No Logo Norway Chess 2014 R4, 5: Vladimir Kramnik takes Sole Lead
Hello chess friends, have you been following the No Logo Norway Chess supertournament over the weekend? ROund 5 witnessed three decisive games including the first win of the tournament by World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen - from a losing game against none other than Levon Aronian!
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen on his way to beating Levon Aronian. Photo: Official website - http://norwaychess.com/
The game lasted almost seven hours and it must have been a big psychological win for the World No. 1 over the World No. 2 as Magnus Carlsen came back to win from a surely lost position. Of course Norwegian fans would be over the top exulting at the victory. The win puts Carlsen back in contention for the title.
On the other hand, the overnight tournament leader Fabiano Caruana blundered in a drawn Rook endgame giving the tournament a new leader in Vladimir Kramnik.
The third decisive game of Round 5 had Anish Giri make all the best of a blunder by Veselin Topalov and win. The veteran Norwegian in the field, Simen Agdestein missed a clear win to settle for a draw with Alexander Grischuk. Peter Svidler as well, despite an advantage over Sergey Karjakin, had to settle for a draw.
Earlier, Round 4 witnessed just one decisive game. All games were drawn except Sergey Karjakin playing with complete focus to turn a lost position into a victory over Alexander Grishuk.
Detailed reports and excellent live commentary is available on the official website.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: no logo norway chess 2014
2014 No Logo Norway Chess 2014 R3: Carlsen escapes Caruana, Karjakin escapes Agdestein, Grischuk, Kramnik Win
Hello chess friends, the Norway Chess Super Tournament witnessed a thrilling day of escape artists on Thursday in Round 3. Not only did World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen escape with a draw from the clutches of Fabiano Caruana in a totally lost game, but Sergey Karjakin pulled off a similar feat as well from the clutches of Simen Agdestein.
The Russians, however, had plenty to cheer about. Top Russian Grandmaster Alexander Grischuk ground out World No. 2 Levon Aronian after the latter's blunder and former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik forced Dutchman Anish Giri to blunder in a difficult position.
Meanwhile, Peter Svidler and Veselin Topalov played a calm game to reach a draw.
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen escapes by the skin of his teeth versus Fabiano Caruana. Photo: Official website detailed report Round 3.
You just can't be missing the live broadcast of all the rounds at the official website. There is a detailed report on Round 3 with comments and analysis at the site as well. The organisers are active on social media with regular contests. Friday is a rest day and here is a list of chess activities parallel to the main tournament:
Friday, 6 June: 12:00pm School tournament - Vitenfabrikken in Sandnes
Friday, 6 June: 4:00pm Players visit the school tournament
Friday, 6 June: 5:30pm Players visit Westernbyen (Old West Town), cultural events and mingling
Saturday, 7 June: 3:30pm 4th round - Vågen Secondary School in Sandnes
Sunday, 8 June: 3:30pm 5th round - Scandic Forus
Monday, 9 June: 3:30pm 6th round - Aarbakke Bryne
Tuesday, 10 June: 3:30pm 7th round - Scandic Forus
Wednesday, 11 June: Day off
Wednesday, 11 June: 3:30pm Celebrity and sponsor tournament - Hall Toll in Stavanger
Thursday, 12 June: 3:30pm 8th round - Scandic Forus
Friday, 13 June: 2:30pm 9th round - Scandic Forus
Friday, 13 June: 8:30pm Award ceremony and banquet – Scandic Forus
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: no logo norway chess 2014
No Logo Norway Chess 2014 Round 2: Caruana Leads with Perfect Score
Hello chess friends, chess fireworks have begun in Norway with three decisive games in Round 2 at the exciting No Logo Norway Chess currently on in Stavanger. Fabiano Caruana leads with a perfect score after Round 2. Aronian has 1.5. Carlsen, Kramnik, Giri, Agdestein, Grischuk are all at 1 point. Svidler, Karjakin and Topalov have 0.5.
The top game of the day ended in draw: Kramnik vs Carlsen. Photo: Official Website
Vladimir Kramnik-Magnus Carlsen put up a chess display, but the perfect play was to lead only to a logical draw. Anish Giri could not spot a win and had to settle for a draw with veteran Simen Agdestein who is the talk of the tournament being both Carlsen's former chess teacher and having made a huge comeback to international chess in the recent past. Agdestein is one of those few double-talents who has also represented Norway internationally in football.
Fabiano Caruana might have actually been surprised when he beat Peter Svidler's Sicilian. The game was a sharp one and both players went for well-known lines that were obvious home prep for at least move 11. However, Svidler picked up a pawn and then got into a complicated position where his 'computer' memory failed him and he was forced to give up his Queen for a Bishop and a Rook. It was downhill after that despite his valiant effort.
World No. 2 Levon Aronian who has already declared that he would be rooting for Simen Agdestein after the latter's draw with him in the first round, went all guns blazing against the Russian Sergey Karjakin. Aronian had a clever strategy, all the will and no loosening of the leash as in the previous round. Aronian was patient, held on to his slight opening advantage, maneuvered his Knight to go into a Rook endgame that could have still secured a draw for the defending champion. However, Karjakin erred and Aronian took a full point on a won endgame for White.
The one other game, Veselin Topalov – Alexander Grischuk had the Russian on edge as he had lost the first round to Caruana in time trouble. In Round 2, it was Topalov's blunder in time trouble that gave Grischuk the full point.
You can find a great detailed report on Round 2 at the official website where the daily chess action is live every day.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: no logo norway chess 2014
No Logo Norway Chess 2014: Grischuk's time-trouble blunder gives Caruana Round 1 lead
Hello chess friends, the No Logo Norway Chess SuperTournament has begun and we're all hooked. After World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen ran away with the pairings blitz on the opening ceremony, the first round witnessed just one decisive game. This was Fabiano Caruana winning as Alexander Grischuk stumbled in time trouble and blundered.
Grischuk's time-trouble blunder gives Caruana Round 1 lead. Photo: Official website
The other games were excellent draws with Levon Aronian versus Simen Agdestein being the most talked about: Agdestein was unwell, but chose to go ahead with the tournament and held his own against the World No. 2 with an excellent exchange sacrifice.
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen tried and tried against the young talent Anish Giri, but as he himself remarked later, you cannot win when the opponent is playing extremely accurately! Carlsen's exchange sacrifice was very much of no value in the face of accurate play.
The all-Russian clash of Peter Svidler and Vladimir Kramnik too petered to a draw after simplifications in an English that Svidler thought he could have surprised Kramnik with. However, the former World Chess Champion blitzed away merrily and held on. The Sergey Karjakin - Veselin Topalov game witnessed each trying to test the other's strength, but ended in a logical draw.
You can read a HUGE report on the official website with excellent photographs. Stay tuned, we're not going anywhere... and neither should you from the Norway Chess Tournament. Lots to come!
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
Labels: no logo norway chess 2014
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