By William Stewart of OnlineChessLessons.NET

Original article on 5th Kings Chess Tournament – Final Round available on William’s site

The final round of 5th Kings was absolutely fantastic with Carlsen giving Karjakin a good run for his money. In the end Carlsen took the prize (just barely) after being slightly ahead on tie-breaker points. Carlsen is now #1 highest rated on this planet, and Karjakin the highest rated player in Russia. My USA favorite Nakamura finished 3rd for a solid win (though this tournament has clearly showed that he is still no match for Carlsen).

Carlsen Draws Karjakin – Final Position
Carlsen is officially the winner of the tournament

Magnus Carlsen is the official winner of the 2011 5th Kings Tournament in Bazna, Romania. Carlsen drew Karjakin via 3-fold repetition in 30 moves, winning the official title on 3rd tiebreaks. The game wasn’t terribly exciting as Carlsen opened with d4 and Karjakin responded with the Queen’s Indian. It seemed both players were content with sharing first place as they each played solidly and did not take any chances to push for an advantage. They finished with 6.5/10 (+1.5) being the only players in the event to finish with a positive score, dominating a tournament with an average ELO of 2758!

Nisipeanu Forces Perpetual Check
Nisipeanu finishes last, but played solid

Although tying for last place, Nisipeanu held his own in this event at 4/10 (-1). Overall, he played solidly but demonstrated flashes of creativity and aggression. He drew Radjabov today by forcing perpetual check in 34 moves to save a tough position.

Ivanchuk Grinds Nakamura in 60 Moves
Ivanchuk defeats Nakamura in Round 10, despite finishing 3rd, I don’t think Naka was at his best.

The only decisive game of Round 10 took place between Vassily Ivanchuk and Hikaru Nakamura. I think Nakamura was disheartened by his overall performance in the tournament, as he played without ambition today. An out-of-form Ivanchuk was able to grind down the American in 60 moves to end the tournament with a W. While Nakamura played decently in this tournament, I expect to see stronger results from him in the near future.

Original article on Bazna 2011 – Final Round available on William’s site

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Susan Polgar June 21, 2011 General News, Major Tournaments 4 Comments
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