TWIC is 30. First issue 17th September 1994.
7th London Chess Classic 2015 (7-8)
Giri and Vachier-Lagrave lead going into the final round of the London Chess Classic
Mark Crowther - Saturday 12th December 2015
Nakamura lost to Giri in Round 8. Photo © Ray Morris-Hill. | https://raymorris-hill.smugmug.com/Sports/Chess-2015/2015-London-Chess-Classic/
There is still all to play for in the London Chess Classic going into the final round on Sunday. Anish Giri and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave lead on 5/8 but Magnus Carlsen, Alexander Grischuk and Levon Aronian are just half a point further back.
In an exciting round 7 on Friday there were three decisive games for the first time with Levon Aronian scoring a crushing win against Veselin Topalov. Aronian chose a setup that Topalov wasn't prepared for and quickly obtained a big advantage. Viswanathan Anand blundered with 24.Qc2 (24.Qf3) in a position that otherwise would have been likely drawn against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Magnus Carlsen scored a win against Hikaru Nakamura in a long endgame.
In round 8 Anish Giri was the only winner with an impressive finish against Hikaru Nakamura. Giri wasn't impressed with his opening after which he thought he might event have been slightly worse but the position gradually turned in Giri's favour, perhaps after 24...bxc3, and he invaded Nakamura's position winning material. Nakamura seemed to have chances to hold but Giri played accurately and after 41.h5 there was no longer a defence for Nakamura.
Magnus Carlsen was forced to concede a draw to Veselin Topalov in spite of making slow positional progress against his opponent. Carlsen said that he ran out of moves to execute a his plan due to the 50 move rule in spite of making progress all the time, the first time such a thing had happened to him. Carlsen was forced to win a pawn immediately to continue the game but there were few prospects of converting against best play.
Viswanathan Anand had to show good technique and calculation to hold a draw in an endgame vs Fabiano Caruana, Alexander Grischuk lost a nice opening advantage against Levon Aronian but found a nice way to force a draw and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave didn't get much against Michael Adams in the Ruy Lopez Breyer variation.
Round 8 standings: Giri, Vachier-Lagrave 5pts, Carlsen, Grischuk, Aronian 4.5pts, Caruana, Adams 4pts, Nakamura 3.5pts, Anand 3pts and Topalov 2pts.
Final Round 9 2pm Sunday 13th Dec Anand-Giri, Adams-Caruana, Aronian-Vachier-Lagrave, Carlsen-Grischuk, Nakamura-Topalov
| 7th London Classic 2015 London (ENG), 3-14 xii 2015 | cat. XXII (2785) | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1. | Giri, Anish | g | NED | 2778 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | . | 1 | 5 | 2879 | |||
| 2. | Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | g | FRA | 2765 | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2883 | |||
| 3. | Carlsen, Magnus | g | NOR | 2850 | ½ | ½ | * | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 4½ | 2824 | |||
| 4. | Grischuk, Alexander | g | RUS | 2750 | ½ | ½ | . | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 4½ | 2824 | |||
| 5. | Aronian, Levon | g | ARM | 2781 | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 4½ | 2831 | |||
| 6. | Caruana, Fabiano | g | USA | 2787 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | 4 | 2790 | |||
| 7. | Adams, Michael | g | ENG | 2744 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 4 | 2790 | |||
| 8. | Nakamura, Hikaru | g | USA | 2793 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | 1 | . | 3½ | 2739 | |||
| 9. | Anand, Viswanathan | g | IND | 2803 | . | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | * | 1 | 3 | 2697 | |||
| 10. | Topalov, Veselin | g | BUL | 2803 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | * | 2 | 2589 | |||
| Round 7 (December 11, 2015) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsen, Magnus | - Nakamura, Hikaru | 1-0 | 78 | D11 | Slav Defence | |
| Aronian, Levon | - Topalov, Veselin | 1-0 | 27 | A34 | English Symmetrical | |
| Caruana, Fabiano | - Giri, Anish | ½-½ | 36 | A45 | Trompowsky | |
| Adams, Michael | - Grischuk, Alexander | ½-½ | 29 | B91 | Sicilian Najdorf with 6.g3 | |
| Anand, Viswanathan | - Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | 0-1 | 34 | B92 | Sicilian Najdorf with 6.Be2 | |
| Round 8 (December 12, 2015) | ||||||
| Giri, Anish | - Nakamura, Hikaru | 1-0 | 43 | A08 | Barcza System | |
| Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | - Adams, Michael | ½-½ | 37 | C95 | Ruy Lopez Breyer | |
| Grischuk, Alexander | - Aronian, Levon | ½-½ | 40 | A14 | Reti Opening | |
| Caruana, Fabiano | - Anand, Viswanathan | ½-½ | 59 | E06 | Catalan | |
| Topalov, Veselin | - Carlsen, Magnus | ½-½ | 97 | D41 | Semi-Tarrasch Defence | |
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