Aronian takes the lead!

Levon Aronian

Levon Aronian has taken the lead, with one round to go, with four players only half-a-point behind. Hiis eighth round victory came at the expence of Peter Svidler in a Grûnfeld where the Armenian kept a small pull throughout.

Despite the symmetrical structure, Aronian always had the more active pieces. His plan of pushing up the queenside pawns increased the pressure and then a pretty knight sacrifice for passed pawns on both wings finished the job.

Hikaru Nakamura managed to obtain counterplay by pushing his h-pawn in a Sämisch King's Indian against Viswanathan Anand. This led to dynamic equality and a repetition.

Vladimir Kramnik sacrificed a pawn in an unusual manner against Sergey Karjakin. This led to a simplified position with queen and rook each, where White had the better structure, but this wasn't enough to make the diference.

Magnus Carlsen retained a space advantage against Ian Nepomniachtchi, but the Russian played a neat combination for perpetual check.

In Vassily Ivanchuk-Boris Gelfand, Black liberated his position with ...c5, but White was always a shade more active. Gelfand solved his problems with a surprising piece sacrifice which enabled him to double on the seventh thus forcing a draw.

Here is a summary of the eighth round games:

White	Country	Rating	Result	Black	Country	Rating	Moves	Opening descri ption
Viswanathan Anand	IND	2811	0.5-0.5	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2758	33	King's Indian Defence (Sämisch)
Magnus Carlsen	NOR	2826	0.5-0.5	Ian Nepomniachtchi	RUS	2730	40	Sicilian (Moscow)
Levon Aronian	ARM	2802	1-0	Peter Svidler	RUS	2755	54	Grünfeld Defence 4.Bf4
Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2800	0.5-0.5	Sergey Karjakin	RUS	2763	44	Catalan Opening
Vassily Ivanchuk	UKR	2775	0.5-0.5	Boris Gelfand	ISR	2744	41	Semi-Slav 6.Qc2

The table after the eighth round:

Rank	Name	Country	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Levon Aronian	ARM	2802	*	½	½	.	1	½	1	½	½	½	5
2-5	Magnus Carlsen	NOR	2826	½	*	½	½	½	½	½	½	.	1	4½
2-5	Sergey Karjakin	RUS	2763	½	½	*	½	.	½	½	½	½	1	4½
2-5	Ian Nepomniachtchi	RUS	2730	.	½	½	*	½	½	½	1	½	½	4½
2-5	Vassily Ivanchuk	UKR	2775	0	½	.	½	*	½	1	½	1	½	4½
6	Viswanathan Anand	IND	2811	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	.	4
7-8	Peter Svidler	RUS	2755	0	½	½	½	0	½	*	.	1	½	3½
7-8	Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2800	½	½	½	0	½	½	.	*	½	½	3½
9-10	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2758	½	.	½	½	0	½	0	½	*	½	3
9-10	Boris Gelfand	ISR	2744	½	0	0	½	½	.	½	½	½	*	3

Details of the earlier games:

The first round:

White	Country	Rating	Result	Black	Country	Rating	Moves	Opening description
Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2758	0.5-0.5	Boris Gelfand	ISR	2744	34	Queen's Gambit Declined 5.Bf4
Viswanathan Anand	IND	2811	0.5-0.5	Sergey Karjakin	RUS	2763	42	Nimzoindian 4.Qc2
Vassily Ivanchuk	UKR	2775	1-0	Peter Svidler	RUS	2755	61	Grünfeld 4.e3
Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2800	0-1	Ian Nepomniachtchi	RUS	2730	53	English Symmetrical
Levon Aronian	ARM	2802	0.5-0.5	Magnus Carlsen	NOR	2826	57	Queen's Indian 4.g3 Ba6

The second round:

White	Country	Rating	Result	Black	Country	Rating	Moves	Opening description
Magnus Carlsen	NOR	2826	1-0	Boris Gelfand	ISR	2744	38	Slav Defence 4.e3
Sergey Karjakin	RUS	2763	0.5-0.5	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2758	43	Sicilian Najdorf 6.Be2
Peter Svidler	RUS	2755	0.5-0.5	Viswanathan Anand	IND	2811	23	Caro-Kann Advance
Ian Nepomniachtchi	RUS	2730	0.5-0.5	Vassily Ivanchuk	UKR	2775	76	Sicilian Sveshnikov
Levon Aronian	ARM	2802	0.5-0.5	Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2800	49	Queen's Gambit Tarrasch

