Awesome Aronian Still Tops Amber
Submitted by SonofPearl on Chess.com
As the best chess players in the world enter the finishing straight of the Amber tournament, Lev Aronian holds a commanding position at the head of the field.With just two rounds to go, the popular Armenian increased his lead over his nearest rival Magnus Carlsen to a full point.
Aronian's victim in today's ninth round was Vladimir Kramnik, who is having a tournament he will want to forget as soon as possible. Aronian won the blindfold game and their rapid clash ended in a draw, leaving Aronian as king of the hill with 13 points, and Kramnik down in the dumps with just 6.
The big clash between Magnus Carlsen and Vishy Anand saw the champion win the blindfold game only for Carlsen to return the favour by taking the rapid.
In a similar fashion Hikaru Nakamura managed a blindfold win over Veselin Topalov only to lose the return game in the rapid. Ditto for Vugar Gashimov and Boris Gelfand in their match.
In fact, the only other match-loss in round nine came when Anish Giri lost his rapid game against Alexander Grischuk.
Chess.com will have live coverage of round ten on Wednesday 23 March for Platinum and Diamond members starting 6:20 Pacific Time in the US.
The final rounds pit Aronian against Topalov and Karjakin, while Carlsen faces Grischuk and Gelfand. The results on day nine:
| Blind | Gashimov-Gelfand | 1-0 |
| Giri-Grischuk | ½-½ | |
| Carlsen-Anand | 0-1 | |
| Blind | Nakamura-Topalov | 1-0 |
| Aronian-Kramnik | 1-0 | |
| Ivanchuk-Karjakin | ½-½ | |
| Rapid | Gelfand-Gashimov | 1-0 |
| Grischuk-Giri | 1-0 | |
| Anand-Carlsen | 0-1 | |
| Rapid | Topalov-Nakamura | 1-0 |
| Kramnik-Aronian | ½-½ | |
| Karjakin-Ivanchuk | ½-½ |
The standings after day nine:
| 1 | Aronian, Levon | ARM | 2808 | 13 |
| 2 | Carlsen, Magnus | NOR | 2815 | 12 |
| 3 | Ivanchuk, Vassily | UKR | 2779 | 9½ |
| 4 | Anand, Viswanathan | IND | 2817 | 9½ |
| 5 | Grischuk, Alexander | RUS | 2747 | 9½ |
| 6 | Gashimov, Vugar | AZE | 2746 | 9 |
| 7 | Nakamura, Hikaru | USA | 2774 | 8½ |
| 8 | Topalov, Veselin | BUL | 2775 | 8½ |
| 9 | Karjakin, Sergey | RUS | 2776 | 8 |
| 10 | Gelfand, Boris | ISR | 2733 | 8 |
| 11 | Giri, Anish | NED | 2690 | 6½ |
| 12 | Kramnik, Vladimir | RUS | 2785 | 6 |
Aronian and Kramnik have had VERY different tournaments
Aronian, Levon (2808) vs. Kramnik, Vladimir (2785)
20th Amber Blindfold | Monaco MNC | Round 9| 22 Mar 2011 | ECO: D31 | 1-0
