M-Tel R6: Shirov in sole lead after beating Ivanchuk
Alexei Shirov took sole lead at the M-Tel Masters in Sofia by beating Vassily Ivanchuk in round 6, while Topalov-Carlsen and Dominguez-Wang Yue both ended in a draw. Full report.
The 5th M-Tel Masters takes place May 12th to 23rd in a glass pavilion on the square in front of the National Theatre Ivan Vazov in Sofia, Bulgaria. It's a six-player double round-robin with Carlsen, Dominguez, Ivanchuk, Shirov, Topalov and Wang Yue playing. The time control is 90 minutes for 40 moves per player and 60 minutes per player till the end of the game. "Sofia rules" will again be used, so draw offers can be made only through the chief arbiter in the case of a threefold repetition, perpetual check or a theoretically draw position.
Round 6
Both Dominguez-Wang Yue and Topalov-Carlsen weren't very interesting games and perhaps Shirov-Ivanchuk should also have ended in a quick draw, under normal circumstances. However, even with an extra tempo in a known ending from a Open Ruy Lopez, Ivanchuk played inaccurately and got himself in a passive position, showing complete lack of form once more. In timetrouble he got some serious chances to hold the game again, but after the time control it went wrong anyway. The Ukrainian is known for his ups and downs, but this down is becoming truly disastrous, and there's probably not a single chess fan who doesn't feel sorry for him!
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Dominguez, trying to squeeze water out of stone...
...against Wang Yue's Petroff
Antoaneta Stefanova hosting the press conference and trying to make the best of it
A new leader in town: Alexei Shirov...
...who also beat Ivanchuk in their second game
Topalov couldn't prove a real opening advantage...
...against Carlsen's solid Lasker Defence
Live commentary during the round by Stefanova
Links
Founder and editor-in-chief of ChessVibes.com, Peter is responsible for most of the chess news and tournament reports. Often visiting top events, he also provides photos and videos for the site. He's a 1.e4 player himself, likes Thai food and the Stones.
Comments
CAL|Daniel
2 years 8 months ago
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poor ivanchuk!! -4!
xtra
2 years 8 months ago
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go shirov!
marpada
2 years 8 months ago
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Shirov win reminded me of some Fischer classic finals: R+light square B vs R + K
Surely the real Ivanchuk wouldn't have lost so easily.
What's the point of inviting Wang Yue to super tournaments that encorage fighting chess? Sure he's solid as a rock, but also boring as hell. Dominguez on the other side always goes for a good fight, and I enjoy his narrow scapes )
p_voll
2 years 8 months ago
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This chronicle about beating Ivanchuck becomes usual. Seems like it's better time for Ukrainian chess: Karjakin transfers to Russia Chess Federation and Chuky shows solid performance.
Castro
2 years 8 months ago
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"draw offers can be made only through the chief arbiter in the case of a threefold repetition, perpetual check or a theoretically draw position"
Even if this is a copy of the tournament regulations, I'll insist: That sentence is nonsense. Those are not "draw offers", but instead "draw claims".
They presume to simply forbid draw offers, which, other than in conflict with the FIDE rules of chess, just deserves a laugh, when we know we're talking about (super)(grand)masters games!
Other "sad laugh" will be to that stupid KO/no increment finish. Ridiculous!
By the way of sadness, I'm always checking the games on other sites. Will forever this Silverlight be the one and only here? Realy? Definitively?
marpada
2 years 8 months ago
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I'm a Linux user but I think there's no point on complaining in every post, as Peter is aware of the issue and surely is taking measures to fix it.
Instead we should congratulate him for this great site!
Castro
2 years 8 months ago
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What a nice remark! (Except no one is "complaining in every post", except not everyone is previleged to know that "Peter is taking measures to fix it", and except most of us have "congratulated him for this great site". Instead losing great oportunities to spare nice remarks ;-) )
christos (greece)
2 years 8 months ago
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Did you see the link "Games in PGN", right below the articles?
How hard is it to configure your browser so that with one (1) click on that link it opens an external application with beautiful chess pieces and the ability to read .pgn files, maybe also with a chess engine loaded and ready to analyze the positions?
I think the complaints about Silverlight here make far too much noise.
R.Mutt
2 years 8 months ago
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What’s the point of inviting Wang Yue to super tournaments that encorage fighting chess? Sure he’s solid as a rock, but also boring as hell.
I thought the finish of his win over Chucky was very cute, and his Linares win against Carlsen would have delighted Tal himself. Apart from that, it seems Danailov is trying to get Chinese audiences and sponsors interested, which is a good idea (from an evil man).
leigh
2 years 8 months ago
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Danailov is sure to open the chinese door for Topalov. Yes, it is a huge market. Only 1 percent of chinese plays chess. The other 99% plays chinese chess.
The problem is: if too many players begin to play chess in china, if they rule the chess like they rule pingpong, it is good or bad to the chess world?
marpada
2 years 8 months ago
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@Castro,
Sorry if I my comment sounded rude. There have been many complains since the Silverlight thing appeared a week ago, and Peter said it would look for a solution for users who can't user this plugin.
Zultan
2 years 8 months ago
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Did anyone know that when you write Ivanchuk in word, the English spelling checker will suggest Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe always came back!
Thomas
2 years 8 months ago
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Yes it makes sense to invite a Chinese player "for commercial reasons", but does it _always_ have to be Wang Yue - just because he has the highest rating? There are also Ni Hua (2724), Bu Xiangzhi (2704) and Wang Hao (2696) ... .
Nanjing will of course have a Chinese player, but it seems that (for whichever reason) they haven't yet decided who will get the invitation.
santos
2 years 8 months ago
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@Thomas^^
How do you know they have not decided?
Thomas
2 years 8 months ago
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@santos:
"Breaking news:-
Anand, Topalov, Carlsen, Radjabov, Jakovenko and one chinese top player(tbd) will join 2009 Pearl Spring Chess Tournament, Nanjing, China(9/27/2009)."
posted by Jagdish Dube 8 May 2009
http://forums.chessdom.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=322
[This was certainly also reported elsewhere, including Chessvibes? - but this is what I could quickly find on the Internet ...]
Castro
2 years 8 months ago
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@marpada
OK, no problem. Anyway, "rude" was not the issue.
By the way, where did you read that "Peter said it (sic) would look for a solution" ?
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