Status quo for the leaders

The only major issue in doubt is the overall title where Aronian retains his one point lead.

Boris Gelfand was the other player to win in the penultimate round of the Blindfold competition.

Round 10: Blindfold

Apart from Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand was the only winner in the rapids and is now in clear (overall) third.

Round 10: Rapidplay

The table with the totals after ten rounds is as follows:

Magnus Carlsen has an outside chance of catching Levon Aronian. Otherwise Viswanthan Anand could be caught by Vassily Ivanchuk and perhaps Alexander Grischuk in the race for the final podium place.

The final round starts at 12h30 tomorrow!

The previous rounds:

Round 1: Blindfold

Round 1: Rapidplay

Round 2: Blindfold

Round 2: Rapidplay

Round 3: Blindfold

Round 3: Rapidplay

Round 4: Blindfold

Round 4: Rapidplay

Round 5: Blindfold

Round 5: Rapidplay

Round 6: Blindfold

Round 6: Rapidplay

Round 7: Blindfold

Round 7: Rapidplay

Round 8: Blindfold

Round 8: Rapidplay

Round 9: Blindfold

Round 9: Rapidplay

The total prize fund is 227,000 € which explains the presence of so many elite players.

The time control varies slightly between the blindfold and rapidplay:

25 minutes by game in both cases, with an increment of 20 seconds by move at blindfold and just 10 seconds at rapidplay.

There are four sessions during the day. In the final round tomorrow these will begin at the earlier time of 12.30pm (local time) and the final session around 6pm.

The event takes place at the Hotel Monte-Carlo "Bay Hotel & Resort" in Monaco, from the 11th to the 25th of March 2011. The Max Euwe association and the philantrophist Joop van Oosterom have organized the event since 1992, and named it after his daughter Melody Amber.

For more information go to:Official site