It really has begun now

After the quiet start of round one, the second round in Mexico City was a big spectacle. Both Kramnik and Anand won their games convincingly after a strong novelty and Svidler got very far with a different treatment of Leko’s Marshall. Only Gelfand-Grischuk was a draw in first-round style.

Kramnik’s game was impressive. His 8.0-0 did not come up in my database but after 8…0-0 it was known again via transposition (with 9.Bd2). The piece sacrifice that followed must have been cooked up in Paris and this must have been not much fun for Moro. From hindsight I guess 16…Ra7 will have to be analysed because after the pretty 18.Da4! it’s already over.

Anand came with the powerful 17…c5 and he must have looked at Aronian’s piece sac with his second Peter Heine Nielsen. With the very subtle way of declining Bg7-e5-g7 he got an advantage which he didn’t let go anymore.

Svidler’s 15.Qe2 is rare and I hadn’t seen 18.Rxe8 followed by 19.f3 before but I’m not sure. Eventually he kept his extra pawn but the little fellow on g4 saved the day for Black almost on his own.

As said before, Gelfand-Grischuk wasn’t very interesting.

Standings:

Playing schedule:

Second half