Dortmund 2010 Round 1
The opening round of this double-round robin elite event produced two wins out three games, but Kramnik had to settle for a half point.
Ruslan Ponomariov (pictured) used the Scotch to defeat Peter Leko, while Shakhriyar Mamedyarov employed the Najdorf to beat Naiditsch with the black pieces.
Vladimir Kramnik is the hot favourite, but he had to settle for a draw against qualifier Le Quang Liem after a hard-fought 64 moves.
It's a good start to the tournament, which sees some anti-draw rules in operation. Draw offers are not permitted, so only repetition draws are allowed. The arbiter can also step in to declare a match drawn if neither side has winning chances left.
The moves are also being broadcast by the official site with a 15 minute delay in an attempt to prevent the possibility of computer-aided cheating. Whether this is worthwhile, or a waste of time depends on your point view. Have your say in the comments.
The first round results:
| Ponomariov, Ruslan | 1-0 | Leko, Peter |
| Kramnik, Vladimir | ½-½ | Le Quang Liem |
| Naiditsch, Arkadij | 0-1 | Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar |
The official site can be found here.
Photo courtesy of the official site.
