Aronian still edges Carlsen

Levon Aronian won his rapid game against Viswanathan Anand, while Magnus Carlsen was victorious over Veselin Topalov. Vassily Ivanchuk continues to move up the field and is now equal third.

A curious series of results. Six draws in the Blindfold, and six White wins in the Rapidplay!

Round 8: Blindfold

Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747	½-½	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774
Viswanathan Anand	India	2817	½-½	Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808
Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733	½-½	Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779
Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785	½-½	Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746
Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776	½-½	Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690
Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775	½-½	Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815

Levon Aronian and Magnus Carlsen both won and, as their closest rivals (Anand and Grischuk) both lost, these two are now well ahead.

Round 8: Rapidplay

Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774	1-0	Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747
Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808	1-0	Viswanathan Anand	India	2817
Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779	1-0	Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733
Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746	1-0	Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785
Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690	1-0	Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776
Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815	1-0	Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775

Vassily Ivanchuk has now won several matches in a row and is now equal third with Viswanathan Anand.

The table with the totals after eight rounds is as follows:

Seed	Name (World Rank)	Country	Rating	Age	Blindfold	Rapidplay	Total Points
3	Levon Aronian (3)	Armenia	2808	28	6	5½	11½
2	Magnus Carlsen (2)	Norway	2815	20	4½	6½	11
1	Viswanathan Anand (1)	India	2817	41	4½	4	8½
5	Vassily Ivanchuk (5)	Ukraine	2779	41	3½	5	8½
9	Alexander Grischuk (10)	Russia	2747	27	4½	3½	8
10	Vugar Gashimov (11)	Russia	2747	24	4	4	8
7	Veselin Topalov (7)	Bulgaria	2775	36	4	3½	7½
8	Hikaru Nakamura (8)	USA	2774	23	3½	4	7½
6	Sergey Karjakin (6)	Russia	2776	21	4	3	7
11	Boris Gelfand (16)	Israel	2733	42	4	3	7
12	Anish Giri (43)	Netherlands	2690	16	3	3	6
4	Vladimir Kramnik (4)	Russia	2785	35	2½	3	5½

World No.4 Vladimir Kramnik is now in last place!

The previous rounds:

Round 1: Blindfold

Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774	½-½	Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815
Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808	1-0	Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690
Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779	0-1	Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746
Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776	0-1	Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733
Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747	1-0	Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785
Viswanathan Anand	India	2817	1-0	Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775

Round 1: Rapidplay

Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815	1-0	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774
Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690	0-1	Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808
Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746	1-0	Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779
Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733	1-0	Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776
Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785	0-1	Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747
Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775	½-½	Viswanathan Anand	India	2817

Round 2: Blindfold

Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775	½-½	Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776
Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785	½-½	Viswanathan Anand	India	2817
Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733	0-1	Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747
Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815	1-0	Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746
Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690	½-½	Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779
Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774	0-1	Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808

Round 2: Rapidplay

Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776	½-½	Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775
Viswanathan Anand	India	2817	½-½	Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785
Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747	½-½	Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733
Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746	0-1	Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815
Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779	½-½	Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690
Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808	½-½	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774

Round 3: Blindfold

Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808	½-½	Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815
Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779	0-1	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774
Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746	1-0	Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690
Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747	½-½	Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776
Viswanathan Anand	India	2817	½-½	Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733
Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785	1-0	Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775

Round 3: Rapidplay

Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815	½-½	Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808
Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774	½-½	Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779
Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690	½-½	Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746
Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776	1-0	Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747
Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733	0-1	Viswanathan Anand	India	2817
Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775	1-0	Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785

Round 4: Blindfold

Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776	1-0	Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785
Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733	½-½	Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775
Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747	½-½	Viswanathan Anand	India	2817
Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815	½-½	Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690
Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774	½-½	Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746
Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808	½-½	Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779

Round 4: Rapidplay

Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785	½-½	Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776
Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775	1-0	Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733
Viswanathan Anand	India	2817	1-0	Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747
Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690	0-1	Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815
Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746	0-1	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774
Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779	0-1	Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808

Round 5: Blindfold

Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779	1-0	Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815
Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746	0-1	Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808
Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690	1-0	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774
Viswanathan Anand	India	2817	½-½	Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776
Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775	1-0	Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747
Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785	0-1	Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733

Round 5: Rapidplay

Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815	0-1	Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779
Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808	1-0	Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746
Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774	½-½	Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690
Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776	½-½	Viswanathan Anand	India	2817
Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747	1-0	Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775
Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733	0-1	Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785

Round 6: Blindfold

Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733	½-½	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774
Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747	½-½	Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808
Viswanathan Anand	India	2817	½-½	Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779
Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775	½-½	Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746
Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785	½-½	Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690
Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776	½-½	Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815

Round 6: Rapidplay

Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774	0-1	Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733
Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808	0-1	Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747
Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779	1-0	Viswanathan Anand	India	2817
Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746	1-0	Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775
Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690	-	Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785
Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815	1-0	Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776

Round 7: Blindfold

Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690	0-1	Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775
Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815	1-0	Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785
Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746	½-½	Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776
Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808	1-0	Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733
Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779	½-½	Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747
Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774	½-½	Viswanathan Anand	India	2817

Round 7: Rapidplay

Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria	2775	½-½	Anish Giri	Netherlands	2690
Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2785	0-1	Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2815
Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2776	½-½	Vugar Gashimov	Azerbaijan	2746
Boris Gelfand	Israel	2733	½-½	Levon Aronian	Armenia	2808
Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2747	0-1	Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine	2779
Viswanathan Anand	India	2817	½-½	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2774

The total prize fund is 227,000 € which explains the presence of so many elite players.

The time control varies slightly between the blindfold and rapidplay:

25 minutes by game in both cases, with an increment of 20 seconds by move at blindfold and just 10 seconds at rapidplay.

There are four sessions of three games during the day. The first game starts at 2.30pm (local time) and the final one towards 8pm.

The final rest day will be on the 21st of March.

The event takes place at the Hotel Monte-Carlo "Bay Hotel & Resort" in Monaco, from the 11th to the 25th of March 2011. The Max Euwe association and the philantrophist Joop van Oosterom have organized the event since 1992, and named it after his daughter Melody Amber.

For more information go to:Official site