Standings after round 6: grandmaster group A
1. T. Radjabov 5
2-3. V. Topalov, V. Kramnik 4
4-6. S. Karjakin, V. Anand, L. Aronian 3½
7-9. D. Navara, R. Ponomariov, P. Svidler 3
10-11. L. van Wely, A. Motylev 2½
12-13. S. Tiviakov, M. Carlsen 2
14. A. Shirov ½
Standings after round 6: grandmaster group B
1. P. Eljanov 4½
2-3. J. Smeets, M. Vachier-Lagrave 4
4-7. T. Kosintseva, Bu Xiangzhi, V. Bologan, D. Jakovenko 3½
8-9. F. Nijboer, D. Stellwagen 3
10-11. G. Sargissian, E. L’Ami 2½
12. V. Georgiev 2
13. J. Werle 1½
14. S. Atalik 1
Standings after round 6: grandmaster group C
1. I. Nepomniachtchi 5½
2-5. P. Negi, M. Krasenkow, E. Berg, Hou Yifan 4
6. Z. Peng 3½
7. M. Bosboom 5
8-10. S. Brynell, E. van Haastert, W. Spoelman 2½
11. N. Kosintseva 2
12-14. J. van der Wiel, H. Jonkman, T. Willemze 1½
3. Kramnik then Topalov
Radjabov is playing very well, and so far this has been a breakout tournament for him (and the King’s Indian!). But his biggest tests are still ahead — Kramnik, Anand, and Topalov. He still needs to prove that he can hold his own against these three.
Kramnik continues to be underestimated by the world chess community-at-large. Topalov is playing well but have you noticed that he isn’t nearly as aggressive as he was a year ago, when every game was a battle to the death? I think he is still trying to recover from the Kramnik match. Anand is playing up to his rating, but I always expect him to be superhuman, and he hasn’t been for several years. Carlsen is getting a good lesson in what it means to be a 2700+ player — and what is means to be a notch short of 2700+.
All in all, a very entertaining tournament with some really dubious moves thrown in. Of course the whole thing would be vastly improved by using the Sofia rules (no draw offers).
Hmmm…Shirov has lost every game (or thrown every game and therefore devaluing Kramnik’s point) since he lost to Kramnik in round two…he must still be reeling from Kasparov’s refusal to play him for the title and instead, later selecting Kramnik, whom won.
The game within the game goes on…