ARONIAN WINS AMBER TOURNAMENT

Posted by 365Chess.com on March 26, 2011 in Chess news
Levon Aronian is the winner of the twentieth edition of the Amber Tournament. This is the third time (2008, 2009 and 2011) the Armenian GM wins this tournament.
Levon Aronian was also the winner of the blindfold competition and Magnus Carlsen won the rapid competition. In the overall standings Levon Aronian was the clear winner with 15.5 points, followed by Magnus Carlsen with 14.5 points and in the third place came the World Champion Vishy Anand with 13 points.
Aronian, Levon (2808) – Karjakin, Sergey (2776) [E06]
20th Amber Blindfold Monaco MNC (11), 2011-03-24
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 Bd7 9. Qxc4 Bc6 10. Bg5 Bd5 11. Qc2 Be4 12. Qd1 c5 13. dxc5 Bxc5 14. Nbd2 Bc6 15. Ne5 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 Nbd7 17. Rc1 Nxe5 18. Rxc5 Ned7 19. Rc1 h6 20. Bf4 e5 21. Be3 Ng4 22. Qb3 Ndf6 23. Rfd1 Qd5+ 24. Qxd5 Nxe3+ 25. fxe3 Nxd5 26. Nc4 Rad8 27. Kf3 f6 28. Na5 e4+ 29. Kf2 Rf7 30. Rd4 f5 31. Rcd1 Rfd7 32. Nxb7 Rxb7 33. Rxd5 Rxd5 34. Rxd5 g6 35. h3 Rxb2 36. Rd6 Kf7 37. g4 fxg4 38. hxg4 h5 39. Rxa6 Ra2 40. g5 h4 41. Rf6+ Kg7 42. Rf4 Rxa4 43. Rxh4 Ra5 44. Rg4 Kf7 45. Kg3 Ra2 46. Rxe4 Rxe2 47. Re5 Re1 48. e4 Rg1+ 49. Kf4 Rf1+ 50. Ke3 Re1+ 51. Kd4 Rd1+ 52. Kc5 Rd2 53. Rd5 Re2 54. Kd4 Rg2 55. Ra5 Rg1 56. Ra7+ Ke6 57. Ra6+ Kf7 58. Ra5 Ke6 59. Re5+ Kd6 60. Rb5 Ke6 61. Rb6+ Kf7 62. Rf6+ Kg7 63. Kd5 Rxg5+ 64. e5 Rf5 65. Ra6 g5 66. Kd6 Rf1 67. e6 Kf6 68. Kd7 Re1 69. Rd6 g4 70. Rd4 Rxe6 71. Rxg4  ½ – ½ (view game)
Carlsen, Magnus (2815) – Gelfand, Boris (2733) [E60]
20th Amber Blindfold Monaco MNC (11), 2011-03-24
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 O-O 5. Bg2 c5 6. Nc3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Qc7 8. Ncb5 Qxc4 9. b3 Qc5 10. Ba3 Qb6 11. Bxe7 Re8 12. Nd6 Rxe7 13. Nxc8 Qb4+ 14. Kf1 Re4 15. Nc2 Qf8 16. Nd6 Re6 17. Nxb7 Nc6 18. Rc1 Rb8 19. Nd4 Rxb7 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Bxc6 dxc6 22. Qd4 Rf7 23. Kg2 Nd5 24. Qc5 Qxc5 25. Rxc5 Bd4 26. Rxc6 Rxf2+ 27. Kh3 Rxe2 28. Rf1 h5 29. Rfc1 Kg7 30. R1c2 Rxc2 31. Rxc2 e5 32. Rc6 Nb4 33. Rc7+ Kf6 34. a3 Nd5 35. Rc6+ Kf5 36. Kg2 e4 37. Kf1 e3 38. Ke1 Ke4 39. Rd6 g5 40. b4 Nc3 41. Rg6 g4 42. Rh6 Kd3 43. Rxh5 Ne4 44. Rd5 Nd2  0 – 1 (view game)
Giri, Anish (2690) – Anand, Viswanathan (2817) [A35]
20th Amber Blindfold Monaco MNC (11), 2011-03-24
1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. d4 e6 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bg2 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Nxd4 10. cxd4 Bb4+ 11. Kf1 O-O 12. Bb2 Qe7 13. f4 Rb8 14. Kf2 b5 15. Qb3 a5 16. Rac1 a4 17. Qd3 Rd8 18. Rc2 Bd6 19. Rhc1 b4 20. Qc4 Qa7 21. e3 Ba6 22. Qc6 b3 23. axb3 axb3 24. Rc3 Bb7 25. Qc4 Bxg2 26. Kxg2 Qa2 27. R1c2 Qa8+  0 – 1 (view game)
Karjakin, Sergey (2776) – Aronian, Levon (2808) [C70]
20th Amber Rapid Monaco MNC (11), 2011-03-24
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nge7 5. c3 g6 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 b5 8. Bc2 d5 9. e5 Bg7 10. Nbd2 O-O 11. h3 f6 12. exf6 Rxf6 13. O-O Qf8 14. Re1 h6 15. Re3 Nf5 16. Rd3 Nd6 17. Ne5 Nb4 18. Rf3 Nxc2 19. Qxc2 Bf5 20. Qc5 Nf7 21. Qxc7 Nxe5 22. dxe5 Rf7 23. Qc6 Qd8 24. Rxf5 Rxf5 25. Qxg6 Qf8 26. Nf3 Qf7 27. Qd6 Re8 28. Bxh6 Re6 29. Qd8+ Re8 30. Qd6 Re6 31. Qd8+  ½ – ½ (view game)
Gelfand, Boris (2733) – Carlsen, Magnus (2815) [A59]
20th Amber Rapid Monaco MNC (11), 2011-03-24
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. bxa6 g6 6. Nc3 Bxa6 7. e4 Bxf1 8. Kxf1 d6 9. g3 Bg7 10. Kg2 Nbd7 11. f4 O-O 12. Nf3 Ne8 13. Re1 Nc7 14. Bd2 Nb6 15. Qe2 Qd7 16. b3 f5 17. a4 fxe4 18. Qxe4 Qf5 19. Qxf5 gxf5 20. Rxe7 Nbxd5 21. Rd7 Nxc3 22. Rxg7+ Kxg7 23. Bxc3+ Kf7 24. Rd1 Ke7 25. b4 Rxa4 26. bxc5 dxc5 27. Be5 Nb5 28. Rb1 Rb4 29. Ra1 c4 30. Ra6 Rc8 31. Rb6 c3 32. Rb7+ Ke6 33. Bxc3 Rxc3 34. Rxb5 Rxb5 35. Nd4+ Kd5 36. Nxb5 Rc5 37. Na3 Ra5 38. Nb1 Ra2+ 39. Kh3 Kd4 40. Kh4 Rxh2+ 41. Kg5 Rb2 42. Na3 Rb3 43. Nc2+ Ke4 44. Kh4 h6 45. Kh3 Rb2 46. Ne1 Rb1 47. Nc2 Kd3  0 – 1 (view game)
Anand, Viswanathan (2817) – Giri, Anish (2690) [C42]
20th Amber Rapid Monaco MNC (11), 2011-03-24
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O Nc6 8. c4 Nb4 9. Re1 Nxd3 10. Qxd3 c6 11. cxd5 cxd5 12. Qb5+ Qd7 13. Qb3 O-O 14. Nc3 Nxc3 15. bxc3 Re8 16. Ba3 Bxa3 17. Qxa3 b6 18. Rab1 Qd8 19. Rxe8+ Qxe8 20. Rxb6 Bg4 21. Rb7 Bxf3 22. gxf3 h6 23. Rxa7 Rxa7 24. Qxa7 Qc8 25. Kg2 Qc6 26. Qb8+ Kh7 27. Qb1+ Kg8 28. Qf5 Qc4 29. a4 Qxa4 30. Qxd5 Qa6 31. Qe4 Qc4 32. d5 Qxc3 33. Qe8+ Kh7 34. Qxf7 Qe5 35. h4 h5 36. Qe6 Qxe6 37. dxe6 Kg6 38. f4  1 – 0 (view game)

