2010 Tal Memorial (Moscow, Russia)
Several of the world’s top players are in Moscow, Russia competing in the 5th Tal Memorial. The tournament is named for the 8th World Champion, Mikhail Tal of the Soviet Union. The 10-player event takes place from November 5th to November 14th and is a nine-round round-robin event. The field is lead by Levon Aronian who is #3 in the world, but the field does not thin out after him. Vladimir Kramnik will also compete.
The field also includes veterans Boris Gelfand and Alexei Shirov and a cadre of young stars. Alexander Grischuk, Sergey Karjakin, Hikaru Nakamura, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Pavel Eljanov and Wang Hao round out the field.
Time control: 40 moves in 100 minutes followed by 20 moves in 50 minutes followed by the game in 15 minutes with a 30 second increment as of move one.
Game start: 3 PM local time (5 AM Pacific daylight / 8 AM New York / 1 PM Paris) – rest day on November 9th (Mikhail Tal’s birthday)
Friday, 5 November 2010
Levon Aronian-Vladimir Kramnik, 1-0
Alexander Grischuk-Pavel Eljanov, 1-0
Sergey Karjakin-Boris Gelfand, 1-0
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov–Hikaru Nakamura, ½-½
Alexei Shirov–Wang Hao, 0-1
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Hikaru Nakamura – Pavel Eljanov, 1-0
Vladimir Kramnik – Alexander Grischuk, ½-½
Wang Hao – Levon Aronian, ½-½
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – Sergey Karjakin, ½-½
Boris Gelfand – Alexei Shirov, 1-0
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Sergey Karjakin – Hikaru Nakamura, ½-½
Levon Aronian – Boris Gelfand, 1-0
Alexander Grischuk – Wang Hao, ½-½
Pavel Eljanov – Vladimir Kramnik, 0-1
Alexei Shirov – Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, 0-1
Monday, 8 November 2010
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – Levon Aronian, ½-½
Boris Gelfand – Alexander Grischuk, ½-½
Sergey Karjakin – Alexei Shirov, ½-½
Wang Hao – Pavel Eljanov, ½-½
Hikaru Nakamura – Vladimir Kramnik, ½-½
Vladimir Kramnik facing Hikaru Nakamura (½-½)
Photo © ChessVibes.com.
(after four rounds)
1st. Aronian, 3
2nd-6th: Mamedyarov, Karjakin, Nakamura, Grischuk, Wang, 2½;
7th: Kramnik, 2; 8th: Gelfand, 1½; 9th-10th: Eljanov, Shirov, ½
Going in the the second half of the tournament, Aronian inches closer to Carlsen on the live rating list. He is now at 2809, only three ELO points behind Carlsen’s 2812. Anand is the official number one according to the FIDE list. Hans Arild Runde’s “live” list tracks players game-by-game.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Levon Aronian – Sergey Karjakin, ½-½
Pavel Eljanov – Boris Gelfand, 1-0
Alexander Grischuk – Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, ½-½
Vladimir Kramnik – Wang Hao, ½-½
Alexei Shirov – Hikaru Nakamura, ½-½
(after five rounds)
1st. Aronian, 3½
2nd-6th: Mamedyarov, Karjakin, Nakamura, Grischuk, Wang, 3;
7th: Kramnik, 2½; 8th-9th: Eljanov, Gelfand, 1½; 10th: Shirov, 1
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Hikaru Nakamura – Wang Hao, ½-½
Sergey Karjakin – Alexander Grischuk, ½-½
Alexei Shirov – Levon Aronian , ½-½
Boris Gelfand – Vladimir Kramnik, ½-½
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – Pavel Eljanov, 1-0
(after six rounds)
1st-2nd. Aronian, Mamedyarov, 4
3rd-6th: Karjakin, Grischuk, Nakamura, Wang, 3½;
7th: Kramnik, 3; 8th: Gelfand, 2; 9th-10th: Eljanov, Shirov, 1½
Friday, 12 November 2010
Levon Aronian – Hikaru Nakamura, ½-½
Vladimir Kramnik – Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, ½-½
Wang Hao – Boris Gelfand, 1-0
Pavel Eljanov – Sergey Karjakin, ½-½
Alexander Grischuk – Alexei Shirov, ½-½
(after seven rounds)
1st-3rd. Aronian, Mamedyarov, Wang, 4½
4th-6th: Karjakin, Grischuk, Nakamura, 4;
7th: Kramnik, 3½; 8th: Gelfand, 2½; 9th-10th: Eljanov, Shirov, 2
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Hikaru Nakamura – Boris Gelfand, ½-½
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov – Wang Hao, 1-0
Sergey Karjakin – Vladimir Kramnik, 1-0
Alexei Shirov – Pavel Eljanov, 1-0
Levon Aronian – Alexander Grischuk, ½-½
(after eight rounds)
1st: Mamedyarov, 5½
2nd-3rd: Aronian, Karjakin, 5;
4th-6th: Grischuk, Nakamura, Wang, 4½;
7th: Kramnik, 3½; 8th-9th: Gelfand, Shirov, 3;
10th: Eljanov, 2
Exciting finale at Tal Memorial. Mamedyarov was dominated by Gelfand while Aronian drew with Eljanov to gain a tie for first. Wang Hao blew a chance at first when he allowed Karjakin to counter and get a perpetual check. If Nakamura closes out Grischuk, he will share a four-way tie for first.
Sunday, 14 November 2010
Boris Gelfand – Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, 1-0
Wang Hao – Sergey Karjakin, ½-½
Vladimir Kramnik – Alexei Shirov, 1-0
Hikaru Nakamura – Alexander Grischuk, ½-½
Pavel Eljanov – Levon Aronian, ½-½
(after nine rounds)
1st-3rd: Aronian, Karjakin, Mamedyarov, 5½;
4th-6th: Grischuk, Wang, Nakamura, 5; 7th: Kramnik, 4½;
8th: Gelfand, 4; 9th: Shirov, 3; 10th: Eljanov, 2½