Gashimov Memorial: Magnus Carlsen is third time winner

There was only one player capable of knocking Magnus Carlsen off the top spot, and that was Ding Liren, his rival who trailed just a half-point behind. These Hollywood finales between the two leaders fighting for all the marbles are always a mixed bag, since it is impossible to predict how they will pan out.

Will they nobly draw their swords with a valiant ‘en garde’ and proceed to try to cut each other to ribbons? Or will they draw out the Treaty, sign the negotiations, whilst posing for the cameras? There have certainly been times when the World Champion portrayed a ‘death to draws’ attitude, but today was not the day, and it is quite understandable. After the terrible drought in elite round-robins last year, a type of event that had been his signature bread-and-butter until now, he wanted to secure his return, signaled by his win at Wijk aan Zee.

The game between the leaders was uneventful | Photo: Shamkir Chess

Ding Liren’s task of trying to force a win with black was unenviable, to say the least, and one cannot begrudge him the inability to make a fight of it. It takes two to battle after all, and his opponent held the white pieces and came equipped with fire extinguishers to put out the smallest hint of a spark. The weapon of choice was the Four Knights Defense, an opening that tends to only appear at the top in order to remind everyone why it never does.

Magnus Carlsen ½-½ Ding Liren

Rocket Repertoire: The Four Knights

Like a fine wine, the Four Knights only improves with age, establishing itself as an extremely effective way of meeting 1...e5. On the outside this opening seems deceptively quiet, yet apparently natural moves can often lead to some devastating attacks.

For most of the players, it was a lukewarm tournament with seven of the ten competitors scoring within a half-point of the 50% mark. As a result, the one decisive game between two such players had the result of pushing one, Sergey Karjakin, into clear third, while the loser, Veselin Topalov, was relegated to penultimate in the standings.

Topalov had started great and seemed to be the man to beat — and he was by Carlsen, Wojtaszek, and Karjakin | Photo: Shamkir Chess

Sergey Karjakin 1-0 Veselin Topalov

My Black Secrets in the Modern Italian

The Italian Game is considered a sound but quiet opening without early trades, giving rise to rich positions where plans are more important than forced variations. So shows black's plans on this DVD.

In spite of the slightly anticlimactic final day, it was a good tournament, with plenty of promise. For Magnus Carlsen, it marked a return to his winning ways, which will do wonders for his self-confidence, and hopefully to wipe away the specter of doubt and frustration that had been casting its shadow. The win and his games, also sent a powerful message to the other side of the world, in St. Louis, to his Challenger. More than the win, however important, there was also a sign of something fresh in his game against Anish Giri, a battle that had shown a far more aggressive and pro-active Carlsen. It is a welcome evolution, hopefully a permanent addition, and that means preparing and playing against him will be that much harder. There are still six months to go, but this can be seen as the first signs of the buildup.

Gentlemen, start your motors!

Final standings

All games

Links

• Official site
• Round 1: Five draws to start
• Round 2: Again five draws
• Round 3: The spell holds
• Round 4: Topalov breaks the logjam
• Round 5: Carlsen and Topalov score
• Round 6: Anish Giri a winner
• Round 7: Carlsen in charge
• Round 8: Carlsen or Ding