Reply #1: News for the week ending March 18 [View All]

[Jack Rabbit]

16th Amber Rapid/Blindfold underway in Monaco



The 16th annual Amber Tournament began yesterday in Monaco.

There are 12 grandmasters in the event. Each competitor plays two games per day: First a blindfold game in the afternoon, then a rapid game against the same opponet with the colors reverse in the evening.

Prizes are awarde for best score in each of the two divisions and for best overall score.

The participants are world champion Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), Vishy Anand (India), Levon Aronian (Armenia), Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Boris Gelfand (Israel), Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Peter Leko (Hungary), Alexander Morozevich (Russia), Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan), Peter Svidler (Russia), Paco Vallejo (Spain) and Loek van Wely (Holland).

The tournament concludes Thursday, March 29.

After two rounds, Kramnik is the only player in the blindfold competition with a perfect score. In the rapid competition, Aronian leads with towo out of two. Kramnik and Aronian are tied for the overall lead with 3½ points out of four.


Karpov Tourmanet begins in Poikovsky



The eighth annual tournament named for living chess legend Anatoly Karpov began Thursday in Poikovsky, Russia.

The tournament features ten competitors, all grandmasters, who will play a single round robin. The event ends Friday, March 23.

The participants are Evgeny Alekseev (Russia), Viorel Bologan (Malovia), Alexey Dreev (Russia), Andrei Istratescu (Romania), Dmitry Jakovenko (Russia), Alex Onischuk (United States), Sergei Rublevsky (Russia), Emil Sutovsky (Israel), Vlad Tkachiev (France) and Zhang Pengxiang (China).

After four rounds, there is a four-way tie for first place at 2½ points each among Istratescu, Jakovenko, Rublevsky and Sutovsky.