9/11/2008 – And the amazing Vassily Ivanchuk won his game against Teimour Radjabov after a terrible time scramble – and advanced to number one in the Live Rankings. Vishy Anand spoilt a perfectly good game with a blunder immediately after the time control and lost after a 75-move struggle to survive. Veselin Topalov defeated Magnus Carlsen's Sicilian Dragon in 48 moves. Full illustrated report.
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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.
Here the Norwegian GM had a choice of playing for a draw with 23...Rc8 or going
for more with 23...Rc6. After Black had lost Lev Aronian commented:
"Maybe it is too much even for Magnus to play for a win in every single
game!" 24.Rxg4 Nf6 25.Rgg1 Rxh1 26.Rxh1 Ng4 27.Ng3 Kg8 28.Nd5 Rc5
29.Ne3 Nxe3 30.Qxe3 Qf6 31.Qh6 Qg7 32.Qg5 f6 33.Qd2 Rc6 34.Kb2 gxf5 35.Qa5 Qe7
36.Qd5+ Be6 37.Qd1 Qg7 38.exf5 Bf7 39.Ne4 Kf8 40.Nxd6
Black is in deep trouble already, but one move before the time control he really
jumps into the fire: 40...Ke7? (40...Bg8 would have put up
token resistance) 41.Nxb7. Threatening mate in one. 41...Qg8.
Good enough, but there was something more spectacular: 42...Rh7! with overwhelming
tactical continuations in every line. 42.Qd2 Rb6 43.Rd1 Qc8 44.Nd6
(44.Nd8 is stronger) Qd7 45.Nxf7 Qxd2 46.Rxd2 Kxf7 47.c4 Ke7 48.Kc3
1-0.
In the Bilbao sunshine: Henrik Carlsen watching his son's game
Vassily Ivanchuk at the start of his round eight game
Behind the glass wall: GM Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan
21-year-old Azeri Teimour Radjabov has come out of the opening well enough,
but now he embarks on an unfortunate plan. Both players are in time touble,
with Vassily Ivanchuk having to execute the last sixteen moves before the time
control (at move 40) in just one minute. 29...Bh6 30.Bd4 Bg7 31.Ne3
Bd7 32.Qh4 Rc8 33.Bxg7 Nxg7 34.Qe7 f5
Black is already lost, but White must make the time control in a complicated
position. 35.Ng4 Bc6 36.Nh6+ Kh8 37.Nf7+ Kg8 38.Qxb7 Bxb7 39.Nd6 Rc7
40.Nxb7 Rxb7. Deep breaths, am I still winning? Yes you are, Vassily.
41.Rf3 Kf7 42.Rd1 Ne6 43.Re3 Ng5 44.Rd6 Ra7 45.Red3 Ke7 46.Kg1 Ne4 47.Rc6
a5 48.h3 axb4 49.cxb4 1-0.
White has seen an endgame advantage dissolve. Now, one move after the time
control, he gets himself into real trouble: 41.f5? h3 42.Rh4 h2 43.Kb2
Rc6 44.fxg6 fxg6 45.Ka3 Rcxc2 46.Rg3 Ra2+ 47.Kb4 Re4+ 48.Rxe4 h1Q
White is lost, isn't he? World Champion Vishy Anand decides to put up stubborn
risistance and test his Armenian opponent's strategic abilities. 49.Reg4
Qb7+ 50.Ka5 Qd5+ 51.Kb4 Qd6+ 52.Kb5 Qb8+ 53.Ka5 Rf2 54.Rxg6+ Kf7 55.Rg7+ Ke6
56.R7g6+ Kd5 57.R6g5+ Kd4 58.b4 Rf4 59.Rg1 Rf3 60.Rc5 Qa8+ 61.Kb5 Rf6 62.Rd1+
Ke3 63.a5 Qe8+ 64.Kc4 Qa4 65.Rd3+ Ke2 66.Re5+ Kf1 67.Red5 Qc2+ 68.Rc3 Rf4+ 69.Rd4
Qa2+ 70.Kc5 Rf5+ 71.Kb6 Qe6+ 72.Kb7 Rb5+ 73.Kc7 Qe7+ 74.Kc6 Qb7+ 75.Kd6 Rh5.
Our chess engines tell us that it is now a forced mate in something like 12
moves. 0-1.
Anand struggling to defend a lost endgame
All pictures by Frederic Friedel in Bilbao
Bilbao scores
Player
games
wins
draws
losses
points
Veselin Topalov
8
3
4
1
13
Levon Aronian
8
3
3
2
12
Magnus Carlsen
8
3
2
2
11
Vassily Ivanchuk
8
2
5
1
11
Vishy Anand
8
0
6
2
6
Teimur Radjabov
8
0
6
2
6
Traditional scores (for rating purposes)
In the unofficial Live Ratings Vassily
Ivanchuk is now in first place in the world, ahead of Alexander Morozevich,
Magnus Carlsen and Veselin Topalov. Vishy Anand has dropped to fifth place,
seven points behind the leader. Twelve points behind Anand is Vladmir Kramnik,
and ten points behind him Levon Aronian.
Video reports and interviews by Europe Echecs
These reports are being produced by Vijay Kumar for the French chess magazine
Europe Echecs
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.
Instead of forcing you to memorise endless lines, Raja focuses on clear plans, typical ideas, and attacking motifs that you can apply in your own games without delay. A short, focused, and practical repertoire.
FIDE World Cup 2025 with analyses by Adams, Bluebaum, Donchenko, Shankland, Wei Yi and many more. Opening videos by Blohberger, King and Marin. 11 exciting opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
Opening videos: Sipke Ernst brings the Ulvestad Variation up to date + Part II of ‘Mikhalchishin's Miniatures’. Special: Jan Werle shows highlights from the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in the video. ‘Lucky bag’ with 40 analyses by Ganguly, Illingworth et al.
€14.90
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Grand
Slam Chess Final Masters Bilbao
