Kazan Chess Grand Prix Round 8: Armenia's Elina Danielian in Lead; India's Humpy a Point Away

Armenia's Elina Danielian is apparently set to win the FIDE Women's Chess Grand Prix currently on in Kazan. Four games were decisive in the eighth round on Monday. In the two chess games that were drawn, Betul Yildiz and Viktorija Cmilyte missed wins against sisters Nadezhda and Tatiana Kosintseva. 

Armenia's Elina Danielian - Set to win Kazan?

Elina Danielian scored a cool win over second in the standings - Kateryna Lahno. Anna Muzychuk managed to get a good position against Alisa Galliamova and managed to win in the endgame even though Galliamova had equalized in the middlegame. Alexandra Kosteniuk lost to Hou Yifan. Humpy Koneru played very well to defeat Antoaneta Stefanova.

India's Koneru Humpy (right) on her way to beating former women's world chess champion and current women's world rapid chess champion.

After eight rounds at the Kazan Chess Grand Prix, Elina Danielian leads with 6 points. Anna Muzychuk is in second place with 5.5 points. Viktorija Cmilyte and Humpy Koneru share the third spot with 5 points. Hou Yifan and Kateryna Lahno are in shared fifth place with 4.5 points.

Kateryna Lahno watching the
Hou Yifan-Alexandra Kosteniuk match

Photos by Rashit Shiriyazdanov and Anastasiya Karlovich with kind permission of FIDE from the official website. You can watch the Kazan Women's Chess Grand Prix live at the official website from India time 4.30 pm. Tuesday is a rest day with three more rounds to be played at the Kazan Chess Grand Prix.

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Kasparov Chess Foundation-St Louis Chess Club in Five-Year Grant Program to Develop US Chess Talent

The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) is partnering with the Kasparov Chess Foundation (KCF) on a five-year grant program to help develop several American chess prodigies from across the United States. The program, called Young Stars - Team USA, will begin with a kick-off training program in Saint Louis at the CCSCSL from June 18-20. Program participants range in age from nine to 15 years old.

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7th Tal Chess Memorial: Magnus Carlsen Comments, Tweet and Last-Round Game Against McShane

The one and only Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen, right after winning the 7th Mikhail Tal Chess Memorial, in Moscow, on Sunday had these comments to make:

"I think it has been a very interesting tournament. There have been twists and turns that noone could foresee. As for myself, I thing I played, well I stared slowly. My first three games were not impressive to say the least.
I think after that my play was good. I mean, the game with Grischuk, although I didn't win, it was an energizer to play such an interesting game. I thought after that I was in the driving seat in most of my games.
Obviously if it turns out that Aronian wins [looks to one of the screens], which in fact he did, I'm actually the winner of the tournament. That is nice but, I mean, like last year there were a lot of fortunate circumstances for me in the last round to be able to win it but that's the way it goes sometimes. Today I had to win myself and I did. That's all I can do."

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Magnus Carlsen Wins 7th Mikhail Tal Chess Memorial 2012

It seems chess goddess Caissa is particularly kind to world chess #1 Norway's Magnus Carlsen as not only did the talented genius pull off a crucial last-round victory, but the overnight leader Italy's Fabiano Caruana lost as well giving Magnus Carlsen the 7th Mikhail Tal Memorial Chess Tournament title late in Moscow on Monday. A fantastic victory for the Mozart of Chess - in all probability the would-be world chess champion one day - Magnus Carlsen!

7th Mikhail Tal Chess Memorial 2012 winners
(from left) Teimour Radjabov, third;
Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, second.

Fabiano Caruana got taken in by Levon Aronian's home prep. Carlsen left nothing to chance by convincingly beating Luke McShane for a clear first. Teimour Radjabov drew against Hikaru Nakamura and had to settle for third behind Fabiano Caruana on tiebreak. Caruana actually needed only a draw to manage shared first at least.

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Tal Chess Memorial Round 8: Fabiano Caruana Takes Lead

Italy's Fabiano Caruana shot into the lead with a nice win over Russia's Vladimir Kramnik in the eight round at the Tal Chess Memorial on Sunday. Kramnik not only lost a pawn, but in self-destruct mode, committed an endgame blunder as well. What has been amazing at the tournament is that leader from the beginning, Alexander Morozevich has suddenly lost three games in a row. Vladimir Kramnik, who joined Morozevich in the lead, has lost two games in a row.

This is how they cheer chess players in Moscow...

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Kazan Chess Round 7: Armenia's Elina Danielian Holds on to Lead

Armenia's Elina Danielian has got a strong hold over the Kazan Women's Chess Grand Prix by the end of Round 7. Danielian drew with former women's world chess champion to maintain her lead. Her depth of understanding an endgame defence in a complicated situation against a former world chess champion was evident. 

Viktorija Cmilyte

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Tal Chess Memorial Round 7: Both Overnight Leaders Morozevich, Kramnik Lose

The seventh round at the 7th Tal Memorial saw two upsets - both the joint overnight leaders losing their games! Not only did Alexander Morozevich lost his second game in a row to last seed Evgeny Tomashevsky, but joint leader and former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik lost to Luke McShane as well. This allowed five players now in joint lead.

The pawns must be fed on tea or coffee regularly

So, that's the strategy...

Must be careful about strategy stealers

For Heaven's Sake Don't Move the Queen

Results:

1. Radjabov - Caruana draw

2. Aronian - Grischuk draw

3. Nakamura - Carlsen draw

4. Tomashevsky - Morozevich 1-0

5. McShane - Kramnik 1-0

Standings:1-5. Morozevich, Carlsen, Radjabov, Kramnik, Caruana - 4

6. Nakamura - 3.5

7-9. Grischuk, Aronian, McShane - 3

10. Tomashevsky - 2,5

The Tal Chess Memorial is being held at the Pashkov House in Moscow with 10 of the world's top players from June 8-18. You can watch the games live at the official website from India time 7.30 pm. Rest days were June 11 and 15. The time control is 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, and 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move one. Draw offers are not allowed until after the first time control. The prize fund is 100,000 euros.  (Photos by Eteri Kublashvili official website of the Russian Chess Federation.)

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