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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Tal Chess Memorial Round 2 - Radjabov Leads; Caruana, Nakamura play 107-move Draw in Seven Hours!

Beautiful Pashkov House in Moscow

The Tal Chess Memorial second round saw fighting games all around even though there were three draws and only two decisive games. Teimour Radjabov pulled off his second victory in as many rounds by beating Luke McShane with the Black pieces. Former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik also beat Alexander Grischuk. World Chess No. 1 Magnus Carlsen survived against Alexander Morozevich and managed to draw. Two other games that ended in tough draws included Evgeny Tomashevsky-Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana-Hikaru Nakamura. In fact, Caruana and Nakamura played for a full seven hours flat for a 107 moves squeezing out the last bit of chess to a fulfilling draw.

Results of Round 2

Kramnik – Grischuk 1-0
McShane – Radjabov 0-1
Caruana – Nakamura draw
Morozevich – Carlsen draw
Tomashevsky – Aronian draw

Standings after Round 2

1. Radjabov 2; 

2-4. Morozevich, Kramnik, Aronian 1,5; 

5-6. Carlsen, Grischuk 1; 

7-9. Nakamura, Tomashevsky, Caruana 0,5; 

10. McShane 0.

Round 3 pairings: 

Carlsen – Caruana, 

Grischuk – Morozevich, 

Radjabov – Kramnik, 

Aronian – McShane 

Nakamura – Tomashevsky.

The 7th Tal Chess Memorial is a 10-player round robin chess tournament that is taking place at the beautiful Pashkov House in Moscow from June 8 to 18. The prize fund is 100,000 euros. There will be two rest days on June 11 and 15. The time control offers 100 minutes for 40 moves, 50 minutes for extra 20 moves, and 15 minutes for finishing the game. There is a 30-second increment for every move from the starting of the game. Games start at India time 4.30 pm and you can watch them on the official website. Photos/text by Eteri Kublashvili (Tal Chess Memorial Official Website)

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Tal Chess Memorial With Carlsen, Aronian, Nakamura, Kramnik Begins in Moscow June 7

Misha - Mikhai Tal

It's time to play strong chess in Moscow all over again from June 7 at the Mikhail Tal Chess Memorial beginning with - hold your breath - Magnus Carlsen,  Hikaru Nakamura,  Vladimir Kramnik, Levon Aronian, Teimour Radjabov, Alexander Morozevich,  Fabiano Caruana,  Alexander Grischuk, Evgeny Tomashevsky and Luke McShane. 

The opening ceremony will be held on 7th June, at 18.00, in the playing venue at Pashkov House, st. Vozdvizhenka 3/5.

The Tal Chess Memorial is the first super chess event of the year after the recently concluded Anand-Gelfand World Chess Championship. It is also a major tournament before the upcoming Candidates Chess Tournament that would decide the next challenger for the reigning World Chess Champion Vishy Anand.

The organisers are going to try a unique plan to decide the drawing of lots. All the players will take part in a blitz chess tournament - with a separate prize fund - for deciding the starting seeding for the main tournament based on the blitz chess results. 

Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian were the joint winners of the 2011 Tal Chess Memorial. Both had earned 5.5/9 points, but Magnus Carlsen had won the chess trophy on better tiebreak. 

Mikhail Tal was a Russian-Latvian chess grandmaster and the Mikhail Tal playing style was all about creativity, attacking, and daring combination play. Mikhail Tal - often known as Misha - was the eighth world chess champion.

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