Carlsen Wins Tie-Break Finale In Bilbao

There was a thrilling end to the 2011 Grand Slam Final Masters, with a blitz tie-break needed to decide the winner.
Magnus Carlsen and Vassily Ivanchuk drew their final round games against Hikaru Nakamura and Lev Aronian respectively to both finish on 15 points.
So blitz tie-breaks were needed and it was Magnus Carlsen who emerged the winner 1½-½ to deny Ivanchuk the victory that had looked all but inevitable a few rounds ago.
In the last regular time-control game to finish, Vishy Anand salvaged some dignity by beating Vallejo Pons to avoid last place.
The final standings:

Carlsen, Magnus	NOR	2823	15
Ivanchuk, Vassily	UKR	2765	15
Nakamura, Hikaru	USA	2753	12
Aronian, Levon	ARM	2807	12
Anand, Viswanathan	IND	2817	12
Vallejo Pons, Francisco	ESP	2716	10

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Kasparov Beats Short In Blitz Match

Garry Kasparov beat his old adversary Nigel Short in an 8-game blitz match today in Leuven, Belgium.
It was a very closely fought contest (previewed here), going right down to the last game which Kasparov won to make the final score 4½-3½ in his favour.
The event was streamed live on the Internet via www.exqisport.be and Genna Sosonko, the former Soviet grandmaster and Dutch international, provided live commentary.
The match is part of "Your Next Move’s" 5th anniversary celebrations.
Games were played at a rate of 5 minutes plus a 2 second per move increment. The results:

Garry Kasparov	½	½	½	1	1	0	0	1	4½
Nigel Short	½	½	½	0	0	1	1	0	3½

Despite his absence from the professional chess circuit for many years, Garry Kasparov still seems to be sharp enough to compete with the strongest players in the world.  Perhaps one day he will return to competitive chess - we can but hope!

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Sicilian Defense varian Taimanov

The Sicilian is the most popular and best-scoring response to White's first move 1.e4. "Indeed, most statistical surveys suggest that 1.d4 is the most successful first move for White, but only because 1...c5 scores so highly against 1.e4." New in Chess stated in its 2000 Yearbook that of the games in its database, White scored 56.1% in 296,200 games beginning 1.d4, but a full two percentage points lower (54.1%) in 349,855 games beginning 1.e4. "The main culprit responsible for this state of affairs" was the Sicilian, which held White to a 52.3% score in 145,996 games. One sixth (17%) of all games between grandmasters, and one-quarter (25%) of the games in the Chess Informant database, begin with the Sicilian. Almost one-quarter of all games use the Sicilian Defence.

Among all the variants of the Sicilian Defense, the most famous is the Sicilian Najdorf, then there is the Sicilian Dragon, Sicilian Sveshnikov, and we are talking this time is the Sicilian Taimanov / Paulsen. Of course there are many more other variations in Sicily. Let's get together to learn Sicilian Taimanov in my post this time. Although very brief, but rather to be read-read. At a minimum there is little description about the Sicilian Taimanov.

Nimzo Indian Defense

Opening chess game that had started with 1. D4 in the opening call Nimzo Indian Defense. then in one after another with a black Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 .. ... Type of opening in the first time in developed or in the first play by GM Aron Nimzowitsch in the early 20th century. In this opening White's earnest attempt to create a pawn center and develop his pieces to prepare for an assault on the Black position.  Black's delay in committing to a pawn structure makes the Nimzo-Indian (sometimes colloquially referred to as the "Nimzo") a very flexible defence to 1.d4in continue with step G5 7.Bg3 Ne4 .. like party between Vismanathan GM Anand GM Hikaru Nakamura fight ended a draw Tata Steel 73rd tournament in the Netherlands recently.

73rd Tata Steel Tournament 2011

Hikaru Nakamura of the United States  won the first 10,000 € in the 73rd Tata Steel aan tournament after a thrilling battle for first place in the final round of chess Wijk Zee annual spectacular Sunday. World champion Viswanathan Anand of India in second place, half a point behind Nakamura, earn up to 7000 €.

