The picture above was taken earlier this year when I visited Moscow as part of the Chess For Peace program. The talented Ernesto Inarkiev is second from the left.
Here are some of the top standings after 8 rounds:
1 GM Inarkiev, Ernesto 2625 6
2 GM Khismatullin, Denis 2568 5.5
3 GM Tomashevsky, Evgeny 2594 5.5
4 IM Vitiugov, Nikita 2555 5.5
5 GM Timofeev, Artyom 2657 5
6 GM Malakhov, Vladimir 2690 5
7 GM Grigoriants, Sergey 2579 5
8 GM Khalifman, Alexander 2622 5
9 GM Alekseev, Evgeny 2644 5
10 IM Nepomniachtchi, Ian 2520 5
11 GM Kobalia, Mikhail 2647 5
12 GM Najer, Evgeniy 2677 5
13 GM Lastin, Alexander 2613 5
14 GM Landa, Konstantin 2584 5
The top Russian woman is Alexandra Kosteniuk with 2 points. 
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Vitiugov is clearly the world’s strongest IM. Glad to see Inarkiev doing well. Kosteniuk should spend more time studying chess instead of trying to be a Kournikova wannabe.
Yep, he most probably is. Remember how he crushed GM Stripunsky 2-0 in 2005 Russia vs USA mini-match?