Candidates Matches, Semi-Finals, Tie-beaks

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Blitz

Tot.

Perf

Vladimir Kramnik

RUS

2785

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

0.5

4.5

Alexander Grischuk

RUS

2747

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

½

1.5

5.5

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Blitz

Tot.

Perf

Boris Gelfand

ISR

2733

½

½

½

½

½

½

0

1

2.0

6.0

Gata Kamsky

USA

2732

½

½

½

½

½

½

1

0

0.0

4.0

So the two Gs make it through. Gelfand vs Grishuk begins on Thursday, a 6 game match to decide the next opponent for Anand. After the way these matches have gone, I don't think Anand will be quaking in his boots. What do people think about the format for these candidates matches?

Candidates Matches, Semi-Finals, Game 4

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Vladimir Kramnik

RUS

2785

½

½

½

½

2.0

Alexander Grischuk

RUS

2747

½

½

½

½

2.0

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Boris Gelfand

ISR

2733

½

½

½

½

2.0

Gata Kamsky

USA

2732

½

½

½

½

2.0

Tie breaks are tomorrow!

Candidates Matches, Semi-Finals, Game 3

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Vladimir Kramnik

RUS

2785

½

½

½

1.5

Alexander Grischuk

RUS

2747

½

½

½

1.5

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Boris Gelfand

ISR

2733

½

½

½

1.5

Gata Kamsky

USA

2732

½

½

½

1.5

Candidates Matches, Semi-Finals, Game 2

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Vladimir Kramnik

RUS

2785

½

½

1.0

Alexander Grischuk

RUS

2747

½

½

1.0

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Boris Gelfand

ISR

2733

½

½

1.0

Gata Kamsky

USA

2732

½

½

1.0

Candidates Matches, Semi-Finals, Game 1

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Vladimir Kramnik

RUS

2785

½

0.5

Alexander Grischuk

RUS

2747

½

0.5

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Boris Gelfand

ISR

2733

½

0.5

Gata Kamsky

USA

2732

½

0.5

Candidates Matches, Quarter Finals, tie-breaks

	Nat.	Rtg	G1	G2	G3	G4	R1	R2	R3	R4	Tot.
Levon Aronian	ARM	2808	½	½	½	½	0	1	½	0	3.5
Alexander Grischuk	RUS	2747	½	½	½	½	1	0	½	1	4.5

	Nat.	Rtg	G1	G2	G3	G4	R1	R2	R3	R4	Tot.
Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2785	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	7.0
Teimour Radjabov	AZE	2744	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	5.0

After the tie-breaks, the four semi-finalists are:
Gata Kamsky - Boris Gelfand
Vladimir Krammnik - Alexander Grishuk.
The matches start on Thursday.

Worth a look...

Candidates Matches, Quarter Finals, Game 4

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Levon Aronian

ARM

2808

½

½

½

½

2.0

Alexander Grischuk

RUS

2747

½

½

½

½

2.0

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Vladimir Kramnik

RUS

2785

½

½

½

½

2.0

Teimour Radjabov

AZE

2744

½

½

½

½

2.0

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Veselin Topalov

BUL

2775

½

0

½

½

1.5

Gata Kamsky

USA

2732

½

1

½

½

2.5

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Boris Gelfand

ISR

2733

½

½

1

½

2.5

Shak. Mamedyarov

AZE

2772

½

½

0

½

1.5

Kamsky and Gelfand are through to the semis next Thursday. Aronian, Grishuk, Krammnik and Radjabov play tiebreaks tomorrow.

Candidates Matches, Quarter Finals, Game 3

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Levon Aronian

ARM

2808

½

½

½

1.5

Alexander Grischuk

RUS

2747

½

½

½

1.5

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Vladimir Kramnik

RUS

2785

½

½

½

1.5

Teimour Radjabov

AZE

2744

½

½

½

1.5

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Veselin Topalov

BUL

2775

½

0

½

1.0

Gata Kamsky

USA

2732

½

1

½

2.0

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

R1

R2

R3

R4

Tot.