20th Amber Blindfold Monaco (MNC), 12-24 iii 2011															cat. XXI (2770)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2
1.	Aronian, Levon	g	ARM	2808	*	½	½	1	1	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	8½	2978
2.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2817	½	*	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	1	7	2868
3.	Grischuk, Alexander	g	RUS	2747	½	½	*	½	1	½	½	½	½	0	1	½	6	2808
4.	Gashimov, Vugar	g	AZE	2746	0	½	½	*	1	½	1	½	0	½	½	1	6	2808
5.	Gelfand, Boris	g	ISR	2733	0	½	0	0	*	1	½	½	1	½	1	1	6	2809
6.	Karjakin, Sergey	g	RUS	2776	½	½	½	½	0	*	½	½	½	½	1	½	5½	2769
7.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2779	½	½	½	0	½	½	*	0	1	½	½	½	5	2733
8.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2774	0	½	½	½	½	½	1	*	½	1	0	0	5	2734
9.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2815	½	0	½	1	0	½	0	½	*	½	1	½	5	2730
10.	Topalov, Veselin	g	BUL	2775	0	0	1	½	½	½	½	0	½	*	0	1	4½	2705
11.	Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2785	0	½	0	½	0	0	½	1	0	1	*	½	4	2667
12.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2690	0	0	½	0	0	½	½	1	½	0	½	*	3½	2644

