tag: Tal Memorial 2012 - Page 1

Tal Memorial Rd9 – Carlsen takes title in record event

6/19/2012 – It is almost fitting that the final round saw yet another unexpected series of results leading to a surprise winner: Magnus Carlsen. Fabiano Caruana fell into some nasty home preparation by Levon Aronian and lost, while Carlsen beat Luke McShane in a model game to take clear first. With his win a record was possibly set. Final report with video and GM analysis.

Tal Memorial Rd8 – Caruana beats Kramnik to take sole lead

6/17/2012 – If yesterday was sizzling, today was incendiary. No one could have expected McShane to run over Moro as he did, nor Caruana to take the lead by beating Kramnik with ease. While Nakamura blundered to Grischuk and lost, Carlsen took herculean risks in an endgame to try and beat Tomashevsky, but the Russian found all the right moves. Report, video, and GM commentary.

Tal Memorial Rd7 – Both leaders lose; five lead

6/17/2012 – Round seven saw shock losses by both leaders. Morozevich took big chances against Tomashevsky, which backfired, while Kramnik saw a solid endgame go sour against McShane, and also lost in a big upset. Caruana spent his game against Radjabov hanging by his fingernails, but it turned out they were made of titanium and he drew. Five lead now. Illustrated report with GM commentary.

CBM training: Carlsen in Capablanca's footsteps

6/17/2012 – "Magnus Carlsen has an amazing endgame technique. His victory against Radjabov reminds us of Capablanca's famous win against Kan in Moscow 1936." Words of praise from our ChessBase Magazin endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller, who has analysed Carlsen's game from the Tal Memorial and takes us on a historical journey to the defining Capablanca game. Learn and enjoy.

Tal Memorial Rd6 – Moro loses to Nakamura, Kramnik joins lead

6/14/2012 – It was perhaps not the highest level chess, but as far as drama and excitement go, spectators were on the edges of their seats. Morozevich set up a violent attack against Nakamura, but as time trouble came, Nakamura found inspired moves and turned the tables for his first win. Caruana beat McShane and Kramnik exchanged blunders with Tomashevsky to win. Report with GM commentary.

Tal Memorial Rd5 – Morozevich takes sole lead with 4.0/5

6/13/2012 – The fifth round finally saw one player pull ahead for the clear lead: Alexander Morozevich. Aronian played a risky strategy when he sacrificed a piece for a number of pawns. With very little time, he could not find the best moves, and was lost by the time control. Radjabov allowed Carlsen to equalize, and in a slightly unpleasant endgame, overreacted and lost. Report, video, and GM commentary.

Tal Memorial Rd4 – Radjabov and Morozevich lead

6/12/2012 – It was a highly entertaining round once again, but this time Magnus Carlsen was at the center of it. The number one took incredible risks throughout his game to try and beat Grischuk, but eventually they drew as the time control arrived. Morozevich and Radjabov played a lukewarm game and drew. Caruana was the only win, beating Tomashevsky. Full report with notes by GM Alejandro Ramirez.

Tal Memorial Rd3 – A round of sacrifices to win, draw, and lose

6/10/2012 – It was a round of sacrifices all round with all the results possible. The first was McShane's brilliant exchange sacrifice that stranded Aronian's king with deadly effect. Then came Kramnik's exchange sacrifice to neutralize Radjabov, and hold the balance. Finally, it was Grischuk who went for broke against Morozevich in a crazy game, but lost. Round three report with GM commentary and video.

Tal Memorial Rd2 – Kramnik wins model game; Carlsen escapes Moro

6/9/2012 – Kramnik once said that the biggest lesson he learned from the elite was how resiliently they defended. Today Carlsen showed the same gumption as he saved a nightmare position in which Morozevich had doubled rooks on his seventh. McShane cracked at move 40 against Radjabov, while Kramnik played a model game in an impressive win over Grischuk. Illustrated report with GM analysis.

Deep Fritz 13 with blow-your-mind functions

6/8/2012 – "So what will Deep Fritz 13 bring," a top GM asked us recently. "More engine strength and multi-processing?" Yes, but in addition our new program lets you access it – or other chess engines – from remote locations, providing awesome power "from the cloud" on your tiny portable notebook. You can even rent other people's hardware at the click of the mouse. Get the download version today.

Tal Memorial Rd1 – White sweeps round with four wins

6/8/2012 – After an exciting blitz tournament to open the Tal Memorial, the question was whether the players could keep the energy level that high. The answer? White registered four wins. Nakamura lost to Aronian after a fatal oversight, while Radjabov outwitted Tomashevsky. Still, Morozevich's inspired win over Caruana was the game of the day. Illustrated report with videos and GM analysis.

Tal Memorial blitz – A look at some brilliancies

6/8/2012 – The Tal Memorial Blitz was a very fun event for all, as remarked, but it was more than simply a source of frenetic clock slamming and flying pieces. It was the source of more than a few very spectacular shots. It is always a reminder what separates the cream of the crop from the rest of humanity. We separated a handful for your enjoyment.

Seventh Tal Memorial in Moscow – preliminary blitz

6/7/2012 – The Tal Memorial is a ten-player round robin with eight of the top eleven players in the world taking part. It started on June 7th with a unique drawing of colours: instead of the usual staid ceremony it will be a full-blown nine-round blitz tournament with a 15,000 Euros prize fund – which we were able to watch in a full HD live video stream. Wonderfully executed – to the organisers we say: Chapeau!
1