Black equalized in the Ponomariov-Mamedyarov clash and during a long series of manoeuvres, both players were probing to find a chink in their opponent's armour. Late on, Ponomariov found a way to seize the c-file and Mamedyarov resigned in the face of the coming king invasion.
Kramnik played the Catalan, another example of this 'in vogue' opening system. Naiditsch sacrificed a pawn 'for play' but Kramnik resisted the pressure and broke out by sacrificing the exchange, safe in the knowledge that his opponent had a rook locked out of play. This fact essentially cost Black the game.
| Name | Rating | Country | Result | Name | Rating | Country | No. of Moves | Opening |
| Peter Leko | 2734 | HUN | 0-1 | Le Quang Liem | 2681 | VIE | 59 | Caro-Kann (Advance Variation) |
| Ruslan Ponomariov | 2734 | UKR | 1-0 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2761 | AZE | 51 | Nimzoindian Defence (4.Qc2) |
| Vladimir Kramnik | 2790 | RUS | 1-0 | Arkadij Naiditsch | 2684 | GER | 51 | Catalan opening |
Peter Leko against Le Quang Liem was a struggle between the two bishops and a pair of knights. Black's superior pawn structure eventually became the main factor once the game had simplified. The Vietnamese player obtained a strong advanced pawn which cost White a piece and with Rook, knight and pawn against Rook and two pawns, he was able to mop up White's pawns without losing his own.
| Posn. | Player's Name | Wld. Ranking | Nation | Rating | Points |
| 1st | Ruslan Ponomariov | 14 | UKR | 2734 | 3.5 |
| 2nd-3rd | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 6 | AZE | 2761 | 3 |
| 2nd-3rd | Le Quang Liem | 55 | VIE | 2681 | 3 |
| 4th | Vladimir Kramnik | 4 | RUS | 2790 | 2.5 |
| 5th-6th | Peter Leko | 16 | HUN | 2734 | 1.5 |
| 5th-6th | Arkadij Naiditsch | 51 | GER | 2684 | 1.5 |
Le Quang Liem has won two in a row and has now caught Mamedyarov in second place.
More news on Wednesday as tomorrow is a rest day!
The photos here are all by Georgios Souleidis from the tournament site. For more information (and further photos!) see the Official site
