Candidates Tournament Round 1
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Game Annotations by GM Sam Shankland
The 2013 Candidates Tournament got underway in London today, not exactly with a bang, but at least a certain spark - although that might have been the server for the official website going up in smoke! Such an occurance is depressingly predictable in the opening round of major chess events, but at least the website got back on-line eventually. Hopefully, there will be no more problems during the rest of the competition!
The pairings for the opening round gave Lev Aronian white against Magnus Carlsen, so fireworks were expected immediately. In the event, Aronian could make no impression on Carlsen's choice of the Bogo-Indian and the game was drawn after 31 moves in a perfectly symmetrical position. A good start for Carlsen, holding one of his nearest rivals to a draw with ease.
Carlsen waits before his game starts...
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...and attracts a gaggle of photographers.
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The early moves...but the game is destined for a draw.
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Next to finish was the game between Peter Svidler and Vladimir Kramnik. The players avoided heavy theory - Kramnik started by playing the relatively unusual 4...Nxd5, and Svidler answered with the prophylactic sideline 7.a3. Svidler felt very happy with his position out of the opening, and was disappointed to draw, "You get a position as good as this against Vladimir out of the opening and you feel, wow - how good is this? - and yet I can't point out a mistake (that I made) as such". The game ended in a repetition after 23 moves.
Peter Svidler focuses his mind before the game...
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...but Vladimir Kramnik was able to hold for a draw.
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Boris Gelfand and Teimour Radjabov had an interesting and balanced encounter, but once again the points were shared.
The ceremonial opening move was made by FIDE President Kirsan Illyumzhinov
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The last game to finish provided some excitement as the time control approached: take two inveterate zeitnot addicts and a time control without increments until move 60 and you have a recipe for a blitz finish! True to form, the players got into a time scramble, but when the dust cleared a drawn king and pawn endgame resulted.
A smile for the camera from Vassily Ivanchuk?
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Alexander Grischuk
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Round two tomorrow sees Magnus Carlsen with the white pieces against Vladimir Kramnik. The full pairings are below. Will there be blood spilt in round two?
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A view of the playing arena
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The 2013 Candidates Tournament runs from 14 March - 2 April in London, with the winner earning the right to challenge current world champion Vishy Anand for the title.
The tournament is an 8-player double round-robin event and the venue is The IET at 2 Savoy Place on the banks of the river Thames. The total prize fund is €510,000 (approx 665,000 USD).
All rounds start at 14:00 GMT, and the time control is 2 hours for 40 moves, then an extra hour added for the next 20 moves, then 15 minutes more with a 30 second increment to finish.
The official FIDE website coverage is at london2013.fide.com.
Round-by-Round Pairings
| Round 1 | 15/03/13 | |
| Levon Aronian | - | Magnus Carlsen |
| Boris Gelfand | - | Teimour Radjabov |
| Vassily Ivanchuk | - | Alexander Grischuk |
| Peter Svidler | - | Vladimir Kramnik |
| Round 2 | 16/03/13 | |
| Magnus Carlsen | - | Vladimir Kramnik |
| Alexander Grischuk | - | Peter Svidler |
| Teimour Radjabov | - | Vassily Ivanchuk |
| Levon Aronian | - | Boris Gelfand |
| Round 3 | 17/03/13 | |
| Boris Gelfand | - | Magnus Carlsen |
| Vassily Ivanchuk | - | Levon Aronian |
| Peter Svidler | - | Teimour Radjabov |
| Vladimir Kramnik | - | Alexander Grischuk |
| Round 4 | 19/03/13 | |
| Magnus Carlsen | - | Alexander Grischuk |
| Teimour Radjabov | - | Vladimir Kramnik |
| Levon Aronian | - | Peter Svidler |
| Boris Gelfand | - | Vassily Ivanchuk |
| Round 5 | 20/03/13 | |
| Vassily Ivanchuk | - | Magnus Carlsen |
| Peter Svidler | - | Boris Gelfand |
| Vladimir Kramnik | - | Levon Aronian |
| Alexander Grischuk | - | Teimour Radjabov |
| Round 6 | 21/03/13 | |
| Peter Svidler | - | Magnus Carlsen |
| Vladimir Kramnik | - | Vassily Ivanchuk |
| Alexander Grischuk | - | Boris Gelfand |
| Teimour Radjabov | - | Levon Aronian |
| Round 7 | 23/03/13 | |
| Magnus Carlsen | - | Teimour Radjabov |
| Levon Aronian | - | Alexander Grischuk |
| Boris Gelfand | - | Vladimir Kramnik |
| Vassily Ivanchuk | - | Peter Svidler |
| Round 8 | 24/03/13 | |
| Magnus Carlsen | - | Levon Aronian |
| Teimour Radjabov | - | Boris Gelfand |
| Alexander Grischuk | - | Vassily Ivanchuk |
| Vladimir Kramnik | - | Peter Svidler |
| Round 9 | 25/03/13 | |
| Vladimir Kramnik | - | Magnus Carlsen |
| Peter Svidler | - | Alexander Grischuk |
| Vassily Ivanchuk | - | Teimour Radjabov |
| Boris Gelfand | - | Levon Aronian |
| Round 10 | 27/03/13 | |
| Magnus Carlsen | - | Boris Gelfand |
| Levon Aronian | - | Vassily Ivanchuk |
| Teimour Radjabov | - | Peter Svidler |
| Alexander Grischuk | - | Vladimir Kramnik |
| Round 11 | 28/03/13 | |
| Alexander Grischuk | - | Magnus Carlsen |
| Vladimir Kramnik | - | Teimour Radjabov |
| Peter Svidler | - | Levon Aronian |
| Vassily Ivanchuk | - | Boris Gelfand |
| Round 12 | 29/03/13 | |
| Magnus Carlsen | - | Vassily Ivanchuk |
| Boris Gelfand | - | Peter Svidler |
| Levon Aronian | - | Vladimir Kramnik |
| Teimour Radjabov | - | Alexander Grischuk |
| Round 13 | 31/03/13 | |
| Teimour Radjabov | - | Magnus Carlsen |
| Alexander Grischuk | - | Levon Aronian |
| Vladimir Kramnik | - | Boris Gelfand |
| Peter Svidler | - | Vassily Ivanchuk |
| Round 14 | 01/04/13 | |
| Magnus Carlsen | - | Peter Svidler |
| Vassily Ivanchuk | - | Vladimir Kramnik |
| Boris Gelfand | - | Alexander Grischuk |
| Levon Aronian | - | Teimour Radjabov |
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Look out for details of Chess.com TV coverage of the event at this page.
Pictures by Anastasiya Karlovich at the official website, and Ray Morris-Hill (where indicated).
