tag: FIDE Grand Prix Baku 2008 - Page 1

Looking back and forward to Baku

5/13/2008 – The FIDE Grand Prix in Baku ended a week ago. Now another big event starts in the capital of Azerbaijan: the Third President's Cup. Two rounds have already been played. Before we receive and publish first reports from this tournament we take a look back at the Grand Prix, with a round-up report by Zahir Ahmadov and some spectacular photography by Farid Khayrulin. A visual feast.

Baku R12: Five wins, two draws, Gashimov and Wang lead

5/5/2008 – Azeri GM Vugar Gashimov defeated Alexander Grischuk to take the lead away from the Russian player. He joined Wang Yue of China in the lead. Magnus Carlsen defeated Michael Adams to join the pursuers half a point behind. Peter Svidler and David Navara won their black games against Gata Kamsky and Teimour Radjabov. Full report with analysis, pictures and videos.

Baku R13: Gashimov, Wang and Carlsen win Grand Prix

5/5/2008 – There are three winners of the First FIDE Grand Prix in Baku: Vugar Gashimov, Wang Yue and Magnus Carlsen, all of whom ended at 8.0/13 points. The leaders Gashimov and Wang drew their games, while the incredible Magnus Carlsen scored his second win in succession (when it mattered!) to join the leading group. We bring you games, results, prizes, photos and videos.

Baku R11: Wang Yue beats Svidler to join Grischuk

5/3/2008 – The period of sole leadership for Alexander Grischuk is over. The Russian GM drew with Magnus Carlsen in round eleven, while Wang Yue from China scored a victory over Peter Svidler. Grischuk and Wang now lead with 7.0/11 and 2800+ performances. Ernesto Inarkiev defeated Etienne Bacrot after the latter committed the blunder of the tournament. Full report.

Baku R10: Heavy rain and six draws in FIDE Grand Prix

5/2/2008 – It was raining cats, dogs and half-points today, our friends in the Azerbaijan capital tell us. Karjakin came close to beating Gashimov with black, and Peter Svidler was two pawns down against Bacrot with white. Both games were drawn. Only Ivan Cheparinov continued his remarkable comeback with yet another win, with black against Radjabov. Full report with exciting rain pictures.

Baku R8: Inarkiev and Mamedyarov win

4/30/2008 – Ernesto Inarkiev beat David Navara when the latter got into terrible time trouble and let it slip. Inarkiev's drawing average in this tournament is 25% – two out of eight games. Local hero Shakhriyar Mamedyarov defeated Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine, who seems to be running out of strength. And Wang Yue continues to apply Tiger Balm White before the game. Full report with pictures and videos.

Baku R9: Grischuk wins, leads alone in Baku

4/30/2008 – Another exciting round with four decisive games – even the three draws were generally hard-fought. The prodigy duel Karjakin-Carlsen was drawn after 55 moves. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov beat David Navara with black, Radjabov and Adams beat Kamsky and Svidler with white. Alexander Grischuk vs Ernesto Inarkiev ended in victory for Grischuk, who took the sole lead in the table. Full illustrated report.

Baku R7: Four wins in a fighting round

4/28/2008 – Gata Kamsky scored his first duck in Baku against local boy Vugar Gashimov, to relinquish his lead in the table. Gashimov used the victory to climb to the top. Carlsen beat Radjabov with black, Sergey Karjakin took a full point from Ernesto Inarkiev. And Ivan Cheparinov won his second game in succession, beating Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Full report with pictures and videos.

Baku R6: Kamsky beats Adams, joins the leaders

4/27/2008 – British GM Michael Adams was under a lot of pressure by Brooklyn Boy Gata Kamsky, who was two pawns up. Just when it seemed that Adams was heading for a draw Kamsky outplayed him very nicely in the rook ending. Now Gata shares the lead with Alex and Wang. Ivan Cheparinov scored a full point, with black, against Ernesto Inarkiev. Full report with pictures and videos.

Baku R5: Wang Yue beats Karjakin with the Berlin

4/25/2008 – Actually the Chinese GM was, in his own words, "lucky to win this game", with the Berlin Defence of the Ruy Lopez. Around move 25 his Ukrainian opponent started to lose concentration and play dubious moves. In the end Karjakin could not hold the rook ending. All other games of round five were drawn. Express report with games, pictures and videos.

Baku R3: a fighting day with five decisive games

4/24/2008 – It was certainly an exciting third round, with victories chalked up by Magnus Carlsen, Vugar Gashimov, Etienne Bacrot, Sergey Karjakin (picture) and Alexander Grischuk, who is now in the lead with 2.5/3 at the Grand Prix in Baku. Five players share the second slot with 2.0 points. Ivan Cheparinov, the second of Veselin Topalov, has still to score anything. Full report with pictures and videos.

Baku R4: Adams beats Navara, Wang Yue beats Cheparinov

4/24/2008 – What is wrong with Ivan Cheparinov? The young Bulgarian GM, just a few points shy of 2700 on the rating list, has lost all four games so far. Today he went down to Wang Yue, whom he had knocked out in round four of the FIDE World Cup last December. Meanwhile Michael Adams beat David Navara. The Prime Minister of Azerbaijan visited round four. Full report with games, pictures and videos.

Baku R1: Grischuk and Kamsky win with black

4/22/2008 – First blood in the first round of the FIDE Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan, was drawn by Alexander Grischuk and Gata Kamsky, who defeated Ivan Cheparinov and Ernesto Inarkiev respectively, with the black pieces. The other five games were drawn. But even the shortest game, a 25-mover between Mamedyarov and Svidler, was a tense encounter. Report on round one.

Baku R2: Adams, Radjabov and Inarkiev win

4/22/2008 – Ernesto Inarkiev, the number twelve seed, came back strongly after his traumatic loss to Gata Kamsky in round one to score a fine victory over second seed Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. Etienne Bacrot walked into a mate against local boy Teimour Radjabov, while British GM Michael Adams outplayed the luckless Ivan Cheparinov, who has zero points so far. Full report with pictures and videos.

First FIDE Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan

4/19/2008 – The first of a series of FIDE Grand Prix tournaments begins on Sunday, with 14 players, including Magnus Carlsen, Shak Mamedyarov, Teimour Radjabov, Peter Svidler, Sergey Karjakin, Michael Adams, Gata Kamsky and Alexander Grischuk. The winner of the series at the end of 2009 will play the winner of the World Cup for the right to challenge the world champion. Full details.
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