Nalchik R13: Levon Aronian wins Fourth FIDE Grand Prix

by ChessBase
4/29/2009 – With Aronian and Leko both leading by a full point cynics were predicting a quick GM draw. But it turned into a merciless battle with Levon Aronian dominating and eventually crushing Peter Leko after an exchange sacrifice. The Armenian took sole first by a full point and with a 2833 performance. Bacrot, Gelfand and Akopian also won their games. We bring you pictures from the closing ceremony.

ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024 ChessBase 17 - Mega package - Edition 2024

It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more.

More...

Fourth FIDE Grand Prix
in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria

The fourth FIDE Grand Prix Series Tournament is being held in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, during 14th -29th April 2009 at the Intour Hotel "Sindica". The games start at 3 p.m. local time = 15:00h CEST. After five rounds there is a free day (on Monday, April 20) and another after round nine (on Saturday, April 25).

Results of today's round

Round 13: Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Ivanchuk Vassily
½-½
Kamsky Gata
Bacrot Etienne
1-0
Alekseev Evgeny
Svidler Peter
½-½
Grischuk Alexander
Gelfand Boris
1-0
Karjakin Sergey
Eljanov Pavel
0-1
Akopian Vladimir
  Kasimdzhanov Rustam
½-½
Mamedyarov Shakhriyar  
Aronian Levon
1-0
Leko Peter

Final standings

Note that on the official FIDE result page Alekseev is given before Gelfand, with both in place 6.


The closing ceremony

The winners of the 4th FIDE Grand Prix tournament were celebrated in the Music Theatre of the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria.


The obligatory black-and-white pageant on the final day

The chief arbiter Vyacheslav Namruev announced the official results of the tournaments. He pointed out that the 14 chess players of the 20 strongest grandmasters of the world gathered in Nalchik. The events of this round of the FIDE Grand Prix were watched in many countries of the world. The last day the Grand Prix site was visited by users from 150 countries of the world. The uncompromising battle was going on up to the last day. The winner of the 4th round of the FIDE Grand Prix is Levon Aronyan from Armenia.


The winner was put on a national Caucasian White felt cloak and the singers sang “Vivat to king, vivat!”


Vivat to you, Levon! My, aren't we going to look natty sauntering through Berlin in this!


Now for the commemorative medal and plaque...


... and finally (and most importantly) the check for 30,000 Euros (around US $40,000)

The large plastic check with the prize sum was presented to the winner by the FIDE vise president Geoffrey Borg, the head of the KBR government Andrew Yarin and the minister of sport and tourism of KBR Aslan Afaunov. Levon Aronian in his turn thanked the organizers of the contest and said: “I have spent wonderful days here. When I was going to Nalchik my parents told me that people are very friendly and hospitable here. Nalchik is a perfect place for holding chess tournaments”.


Second prize goes to Peter Leko, who beat Akopian on tiebreak points


In the front row of the theatre sharp eyes will spot Akopian, Efimenko, Eljanov, Kasimdzhanov, Karjakin, Dokhojan (Kasparov's former second, now trainer of Karjakin); in the second row Grischuk, Bacrot, Alekseev, Spassky, Gapridashvili, Gustafsson, Svidler

All the participants were presented memorable awards: Gata Kamsky for his “Will to victory“, Rustam Kasimdzhanov was called “Chess Ciceron”, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov became an “ All-round developed sportsmen”, “The prize of the viewers sympathies” went to Vassily Ivanchuk.


FIDE Grand Prix Nalchik 2009 – Schedule and results

Round 1: Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Leko Peter
½-½
Kamsky Gata
Mamedyarov Shak.
0-1
Aronian Levon
Akopian Vladimir
½-½
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Karjakin Sergey
½-½
Eljanov Pavel
Grischuk Alexander
1-0
Gelfand Boris
Alekseev Evgeny
½-½
Svidler Peter
Ivanchuk Vassily
½-½
Bacrot Etienne

Round 2: Thursday, April 16, 2009

Kamsky Gata
½-½
Bacrot Etienne
Svidler Peter
1-0
Ivanchuk Vassily
Gelfand Boris
½-½
Alekseev Evgeny
Eljanov Pavel
½-½
Grischuk Alexander
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
½-½
Karjakin Sergey
Aronian Levon
1-0-
Akopian Vladimir
Leko Peter
½-½
Mamedyarov Shak.

