Tight At The Top In Tata
Vladimir Kramnik and Lev Aronian both won their games in round nine of the Tata Steel tournament in Wijk Aan Zee.
Aronian (pictured) beat Shirov to consign him to the bottom of the standings once again, while Kramnik benefited handsomely from a blunder by L'Ami to win their game. The pair join Anand and Nakamura at a crowded top of the leaderboard with a score of 6/9.
The big clash of the round was between Nakamura and Anand, and the game didn't disappoint. Nakamura was inventive and aggressive but the world champion was calm in response, gaining the better chances. Once the first time control was reached, the draw was a fair result.
Wang Hao bounced back from his loss yesterday to beat Ponomariov today, while Jan Smeets beat Nepomniachtchi with the black pieces.
Giri seemed to miss winning chances against Grischuk before a draw was agreed, but Vachier-Lagrave versus Carlsen was a closer contest where the small plus for the Frenchman didn't develop into a win.
Disaster was lurking for L'Ami against Kramnik in round nine
The H Bomb was defused by the Tiger of Madras
More misery for Shirov against Aronian
In Group B the race for first place also tightened, with Wesley So's run of four wins coming to an end with his first loss of the tournament, to Li Chao. With McShane getting a draw against Hammer, and Sargassian beating Wojtaszek, all three are now level pegging on a score of 6/9.
So suffered his first reversal of the tournament, but still has a share of the lead
In contrast Group C has a clear leader, with Daniele Vocaturo winning yet another game today to lead by 1.5 points from Kateryna Lahno and Illya Nyzhnyk.
Daniele Vocaturo has 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss after nine rounds (pics from the official Facebook site)
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The full results and standings after round nine:
| Group A | ||
| Aronian, Levon | 1-0 | Shirov, Alexei |
| Kramnik, Vladimir | 1-0 | L'Ami, Erwin |
| Nakamura, Hikaru | ½-½ | Anand, Viswanathan |
| Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | ½-½ | Carlsen, Magnus |
| Nepomniachtchi, Ian | 0-1 | Smeets, Jan |
| Wang, Hao | 1-0 | Ponomariov, Ruslan |
| Grischuk, Alexander | ½-½ | Giri, Anish |
| Group B | ||
| Sargissian, Gabriel | 1-0 | Wojtaszek, Radoslaw |
| So, Wesley | 0-1 | Li, Chao |
| Efimenko, Zahar | ½-½ | Nijboer, Friso |
| Navara, David | 1-0 | Spoelman, Wouter |
| Le, Quang Liem | 1-0 | Fressinet, Laurent |
| Hammer, Jon Ludvig | ½-½ | McShane, Luke J |
| Ganguly, Surya Shekhar | 0-1 | Tkachiev, Vladislav |
| Group C | ||
| Vocaturo, Daniele | 1-0 | Siebrecht, Sebastian |
| Nyzhnyk, Illya | ½-½ | Lahno, Kateryna |
| Kazhgaleyev, Murtas | 1-0 | Van Der Werf, Mark |
| Bluvshtein, Mark | 1-0 | Tania, Sachdev |
| Swiercz, Dariusz | 0-1 | Bok, Benjamin |
| Van Kampen, Robin | ½-½ | Ivanisevic, Ivan |
| De Jong, Jan-Willem | ½-½ | Pruijssers, Roeland |
| Group A |
|||||||||||||||||
| Aronian, Levon | ARM | 2805 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 1 | . | ½ | . | . | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Anand, Viswanathan | IND | 2810 | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | . | . | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | . | 6 |
| Kramnik, Vladimir | RUS | 2784 | ½ | ½ | * | . | . | . | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | . | ½ | 1 | 6 |
| Nakamura, Hikaru | USA | 2751 | ½ | ½ | . | * | 0 | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Carlsen, Magnus | NOR | 2814 | ½ | ½ | . | 1 | * | ½ | 0 | . | ½ | . | 1 | 1 | . | ½ | 5½ |
| Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | FRA | 2715 | ½ | . | . | . | ½ | * | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 5½ |
| Giri, Anish | NED | 2686 | . | . | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | * | 0 | . | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 4½ |
| Nepomniachtchi, Ian | RUS | 2733 | 0 | . | ½ | . | . | . | 1 | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 4½ |
