Lev Aronian and Hou Yifan Win World Mind Games Blindfold
Lev Aronian and Hou Yifan won the blindfold sections of the 2012 SportAccord Mind Games.
Lev Aronian took the gold medal with a score of 5½/7 points, with Hikaru Nakamura picking up a third silver medal to go with his rapid and blitz silvers! Shakhriyar Mamedyarov just edged out Gata Kamsky for the bronze with 4½/7.
In the women's competition Hou Yifan added a blindfold gold to her rapid silver, taking first place with an impressive 6/7 score. Viktorija Cmilyte finished in silver medal position with 5½ points, and Anna Zatonskih claimed the bronze with 4½/7.
The time control was 20 minutes plus a 10 second increment.
Gold to Lev Aronian (centre), silver Hikaru Nakamura (left), bronze Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
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The final standings in the Mind Games Blindfold event
| # | Name | Fed | Elo | Pts |
| 1 | Aronian Levon | ARM | 2815 | 5½ |
| 2 | Nakamura Hikaru | USA | 2760 | 5 |
| 3 | Mamedyarov Shakhriyar | AZE | 2760 | 4½ |
| 4 | Kamsky Gata | USA | 2762 | 4½ |
| 5 | Leko Peter | HUN | 2732 | 4 |
| 6 | Ding Liren | CHN | 2669 | 4 |
| 7 | Radjabov Teimour | AZE | 2755 | 4 |
| 8 | Bologan Viktor | MDA | 2693 | 3½ |
| 9 | Morozevich Alexander | RUS | 2725 | 3½ |
| 10 | Wang Hao | CHN | 2691 | 3½ |
| 11 | Giri Anish | NED | 2720 | 3 |
| 12 | Ivanchuk Vassily | UKR | 2744 | 3 |
| 13 | Karjakin Sergey | RUS | 2830 | 2½ |
| 14 | Grischuk Alexander | RUS | 2771 | 2½ |
| 15 | Jobava Baadur | GEO | 2711 | 2 |
| 16 | Fressinet Laurent | FRA | 2700 | 1 |
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Gold Medallist Lev Aronian
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Hikaru Nakamura took his third silver medal of the Mind Games
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Bronze medallist Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
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Gold to Hou Yifan (centre), silver Viktorija Cmilyte (left), bronze Anna Zatonskih
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The final standings in the Women's Mind Games Blindfold event
| # | Name | Fed | Elo | Pts |
| 1 | Yifan Hou | CHN | 2606 | 6 |
| 2 | Cmilyte Viktorija | LTU | 2462 | 5½ |
| 3 | Zatonskih Anna | USA | 2504 | 4½ |
| 4 | Koneru Humpy | IND | 2606 | 4 |
| 5 | Zhao Xue | CHN | 2511 | 4 |
| 6 | Muzychuk Anna | SLO | 2577 | 4 |
| 7 | Lahno Kateryna | UKR | 2592 | 3½ |
| 8 | Zhu Chen | QAT | 2489 | 3½ |
| 9 | Paehtz Elisabeth | GER | 2478 | 3½ |
| 10 | Harika Dronavalli | IND | 2529 | 3½ |
| 11 | Danielian Elina | ARM | 2450 | 3½ |
| 12 | Kosteniuk Alexandra | RUS | 2572 | 3 |
| 13 | Stefanova Antoaneta | BUL | 2580 | 2½ |
| 14 | Cramling Pia | SWE | 2546 | 2½ |
| 15 | Khotenashvili Bela | GEO | 2405 | 1½ |
| 16 | Socko Monika | POL | 2440 | 1 |
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Hou Yifan won the women's blindfold gold medal
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Viktorija Cmilyte took the silver medal
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Bronze medallist Anna Zatonskih
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Photos by Anastasiya Karlovich for the official website. Games via TWIC.
