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SportAccord Mind Games will be held in Beijing, China between the 12th of December and 20th December 2012. The World Mind Games was held for the first time in 2008 and consisted of 5 disciplines: chess, bridge, draughts (checkers), go, and xiangqi (Chinese chess). SportAccord, the organizer of the Mind Games, is the umbrella organization for both Olympic and non-Olympic sports as well as for major organizers of conferences and sporting events.
The grandmasters giving the live commentary in Beijing are Peter Heine Nielsen from Denmark and Bartolomiej Herbela from Poland. They also gave a simultaneous exhibition to some of the local players. Here are some impressions:
The enthusiastic crowd that participated in the activities
Being a tall nordic man doesn't help when the tables are rather short
GM Herbela demonstrating how to handle the opening
Rarely do you see someone be so happy when their last piece is being taken in a simul!
And a closing interview to the real winners of the exhibition: the players!
Photos of the simultaneous by SportAccord Official Vianney Thibaut
Aronian is wondering where his leader position went...
Karjakin is always dangerous in blitz and he is in striking distance of the leaders
The two chinese players, Wang Yue (pictured) and Wang Hao had a terrible day two, scoring only 5.5/20 with their combined scores
The silver medallist of the rapid has not found his way around the blitz yet
Radjabov's results are good enough to put him in the middle of the board
After this draw Mamedyarov went on a killing spree while Nepomniachtchi didn't win a single game
Grischuk's power pawns on a6 and b7 were no match for Wang Yue's extra... rook and queen...
Aronian, the leader after the first day, started with three draws and two losses in the first five games of the day which pushed him away from the leader position. Meanwhile Mamedyarov started the day rather slowly. He scored 50% in the first four games, but then he followed up with four consecutive victories. and that was enough to put him in the number one spot after day two.
The Blitz World Champion Le Quang Liem also scored 7.5/10 in day two but Mamedyarov had scored half point more in the previous set of games and is currently ahead by that margin. Aronian is currently in third with 13.0/20 but the tournament is still wide open as Karjakin and Vachier-Lagraeve are only 1.5 points behind the leader at 12.5/20 each. The tournament is certainly very close! Even players with 10 points have realistic chances of going for a medal if they have a good third day.
| Rank | Name | Rtg | FED | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pts |
| 1 | Mamedyarov Shakhriyar | 2721 | AZE | * * | 0 | 1 | 0 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ ½ | 0 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 1 | 1 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14.0 |
| 2 | Le Quang Liem | 2841 | VIE | 1 | * * | 0 | 0 | 1 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 1 | ½ ½ | 1 | 1 1 | ½ | ½ | 13.5 |
| 3 | Aronian Levon | 2817 | ARM | 0 | 1 | * * | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ 1 | 1 1 | 1 0 | 1 1 | 13.0 |
| 4 | Karjakin Sergey | 2837 | RUS | 1 0 | 1 | 1 | * * | 1 | 1 1 | 0 1 | 0 | 0 ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 12.5 |
| 5 | Vachier-Lagrave Maxime | 2825 | FRA | 1 | 0 0 | ½ | 0 | * * | 0 | 1 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ 1 | ½ ½ | 12.5 |
| 6 | Nepomniachtchi Ian | 2830 | RUS | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 0 | 1 | * * | 0 | 0 0 | 1 ½ | ½ | 1 ½ | 1 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11.5 |
| 7 | Grischuk Alexander | 2798 | RUS | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 0 | 0 0 | 1 | * * | ½ 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 ½ | 1 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 10.0 |
| 8 | Radjabov Teimour | 2755 | AZE | ½ ½ | ½ 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 1 | ½ 0 | * * | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10.0 |
| 9 | Ivanchuk Vassily | 2750 | UKR | 1 0 | 0 | 0 1 | 1 ½ | 0 | 0 ½ | 1 | 0 | * * | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10.0 |
| 10 | Kamsky Gata | 2671 | USA | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | * * | 1 ½ | 1 0 | 1 | 0 1 | 1 | ½ 0 | 9.5 |
| 11 | Giri Anish | 2747 | NED | 0 | 0 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 ½ | 1 ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 ½ | * * | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ 1 | 1 | 8.0 |
| 12 | Dominguez Perez Leinier | 2769 | CUB | 0 0 | ½ ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 1 | 0 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 1 | 1 | * * | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 7.5 |
| 13 | Wang Yue | 2723 | CHN | 0 0 | 0 | ½ 0 | 1 ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ 0 | 1 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | * * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 7.5 |
| 14 | Ponomariov Ruslan | 2774 | UKR | 0 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | * * | ½ 1 | 1 1 | 7.5 |
| 15 | Leko Peter | 2722 | HUN | 0 | ½ | 0 1 | ½ | ½ 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ 0 | * * | ½ 1 | 7.0 |
| 16 | Wang Hao | 2698 | CHN | 0 | ½ | 0 0 | ½ | ½ ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 0 | ½ 0 | * * | 6.0 |
Note: Blitz ratings used
Men Blitz games 11-20
Muzychuk is in third but is three points away from Hou Yifan. She will need an extraordinary day three to take the gold medal from the Chinese.
