surprises.
Results of Round 4
------------------------
Arkadij Naiditsch-Peter Leko 1/2-1/2
Shak. Mamedyarov-Vladimir Kramnik 1/2-1/2
Le Quang Liem-Ruslan Ponomariov 1-0
Standings after Round 4
-------------------------------
1. S. Mamedyarov 3.0
2. R. Ponomariov 2.5
3. Le Quang Liem 2.0
4. V. Kramnik 1.5
5. P. Leko 1.5
6. A. Naiditsch 1.5
Here is the nice game between Liem and Ponomariov. You can run it in the pgnplayer or watch in flash below.
Dortmund Sparkassen Chess: Mamedyarov catches up with Ponomariov to lead after 3 rounds
GM S. Mamedyarov who scored a
nice win against Liem in Round 3
Hello Everyone,
The no-draw rule is making the Dortmund Sparkassen full of fighting chess games. However, there was only one decisive result in Round 3. In an Open Catalan against Leko, Kramnik nearly lost but managed to draw. Ponomariov too nearly lost his game against Naiditsch but escaped with a draw. Mamedyarov, however, won his complicated game against the young Vietnamese Le Quang Liem.
Results of Round 3
-------------------------
Vladimir Kramnik-Peter Leko 1/2-1/2
Arkadij Naiditsch-Ruslan Ponomariov 1/2-1/2
Shak. Mamedyarov- Le Quang Liem 1-0
Standings after Round 3
------------------------------
1. S. Mamedyarov 2.5
2. R. Ponomariov 2.5
3. P. Leko 1.0
4. A. Naiditsch 1.0
5. V. Kramnik 1.0
6. Le Quang Liem 1.0
Here is the nice game between Mamedyarov and Le Quang Liem. You can check it in our pgnplayer or flash below. You can also check the official website for more statistics.
Dortmund Sparkassen Chess: Liem holds Kramnik to draw in opening round
Top seed at Dortmund
Hello Everyone,
The 38th edition of the Annual Sparkassen Chess-Meeting is taking place in Dortmund, Germany, from July 15-25, 2010. It is a six-player round robin, in which each player has to play two games against each other, one with white and one with black pieces. What makes the tournament more exciting is that draw offers are not allowed unless given by the arbiter. There would be a total of 10 rounds.
Here is the list of players with title, country, year of birth, rating.
1. Kramnik, VladimirGM RUS 1975 2790
2. Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar GM AZE 1985 2760
3. Ponomariov, Ruslan GM UKR 1983 2737
4. Leko, PeterGM HUN 1979 2735
5. Naiditsch, ArkadijGM GER 1985 2691
6. Le, Quang LiemGM VIE 1991 2689
Results of Round 1
-----------------------
1. Ruslan Ponomariov-Peter Leko 1-0
2. Vladimir Kramnik-Le Quang Liem ½-½
3. Arkadij Naiditsch-Shak. Mamedyarov 0-1
Here is the nice Scotch game between Ponomariov and Leko. You can run it in our pgnplayer or watch it in flash below. Check the official website for more details.
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12th Women's World Chess Champion
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