MTel R8: Topalov and Radjabov win

The tournament, which is being held in the Central Military Club in Sofia, Bulgaria, is a double round-robin (all play all, with white and black). The rate of play is 90 minutes for 40 moves + 1 hour to the end of the game. Starting time: 15:00h local time (12:00h UTC), except the final round, which starts at 14:00h.

Round eight report

Aronian,L (2763) - Radjabov,T (2751) [E97]
4th M-Tel Masters Sofia BUL (8), 16.05.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.Nf3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.0-0 Nc6 8.d5 Ne7 9.b4 Nh5 10.Re1 a5 11.bxa5 Rxa5 12.Nd2 Nf4 13.Bf1 c5 14.a4 Ra6 15.Ra3 Nh5 16.Nb5 Nf6 17.Bb2 Ne8 18.Nf3 h6 19.g3 f5 20.exf5 Nxf5 21.Nd2 Nf6 22.Bd3 Rf7 23.Bc2 Bd7 24.Qb1 Rf8 25.Rf3 h5 26.Ne4 Nxe4 27.Rxe4 Ra8 28.Re1 Rc8 29.Bc1 Ra8 30.Bd2 b6 31.Be3 e4 32.Rf4 Nxe3 33.fxe3 Bh6 34.Nxd6 Bxf4 35.gxf4 Qh4 36.Re2 Bg4 37.Rg2 g5 38.f5 Bxf5

Aronian is an exchange down, but has managed to hang on so far. In his final move before the time control he throws away the game. 39.Rg3?? Listen to Levon's interview with Europe Echecs below after round seven: "Well, I am just blundering one-movers. I won't say that I am playing the worst chess in my career, but at the moment I am starting to produce moves I could not expect to produce. I think maybe I'm afraid of time trouble, maybe that pressures me. When you play fast you blunder...". 39...Bh3 40.Bxe4 Rf1+ 41.Qxf1 Bxf1. The queen is gone, Aronian has not tricks left to save him. 42.Bf5 g4 43.Be6+ Kh7 44.Bf5+ Kh8 0-1.

Topalov,V (2767) - Cheparinov,I (2696) [D90]
4th M-Tel Masters Sofia BUL (8), 16.05.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.Bd2 Nb6 6.Nf3 Bg7 7.e3 0-0 8.Rc1 N8d7 9.a4 a5 10.e4 e5 11.d5 c6 12.Bg5 Bf6 13.Be3 Qe7 14.d6 Qe6 15.b3 Bg7 16.h4 f5 17.Ng5 Qf6 18.b4 f4 19.Bxb6 Nxb6 20.bxa5 Nd7 21.a6 Kh8 22.Nb1 Bh6 23.Nf3

Topalov has outplayed his compatriot and second. Now Cheparinov tries some tactics, but they end up favouring White. 23...bxa6 24.Rxc6 Bb7 25.Rc7 Bxe4 26.Rxd7 Qf5. Nice double attack on the rook and the knight (with the black bishop covering the defensive square b7). 27.Rc7 Bxb1

Material is equal, but White has a decisive attack: 28.Ng5 Bg7 29.Bc4 Bc2 30.Qd5 h6? Hands the opponent a hammer and lies down in the wooden box.

31.Rf7. There was a prettier line: 31.Rxg7 Kxg7 32.Qb7+ Rf7 33.Bxf7 Qc8 34.Ne6+ Kh8 35.Qb2+–. But Topalov's continuation was good enough. 31...Qc8. Handing him a nail. 32.Rxg7 and mate to follow. 1-0.

Current standings

Video reports by Europe Echecs

The report "Round 8: Simul, Interview and Boris Spassky is interesting to watch

Boris Vasilievich Spassky, the former World Champion, plays a simultaneous exhibition against 18 Bulgarian journalists. At the outset he asks them to play 1.e4 for him on all boards (to save him one round of walking).

Spassky goes on to play tactical games, including a few King's Gambits!

In the press conference he speaks about the use of computers

Bobby Fischer and other subjects

Schedule and results

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