Perf

Boris Gelfand

ISR

2733

½

½

1

2.0

Shak. Mamedyarov

AZE

2772

½

½

0

1.0

Candidates Matches, Quarter Finals, Game 2

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

Rpd1

Rpd2

Rpd3

Rpd4

Tot.

Perf

Levon Aronian

ARM

2808

½

½

1.0

Alexander Grischuk

RUS

2747

½

½

1.0

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

Rpd1

Rpd2

Rpd3

Rpd4

Tot.

Perf

Vladimir Kramnik

RUS

2785

½

½

1.0

Teimour Radjabov

AZE

2744

½

½

1.0

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

Rpd1

Rpd2

Rpd3

Rpd4

Tot.

Perf

Veselin Topalov

BUL

2775

½

0

0.5

Gata Kamsky

USA

2732

½

1

1.5

Nat.

Rtg

G1

G2

G3

G4

Rpd1

Rpd2

Rpd3

Rpd4

Tot.

Perf

Boris Gelfand

ISR

2733

½

½

1.0

Shak. Mamedyarov

AZE

2772

½

½

1.0

Chess Today

A Buckley Mold player has appeared in 4th May edition of Chess Today in their Beware: Blunder! column. Oh, the shame...

Our last example came from one of our readers:

"Hi, Alex!

In CT-3825 you said "Blunders don't get worse than the one made in a recent match in the London Chess League", so I thought I would send you my recent blunder:

S. Dunning – J. McCabe
Wirral Chess League 2, 22.04.2011

I had a winning position (for example, White can play 61.f4! gxf4 62.¦d3), but threw it all away in one move: 61.¦g2?? hxg2 0–1

The interesting question is why we make such mistakes. Tiredness at the end of a long game (and day) is one reason. In this case I think I had convinced myself that the pawn on h3 could not move...

With best regards,
Stephen Dunning"y

Candidates Matches, Quarter Finals, Game 1

	Nat.	Rtng	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Tot.	Perf.
Levon Aronian	ARM	2808	½								0.5
Alexander Grischuk	RUS	2747	½								0.5

	Nat.	Rtng	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Tot.	Perf.
Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2785	½								0.5
Teimour Radjabov	AZE	2744	½								0.5

	Nat.	Rtng	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Tot.	Perf.
Veselin Topalov	BUL	2775	½								0.5
Gata Kamsky	USA	2732	½								0.5

	Nat.	Rtng	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Tot.	Perf.
Boris Gelfand	ISR	2733	½								0.5
Shak. Mamedyarov	AZE	2772	½								0.5

Message From Chester & Distict Chess League Mailing List: (edited)

Hi All,

There are only 5 remaining fixtures unaccounted for.

Division 1

As previously mentioned, Wrexham are champions. Colwyn Bay secured 2nd place ahead of Chester after beating them 3.5-1.5.

The battle to avoid the wooden spoon is between Rhyl and Buckley/Mold, who have a game outstanding. A draw or better for Buckley/Mold will be enough to keep them off the bottom.

Richard Dineley of Wrexham has won the Division 1 player of the year.

Division 2

Colwyn Bay 2 lead having played all their games. Frodsham can overtake them but only if they can defeat Chester 3 4.5-0.5 or better. 3rd place Capenhurst are out of the title race but could take 2nd if they defeat Chester 3 and Frodsham fail to.

At the other end Buckley/Mold are bottom however Chester 3 could fall below them if they suffer 2 heavy defeats in their outstanding fixtures.

Gordon Sommerville of Buckley/Mold leads the top scorer charts, but Colin White of Chester could overtake him if he scores 1.5 points or better in his next 2 games.

Division 3

Wrexham 2 have won promotion into Division 2, ahead of Penyffordd 2, Rhyl 2 and Chester 4, who all have games outstanding.

Corwen and Ruthin will finish in last place regardless of how Chester 5 do against Penyffordd.

Top Scorer is currently Jim Hanson of Buckley/Mold, due to having played the most games. However a draw or better from either Mike Friel (Penyffordd) or Ben Roberts (Rhyl) will see one of them claim the prize, or possibly shared.

Knock Out

Wrexham defeated Penyffordd 4-2 to claim a league and cup double.