All news

• Jobava keeps winning!

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  Baadur Jobava now has seven points out of eight after his win over top seed Zoltan Almasi. What a great tournament he is having! Three players are on his heels, Ivan Sokolov and Ian Nepomniatchi who both won today along with Zahar Efimenko.
  Monika Socko has been caught by Viktorija Cmilyte in the Women's event.

• Melody Amber about to start!

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  The 19th edition of the famous Melody Amber tournament will take place this year at the elegant Mediterranean Palace in Nice. It will run from tomorrow (Saturday the 13th) until the 25th of March.
  The World's elite will compete at rapid and blindfold chess.

• No Change at the Top!

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  Many draws amongst the leading players have left the situation virtually unchanged going into tomorrow's rest day.
  Jobava and Efimenko now have 6/7.
  Monika Socko has the same score, and remains sole leader in the Women's event.

• Jobava and Efimenko again!

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  A two-horse race is emerging with Jobava and Efimenko both winning to get them to 5.5/6.
  In the ladies event Monika Socko continues her great form with another win and now leads alone.

• Four at the top!

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  Efimenko is one of four leaders, and having drawn with Black today against Jobava has the advantage of playing with White tomorrow.
  Nisipeanu, who beat Pelletier, and Timofeev, who overcame Skiborne, make up the four at the top.
  

• Jobava and Efimenko lead

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  Montpellier-based Swiss grandmaster Yannick Pelletier caused the biggest upset in the third round by beating David Navara with the black pieces.
  In the fourth round Jobava and Efimenko were the winners at the top (both won with Black!) to become the only two on 4/4.
  In the Women's event Monika Socko is sole leader.

• Thirteen lead after three rounds in Rijeka

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  Vallejo Pons, Jobava and Naiditsch are amongst the lucky thirteen on 3/3.
  It's International Women's day today and the Kosintseva sisters were both amongst the leading pack before today's game.
  Tatiana won her third game but sister Nadezhda drew. Arakhamia, Socko and Chelushkina make up the four on 100%.

• European Individual Begins in Rijeka

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  Many leading European players will be in Croatia for the next fortnight competing for places for the World Cup, prize-money and of course the title of European Champion!
  Former Women's World Champion Bulgarian Antoaneta Stefanova is top seed in the Women's event.

• Carlsen still number one

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  The official World Chess Federation (FIDE) rating list has come out with Magnus Carlsen still officially number one, but when Linares is counted Topalov will be pushing him close.
  Kramnik has moved up to third place ahead of Anand.

• Topalov bounces back!

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  Co-leader Grischuk could only draw whereas Topalov managed to overcome Gelfand's pet Petroff's Defence in a long endgame and thus re-took the lead when it mattered, at the very end.

• Grischuk gets his revenge!

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  Grischuk threw away the whole point in their first encounter but this time kept control until the end. This win enables him to catch Topalov going into the last round.

• Grischuk makes a splash in Linares

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  Alexander Grischuk lands a neat combination to dismantle Gashimov's Modern Benoni and is now the only player with any realistic chances to challenge Topalov for the top honours.

• Topalov keeps it solid

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  With a lead of one-and-a-half points there was no need for anything dramatic today. Gashimov sacrificed a pawn for some pressure, but Topalov defended and steered the game towards an equal endgame.
  The lead and his (provisional) World number one status are maintained!

• Cappelle finishes with Zherebukh ahead

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  Cappelle is over for another year and everyone can make their way home with the knowledge that yet another major tournament has been won by a schoolboy! Yaroslav Zherebukh stamps his mark on history with an amazing 7.5/9 and a 2700+ result.

• Topalov is Tops!

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  Vallejo Pons advanced his kingside pawns precociously against the English, which could be described as provocation or even a sign of disrespect for his opponent!
  Topalov doesn't mind a scrap and was the most practical player as chalked up yet another win.
  On my calculations, if the tournament stopped here Topalov would be number one in the world again!

• It's Zherebukh: another rising Ukrainian star

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  Gurevich goes down to the young Ukrainian Yaroslav Zherebukh in the big clash on the first board. Zherebukh, who with 7 points and a handy 2766 performance, demonstrates that yet another Ukrainian has hit the scene.

• Three at the top in Cappelle

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  Two players have caught Mikahil Gurevich at the top of the leader board in Cappelle-la-Grande: Bulgarian Julian Radulski and 16-year-old Yaroslav Zherebukh from the Ukraine.

• Topalov breaks free

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  At the half-way stage Topalov's victory over Grischuk enables him to be one whole point ahead of the pack.
  The other winner of the day was Vugar Gashimov who has every reason to be happy with his first win in Linares. The first black win in Linares 2010 and with his trademark Modern Benoni.

• Gurevich wins again to retain lead in Cappelle

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  The experienced GM Mikhail Gurevich, who has represented Russia, Belgium and now Turkey won against Sergei Fedorchuk and now has a half point lead in Cappelle la Grande.
  An appropriate name when we think of the size of the Open!

• Final day in the Aeroflot open

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  Ian Nepomniachtchi made his way back to the top board in the Moscow Aeroflot event two years after becoming champion.
  This time the outcome was less happy for him! He lost in the final round enabling Le (see yesterday's photo) to become outright winner and pocket a handy 21,000 Euros.