Fascinating draw
The First round in Moscow took place on Valentine’s Day. Of course we would like to show you some games. With 44 games in each round, and that is only the main group, it isn’t easy to make a selection. Although the world’s elite players aren’t present, there are still many top players to look up to. Almost everyone of them is a GM and the ELO’s are incredibly high.
Indeed, Vladimir Akopian (ELO 2700) is in excellent shape with his recent victory in Gibraltar (7,5 out of 9), but the differences are so slight, that there is not really one top favourite. In his first game the Armenian played with Black against Valerij Popov (ELO 2590). Apparently the first round game was for both players not more than just a warm-up, as they decided for a draw after only 19 moves. That not all draws are boring by definition, was proved by Tatiana Kosintseva and Artur Jussupow on Wednesday. After 28 moves Black decides to give his two rooks for White’s queen:
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