| Ponomariov, Ruslan | UKR | 2744 | . | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | * | 0 | ½ | 1 | . | . | 4 |
| Wang, Hao | CHN | 2731 | ½ | 0 | ½ | . | . | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | * | . | . | 1 | ½ | 4 |
| L'Ami, Erwin | NED | 2628 | . | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | * | ½ | . | . | 3 |
| Smeets, Jan | NED | 2662 | . | 0 | . | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | . | ½ | * | . | 1 | 3 |
| Grischuk, Alexander | RUS | 2773 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | . | . | * | 0 | 2½ |
| Shirov, Alexei | ESP | 2722 | 0 | . | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | 0 | 1 | * | 2½ |
| Group B |
|||||||||||||||||
| Sargissian, Gabriel | ARM | 2667 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | ½ | . | . | 1 | . | 1 | ½ | 6 |
| McShane, Luke J | ENG | 2664 | ½ | * | . | 1 | . | 1 | 1 | . | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 1 | 6 |
| So, Wesley | PHI | 2673 | ½ | . | * | . | ½ | 0 | . | 1 | ½ | 1 | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Tkachiev, Vladislav | FRA | 2636 | ½ | 0 | . | * | 1 | . | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | . | 5½ |
| Efimenko, Zahar | UKR | 2701 | . | . | ½ | 0 | * | ½ | . | 1 | . | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 5½ |
| Li, Chao |
CHN | 2649 | ½ | 0 | 1 | . | ½ | * | 0 | . | 1 | . | ½ | 1 | ½ | . | 5 |
| Wojtaszek, Radoslaw | POL | 2726 | 0 | 0 | . | ½ | . | 1 | * | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | . | . | ½ | 5 |
| Navara, David | CZE | 2708 | ½ | . | 0 | . | 0 | . | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Le, Quang Liem | VIE | 2664 | . | 1 | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 1 | . | . | 0 | 4½ |
| Fressinet, Laurent | FRA | 2707 | . | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | ½ | 0 | * | ½ | . | 1 | . | 3½ |
| Nijboer, Friso | NED | 2584 | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | . | 0 | ½ | * | ½ | . | . | 3 |
| Hammer, Jon Ludvig | NOR | 2647 | . | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | . | ½ | . | . | ½ | * | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Ganguly, Surya Shekhar | IND | 2651 | 0 | . | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | . | 0 | . | 0 | . | 1 | * | 1 | 3 |
| Spoelman, Wouter | NED | 2547 | ½ | 0 | 0 | . | 0 | . | ½ | 0 | 1 | . | . | 0 | 0 | * | 2 |
| Group C |
|||||||||||||||||
| Vocaturo, Daniele | ITA | 2570 | * | . | . | 1 | . | 1 | ½ | 0 | . | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7½ |
| Lahno, Kateryna | UKR | 2518 | . | * | ½ | . | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | . | 1 | . | 6 |
| Nyzhnyk, Illya | UKR | 2530 | . | ½ | * | 1 | 0 | ½ | . | 1 | . | ½ | 1 | . | 1 | ½ | 6 |
| Kazhgaleyev, Murtas | KAZ | 2637 | 0 | . | 0 | * | . | 1 | 0 | 1 | . | 1 | . | 1 | ½ | 1 | 5½ |
| Ivanisevic, Ivan | SRB | 2630 | . | ½ | 1 | . | * | . | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 5 |
| Bluvshtein, Mark | CAN | 2590 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | . | * | 0 | 1 | 1 | . | . | 1 | . | 1 | 5 |
| Bok, Benjamin | NED | 2453 | ½ | 0 | . | 1 | 0 | 1 | * | . | 1 | ½ | ½ | . | . | 0 | 4½ |
| Tania, Sachdev | IND | 2391 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | . | * | 1 | . | . | ½ | . | 1 | 4½ |
| Swiercz, Dariusz | POL | 2540 | . | ½ | . | . | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | * | 0 | 1 | . | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Van Der Werf, Mark | NED | 2439 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | . | ½ | . | 1 | * | 0 | 0 | . | . | 3½ |
| Siebrecht, Sebastian | GER | 2439 | 0 | 0 | 0 | . | ½ | . | ½ | . | 0 | 1 | * | 1 | ½ | . | 3½ |
| Van Kampen, Robin | NED | 2443 | 0 | . | . | 0 | ½ | 0 | . | ½ | . | 1 | 0 | * | ½ | 1 | 3½ |
| Pruijssers, Roeland | NED | 2484 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | . | . | . | 0 | . | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 2½ |
| De Jong, Jan-Willem | NED | 2437 | 0 | . | ½ | 0 | . | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | . | . | 0 | ½ | * | 2 |
