The game of the round was definitely the complicated King's Indian between Kramnik and Nakamura. In a Bayonnet Attack, White advanced rapidly on the queenside, while Black reacted with kingside pawn advances as well as a more unusual counter ...b7-b6 on the other wing.
Kramnik hit back by sacrificing a piece on the kingside, activated his pieces and obtained dangerous play. Analysis suggests that he was doing quite well, but he lost the thread and Nakamura gradually took control.
The Reti between Meier and Ponomariov was similar in many respects to both a Catalan and a Semi-Slav. In any case the game was fairly balanced throughout.
The hybrid Catalan/Bogoljubov, in Le Quang Liem versus Anish Giri, was also uneventful. Black liberated with the thematic ...c5 and White couldn't obtain anything special.
White | Rating | Result | Black | Rating | Moves | Openings details |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vladimir Kramnik | 2781 | 0-1 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2770 | 50 | King's Indian Classical |
Le Quang Liem | 2715 | ½-½ | Anish Giri | 2701 | 38 | Catalan/Bogoljubov |
Georg Meier | 2656 | ½-½ | Ruslan Ponomariov | 2764 | 44 | Reti Opening |
The standings after the final round:
Rank | Name | Country | Rating | Kw | Kb | Lw | Lb | Gw | Gb | Pw | Pb | Nw | Nb | Mw | Mb | Points | Perf. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Vladimir Kramnik | RUS | 2781 | * | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2870 |
2 | Le Quang Liem | VIE | 2715 | ½ | ½ | * | * | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 5½ | 2770 |
3-4 | Anish Giri | NED | 2701 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | * | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 5 | 2737 |
3-4 | Ruslan Ponomariov | UKR | 2764 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | * | * | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 5 | 2724 |
5 | Hikaru Nakamura | USA | 2770 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | * | * | 1 | ½ | 4½ | 2687 |
6 | Georg Meier | GER | 2656 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | * | * | 3 | 2597 |
I estimate that Vladimir Kramnik gained 12 rating points, naturally a fine result by any standards. However, he actually required a win (rather than a loss!) in the last round against Nakamura in order to regain his 2800 status.
The time limit was 100 minutes for 40 moves, then 50 in 20, and finally 15 minutes for the remainder of the game. The players also received an increment of 30 seconds per move.
Official site: http://www.sparkassen-chess-meeting.de/2011