Final standings:
| Rank | Team | played | + | = | - | MP | BP |
| 1 | OSG Baden-Baden | 15 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 87,5 |
| 2 | Werder Bremen | 15 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 78,5 |
| 3 | SG Aljechin Solingen | 15 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 75 |
| 4 | SV Mülheim-Nord | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 71 |
| 5 | Hamburger SK | 15 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 64 |
| 6 | SC Eppingen | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 64,5 |
| 7 | SK Turm Emsdetten | 15 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 63 |
| 8 | SV Wattenscheid | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 61 |
| 9 | SC Remagen | 15 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 61,5 |
| 10 | SG Trier | 15 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 14 | 58,5 |
| 11 | SF Katernberg | 15 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 50,5 |
| 12 | SF Berlin | 15 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 54,5 |
| 13 | FC Bayern München | 15 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 49,5 |
| 14 | SV Heidelberg Handschuhsheim | 15 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 43 |
| 15 | Erfurter SK | 15 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 38 |
| 16 | SK König Tegel | 15 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 40 |
As one can see its no surprise that Baden-Baden were able to win with the team list that they have!
7. OSG Baden-Baden (RtgAvg:2729 / TB1: 28 / TB2: 87,5)
| Board order | Title | Name | Rating | FED | Points | Games | Performance |
| 1 | GM | Anand Viswanathan | 2788 | IND | 1,5 | 2,0 | 0 |
| 2 | GM | Carlsen Magnus | 2772 | NOR | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0 |
| 3 | GM | Svidler Peter | 2741 | RUS | 2,5 | 5,0 | 2628 |
| 4 | GM | Shirov Alexei | 2730 | ESP | 7,0 | 10,0 | 2763 |
| 5 | GM | Bacrot Etienne | 2709 | FRA | 10,0 | 13,0 | 2781 |
| 6 | GM | Movsesian Sergei | 2711 | SVK | 6,5 | 9,0 | 2719 |
| 7 | GM | Adams Michael | 2682 | ENG | 5,0 | 8,0 | 2625 |
| 8 | GM | Naiditsch Arkadij | 2685 | GER | 9,0 | 13,0 | 2661 |
| 9 | GM | Vallejo Pons Francisco | 2696 | ESP | 6,5 | 9,0 | 2643 |
| 10 | GM | Nielsen Peter Heine | 2687 | DEN | 6,5 | 9,0 | 2689 |
| 11 | GM | Nisipeanu Liviu-Dieter | 2664 | ROU | 6,5 | 8,0 | 2704 |
| 12 | GM | Caruana Fabiano | 2662 | ITA | 2,0 | 2,0 | 0 |
| 13 | GM | Gustafsson Jan | 2622 | GER | 10,0 | 13,0 | 2649 |
| 14 | GM | Dautov Rustem | 2596 | GER | 7,5 | 9,0 | 2657 |
| 15 | GM | Döttling Fabian | 2571 | GER | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0 |
| 16 | GM | Schlosser Phlipp | 2555 | GER | 7,0 | 10,0 | 2535 |
| 17 | FM | Dinger Florian | 2359 | GER | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0 |
| 18 | - | Hager Joshua Aarash | 2235 | GER | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0 |
They didn't even need Carlsen this season!
The German league is arguably the strongest of all because there are more teams, players and divisions involving titled players. Most of the leading players in the world play are involved and generally play at least some of the games. Another characteristic is that there are 16 teams and fifteen matches, more than any of the other top leagues. A long season that comes to a close in the spring each year.
In the following game from the final Bundesliga week-end Gashimov demonstrates that he still has faith in the Modern Benoni.
Predrag Nikolic (2603) - Vugar Gashimov (2740)
German league 2009-10 (Bremen 14th round) 10.04.2010
Modern Benoni (A62)
1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 e6 3.♘f3 c5 4.d5 d6 5.♘c3 exd5 6.cxd5 g6 7.g3 ♗g7 8.♗g2 0-0 9.0-0 ♖e8 10.♘d2 ♘bd7 11.a4 b6!?
An interesting choice on Gashimov's part. The world's leading (regular) Modern Benoni player doesn't always go down the main lines as he prefers the practical approach of getting his opponent onto unfamiliar terrain. The chosen move is rare but has so far scored well in practise.
Many games have continued 11...a6 12.h3 ♖b8 13.♘c4 ♘b6 14.♘a3 ♗d7 when the complications that follow still haven't been fully fathomed out.
12.♘b5
12...♘e5
Black was slightly less direct in the following: 12...♗f8 13.♘c4 ♘e5 14.♘ca3 a6 15.♘c3 ♗d7 16.♖b1 ♖b8 17.b4 b5 18.axb5 axb5 19.♗g5 ♗g7 Horvath,J-Stets,D Val Thorens 2009, but still obtained a tense middlegame with chances for both sides.
13.b3 a6 14.♘c3
White's adventuring with ♘-b5 hasn't really got him very far, as Black hasn't needed to make any concessions.
14...♖b8 15.♖b1 b5 16.axb5 axb5 17.b4
The idea is to keep the queenside majority in check.
17...♗f5
Black has active pieces and Nikolic now prefers not to play e2-e4 (to push the bishop back) as this would weaken the d3-square (where Black might be tempted to install a knight).
18.♖b3 ♕d7 19.♗b2 ♘c4!?
White has to retreat.
20.♗c1
Here 20.♘xc4?? loses to 20...bxc4 21.♖a3 cxb4.
20...♘e5 21.♗b2 ♗h3
A psychological point: Gashimov points out to his opponent that it is he who is playing for a win!
22.♗a1 c4
This advance can sometimes be 'weakening' as White can at times use the d4-square. Here White's position is not sufficiently disposed for that and indeed lacks any really active play.
23.♖a3 ♖a8 24.♖xa8 ♖xa8 25.♗b2 h5!
In order to gnaw away at White's kingside.
26.♘db1 h4 27.♘a3 ♘h5! 28.♕d2
After 28.♘axb5 Black can always regain the pawn with 28...♖b8 29.♘d4 ♖xb4, but the general emphasis is definitely on the kingside.
28...♕g4 29.♕e3
White could have tried 29.f3!? ♕d7 30.♘axb5 hxg3 31.hxg3 ♘xg3 and matters are not that clear, but it's worth noting that White's king is the most vulnerable.
29...hxg3 30.fxg3 f5!
Creating some practical problems for White.
31.♘cxb5?
A case of the wrong knight!
Instead after 31.♘axb5 f4 32.♕e4 ♖b8 33.♗xh3 ♕xh3 34.♕g2 ♕xg2+ 35.♔xg2 ♘g4 36.♗c1 White holds the fort.
31...f4 32.♕e4 ♗xg2 33.♕xg2
Also after 33.♔xg2 Black is clearly better, for example 33...♘f6 34.♕xf4 ♘xd5 (the d-pawn isn't defended as the white knight is no longer on c3!) 35.♕xg4 ♘xg4 36.♗xg7 ♘de3+ winning the exchange.
33...fxg3 34.♘xd6? A lesser evil is 34.hxg3 ♘xg3 35.♖f2, but after 35...♕g5! Black has plenty of threats.
34...♘f4
Winning the exchange. The following ending is winning for Black.
35.♖xf4 ♕xf4 36.♕xg3 ♕xg3+ 37.hxg3 c3! 38.♗c1
If 38.♗xc3? then 38...♖xa3.
38...♗h6
After 38...♗h6 39.♗xh6 ♖xa3 40.♗f4 c2 the pawn goes all the way.
0-1
For more information official tournament site
