Bilbao R5: All games drawn

Grand Slam Chess Final Masters Bilbao

The Chess Grand Slam Final is being staged in Bilbao, Spain, from September 1st to 13th 2008. It is 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). Games start at 17:00h local time (CEST). The scoring system in this tournament is different and experimental. Players get three points for a win, one point for a draw and zero points for losing a game. For rating purposes the traditional 1-½-0 system will be used. The prize fund for the event is 400,000 Euros, with the winner receiving €150,000, the second place €70,000, etc. with the 6th player getting €30,000. The sums are unprecedented for an event like this. Only World Championships have exceeded the amount.

Round five report

A handshake before the start of the game Anand vs Carlsen

And soon the game is under way, with spectators on the Plaza outside the glass cabin

Anand,V (2798) - Carlsen,M (2775) [C63]
Grand Slam Final Bilbao ESP (5), 06.09.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 Bc5 7.Bxc6 bxc6 8.Nxe5 0-0 9.Nc3 d6 10.Nd3 Bd4 11.Ne2 Bb6 12.Bg5 Qe8 13.Bxf6 Rxf6 14.Ng3 Qf7 15.b3 Be6 16.Qd2 Rf8 17.Rae1 Rh6 18.Qc3 Rf6

19.Re2? (instead of for instance simply 19.Qxc6) 19...Bg4 20.Rd2? Be3. Chess blindness. We hear that Anand missed this move that costs him an exchange. After this Anand was on the defensive but managed to hold against Carlsen. 21.h3 Bxd2 22.Qxd2 Bc8 23.f4 h5 24.f5 h4 25.Ne2 Re8 26.Nf2 d5 27.Ng4 Rxe4 28.Nxf6+ Qxf6 29.Nc1 Bxf5 30.Qf2 Bg6 31.Qxa7 Rf4 32.Rxf4 Qxf4 33.Nd3 Bxd3 34.cxd3 Qc1+ 35.Kh2 Qf4+ 36.Kg1 ½-½.

The view from outside the cabin for the spectators

Ivanchuk is interested in the Anand-Carlsen game, Magnus is curious about the other ones

The Norwegian GM wanders over to see what's going on in Veselin vs Ivanchuk

Meanwhile Anand is pondering his 16th move

Anand has played 16.Qd2, things are coming to a head, Magnus returns to the board

Ivanchuk,V (2781) - Topalov,V (2777) [E34]
Grand Slam Final Bilbao ESP (5), 06.09.2008
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Qc2 d5 5.cxd5 Qxd5 6.Nf3 Qf5 7.Qxf5 exf5 8.a3 Be7 9.Bg5 c6 10.e3 Be6 11.Nd2 Nbd7 12.Bc4 Nd5 13.Bxe7 Kxe7 14.Bxd5 cxd5 15.f3 Rhc8 16.Kf2 Rc6 17.a4 Rb6 18.Ra2 a5 19.b3 Rc8 20.Ne2 Nb8 21.Rc1 Rbc6 22.Rxc6 Rxc6 23.Nb1 Na6 24.Na3 Nb4 25.Rd2 b6 26.Nb5 Bd7 27.h3 h6 28.h4 g6 29.f4 Rc8 30.Nbc3 Kd6 31.Na2 Na6 32.Nec3 Nc7 33.Rc2 Ne8 34.Nb5+ Ke7 35.Rxc8 Bxc8 36.Nbc3 Nf6 37.b4 Ba6 38.b5 Bc8 39.Nc1 h5 40.N1e2 Kd6 41.g3 Ne4+ 42.Ke1 Be6 43.Kf1 Bc8 44.Ke1 Be6 draw.

Levon Aronian in his round five game against Radjabov (in the background: Veselin Topalov)

Radjabov,T (2744) - Aronian,L (2737) [C45]
Grand Slam Final Bilbao ESP (5), 06.09.2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nxc6 Qf6 6.Qf3 bxc6 7.Nd2 d6 8.Nb3 Bb6 9.a4 a5 10.Bd2 Qxf3 11.gxf3 Ne7 12.Rg1 Ng6 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.fxe3 Ne5 15.Be2 g6 16.f4 Nd7 17.Bf3 c5 18.e5 Ra7 19.exd6 cxd6 20.Nd2 Nb6 21.Ne4 Ke7 22.Nc3 Bd7 23.Kf2 Rb8 24.Rgd1 Na8 25.Nd5+ Ke6 26.b3 Nc7 27.Nc3 Ke7 28.Rd2 Be6 29.Rad1 Ra6 30.e4 Rb4 31.Na2 Rb8 32.Nc3 Rb4 33.Na2 Rb8 34.Nc3 draw.

The setup in Bilbao: the players are in a sound-proof glass cabin in the middle of the city square, the spectators are able to watch them from the outside and listen to commentary by experts

Commentators: Spanish journalist Leonxto Garcia, chess legend Boris Spassky

All pictures by Nadja Woisin in Bilbao

Bilbao scores

Traditional scores (for rating purposes)

Remember: Sunday September 7th is a free day in the Bilbao Masters.

Video reports and interviews by Europe Echecs

These reports are being produced by Vijay Kumar for the French chess magazine Europe Echecs

Schedule and results

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN All ChessBase reports on Bilbao 2008 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.