Four wins and five draws were sufficient for Grischuk to finish ahead of second-placed Svidler, who won as many games but whose tournament included a loss to tail-ender Sjugirov.
official site: click here
Here are some examples of Grischuk in action.
The new champion won four of his five Whites. These included a long grind in round one and the following three rather convincing displays:
Alexander Grischuk (2736) - Alexander Riazantsev (2661)
Russian Championship (Moscow 5) 24.12.2009
Alekhine's Defence (B04)
1.e4 ♘f6 2.e5 ♘d5 3.d4 d6 4.♘f3 dxe5 5.♘xe5 g6 6.♗c4 ♗e6 7.0-0 ♗g7 8.♖e1 0-0 9.♘d2 ♘d7 10.♘ef3 ♘7f6
11.♖xe6!
A new move and rather a good one!
11...fxe6 12.♘g5 ♕d6 13.♕e1 b5
An attempt at distraction that doesn't lead to any reduction in White's pressure.
14.♗b3 a5 15.a4 bxa4 16.♘c4 ♕c6 17.♖xa4
Black's structure is seriously damaged and White's minor pieces have excellent play. The nominal material advantage of 'the exchange' is quite often irrelevant on a crowded board in those cases where rooks have little scope.
17...♖a6 18.♖xa5 ♖fa8 19.♗d2 ♗h6 20.h4 ♗xg5
Black avoids losing his e6-pawn but at a high price in positional terms.
21.hxg5 ♘d7
22.♖xa6
Maybe 22.♗a4! is even stronger: 22...♕xc4 23.♗xd7 ♖xa5 24.♗xe6+ ♔f8 25.♕e5 and wins.
22...♕xa6 23.♘a5 c5
An attempt at liberating his position, but it leads to the loss of the c-pawn.
24.♗a4 ♖a7 25.♗xd7 ♖xd7 26.dxc5 ♘c7 27.c4 ♕a8 28.c6 ♖d3 29.♗c3 ♕f8 30.♕e5 ♖d1+
Black could resist for a few more moves with 30...♖xc3 31.♕xc3 ♕f4 32.b4 ♕xg5 33.b5 ♕c5 34.♘b7 ♕b6 35.♕a5 but this wouldn't change the result.
31.♔h2
1-0
Alexander Grischuk (2736) - Sanan Sjugirov (2612)
Russian Championships (Moscow 6) 26.12.2009
Sicilian Najdorf (B90)
1.e4 c5 2.♘f3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.♘xd4 ♘f6 5.♘c3 a6 6.♗e3 e5 7.♘b3 ♗e6 8.♕d2 ♗e7 9.f3 0-0 10.0-0-0 ♕c7 11.g4 ♖c8 12.g5 ♘h5 13.♔b1 ♘d7 14.f4 exf4 15.♗xf4 ♘xf4 16.♕xf4 ♘e5 17.h4 ♕b6 18.♘d5 ♗xd5 19.♖xd5 a5 20.♖b5 ♕c7 21.♘d4 a4 22.a3 ♖a5
His opponent has no counterplay to speak of, so Grischuk can just get on with matters on the kingside.
23.h5! ♗f8 24.g6!
A thematic blow. The pawns are used as battering rams to prise open Black's king.
24...♖xb5 25.♗xb5 ♕b6
No better is 25...hxg6 26.hxg6 fxg6 (or 26...♘xg6 27.♕h2 ♗e7 28.♕h7+ ♔f8 29.♕h8+) 27.♕h2 and Black is helpless.
26.gxf7+ ♔h8
If 26...♘xf7, then 27.♖f1 ♖c7 28.♘e6 wins material.
27.h6 ♕xd4 28.hxg7+ ♗xg7 29.♕f5
With a deadly fork.
29...♘g6 30.♕xc8+ ♘f8 31.♕c3 ♕xe4 32.♖g1!
1-0
Alexander Grischuk (2736) - Dmitry Jakovenko (2736)
Russian Championships (Moscow 8) 28.12.2009
Spanish Berlin (C67)
1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 ♘f6 4.0-0 ♘xe4 5.d4 ♘d6 6.♗xc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 ♘f5 8.♕xd8+ ♔xd8 9.♘c3 h6 10.h3 ♗d7 11.b3 ♔c8 12.♗b2 b6 13.♖fd1 ♘e7 14.♖d2 c5 15.♖ad1 ♗e6 16.♘e2 ♘g6
17.h4!
The critical move. As for alternatives, White hasn't had much success with other moves in this position.
17...♗g4
Jakovenko attempts to improve on an earlier Grischuk game which continued 17...♗e7 18.h5 ♘h4 19.♘xh4 ♗xh4 20.♘f4! (offering the exchange) 20...♗g5 21.♘xe6 ♗xd2 22.♘xg7 ♗g5 23.g3 ♖d8 24.♖xd8+ ♔xd8 25.♘f5 ♔d7 26.f4 and White's positional compensation (sound kingside majority etc.) proved to be sufficient for a win in Grischuk,A-Marciano,D French league 2003.
18.♘h2!
Grischuk is ready-and-willing to sacrifice a pawn for the initiative.
18...♗xe2 19.♖xe2 ♘xh4 20.♘g4
All White's pieces are activated and Black is no longer able to blockade the e-pawn so e5-e6 will remain in the air.
