Bilbao Masters: photographic impressions by Fred Lucas

9/21/2008 – We turn, as in the past, from the digicam journalists who swarm around chess events to the professionals who take their work very seriously, composing, framing, cropping, colour-correcting their high-quality pictures, and producing aesthetically pleasing visual feasts. Our friend and teacher Fred Lucas was at the Chess Masters in Bilbao and has provided us with his take on the event. Enjoy.

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Grand Slam Chess Final Masters Bilbao

The Chess Grand Slam Final was staged in Bilbao, Spain, from September 1st to 13th 2008. It was a six-player double round-robin event, one of the strongest in the history of the game (at least by Elo average, 2775.6, making it a category 22 tournament). For rating purposes the traditional 1-½-0 system was used. The prize fund for the event was 400,000 Euros, with the winner receiving €150,000, the second place €70,000, etc. with the 6th player earning €30,000. You can find all ChessBase reports on this event here.

Pictorial impressions by Fred Lucas


The handshake – with Veselin Topalov visible in the reflection of the glass cabin


Carlsen ponders, with the public just meters away behind the sound-proof glass


An open zoom shot of the game


Teimour Radjabov considers his next move against Vassily Ivanchuk (background)


The chess talent from Baku: GM Teimour Radjabov


The Bilbao public watching every move in the "aquarium"


You really think you can play that? Magnus Carlsen in a game against Vassily Ivanchuk


For a few days Magnus was number one in the world on the Live Ratings


Exhaustion – it is not an easy profession this young lad has taken up


Levon Aronian vs Veselin Topalov, with chief arbiter Faik Gasamov watching


Armenia's top GM Levon Aronian, a great fan of hot food, literature and movies


Vassily Ivanchuk, 39, top grandmaster from Ukraine


A disastrous tournament for Viswanathan Anand


The reigning World Champion could not show his full potential


The last throes of a game – Lev Aronian knows he has lost...


... and resigns ruefully to his young opponent Magnus Carlsen


Notice the resemblance? Magnus Carlsen with his two younger sisters Signe and Ingrid


María Teresa (Maite) Lopez, one of the charming organisers


Sometimes stuff happens, life goes on: Vishy Anand


I'll be back, I'm just 21: Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan


Future boy: 17-year-old Magnus Carlsen in second place


The winner by a big margin: precision player Veselin Topalov

All photos © Fred Lucas

Fred Lucas is specialised in business photography. He also runs a small portrait studio in the center part of Utrecht. In addition he occasionally photographs the mind sport chess. He is a member of BFN, the Dutch Association of Professional photographers. His photos have been published in industrial books and magazines, Dutch newspapers, magazines like Nieuwe Revu, international magazines and newspapers like Aftenposten, Le Monde and the New York Times.

Fred Lucas links

Links

The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download the free PGN reader ChessBase Light, which gives you immediate access. You can also use the program to read, replay and analyse the PGN games.