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Gashimov Memorial 2017: Mamedyarov wins second title!

5/1/2017 – There were few surprises in the final round of the Gashimov Memorial, and kudos to Alex Yermolinsky for so astutely predicting the action (or lack thereof). Shakhriyar Mamedyarov capped his great run by taking clear first for a second year in a row, showing the event inspires him. Most games were quiet cautious affairs with one exception: Eljanov-Kramnik that had swings and study-like wins. Here is the report with fascinating analysis by GM Elshan Moradiabadi. | Photos: ShamkirChess.az

Gashimov Memorial 2017: 'I wish I could annotate them all'

4/30/2017 – These were the words that accompanied the present article, and it is no surprise. What a difference a day makes! After a snoozefest in the previous round, today the players unleashed their warrior spirit, and in no small way either. Three decisive games were the result, and in all of them the player with a lower score came on top. Of course, it caused a big upheaval in the tournament standings department. Report and predictions by Alex Yermolinsky.

Gashimov Memorial 2017: A day off

4/29/2017 – Officially the day off was after round five, but round seven was also a day when not much happened. To be fair to the players, it wasn't all about quiet nothings happening at the board as was the case between Eljanov and So, who played a more interesting game. On the other hand, Topalov could not break from the theory cage Radjabov set up that killed the action before it had a chance to happen. Report and analysis by Alex Yermolinsky.

Gashimov Memorial 2017: Three wins and Shak widens his lead

4/28/2017 – Though not quite as bloodthirsty as Grenke, the Gashimov Memorial has been very entertaining with good fighting chess overall. Round six epitomized this with three impressive wins, all in different conditions. Mamedyarov secured his lead as he defeated Kramnik in a key game, while Topalov beat Eljanov in a trademark attack, and So beat Karjakin in a fascinating technical bout explained in detailed instructive notes by GM Elshan Moradiabadi.

Gashimov Memorial 2017: Crushing wins

4/26/2017 – It seems as if everyone will enjoy the taste of victory at the Gashimov Memorial, and round five saw two new names added to the list of victors. Wesley So’s fans will be heaving a big sigh of relief as he breaks from his funk and scores a powerful win over Vladimir Kramnik. Sergey Karjakin showed he is not just the ‘Minister of Defense’ as he completely demolished Topalov’s king in the center. Here is the illustrated report with extensive analysis by GM Tiger Hillarp-Persson.

Gashimov Memorial 2017: Kramnik sacs his rook

4/25/2017 – With a description such as “sacrificed the rook for some pawns and initiative”, a few players come to mind in the field at such as the current leader Mamedyarov, or Topalov, but Kramnik, in spite of his enormous ability, is not your usual choice. Yet in round four, in a dubious position against Harikrishna, the Russian took preemptive measures and turned the game on its head with a spectacular rook sacrifice. Illustrated report with enlightening analysis by GM Tiger Hillarp-Persson.

Gashimov Memorial 2017: Mamedyarov beats Eljanov and leads

4/24/2017 – Round three saw intriguing matchups, and two decisive results. The first matchup was the classic between Kramnik and Topalov, who always promise a game worth watching for the spectators, but no blood was spilled this time. The big one due to the standings, was between Mamdeyarov and Eljanov. It was an extremely complicated King's Indian that saw both players have winning edges, and the Azeri with the last word. See the game, and read the notes by Aleksander Lenderman!

Gashimov Memorial 2017: Topalov wins brilliancy

4/23/2017 – The opening salvo of rounds at the Gashimov Memorial have certainly been with their fair share of surprises. Winning his second straight game, this time against Pentala Harikrishna, Ukrainian Pavel Eljanov has taken the early lead in round two with a perfect 2.0/2. Still, the crowd-pleaser of the round was unquestionably Veselin Topalov's spectacular win over Radoslaw Wojtaszek with his trademark sacrifices to win a beautiful game. Analysis by GM Aleks Lenderman.

Gashimov Memorial 2017: So falls to Mamedyarov

4/22/2017 – As the Grenke Chess Classic wraps up, another Super GM tournament has just started to fill the gap: The Gashimov Memorial, the 4th edition of the event in tribute to Vugar Gashimov, taken away at the much too young age of 27. Playing in it are players such as Wesley So, Kramnik, Karjakin, Mamedyarov, Topalov, and more. The first round already brought in the shocker as So lost with white to Mamedyarov. Here is the report with detailed analysis by GM Aleks Lenderman.
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