Nakamura goes into the final round with the smallest possible lead over Anand played black in Ben Oni against China's Wang Hao, the treatment given to an outstanding opening to a slight lead. The advantages do not last long, however. Fifteen tracks in the game, Nakamura has been compensated seven shots later, and a random agreed.At this point, Anand  was certainly no better in his game the last round of black against the Russian national champion Ian Nepomniashchi. He opted for a Najdorf in a last attempt to catch up but in vain until Nakamura "Nepo" World Champion significant opportunities for speculative exchange sacrifice on his 21st improved. Anand tried, of course, but "could not find anything convincing air" as he called himself and suggested that the sign of peace in 17 moves later. Apparently he estimated go for a win would be too risky.

"Disappointing," said Anand. "When I reached a plus-four, I felt good on my way to win a final victory, but Hikaru has just taken, pick-six straight points, which was quite surprising. But I'm not unhappy, it is more difficult-four dissatisfied customers. It is a pity that I failed to win the tournament, but I think my assessment is undertaken, not bad at all. "

Nakamura was in his hotel room to watch his opponents, based on the relay. "It was totally unexpected to see it ends in a draw," he told reporters. "I was kind of jumping up and down the hall. I was so happy. Winning a tournament is always nice, but winning a tournament elite of this kind is something completely different. I do not remember the last time an American has won a major tournament. I hope to make my victory more interested in the house of failures back to the States. "The winner of the tournament said that his" kind of chess has changed recently. "I have more and more serious failures. 2.Qh5 No more, no more openings crazy for me. My improved results. I hope I can go. I hope in 2800 to the end of this year to break, "he said.

Norwegian Magnus Carlsen has agreed to a draw after 19 moves with black Chigorin against Russia, Alexander Grischuk , to exit the tournament in third place. Levon Aronian of Armenia fought the Dutch National Champion Jan Smeets a circulation of more than 61 moves from a Semi-Slav come near Norway. They share the € 6.000 third and fourth world champion Vladimir prize.Former Kamnik and World Junior Champion-Maximilian Vachier Lagrave declared void on the last lap uninspired match after 23 moves in a green field, the tournament in fifth place shared . The two remaining matches of the series were also moved to Holland Anish Giri and Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine  Stop the clock to 32 from a Bogo-Indian and Spaniard Alexei Shirov and Erwin Ami Holland admits defeat established after 35 moves from a Ruy Lopez Open.

Disappointed by a tour with the results anything but peaceful, GM Ivan Sokolov any decision of the A-group competitors won the 500-euro "Piet Zwart Prize for the best game in the day.Italy the Vocaturo Daniele  took first place in Group C after having moved the 14-year Ilya Nyzhnyk Ukraine to a draw in 39 with a white Najdorf. The Italian won € 1,000 and an invitation to participate in group B of the 2012 edition tournament.

The "Price Piet Zwart" at 100 € in group C was Mark Bluvshtein of Canada for his victory in 47 moves with white quality in an English game of Serbia Ivan Ivanisevic.

1. Hikaru Nakamura (United States) 9/13 (+6 -1 =6)
  
2. Viswanathan Anand (India) 8.5/13 (+4 -0 =9)
  
3. Magnus Carlsen 8/13 (Norwegia) (+5 -2 =6)
  
4. Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) 7.5/13 (+3 -1 =9)
  
5. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (French) (7.5/13 (+3 -1 =9)
  
6. Levon Aronian (Armenia) 7.5/12 (+3 -0 =9)
  
7. Anish Giri (Netherlands) 6/12  (+2 -2 =8)
  
8. Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine) 6/12 (+2 -2 =8)
  
9. Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia) 6/13 (+3 -4 =6)
  
10. Wang Hao (China) 6/13 (+3 -4 =6)
  
11. Alexander Grischuk (Russia) 5/13 (+1 -5 =8)
  
12. Erwin L'Ami (Netherlands) 4.5/13 (+0 -4 =9)
  
13. Jan Smeets (Netherlands) 4/12 (+2 -6 =4)
  
14. Alexey Shirov (Spain) 3.5/12 (+1 -6 =5)


The match when Nakamura and Anand played a draw in round 9

 source:http://www.tatasteelchess.com/