TWIC is 30. First issue 17th September 1994.
20th Amber Tournament 2011 (Pairings)
20th Amber chess tournament full pairing list
Mark Crowther - Saturday 12th March 2011
All the players at the opening ceremony, I'm as yet uninformed as to why they're all wearing sunglasses. Photo © 2011 Fred Lucas. | http://www.fredlucas.eu
The draw for the 20th Amber tournament took place during the opening ceremony at the Cafe de Paris in Monaco. The first round has two outstanding pairings. World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand plays his challenger from last year Veselin Topalov. Magnus Carlsen faces US star Hikaru Nakamura. Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov play in round 3 on Monday March 14th 2011. The pair hardly ever play together anymore after their bitter world title match in Elista in 2006. Play takes place in four sessions of three games. The first two sees blindfold games, the second two rapid. The same pairings occur in both sessions but with reverse colours.
Magnus Carlsen outside the Cafe de Paris in Monaco. Photo © Fred Lucas. http://www.fredlucas.eu.
Group Photo at the draw in the Cafe de Paris in Monaco. Photo © Fred Lucas. http://www.fredlucas.eu.
| Pairings for the 20th Amber Tournament 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1. Saturday March 12th 2011 | ||||
| UK Time | Format | Pairing 1 | Pairing 2 | Pairing 3 |
| 13.30 | Blindfold | Nakamura-Carlsen | Aronian-Giri | Ivanchuk-Gashimov |
| 15.00 | Blindfold | Karjakin-Gelfand | Grischuk-Kramnik | Anand-Topalov |
| 16.45 | Rapid | Carlsen-Nakamura | Giri-Aronian | Gashimov-Ivanchuk |
| 18.15 | Rapid | Gelfand-Karjakin | Kramnik-Grischuk | Topalov-Anand |
| Round 2. Sunday March 13th 2011 | ||||
| UK Time | Format | Pairing 1 | Pairing 2 | Pairing 3 |
| 13.30 | Blindfold | Topalov-Karjakin | Kramnik-Anand | Gelfand-Grischuk |
| 15.00 | Blindfold | Carlsen-Gashimov | Giri-Ivanchuk | Nakamura-Aronian |
| 16.45 | Rapid | Karjakin-Topalov | Anand-Kramnik | Grischuk-Gelfand |
| 18.15 | Rapid | Gashimov-Carlsen | Ivanchuk-Giri | Aronian-Nakamura |
| Round 3. Monday March 14th 2011 | ||||
| UK Time | Format | Pairing 1 | Pairing 2 | Pairing 3 |
| 13.30 | Blindfold | Aronian-Carlsen | Ivanchuk-Nakamura | Gashimov-Giri |
| 15.00 | Blindfold | Grischuk-Karjakin | Anand-Gelfand | Kramnik-Topalov |
| 16.45 | Rapid | Carlsen-Aronian | Nakamura-Ivanchuk | Giri-Gashimov |
| 18.15 | Rapid | Karjakin-Grischuk | Gelfand-Anand | Topalov-Kramnik |
| Round 4. Tuesday, March 15th 2011 | ||||
| UK Time | Format | Pairing 1 | Pairing 2 | Pairing 3 |
| 13.30 | Blindfold | Karjakin-Kramnik | Gelfand-Topalov | Grischuk-Anand |
| 15.00 | Blindfold | Carlsen-Giri | Nakamura-Gashimov | Aronian-Ivanchuk |
| 16.45 | Rapid | Kramnik-Karjakin | Topalov-Gelfand | Anand-Grischuk |
| 18.15 | Rapid | Giri-Carlsen | Gashimov-Nakamura | Ivanchuk-Aronian |
