tag: Dortmund 2011 - Page 1

Dortmund Rd10 – Kramnik goes for broke against Nakamura

7/31/2011 – Since the results were mostly decided by now, Vladimir Kramnik decided to do everything in his power to break back into the 2800 club. Kramnik played an incredibly brave and belligerent game against Nakamura, and sacrificed a knight for a long-term attack. While he had excellent chances, he ultimately failed to make the most of them, and lost. A fascinating game. Final report and stats.

Dortmund Rd9 – Kramnik wins Dortmund; Nakamura ends drought

7/30/2011 – Kramnik's win of Dortmund came as no surprise, and he took no chances and drew against Giri, securing a two point lead over the field after Le drew against Ponomariov. His 7.0/9 score and 2933 performance are one of the greatest tournament victories of all time, but he still has a tenth round to try and extend it if he wishes. Nakamura ended his drought with a win over Meier. Round nine.

Dortmund Rd8 – Kramnik has miracle save; Pono beats Nakamura

7/29/2011 – It was the most dramatic round of the tournament. All three boards seemed headed for a decisive result, including Le – over Kramnik! The Russian took serious risks, Le played well and achieved a winning advantage. It took mistakes by the Vietnamese GM and surgical precision by Kramnik to save it. Ponomariov, with only two draws in eight games, defeated Nakamura. Round eight report.

Dortmund Rd7 – Kramnik beats Meier and breaks 2800

7/28/2011 – With a huge lead over the field, Kramnik could conceivably cruise to victory, or he could take this chance to make history and see where it goes. With his powerful win over Meier, he is soaring over the 3000 performance mark once more, and is at 2800 in the live rating lists. Anish Giri beat Ponomariov in a double-rook endgame and is now third, while Nakamura and Le drew. Round seven.

Dortmund Rd6 – Hits and kicks all round, but no knock-outs

7/27/2011 – Though the round yielded draws on all three boards, there was nothing sedate about any of them. Kramnik continued his fighting chess and built up a very threatening position against Ponomariov, but was unable to finalize and they drew. Nakamura managed to win a pawn against Giri, but found no way to convert in the endgame. Finally, Le and Meier also drew. Round six report.

Dortmund Rd5 – Kramnik on 3102 performance

7/25/2011 – It is hard to find words for this. "Stratospheric" is inadequate – this man is clearly headed for low-earth orbit. Vladimir Kramnik beat Anish Giri in a Gruenfeld Exchange to hit 4.5/5, increasing his lead to 1.5 points after Le, undefeated, beat Ponomariov to assume second place. Meier and Nakamura played a marathon 150-move game that ended in a draw. Round six report.

Dortmund Rd4 – Kramnik unstoppable at 3.5/4 and 3064 performance

7/24/2011 – At the breakneck pace at which he is speeding, Kramnik is not only on track to win Dortmund, but he could conceivably score the greatest tournament performance of his career. Playing Nakamura, Kramnik seemed headed for a draw after most of the pieces came off, but a series of imprecisions yielded a winning position and he converted. The other games were drawn. Round four report.

Dortmund Rd3 – Ponomariov overpowers Nakamura

7/23/2011 – In spite of an inauspicious loss to Kramnik in the first round, Ponomariov bounced back with a win in round two, and now with a second win in round three, outplaying Nakamura, he is clear second. Giri also won, but was dead drawn against Meier until the latter threw the game away with a blunder on move 70. Kramnik was unable to crack Le Quang Liem and conceded his first draw. Round three.

Dortmund Rd2 – Kramnik and Ponomariov win

7/22/2011 – It may not have been the cleanest win, but a point is a point. Kramnik spent much of his game against Meier either equal or a bit worse, but when the German's clock ran short, he managed to shake the tree with complications yielding him a 2.0/2 start. Ponomariov won a nice positional game against Giri, outplaying the young Dutchman to stay in contention. Round two report.

Dortmund Rd1 – Kramnik strikes in first round

7/21/2011 – With so much elite chess taking place at once, spectators might get whiplash as they glance from one board to the next, but one thing is clear: Dortmund is never to be missed. The lineup is mouthwatering with legends, fighters, and talents-on-the-rise, and the games were to their credit. Kramnik locked horns with Ponomariov and emerged the sole victor in round one. Round one report.
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