tag: Dortmund 2012 - Page 1

Dortmund Rd9 – Caruana wins Dortmund!

7/22/2012 – While there was no question he was good for it, after the first half it seemed like Dortmund was going to be fought out by Vladimir Kramnik, and a couple of others. Instead, Fabiano Caruana clawed his way back steadily, including a last-round victory, and his total number of wins decided the title in his favor over Sergey Karjakin. Ponomariov was third, and Kramnik fourth. Final report.

Dortmund Rd8 – Caruana beats Kramnik; five lead

7/21/2012 – In round seven, all the games drew, though Vladimir Kramnik pressed Peter Leko for over 130 moves. He had had a large bind throughout, but somehow the Hungarian escaped. Round eight saw Fabiano Caruana do the unthinkable by beating Kramnik in their second straight encounter. Leko beat Bartel in a French line rarely seen at the top, while Ponomariov beat Gustafsson. Report and pictures.

Dortmund Rd6 – The dark horses strike

7/19/2012 – None of the leaders were able to make a dent in their opponents, and in fact Ruslan Ponomariov allowed the last-place Mateusz Bartel to finally score a full point after a blunder under pressure. Jan Gustafsson was not so fortunate, and it was precisely a blunder on his end, also under duress, that gave Arkadij Naiditsch his second straight win and a share of first. Illustrated report.

Dortmund Rd5 – Karjakin joins Kramnik and Ponomariov for lead

7/17/2012 – The fourth round was such a lukewarm affair, there was nothing to remark on the five draws other than their exercise in symmetry at the end. Round five was another story altogether. While Kramnik and Ponomariov were unable to decide anything, Karjakin beat Daniel Fridman in a powerful game, Caruana outclassed Gustaffson in their encounter, and Bartel lost to Naiditsch. Illustrated report.

Dortmund Rd3 – A bad day for Germans

7/15/2012 – With four decisive games in five, the German front took the brunt of the attack, with only Arkadij Naiditsch able to hold Sergey Karjakin to a draw. There were few spectacular blunders, and it was mostly a case of the elite outplaying their lower-rated colleagues. The luckless Mateusz Bartel was unable to resist Vladimir Kramnik, who takes the lead with Ruslan Ponomariov. Illustrated report.

Dortmund 2012 – Kramnik shocks Gustafsson with a KID... as black!

7/14/2012 – Vladimir Kramnik is famous for his merciless destruction of the King's Indian. He has been so efficient that even Garry Kasparov shied away from it, and it all but disappeared from elite play for many years. So imagine Jan Gustafsson's shock in round two, when he found himself facing it in the hands of its most notorious killer. And what a game! Report with notes by GM Alejandro Ramirez.
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