Vachier-Lagrave Wins 2012 SPICE Cup
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave won the 2012 SPICE Cup in St.Louis with a score of 6/10.
The 6-player double round-robin competition at Webster University was a closely fought affair, with only a few decisive games but lots of fighting chess.
The Frenchman tweeted: "I finally won the SPICE Cup. Pretty happy with my overall performance, I had a little bit of luck in some games, was pressing in others. My performance in the second half of the tournament was much more convincing, even though my only win happened in the game I was in danger".
Ding Liren and last year's winner Le Quang Liem shared second place with 5½/10.
The 2012 SPICE Cup final standings
| # | Name | Elo | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Pts |
| 1 | Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | 2705 | ** | ½½ | ½½ | ½1 | 1½ | ½½ | 6.0 |
| 2 | Ding, Liren | 2702 | ½½ | ** | ½½ | ½½ | 01 | 1½ | 5.5 |
| 3 | Le, Quang Liem | 2703 | ½½ | ½½ | ** | ½½ | ½½ | ½1 | 5.5 |
| 4 | So, Wesley | 2677 | ½0 | ½½ | ½½ | ** | 1½ | ½½ | 5.0 |
| 5 | Meier, Georg | 2646 | 0½ | 10 | ½½ | 0½ | ** | ½½ | 4.0 |
| 6 | Balogh, Csaba | 2664 | ½½ | 0½ | ½0 | ½½ | ½½ | ** | 4.0 |
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Maxime Vachier-Lagrave receiving the winners prize - on his 22nd birthday!
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More information at Susan Polgar's Chess Blog. Photo from the official coverage (more here).
Games via TWIC.
