World Rapid and World Blitz in Astana

[Kevin Bonham]

Just posting to show the World Rapid exists! There was some discussion about it as concerns IA norms in another thread. Anyway there won't be any need for those in this case since the arbiter is the veteran IA/IM Filipowicz (who I played and just lost to in a very enjoyable blitz game at the congress tournament last year.)

Both events are headed in seedings by Carlsen, Radjabov, Karjakin, Morozevich, Ivanchuk, Grischuk, Topalov, Svidler, Gelfand. Mamedyarov is also in both and there are six lower-ranked players including some locals in one but not the other (well, mostly lower ranked since Bologan is just ahead of Mamedyarov.) Some of the lower-ranked players are qualifiers.

Rules:

The World Rapid Chess Championship will be played in three days as a round-robin event with five rounds per day. Time controls are 15 minutes for all moves plus 10 seconds increment per move. The World Blitz is a sixteen-player double round robin with 15 rounds per day. The time control is three minutes + two seconds increment per move.

and

Tiebreak rules for first place: (a) results between the players involved; (b) number of wins; (c) Sonneborn-Berger [sic] score; (d) Sudden death game: 5 min vs 4 min.

(A little disappointing to see armageddon without increments, if that is correct.)

After 4 rounds in the rapid Karjakin 4, Carlsen 3.5, Grischuk and Topalov 3, Radjabov and Dreev 2.5.

[Max Illingworth]

Now Carlsen and Karjakin are in equal first on 4.5/5, with Carlsen having played slightly higher-rated opponents so far. See the ChessVibes report for games and other information.

[Kevin Bonham]

Karjakin won with 11.5/15 after Carlsen lost to Ivanchuk and Grischuk in consecutive rounds and wound up second on 10.5.

[ER]

Karjakin won with 11.5/15 after Carlsen lost to Ivanchuk and Grischuk in consecutive rounds and wound up second on 10.5.

Grischuk, Morozevich and Lekkas are capable of anything! If they could only concentrate on chess! To be fair to Lekkas he has prioritised his studies which is understandable and commendable!

[Agent Smith]

I suppose it's good for world chess to see Topalov playing strongly again.

FEN Viewer

White to move Topalov, V (2752) -- Radjabov, T (2788)
Computer move is 40. f8=N but Topalov played 40. f8=Q (40. ... Rxf8 41. Qe6#)

World Rapid Final
Astana KAZ, 2012.07.06 - 2012.07.08
 1: Karjakin, Sergey  11.5 / 15   
 2: Carlsen, M        10.5 / 15   
 3: Topalov, V         9.5 / 15  
 4: Mamedyarov, S      9.5 / 15 
 5: Grischuk, A        9.0 / 15   
 6: Gelfand, B         8.0 / 15

[peter_parr]

See SMH 9 Jul 2012

[Garrett]

See SMH 9 Jul 2012

"
Leading scores in the World Rapid Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan after 10 rounds ( 16 players, 15 rounds) :- World no 1 M.Carlsen (NOR 2837) 8.5 , S.Karjakin (RUS 2779) , V.Topalov (BUL 2752) 7, S.Mamedyarov (AZE 2726) 6. Carlsen is dominating the event with seven wins and three draws. The Asian Youth Championship with 308 boys and girls in 12 divisions were held in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka. Christian Kashish of Sydney scored 5/9 in the Girls under 12 division. Kashish won the NSW Under 12 Championship in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Grandmaster David Smerdon (AUS 2507) has won his first two games at the Curacao Festival in the Caribbean.

"

[Kevin Bonham]

I suppose it's good for world chess to see Topalov playing strongly again.

Yes, I suppose I should agree in equal tones of semi-enthusiasm. But it is even better to see him playing like this:

Tkachiev - Topalov

PGN Viewer

 

I do not know if a world class player, or even a player of any class, has ever played a knight ending worse than that.

[Desmond]

I do not know if a world class player, or even a player of any class, has ever played a knight ending worse than that.

Ouch, yeah that's truly a horrible beat.

[Agent Smith]

Yes - i was monitoring that game live, couldnt believe he lost that.
... But rapid is tough

[Kevin Bonham]

Blitz at the halfway stage led by Grischuk 10.5/15 ahead of Andreikin, Ivanchuk and Karjakin 9.5, Carlsen 8.5, Radjabov, Morozevich and Chadaev (of whom I have never heard before!) 8. Topalov and Mamedyarov going poorly =14th-15th on 5.5/15.

[EDIT: correct errors caused by incorrectly thinking tournament was RR not 2RR.]

[Max Illingworth]

Don't write the tournament off as over; there's 15 rounds to go!

[Kevin Bonham]

Don't write the tournament off as over; there's 15 rounds to go!

Fixed that, ta.

[Capablanca-Fan]

Yes, I suppose I should agree in equal tones of semi-enthusiasm. But it is even better to see him playing like this:

Tkachiev - Topalov

PGN Viewer

 

I do not know if a world class player, or even a player of any class, has ever played a knight ending worse than that.

Abominable. But then White is also an extremely strong player, and allowed himself to be outplayed from an almost dead drawn middlegame and early endgame.

[Kevin Bonham]

Carlsen put in a big surge on the second day but fell half a point short.

20/30 Grischuk
19.5 Carlsen
18.5 Karjakin
17.5 Morozevich
17 Andreikin, Radjabov
16.5 Le Quang Liem
15 Svidler, Ivanchuk (second day was a disaster for Ivanchuk)

etc