20...h5
After the natural developing move 20...♗e7 White has 21.e6 e.g. 21...f6 (21...fxe6 22.♖xe6 ♗d6 23.♘e3 ♖g8 24.♘c4 with continuing pressure.) 22.♘e3 ♖d8 23.♘d5 ♔b7 24.♖d3 ♘g6 25.♖e4 h5 and the result is still very much in doubt. White is able to keep pressing but Black is fairly solid.
21.♘e3 ♘g6 22.♖ed2 c4
Now 22...♗e7 is strongly met by 23.♘f5.
23.♖d7
Otherwise White could play 23.♘xc4 ♗c5 24.♖d7, but then after 24...♖f8 it's not clear how White should continue. Black at least has some breathing space once his bishop makes it to c5.
23...cxb3 24.cxb3 ♗c5
White regains his pawn under even more favourable circumstances following 24...♗e7 25.♘f5.
25.♖xf7 ♗xe3
At least this breaks up White's pawns, but it's the relative activity of the pieces that ensures that White keeps a big advantage.
26.fxe3
A sensible reply, but 26.♖xg7!? ♘f8 27.fxe3 ♔b7 is also possible. White obtains an extra pawn and good piece play in either case.
26...♘f8 27.♖c1!
Or here 27.♖xg7 ♔b7 transposes to the previous note. Clearly Grischuk was aiming for even better than this.
27...♘e6 28.♖e7 ♘c5 29.b4
The c7-pawn is creaking.
29...♔d8
Otherwise 29...♘a6 (not ideal but it defends c7) 30.♖xg7 (30.♖c6 ♔b7 31.b5 ♖hd8 is however less clear) 30...♔b7 31.♗d4 also looks shaky for Black.
30.♖xg7 ♘e6
Jakovenko naturally feels more comfortable with his knight on e6 (rather than a6!) but Black is still a pawn down.
31.♖d1+ ♔e8 32.♖g6 ♔e7 33.b5!
Fixing the queenside and preparing ♗-a3+.
33...♖ad8 34.♗a3+ ♔f7 35.♖f6+ ♔g7
White doesn't win a piece (the d1-rook is hanging) but obtains a promising endgame in all lines.
36.♖xd8 ♘xd8 37.♗e7 ♖e8
Or 37...♘b7 38.♖c6 ♖c8 39.♗d6 ♘a5 40.♖xc7+ ♖xc7 41.♗xc7 ♔f7 42.♔f2 and White is much better.
38.♗xd8 ♖xd8 39.♖c6 ♖d7 40.a4 ♔f8 41.♔f2
White's king threatens to support the advanced e-pawn.
41...♖f7+ 42.♖f6 ♖xf6+ 43.exf6 ♔f7 44.♔g3
White has a straightforward win following 44.♔g3 ♔xf6 45.♔h4 ♔g6 46.e4 ♔h6 47.e5 ♔g6 48.e6 ♔f6 49.♔xh5 etc.
1-0
The final cross-table is as follows:
| Position | Name | ELO | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Score | Performance |
| 1 | Alexander Grischuk | 2736 | X | = | = | = | 1 | = | 1 | 1 | = | 1 | 6.5 | 2852 |
| 2 | Peter Svidler | 2754 | = | X | = | = | = | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.0 | 2809 |
| 3 | Nikita Vitiugov | 2694 | = | = | X | = | 1 | 1 | = | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5.0 | 2733 |
| 4 | Evgeny Alekseev | 2715 | = | = | = | X | 0 | = | = | 1 | = | = | 4.5 | 2688 |
| 5 | Dmitry Jakovenko | 2736 | 0 | = | 0 | 1 | X | = | = | = | = | 1 | 4.5 | 2686 |
| 6 | Denis Khismatullin | 2643 | = | 0 | 0 | = | = | X | = | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4.0 | 2653 |
| 7 | Evgeny Tomashevsky | 2708 | 0 | 0 | = | = | = | = | X | = | = | 1 | 4.0 | 2646 |
| 8 | Alexander Riazantsev | 2661 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | = | 0 | = | X | 1 | 1 | 4.0 | 2651 |
| 9 | Arty Timofeev | 2651 | = | 0 | 0 | = | = | 1 | = | 0 | X | = | 3.5 | 2615 |
| 10 | Sanan Sjugirov | 2612 | 0 | 1 | 1 | = | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | = | X | 3.0 | 2574 |
In the Women's event 7.5 was required by Alisa Galliamova to outpace Nadezhda Kosintseva.
| Position | Name | Elo | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Performance | |
| 1 | Alisa Galliamova | 2460 | X | = | = | = | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7.5 | 2709 |
| 2 | Nadezhda Kosintseva | 2518 | = | X | 1 | = | 1 | 1 | = | 1 | = | 1 | 7.0 | 2649 |
| 3 | Valentina Gunina | 2446 | = | 0 | X | = | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6.0 | 2562 |
| 4 | Tatiana Kosintseva | 2522 | = | = | = | X | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | = | = | 5.5 | 2509 |
| 5 | Elena Zaiatz | 2390 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | X | = | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.5 | 2444 |
| 6 | Anastasia Bodnaruk | 2372 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | = | X | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4.5 | 2446 |
| 7 | Natalija Pogonina | 2501 | 0 | = | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3.5 | 2351 |
| 8 | Tatiana Stepovaia | 2384 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 1 | 1 | 3.0 | 2319 |
| 9 | Maria Manakova | 2344 | 0 | = | 0 | = | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 1 | 2.0 | 2229 |
| 10 | Marina Romanko | 2449 | 0 | 0 | 0 | = | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 1.5 | 2164 |
