Grand-Prix 2017 Events Venues and Dates confirmed

[Joshua Gibbs]

the opening is similar to this game http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1067631

[Mick Norris]

Bo. No. Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name Rtg No.
1 1 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2796 0 1 - 0 0 GM Li Chao B 2720 10
2 11 GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2711 0 ½ - ½ 0 GM Aronian Levon 2785 2
3 3 GM Nakamura Hikaru 2785 0 ½ - ½ 0 GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2709 12
4 13 GM Vallejo Pons Francisco 2709 0 ½ - ½ 0 GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 4
5 5 GM Ding Liren 2760 0 0 - 1 0 GM Rapport Richard 2692 14
6 15 GM Riazantsev Alexander 2671 0 ½ - ½ 0 GM Eljanov Pavel 2759 6
7 7 GM Adams Michael 2751 0 1 - 0 0 GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2656 16
8 17 GM Hou Yifan 2651 0 ½ - ½ 0 GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2749 8
9 9 GM Grischuk Alexander 2742 0 ½ - ½ 0 GM Hammer Jon Ludvig 2628 18

[Mick Norris]

Round 2
Bo. No. Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name Rtg No.
1 14 GM Rapport Richard 2692 1 1 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2796 1
2 2 GM Aronian Levon 2785 ½ 1 GM Adams Michael 2751 7
3 18 GM Hammer Jon Ludvig 2628 ½ ½ GM Nakamura Hikaru 2785 3
4 4 GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 ½ ½ GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2711 11
5 6 GM Eljanov Pavel 2759 ½ ½ GM Vallejo Pons Francisco 2709 13
6 8 GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2749 ½ ½ GM Riazantsev Alexander 2671 15
7 12 GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2709 ½ ½ GM Grischuk Alexander 2742 9
8 10 GM Li Chao B 2720 0 ½ GM Hou Yifan 2651 17
9 16 GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2656 0 0 GM Ding Liren 2760 5

[Joshua Gibbs]

Round 2
Bo. No. Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name Rtg No.
1 14 GM Rapport Richard 2692 1 1 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2796 1
2 2 GM Aronian Levon 2785 ½ 1 GM Adams Michael 2751 7
3 18 GM Hammer Jon Ludvig 2628 ½ ½ GM Nakamura Hikaru 2785 3
4 4 GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 ½ ½ GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2711 11
5 6 GM Eljanov Pavel 2759 ½ ½ GM Vallejo Pons Francisco 2709 13
6 8 GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2749 ½ ½ GM Riazantsev Alexander 2671 15
7 12 GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2709 ½ ½ GM Grischuk Alexander 2742 9
8 10 GM Li Chao B 2720 0 ½ GM Hou Yifan 2651 17
9 16 GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2656 0 0 GM Ding Liren 2760 5

many thanks for keeping us up to date Mick, I am sure many others are very grateful for your posts.

[Mick Norris]

chess.com report

There was only a handful of spectators during the first day, but that doesn't say much. It was the online audience that disappointed.

The live show on the official site, which was pay-per-view ($10 for the whole tournament), only had a few hundred concurrent viewers throughout the day. The chat was dominated by two people, one of whom working for Agon/FIDE. And the tournament seemed to be non-existent on Twitter—even the official account hardly sent out anything.

[Roger de Coverly]

The chat was dominated by two people, one of whom working for Agon/FIDE. And the tournament seemed to be non-existent on Twitter—even the official account hardly sent out anything.

Given the hostility shown by Agon to the many chess sites who cover international chess on a regular basis, is it a surprise that these same chess sites haven't been particularly active in the promotion of the Grand Prix?

[Leonard Barden]

Mickey has jumped four places to world No 12 in the live ratings after today's game. I have the impression that this is his highest for quite a while. Am I right?
1 Carlsen 2838.0 0.0 2896.0 2914.0 26
2 ↑1 So 2822.0 0.0 2759.0 2791.0 23
3 ↓1 Caruana 2817.2 −9.8 2752.0 2800.0 24
4 Kramnik 2811.0 0.0 2798.0 2744.0 41
5 Vachier-Lagrave2803.3 +7.3 2770.0 2825.0 26
6 ↑2 Nakamura 2792.7 +7.7 2790.0 2856.6 29
7 ↓1 Anand 2786.0 0.0 2789.0 2766.0 47
8 ↓1 Aronian 2784.0 −1.0 2797.0 2753.0 34
9 Karjakin 2783.0 0.0 2773.0 2883.0 27
10 Giri 2771.9 +2.9 2750.0 2776.0 22
11 Mamedyarov 2765.2 −0.8 2825.0 2772.0 31
12 ↑4 Adams 2761.4 +10.4 2741 i 2768 i 45

[Joshua Gibbs]

Mickey has jumped four places to world No 12 in the live ratings after today's game. I have the impression that this is his highest for quite a while. Am I right?
1 Carlsen 2838.0 0.0 2896.0 2914.0 26
2 ↑1 So 2822.0 0.0 2759.0 2791.0 23
3 ↓1 Caruana 2817.2 −9.8 2752.0 2800.0 24
4 Kramnik 2811.0 0.0 2798.0 2744.0 41
5 Vachier-Lagrave2803.3 +7.3 2770.0 2825.0 26
6 ↑2 Nakamura 2792.7 +7.7 2790.0 2856.6 29
7 ↓1 Anand 2786.0 0.0 2789.0 2766.0 47
8 ↓1 Aronian 2784.0 −1.0 2797.0 2753.0 34
9 Karjakin 2783.0 0.0 2773.0 2883.0 27
10 Giri 2771.9 +2.9 2750.0 2776.0 22
11 Mamedyarov 2765.2 −0.8 2825.0 2772.0 31
12 ↑4 Adams 2761.4 +10.4 2741 i 2768 i 45

it depends on your definition of "quite a while". according to this graph http://www.2700chess.com/players/adams he was no.12 in October 2014

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Mickey has jumped four places to world No 12 in the live ratings after today's game. I have the impression that this is his highest for quite a while. Am I right?

it depends on your definition of "quite a while". according to this graph http://www.2700chess.com/players/adams he was no.12 in October 2014

The same site (if you hover over the 2761 rating or look at the site's entry for Adams) says that his peak rating ever was 2761 in September 2013, when he was again world number 12.

