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The first Geneva Chess Masters is taking place from June 26th to 30th. Eight players in two groups qualify for a knockout phase. The games are played at 25 minutes + 10 seconds per move. In the initial phase, two groups of four players play two game matches and play-offs (in other words, no ties) and produce points to go into an all-play-all table. The top two in each group go through to the final phase.
The final of the Geneva Chess Masters was somewhat anticlimactic after so much action over the previous days. It isn’t that Vladimir Kramnik and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, the finalists, came lacking fighting spirit, it simply that the match took two games, and the spectators had been completely spoiled by the previous rounds.
The deserving finalists
Kramnik had certainly come hoping to avenge his first round loss to Mamedyarov, killing two birds with one stone, but instead the Azeri was the one armed with David’s sling as he downed his prestigious rival in their very first game.
A grand stage for a grand event
Mamedyarov fought hard in every game, forcing his opponents to tread carefully every step of the way.
Alexandra Kosteniuk came to assist Manny Rayner and Cathy Chua in the commentary
box. Kudos to the pair who provided interesting and entertaining commentary
throughout
the event.
This meant that Vladimir was in a must-win situation to try and reach the tiebreakers, though he did have one consolation: he was white. Unfortunately, he could not muster his A-game, and instead it was the Azeri who produced winning chances in their bout. Kramnik reached a dry endgame that he desperately tried to keep alive, but there was no blood to squeeze from this rock, and the day was Mamedyarov’s.
In the main open, held parallel to the masters event, GM Mathieu Cornette won
with 8.0/9, and edged out GM Christain Bauer on tiebreak.
The Swiss U10 was won by Daniel Fischer, while Fabian Bänziger won the U12,
and Martin Schwieghoffer was U14 champion. Playing alongside the world's best
had
to
have been inspiring to the youths.
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov consistently came up with the goods when he needed to
A TV report on the event on Swiss TV
Photos by Georgios Souleidis
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 a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs. |
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