I think in the first game its DRAW the Qeen can check check check so that reapeted position...

Funny how Chinese won the "China vs Russia" tournament when their best player gets crushed in this one.

So it was decided by blitz after all!

Kramnik's going to Bilbao, 2-1 in the blitz games .. he won the first one, he lost the second one on time while winning and beat Aronian in sudden death with the black pieces

Kramnik and Aronian are playing blitz games right now.. 

What is the time control that is given to these games???????

May be this is the mistake of translation and he never played Rh4, I think actually he played 54..Rh3+, this seems logical.  

Interesting. The official regulations text about the tie breaks simply misses the case where 2nd and 3rd places end up with equal points:

The final standings will be determined according to the following criteria:

1. Players will get 3 points for winning a match, 1 point for drawing and 0 points for losing.
2. If two players tie for first, they will play a blitz match immediately after the last round finishes. They will play two games at the rate of all the moves in 4 minutes add-on 3 seconds for each move from the first, alternating colors, which shall be decided for the first game by draw. If this match is tied, they shall play a one game Armageddon (sudden death), White will have 5 minutes and Black 4, in the case of a draw Black wins first place. This game’s colors shall be decided by draw. If more than two players tie for first, only the two first classified players according to the systems listed below shall play the match.
3. In case of tie for third to fourth places, the following tie-breaks will be applied:
   1. Traditional scoring. Players get one point for each game won and 0.5 points for each game in draw.
   2. Particular result (based on traditional scoring).
   3. Koya system (based on traditional scoring).
   4. Sonneborn-Berger (based on traditional scoring)

LOL.

Chessvibes says blitz will be played, chess com says particular result against each other will take effect first. What a "blunder" by the organizers!

Kramnik won this important game, but he is far from his best now.. Even in this won endgame he miscalculated something. 54..Rh4? 55.Kxa3 and it is draw, according to tablebases. Thanks to Aronian, he believed to this bluff and didn't take a pawn)  Then Kramnik did everything in his endgame master style.    

I still think Aronian will get to Bilbao...

This is why Shirov is called "Leonardo de Vinci of chess" ...

Pity for Aronian he always fails on decisive games 

Fire on Board!

Shirov-Aronian will be drawn - the question is moot

what marvelous endgame by kramnik, although i normally dont like his style of play at all, credits, really, for pulling this win.

Thanks for the coverage.

A very Shirov position....a very sharp position. These two words change be used interchangeably in chess lingo. :)

THANKS

Shirov has played the sharpest chess and deserves a seat at Bilbao. Aronian shows good endgame technique against the great Kramnik. Thanks for all of your great news coverage Son of Pearl.