His (Adams') rating and ranking history is both impressive and fascinating. World number 68 at age 18. Reached the top ten by the age of 24. Was ranked around number 4 in the world for around 2 years (aged 28-30). Dipped to 50th in the world at the age of 37, but has spent most of the time since turning 40 still holding his own in the top 20 or so in the world. I forget which of the younger generation (and his peers) have described him as legendary, but he does get a huge amount of deserved respect for his longevity and classy playing strength and style.

Here's hoping he can do well in this tournament after his winning start and reach new heights!

[Joshua Gibbs]

Mickey has jumped four places to world No 12 in the live ratings after today's game. I have the impression that this is his highest for quite a while. Am I right?

it depends on your definition of "quite a while". according to this graph http://www.2700chess.com/players/adams he was no.12 in October 2014

The same site (if you hover over the 2761 rating or look at the site's entry for Adams) says that his peak rating ever was 2761 in September 2013, when he was again world number 12.

His (Adams') rating and ranking history is both impressive and fascinating. World number 68 at age 18. Reached the top ten by the age of 24. Was ranked around number 4 in the world for around 2 years (aged 28-30). Dipped to 50th in the world at the age of 37, but has spent most of the time since turning 40 still holding his own in the top 20 or so in the world. I forget which of the younger generation (and his peers) have described him as legendary, but he does get a huge amount of deserved respect for his longevity and classy playing strength and style.

Here's hoping he can do well in this tournament after his winning start and reach new heights!

I follow him on twitter and really like him, though I don't really understand his games (I dont play structures he plays as well as the rating disparancy). I dont know why he isnt more famous than Short... Susan Polgar gave me a funny response on my Twitter. I think a biography would be very interesting.
edit: Susan deleted her tweet!

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I follow him on twitter and really like him, though I don't really understand his games [...] I think a biography would be very interesting.

There is the 1991 book Michael Adams: Development of a Grandmaster (by him and his father), but for anything since then, I think it is just his website.

His win against Salem was very impressive. Some GM games are hard to understand. I just played through the MVL win today, and the Rapport win (both against Chinese players) and it is not easy to follow some of the ideas (but very instructive if you work it out).

Going back to Mickey's win, the geometry is beautiful. Look at his rooks versus Salem's bishops on moves 20 to 24, and then look at how powerful Mickey's bishops are at move 29.

[Mick Norris]

Mickey has jumped four places to world No 12 in the live ratings after today's game. I have the impression that this is his highest for quite a while. Am I right?

it depends on your definition of "quite a while". according to this graph http://www.2700chess.com/players/adams he was no.12 in October 2014

The same site (if you hover over the 2761 rating or look at the site's entry for Adams) says that his peak rating ever was 2761 in September 2013, when he was again world number 12.

His (Adams') rating and ranking history is both impressive and fascinating. World number 68 at age 18. Reached the top ten by the age of 24. Was ranked around number 4 in the world for around 2 years (aged 28-30). Dipped to 50th in the world at the age of 37, but has spent most of the time since turning 40 still holding his own in the top 20 or so in the world. I forget which of the younger generation (and his peers) have described him as legendary, but he does get a huge amount of deserved respect for his longevity and classy playing strength and style.

Here's hoping he can do well in this tournament after his winning start and reach new heights!

Do we know what Mickey's highest ever live rating was? A draw (or even better a win) against Aronian today would take him over 2761

[Jonathan Rogers]

I'm surprised to learn that Adams didn't make the world top 10 earlier, since he qualified for the KO stages of both workld championship cycles at the age of 22.

Anyway, one of the distinctive features of his best games is that they always seem smooth, such that players of all strengths often feel they understand them and think of each move "I might have played that", though they know of course that they wouldn't. (Eg his apparently effortless win with Black v Gawain in the British last year). Nonetheless I feel sure that he works harder than he used to in order to maintain his level (as one would expect). I would guess that yesterday's very effective pawn sac in the opening was to some extent prepared.

All credit to him. When his results dipped some years back I did wonder about his motivation to bounce back. I expect that his pride was wounded by seeing his name so low down the rating list.

[Mick Norris]

Mickey drew today to take his live rating to 2761.9

[Mick Norris]

Round 3
Bo. No. Name Rtg Pts. Result Pts. Name Rtg No.
1 1 GM Vachier-Lagrave Maxime 2796 2 1½ GM Mamedyarov Shakhriyar 2766 4
2 7 GM Adams Michael 2751 1½ 1 GM Eljanov Pavel 2759 6
3 9 GM Grischuk Alexander 2742 1 1 GM Aronian Levon 2785 2
4 3 GM Nakamura Hikaru 2785 1 1 GM Rapport Richard 2692 14
5 5 GM Ding Liren 2760 1 1 GM Hammer Jon Ludvig 2628 18
6 13 GM Vallejo Pons Francisco 2709 1 1 GM Nepomniachtchi Ian 2749 8
7 17 GM Hou Yifan 2651 1 1 GM Jakovenko Dmitry 2709 12
8 15 GM Riazantsev Alexander 2671 1 ½ GM Li Chao B 2720 10
9 11 GM Tomashevsky Evgeny 2711 ½ 0 GM Salem A.R. Saleh 2656 16