Round 3: Friday, April 17, 2009

Mamedyarov Shak.
½-½
Kamsky Gata
Akopian Vladimir
0-1
Leko Peter
Karjakin Sergey
1-0
Aronian Levon
Grischuk Alexander
1-0
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Alekseev Evgeny
1-0
Eljanov Pavel
Ivanchuk Vassily
½-½
Gelfand Boris
Bacrot Etienne
½-½
Svidler Peter

Round 4: Saturday, April 18, 2009

Kamsky Gata
1-0
Svidler Peter
Gelfand Boris
½-½
Bacrot Etienne
Eljanov Pavel
½-½
Ivanchuk Vassily
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
½-½
Alekseev Evgeny
Aronian Levon
½-½
Grischuk Alexander
Leko Peter
½-½
Karjakin Sergey
Mamedyarov Shak.
½-½
Akopian Vladimir

Round 5: Sunday, April 19, 2009

Akopian Vladimir
1-0
Kamsky Gata
Karjakin Sergey
½-½
Mamedyarov Shak.
Grischuk Alexander
½-½
Leko Peter
Alekseev Evgeny
½-½
Aronian Levon
Ivanchuk Vassily
0-1
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Bacrot Etienne
½-½
Eljanov Pavel
Svidler Peter
½-½
Gelfand Boris

Round 6: Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Kamsky Gata
½-½
Gelfand Boris
Eljanov Pavel
0-1
Svidler Peter
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
½-½
Bacrot Etienne
Aronian Levon
1-0
Ivanchuk Vassily
Leko Peter
½-½
Alekseev Evgeny
Mamedyarov Shak.
1-0
Grischuk Alexander
Akopian Vladimir
1-0
Karjakin Sergey

Round 7: Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Karjakin Sergey
1-0
Kamsky Gata
Grischuk Alexander
½-½
Akopian Vladimir
Alekseev Evgeny
½-½
Mamedyarov Shak.
Ivanchuk Vassily
½-½
Leko Peter
Bacrot Etienne
½-½
Aronian Levon
Svidler Peter
½-½
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Gelfand Boris
0-1
Eljanov Pavel

Round 8: Thursday, April 23, 2009

Kamsky Gata
0-1
Eljanov Pavel
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
0-1
Gelfand Boris
Aronian Levon
½-½
Svidler Peter
Leko Peter
½-½
Bacrot Etienne
Mamedyarov Shak.
½-½
Ivanchuk Vassily
Akopian Vladimir
½-½
Alekseev Evgeny
Karjakin Sergey
½-½
Grischuk Alexander

Round 9: Friday, April 24, 2009

Grischuk Alexander
0-1
Kamsky Gata
Alekseev Evgeny
1-0
Karjakin Sergey
Ivanchuk Vassily
½-½
Akopian Vladimir
Bacrot Etienne
1-0
Mamedyarov Shak.
Svidler Peter
½-½
Leko Peter
Gelfand Boris
½-½
Aronian Levon
Eljanov Pavel
½-½
Kasimdzhanov Rus.

Round 10: Sunday, April 26, 2009

Kamsky Gata
½-½
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Aronian Levon
1-0
Eljanov Pavel
Leko Peter
1-0
Gelfand Boris
Mamedyarov Shak.
1-0
Svidler Peter
Akopian Vladimir
1-0
Bacrot Etienne
Karjakin Sergey
½-½
Ivanchuk Vassily
Grischuk Alexander
1-0
Alekseev Evgeny

Round 11: Monday, April 27, 2009

Alekseev Evgeny
½-½
Kamsky Gata
Ivanchuk Vassily
1-0
Grischuk Alexander
Bacrot Etienne
1-0
Karjakin Sergey
Svidler Peter
½-½
Akopian Vladimir
Gelfand Boris
1-0
Mamedyarov Shak.
Eljanov Pavel
½-½
Leko Peter
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
½-½
Aronian Levon

Round 12: Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Kamsky Gata
½-½
Aronian Levon
Leko Peter
1-0
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
Mamedyarov Shak.
½-½
Eljanov Pavel
Akopian Vladimir
½-½
Gelfand Boris
Karjakin Sergey
1-0
Svidler Peter
Grischuk Alexander
1-0
Bacrot Etienne
Alekseev Evgeny
½-½
Ivanchuk Vassily

Round 13: Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Ivanchuk Vassily
½-½
Kamsky Gata
Bacrot Etienne
1-0
Alekseev Evgeny
Svidler Peter
½-½
Grischuk Alexander
Gelfand Boris
1-0
Karjakin Sergey
Eljanov Pavel
0-1
Akopian Vladimir
Kasimdzhanov Rus.
½-½
Mamedyarov Shak.
Aronian Levon
1-0
Leko Peter

Thursday, April 30, 2009
Departure


Links

The games are bing 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.


Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register