1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4Be7 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bf4Nf6 6. e3 Bf5 7. Qb3 Nc68. g4 Nxg4 9. Qxd5 Qc810. Qg2 O-O 11. e4 Bxe412. Nxe4 Bb4+ 13. Nc3Qf5 14. Be2 Rfe8 15. Kf1Nf6 16. Bh6 g6 17. Qg5Nxd4 18. Rd1 Bxc319. bxc3 Ne4 20. Qxf5Nxf5 21. Bd2 Rad822. Be1 Rxd1 23. Bxd1Re5 24. Nf3 Rc5 25. Bb3Nxc3 26. Ne5 Ne427. Nxf7 Kg7 28. f3 Nf629. Bf2 Rc3 30. Ng5 Nh531. Ke2 Nf4+ 32. Kd2Rd3+ 33. Kc2 Kh634. Nf7+ Kh5 35. Rg1 h636. Ne5 Ne3+ 37. Kb1Rc3 38. Nxg6 Nh339. Nf4+
Kramnik, Vladimir (2785) vs. Aronian, Levon (2808)
20th Amber Rapid | Monaco MNC | Round 9| 22 Mar 2011 | ECO: D85 | 1/2-1/2
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Be3c5 8. Qd2 cxd4 9. cxd4Nc6 10. Rd1 Bg4 11. Be2Bxe2 12. Nxe2 Na513. Rc1 O-O 14. O-O b515. Qb4 a6 16. a4 Nc417. axb5 Nxe3 18. fxe3axb5 19. Qxb5 Ra320. Rf3 Bh6 21. Rc3 Ra1+22. Rf1 Rxf1+ 23. Kxf1 e624. g3 Qa8 25. d5 Rb826. Ra3 Qxa3 27. Qxb8+Bf8 28. dxe6 fxe6 29. Kf2Qa1 30. Qb3 Qf6+31. Nf4 Kf7 32. Ke2 Qe533. Kf3 g5 34. Qb7+ Be735. Nd3 Qa1 36. Nf2 Qf137. Qb2 g4+ 38. Kxg4Qg2 39. Qc2 h5+40. Kxh5 Qxh2+ 41. Kg4Bd6 42. Kf3 Bxg3
Carlsen and Anand swapped wins
Carlsen, Magnus (2815) vs. Anand, Viswanathan (2817)
20th Amber Blindfold | Monaco MNC | Round 9| 22 Mar 2011 | ECO: B23 | 0-1
1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. f4g6 4. Nf3 Bg7 5. Bb5+Bd7 6. Bc4 Nc6 7. O-ONa5 8. d3 Nxc4 9. dxc4Bxc3 10. bxc3 Bc6 11. e5Qc7 12. Qd3 f5 13. Ng5h6 14. Qh3 dxe5 15. Be3e4 16. Ne6 Qc8 17. Nxc5Nf6 18. Bd4 Kf7 19. Rae1a5 20. Re2 b5 21. Nb3bxc4 22. Nd2 Bd523. Rfe1 Qd8 24. Qh4 e625. Rb1 Qe7 26. Nxc4Nd7 27. Qxe7+ Kxe728. Ne3 Rhb8 29. Rxb8Rxb8 30. c4 Bc6 31. Rd2e5 32. Bxe5 Nxe533. fxe5 f4 34. Nd5+Bxd5 35. Rxd5 Rb1+36. Kf2 Rb2 37. Rd4Rxc2+ 38. Kf1 f3 39. gxf3exf3 40. Rd6 g5 41. Rxh6Rxa2 42. h3 a4 43. Rf6Ra1+ 44. Kf2 a3 45. Ra6a2
Anand, Viswanathan (2817) vs. Carlsen, Magnus (2815)
20th Amber Rapid | Monaco MNC | Round 9| 22 Mar 2011 | ECO: C77 | 0-1
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc63. Bb5 Nf6 4. Qe2 a65. Ba4 Be7 6. c3 d6 7. O-O O-O 8. d4 Bd7 9. d5Nb8 10. Bxd7 Nbxd711. c4 g6 12. Nc3 Nh513. Rb1 Ng7 14. b4 f515. Be3 Rb8 16. Rfd1Qe8 17. a4 f4 18. Bd2 g519. h3 h5 20. Nh2 Qg621. f3 Ne8 22. Rdc1 Nef623. Kf1 Kf7 24. Ke1 g425. Kd1 gxh3 26. gxh3Rg8 27. Kc2 Qg2 28. Rh1Qxe2 29. Nxe2 Rg230. Kd3 Nb6 31. Rbg1Rbg8 32. Rxg2 Rxg233. a5 Nxc4 34. Bc1 b535. axb6 Nxb6 36. Nf1Nh7 37. h4 Nf8 38. Bd2Ng6 39. Be1 Na4 40. Rg1Rxg1 41. Nxg1 Bxh442. Bd2 Ke7 43. Nh3 Kd7
Topalov and Nakamura also traded wins...
