Astrakhan Grand Prix Nears Conclusion
The final event of the FIDE Grand Prix series is nearing completion in Astrakhan, Russia. In a tight and tense event there have been a high percentage of draws, and the leader after 9 of 13 rounds is Pavel Eljanov (pictured).
However, with only 2 points separating top placed Eljanov from Vladimir Akopian at the bottom of the table, it promises to be a close finish in the race for first place, and perhaps more importantly, the final qualification slot for the next world championship cycle.
The current standings are:
| Eljanov, Pavel | UKR | 2751 | 5½ |
| Jakovenko, Dmitry | RUS | 2725 | 5 |
| Gashimov, Vugar | AZE | 2734 | 5 |
| Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar | AZE | 2763 | 5 |
| Leko, Peter | HUN | 2735 | 5 |
| Gelfand, Boris | ISR | 2741 | 4½ |
| Alekseev, Evgeny | RUS | 2700 | 4½ |
| Ponomariov, Ruslan | UKR | 2733 | 4½ |
| Wang Yue | CHN | 2752 | 4½ |
| Svidler, Peter | RUS | 2735 | 4 |
| Ivanchuk, Vassily | UKR | 2741 | 4 |
| Inarkiev, Ernesto | RUS | 2669 | 4 |
| Radjabov, Teimour | AZE | 2740 | 4 |
| Akopian, Vladimir | ARM | 2694 | 3½ |
The players in contention for the runner-up qualifying spot (Lev Aronian is already the winner) in the overall series are Radjabov, Yue, Jakovenko, Gashimov, Leko and Ivanchuk. The scoring is complicated, but if any of those players can finish first then they stand a good chance of making it. With four rounds to go, who will rise to the occasion and claim the prize?
Live coverage, replayable games, and lots of photos are available at the official website. Some selected games are below. If you only have time to look at one game, don't miss Akopian v Inarkiev (the final game). Wow!