Round 11 (March 24, 2011)
Aronian, Levon	- Karjakin, Sergey	½-½	71	E06	Catalan
Gashimov, Vugar	- Grischuk, Alexander	½-½	140	A36	English Botvinnik
Ivanchuk, Vassily	- Topalov, Veselin	½-½	97	E61	King’s Indian Defence
Nakamura, Hikaru	- Kramnik, Vladimir	0-1	32	D01	Queen’s Pawn Richter/Veresov
Carlsen, Magnus	- Gelfand, Boris	0-1	44	E60	King’s Indian without Nc3
Giri, Anish	- Anand, Viswanathan	0-1	27	A35	English Symmetrical

20th Amber Rapid Monaco (MNC), 12-24 iii 2011															cat. XXI (2770)
					1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2
1.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2815	*	½	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	9½	3075
2.	Aronian, Levon	g	ARM	2808	½	*	1	½	1	½	0	½	1	½	½	1	7	2869
3.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2779	1	0	*	0	1	½	1	½	0	1	½	½	6	2805
4.	Topalov, Veselin	g	BUL	2775	0	½	1	*	½	1	0	½	0	1	1	½	6	2806
5.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2817	0	0	0	½	*	½	1	½	1	1	½	1	6	2802
6.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2774	0	½	½	0	½	*	1	½	1	0	1	½	5½	2770
7.	Grischuk, Alexander	g	RUS	2747	0	1	0	1	0	0	*	0	½	½	1	1	5	2736
8.	Karjakin, Sergey	g	RUS	2776	0	½	½	½	½	½	1	*	½	0	½	0	4½	2704
9.	Gashimov, Vugar	g	AZE	2746	0	0	1	1	0	0	½	½	*	0	1	½	4½	2707
10.	Gelfand, Boris	g	ISR	2733	0	½	0	0	0	1	½	1	1	*	0	½	4½	2708
11.	Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2785	0	½	½	0	½	0	0	½	0	1	*	1	4	2667
12.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2690	0	0	½	½	0	½	0	1	½	½	0	*	3½	2644

Round 11 (March 24, 2011)
Topalov, Veselin	- Ivanchuk, Vassily	1-0	42	C99	Ruy Lopez Chigorin
Anand, Viswanathan	- Giri, Anish	1-0	38	C42	Petroff’s Defence
Grischuk, Alexander	- Gashimov, Vugar	½-½	139	A31	English Symmetrical
Karjakin, Sergey	- Aronian, Levon	½-½	31	C70	Ruy Lopez
Gelfand, Boris	- Carlsen, Magnus	0-1	47	A59	Volga Gambit
Kramnik, Vladimir	- Nakamura, Hikaru	0-1	45	E97	King’s Indian Classical

20th Amber Combined Monaco (MNC), 12-24 iii 2011																				cat. XXI (2770)
					1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		12
1.	Aronian, Levon	g	ARM	2808	*	*	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	0	1	½	1	½	1	½	1	1	½	½	1	½	1	1	15.5	2916
2.	Carlsen, Magnus	g	NOR	2815	½	½	*	*	0	1	0	0	½	1	½	1	0	1	½	1	1	1	½	1	1	1	½	1	14.5	2883
3.	Anand, Viswanathan	g	IND	2817	½	0	1	0	*	*	½	0	½	1	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	13.0	2831
4.	Ivanchuk, Vassily	g	UKR	2779	½	0	1	1	½	1	*	*	½	1	0	½	½	1	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	11.0	2769
5.	Grischuk, Alexander	g	RUS	2747	½	1	½	0	½	0	½	0	*	*	½	0	1	½	0	1	½	½	½	0	1	1	½	1	11.0	2772
6.	Nakamura, Hikaru	g	USA	2774	0	½	½	0	½	½	1	½	½	1	*	*	½	0	1	0	½	1	½	½	0	1	0	½	10.5	2756
7.	Gelfand, Boris	g	ISR	2733	0	½	1	0	½	0	½	0	0	½	½	1	*	*	½	0	0	1	1	1	1	0	1	½	10.5	2759
8.	Topalov, Veselin	g	BUL	2775	0	½	½	0	0	½	½	1	1	0	0	1	½	1	*	*	½	0	½	½	0	1	1	½	10.5	2756
9.	Gashimov, Vugar	g	AZE	2746	0	0	0	0	½	0	1	1	½	½	½	0	1	0	½	1	*	*	½	½	½	1	1	½	10.5	2758
10.	Karjakin, Sergey	g	RUS	2776	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	*	*	1	½	½	0	10.0	2733
11.	Kramnik, Vladimir	g	RUS	2785	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	½	0	0	½	*	*	½	1	8.0	2667
12.	Giri, Anish	g	NED	2690	0	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	1	½	0	½	0	½	0	½	½	1	½	0	*	*	7.0	2644

•