European Individual Chess Championship Update
The 2012 European Individual Chess Championship in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, has reached 9 completed rounds out of 11 and the competition is still very close.
Seven players share the lead with 7/9 points, while a further 21 are just half a point behind on 6½/9.
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov has been having a disappointing tournament and his misery was compounded in round eight when he fell foul of the zero-tolerance starting time rule. Mamedyarov arrived late to his board (10 seconds according to Shak, more than a minute say the organisers) and was forfeited the game.
[UPDATE: according to the English chess player and writer Steve Giddins at his blog:
"...today, he [Mameyarov] and his opponent agreed a draw inside 40 moves...Mamedyarov and opponent were both defaulted, at which point "Shak"...withdrew from the tournament.
Round 10 is on 30th March starting at the usual 15:00 local time (13:00 UTC), and the last round is on 31st March starting 2 hours earlier.
The top standings after nine rounds are:
| Name | Nat | Elo | Pts | TB | |
| 1 | Fressinet Laurent | FRA | 2693 | 7.0 | 2827 |
| 2 | Inarkiev Ernesto | RUS | 2695 | 7.0 | 2817 |
| 3 | Malakhov Vladimir | RUS | 2705 | 7.0 | 2815 |
| 4 | Kobalia Mikhail | RUS | 2666 | 7.0 | 2814 |
| 5 | Andreikin Dmitry | RUS | 2689 | 7.0 | 2811 |
| 6 | Matlakov Maxim | RUS | 2632 | 7.0 | 2805 |
| 7 | Akopian Vladimir | ARM | 2684 | 7.0 | 2778 |
| 8 | Jones Gawain C B | ENG | 2635 | 6.5 | 2791 |
| 9 | Kuzubov Yuriy | UKR | 2615 | 6.5 | 2783 |
| 10 | Bacrot Etienne | FRA | 2706 | 6.5 | 2777 |
| 11 | Vitiugov Nikita | RUS | 2709 | 6.5 | 2775 |
| 12 | Caruana Fabiano | ITA | 2767 | 6.5 | 2774 |
| 13 | Jakovenko Dmitry | RUS | 2729 | 6.5 | 2774 |
| 14 | Dreev Aleksey | RUS | 2698 | 6.5 | 2758 |
| 15 | Khismatullin Denis | RUS | 2656 | 6.5 | 2744 |
| 16 | Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter | ROU | 2643 | 6.5 | 2743 |
| 17 | Zhigalko Sergei | BLR | 2649 | 6.5 | 2743 |
| 18 | Vachier-Lagrave Maxime | FRA | 2682 | 6.5 | 2742 |
| 19 | Bologan Viktor | MDA | 2687 | 6.5 | 2742 |
| 20 | Azarov Sergei | BLR | 2667 | 6.5 | 2741 |
| 21 | Vallejo Pons Francisco | ESP | 2693 | 6.5 | 2739 |
| 22 | Berkes Ferenc | HUN | 2682 | 6.5 | 2737 |
| 23 | Ragger Markus | AUT | 2654 | 6.5 | 2720 |
| 24 | Volokitin Andrei | UKR | 2695 | 6.5 | 2713 |
| 25 | Balogh Csaba | HUN | 2664 | 6.5 | 2712 |
| 26 | Khenkin Igor | GER | 2632 | 6.5 | 2702 |
| 27 | Khalifman Alexander | RUS | 2649 | 6.5 | 2691 |
| 28 | Smeets Jan | NED | 2610 | 6.5 | 2639 |
Vladimir Malakhov of Russia (left) won his eighth round game
The European Individual Championship 2012 is a qualification event for the next World Cup. According to the regulations a total of 23 players will qualify.
The championship is an 11-round Swiss competition with a time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves, then 30 minutes to a finish with a 30 second increment from the start.
The total prize fund is €100,000, with the winner receiving €14,000.
Picture from the official website.
