Three Black wins in the last round of the Blindfold settled the tournament. Levon Aronian had the tournament sown-up before the 11th round rapids.
Round 11: Blindfold
Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 | 0-1 | Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 |
Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 | ½-½ | Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 |
Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 | 0-1 | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 |
Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 | ½-½ | Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 |
Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 | 0-1 | Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 |
Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 | ½-½ | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 |
Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura fought back to equalize their matches. Anand's 2-0 over Giri condemned the young Dutchman to last place.
Round 11: Rapidplay
Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 | 0-1 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 |
Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 | ½-½ | Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 |
Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 | 1-0 | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 |
Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 | 1-0 | Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 |
Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 | 0-1 | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 |
Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 | ½-½ | Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 |
The top three in the world occupy the podium, but the World No.4, Vladimir Kramnik, will be the most disappointed of all the players.
The final table:
Seed | Name (World Rank) | Country | Rating | Age | Blindfold | Rapidplay | Total Points |
3 | Levon Aronian (3) | Armenia | 2808 | 28 | 8½ | 7 | 15½ |
2 | Magnus Carlsen (2) | Norway | 2815 | 20 | 5 | 9½ | 14½ |
1 | Viswanathan Anand (1) | India | 2817 | 41 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
5 | Vassily Ivanchuk (5) | Ukraine | 2779 | 41 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
9 | Alexander Grischuk (10) | Russia | 2747 | 27 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
7 | Veselin Topalov (7) | Bulgaria | 2775 | 36 | 4½ | 6 | 10½ |
8 | Hikaru Nakamura (8) | USA | 2774 | 23 | 5 | 5½ | 10½ |
10 | Vugar Gashimov (11) | Russia | 2747 | 24 | 6 | 4½ | 10½ |
11 | Boris Gelfand (16) | Israel | 2733 | 42 | 6 | 4½ | 10½ |
6 | Sergey Karjakin (6) | Russia | 2776 | 21 | 5½ | 4½ | 10 |
4 | Vladimir Kramnik (4) | Russia | 2785 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
12 | Anish Giri (43) | Netherlands | 2690 | 16 | 3½ | 3½ | 7 |
On the final day, Viswanthan Anand consolidated his third place in the overall event. In the middle, 4th-10th involved seven players separated by only one point.
Magnus Carlsen's 9½/11 must have been one of the highest-ever performances in a rapid tournament.
The previous rounds:
Round 1: Blindfold
Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 | ½-½ | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 |
Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 | 1-0 | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 |
Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 | 0-1 | Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 |
Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 | 0-1 | Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 |
Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 | 1-0 | Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 |
Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 | 1-0 | Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 |
Round 1: Rapidplay
Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 | 1-0 | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 |
Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 | 0-1 | Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 |
Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 | 1-0 | Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 |
Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 | 1-0 | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 |
Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 | 0-1 | Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 |
Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 | ½-½ | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 |
Round 2: Blindfold
Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 | ½-½ | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 |
Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 | ½-½ | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 |
Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 | 0-1 | Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 |
Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 | 1-0 | Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 |
Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 | ½-½ | Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 |
Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 | 0-1 | Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 |
Round 2: Rapidplay
Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 | ½-½ | Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 |
Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 | ½-½ | Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 |
Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 | ½-½ | Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 |
Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 | 0-1 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 |
Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 | ½-½ | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 |
Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 | ½-½ | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 |
Round 3: Blindfold
Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 | ½-½ | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 |
Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 | 0-1 | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 |
Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 | 1-0 | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 |
Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 | ½-½ | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 |
Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 | ½-½ | Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 |
Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 | 1-0 | Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 |
Round 3: Rapidplay
Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 | ½-½ | Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 |
Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 | ½-½ | Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 |
Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 | ½-½ | Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 |
Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 | 1-0 | Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 |
Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 | 0-1 | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 |
Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 | 1-0 | Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 |
Round 4: Blindfold
Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 | 1-0 | Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 |
Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 | ½-½ | Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 |
Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 | ½-½ | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 |
Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 | ½-½ | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 |
Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 | ½-½ | Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 |
Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 | ½-½ | Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 |
Round 4: Rapidplay
Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 | ½-½ | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 |
Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 | 1-0 | Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 |
Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 | 1-0 | Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 |
Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 | 0-1 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 |
Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 | 0-1 | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 |
Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 | 0-1 | Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 |
Round 5: Blindfold
Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 | 1-0 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 |
Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 | 0-1 | Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 |
Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 | 1-0 | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 |
Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 | ½-½ | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 |
Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 | 1-0 | Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 |
Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 | 0-1 | Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 |
Round 5: Rapidplay
Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 | 0-1 | Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 |
Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 | 1-0 | Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 |
Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 | ½-½ | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 |
Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 | ½-½ | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 |
Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 | 1-0 | Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 |
Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 | 0-1 | Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 |
Round 6: Blindfold
Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 | ½-½ | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 |
Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 | ½-½ | Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 |
Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 | ½-½ | Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 |
Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 | ½-½ | Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 |
Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 | ½-½ | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 |
Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 | ½-½ | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 |
Round 6: Rapidplay
Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 | 0-1 | Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 |
Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 | 0-1 | Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 |
Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 | 1-0 | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 |
Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 | 1-0 | Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 |
Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 | - | Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 |
Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 | 1-0 | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 |
Round 7: Blindfold
Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 | 0-1 | Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 |
Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 | 1-0 | Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 |
Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 | ½-½ | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 |
Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 | 1-0 | Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 |
Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 | ½-½ | Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 |
Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 | ½-½ | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 |
Round 7: Rapidplay
Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 | ½-½ | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 |
Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 | 0-1 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 |
Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 | ½-½ | Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 |
Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 | ½-½ | Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 |
Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 | 0-1 | Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 |
Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 | ½-½ | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 |
Round 8: Blindfold
Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 | ½-½ | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 |
Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 | ½-½ | Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 |
Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 | ½-½ | Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 |
Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 | ½-½ | Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 |
Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 | ½-½ | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 |
Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 | ½-½ | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 |
Round 8: Rapidplay
Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 | 1-0 | Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 |
Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 | 1-0 | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 |
Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 | 1-0 | Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 |
Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 | 1-0 | Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 |
Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 | 1-0 | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 |
Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 | 1-0 | Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 |
Round 9: Blindfold
Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 | 1-0 | Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 |
Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 | ½-½ | Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 |
Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 | 0-1 | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 |
Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 | 1-0 | Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 |
Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 | 1-0 | Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 |
Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 | ½-½ | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 |
Round 9: Rapidplay
Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 | 1-0 | Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 |
Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 | 1-0 | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 |
Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 | 0-1 | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 |
Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 | 1-0 | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 |
Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 | ½-½ | Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 |
Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 | ½-½ | Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 |
Round 10: Blindfold
Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 | 0-1 | Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 |
Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 | ½-½ | Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 |
Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 | ½-½ | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 |
Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 | 1-0 | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 |
Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 | ½-½ | Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 |
Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 | ½-½ | Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 |
Round 10: Rapidplay
Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2808 | ½-½ | Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2775 |
Vassily Ivanchuk | Ukraine | 2779 | ½-½ | Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2785 |
Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2774 | ½-½ | Sergey Karjakin | Russia | 2776 |
Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2690 | ½-½ | Boris Gelfand | Israel | 2733 |
Magnus Carlsen | Norway | 2815 | 1-0 | Alexander Grischuk | Russia | 2747 |
Vugar Gashimov | Azerbaijan | 2746 | 0-1 | Viswanathan Anand | India | 2817 |
The total prize fund is 227,000 € which explains the presence of so many elite players.
The time control varies slightly between the blindfold and rapidplay:
25 minutes by game in both cases, with an increment of 20 seconds by move at blindfold and just 10 seconds at rapidplay.
There are four sessions during the day. In the final round tomorrow these will begin at the earlier time of 12.30pm (local time) and the final session around 6pm.
The event takes place at the Hotel Monte-Carlo "Bay Hotel & Resort" in Monaco, from the 11th to the 25th of March 2011. The Max Euwe association and the philantrophist Joop van Oosterom have organized the event since 1992, and named it after his daughter Melody Amber.
For more information go to:Official site