| Rest Day. Wednesday March 16th 2011 | ||||
| Round 5. Thursday March 17th 2011 | ||||
| UK Time | Format | Pairing 1 | Pairing 2 | Pairing 3 |
| 13.30 | Blindfold | Ivanchuk-Carlsen | Gashimov-Aronian | Giri-Nakamura |
| 15.00 | Blindfold | Anand-Karjakin | Topalov-Grischuk | Kramnik-Gelfand |
| 16.45 | Rapid | Carlsen-Ivanchuk | Aronian-Gashimov | Nakamura-Giri |
| 18.15 | Rapid | Karjakin-Anand | Grischuk-Topalov | Gelfand-Kramnik |
| Round 6. Friday March 18th 2011. | ||||
| UK Time | Format | Pairing 1 | Pairing 2 | Pairing 3 |
| 13.30 | Blindfold | Gelfand-Nakamura | Grischuk-Aronian | Anand-Ivanchuk |
| 15.00 | Blindfold | Topalov-Gashimov | Kramnik-Giri | Karjakin-Carlsen |
| 16.45 | Rapid | Nakamura-Gelfand | Aronian-Grischuk | Ivanchuk-Anand |
| 18.15 | Rapid | Gashimov-Topalov | Giri-Kramnik | Carlsen-Karjakin |
| Round 7. Saturday March 19th 2011 | ||||
| UK Time | Format | Pairing 1 | Pairing 2 | Pairing 3 |
| 13.30 | Blindfold | Giri-Topalov | Carlsen-Kramnik | Gashimov-Karjakin |
| 15.00 | Blindfold | Aronian-Gelfand | Ivanchuk-Grischuk | Nakamura-Anand |
| 16.45 | Rapid | Topalov-Giri | Kramnik-Carlsen | Karjakin-Gashimov |
| 18.15 | Rapid | Gelfand-Aronian | Grischuk-Ivanchuk | Anand-Nakamura |
| Round 8. Sunday March 20th 2011 | ||||
| UK Time | Format | Pairing 1 | Pairing 2 | Pairing 3 |
| 13.30 | Blindfold | Grischuk-Nakamura | Anand-Aronian | Gelfand-Ivanchuk |
| 15.00 | Blindfold | Kramnik-Gashimov | Karjakin-Giri | Topalov-Carlsen |
| 16.45 | Rapid | Nakamura-Grischuk | Aronian-Anand | Ivanchuk-Gelfand |
| 18.15 | Rapid | Gashimov-Kramnik | Giri-Karjakin | Carlsen-Topalov |
| Rest Day. Monday, March 21st 2011 | ||||
| Round 9. Tuesday, March 22nd 2011 | ||||
| UK Time | Format | Pairing 1 | Pairing 2 | Pairing 3 |
| 13.30 | Blindfold | Gashimov-Gelfand | Giri-Grischuk | Carlsen-Anand |
| 15.00 | Blindfold | Nakamura-Topalov | Aronian-Kramnik | Ivanchuk-Karjakin |
| 16.45 | Rapid | Gelfand-Gashimov | Grischuk-Giri | Anand-Carlsen |
| 18.15 | Rapid | Topalov-Nakamura | Kramnik-Aronian | Karjakin-Ivanchuk |
| Round 10. Wednesday March 23rd 2011 | ||||
| UK Time | Format | Pairing 1 | Pairing 2 | Pairing 3 |
| 13.30 | Blindfold | Topalov-Aronian | Kramnik-Ivanchuk | Karjakin-Nakamura |
| 15.00 | Blindfold | Gelfand-Giri | Grischuk-Carlsen | Anand-Gashimov |
| 16.45 | Rapid | Aronian-Topalov | Ivanchuk-Kramnik | Nakamura-Karjakin |
| 18.15 | Rapid | Giri-Gelfand | Carlsen-Grischuk | Gashimov-Anand |
| Round 11. Thursday March 24th 2011 | ||||
| UK Time | Format | Pairing 1 | Pairing 2 | Pairing 3 |
| 11.30 | Blindfold | Carlsen-Gelfand | Gashimov-Grischuk | Giri-Anand |
| 13.00 | Blindfold | Ivanchuk-Topalov | Nakamura-Kramnik | Aronian-Karjakin |
| 14.45 | Rapid | Gelfand-Carlsen | Grischuk-Gashimov | Anand-Giri |
| 16.15 | Rapid | Topalov-Ivanchuk | Kramnik-Nakamura | Karjakin-Aronian |
