There is no tie-break at Corus. Therefore, 3 players tie for 1st in group A.

1-3. Topalov, Aronian and Radjabov 8.5 (+4)

4. Kramnik 8 (+3)

5. Anand 7.5 (+2)

6. Svidler 7 (+1)

7-8. Navara, Karjakin 6.5 (=)

9. Ponomariov 6 (-1)

10-12. Motylev, Van Wely, Tiviakov 5 (-3)

13-14. Carlsen, Shirov 4.5 (-4)

This is a break through event for Radjabov and a confirmation that Aronian is for real. Topalov solidifies his #1 ranking in the world and Kramnik once again proves that he is virtually impossible to defeat. I am sure that Anand is not so happy with his performance. I hope he will do better in the next big tournament.

Karjakin won the battle of young phenom against Carlsen as he got an even score while Carlsen struggled. This proves that Carlsen needs more big tournament experience but he has the talent to do it. Expect to hear a lot more from Karjakin as well. He is also the real deal.

What can you say about Svidler? He is enigmatic. He is a good chess player but he’s been accused often of needing more fighting spirit. Navara is good but he has to learn to control his nerves. Once he is able to do that, he is a force to be reckoned with.

Shirov is Shirov. Even with a horrendous start, he continued to fight and fight. You do not expect anything else from him. I am disappointed with the performance of Ponomariov. I was expecting him to do better. Motylev, Van Wely and Tiviakov performed as expected.

What are your final assessments of this event?

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Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
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