Shanghai Chess Masters Grand Slam: Kramnik beats Aronian in play-offs

Vladimir Kramnik: Bilbao bound

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Hi Everybody,

So, it's going to be Vladimir Kramnik who will join Alexei Shirov in Bilbao along with Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen!

The Russian grandmaster defeated Levon Aronian in a blitz play-off after the sixth round at the Shanghai Chess Masters Grand Slam. Earlier, Alexei Shirov had already qualified to play in Bilbao. You can check the official website here.

In the blitz play-off both the players won their games with White but Kramnik eventually won on time in the Armageddon game.

Earlier, in the sixth round, Kramnik drew with Wang Hao and Aronian drew with Shirov.

The first part of the 2010 Grand Slam Masters Final took place from September 3-8 in Shanghai, China. Aronian, Kramnik, Shirov and Wang Hao played for two qualification spots for the second part that is to be held from October 9-15 in Bilbao, Spain.

Here are the blitz play-off games between Kramnik and Aronian. You can run the moves through our pgnplayer or watch in flash below.

PGN: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Bf4 Nc6 6. e3 Bf5 7. Qb3 Na5 8. Qa4+ Bd7 9. Qc2 e6 10. Bd3 Rc8 11. Nf3 Bb4 12. O-O Nc4 13. Bxc4 Rxc4 14. Ne5 Rc8 15. Qb3 Qa5 16. Nxd7 Nxd7 17. a3 Bxc3 18. Qxb7 O-O 19. bxc3 Nb6 20. Bc7 Qb5 21. Qxa7 Nc4 22. Bg3 Ra8 23. Qe7 Rfc8 24. h3 Qa5 25. Qb4 Nxa3 26. Bd6 Qxb4 27. cxb4 Nc4 28. Bc5 Na3 29. Ra2 Nb5 30. Ra5 Rab8 31. Rfa1 h6 32. Ra6 Kh7 33. R1a5 Nc3 34. Ra7 Kg6 35. Rd7 Nb5 36. f3 Rc6 37. Kh2 f6 38. e4 dxe4 39. fxe4 Kh7 40. d5 exd5 41. exd5 Rcc8 42. d6 Rc6 43. Rxb5 Rxb5 44. Rc7 Rbb6 45. Rxc6 1-0

PGN: 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c6 3. Bg2 Bg4 4. O-O Nd7 5. d3 e5 6. Qe1 Ngf6 7. e4 dxe4 8. dxe4 Bc5 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. h3 Bh5 11. Nc4 Re8 12. Nh4 b5 13. Na5 Qc7 14. a4 Bb6 15. Nb3 a6 16. Bg5 c5 17. a5 Ba7 18. c4 Rab8 19. Nd2 h6 20. Be3 Nf8 21. f4 exf4 22. Bxf4 Qd8 23. Nf5 Ne6 24. e5 Nd4 25. Nd6 Re6 26. Qf2 Ne8 27. g4 Nxd6 28. exd6 Re2 29. gxh5 Rxf2 30. Rxf2 Qh4 31. Re1 Ne6 32. Bh2 bxc4 33. Re4 Qxh5 34. Nxc4 Qd1+ 35. Rf1 Qc2 36. d7 Rd8 37. Ne5 Bb8 38. Nxf7 Bxh2+ 39. Kxh2 Rxd7 40. Rxe6 Rd2 41. Re8+ Kh7 42. Rg1 Qf5 43. Rf8 Qf4+ 44. Kh1 Rxg2 45. Rxg2 Qf1+ 46. Kh2 Qf4+ 47. Kg1 Qc1+ 48. Kf2 Qd2+ 49. Kf3 Qd3+ 50. Kf2 Qd2+ 51. Kg3 Qe3+ 52. Kh2 Qf4+ 53. Kg1 Qc1+ 54. Kf2 Qd2+ 55. Kf3 Qd3+ 56. Kg4 Qe4+ 57. Kg3 Qe3+ 58. Kh4 Qf4+ 59. Rg4 Qf2+ time 1-0

PGN: 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c6 4. O-O Bg4 5. d3 Nbd7 6. Qe1 e5 7. e4 dxe4 8. dxe4 Bc5 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. h3 Bh5 11. a4 a5 12. Nc4 Qc7 13. Bd2 b6 14. Nh4 Ne8 15. Kh2 f6 16. b3 Nd6 17. Nb2 Rfe8 18. Nd3 Nf7 19. Nxc5 Nxc5 20. Kh1 Rad8 21. Bc3 Ne6 22. Nf5 c5 23. Ne3 Nd4 24. f3 Qc8 25. h4 Nd6 26. Rd1 Bf7 27. Qf2 Qc6 28. Rd2 Qa8 29. Rfd1 b5 30. axb5 N6xb5 31. Bb2 a4 32. bxa4 Qxa4 33. f4 Nd6 34. fxe5 fxe5 35. c3 Bg6 36. cxd4 Nxe4 37. Bxe4 Bxe4+ 38. Ng2 exd4 39. Re1 Rf8 40. Qg1 Ba8 41. Kh2 Qc6 42. Rde2 Rb8 43. Bc1 Qf3 44. Bf4 Rbd8 45. Rf2 Qc6 46. Re7 Rd7 47. Qe1 Rxe7 48. Qxe7 Rf7 49. Qd8+ Rf8 50. Qe7 Rf7 51. Qe2 h6 52. Qa2 c4 53. Be5 d3 54. Rxf7 Kxf7 55. Bc3 Qd5 56. Qf2+ Kg8 57. Kg1 Qe4 58. Kf1 Bd5 59. Ne1 Qh1+ 60. Qg1 Qe4 61. Qh2 Qf5+ 62. Kg1 Qe4 63. h5 Qg4 64. Qh4 Qxh4 65. gxh4 Bf7 66. Kf2 Bxh5 67. Ke3 g5 68. hxg5 hxg5 69. Kd4 Be2 70. Bd2 g4 71. Ke3 Kf7 72. Kf4 Ke6 73. Bc3 Kd5 74. Ng2 Kc5 75. Ne3 Kb5 76. Ke5 Ka4 77. Kd4 Kb3 78. Be1 g3 79. Ng2 Kc2 80. Ne3+ Kb3 81. Nxc4 g2 82. Bf2 Kc2 83. Ke3 Kb3 84. Nd2+ Kc3 85. Ne4+ Kc4 86. Nd2+ Kd5 time 0-1

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