Marie Sebag is by far and away France's strongest woman, but she will have to do better in day three to opt for a medal position, which is still realistic
Koneru had a dismal day two with only 2.5/10
Yifan was the big winner of today. Here she is calmly pressing her clock with five seconds left. The time control is g/3 + 2" so she will get two seconds every time she moves.
Paehtz struggled somewhat on the second day of the blitz
Hou Yifan simply destroyed the field today. An unbelievable 9.5/10, only drawing Ju Wenjun, puts her a full two points ahead of Gunina who is now second. Ushenina also had a great second day with 7.5/10 but since she had only scored 50% in the first set of 10 this means she is still in fourth.
| Rank | Name | Rtg | FED | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Pts |
| 1 | Hou Yifan | 2559 | CHN | * * | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 1 | 0 1 | ½ 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 1 | 1 | 1 | 16.0 |
| 2 | Gunina Valentina | 2527 | RUS | 0 | * * | 0 0 | 1 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 ½ | 1 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 1 | 1 | 14.0 |
| 3 | Muzychuk Anna | 2639 | SLO | 1 | 1 1 | * * | 0 | 1 | 0 1 | 1 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 1 | 1 | 0 0 | 1 | 0 | 13.0 |
| 4 | Ushenina Anna | 2489 | UKR | 0 | 0 0 | 1 | * * | ½ | 0 | 1 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 1 | 1 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 1 | 12.5 |
| 5 | Dzagnidze Nana | 2579 | GEO | 0 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | * * | 1 1 | 1 | 1 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 1 | 0 | 11.0 |
| 6 | Sebag Marie | 2501 | FRA | 1 0 | ½ | 1 0 | 1 | 0 0 | * * | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 0 | 1 | 10.5 |
| 7 | Zhao Xue | 2471 | CHN | ½ 0 | 0 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 0 | ½ | * * | ½ | 1 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 ½ | 1 | 10.5 |
| 8 | Lagno Kateryna | 2532 | UKR | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 1 | 0 | ½ | * * | 1 | ½ 0 | ½ 1 | 1 | 1 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 ½ | 10.0 |
| 9 | Kosteniuk Alexandra | 2612 | RUS | 0 | 0 ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 0 | 0 | * * | 1 | 1 | ½ 0 | 0 1 | 1 1 | ½ | ½ | 9.5 |
| 10 | Stefanova Antoaneta | 2508 | BUL | 0 | 0 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ 1 | 0 | * * | 0 | 1 1 | 0 ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 ½ | 9.5 |
| 11 | Koneru Humpy | 2558 | IND | 1 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 0 | 1 0 | 0 | ½ 0 | 0 | 1 | * * | 1 | ½ | 0 0 | ½ | 1 | 8.0 |
| 12 | Paehtz Elisabeth | 2574 | GER | 0 | 0 | 0 0 | 1 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ 1 | 0 0 | 0 | * * | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 1 | 7.5 |
| 13 | Ju Wenjun | 2454 | CHN | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 1 | 1 0 | 1 ½ | ½ | ½ | * * | 0 | 1 | 0 ½ | 7.5 |
| 14 | Kosintseva Tatiana | 2480 | RUS | 0 0 | 0 | 1 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 0 | 0 | 1 1 | 0 | 1 | * * | 1 0 | 0 | 7.0 |
| 15 | Cmilyte Viktorija | 2532 | LTU | 0 | 1 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 0 | 1 1 | 0 ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 1 | * * | ½ | 7.0 |
| 16 | Cramling Pia | 2430 | SWE | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 ½ | ½ | 0 ½ | 0 | 0 0 | 1 ½ | 1 | ½ | * * | 6.5 |
Note: Blitz ratings used
Women Blitz games 11-20
Photos by Gu Xiaobing, taken from the official FIDE website
| Thursday, December 12th | 14:00-19:00 Rapid Event: 1-4 rounds (men), 1-4 rounds (women) |
| Friday, December 13th | 14:00-19:00 Rapid Event: 5-7 rounds (men), 5-7 rounds (women) |
| Saturday, December 14th | 14:00-19:00 Blitz Event: 1-10 rounds (men), 1-10 rounds (women) |
| Sunday, December 15th | 14:00-19:00 Blitz Event: 11-20 rounds (men), 11-20 rounds (women) |
| Monday, December 16th | 14:00-19:00 Blitz Event: 21-30 rounds (men), 21-30 rounds (women) |
| Tuesday, December 17th | 14:00-19:00 Basque System: 1-3 rounds (men), 1-3 rounds (women) |
| Wednesday, December 18th | 11:00-16:00 Basque System: 4-5 rounds (men), 4-5 rounds (women) & Closing Ceremony |
LinksThe games will be 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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