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. |
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