Tal Memorial

[Eoin Devane]

For anyone interested, there's a very good video stream of the Tal Memorial at:

http://www.russiachess.org/live/online/ ... VIEW=VIDEO

The live games, with comments from GM Naiditsch, are available at:

http://www.chessdom.com/tal-memorial-2011-live

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The Carlsen-Gelfand game is well worth playing through!

[AustinElliott]

The Carlsen-Gelfand game is well worth playing through!

Yes, quite a game. The accompanying annotations from Naiditsch are good too

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Some good games, despite the fact that all the games in the last three rounds (rounds 3-6) have been drawn! That is 30 games over six rounds, with only 6 decisive results (20%). When was the last time all games in a top GM APA tournament were drawn for three rounds in a row? That must be some sort of record.

[Alex Holowczak]

When was the last time all games in a top GM APA tournament were drawn for three rounds in a row? That must be some sort of record.

There was a tournament a few years ago which featured a 4-player double APA. Every single game in the tournament was a draw!

[Christopher Kreuzer]

One win in round 7 (Ivanchuk beat Nakamura). So with 2 rounds left, all 10 players are still only separated by 1.5 points with Nakamura and Gelfand at the bottom on 2.5/7 (-2) and a 5-way tie at the top on 4/7 (+1) - Carlsen, Aronian, Ivanchuk, Karjakin and Nepomniachtchi. Anand, Svidler and Kramnik somewhere in-between. Has anyone won a GM APA with 'only' +1?

[Ian Kingston]

Four draws in Round 8, but Aronian appears to be winning a brilliant endgame against Svidler (currently at move 52).

Edit: Aronian wins. Half-point lead going into the last round.

[Paul Cooksey]

Anand and Kramink getting some criticism from the ICC commentators Seirawan and Atalik for taking safe draws in positions where they were better.

First time I've heard Atalik commentate live, he is very good.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Anand's last round game is against Gelfand. I wonder if this is the last time they are scheduled to play before their match next year? If so, I'd predict a rapid and anodyne draw there. Which would mean Anand would have drawn all his games. Aronian will have Black against Nepomniachtchi (half a point behind him), so the winning score will be at least 5.5/9 unless Aronian wins. Of the three others half a point behind Aronian, Ivanchuk has Black against Karjakin (both on the same score), and Carlsen has Black against Nakamura, who is still trailing last with Gelfand.

[Paul Dargan]

I noticed about halway through the event that the final round pairings had Nakamura-Carlsen. I wonder whether Carlsen's recent comments about half a dozen players (including himself) just understanding more about chess than Nakamura will add a certain spice ot the encounter?

Paul

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I noticed about halway through the event that the final round pairings had Nakamura-Carlsen. I wonder whether Carlsen's recent comments about half a dozen players (including himself) just understanding more about chess than Nakamura will add a certain spice ot the encounter?

Carlsen beat Nakamura, leaving him (Nakamura) in last place and Carlsen in first place. 'Spice' is probably understating it. I get the feeling Carlsen is learning how to play mind-games... Wonder where he got that from? The game between Anand and Gelfand was indeed drawn. Aronian tied for first with Carlsen, but lost out on tie-break (Carlsen had more Blacks). Still, Carlsen and Aronian are now the top two players in the world in the live rankings. Anand dropped below Aronian, and Kramnik has crashed out of the 2800 club (in terms of live rankings at least). Wonder how this sets things up for the London Chess Classic? Can Carlsen win again? Can Kramnik recoup the rating points? Will Anand be guarded in his openings? Will Aronian sweep all before him? Can Nakamura do better in the rematch? How will the English players do?

[Mick Norris]

The critical point is whether Kramnik can keep sufficient of his ratings lead over Karjakin to reverse the position on the July rating list and get the third rating place in the Candidates (behind Carlsen and Aronian)

Apart from that, I would expect Carlsen to win the event on tie-break