
The Fourteenth Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess Tournament will take place
at the Monte Carlo Grand Hôtel in Monaco, from 19th to 31st March 2005.
The Dutch billionaire J.J. van Oosterom is the exclusive sponsor of this event.
Please note that the selection of games discussed below
can all be replayed on our JavaScript board. Clicking on the link behind each
game opens a separate window which you can position next to the text (and keep
open for the next game). To follow the moves and analysis you can use the navigation
buttons below the board or simply click on the notation.
Round seven
Blindfold |
Van Wely-Ivanchuk |
1-0 |
Svidler-Shirov |
1/2 |
Gelfand-Vallejo |
1/2 |
Morozevich-Topalov |
0-1 |
Bareev-Anand |
1/2 |
Leko-Kramnik |
1/2 |
|
Rapid |
Ivanchuk-Van Wely |
1-0 |
Shirov-Svidler |
1/2 |
Vallejo-Gelfand |
1/2 |
Topalov-Morozevich |
0-1 |
Anand-Bareev |
0-1 |
Kramnik-Leko |
1/2 | |
Standings after seven rounds

Five of the six matches today were drawn, three with two drawn games, two
with two won games. The encounter Morozevich-Topalov producing two black wins,
with the winner calling his game "stupid" (Topalov) or "one
of the worst games I have played" (Morozevich). Most interesting was that
Moro won his rapid game with the Albin Counter Gambit, which goes 1.d4 d5 2.c4
e5?!, an opening that is regarded with great suspicion by strong players and
seldom seen at this level of play.
The match of the day was Anand vs Bareev, number one against number 12 on
the cross table. Anand was in good spirits, though the fact that he had to
defend to a draw in the blindfold game should have been a warning. The rapid
encounter brought the sensation. Bareev beat The Invincible with the black
pieces.

Clouds gather over Monaco as Anand loses to Bareev

This is what a casino can look like these days: even the croupier is virtual

Gifts fit for a king in the windows of the city state

And exquisite, expensive cars wherever you look

Vishy Anand relaxed in his blindfold game against Bareev

Boris Gelfand, who takes the "blindfold" part very seriously

Peter Leko analyses, Peter Svidler and Vishy Anand enjoy

Peter Svidler from St Petersburg, Boris Gelfand in the background

Anand, incautious in his rapid game against Bareev

Evgeny Bareev taking advantage of Anand's carelessness

Francisco Vallejo Pons, the bottom seed with fight in his blood

Loek van Wely with his loving wife

Peter Svidler with his wife Olga

Arbiter Geurt Gijssen with a wooden friend
Round eight
In the meantime round eight has been played. Here for the moment are the results
and the games. A full
report can be found on the official site.
Blindfold |
Anand-Leko |
1/2 |
Kramnik-Morozevich |
0-1 |
Topalov-Bareev |
1/2 |
Shirov-Gelfand |
1/2 |
Vallejo-Van Wely |
1-0 |
Ivanchuk-Svidler |
1/2 |
|
Rapid |
Leko-Anand |
0-1 |
Morozevich-Kramnik |
0-1 |
Bareev-Topalov |
0-1 |
Gelfand-Shirov |
0-1 |
Van Wely-Vallejo |
1-0 |
Svidler-Ivanchuk |
0-1 | |
Standings after eight rounds
Links