Candidates Matches - Round 3

Just when you could be forgiven for thinking that Magnus Carlsen didn't stand a chance against the top seed, Lev Aronian he proves that he is a force to reckoned with by winning their third round game to equal the scores.

Other winners on day 3 were Peter Leko and Gata Kamsky who both extended their match leads to 2.5 v 0.5 against Gurevich and Bacrot respectively.

Shirov's King looked in danger against Adams, but he defended calmly and the game ended with perpetual check.  Polgar had a much better day, finally getting a playable position out of the opening by meeting Bareev's Caro-Kann defence with the Panov attack.  Despite having the better chances, the game was eventually drawn.

Gelfand v Kasmijanov was a sharp Semi-Slav and when Kasimjanov went a pawn up it looked like he might be about to draw first blood in this match.  However, Gelfand fought well and held on to draw the ending.

Grischuk and Malakhov drew uneventfully, but there was a titanic struggle in a complicated Queen and Pawn ending between Ponomariov and Rublevsky, with Rublevsky prevailing against the former FIDE Champion.

Halfway through the first round matches there is still all to play for!