The world champion shows the way

The world champion shows the way in Monaco. After three rounds of Melody Amber he also shook of Aronian and he's now in sole lead with five out of six. Like in Linares, Ivanchuk also started well in Monte Carlo. This can't be said of Carlsen, who's last but three.

A great blindfold round today. Gelfand confirms his status as a theoretician; in a topical line of the Catalan he was well prepared. In his game against Levon Aronian he improved upon Leko-Aronian, Morelia/Linares 2007 and Leko-Aronian, Monaco (2) 2007! with 11.Be5!? with the nice pointe 14.exd5! and 15.Bc7!!. These kind of problems you don't solve in a blindfold game, not even when you listen to the name Aronian. Leko treated Vallejo like he did Topalov in Linares (positionaly with 7.Nf3) and this time it worked well. Anand got tricked beautifully by Ivanchuk. Moro opened quietly against Kramnik but he was grinded down slowly but surely. Van Wely and Radjabov however were not afraid of playing their main repertoire, so it was a Bayonet King's Indian! In probably a slightly better ending for White Loek was tricked terribly with 39...a5! when he missed that taking loses a piece. 40.Rd2 would have been OK.

The rapid games also provided good fun. Aronian taking revenge on Gelfand with a great game, Anand doing the same (playing the Closed Spanish against him is NOT a good idea), Van Wely finally waving goodbye that zero on the score board, Kramnik losing a piece ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú or was it the quickest way to a draw...?

After three rounds it's pretty clear again. The Melody Amber Tournament is what it has always been: a comedy of errors, a circus in which the best players of the world entertain the audience in clown costumes. But well, compensation for their quick draws elsewhere, we might say.

Results 3rd round:

Blind:

Leko         - Vallejo Pons   1-0
Gelfand      - Aronian        1-0
Carlsen      - Svidler        ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ?
Van Wely     - Radjabov       0-1
Morozevich   - Kramnik        0-1
Ivanchuk     - Anand          1-0

Rapid:

Vallejo Pons ?¢‚Ǩ‚Äú Leko           ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ?
Aronian      - Gelfand        1-0
Svidler      - Carlsen        ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ?
Radjabov     - Van Wely       0-1
Kramnik      - Morozevich     ?Ǭ?-?Ǭ?
Anand        - Ivanchuk       1-0

Standings blind:

   1. Kramnik                   3
   2. Ivanchuk                 2?Ǭ?
 3-4. Svidler, Gelfand          2         
 5-7. Aronian, Leko, 
      Morozevich               1?Ǭ?
8-11. Carlsen, Vallejo Pons, 
      Anand, Radjabov           1
  12. Van Wely                  0

Standings rapid:

    1. Aronian                  3
    2. Anand                   2?Ǭ?
    3. Kramnik                  2
  4-7. Morozevich, Ivanchuk,
       Carlsen, Leko,          1?Ǭ?
 8-11. Vallejo Pons, Gelfand,
       Svidler, Van Wely, 
   12. Radjabov                 ?Ǭ?

Combined standings:

    1. Kramnik                  5
    2. Aronian                 4?Ǭ?
    3. Ivanchuk                 4
    4. Anand                   3?Ǭ?
  5-8. Morozevich, Gelfand, 
       Svidler, Leko            3
    9. Carlsen                 2?Ǭ?
   10. Vallejo Pons             2
   11. Radjabov                1?Ǭ?
   12. Van Wely                 1

Blindfold games round 3:



Rapid games round 3:



Tomorrow is round 4:

Blind:

Radjabov     -Ivanchuk 
Kramnik      -Anand 
Van Wely     -Morozevich
Vallejo      -Svidler
Aronian      -Carlsen
Leko         -Gelfand

Rapid:

Ivanchuk     -Radjabov
Anand        -Kramnik
Morozevich   -Van Wely
Svidler      -Vallejo
Carlsen      -Aronian
Gelfand      -Leko