Nakamura, Hikaru (2774) vs. Topalov, Veselin (2775)
20th Amber Blindfold | Monaco MNC | Round 9| 22 Mar 2011 | ECO: D72 | 1-0
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3Bg7 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5Nxd5 6. e4 Nb6 7. Ne2c5 8. d5 O-O 9. O-O e610. Nec3 Na6 11. a4exd5 12. exd5 Nc413. Na3 Ne5 14. h3 Nb415. Be3 b6 16. Qe2 Bf517. Rfd1 Qd7 18. Kh2Rae8 19. Qd2 h5 20. Bh6h4 21. g4 Bxg4 22. Bxg7Kxg7 23. hxg4 h3 24. Be4Nxg4+ 25. Kh1 f5 26. Bf3Qd6 27. Bxg4 fxg428. Rg1 Qf6 29. Rg3 Qxf230. Qxf2 Rxf2 31. Rd1Rf4 32. Nab5 Re7 33. d6Rd7 34. Re3 Nc6 35. Nd5Rf2 36. Rg3 Ne5 37. Ne3Rf4 38. Rd5 Kf6 39. b3a6 40. Nc7 Re4 41. a5bxa5 42. Nxa6
Topalov, Veselin (2775) vs. Nakamura, Hikaru (2774)
20th Amber Rapid | Monaco MNC | Round 9| 22 Mar 2011 | ECO: C11 | 1-0
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c56. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 cxd48. Nxd4 Qb6 9. Qd2Qxb2 10. Rb1 Qa311. Bb5 Nxd4 12. Bxd4a6 13. Rb3 Qe7 14. Ba4b5 15. Bxb5 axb516. Nxb5 Qd8 17. Qc3Qa5 18. Nc7+ Kd819. Nxa8 Qxa8 20. O-OQa4 21. Kh1 Be7 22. Rfb1f6 23. exf6 gxf6 24. Rb6Qxa2 25. Re1 Qc426. Rbxe6 Bb4 27. Bxf6+Nxf6 28. Qxf6+ Kc729. Re7+ Bd7 30. Qe5+Kc6 31. Qxh8 Bxe732. Qa8+ Kc7 33. Qa7+Kd8 34. Qb8+ Bc835. Qe5 Bc5 36. f5 Qxc237. f6 Qf5 38. Qe8+ Kc739. Rc1 Kb6 40. f7 d441. Qd8+ Kb5 42. Qc7
...as did Gashimov and Gelfand
Gashimov, Vugar (2746) vs. Gelfand, Boris (2733)
20th Amber Blindfold | Monaco MNC | Round 9| 22 Mar 2011 | ECO: A22 | 1-0
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. g3d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2Nb6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Rb1 a58. O-O Be7 9. d3 O-O10. Be3 Be6 11. Bxb6cxb6 12. Qa4 Rc813. Rbc1 f5 14. Rfd1 Bf615. a3 Kh8 16. e3 Bf717. Nd2 Bh5 18. Bf3 Be819. Qb3 Bf7 20. Bd5 Bh521. Be6 Bxd1 22. Rxd1 f423. Bxc8 Qxc8 24. Qd5Qg4 25. Qe4 Qh5 26. Re1Bg5 27. Kg2 fxe328. fxe3 Nd4 29. Rf1Rxf1 30. Nxf1 Nc231. Qf5 h6 32. h4 Ne1+33. Kf2 Bxe3+ 34. Nxe3Qxf5+ 35. Nxf5 Nxd3+36. Ke3 Nxb2 37. Nd6
Gelfand, Boris (2733) vs. Gashimov, Vugar (2746)
20th Amber Rapid | Monaco MNC | Round 9| 22 Mar 2011 | ECO: A60 | 1-0
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5e6 4. Nc3 exd5 5. cxd5Bd6 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 O-O8. Nf3 Re8 9. e3 a610. a4 Bf8 11. d6 Re612. Bc4 Rxd6 13. Qb3Qe8 14. Bg3 Nc615. Bxd6 Bxd6 16. Nd5Nxd5 17. Bxd5 Nb418. O-O Bf8 19. e4 d620. h3 Rb8 21. a5 b522. axb6 Rxb6 23. Qc3g6 24. Rfe1 Bg7 25. Qd2Nxd5 26. exd5 Qd727. Rab1 Kh7 28. Qf4 a529. Qh4 Rb4 30. Ng5+Kg8 31. Ne4 Kh8 32. Qg3Rb6 33. Nd2 Ba6 34. b3Kh7 35. Rbd1 Qf536. Ne4 Be5 37. Qe3 Rb438. Nxc5 Bf4 39. Qe8dxc5 40. d6 Rxb341. Re7 Bc4 42. d7 Rxh343. gxh3 Qg5+ 44. Kh1Qf5 45. Re3 Bxe346. Qxe3 Bd5+ 47. Kh2Qxd7 48. Qxc5 Qf549. Rxd5 Qf4+ 50. Kg1 a451. Qd4 Qc1+ 52. Qd1Qc3 53. Rd3 Qb4 54. Qa1Qf4 55. Ra3 Qg5+ 56. Rg3Qf4 57. Rg4 Qf3 58. Rg3Qf4 59. Qa3 h5 60. Rf3Qc4 61. Qe3 Kg862. Qe8+ Kg7 63. Qe5+Kg8 64. Rc3 Qa665. Qe8+ Kg7 66. Rc8
Giri losing his rapid game with Grischuk
Grischuk, Alexander (2747) vs. Giri, Anish (2690)
20th Amber Rapid | Monaco MNC | Round 9| 22 Mar 2011 | ECO: D90 | 1-0
No comments:
Post a Comment