2013 Tata Steel Finishes

Tata Steel 2013 ended it's 75th tournament with Magnus Carlsen, the highest rated player to ever walk the planet, as the undisputed winner with 10 points featuring 6 draws and 7 wins.  This is similar to Garry Kasparov's victory in 1999 when the tournament was known as Corus.  I was hoping to post daily during the tournament.  Unfortunately for you, if you are an avid reader, I was busy ending the semester and starting a new one while trying to complete a yearlong syllabus for the new class AP Environmental Science so there was no time to post.  But, I was able to catch some of the live action in between classes and during my prep.  See the reports here.

One of the games I ended up following in detail was between Levon Aronian and Vishwanathan Anand during round 4.  Another exciting end game was between Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin during round 8.  I also followed my other picks for success, Jan Smeets, Hikaru Nakamura, Lisa Schut, and Alexandra Goryachkina.

Double Dutch

Jan Smeets with a crowd of spectators in background - what a distracting environment

My Group B and C picks Jan Smeets, Lisa Schut and Alexandra Goryachkina fared well and in fact, Jan Smeets won third in Group B.  My other dutch treat, Lisa Schut finished last in Group C where Alexandra Goryachkina finished in 12th place.  It is always good to root for the underdogs.

Round 5:  Hou Yifan and Hikaru Nakamura (0-1)

Hikaru Nakamura won Tata in 2011 but did not break the top 5 this time around.  He won 6th place last year and this year.  Surprisingly, Anand played much better than expected and was not favored to win this tournament but was a huge contender for second place (or first if Magnus lost!) going into round 13 but an unfortunate position in the endgame against Hao Wang sealed a third place ending.

As crowded as a chess hall at the farwell dinner.

Grand Masters aren't the only ones that can play in this tournament

It is fabulous that Tata Steel sponsors such a prestigious event and they serve as a model company for other large mega-businesses.  Large companies owe more than just profits to the world and hosting a 16-day chess tournament is more of what the world needs.  The closing ceremonies looked fun and  the competitors looked exhausted.  I loved the trophies and I wish they would post a closeup of them.  Their coverage was excellent and I am sure there are no criticisms from the kings of the chess world.

GM Sabino Brunello holds a sculpture (his trophy).

Group A
		Score	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
1	Carlsen, M.	10.0 / 13	2861		½	½	1	½	1	1	½	½	1	1	½	1	1
2	Aronian, L.	8.5 / 13	2802	½		0	½	1	1	½	½	1	½	1	½	½	1
3	Anand, V.	8.0 / 13	2772	½	1		½	½	½	½	½	0	1	½	1	1	½
4	Karjakin, S.	8.0 / 13	2780	0	½	½		½	½	½	½	1	1	1	½	½	1
5	Leko, P.	7.5 / 13	2735	½	0	½	½		½	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	1
6	Nakamura, H.	7.0 / 13	2769	0	0	½	½	½		½	½	1	½	1	1	½	½
7	Harikrishna, P.	6.5 / 13	2698	0	½	½	½	½	½		1	½	1	0	½	½	½
8	Giri, A.	6.0 / 13	2726	½	½	½	½	½	½	0		½	½	0	1	½	½
9	Wang, H.	6.0 / 13	2752	½	0	1	0	½	0	½	½		0	1	½	1	½
10	van Wely, L.	6.0 / 13	2679	0	½	0	0	0	½	0	½	1		½	1	1	1
11	Hou, Y.	5.5 / 13	2603	0	0	½	0	½	0	1	1	0	½		½	½	1
12	Caruana, F.	5.0 / 13	2781	½	½	0	½	0	0	½	0	½	0	½		1	1
13	L'Ami, E.	4.0 / 13	2627	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	0		½
14	Sokolov, I.	3.0 / 13	2667	0	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	0	0	½
Group B
1	Naiditsch, A.	9.0 / 13	2708		1	1	½	½	½	1	0	1	0	1	½	1	1
2	Rapport, R.	9.0 / 13	2621	0		0	1	½	1	1	1	½	½	½	1	1	1
3	Smeets, J.	8.5 / 13	2615	0	1		½	½	1	0	½	1	½	1	1	½	1
4	Movsesian, S.	8.5 / 13	2688	½	0	½		½	1	½	½	1	1	½	1	½	1
5	Dubov, D.	7.5 / 13	2600	½	½	½	½		0	1	1	0	½	½	1	½	1
6	Edouard, R.	7.0 / 13	2686	½	0	0	0	1		½	1	½	1	1	½	1	0
7	Timman, J.	7.0 / 13	2566	0	0	1	½	0	½		½	½	0	1	1	1	1
8	Tiviakov, S.	6.5 / 13	2655	1	0	½	½	0	0	½		½	1	½	1	1	0
9	Turov, M.	6.0 / 13	2630	0	½	0	0	1	½	½	½		½	½	½	½	1
10	van Kampen, R.	5.5 / 13	2581	1	½	½	0	½	0	1	0	½		0	0	½	1
11	Grandelius, N.	4.5 / 13	2572	0	½	0	½	½	0	0	½	½	1		0	1	0
12	Nikolic, P.	4.5 / 13	2619	½	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	½	1	1		0	1
13	Ipatov, A.	4.0 / 13	2587	0	0	½	½	½	0	0	0	½	½	0	1		½
14	Ernst, S.	3.5 / 13	2556	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	½
Group C
1	Brunello, S.	11.0 / 13	2572		½	½	1	1	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	1
2	Peralta, F.	10.5 / 13	2617	½		1	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	1	½	1
3	Swinkels, R.	8.5 / 13	2508	½	0		½	½	1	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	1
4	Mekhitarian, K.	8.0 / 13	2543	0	½	½		½	1	0	1	0	½	1	1	1	1
5	Kovchan, A.	7.5 / 13	2579	0	½	½	½		½	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	1
6	Burg, T.	7.0 / 13	2492	½	½	0	0	½		½	0	1	1	½	½	1	1
7	Klein, D.	7.0 / 13	2445	0	0	0	1	½	½		1	0	1	0	1	1	1
8	Gretarsson, H.	6.5 / 13	2516	0	0	½	0	½	1	0		1	1	½	½	½	1
9	Bitensky, I.	5.5 / 13	2400	½	0	½	1	0	0	1	0		½	½	1	½	0
10	Romanishin, O.	5.5 / 13	2521	0	0	½	½	½	0	0	0	½		1	½	1	1
11	Admiraal, M.	4.5 / 13	2321	0	0	½	0	½	½	1	½	½	0		0	½	½
12	Goryachkina, A.	3.5 / 13	2402	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	½	1		½	½
13	van der Werf, M.	3.0 / 13	2450	0	½	0	0	½	0	0	½	½	0	½	½		0
14	Schut, L.	3.0 / 13	2295	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	½	½	1