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Adams, Kramnik hold MTel Advantage

Ivanchuk Holds Insurmountable Lead in Havana

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Adams, Kramnik hold MTel Advantage

Michael Adams and Vladimir Kramnik share the early lead at the MTel Masters in Sofia, Bulgaria. The tournament is a double round-robin featuring six of the world's top players.

After five rounds, Adams and Kramnik both have +1 scores, with 3 points. Viswanathan Anand and Ruslan Ponomariov are close behind at 2.5, with Veselin Topalov and Judit Polgar bringing up the rear at 2 points each.

This tournament, besides the extraordinarily strong field, has one other unique twist - players are not allowed to offer draws to one another. Players are only permitted to request a draw through an arbiter, who is only to grant the draw under one of three conditions: there is a perpetual check; there is a triple repetition of position; or there is a theoretically drawn position. So far, the policy hasn't had a noticable effect; only four of the first 15 games have been decisive.

We will be providing continuing coverage of the MTel Masters in coming weeks. Here is Kramnik's win over Polgar in round 5:

White: Kramnik, V (2753)
Black: Polgar, J (2732)
MTel Masters, Round 5
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 b6 7. Nf3 Bb7 8. e3 d6 9. Be2 Nbd7 10. O-O Ne4 11. Qc2 f5 12. b4 Rf6 13. d5 Rg6 14. Nd4 Qg5 15. g3 exd5 16. cxd5 Bxd5 17. Bc4 Bxc4 18. Qxc4+ Kh8 19. Qc6 Rd8 20. Qxc7 Ne5 21. Ra2 Rf8 22. f4 Qg4 23. Qe7 Rg8 24. Rg2 Nd3 25. Qxa7 h5 26. Qa6 Nxc1 27. Rxc1 h4 28. Qe2 Qxe2 29. Rxe2 hxg3 30. Nxf5 gxh2+ 31. Kh1 Rg1+ 32. Rxg1 hxg1=Q+ 33. Kxg1 Ra8 34. Ra2 Nc3 35. Rh2+ Kg8 36. Rg2 Kf7 37. Nxd6+ Ke6 38. Nc4 b5 39. Na5 Kf6 40. Rd2 g5 41. Rd3 Ne4 42. fxg5+ Kxg5 43. Kg2 Rf8 44. Rd5+ Kg4 45. Rd4 Kf5 46. Nc6 Rg8+ 47. Kf1 Ra8 48. Ne7+ Ke5 49. Nc6+ Kf5 50. Ne7+ Ke5 51. Ng6+ Kf5 52. Nh4+ Ke5 53. Nf3+ Kf5 54. Nh4+ Ke5 55. Nf3+ Kf5 56. Rd5+ Kf6 57. Rd3 Rh8 58. Ke2 Ke7 59. Nd4 Rh2+ 60. Kf3 Nd6 61. Rc3 Rh3+ 62. Kg4 1-0

Ivanchuk Holds Insurmountable Lead in Havana

Vassily Ivanchuk has dominated a field of strong grandmasters and scored an increible 8 points in 10 rounds to clinch a victory at the Capablanca Memorial in Havana, Cuba. Cuban GMs Lazaro Bruzon and Neuris Delgado are his closest competitors, each with 5 points.

Bruzon has only played nine games so far, meaning he has the slightest of chances to share first with Ivanchuk. In order to do so, Bruzon would have to win his final three games, while Ivanchuk would have to lose his last two.

Such a result seems extraordinarily unlikely. Ivanchuk has been in excellent form, winning six games and drawing four. While he was clearly the top player in the event, Ivanchuk's performance is nonetheless impressive.

The tournament, which will conclude on May 19th, is a double-round robin event featuring seven players. It is held in honor of Jose Raul Capablanca, the Cuban chess prodigy who became World Champion from 1921-1927. Capablanca won his title from Emmanual Lasker, and lost the title to Alexander Alekhine.

Here's is Ivanchuk's last win:

White: Ivanchuk, V (2739)
Black: Delgado, N (2567)
Capablanca Memorial, Round 10
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nf3 Be7 8. Bg5 Be6 9. O-O O-O 10. a3 h6 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. Nd5 Bxd5 13. Qxd5 Qb6 14. Qa2 Ne7 15. c3 Qc6 16. Bd3 Rfd8 17. Rfe1 Rac8 18. Rad1 b5 19. Bc2 Rc7 20. Bb3 Nc8 21. g3 g6 22. h4 Kg7 23. Nh2 Nb6 24. Ng4 Qd7 25. Ne3 Qh3 26. Rd3 Rf8 27. Qb1 Be7 28. Qd1 Qc8 29. Rd2 Rd8 30. Qf3 Rf8 31. Red1 h5 32. Qe2 a6 33. Ra1 Rc5 34. Kh2 Nd7 35. Nd5 Bd8 36. a4 Qb7 37. axb5 axb5 38. Rad1 Rc8 39. Bc2 Nf6 40. Nxf6 Bxf6 41. Rxd6 Be7 42. R6d5 b4 43. c4 Qb8 44. Ba4 Rfd8 45. Bd7 Rc5 46. Bb5 Rcc8 47. Qd2 Qb6 48. Kg2 Ra8 49. b3 Rxd5 50. exd5 Bd6 51. Ba4 Ra7 52. Re1 Re7 53. Qb2 Bc5 54. Rxe5 Bd4 55. Qxd4 Qxd4 56. Rxe7 Kf6 57. Re3 Kg7 58. Bd7 Kf8 59. Bh3 Kg7 60. Kg1 f5 61. Bf1 Kf7 62. Rd3 Qa7 63. d6 Ke8 64. Rd5 Qa8 65. Re5+ Kd8 66. c5 Qa1 67. Re7 Qc1 68. Rc7 f4 69. gxf4 Qd1 70. c6 Qg4+ 71. Bg2 Qxf4 72. Bh3 1-0