The third round:

White	Country	Rating	Result	Black	Country	Rating	Moves	Opening description
Boris Gelfand	ISR	2744	0-1	Sergey Karjakin	RUS	2763	59	Open Catalan
Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2758	0-1	Peter Svidler	RUS	2755	48	Grünfeld Exchange 7.Bc4
Viswanathan Anand	IND	2811	0.5-0.5	Ian Nepomniachtchi	RUS	2730	27	Grünfeld (Russian Variation)
Vassily Ivanchuk	UKR	2775	0-1	Levon Aronian	ARM	2802	57	Spanish Berlin
Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2800	0.5-0.5	Magnus Carlsen	NOR	2826	41	English (Botvinnik)

The fourth round:

White	Country	Rating	Result	Black	Country	Rating	Moves	Opening description
Magnus Carlsen	NOR	2826	0.5-0.5	Sergey Karjakin	RUS	2763	67	Nimzoindian 4.Qc2
Peter Svidler	RUS	2755	0.5-0.5	Boris Gelfand	ISR	2744	40	Reti Opening
Ian Nepomniachtchi	RUS	2730	0.5-0.5	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2758	85	Sicilian Dragon
Levon Aronian	ARM	2802	0.5-0.5	Viswanathan Anand	IND	2811	60	Queen's Gambit Declined 5.Bf4
Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2800	0.5-0.5	Vassily Ivanchuk	UKR	2775	57	Chebanenko Slav

The fifth round:

White	Country	Rating	Result	Black	Country	Rating	Moves	Opening description
Sergey Karjakin	RUS	2763	0.5-0.5	Peter Svidler	RUS	2755	26	Sicilian Kan
Boris Gelfand	ISR	2744	0.5-0.5	Ian Nepomniachtchi	RUS	2730	62	Grünfeld Defence 4.Bg5
Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2758	0.5-0.5	Levon Aronian	ARM	2802	53	Queen's Gambit Declined 3...Be7
Viswanathan Anand	IND	2811	0.5-0.5	Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2800	36	Queen's Gambit Declined 5.Bf4
Vassily Ivanchuk	UKR	2775	0.5-0.5	Magnus Carlsen	NOR	2826	76	Grünfeld 4.Bf4

The sixth round:

White	Country	Rating	Result	Black	Country	Rating	Moves	Opening description
Magnus Carlsen	NOR	2826	0.5-0.5	Peter Svidler	RUS	2755	53	Grünfeld Defence (Exchange 7 .Bc4)
Ian Nepomniachtchi	RUS	2730	0.5-0.5	Sergey Karjakin	RUS	2763	40	Nimzoindian Defence (4.Qc2)
Levon Aronian	ARM	2802	0.5-0.5	Boris Gelfand	ISR	2744	40	Queen's Gambit Declined 5.Bf4
Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2800	0.5-0.5	Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2758	42	English (Anti-Grünfeld, Qb3)
Vassily Ivanchuk	UKR	2775	0.5-0.5	Viswanathan Anand	IND	2811	36	Queen's Gambit Declined (Lasker)

The seventh round:

White	Country	Rating	Result	Black	Country	Rating	Moves	Opening description
Viswanathan Anand	IND	2811	0.5-0.5	Magnus Carlsen	NOR	2826	29	Grünfeld Defence (Exchange 7 .Be3)
Peter Svidler	RUS	2755	0.5-0.5	Ian Nepomniachtchi	RUS	2730	58	English Opening
Sergey Karjakin	RUS	2763	0.5-0.5	Levon Aronian	ARM	2802	38	Spanish with d3
Boris Gelfand	ISR	2744	0.5-0.5	Vladimir Kramnik	RUS	2800	48	Queen's Gambit Declined 5.Bf4
Hikaru Nakamura	USA	2758	0-1	Vassily Ivanchuk	UKR	2775	40	Grünfeld Defence 4.Bf4

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