The activities of the 200-year anniversary celebrations of the Schachgesellschaft
Zürich have begun with the Jubilee Open at the Kongresshaus Zürich.
For seven days, some 600 chess enthusiasts – world class players among
them – are competing for CHF 100,000 in prize money. The Jubilee-Open,
which lasts from 9 –15 August 2009 and takes place in the Kongresshaus
Zürich, has brought participants from 43 countries together. In the Alois
Nagler Memorial (Master Tournament) 45 grandmasters und 48 International Masters
are competing for CHF 75,000 in prize money offered by the Alois Nagler Foundation.
The event is open to the public, and the top games are being broadcast live
over the Internet and on Playchess.com.
Entering into round seven, twelve grandmasters have created a log jam at the
top of the crosstable, each sitting at 5.0/6. This is more than double the number
of players who were in the lead entering into the previous round: five! Players
on the top sixteen boards had a shot at joining the lead, with a good number
making a successful bid. Draws on five of these boards kept players like GM
Daniel Fridman in the chasing pack, while an additional two draws on the top
boards allowed the large leading group that resulted. Unfortunately, nine decisive
games left crowd-pleasers like GMs Harikrishna and Giri off the pace entirely,
though with a respectable 4.0/6 going forward. With the mess at the top to be
sorted out tomorrow, the tournament is still anyone's to win.
The leader: GM Alexander Morozevich, 2751, RUS, 5.0/6
3rd: GM Alexey Dreev, 2660, RUS, 5.0/6
4-5th: GM Geetha Narayanan Gopal, 2575, IND, 5.0/6
4-5th: GM Vitali Golod, 2599, ISR, 5.0/6
18th: GM Daniel Fridman, 2665, GER, 4.5/6
29th: GM Artur Jussupov, 2570, GER, 4.5/6
53rd: GM Lajos Portisch, 2513, HUN, 4.0/6
31st: Chinese GM Hou Yifan, 2584, 4.5/6
96th: IM Elena Sedina, 2333, ITA, 3.5/6
103rd: WIM Adriana Nikolova, 2316, BUL, 4.0/6
172nd: WFM Anastasia Gavrilova, 2082, SUI U-20, 2.5/6