Aronian wins Amber for a second time in a row
27.03.2009 12:47
Public Radio of Armenia
Armenian GM Levon Aronian won the 11th Amber Tournament, after winning the 10th last year. Two draws against Veselin Topalov secured the half-point overall victory.
Equal second were Vishy Anand and Vladimir Kramnik, with Magnus Carlsen half a point behind. In the blindfold competition three players shared first place.
Magnus Carlsen, who had long dominated the competition, lost his last game and this allowed Levon Aronian and Vladimir Kramnik to catch up with him.
The rapid competition also ended in a three-way tie for first. This year the best rapid players were Vishy Anand, Levon Aronian and Gata Kamsky.
Source: http://www.armradio.am
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Armenians are best chess players in the universe!
Armenians are best chess players in the universe!
No, they are not. Intelligent beings from the fourth planet of Alpha Centauri can think 30 moves ahead and would beat the crap out of any human players. Yet, they were defeated by the chess players of the fifth planet of Sirius. And they were creamed in an intergalactic competition by a race of beings who actually solved chess altogether 🙂
“Armenians are best chess players in the universe!”
Gotta like the enthusiasm.
By the way, did anyone catch that Anand had a forced win in his Round 11 game vs. Wang at move 61? (He lost it with 61. … Kc5, got it back after 63. Ka4, then gave it again with 64. … Nc3, when 64. … Nc6 would have been the beginning of a lengthy (60+ moves) and difficult forced win. Of course, those are Nalimov’s endgame tables talking, not me.)
How many professional players have that ending memorized, or how many could perform it blindfolded. I could not have performed it even without being blindfolded.
It was exciting to watch. That 1/2 point Anand lost was the difference between 2nd place and a share of the title.
I find the whole exercise of what these players do during the blindfold games unfathomable. How on earth (or on any other planet for that matter) do they keep variations and calculations separate from where the pieces actually are? Incredible.
Kamsky was the best when he was able to see the pieces.